International retailing company METRO Group has selected smart labels using NXP Semiconductors' UCODE G2XL RFID chips without user memory for supply chain management. The retailer will use UPM Raflatac RFID tags powered by UCODE G2XL chips on pallet level in its operational RFID rollout of Metro Cash & Carry wholesale stores in Germany. The chips have been chosen for their breakthrough performance over the entire UHF frequency range, and will also be used in METRO Group's case-level trial in Germany.
The NXP UCODE G2XM and G2XL are specifically designed for easy inlay assembly and high volume/yield assembly lines. The sensitivity of the ICs allows for broadband antenna designs allowing inlets to cover the complete UHF band from 840MHz to 960MHz. Both the UCODE G2XM and the UCODE G2XL are certified according to EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 Version 1.0.9 and conform to EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 Version 1.1.0.
"Together with the European EPC Competence Center (EECC), we thoroughly tested the NXP UCODE G2XL chips in supply chain management scenarios, and we welcome the lean version of the chips," says Dr. Gerd Wolfram, Managing Director of MGI METRO Group Information Technology. "This product without user memory absolutely fits our strategy of using EDI and EPC standards. Moreover we found that transponders using the NXP chips delivered best-in-class performance, providing the best sensitivity on a very broad variety of materials."
"With unsurpassed UHF performance in real-world environments, the NXP UCODE G2XM and G2XL chips are steadily gaining momentum with companies throughout the supply chain," says Steve Owen, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Identification, NXP Semiconductors. "We are extremely pleased to see METRO Group, a leader in international retail, actively implementing smart tags and labels based on our industry-leading UCODE G2XL devices, for both pallet-level and case-level tagging."