The Kynix Blog - RFID

Good things come in small packages. This is especially true in the world of portable wireless communications systems. Cell phones, wearables, and implantable electronics have shrunk over time, which has made them more useful in many cases. But a critical component of these devices -- the antenna -- hasn't followed suit. Researchers haven't been able to get them much smaller, until now. In a paper published online Tuesday in Nature Communications, Nian Sun, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern, and his colleagues describe a new approach to designing antennas. The discovery enables researchers to construct antennas that are up to a thousand times smaller than currently available antennas, Sun said. "A lot of people have tried hard to reduce the size of antennas. This has been an open challenge for the whole society," Sun said. "We looked into this problem and thought, 'why don't we use a new mechanism?'" Traditional antennas are built to receive and transmit electromagnetic waves, which travel fast -- up to the speed of light. But electromagnetic waves have a relatively long wavelength. That means antennas must maintain a certain size in order to work efficiently with electromagnetic radiation. Instead of designing antennas at the electromagnetic wave resonance -- so they receive and transmit electromagnetic waves -- researchers tailored the antennas to acoustic resonance. Acoustic resonance waves are roughly 10 thousand times -- smaller than electromagnetic waves. This translates to an antenna that's one or two orders of magnitude smaller than even the most compact antennas available today. Since acoustic resonance and electromagnetic waves have the same frequency, the new antennas would still work for cell phones and other wireless communication devices. And they would provide the same instantaneous delivery of information. In fact, researchers found their antennas performed better than traditional kinds. Tiny antennas have big implications, especially for Internet of Things devices, and in the biomedical field. For example, Sun said the technology could lead to better bioinjectible, bioimplantable, or even bioinjestible devices that monitor health. One such application that neurosurgeons are interested in exploring is a device that could sense neuron behavior deep in the brain. But bringing this idea to life has stumped researchers, until now. "Something that's millimeters or even micrometers in size would make biomedical implantation much easier to achieve, and the tissue damage would be much less," Sun said. Ref.KY78-501WPKY78-ASM56

This article will introduce to you how RFID sensors are applied to detecting food quality and monitoring food safety.   Catalog I. Brief Introduction II. General Principles of Design and Operation of RFID Food Sensors III. Example of Applications FAQ I. Brief Introduction   Radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors are finding their diverse applications when an unobtrusive sensor form factor, battery-free design, and minimal sensor cost are the top three requirements for a new sensor. Examples of diverse applications include pharmaceutical, warehousing, agricultural, industrial, food safety, and security.    Benefits of RFID sensors for food quality and safety, as compared to tethered sensors, include the non-obtrusive nature of their installations, higher nodal densities, and lower installation costs without the need for extensive wiring.   In addition, a significant advantage of RFID and other electronic sensors over optical sensors is in the ability to perform measurements through non-transparent packaging.   There are several developed battery-free wireless sensing technologies based on magnetoelastic,16 thickness-shear modes, surface acoustic wave, magnetic acoustic resonance, and resonant LCR (inductor-capacitor-resistor) transducers. Several approaches for battery-free RFID sensing have been explored, e.g. based on chipless RFID sensors.   We recently developed a methodology to implement passive RFID tags for physical, chemical, and biological sensing. In our RFID sensing approach, the resonance impedance spectrum of the sensor antenna is measured and further correlated with the chemical, biological, or physical properties of the environment. This correlation is performed using the multivariable response of the RFID sensor computed from the measured impedance spectrum.   The complementary driving forces in successful sensor development are innovative ideas and the market size for new sensors. The market size is often but not always is supported by the regulatory requirements. If both driving forces are strong, the sensor development moves from its initial proof-of-concept technology readiness level to the commercialization of the sensor technology.   