CISSOID and INSTRUMENTEL announce MERLIN, their High Temperature, Battery-less RFID Telemetry Chip
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Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium and Leeds, United Kingdom - CISSOID, the leader in high temperature semiconductor solutions, and INSTRUMENTEL, a leading supplier of wireless telemetry solutions, jointly announce a global partnership to provide the MERLIN integrated circuit, the world's first high-temperature, battery-less telemetry chip for sensing tags.
The MERLIN integrated circuit is a highly versatile inductively coupled telemetry transponder, which can support a variety of sensors through a built-in 10-bit A-D converter. The MERLIN chip incorporates a programmable unique 48-bit identifier and a set of general-purpose I/Os that can be monitored and controlled remotely. Data transmission operates with a data rate of up to 200kbps. The whole functionality of MERLIN is available without any direct power supply, as it retrieves power from the 13.56MHz electromagnetic field generated by a remote reader.
Merlin Tag
The chip is designed to operate in temperatures that range from -55°C to +225°C, which makes the solution ideal when sensors have to be located in extreme environments, in places where no power supply or battery-replacement are available.
MERLIN was developed with the system level expertise of INSTRUMENTEL in wireless telemetry and taking full advantage of CISSOID best-in-class semiconductor capabilities for extreme temperatures and harsh environments. INSTRUMENTEL has already demonstrated the capabilities of MERLIN, under the brand XT01, for many industrial applications including explosion metrology and nuclear waste monitoring.
MERLIN is now available for use in aeronautics, space, industrial, medical and automotive applications. INSTRUMENTEL sell a demonstration kit incorporating MERLIN tags, a reader and software interface, and can provide specialist design services and integrated solutions incorporating the MERLIN chip. CISSOID will sell stand-alone MERLIN chips in high volumes directly to end-users.
Merlin Tag and Hub
Neil Loxley, CEO of INSTRUMENTEL said: "We have been working with CISSOID for several years to combine INSTRUMENTEL's world-leading wireless telemetry technology with CISSOID's high temperature silicon platform to create MERLIN. Having demonstrated the capability of MERLIN in extreme applications such as explosion metrology, where the device has shown its ability to survive multiple blasts, we are delighted to be working with CISSOID to market the solution more widely. INSTRUMENTEL can offer customers specific expertise for designing and manufacturing bespoke products based on MERLIN, and CISSOID are able to both extend our market reach and provide a high volume chip supply capability directly to customers when required".
Jean-Christophe Doucet, VP Business development at Cissoid said: "MERLIN is the only RFID chip in production in the world today, which can operate reliably at 225°C, plus it offers sensing telemetry and I/O capabilities. We have been shipping it to Instrumentel, and we are seeing now 3rd parties' applications where such functionalities are needed. This agreement is the natural next step for both companies, as it is going to accelerate the promotion of the solution and of our technologies, while making the access to MERLIN easier to more customers".
A demonstration kit is available and is priced $12 000; and utilises the telemetry and RFID functions of the MERLIN chip. The kit includes two MERLIN - sensing tags, one reader and demonstration software for standard PC. In addition, INSTRUMENTEL provides professional services and customization of its solutions to meet specific customers' requirements. Visit www.instrumentel.com or contact david.mcgorman@instrumentel.com for more information.
The part number for the chip is CHT-MERLIN. It is available as bare dice from CISSOID for volume production. For more information, visit www.cissoid.com or contact the company's representatives at www.cissoid.com/company/about-us/contacts.html
About Cissoid - www.cissoid.com
CISSOID is the leader in high temperature semiconductor solutions, delivering standard products and custom solutions for power management, power conversion and signal conditioning in extreme temperature and harsh environments. CISSOID provides high reliability products guaranteed from -55°C to +225°C and commonly used outside that range, from cryogenic lows to upper extremes.
Whether the ambient temperature is low but the power dissipation heats up the chips, or in high temperature environments, CISSOID products enable energy, weight and cost savings in lighter, cooling-free and more compact electronic systems. They are used in mission-critical systems as well as in applications requiring long term reliability. CISSOID supplies leaders in the Oil&Gas, Aeronautics, Industrial and Automotive markets.
Press Contact:
Laurent Demeus
e-mail : laurent.demeus@cissoid.com
Tel. : +32 10 48 92 10
About Instrumentel - www.instrumentel.com
Instrumentel Ltd designs and sells electronic systems for the acquisition, processing and distribution of critical operating data. The company incorporates its core technologies into the Diagnostic Hub family of products, which includes the capability to acquire process and distribute data from multiple inputs including wireless sensing tags built around the MERLIN tag.
Instrumentel has particular expertise in providing solutions that enable data collection in extreme, challenging or difficult to access environments, with proven capabilities in the military, nuclear and rail industries.
Press Contact:
Neil Loxley
e-mail : neil.loxley@instrumentel.com
Tel. : +44 7738 962 537
