by Geoff MacGillivray, Semiconductor Insights

The use of RFID and contactless smart card technology is exploding and devices (e.g. tags, tokens, cards) all require embedded memory arrays that suit the needs of the application. All of these devices require non-volatile memory, memory capable of retaining information in the absence of power and some of these devices require volatile memory, which is used to store temporary data. The requirements for these forms of memory vary among the different types of contactless devices. The memory type and size has a significant impact on the cost and performance of the device and manufacturers must make appropriate selections. The following article explores the memory needs of various contactless technologies and describes the embedded memory array types used in these devices.