The sizes of markets for food safety testing products ($0.25 B) and pathogen detecting sensors ($0.5 B) and provide exciting opportunities for the development of new sensing technologies for food quality and safety.   Intelligent labeling of food products to indicate and report their freshness and other conditions is one of the important possible applications of the developed RFID sensors.   Unlike other food freshness monitoring approaches that require a thin-film battery for operation of an RFID sensor and fabrication of custom-made sensors, our developed passive RFID sensing approach combines advantages of both battery-free and cost-effective sensor design and offers response selectivity that is impossible to achieve with other individual sensors.   In this review, we summarize the result of the development of RFID sensors for food quality and safety. In these sensors, the electric field generated in the RFID sensor antenna extends out from the plane of the RFID sensor and is affected by the ambient environment providing the opportunity for sensing.   This environment may be in the form of a food sample within the electric field of the sensing region or a sensing film deposited onto the sensor antenna. Examples of applications include monitoring of freshness of milk, the freshness of fish, and bacterial growth.   II. General Principles of Design and Operation of RFID Food Sensors     (Figure 1) Operation principle of developed passive RFID sensors. (A) Sensor equivalent circuit described by the inductance LA, capacitance CA, and resistance RA of the sensing antenna coil, capacitance CS and resistance RS of the sensing region, and capacitance ...   In order to assess the broad applicability of the developed sensors for food safety applications, it is critical to understand the general principles of their design and operation (see Figure 1).   The equivalent circuit of the developed sensors forms an inductor-capacitor-resistor (LCR) circuit and is described by the inductance LA, capacitance CA, and resistance RA of the sensing antenna coil, capacitance CS and resistance RS of the sensing region, and capacitance CC and resistance RC of the integrated circuit (IC) chip (see Figure 1A).   Reading and writing of digital information into the RFID sensor and measurement of the impedance of the RFID sensor antenna are performed via mutual inductance coupling between the RFID sensor antenna and the pickup coil of a digital/analog sensor reader.   Impedance spectra Ž(f) of the sensor are measured using a laboratory or a portable network analyzer component and digital data from an IC chip is measured with a digital RFID reader component29 of our custom sensor reader.   Digital data include sensor calibrations, food manufacturing data, end-user data, etc. The network analyzers are used to scan the frequencies over the range of interest (typically centered at 13 MHz with a scan range of ~10 MHz).   The electric field generated in the RFID sensor antenna extends out from the plane of the RFID sensor (Figure 1B) and is affected by the ambient environment providing the opportunity for sensing. This environment may be in the form of a food sample within the electric field of the sensing region or a sensing film deposited onto the sensor antenna.   In both cases, the impedance of the antenna circuit Ž(f) is modulated through the changes in capacitance CS and resistance RS of the sensing region. This sensing region can be in the form of a full antenna or a complementary region in contact with the antenna.32 Numerous types of sensing materials applicable for food quality sensing were recently analyzed.   To achieve accurate and precise measurements using our sensors, we measure the real Zre(f) and imaginary Zim(f) parts of the impedance spectra Ž(f) and calculate several spectral parameters.   A schematic representation of the real Zre(f) and imaginary Zim(f) parts of the impedance spectrum Ž(f) of the sensor without possible effects from a pickup coil is illustrated in Figure 1C. Several calculated spectral parameters include the frequency position Fp and magnitude Zp of Zre(f) and the resonant F1 and antiresonant F2 frequencies of Zim(f).   Additional parameters can also be calculated (impedance magnitudes Z1 and Z2 at F1 and F2 frequencies, respectively, zero-reactance frequency, quality factor, etc). From the measured parameters, resistance, capacitance, and other parameters of the resonant antenna can be also determined. Figure 2 shows examples of RFID sensors applied in our studies for food quality and safety.       (Figure 2) Examples of employed RFID sensors based on (A) Texas Instruments RFID tag, (B) Avery Dennison RFID tag, (C) TagSys RFID tag.   Uncontrolled temperature fluctuations produce independent effects on the different components of the equivalent circuit. These independent effects are correlated with the spectral features of the resonance impedance spectra and are resolved by the multivariable response of the sensor.   