Intel makes major RFID advance

Intel Corp has unveiled an RFID radio

chip that it claims will dramatically

enhance the capabilities and design

of UHF RFID readers. The Intel UHF

RFID Transceiver R1000 integrates 90

percent of the discrete components found

in a typical RFID reader radio (including

receive, transmit, baseband, modulation

and demodulation functionality) onto a

single chip, to deliver high performance

with low power consumption.

“Integrated radio silicon in readers is an

important step in the evolution of UHF

RFID,” said Michael J. Reed, Intel RFID

Operation general manager. “Companies

will now have access to low-cost, low-power

and more versatile readers, better equipping

them to explore the boundless opportunities

afforded by RFID.”

While RFID technology has matured to

the point where standards are now in place

and tags are inexpensive, RFID readers still

tend to be large, complex and expensive,

with high power requirements and hundreds

of discrete components.

The Intel R1000 significantly changes

this model by integrating most of the

reader’s components onto a single 8x8

mm chip. This reduces design complexity

and costs, which enables manufacturers

to develop smaller, innovative readers and

address new end-user RFID applications.

The chip supports a full range of reader

form factors and applications, from short-range

handheld readers to long-range dock

door readers.

Industry Support

Intel says that the R1000 has already

received broad industry support among

RFID reader suppliers, with the Intel R1000,

with products expected to be commercially

available in North America, Europe and

Asia during the second quarter of 2007.

Firmware included with the Intel R1000

supports all modes and data rates of the

EPCglobal Gen 2 and ISO 18000-6C

standards, including built-in support for

dense reader mode (DRM), and regional

regulatory requirements such as FCC and

ETSI, including built-in support for listen

before talk (LBT). Normally a company

would need to invest six to 12 months to

develop this protocol firmware.

In addition, a low-level software

solution and software design kit (SDK)

from Intel based is compatible with the

industry’s leading software providers’

higher-level applications and emerging

standards. The SDK also allows

customers to program readers using

common programming techniques

rather than having to understand and

develop low-level microcontroller code.

The Intel chip integrates 90 percent of

the discrete components