An ultra low-voltage, low-power baseband-processor for UHF RFID tag

Abstract

A novel ultra low-voltage, low-power basebandprocessor for UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is presented here. The baseband-processor is compatible with the EPC TM class-1 generation-2 (C1G2) UHF RFID protocol, and fits the requirements of ultra lowpower of passive tags. Based on the analysis of the special power consumption of the tag, a new architecture is proposed. A novel scheme for generating pseudo-random numbers as well as a new method of partial-decoding is developed. Besides, other low-power techniques are also adopted for the special baseband-processor which implements complex functions, such as encoding/coding, anticollision and authorization scheme, and reading/writing operation to EEPROM. The chip was fabricated in 0.35 mm 1P3M standard CMOS process. Experimental results show that it achieves low power operation of 3.15 mW @ 1.5 V with the core area of 1.1 mm 6 0.8 mm.

Planar Thermoelectric Microgenerators in Application to Power RFID Tags

“…The planned integration of μTEG with RFID tags requires the determination of the electrical parameters necessary for the proper operation of the system. Based on the literature, it can be observed that the minimum voltage needed to power the microprocessor is in the range from 1 V to 1.5 V [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. An RFID chip powered by 1.5 V, which is mainly due to the processor used is described in [ 13 ].…”

“…Such a low power is already sufficient to read basic information such as ID [ 14 ]. With specially designed systems this value can be even lower; the literature reports that in extreme conditions it is even possible to operate at a power of 3.15 μW [ 15 ]. However, it is generally assumed that the commonly accepted range of power is from 8 μW to 1 mW [ 7 , 14 ].…”

“…Based on the literature, it can be observed that active RFID tags require a minimum voltage of 1 V to 1.5 V for proper operation [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ] and a power level of 8 μW to 1 mW [ 7 , 13 , 14 ], depending on the type of tag. When appropriate measures are taken for the generation of a microgenerator, the resulting parameters will allow the system to work properly.…”

A novel baseband-processor for LF RFID tag

“…The relatively separated module functions facilitate the maintenance and expansion of each module. Furthermore, refining functions could distribute the power consumption equally on one chip and reduce the instantaneous power [8].…”

“…The architecture of the circuit has been further optimized by, for example, employing a pipeline architecture [8] to store data rather than using FIFO-registers, automatic '01' acknowledge generation and so on. With all these optimization methods implemented, the number of registers is substantially cut down and the chip area is reduced from more than 7500 gates to about 2300 gates.…”