Tageos, a global supplier of sustainable, high-performance RFID inlays and tags, has announced three new EOS-261 inlays, creating a new family of retail-specific products. Sharing the powerful antenna design and ultra-compact footprint of the previously released EOS-261, all EOS-261 inlays and tags are based on the latest generation of RAIN RFID ICs from Impinj (M730m, M750) and NXP (UCODE 9, UCODE 9xe). The new product family provides retailers and brand owners with options for fully ARC-certified RFID products that comply with numerous RFID mandates.

All four current members of the EOS-261 inlay family excel through versatility in retail applications by meeting all ARC specifications (W1-6) plus several further retail-related specs (F, G, N, O, Q, R, Y). Another advantage of the EOS-261 product family is its ultra-small footprint: With an antenna size of 44 x 20 mm each, all EOS-261 variants are the market’s most compact versatile inlays featuring the latest-generation ICs from NXP and Impinj, says Tageos.

Size and balanced dimensions do matter, as a small footprint requires fewer resources and enables more possible applications, whereas bigger antennas tend to improve performance that favors compliance with ARC specifications. Therefore, the combination of compact antenna size and very comprehensive ARC certifications is a truly relevant differentiator for all EOS-261 inlay types, supporting numerous large-scale RFID deployments in the US and globally.

The designations of the four EOS-261 variants reflect the ICs used, which have specific characteristics and performance data that determine their suitability for various item-level applications and environments within the retail sector, particularly apparel, accessories, consumer electronics, home goods, and toys. All EOS-261 inlays are also suitable for logistics, automotive and industrial manufacturing applications.

EOS-261 U9 inlays feature NXP UCODE 9 RAIN RFID ICs, which offer high performance across all global frequency standards. Particularly well suited for inventory management applications with its proven RF performance, UCODE 9 enables long read distance and fast inventory of dense RFID tag populations. The chip also features 96-bit EPC; kill password; EPC and kill password permalock; self-adjusting impedance; and memory integrity safeguards.

EOS-261 U9xe inlays are based on NXP UCODE 9xe RAIN RFID ICs, which are designed as a drop-in replacement for UCODE 9, and offer the same feature set, RF performance and compatibility. Offering 128 bits of EPC memory, this UCODE 9 variant can store important attributes, like expiration date or production information, directly on the IC. This enables IoT applications to be even smarter than before.

EOS-261 M730 inlays utilize Impinj M730 RAIN RFID ICs, which are equipped with 128-bit EPC memory. M730 provides high global performance, fast inventory capability, and advanced features for next-generation, universal RAIN RFID tags. The chip lends itself to solutions that include high-speed inventory counting, loss prevention with frictionless self-checkout, and embedded tagging with seamless product returns.

EOS-261 M750 inlays feature Impinj M750 RAIN RFID ICs, which are equipped with 96-bit EPC memory and 32-bit user memory, as well as an enhanced “autotune” adaptive RF tuning feature. In addition, the IC has improved read and write sensitivity, enabling faster and more accurate bulk reading compared to the Impinj R6/R6-P.

“While taking a comprehensive, cross-industry approach, we are also strengthening our offering to the retail sector, which has always been a stronghold for RFID and Tageos. The new EOS-261 inlay family provides superior solutions for the needs of retailers and brand owners and their suppliers in North America while at the same time showcasing what we can develop for our customers in the other parts of the world as well,” comments Chris Reese, CTO at Tageos.