Breakthrough wireless memory technology enables a new generation of applications

Ramtron’s MaxArias(TM) integrated wireless memory solutions enable unparalleled RF sensitivity, read/write range, and speed. These innovative products allow system integrators to extend their RFID capabilities to create wireless databases that can store greater amounts of information locally on high-performance RF-enabled ICs. The first products in Ramtron’s MaxArias family offer F-RAM memory capabilities in 4-Kbit, 8-Kbit, and 16-Kbit densities.

Benefits of MaxArias wireless memory, powered by F-RAM

• Excellent RF sensitivity for both read, and write operations enable read/write ranges at 10m or more
• Outstanding read/write speed parity: zero delay writes provide unprecedented system performance and data storage capability
• SureWrite™ feature prevents data corruption during full block-writes, ensuring complete data integrity
• Highly resistant to gamma radiation; impervious to magnetic fields

F-RAM for RFID Asset Tracking

Ramtron’s F-RAM based RFID transponder ICs make a great selection for asset tagging. The high memory — available in 4-Kbit, 8-Kbit or 16-Kbit densities — allows full item history to be retained on the asset, enabling identification of the asset wherever it is located. The transponder tag, in effect, becomes a mobile database of information identifying such asset characteristics as:

Existing EEPROM-based RFID tags do not possess the performance capability and memory flexibility to be universally useful in these and many other applications that have emerged with the advent of the standard EPC Gen-2 UHF RFID protocol.

MaxArias wireless memory enables system integrators to develop a new generation of applications. Explore the possibilities: the MaxArias family of wireless memory is ideal for on-chip wireless data storage and retrieval, portable databases, and much more.

Breakthrough wireless memory technology enables a new generation of medical applications

The medical device, bio-pharma, and pharma industries are beginning the adoption of RFID technologies to aid in item identification and tracking. Many of these applications require an RFID tag that has the capability to withstand at least one, and in some circumstances, two gamma irradiation sterilization cycles. Only Ramtron's F-RAM memory technology has been proven to be highly stable in gamma radiation exposure applications. Ramtron’s MaxAriasTM family of F-RAM memory RFID products have been tested and verified to retain data at up to 70kGray of total gamma radiation exposure. This is equivalent to two radiation sterilization cycles. The common gamma irradiation sources are cobalt-60 and cesium-137 isotopes.

Floating gate memory technologies fail in gamma sterilization applications

EEPROM-based RFID tags, which comprise most of today’s available RFID tags, are not capable of being used in gamma irradiation applications due to the fact that as a floating gate technology, the memory is susceptible to soft memory errors. EEPROM, DRAM and SRAM use a capacitor to store charge or a simple latch to store state. These cells can be easily upset by alpha particles, cosmic rays, heavy ions, gamma, x-rays, etc., which cause bits to flip to an opposite state. This is called a soft error, since the flipped bit will be retained. The rate at which this occurs is called the Soft Error Rate (SER) of the device. For this reason, EEPROM-based RFID tags are not recommended for use in the pre-sterilization phase of the bio-processing device industry. By contrast, an F-RAM cell stores the state as a PZT film polarization, and an alpha hit is unlikely to cause the polarization to change a given cell’s state. The F-RAM terrestrial SER is unmeasurable.

• Sterilized medical/surgical devices
• Sterilized disposable bio-processing bags
• Sterilized surgical probes
• Single-use functional disposable bioprocess component
• Implantable medical device identification
• Disposable product authentication
• Electro-system probe auto-configuration (probe to be sterilized)

Ramtron’s F-RAM based RFID products are now ideal for the medical/surgical device and bio-processing industries. Ramtron MaxArias tags allow users to identify, authenticate, and track products in these highly challenging industries where robust memory configuration is not only demanded but required.

F-RAM wireless memory with RF plus serial port dual memory access
Ramtron’s WM72016 Gen-2 RFID IC with serial port memory access enables an entirely new set of Gen-2 protocol applications for wireless system access. Going beyond the realm of standard RFID identification, the WM72016 allows the user to embed — within their application — an F-RAM memory chip that combines Gen-2 RF front end access plus serial port back end access within a single memory. The user’s system CPU can read and write data from the F-RAM memory while also having the remote access afforded by a Gen-2 reader. Many novel applications are emerging that utilize the Gen-2 protocol. Some examples include the following:

• Wireless wake-up of system CPU for event monitoring and data extraction
• Ultra-low power metering applications
• Remote meter reading
• Wireless system software reconfiguration
• Wireless, nonvolatile memory data storage and extraction
• Battery powered wireless medical devices
• Remote system configuration prior to shipment
• Production line auto configuration without system power up

Gen-2 RFID with serial port memory access

The innovative WM72016 has dual memory access capability. The chip can act as an access portal from an external Gen-2 reader/writer to the system CPU. With 16-Kbits of F-RAM nonvolatile memory, the user can pass data to and from an external Gen-2 reader. Since the WM72016 is a totally passive device, it will not drain system battery power — only powering up when in the presence of a Gen-2 reader RF field.

In a closed loop system, a user can configure customer commands to operate on the data written into the F-RAM memory. The serial port operation and interaction with the system CPU is via a pseudo dual SPI interface design, running at a full 640KHz. The user can use the CPU GPIO pins to interface the WM72016.

Standard electronics package plus Gen-2 operation

The WM72016 is available in an industry standard 8-pin 3mm x 3mm UDFN package and is suitable for IR reflow circuit board manufacturing. The RF antenna can either be externally connected (for maximum range) or can be embedded directly into the circuit board using standard RF antenna design techniques. The range of operation for the embedded, as well as the external antenna, is highly dependent on the design, orientation and characteristics of the antenna. Operating frequency range covers the full Gen-2 global UHF frequency standard of 860 – 960MHz.