Date: 24/09/2012

FRAM-based chip from Fujitsu for RFID tags

Fujitsu Semiconductor America has introduced a new FRAM-based device for a high-frequency RFID (radio frequency ID) IC. The MB89R112 is the latest member of the Fujitsu FerVID Family, which utilizes FRAM memory for fast write speeds and high-frequency rewriting capabilities. The device offers good radiation tolerance, low-power operation and memory capacity required for RFID tags operating in the HF band.

The chip consists of 9 kilobytes (KB) of FRAM, with a full 8 KB available as user memory. Memory is structured as 256 blocks of 32 bytes per block, permitting read and write access to the entire 8 KB region defined in ISO/IEC15693. The supplier claims that this device takes about four seconds to write 8 KB of data which is six times faster than the products using EEPROM.

The MB89R112 operates at 13.5 MHz +/- 7 kHz and promises data retention for up to 10 years. In addition to its wireless HF interface, the dual-interface MB89R112 incorporates a wired serial interface (SPI) for microcontroller connectivity.

The device finds its applications in facilitating wireless modification of product operating parameters, logging environmental readings for logistics, detecting equipment errors, modifying electronic displays, altering sensor threshold values, and changing firmware settings. Production control in automotive and electronics manufacturing can be thus enhanced. The chip can also help with maintenance applications in aviation, road building, construction and civil engineering.

“The MB89R112 meets the market need for higher capacity memory with an RFID interface to sensors and microcontrollers,” said Tong Swan Pang, senior manager of marketing at Fujitsu Semiconductor America. “The dual-interface FRAM-based RFID enables customers to log, store, modify and exchange data flexibly between wireless RFIDs and wired embedded systems.”

Samples of MB89F112 are now available.

For more information: http://us.fujitsu.com/semi/fram