RFID tag with 256 bytes of FRAM

Fujitsu Microelectronics America Inc. (FMA) introduced the newest member of its FerVID family of RFID tags—the MB89R119—that incorporates 256 bytes of fram and operates at approximately 50 times the speed of tags that use eeprom.

Designed to use the 13.56MHz frequency, the MB89R119 costs about the same as EEPROM RFID tags but provides faster read/write operations. It can complete write operations at roughly double the speed of an EEPROM-based tag. The memory uses proprietary Fujitsu commands issued by the chip, resulting in read operations that are approximately twice as fast as conventional products, explained the company.

The MB89R119's 256 bytes of FRAM results in a smaller package than other members of the FerVID family, including the MB89R116, which includes 2KB of FRAM. In addition to the speed advantage that FRAM offers, the small size and low cost of the new product will facilitate its use in a wide range of applications across various industries, added FMA.

The use of low-power FRAM obviates the need for a voltage step-up circuit, which most conventional EEPROM-based RFID tags require, said FMA, and this reduces the chip's total space requirements.

The MB89R119 is fabricated using Fujitsu's 0.35?m process. It will be available in October 2005, and samples will be priced at 50 cents each.