RFID technology for vehicle and container

tracking

Challenges:

• Extremely lossy environment due to the presence of numerous metals that cause degradation in wireless signals

• Operating bandwidth of RFID nodes can vary from one country to another

• Multipath effect of wireless signals

• Power Constraints

• Materials (substrate for electronics) and packaging

RFID in Automotive Applications:

Example: Radiation for a Single Car

RFID Tag placed vertically on the license plate

• Shows the importance of placing the RFID

tag correctly.

RFID in Automotive Applications:

In the Parking Lot

Model of car body in 3D EM Simulator FEKO

Radiation Pattern of RFID Antenna placed on back car’s license plate

The existence of the front car heavily suppresses the signal of

the RFID placed on the back car’s license plate. Energy goes

from the back instead of front. It shows the importance of

looking for the correct place for RFID tag.

RFID in Automotive Applications:

In the Parking Lot

The performance of a windshield tag in a parallel parking situation.

Looking for the Correct Positioning …

• May build a thin/thick layer of ice/snow/water on windows

• Simulate the environment with the humid conditions (changes in

dielectric constant and loss tangent of air)

Environmental Factors:

Snow, Ice, Rain, Humidity

In Tire Analysis

• Tilt the antenna 45° • Radiation normal to the tire is better

Encapsulation Mat’l

Chip Pad

Antenna

Primer

Encapsulation Mat’l

Chip Pad

Silicon

Wire Bonding Chip

Chip

Primer

RFID Antenna Module for Tire

RFID Tire Application

RFID in Tire

Radar Applications - Motivation

Current Radars

• Reduce area

Array and T/R

module

Ground plane

Packaged flip-chip SiGe T/R

moduleBeam Steering 77 GHz Array

Next Generation Radars

Road traffic accidents rise from 9th

leading cause of death in 2004 to 5th

in 2030.

• Reduce area

(8x11cm→6x6 cm)

due to more efficient

antenna

•Replace waveguide with

3D RF Transition

• Use low cost substrates

• Achieve wider scan

angle by replacing

switched beam

antenna with

phased array

Packaged flip-chip

mounted T/R module

Thermal vias

Heat Rejection 77 GHz array

DSP

PCB

Digital/ IF signals

3D Via transition

200-400 µm PCB

Cross-Section

100 µm LCP layer

100 um thick LCP

200-400 um PCB

Heat Rejection

Ground plane

3D Via transition

PCB

3D Transitions

50 ohm line CPW

50 ohm line CPW

LCP: 4 mils

50 ohm line M-Strip

Plane of Symmetry

-65

-55

-45

-35

-25

-15

-5

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Frequency (GHz)

90 degree with no center VIAS

90 degree Center VIAS only

90 degree Center and corner vias

Tapered 2 VIAS

Tapered 4 VIAS

Antenna Design/Integration