UHF (RAIN) RFID Chip Type

UHF (RAIN) RFID Chip Type

An Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) chip is a type of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that uses radio waves to communicate with a reader or transmitter.

UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID tag that works at frequencies between 860-960 MHz.

Four frequency bands are used in tag design:

• Low Frequency – 125/134 kHz
• High Frequency – 13.56 MHz
• Ultra-High Frequency – 433 MHz (sometimes called Very High VHF), 860-960 MHz
• Microwave Frequency – 2.45 GHz

                                                                                                                                                       Fig 1: RFID Frequency Spectrum

At UHF frequencies we can achieve much longer read ranges, much higher data-rate and maximum traceability.

Inside the UHF chip consists of antenna and microchip which operates together when a RFID reader or Scanner emits radio frequency signals, the UHF chip backscatter to the reader with the information stored inside the chip.

RFID Chips are integrated circuits (IC) encapsulated inside RFID labels or Tags which are responsible for data storage as well as handling process logic based. Nowadays, UHF RFID Chips are being opted by the varieties of industries like retails, healthcare, logistics, transportation with the help of applications like asset management, Inventory management and supply chain management.

There are mainly three components of UHF RFID Tags which are as follows:

• RFID Chip (Integrated Circuit): Responsible data storage as well as handling processing logic based on the respective             protocol.
• Tag Antenna: An RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag antenna is an integral part of an RFID system that is used to receive and transmit signals between the RFID reader and the tag.

RFID tags are typically composed of a microchip that stores data and an antenna that used to communicate with the reader. The operating frequency of an RFID system can be low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), or ultra-high frequency (UHF).

Overall, the RFID tag antenna plays a crucial role in the functionality and performance of an RFID system by facilitating communication between the tag and reader.

Fig 2: HF & UHF Tag Inlay Construction

• Substrate: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) substrates are specialized materials used to make RFID tags. These substrates are typically made of thin films of materials such as plastic or paper, which are coated with conductive materials such as aluminium or copper.

The conductive layer is used to create the antenna of the RFID tag, which is the part that interacts with the reader to transmit and receive information. The substrate also used as a base for attaching other components, such as the RFID chip and adhesive layers.

The choice of substrate material depends on the specific application and requirements of the RFID tag. For example, plastic substrates used in applications where durability and moisture resistance are important, while paper substrates are often used in disposable or short-term applications.

Overall, RFID substrates play a critical role in the performance and functionality of RFID tags, enabling them to function reliably and efficiently in a variety of environments and applications.

UHF (Integrated Circuit) are further divided into four memory banks:

To know more about UHF (Integrated Circuits) chip memory one can refer the tag’s specifications and data sheet. We have mentioned specification about each memory bank below:

• Bank 00: Reserved Memory ­– This Memory Bank hold the tag’s passwords so that no prohibited person can write on Tag. Reserved memory can be read-locked. Reserved Memory stores the Kill and Access password of 32 bits each. By using Kill password, we can disable the tag permanently and Access password used to Lock & Unlock the Tag.

• Bank 01: EPC Memory – Electronic Product Code is defined as the unique universal identifier to provide for every asset or product to store the EPC code. EPC memory bank is writable memory bank of minimum 96 Bits and can be up to 512 Bits (depending upon the tags).

• Bank 10: TID Memory – This Memory stores the unique Tag ID which means each tag is universally unique, this memory part cannot be changed. This memory bank cannot be duplicate as it is provided by the manufacturer when the Tag IC is manufactured.

• Bank 11: User Memory – This Memory bank is an optional memory which can be used by a user if he needs more memory than the EPC memory, some of the IC have extended memory which is used to record more data. User Memory can be extended maximum to 512 bits, but now advanced memory tags are there can support up to 4K & 8k bytes. Typically, this memory bank is User defined.

                                                                Fig 3: UHF Gen2 Memory Bank

Top Manufacturers of Integrated Circuits (IC) Chips:

NXP SEMICONDUCTORS

Table 1: NXP Chip IC Type

ALIEN TECHNOLOGY

                                                                                Table 2: Alien Chip IC Type

IMPINJ

Table 3: IMPINJ Chip IC Type

Find the UHF (RFID) Chip Type Using TagMatiks Wedge:

One of the memory banks of a UHF (RAIN) RFID Chip is the TID memory bank. The TID memory bank is a factory encoded value that includes the manufacturer and chip model for that specific RFID Tag.

TagMatiks Wedge includes a feature that enables users to scan one or more RFID tags and determine the manufacturer and chip type.

Enable this feature, go to Application Configuration<Filters. Under Memory Banks, enable the TID option.

                                         Fig: TID Filter                                                                                     Fig: TID Filter with Chip Manufacturer 

                                          Fig: TID Filter with Chip Model                                                                   Fig: Tag Details with Chip Type