Capturing The Value Of EPC Gen 2 Custom Commands

As a standard, EPC Gen 2 is being readily adopted by users both inside and outside the retail supply chain. Many of these RFID users are enjoying the benefits and planning expanded roll-outs, while others are seeking features beyond just a unique identifier. The EPC standard allows for additional functionality via "custom commands," which can bring added value to an RFID application and allow users to achieve a return on investment more quickly. The custom commands that NXP's UCODE G2X chips incorporate provide enhanced features sought by many market sectors including retail, pharmaceuticals, recorded media, apparel, and asset management. This set of new capabilities are crucial to meet the ever-increasing requirements of customers who implement RFID solutions that go far beyond compliance tagging.

This document describes the unique set of custom commands which are implemented in the newest UHF UCODE G2XM and UCODE G2XL transponder ICs from NXP Semiconductors and the extended user memory of 512 bits available in the G2XM chips. It outlines versatile use cases to which these extended features represent a compelling added value in an RFID application.

This set of custom commands is supported by Sirit's Infinity 510 through a firmware upgrade (v. 2.0). The IN510 is the first EPC certified RFID reader able to execute these new features. In order to facilitate simple utilization, the commands are organized into logical groups within Sirit's command interface. Detailed instructions are available in the IN510s Protocol Reference Guide.