A Design Methodology for Sensing-Ready Concentric Rings-Based Chipless RFID Tags With Effective Spectrum Use and High Coding Capacity

This paper introduces an innovative strategy for the development of sensing-ready concentric rings-based chipless radio frequency identification (CRFID) tags. Our approach is marked by the novel use of exponentially increasing spacing, a significant departure from the conventional uniform spacing method. This innovative design results in an impressive 88.2% improvement in tag data encoding capacity compared to traditional designs. Importantly, our design framework not only advances the current state of CRFID tag technology but also methodically lays the foundation for future integration of high-resolution sensing capabilities. This is achieved by strategically utilizing the innermost ring as a prospective sensing site, complemented by the implementation of nulls for data encoding achieved through the addition of an extra ring at the tag’s outermost edge. Notably, all these features represent advancements that have not been demonstrated in previously published concentric rings-based CRFID tags. To empirically validate our methodology, we have developed and tested 18-bit example tags optimized for operation within the ultrawideband (UWB) spectrum, covering a range from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. The radar cross-section (RCS) response of these tags exhibits well-distributed resonances, culminating in a high encoding capacity of 17.65 bits/λ2/GHz. Preliminary results using capacitors connected to the innermost ring underscore the future sensing potential of our tags, setting the stage for more advanced sensing implementations in subsequent research

Theoretical models for underwater RFID and the impact of water salinity on the design of wireless systems

Underwater wireless communications present challenges due to the characteristics of water as a propagation channel medium. Regardless, wireless communications are needed for a range of systems that operate underwater. Commonly used technologies for these use cases (radio-frequency, acoustic and optical communications) are lacking, as they generally suffer from strong attenuation, multipath effects and propagation delays. In this context, we explore the theoretical models for Path Loss of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems underwater in regards to the salinity of the water. We also discuss RFID systems feasibility in such applications as aquaculture and fish stock management. This paper aims to discuss the theoretical transmission models for RFID systems underwater, separating them into near-field systems – which use Magnetic Induction (MI) to communicate – and far-field systems – that transfer data via Radio Frequency (RF). We determine the path loss for each case, the effect of the salinity in the model for the path loss, and present preliminary measurements of magnetic field strength underwater for different salinity values

A wristwatch-based wireless sensor platform for IoT health monitoring applications

A wristwatch-based wireless sensor platform for IoT wearable health monitoring applications is presented. The paper describes the platform in detail, with a particular focus given to the design of a novel and compact wireless sub-system for 868 MHz wristwatch applications. An example application using the developed platform is discussed for arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate measurement using optical photoplethysmography (PPG). A comparison of the wireless performance in the 868 MHz and the 2.45 GHz bands is performed. Another contribution of this work is the development of a highly integrated 868 MHz antenna. The antenna structure is printed on the surface of a wristwatch enclosure using laser direct structuring (LDS) technology. At 868 MHz, a low specific absorption rate (SAR) of less than 0.1% of the maximum permissible limit in the simulation is demonstrated. The measured on-body prototype antenna exhibits a −10 dB impedance bandwidth of 36 MHz, a peak realized gain of −4.86 dBi and a radiation efficiency of 14.53% at 868 MHz. To evaluate the performance of the developed 868 MHz sensor platform, the wireless communication range measurements are performed in an indoor environment and compared with a commercial Bluetooth wristwatch device

A 915 MHz wristwatch-integrated antenna for wireless health monitoring

A compact 915 MHz antenna integrated within a wristwatch wireless sensor device is presented. The antenna is a variant of a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) and uses a dual-resonator configuration. The results of simulation and measurement are shown to be in good agreement with the antenna exhibiting desirable impedance and radiation characteristics together with low Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) performance. The antenna is fabricated using a low cost flexible printed circuit and is fully integrated into the watch device. Measurements on the prototype antenna show a -10 dB impedance bandwidth of 30 MHz, a peak realized gain of -4.9 dBi and a peak radiation efficiency of 15.9% at 915 MHz. The antenna also has a low SAR value of 0.003 W/kg making it suitable for a wide range of wrist-worn wireless applications

A smart archive box for museum artifact monitoring using battery-less temperature and humidity sensing

For the first time, this paper reports a smart museum archive box that features a fully integrated wireless powered temperature and humidity sensor. The smart archive box has been specifically developed for microclimate environmental monitoring of stored museum artifacts in cultural heritage applications. The developed sensor does not require a battery and is wirelessly powered using Near Field Communications (NFC). The proposed solution enables a convenient means for wireless sensing with the operator by simply placing a standard smartphone in close proximity to the cardboard archive box. Wireless sensing capability has the advantage of enabling long-term environmental monitoring of the contents of the archive box without having to move and open the box for reading or battery replacement. This contributes to a sustainable preventive conservation strategy and avoids the risk of exposing the contents to the external environment, which may result in degradation of the stored artifacts. In this work, a low-cost and fully integrated NFC sensor has been successfully developed and demonstrated. The developed sensor is capable of wirelessly measuring temperature and relative humidity with a mean error of 0.37 °C and ±0.35%, respectively. The design has also been optimized for low power operation with a measured peak DC power consumption of 900 μW while yielding a 4.5 cm wireless communication range. The power consumption of the NFC sensor is one of the lowest found in the literature. To the author’s knowledge, the NFC sensor proposed in this paper is the first reporting of a smart archive box that is wirelessly powered and uniquely integrated within a cardboard archive box

A novel RCS based CRFID tag design

In this paper, a Chipless RFID tag design based on Radar Cross Section (RCS) operating principle is proposed. The tag is implemented using a series of circular ring resonators to enable tag identification. The resonators are simulated and then fabricated on an FR4 substrate. A calibration technique using a ring resonator to improve the detection of 8-bit data is proposed and demonstrated. The fabricated tag is measured at a distance of 160 mm using the monostatic RCS method. The measurement results verify the simulation results and show accurate detection of the encoded information

A Battery-less NFC Sensor Transponder for Cattle Health Monitoring

This paper presents the design and assessment of a battery-less NFC sensor transponder to measure biomarkers in the tear fluid of cattle eyes. A battery-less NFC temperature sensor prototype with a diameter of 22 mm is developed for the feasibility analysis of cattle health monitoring. With a measured wireless communication range of 44 mm, the developed NFC sensor prototype is shown to be a potential solution for wireless power and data transfer. In addition, the design method to develop a screen-printed, NFC-enabled smart contact lens for next-generation cattle health monitoring is also presented

Measurements of non-linear sub-THz quasi-optical devices

The paper presents recent developments in designing quasi-optical multipliers in the sub-THz frequency domain. An extensive measurement campaign is described in detail in which issues are addressed concerning the non-trivial nature of the problems met. In particular, attention is paid to impedance measurements of the core element, the integrated antenna-multiplier (dubbed the ‘multenna’), together with the associated experimental apparatus for detection of its higher-order harmonics. Finally, use of a light-sensitive semiconducting organic polymer is demonstrated as a tuneable dielectric that will enable elements of a multenna array to be phase-locked for generation of coherent emission