For scenarios when the food is irradiated by ionizing radiation as a food safety measure to destroy bacteria, pathogens, and pests,39,40 conventional RFID IC memory chips do not survive the applied radiation dose that can be up to 30 kGy.   We have developed a technical solution to solve this problem where an IC chip is based on the Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) technology and provides reliable gamma-resistant RFID tags and sensors.   The FRAM memory chips have 2000 bytes of user memory (MB89R118A, Fujitsu Microelectronics Ltd, Japan)42 and are made using a standard RF signal modulation circuitry fabricated using a 0.35-μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process and a non-volatile FRAM memory.43 A photo of this IC chip is shown in Figure 3A while one of our RFID sensors with such an IC chip is shown in Figure 3B.   (Figure 3) Photographs of (A) FRAM IC memory chip MB89R118A and (B) Developed RFID sensor for gamma-sterilizable applications. Sensor diameter = 10 mm. III. Example of Applications       · Monitoring of milk freshness     · Monitoring of fish condition     · Direct monitoring of bacteria growth FAQ   1. What is RFID used for? Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is the wireless non-contact use of radio frequency waves to transfer data. Tagging items with RFID tags allows users to automatically and uniquely identify and track inventory and assets.   2. What is RFID and how it works? RFID is a method of data collection that involves automatically identifying objects through low-power radio waves. Data is sent and received with a system consisting of RFID tags, an antenna, an RFID reader, and a transceiver.   3. What RFID means? Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) refers to a wireless system comprised of two components: tags and readers. The reader is a device that has one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive signals back from the RFID tag.   4. Is RFID harmful to human? It is a non-ionizing type of radiation, but some researches show that it could have a negative impact on the human body in a long-term period [11, 12]. So, for the safety reasons, manufacturers of the RFID systems have limited the range of the RFID antennas used in their systems.   5. Is RFID tag and FASTag same? FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion. FASTag (RFID Tag) is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables a customer to make the toll payments directly from the account which is linked to FASTag.   6.What is RFID and its advantages? RFID technology automates data collection and vastly reduces human effort and error. RFID supports tag reading with no line-of-sight or item-by-item scans required. RFID readers can read multiple RFID tags simultaneously, offering increases in efficiency.   7. Why is RFID bad? Some negative effects are that its deadly, if RFID tags combine with static electricity you can die. Another negative effect is that the government is slowly taking away surviving resources and giving ultimatums, such as if you don't get the RFID tracking chip your public assistance will be terminated.   8.What are the disadvantages of RFID? a. Materials like metal & liquid can impact signal. b. Sometimes not as accurate or reliable as barcode scanners. c. Cost – RFID readers can be 10x more expensive than barcode readers. d. Implementation can be difficult & time consuming.   9.How do I charge my RFID FASTag? In order to recharge your FASTag sticker, just hit the Add Money option in your Paytm app. FASTag will automatically reserve some amount from your wallet, which can be used at toll plazas later. Do note that FASTag can be used only after 20 mins of adding money to the Paytm Wallet.   10. Can I use existing RFID for FASTag? If a vehicle already has an RFID tag, it might already be activated. When you buy the vehicle, RFID tag payment was also done. It might also have a minimum balance of INR 100 or 200 as is required by the bank. You can recharge it with your Customer ID or Wallet ID of FASTag.   11. How does RFID work without power? Passive RFID tags have no power of their own and are powered by the radio frequency energy transmitted from RFID readers/antennas. The signal sent by the reader and antenna is used to power on the tag and reflect the energy back to the reader.   