Texas Instruments Delivers EPC Gen 2 Tag Emulators to RFID Reader and Printer Manufacturers to Ensure Interoperability

Texas Instruments announce that it is delivering Electronic Product Code (EPC) Generation 2 tag emulators to five of the leading RFID reader and printer manufacturers. This effort, underway since Q4 2004 in parallel with the companys Gen 2 RFID product development, helps to ensure EPC Gen 2 interoperability between TI transponders, and readers and printers being manufactured based on the recently ratified, next-generation EPCglobal Inc ultra-high frequency (UHF) standard. The reader and printer manufacturers will use the TI emulators to simulate 96 bit code read/write, lock, as well as other functionality defined by the EPC Gen 2 protocol, to facilitate their development of EPC Gen 2 products.

TIs delivery of EPC Gen 2 emulators is a milestone on the companys path to achieving interoperability of Gen 2 products in the market as it ramps to production of EPC Gen 2 technology later this year. Texas Instruments is on a rapid development path for its EPC Gen 2 chips, inlays and straps with sample deliveries to customers starting in Q2 2005 and volume production in Q3 2005.

Were providing emulator boards early in the reader and printer development cycle so that our industry partners can get a jump start on attaining the highest level of interoperability of their products with our Gen 2 tags, said Tony Sabetti, UHF/Retail Supply Chain director, Texas Instruments RFid Systems.

Texas Instruments is also actively supporting EPCglobal Inc efforts for interoperability of EPC Gen 2 tags and readers to facilitate adoption and implementation of EPCglobal standards in the supply chain.