The NXP Application and System Center (ASC, formerly known as the RFID Reference Design Center), is a facility that provides real-life conditions for evaluating and optimizing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) applications. Collaborating with the Siemens IT Solutions & Services team, engineers at the ASC have created a customized RFID system for pharmaceutical manufacturers that ensures high read accuracy throughout the supply chain.

Designed to improve efficiency from manufacturing to retail, the project uses NXP's ICODE high-frequency (HF) RFID technology incorporated into the labels of pharmaceutical products. The whole system is configured to comply with the latest edition of the HF Gen2 standard, which is currently under review by EPCglobal.

The installation will accurately bulk read several hundreds of labeled packages quickly, allowing pharmaceutical manufacturers to keep a thorough stock inventory at all points along the supply chain. By using an advanced concept for anti-collision, and optimization of the entire system, the project achieved industry benchmark results for HF read accuracy.

ICODE is the industry standard for HF smart label solutions. Specifically designed for high-volume logistics involving millions of items per year, it offers a low-cost, re-programmable, and disposable solution for source tagging, automatic data capture, theft protection and storing data on a product or its packaging.

Based near Graz, Austria, the ASC was created with the aim of driving the adoption of RFID technology. NXP's team of engineers based at the ASK can help systems engineers tackle common problems and support the development of RFID projects. In addition, the facility can be used to build and test full-scale supply-chain scenarios to evaluate the robustness of an RFID-based system - thus enabling the development of a business-ready solution and reducing development time.

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