MCRF355/360
DS21287F-page 2
2002 Microchip Technology Inc.
Description
The MCRF355 and MCRF360 are Microchip’s
13.56 MHz micro
ID
family of RFID tagging devices.
They are uniquely designed read-only passive Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) devices with an
advanced anti-collision feature. They are programma-
ble with a contact programmer. The device is powered
remotely by rectifying RF magnetic fields that are trans-
mitted from the reader.
The device has a total of six pads (see Figure 1-1).
Three (ant. A, B, V
SS
) are used to connect the external
resonant circuit elements. The additional three pads
(V
PRG
, CLK, V
DD
) are used for programming and test-
ing of the device.
The device needs an external resonant circuit between
antenna A, B, and V
SS
pads. The resonant frequency
of the circuit is determined by the circuit elements
between the antenna A and V
SS
pads. The resonant
circuit must be tuned to the carrier frequency of the
reader for maximum performance. The circuit element
between the antenna B and V
SS
pads is used for data
modulation. See Application Note AN707 for further
operational details.
The MCRF360 includes a 100 pF internal resonant
capacitor (100 pF). By utilizing this internal resonant
capacitor, the device needs external coils only for the
resonant circuit. Examples of the resonant circuit con-
figuration for both the MCRF355 and MCRF360 are
shown in Section 3.0.
When a tag (device with the external LC resonant cir-
cuit) is brought to the reader’s RF field, it induces an RF
voltage across the LC resonant circuit. The device rec-
tifies the RF voltage and develops a DC voltage. The
device becomes functional as soon as V
DD
reaches the
operating voltage level.
The device includes a modulation transistor that is
located between antenna B and V
SS
pads. The transis-
tor has high turn-off (a few M
)
and low turn-on (3
)
resistance. The turn-on resistance is called modulation
resistance (R
M
). When the transistor turns off, the res-
onant circuit is tuned to the carrier frequency of the
reader. This condition is called uncloaking. When the
modulation transistor turns on, its low turn-on resis-
tance shorts the external circuit element between the
antenna B and V
SS
. As a result, the resonant circuit no
longer resonates at the carrier frequency. This is called
cloaking.
The induced voltage amplitude (on the resonant circuit)
changes with the modulation data: higher amplitude
during uncloaking (tuned), and lower amplitude during
cloaking (detuned). This is called “amplitude modula-
tion” signal. The receiver channel in the reader detects
this amplitude modulation signal and reconstructs the
modulation data.
The occurrence of the cloaking and uncloaking of the
device is controlled by the modulation signal that turns
the modulation transistor on and off, resulting in com-
munication from the device to the reader.
The data stream consists of 154 bits of Manchester-
encoded data at a 70 kHz rate. The Manchester code
waveform is shown in Figure 2-2. After completion of
the data transmission, the device goes into SLEEP
mode for about 100 ms. The device repeats the trans-
mitting and SLEEP cycles as long as it is energized.
During the SLEEP time the device remains in an
uncloaked state.
SLEEP time is determined by a built-in low-current
timer. There is a wide variation of the SLEEP time
between each device. This wide variation of SLEEP
time results in a randomness of the time slot. Each
device wakes up and transmits its data in a different
time slot with respect to each other. Based on this sce-
nario, the reader is able to read many tags that are in
the same RF field.
The device has a total of 154 bits of reprogrammable
memory. All bits are reprogrammable by a contact pro-
grammer. A contact programmer (part number
PG103003) is available from Microchip Technology Inc.
Factory programming prior to shipment, known as
Serialized Quick Turn Programming
SM
(SQTP
SM
), is
also available. The device is available in die, wafer,
bumped wafer, wafer-on-frame, PDIP, SOIC and COB
modules.
Note:
Information provided herein is preliminary
and subject to change without notice.