SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

Design and implementation of a high sensitivity fully integrated passive UHF RFID tag

Shoucheng Li, Xin'an Wang, Ke Lin, Jingpeng Shen and Jinhai Zhang

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Wang Xin'an, Email:wangxa@szpku.edu.cn

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Abstract: A fully integrated passive UHF RFID tag complying with the ISO18000-6B protocol is presented, which includes an analog front-end, a baseband processor, and an EEPROM memory. To extend the communication range, a high efficiency differential-drive CMOS rectifier is adopted. A novel high performance voltage limiter is used to provide a stable limiting voltage, with a 172 mV voltage variation against temperature variation and process dispersion. The dynamic band-enhancement technique is used in the regulator circuit to improve the regulating capacity. A rail-to-rail hysteresis comparator is adopted to demodulate the signal correctly in any condition. The whole transponder chip is implemented in a 0.18 μm CMOS process, with a die size of 900 × 800 μm2. Our measurement results show that the total power consumption of the tag chip is only 6.8 μW, with a sensitivity of -13.5 dBm.

Key words: UHFRFID tagdifferential-drive CMOS rectifier



[1]
Ma C, Wu X. A low-power RF front-end of passive UHF RFID transponders. IEEE Asia Pacific Conference on Circuits and Systems, 2008: 73
[2]
Kim S, Cho J H, Kim H S. An EPC Gen 2 compatible passive/semi-active UHF RFID transponder with embedded FeRAM and temperature sensor. IEEE Asian Solid-State Circuits Conference, 2007: 135
[3]
Kao Y H, Liu C C, Kuo H C. Study of front end of CMOS RFID tag with inductively-coupled broadband antenna. Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference, 2007: 1
[4]
De Vita G, Iannaccone G. Design criteria for the RF section of UHF and microwave passive RFID transponders. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2005, 53(9):2978 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2005.854229
[5]
Shen Jinpeng, Wang Xin'an, Liu Shan, et al. Design and implementation of an ultra-low power passive UHF RFID tag. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(11):115011 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/11/115011
[6]
Wang Yao, Wen Guangjun. Design of a passive UHF RFID tag for the ISO18000-6C protocol. Journal of Semiconductors, 2011, 32(5):055009 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/32/5/055009
[7]
Najafi V, Jenabi M. A dual mode EPC Gen 2 UHF RFID transponder in 0. 18μm CMOS. 15th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems, 2008: 1135
[8]
Sasaki A, Kotani K, Ito T. Differential-drive CMOS rectifier for UHF RFIDs with 66% PCE at -12 dBm input. IEEE Asian Solid-State Circuits Conference, 2008: 105
[9]
Umeda T, Yoshida H, Sekine S, et al. A 950-MHz rectifier circuit for sensor network tags with 10-m distance. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2006, 41(1):35 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2005.858620
[10]
Nakamoto H, Yamazaki D, Yamamoto T, et al. A passive UHF RF identification CMOS tag IC using ferroelectric RAM in 0.35-μm technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2007, 42(1):101 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2006.886523
[11]
Kotani K, Ito T. High efficiency CMOS rectifier circuit with self-Ⅴth-cancellation and power regulation functions for UHF RFIDs. Proc Tech Papers A-SSCC, 2007: 119
[12]
Li Shoucheng, Shen Jinpeng, Liu Shan, et al. An limiter circuit for passive RFID tag. IET International Conference on Information Science and Control Engineering, ICISCE, 2012: 1572
[13]
Vaz A, Ubarretxena A, Zalbide I, et al. Full passive UHF tag with a temperature sensor suitable for human body temperature monitoring. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst Ⅱ:Express Briefs, 2010, 57(2):95 doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2010.2040314
[14]
Kerns J D V. Optimization of the peaking current source. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 1986, 21(4):587 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.1986.1052577
[15]
Barnett R, Liu J. A 0. 8 V 1. 52 MHz MSVC relaxation oscillator with inverted mirror feedback reference for UHF RFID. IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, 2006: 769
[16]
Morales-Ramos R, Montiel-Nelson J A. Voltage sensors for supply capacitor in passive UHF RFID transponders. 9th EUROMICRO Conference on Digital System Design: Architectures, Methods and Tools, 2006: 625
[17]
Balachandran G K, Barnett R E. A 440-nA true random number generator for passive RFID tags. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst I:Regular Papers, 2008, 55(11):3723 doi: 10.1109/TCSI.2008.927220
Fig. 1.  Block diagram of the RFID transponder.

Fig. 2.  Block diagram of differential CMOS rectifier circuit.

Fig. 3.  Voltage waveforms of internal nodes.

Fig. 4.  Measured PCE as a function of PIN.

Fig. 5.  Schematic of the proposed voltage limiter.

Fig. 6.  DC simulation result of the voltage limiter.

Fig. 7.  Transient Simulation results of the voltage limiter.

Fig. 8.  Schematic of proposed voltage reference.

Fig. 9.  Schematic of the proposed regulator.

