A universal UHF RFID reader IC in 0.18-μm CMOS technology

A highly integrated URF RFID reader IC in 0.18-mu m CMOS process covering the entire 860 MHz to 960 MHz RFID band supporting the EPCglobal (TM) Class-1 Generation-2 and ISO-18000-6A/B/C standards is presented. The IC features a transmitter with an output of +10 dBm and a receiver with sensitivity of -96 dBm in listen-before-talk mode (LBT) and -85 dBm in talk-mode. Direct-conversion architecture is used for the receiver for a high level of integration and low power consumption. On-chip dual-loop synthesizer generates high-purity LO signal with frequency resolution of 50 kHz and phase noise of -101 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset over the entire 860 to 960 MHz band. The IC integrates 10-bit DACs, pulse-shaping filters, an IQ modulator and a power amplifier in the transmit chain and a low-noise amplifier (LNA), an IQ downconverter, channel-select filters, variable-gain amplifiers and 10-bit ADCs in the receive chain. On-chip ASK demodulator provides demodulated I and Q raw data outputs. The chip has a die area of 6 mm x 6 mm. It operates over a wide range of voltage and temperature, from 1.6 V to 2.0 V and from -25 degrees C to +75 degrees C and consumes 540 mW from a 1.8 V supply at + 25 degrees C.