An efficient passive RFID system for ubiquitous identification and sensing using impulse UWB radio

The next generation RFID system for ubiquitous identification and sensing requires both energy and system efficiency. This paper describes an efficient passive RFID system using impulse ultra-wideband radio (IR-UWB), at a 10m operation range. Unlike conventional passive RFID systems which rely on backscatter and narrowband radio, IR-UWB is introduced as the uplink (communication from a tag to a reader). By utilizing a specialized communication protocol and a novel ALOHA-based anti-collision algorithm, such Semi-UWB architecture enables a high network throughput (2000 tag/sec) under the low power and low cost constraint. A tag design for proof of concept is finally presented.