Autumn 2006

TI-RFID, part of Texas Instruments, says it is the first company to put EPC "Gen 2" RFID chips into volume production.

These chips are intended for use in RFID tracking in a variety of applications, including general retail supply-chain management, manufacturing and the pharmaceutical and consumer goods markets.

TI says its advanced 130nm analogue mode IC technology means the chips are small than previous models, and require less power to activate. It says they also have greater signal sensitivity, which results in longer read ranges and greater robustness in noisy environments. Most other manufacturers still use 250 nm or larger node sizes, TI says.

The chips are available in three form factors for easy integration into standard manufacturing processes - chip form for customers with chip handling capability; patented strap format for easy low-cost label assembly and packaging; and inlay formats for direct incorporation into labels.