Impinj Releases Advanced RAIN RFID Chip, Unlocking New Opportunities for IoT Devices

Impinj, Inc. (NASDAQ: PI), a leading RAIN RFID provider and pioneer in the Internet of Things, today introduced three next-generation RAIN RFID reader chips that enable IoT device manufacturers to meet the growing demand for connected things in retail, supply chain and logistics, consumer electronics and many other markets.

The new Impinj E710, E510 and E310 RAIN RFID reader chips are high-performance, low-power single-chip systems (SoCs) that expand IoT opportunities and enable a future where billions of items are connected worldwide. With industry-leading system integration capabilities and easy-to-use development tools, you can develop fast-to-market IoT devices that reliably identify, locate and authenticate connected things.

A new benchmark in performance, integration, and ease of use

Impinj RAIN RFID products have connected tens of billions of items around the world, helping companies drive digital transformation, improve consumer experience, increase operational efficiency, and better manage inventory and assets. Impinj's previous generation reader chips, the Indy series, are used in millions of devices and have set the benchmark for reader chip performance for more than a decade. The new generation of Impinj E710, E510, and E310 reader chips offer record performance, integration, and ease of use:

• Compared with existing solutions, the new product has a 2-fold improvement in reception sensitivity and reliable performance.
• RAIN FRID system design can be up to 80% smaller, making it ideal for next-generation small IoT devices.
• Reduce chip power consumption by 50%, supporting battery-powered energy-saving devices.
• Software and pin-compatible design facilitates performance upgrade and reuse.

“We are welcoming a new wave of partner innovation with the launch of the Impinj E710, E510 and E310 reader chips that deliver unmatched ease of use, silicon integration and performance,” said Chris Diorio, CEO of Impinj. “These new reader chips are a breakthrough in enabling the full connectivity of the Internet of Things. They mark another bold step forward in Impinj’s vision of a borderless Internet of Things.”

Embedded RAIN functionality drives innovation in IoT devices

Available now, Impinj E710, E510 and E310 chips enable IoT devices to reliably identify hundreds of items per second, including apparel, pallets, packages, medications, automotive parts and electronics, at distances ranging from a few millimeters to several meters, without line of sight. The Impinj E710 provides superior performance for monitoring large numbers of large items. The Impinj E510 is a mid-range choice in price and performance, optimized for battery-powered devices. And the low-cost Impinj E310 provides performance optimized for close-range devices. Embedded in devices, these chips add RAIN capabilities and enable new solutions, including:

• Mobile devices, autonomous robots, and fixed and handheld readers for inventory and asset management to increase the speed and accuracy of item counting and location, and provide visibility to drive efficient operations and supply chain automation.
• Point-of-sale devices, smart shelves and frictionless retail cabinets to monitor merchandise and enable fast, contactless and intuitive automated checkout.
• Smart home appliances, gaming devices and security systems to enhance consumer electronics and connect everyday items for ultimate service and convenience.

Michelin, a long-term partner of Impinj, plans to equip every new passenger car tire with RAIN FRID by 2023 and hopes that RAIN RFID can provide advanced connectivity for the entire tire manufacturing supply chain to improve tire management, performance and safety.

“Michelin believes that the new Impinj reader chip innovations in terms of performance and price are key achievements in enabling tire connectivity through RAIN FRID technology,” said Jérôme Barrand, RFID project leader at Michelin. “High-performance devices are a key factor in driving the success of tire market applications. We expect to deploy different types of read points in a wide range of use cases throughout the tire life cycle in the coming years. This will be a key factor in delivering connected mobility services to our customers.”

Dozens of new IoT devices are in development

With these new reader chips, developers can quickly design IoT devices that meet regulatory requirements in more than 85 countries. More than 20 Impinj OEM device partners around the world are currently developing dozens of new products based on the new Impinj reader chips, including CAEN RFID, Chainway, Convergence Systems Limited, Hopeland, JADAK (a Novanta company), MTI, RoyalRay, and SILION TECH.

“The new highly integrated RAIN RFID SoCs and development kits from Impinj E710, E510 and E310 reader chips allow us to reuse designs across multiple development projects, significantly reducing our time to market,” said Albert Yang, general manager of Chainway. “We have now launched two new wearable devices: a handheld reader and a printer based on these new Impinj reader chips.”