12. What are the types of RFID tags? RFID tags can be grouped into three categories based on the range of frequencies they use to communicate data: low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF). Generally speaking, the lower the frequency of the RFID system, the shorter the read range and slower the data read rate.   13.How do I know if I have an RFID chip? The best way to check for an implant would be to have an X-ray performed. RFID transponders have metal antennas that would show up in an X-ray. You could also look for a scar on the skin. Because the needle used to inject the transponder under the skin would be quite large, it would leave a small but noticeable scar.   14. Does RFID require power? Active RFID tags possess their own power source – an internal battery that enables them to have extremely long read ranges as well as large memory banks. Typically, active RFID tags are powered by a battery that will last between 3 - 5 years, but when the battery fails, the active tag will need to be replaced.   15. What is the difference between a QR code and RFID? QR codes must always be “read-only”, whereas RFID tags can be “read-write”, depending on the radio frequency that's being used. ... So, not only are RFID tags futuristic and have more uses than QR tags, they also have many more applications. The read range is far superior for an RFID tag.   Ref. KY45-R300-F35-M14-C KY78-2867704

To some, DC DC converters are relatively simple electronic devices that serve a basic purpose. This is not entirely accurate, however, as such converters are far more complex and are playing an increasingly influential role in the defense sector in the modern age. This is thanks largely to the rising threat of cyber-crime and identity theft, which has created considerable challenges for businesses and public-sector bodies alike. In this article, we will look at the growing importance of DC DC converters and the way in which they can be integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT).Catalog I. What Is a DC DC Converter, and How Does It Work With the IoT?II. How Does This Reinforce the Defense Against Cyber Crime and Increase Security?III. Why DC DC Converters Will Become Even More Important In the FutureFAQ I. What is a DC DC Converter & How Does It Work With the IoT? In simple terms, a DC DC converter is an electromechanical device or electronic circuit that converts a source of direct current from one voltage level to another. An advanced type of power converter, it is available in many flexible designs and has found several applications in the digital age. Make no mistake—it is the IoT and the concept of an unceasingly interconnected world that has reinforced the importance of DC DC converters.  After all, the IoT comprises a vast network that bridges the gap between the corporeal and the virtual worlds, while connecting a growing number of devices and apps.  The function of the IoT requires flexible power solutions and stable voltages that are resilient to potential interruptions, from geo-location systems to smart technology innovations and platforms. The rise of the IoT has also driven the development of wireless sensor nodes, which typically have short battery lives and have forced innovators to seek out ultra-low-power, integrated circuits. Modern DC DC converters, such as those sold by businesses like XP Power, are ideally suited to meeting this demand, extending the battery life of IoT nodes and driving more reliable integration between devices.II. How Does This Reinforce the Defense Against Cyber Crime and Increase Security? By optimizing individual connections and guaranteeing a viable power source to IoT nodes, DC DC converters can create a more secure network that protects people's homes, devices, and private data.  If you take smart locking and home security systems, for example, these rely on a sustainable and continuous power resource to devices and integrated sensors. Without this, these systems can prevail and become increasingly vulnerable, and this is an issue that DC DC converters can help to resolve. The increased battery life of IoT nodes can also guarantee the safe and seamless delivery of data between devices, particularly when it is shared between online and offline devices.  The last thing you want is to send sensitive or private data between devices, only to lose power or the underlying connection, as this may create gaps in communication or ultimately leave your information at risk.  This is an important consideration and one that underlines the importance of DC DC converters in the digital age.III. Why DC DC Converters Will Become Even More Important in the Future? For now, the IoT remains a relatively new concept that has yet to reach its full potential. As the network grows to include more devices, and as the connection between the corporeal and virtual worlds becomes increasingly prominent, the need for flexible power and sustainable IoT nodes will become far more pressing.  Fortunately, DC DC converters will continue to evolve to meet these needs and will underpin a technological evolution that will revolutionize the world in which we live.   