Until now, TI has been selling RFID tags using silicon from Seattle-based Impinj Inc. But TI claims its own new silicon has better performance and higher functionality than Impinj’s.
However, a TI spokesperson said the company was not ending relationship with Impinj and would continue to sell inlays with Impinj silicon for the foreseeable future, based on customer demand.
TI’s Gen 2 silicon is manufactured with 130-nanometer processor technology, compared to the 250-nm or larger node sizes used by most other silicon makers. The smaller geometry means smaller chips that require less power to achieve longer RFID tag read ranges and greater read reliability.
TI’s silicon also has a built-in Schottky diode that promises more efficient conversion of radio frequency signal energy.
The result is silicon with low power consumption and increased chip-to-reader sensitivity. Users can also write to TI’s chips under the lowest RF power conditions in spite of background electromagnetic interference common in typical supply chain factory floor and warehouse environments, TI claimed.
The upshot of all this to users are a greater percentage of RFID tag reads on cases and pallets as they move through manufacturing and distribution channels, which means quicker process flow and, ultimately, cost savings.
Dallas, Texas-based TI said its new silicon was available for volume shipping and in various form factors.
The standards body EPCglobal Inc has certified TI’s new ultra-high frequency chips as Generation 2, the global RFID standard.
Each chip is factory programmed with a unique ID number, so manufacturers can verify chip counts and production status. The ID code is then over-written with the final EPC code.
