RF IDIC claims smallest low-frequency package

Atmel Corp. has announced the availability of its newest transponder, the IDIC ATA5577M1, an ultra-small extremely thin dual flat no lead (XDFN) package, which includes a 363bit read/write transponder IDIC. As a low-frequency (LF, 100 to 150kHz) radio frequency identification (RFID) device, the transponder was designed for small tag applications including standard key fobs, animal ID ear and bolus tags or clamshell cards for access control solutions. The device measures 2×1.5×0.37mm and is considered the industry's smallest RFID package today.

The two coil wires can directly be soldered onto the two pads of the package and mounted or glued onto the antenna coil. The direct mounting and small packaging allows for extremely small end products since the resulting RFID tag size is determined by the size of the coil.

The package can also be soldered on a standard printed circuit board (PCB), for example, in combination with a PCB-mounted antenna. Since the chip has a 330pF on-chip capacitor trimmed to ±3 percent, the antenna coil is the only external component required to form a trimmed LF-RFID tag.

The incorporated ATA5577 chip provides a manufacturer-programmed and locked unique ID which enables the traceability of the product to prevent cloning or counterfeiting. The unique ID and the extended read/write distances are optimized for next-generation access control applications including hotel rooms, engineering departments, offices, time recording systems, parking lots, customer loyalty and membership cards. In addition, the device operates according to ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 (FDX-B) standards, making it well-suited for animal identification and waste management applications.

Since the ATA5577 is a low-frequency device, it can be used worldwide. The device is not sensitive to rugged environments and is suitable to conditions that normally complicate the application of RFID devices such as water, metal, dirt, or being applied to the body.

The new device architecture enables outstanding read/write performance with differing types of coils, readers, and parameters which is especially important for animal and waste management applications. A special on-chip digital register allows the maximum overall read-and-write distance for each application environment. Based on the dedicated write procedure (downlink, reader-to-tag), the write distance has been increased to industry-leading distances. This increased write distance is especially beneficial for applications in difficult environments.

Pricing for the ATA5577M1 starts at $0.38 in 20,000-piece quantities.