FAQ 1. What does a DC-DC Converter do?As its name implies, a DC-DC converter converts one DC voltage to another. The operating voltage of different electronic devices such as ICs can vary over a wide range, making it necessary to provide a voltage for each device. 2. What are the types of DC to DC converter?Types and Characteristics of DC/DC Converters:Non- Isolated types: Basic (one coil) type. Capacity coupling (two-coil) type ―― SEPIC, Zeta, etc. Charge pump (switched capacitor/coil less) type.Isolated types: Transformer coupling types―― Forward transformer type. Transformer coupling types―― Fly-back transformer type. 3. Is there a DC transformer?Transformers do not pass direct current (DC), and can be used to take the DC voltage (the constant voltage) out of a signal while keeping the part that changes (the AC voltage). ... In the electrical grid transformers are key to changing the voltages to reduce how much energy is lost in electrical transmission. 4. Which IC is used in DC to DC converter?NCP3064.NCP3064 is a monolithic DC-DC voltage converter IC mainly used for Boost or Buck operation. This IC can be found in low voltage power supplies or any portable voltage converters. 5. What are the advantages of DC-DC converter fed dc drives?DC chopper device has the advantages of high efficiency, flexibility in control, light weight, small size, quick response and regeneration down to very low speed. 6. How do you convert low DC to high DC?A DC-to-DC converter is an electronic circuit or electromechanical device that converts a source of direct current (DC) from one voltage level to another. It is a type of electric power converter. Power levels range from very low (small batteries) to very high (high-voltage power transmission). 7. Why we need dc/dc converter explain with an example?DC-DC converters are high-frequency power conversion circuits that use high-frequency switching and inductors, transformers, and capacitors to smooth out switching noise into regulated DC voltages. Closed feedback loops maintain constant voltage output even when changing input voltages and output currents. 8. Can DC be stepped up or down?Yes, DC can be steped up and steped down. But it cannot be done just by using a transformer, like how it is done with AC. We use a specialised device called a DC to DC converter, that can step up or step down DC. 9. How do you convert 12V DC to 4v DC?Two ways to reduce a 12-volt system to 4 volts are to use voltage dividers or Zener diodes. Voltage dividers are made from resistors placed in series. The input voltage is divided into an output that depends on the value of the resistors used. 10. How do I make a dc/dc converter?Once the initial specs of a DC-DC design are selected (e.g., input voltage range, output voltage, output current), the first step is to select a converter IC. The desired DC-DC topology will narrow this choice. If the input voltage is greater than the output voltage, choose a buck (i.e., step-down) topology. Ref. KY68-DS1200DKY68-R2880KY68-PYB10-Q24-S3-Ua 

Powercast has announced what it claims to be the industry's first RFID sensor tags which can include multiple sensors in a single tag, and provide the industry’s longest read range of 10m, or 32ft. High accuracy temperature, humidity and light sensors are now available, with more sensor types planned for the future. Tags for sensing the RFID reader’s field are also available and use an on-board LED to show field strength. Designed for industrial and manufacturing applications where it’s necessary to monitor data to ensure goods don’t fall outside of acceptable parameters, the ultrahigh frequency (UHF) RFID sensor tags enable environmental condition monitoring throughout the shipping journey, for example, of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals or perishable products packed with dry ice. Powercast offers two versions of its high-function RFID sensor tags: 1.The PCT100 enables battery-free wireless sensing and can read data within seconds.2.The PCT200 adds a battery with the ability to recharge using any standard RFID reader’s field, making the tag reusable without plugging in or changing batteries. With up to one month of battery life without recharging, the PCT200 provides long-lasting data-logging capabilities while outside the RF field. Users can easily set its data read times from one minute to one hour. The RFID sensor tags use Powercast’s patented RF-harvesting technology where the embedded Powerharvester receiver can generate power purely from a standard RFID reader. How it works: An RFID reader generates an electromagnetic signal, which the Tag’s NXP UCODE RFID chip captures via its receiving antenna. Powercast’s efficient, RF-to-DC converter (50-75% conversion efficiency) then transforms the signal into energy to power the microcontroller and sensors for measuring environmental conditions. The microcontroller then forwards that data over I2C to NXP’s RFID chip for storage in user memory, which