The tag acts like a small database storing each movement of the identified object. At each production step in the manufacturing line data can be updated locally inside the memory of the RFID tag. The data storage cycles on the chip can easily reach a few hundred per day depending on the number of production steps and manufacturing cycles. At an annual rate, this could sum up to some hundred thousand new writings on the memory. Writing cycles in this order of magnitude can only be achieved with FRAM technology.

Traditional RFID tags based on conventional EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) memory are usually limited to 100'000 write cycles only. The use of the IN Tag F-Mem 16kbits increases the number of writings by a factor of 100'000 over that of EEPROM, resulting in a 10 billion read & writes accesses.

With its high memory storage, the IN Tag F-Mem allows to store about 2'000 characters. It is compatible to the ISO15693 / ISO18000-3 for operation at 13.56 MHz.

The IN Tag F-Mem complements ITG's current IN Tag product family with a new high-memory RFID IC based on FRAM technology. The IN Tag product family is available with different sizes (20, 30, 50mm) to fit the various requirements of 'size versus reading distance' ratio.

The FRAM technology provides some additional benefits compared to EEPROM. Thanks to the reduced power consumption of the FRAM technology during the writing process, which is about 1'000 times lower than that of the EEPROM, the writing performance is improved and a similar reading and writing performance is reached. The FRAM technology is also much less sensitive to gamma radiation. Therefore the IN Tag F-Mem allows for identification of items e.g. in the medical environment where Gamma sterilisation is used.

"FRAM technology combined with RFID and integrated into a small circuit will certainly open new opportunities within the industrial and automation world. The IN Tag F-Mem 16kbits will provide integrators and OEM customers in the automation sector with a reliable and cost-effective solution to reach the requirement of 10 billion writings" says Philippe Held, business segment director for industry & logistics at ITG. "The IN Tag F-Mem 16kbits have already been qualified and integrated into the portfolio of some of the most renowned OEM players in the automation sector." continues Philippe Held.