NXP's RFID chips and expertise tapped by Siemens for its pharmaceutical RFID sys

Siemens has selected NXP Semiconductor's RFID chips for its Pharmaceutical application. NXP makes range of RFID devices with family names like ICODE, MIFARE.

With its leading position in this market, NXP Semiconductor is also operating a facility called Application and System Center (ASC, formerly known as RFID Reference Design Center). This facility provides real-life conditions for evaluating and optimizing RFID applications, the Siemens IT Solutions & Services team created this pharmaceutical specific RFID system by getting assistance from this facility.

Siemens has used NXP's ICODE high frequency (HF) RFID devices on the labels of pharmaceutical products. This system complies with the latest edition of the HF Gen2 standard, which is currently under final review by EPCglobal.

Tracking supply-chain parameters of medicines and drugs is becoming an easier job with Pharmaceutical industry adapting RFID technology to automate product tracking.
The RFID systems such as these accurately read several hundreds of labeled packages very fast (in seconds), allowing the manufacturer to keep a thorough stock inventory at all points along the supply chain.

An interesting technique of high-speed anti-collision is utilized in this system for accurate reading.

"We selected NXP as the chip supplier for our innovative RFID pharmaceutical project. During project planning, NXP offered us the services of its highly sophisticated ASC," said Matthias Bruckschen, Principal Consultant SCM / RFID, Siemens IT Solutions and Services. "The facility supported our engineers, enabling them to evaluate and tune the design of the HF RFID labels. By simulating the interactions between the readers and samples, we were able to obtain first qualitative results and calibrate the solution accordingly. The support provided by NXP's ASC saved us a lot of development time and we look forward to a renewed cooperation between NXP and Siemens IT Solutions and Services in future."

"NXP's aim in founding the ASC was to create an environment which would spur the advancement of RFID and industry-wide research through methodological analysis, test and validation of all elements of an RFID system", said Dirk Morgenroth, Director Marketing, RFID, NXP Semiconductors. "We are pleased to support Siemens IT Solutions and Services in the optimization of their implementation for pharmaceutical supply chain management, by delivering a future proof RFID system set-up prepared for HF Gen2-specified solutions"

It's estimated by market research firm that the market for RFID products in healthcare industry will reach 2.1billion US$ by 2016. All these years high cost of semiconductor devices and components has slowed the growth. The cost of RFID devices has to come down to see growth in this market in the coming years.
In the RFID semiconductor market, the three European companies NXP Semiconductor, ST Microelectronics and Infineon have stronger position both in terms of market share and focus. The other companies include Renesas, Atmel, Samsung, Impinj and EM Microelectronics. The RFID system makers include Tagsys, Systech, McKesson, Impinj, and Symbol Technologies