the reader can then read out of memory. “We call it high-function RFID because these new passive RFID Sensor Tags have more than ten times the operational power of standard passive RFID tags enabling advanced features and unparalleled computing power,” said Dr. Charles Greene, Powercast’s COO/CTO. Key features:      EPC Class 1 Gen 2 compliant     ISO/IEC 18000-6C compliant     10m read range     High accuracy sensors     Wide RF range: -17 to 20dBm     Frequency range: 860-960MHz     'Find Tag' feature – enables locating one specific tag by illuminating on-board LED     Temperature range: -40 to 85°C     Compact, convenient, hard case package     RoHS compliantHigh conversion efficiency, up to 75% The PCT100 and PCT200 can be configured with one, two or three sensors in any combination of temperature, humidity and light.The PCT100 can also be configured with an onboard LED for showing an RFID reader’s field strength and to verify that it is reading properly. Sample quantities with evaluation software are available from distributors Mouser, Arrow and Future Electronics. Ref.RF/IF and RFID   

Disney Research has demonstrated that battery-free, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags can be used to cheaply and unobtrusively determine how people use and interact with daily objects, enabling new types of interactive play, smart homes and work environments, and new methods for studying consumer shopping habits.RFID tags are designed to simply report an identifying code when energized by an RFID reader, but a Disney Research team directed by Dr. Alanson Sample showed that the radio frequency signals transmitted by these tags provide a unique RF signature which can be used to determine whether a tagged item was being touched or moved.The researchers found that with their system, called IDSense, they could simultaneously track 20 objects in a room and infer four classes of movements with 93 percent accuracy. They will present their findings at CHI 2015, the Association for Computing Machinery's annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 18-23 in Seoul, South Korea."An effective means of identifying people's activities in their homes, schools and workplaces has the potential to enable a wide number of human-computer interaction applications," Sample said. "Whether it's reading a book to a child, cooking a meal or fixing a bicycle, the objects that we use both define and reflect the activities we do in our daily lives."One common approach has been to attach wireless sensors to objects, he noted, but the size of the sensors, their relatively high cost and the need for battery replacement has limited their applications. RFID tags, by contrast, are commercially available technology, cheap and easy to apply to a wide range of everyday objects.Sample, along with Disney Research's Can Ye and Hanchuan Li, a Ph.D. student in computer science and engineering at the University of Washington, employed ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tags, which can return signals up to 10 meters. They found that by observing changes in the signals emitted by the tags - received signal strength indicator (RSSI), radio frequency (RF) phase and Doppler shift - they were able to make inferences about the object to which the tag was attached.RSSI is a measurement of signal power received at the receiver and is predominantly affected by the distance between the tag and the reader. RF phase - the angle between the carrier signal emitted by the RFID reader and the return signal from the tag - is sensitive to small changes in distance, while the Doppler shift is a radio frequency shift caused by the speed of a moving object."The key insight is that these low-level channel parameters represent a snap shot of the RF environment that is unique to each tag," Sample said. "By measuring changes in these signals over time we can infer how someone is interacting with the object."By using machine learning algorithms, which identify patterns in data, the researchers were able to associate changes in these communication parameters with certain states of the object, such as whether the object was still, whether the object was being rotated or moved, or whether the tag was covered, such as when the object was being held.The Disney team demonstrated how IDSense could be used by applying RFID tags to stuffed toys, enabling an interactive storytelling game in which rocking or petting a toy lion triggered actions by digital characters. In another demonstration, they used IDSense to monitor 10 commonly used items, such as a drinking glass, a milk container and a cereal box, to show how information about daily living activities could be gathered, and they showed that the tags could be used for studying the browsing behavior of consumers in a retail store.Reference:PCF7935AARI-TRP-IR2B-30RI-TRP-WR2B-30