Joint development to empower portable UHF RFID readers

IDS Microchip and austriamicrosystems have partnered to develop a UHF RFID reader IC targeted at the portable reader market. These readers would be used to interrogate Gen 2 RFID tags allowing contactless identification of goods or materials in a broad range of applications.

The companies have collaborated to achieve low current consumption and the low cost bill of materials (BOM) required for the portable reader market. By incorporating time-critical portions of the design, the partners have simplified the end product design, and this IC, with a simple 8-bit microcontroller, can implement a complete Gen 2 RFID reader.

“The UHF RFID market has been limited in growth potential due to the complex and expensive reader solutions available on the market until now. With this new UHF RFID reader solution from austriamicrosystems and IDS, reader vendors have been excited about the time to market and attractive price targets they can now achieve,” said Franz Faschinger, senior VP and general manager Business Unit Industry & Medical at austriamicrosystems.

The device is expected to be released to production in the first quarter of 2008.