A dual mode EPC Gen 2 UHF RFID transponder in 0.18μm CMOS

A dual mode UHF RFID transponder in 0.18 mum CMOS conforming to the EPC Gen 2 standard is presented. Low voltage design of the analog blocks enables the chip to operate with a 1 V regulated voltage thus to reduce the power consumption. The chip operates with -11 dBm and -20 dBm RF signal in passive and battery-assisted modes, respectively. A specific Gen 2 command switches the operation mode of the circuit. Using a clock calibration method the chip functions from 1.2 MHz to 5 MHz clock frequency. The chip is fabricated in 0.18 mum standard CMOS technology and occupies 0.91 mm² die area.