Fig. 10.  Schematic of the proposed demodulator.

Fig. 11.  Schematic of the hysteresis comparator.

Fig. 12.  Schematic of the modulator.

Fig. 13.  Micrograph of the transponder chip.

Fig. 14.  Measured waveforms of rectified voltage and clock.

Fig. 15.  Measured waveforms at –13.5 dBm input signal.

Fig. 16.  Measured results of forward link and return link communication.

Table 1.   Result comparison.

[1]
Ma C, Wu X. A low-power RF front-end of passive UHF RFID transponders. IEEE Asia Pacific Conference on Circuits and Systems, 2008: 73
[2]
Kim S, Cho J H, Kim H S. An EPC Gen 2 compatible passive/semi-active UHF RFID transponder with embedded FeRAM and temperature sensor. IEEE Asian Solid-State Circuits Conference, 2007: 135
[3]
Kao Y H, Liu C C, Kuo H C. Study of front end of CMOS RFID tag with inductively-coupled broadband antenna. Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference, 2007: 1
[4]
De Vita G, Iannaccone G. Design criteria for the RF section of UHF and microwave passive RFID transponders. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2005, 53(9):2978 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2005.854229
[5]
Shen Jinpeng, Wang Xin'an, Liu Shan, et al. Design and implementation of an ultra-low power passive UHF RFID tag. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(11):115011 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/11/115011
[6]
Wang Yao, Wen Guangjun. Design of a passive UHF RFID tag for the ISO18000-6C protocol. Journal of Semiconductors, 2011, 32(5):055009 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/32/5/055009
[7]
Najafi V, Jenabi M. A dual mode EPC Gen 2 UHF RFID transponder in 0. 18μm CMOS. 15th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems, 2008: 1135
[8]
Sasaki A, Kotani K, Ito T. Differential-drive CMOS rectifier for UHF RFIDs with 66% PCE at -12 dBm input. IEEE Asian Solid-State Circuits Conference, 2008: 105
[9]
Umeda T, Yoshida H, Sekine S, et al. A 950-MHz rectifier circuit for sensor network tags with 10-m distance. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2006, 41(1):35 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2005.858620
[10]
Nakamoto H, Yamazaki D, Yamamoto T, et al. A passive UHF RF identification CMOS tag IC using ferroelectric RAM in 0.35-μm technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2007, 42(1):101 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2006.886523
[11]
Kotani K, Ito T. High efficiency CMOS rectifier circuit with self-Ⅴth-cancellation and power regulation functions for UHF RFIDs. Proc Tech Papers A-SSCC, 2007: 119
[12]
Li Shoucheng, Shen Jinpeng, Liu Shan, et al. An limiter circuit for passive RFID tag. IET International Conference on Information Science and Control Engineering, ICISCE, 2012: 1572
[13]
Vaz A, Ubarretxena A, Zalbide I, et al. Full passive UHF tag with a temperature sensor suitable for human body temperature monitoring. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst Ⅱ:Express Briefs, 2010, 57(2):95 doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2010.2040314
[14]
Kerns J D V. Optimization of the peaking current source. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 1986, 21(4):587 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.1986.1052577
[15]
Barnett R, Liu J. A 0. 8 V 1. 52 MHz MSVC relaxation oscillator with inverted mirror feedback reference for UHF RFID. IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, 2006: 769
[16]
Morales-Ramos R, Montiel-Nelson J A. Voltage sensors for supply capacitor in passive UHF RFID transponders. 9th EUROMICRO Conference on Digital System Design: Architectures, Methods and Tools, 2006: 625
[17]
Balachandran G K, Barnett R E. A 440-nA true random number generator for passive RFID tags. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst I:Regular Papers, 2008, 55(11):3723 doi: 10.1109/TCSI.2008.927220
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    Received: 28 February 2014 Revised: 01 April 2014 Online: Published: 01 October 2014

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      Shoucheng Li, Xin'an Wang, Ke Lin, Jingpeng Shen, Jinhai Zhang. Design and implementation of a high sensitivity fully integrated passive UHF RFID tag[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(10): 105010. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/10/105010 S C Li, X Wang, K Lin, J P Shen, J H Zhang. Design and implementation of a high sensitivity fully integrated passive UHF RFID tag[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(10): 105010. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/10/105010.Export: BibTex EndNote
      Citation:
      Shoucheng Li, Xin'an Wang, Ke Lin, Jingpeng Shen, Jinhai Zhang. Design and implementation of a high sensitivity fully integrated passive UHF RFID tag[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(10): 105010. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/10/105010

      S C Li, X Wang, K Lin, J P Shen, J H Zhang. Design and implementation of a high sensitivity fully integrated passive UHF RFID tag[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(10): 105010. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/10/105010.
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      Design and implementation of a high sensitivity fully integrated passive UHF RFID tag

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/10/105010
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      • Corresponding author: Wang Xin'an, Email:wangxa@szpku.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2014-02-28
      • Revised Date: 2014-04-01
      • Published Date: 2014-10-01

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