The Palomar system

1
The Palomar system
Adaptive communication link
Power / voltage link
Palomar
Ultra low power
consumption
Highly sensitive basestation
Effective anticollision
2
The project framework of Palomar - IST-1999-10339
PAssive based on backscatter technique LOng
range up to 4 meters single dipole antenna
_at_ tag Multiple Access Anticollision high
frequency RFID UHF (and 2.45 GHz)
considering the - European regulations -
on-going discussions about world-wide regulations
3
The Palomar project members

• Idesco Oy (Finland)
• System specification basestation development
• Application study pilot system in paper
  industry
• VTT (Finland)
• Specification of RF power link and OSI1 layer,
  antenna design
• ATMEL (Germany, France)
• System IC spec. IC design CMOS technology
  development
• Gemplus TagSys (FR) gt Rafsec Oy, FI
• Label assembly

4
Aims of the PALOMAR solution

• to show the possibility to operate at 868 MHz
  using 500 mW ERP to bridge a maximum distance of
  4 meter (free space in air)
• develop a robust power and data link mechanism
• develop an IC front end operating with carrier
  frequencies up to 2.45 GHz
• develop the front end in a standard, non-volatile
  CMOS technology
• develop a sensitive basestation
• to develop a prototype solution which is able to
  operate world wide, considering the local
  regulations
• different maximum power levels
• different frequencies
• different spectrum (baud rates)

5
Time schedule

• Start of work Jan 2000
• Development of RF structures in CMOS Dec 2000
• Finalise specification of 1st demonstrator Feb
  2001
• Refine data and command structure Sep 2001
• Target spec. of 2nd demonstrator Sep 2001
• Submission of DRAFT to ISO 18000-6 Oct 2001
• System demo _at_ Frontline exhibition, Chicago Nov
  2001
• Silicon of the 2nd demonstrator Feb 2002
• System test at paper industry

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Power plan of the Palomar UHF solution

• Forward link
• Output power 27 dBm
• Tx antenna gain 2 dB
• Free space attenuation _at_ 4 m - 43.3 dB
• Power at the tag antenna - 14.3 dBm

• Return link
• Reflected power (1 µW) - 30 dBm
• Gain tag antenna 2 dB
• Free space attenuation _at_ 4m - 43.3 dB
• Target at the Rx antenna - 71.3 dB

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Optimised power link using BPSK

• Comparison of receivable power using OOK vs. BPSK
• achieves high signal to noise ratio
• high immunity to external disturbance
• Up to 2 times higher data rate possible on return
  link

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The protocol layer in an overview

• Forward link
• Symbols
• 0, 1, EOT
• Frame
• synchronisation header
• command 8 bits
• parameter 8 bits
• block address 8 bits
• data octets 0 .. 4
• 16 bit CRC
• EOT symbol

• Return link
• Symbols
• EOT
• Anticollision check
• Frame
• synchronisation header
• status 8 bits
• data octets 0 .. 16
• 16 bit CRC
• EOT symbol

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Forward link with adaptive baud rate setting
Based on pulse width measurement in header
section No fixed baud rates in both directions
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The data link in general

• General
• Interrogator Talks First
• Clock mechanism is part of the symbol link
  (protocol)
• Forward link
• BPSK modulation to minimise the power loss
  (compared to ASK)
• Adaptive (to spectrum regulations) baud rate as a
  part of the protocol
• Support of frequency hopping systems (if
  required)
• Return link
• BPSK with NRZ or NRZI coding
• Optional use of a sub-carrier ( 200 kHz) as part
  of the protocol
• Data rate controlled by the interrogator

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Conclusions

• Low power passive UHF tag working with 0.5W ERP _at_
  868 MHz
• Highly sensitive base station
• Reading distance of up to 4 m (free space)
• with a single basestation antenna
• with a dipole antenna at the tag
• free space attenuation
• Flexible baud rates considering local regulations
  and environments
• 10 to 80 kbit/sec in Europe (bandwidth 250 kHz)
• Supporting moving objects
• Two kind of anticollision

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RF competence inside Atmel-WM
Power Amplifier
Dual/Triple Band Radios
DECT
Video Tuner
Bluetooth
Digital Audio Broadcasting
RFID
RFID
AM/FM Tuner
Remote Control
Hyper LAN
IRDA
Remote Keyless Entry
RFID
10GHz
100 kHz
1 MHz
1GHz
100 MHz