RFID demo kit enables prototyping of LF IDICs

Atmel announced the availability of the ATA2270-EK1125-kHz RFID demo kit, which enables the evaluation and prototyping of low-frequency (LF) identification ICs (IDICs) used in a broad range of RFID applications including access control, industrial automation, loyalty cards, anti-counterfeiting and animal identification.

This standalone kit is suitable for the evaluation and customization of RFID solutions without requiring advanced knowledge of RF engineering. The kit includes several IDIC transponder samples including the ATA5567 and ATA5570 read/write ISO card devices for contactless identification, the TK5530 read-only transponder, the ATA5567 coin tag and other read/write IDIC micromodules. A reader unit using Atmel's read/write base-station IC, the U2270B, in conjunction with Atmel's ATmega128 AVR flash MCU, an antenna, and a power supply with international adapters complete the kit. An on-board joystick, LCD, and control buttons enable user interaction with the RFID system without requiring an additional connected PC.

It tests the capabilities and characteristics of Atmel's LF RFID tags and thus allows engineers identification of the most suitable RFID solution. The kit supports both read-only and read-write IDICs, including the e5530/TK5530, T5551/TK5551, ATA5567 (T5557), ATA5570, ATA5577 and ATA5558 from Atmel. The LCD displays, data content of the IDICs and routines included in the AVR software can be used to test the features of Atmel's chips. By exchanging the antenna tuning components, the kit can be tuned to 134.2kHz, which is required for animal tagging analysis. A special routine included in the AVR software enables data to be read and written in accordance with ISO standards 11784 and 11785.

The ATA2270-EK1 will also support Atmel's next generation of IDIC products. The ATA2270-EK1 is supported by all the standard AVR development tools such as AVR Studio, STK500 and TAGICE mkII.

Samples available are available today. Pricing is at $299 per unit.

- Emily Gleason
eeProductCenter