RFID Update: Compact, Cheap RFID Reader Chip Developed

Last week the Institute of Microelectronics in Singapore announced the development of a single reader chip for ultrahigh frequency (UHF) RFID which has the potential to dramatically reduce both the price and form factor of portable RFID readers.

Existing UHF readers are typically assembled using numerous discrete electronic components, each of which has to be manufactured separately. The new chip from IME, by contrast, is an integration of all these components onto a single piece of silicon. The result is a cheaper and smaller electronic device. According to Rajinder Singh, the laboratory head of the Integrated Circuits & Systems division at IME, the new chip will enable card-sized UHF reader modules that weigh less than 100 grams and consume less than one watt of power. Furthermore, IME predicts it could bring the price point of UHF reader modules down below $100.

http://www.rfidupdate.com/articles/index.php?id=1292&from=rss