Miniaturized UHF RFID Tag Embedded Directly in Products!
Primo1D was founded in 2013. At the CEA-Leti Research Institute of Microelectronics in Grenoble, the French company developed the technology platform and brand E-Thread™. The E-Thread™ technology is protected by 22 patents. It combines expertise from microelectronics, micromechanics, and the textile industry. The design of the E-Thread™ tag enables discrete integration of UHF RFID into products.
Miniaturization of the RFID Component
E-Thread™ offers a unique design for RFID tags: the chip is directly connected to the two strands of the antenna. This miniaturized UHF RFID tag is then wrapped in a textile yarn. The storage capacity is 96 to 128 bits according the the EPC Gen2 V2 protocol standard.
"The form factor of the E-Thread™ tag is very different from conventional tags or labels," explains Emmanuel Arène, Co-founder, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Primo1D. "We use UHF RFID chips from Impinj. These are compliant with international requirements in terms of protocols and ISO guidelines. The base chip is adapted by connecting the antenna directly to the chip in a proprietary assembly process. The impedance of the antenna matches the chip, providing a superior reading performance even in harsh customer environments ."
The result: reading and writing the tags is possible with standardized antennas and readers. However, the tag itself is far more flexible and robust than conventional RFID tags.
Track & Trace Solutions for the Entire Product Life Cycle
The design of E-Thread™ tags enables UHF RFID integration into textiles and clothing, ropes, cables, hoses, and tubes. RFID integration takes place directly during the manufacturing process of the end products.
"The E-Thread™ tag is particularly robust, as the tag does undergo the production process and remain functional until the end of the product's life. The design significantly increases flexibility," Emmanuel Arène points out. "The tag withstands high temperatures and multiple wash cycles. Embedded in the product, the tag is not visible from the outside."
High-performance and Miniaturized RFID Tags for the Textile Industry
"In the textile industry, it is not necessary to store additional data on the chip," explains Emmanuel Arène. "The trend is to keep RFID tags as small as possible and to embed them discreetly in products. At the same time, a high read range is needed for pulse readings. It is therefore more efficient to store only the EPC on the chip and store additional information in a cloud. This optimizes the product benefit as well as data security."
Contact the experts at Primo1D to learn more about the E-Thread™!
