Texas Instruments Inc has launched the TI Registration and Identification System which can electronically identify and track diverse items in a variety of manufacturing, distribution, security and animal applications: at the heart of the system is a battery-free transponder that measures 0.15 by 1.22, and Texas Instruments plans to produce it in varying sizes and shapes according to the application; the transponder can be inserted into or incorporated with products, and radio frequency energy emitted from a reading unit powers the transponder, which then returns a factory-programmed identification code to the user; each transponder contains an antenna and semiconductor technology bearing a tamper-proof code, and transponders can be coded during manufacturing to meet customer specifications; the company says that key benefits are the compact size and reading range of the transponder, system capabilities and application support; a transponder sends its identification code to the reading unit at maximum distances of between 20 and 40, depending on configuration of the reader’s antenna and these configurations range from small rods extending from portable hand-held units to those which can be wall-mounted.
