NFC and RAIN FC inlays
Benefits
Every day millions and millions of people use NFC technology to connect to things and the world around them. It’s the super-fast and secure way to pay for things, ride the train, unlock a door, start your car, and even connect to the brands we all love.
Our RFID inlay expertise
Paragon ID offers inlay products that are manufactured in Europe adhering to the highest quality standards. Paragon ID is one of the very few inlay production companies that received the prestigious ARC quality certification from Auburn University (Alabama), which underlines the production standards used for all our products.
Paragon ID offers NFC inlays in many different sizes and various read ranges and applications including brand protection; and we don't stop at RAIN RFID and NFC, we can provide specialised inlays such as RAINFC, NFC+tamper and RAINFC+tamper.
For its inlay production, Paragon ID uses ICs from world renowned partner companies such as Impinj, NXP, EM microelectronic and STMicroelectronics.
Our inlay products are performance optimised for certain market segments and offered in three form factors:
- Dry inlay on continuous web
- Wet inlay: die-cut with adhesive backing on silicon liner
- Label: die-cut with adhesive backing and face material on silicon liners
Although all derived from RFID technology, RAIN RFID, NFC and RAINFC are all forms of wireless technologies. They however differ based on the frequency on which they operate and the applications they are suited for.
- RAIN RFID: RAIN RFID inlays operate in the UHF band and can have read ranges of 10 to 15 meters. They are particularly suited for applications such as inventory management, lost prevention, asset and equipment tracking.
- NFC (Near Field Communication): NFC inlays operate in the HF (short range) band are available in different types. NFC inlays can be read by any smartphone. They are particularly suited for brand protection and marketing applications
- RAINFC: RAINFC inlays combine RAIN and NFC in one IC with shared memory. They can be used to combine several applications requiring UHF and HF read range, for example, inventory and brand protection.
NFC Inlays
Because NFC inlays and labels can be read by smartphones the use of such labels has become very popular in many applications, including contactless payment, brand protection and smart marketing.
Paragon ID offers NFC inlays in many different sizes. Read ranges of these labels vary from centimeters for small NFC type 2 and 4 tags up to one metre or more for credit card sized NFC type 5 tags.
NFC ICs are available in five types, as defined by the Near Field Communications (NFC) Forum, with different characteristics and for different use cases. The five types are:
Paragon ID has years of experience manufacturing the different NFC types and IC’s that are available and we can help you select the right type of product for your application.
Paragon ID offers NFC inlays using aluminium and copper antenna. As copper is a better conductor, the smaller sized inlays are made of this material.
Paragon ID NFC inlays
As experts in RFID, we don't stop at RAIN RFID and NFC, we can provide specialised inlays such as RAINFC, NFC+tamper and RAINFC+tamper.
Paragon ID RAINFC inlays
RAINFC is the combination of RAIN RFID and NFC technology in one IC with memory that can be accessed through both interfaces. It offers the best of both worlds: a RAINFC tag that can be read with a smartphone and has all the associated security features, and it can also be read in bulk and at a distance with using a RAIN RFID reader.
Typical applications are in the brand protection market, where the ability for a consumer to interact with the product (authentication and customer experience) is important while the tag is also used for logistics and distribution purposes with RAIN RFID enabling products on a pallet or in a box to be identified.
Besides the RAIN RFID and NFC contactless interfaces an additional feature is a so-called tamper loop. The tamper loop enables the IC to detect tampering with the product and to communicate that "event" when the tag is read. The tamper loop can for example be used to detect the unauthorised opening of a package or prevent the refilling of opened bottles.
RAINFC designs tend to be more customisable than pure RAIN RFID or NFC designs. Paragon ID has a lot of experience with RAINFC and can help you find and fit the right solution for your application.
