UCODE X: NXP raises the bar for high-volume RAIN RFID tagging
NXP Semiconductors has introduced UCODE X, a new RAIN RFID (UHF) tag IC designed to push tagging performance in high-volume deployments.
Built for demanding environments and diverse applications, UCODE X combines very high read and write sensitivity with flexible memory configurations and standards-compliant features. The result is a chip that helps bring RAIN RFID to new product categories and to items that have traditionally been difficult to tag.
What’s new
UCODE X delivers:
Industry-leading read and write sensitivity for improved reliability and throughput
Customizable memory and configuration options to match different operational and compliance needs
Ultra-low power consumption to support smaller labels and efficient encoding at scale
Support for smaller inlays and reduced antenna material, helping lower material usage in large rollouts
Why it matters
Traceability and consumer-safety requirements are evolving globally. Companies increasingly need to store critical product attributes directly on the tag, for example expiration dates, lot numbers, and recycling information, while maintaining the speed and accuracy required for operational processes.
UCODE X is designed to help brands and operators stay ahead of compliance requirements while improving efficiency through faster encoding and more dependable reads.
“With UCODE X, we’re expanding what’s possible in RAIN RFID. This chip combines our most advanced RF performance with flexible memory and configuration options, supporting smaller, higher performing RAIN RFID labels. This means even the most challenging items, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food, can be tagged. It’s a major step forward for retailers, brands, and logistics providers looking to quickly increase RFID adoption,” said Ralf Kodritsch, Senior Director, UCODE RFID, NXP Semiconductors.
Built for high-throughput use cases
UCODE X is engineered to improve speed and accuracy across applications such as inventory management and rapid cycle counts, theft detection and loss prevention, expiration tracking, consumer self-checkout, and regulatory compliance in high-volume environments.
To maximize interoperability across the ecosystem, UCODE X is built on the GS1 Gen2V2 standard and includes a full implementation of the Untraceable command to support consumer privacy.
“Continuous overhead reading has reached a new level of maturity, and UCODE X is a key driver in that evolution. Its industry-leading read and write sensitivity enables truly dependable, real-time inventory visibility. By integrating this capability into the Nedap Inventory Engine, we’re taking another major step from promising pilots to scalable, day-to-day operations,” said Danny Haak, Head of Product and Technology at Nedap.
“At Zebra, RFID technology allows us to create new ways of working that improve productivity and empower organizations. UCODE X delivers the advanced read and write sensitivity that we need for our next-generation solutions and is designed using the GS1 G2V2 standard to expand the broad RAIN RFID ecosystem,” said Michael Fein, Director of Product Management, RFID and ALT, Zebra Technologies.
Availability
UCODE X is available now.
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) is a provider of solutions for the automotive, industrial and IoT, mobile, and communications infrastructure markets. NXP’s Brighter Together approach combines technology and expertise to develop system solutions that make the connected world better, safer, and more secure.