Impinj Introduces the Indy(R) RS500 Reader SiP -- the Easiest Way to Embed RFID Capability

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - Jun 6, 2013) - Leading UHF Gen 2 radio frequency identification (RFID) technology provider Impinj, Inc. today launched the fully integrated Indy RS500 reader SiP, which greatly simplifies embedding RFID functionality in virtually any device. A complete reader system in a small surface-mount package, Impinj's Indy RS500 SiP delivers value to product designers in three important ways:

1. RS500's high level of integration dramatically reduces time to market
2. Its small footprint enhances design flexibility
3. The Indy RS500 is part of Impinj's GrandPrix™ platform, which enables broader RFID-based solutions and improves the performance of systems based on the Gen 2 protocol

As a turnkey solution that's fully tested and meets regional regulatory requirements, the Indy RS500 is the perfect solution for embedded applications that require reading small tag populations with moderate range.

The Indy RS500's small form factor supports diverse applications that require a low-cost, embedded UHF Gen 2 RFID reader, such as consumables authentication, access control, process control, appliances, printers and low-cost handhelds. Unlike typical embedded RFID reader solutions that require greater investment due to complexity in RF design, manufacturing and certification, the Indy RS500 has no external components, making the SiP easier to design into products than any alternative.

"We're seeing an explosion in the number of companies that are adding RFID to ordinary things to make them work better," said Scot Stelter, Director of Product Marketing at Impinj. "By offering a complete reader in a tiny, easy-to-use package, we're helping design teams capture RFID's benefits faster and at lower cost."

Based on Impinj's market-leading Indy reader chip family, the RS500 device is the first Indy product to implement the new, easy-to-use Impinj Radio Interface (IRI). To make RFID product development fast and hassle-free, IRI provides an asynchronous, message-based interface that is extensible from basic to advanced operation and leverages Google protocol buffers to simplify the data link to a host processor. In addition, the IRI tool kit simplifies host integration by providing portable libraries in source code. IRI will be available on all future Indy products, assuring a seamless upgrade path as the Indy product family evolves.

The Indy RS500 is fully Gen2 compliant and interoperates with all compliant tags, regardless of chip or tag vendor. In addition, the RS500 provides enhanced capability when interoperating with other products from Impinj's GrandPrix platform. In particular, this enhanced functionality exploits unique features of Impinj's Monza chips to deliver the lowest applied tag cost for source tagging and improved RFID system performance for end users. These tag features -- fully compatible with Gen 2 -- include FastID™, an accelerated method for simultaneous retrieval of EPC and TID data that's only available with Impinj's Monza tag chips.

"We chose the Indy RS500 SiP for our new products because it's easy to use, small, economical and based on proven Impinj technology," said Mauricio Strasburg, Managing Director at Synergy. "It enabled us to quickly develop three new products (miniPad, rPad and qScan) for our clients in the retail apparel market. The Indy RS500 SiP is exactly what we needed."

The Indy RS500 is ideal for embedded applications and small reader systems since the SiP's footprint is only 30 mm x 32 mm. The RS500's single, monostatic RF port delivers 23 dBm of output power, suitable for most embedded applications as well as many compact handheld devices. The device exhibits -65 dBm receive sensitivity in dense reader mode. The highly integrated Indy RS500 requires only three simple connections to start reading tags: 3.6 V DC power, a UART serial connection and the RF antenna. Suggested pricing for the Indy RS500 will be less than $100 (in quantities above 1,000 units), which, when combined with the SiP's small footprint and freedom from external components, enables the addition of RFID capability to a product or system at very low incremental cost.

To register for an upcoming webinar on the Indy RS500, please go to: www.impinj.com/RS500-webinar

About Impinj

Impinj is the leading provider of ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio-frequency identification (RFID) solutions used to identify, locate and authenticate items. Impinj's RFID products are the world's most comprehensive and widely adopted; they include tag chips, reader chips, fixed readers, software and innovations that support complete system solutions. Recognized and used globally by retail, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, technology and logistics companies, Impinj's products enable numerous RFID applications including inventory management, counterfeit prevention and the tracking of goods. For more information on Impinj, visit www.impinj.com.

Impinj, Indy, Monza, FastID and GrandPrix are registered trademarks or trademarks of Impinj, Inc.