Impinj has chosen to utilize Guerrilla RF’s high-efficiency GRF5509 4-watt power amplifier in their enterprise-grade RAIN RFID reader module reference design. Through this integration, customers can effectively design new readers based on Impinj’s market-leading E family reader ICs and swiftly go to market.
According to VDC Research’s RAIN Market Research Report, tag integrated circuit (IC) shipments are anticipated to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.1% through 2028. RAIN solution adoption is rising as a result of supply chain improvements and the use of more environmentally friendly solutions.
Application areas of expansion include boosting accuracy and visibility of retail stocks, asset management, logistics, medical, aviation baggage and freight, vehicle identification, warehouse operations, and monitoring product lifecycles.
An InGaP HBT PA, the GRF5509 can be adjusted to function over specific bands in the 700–1000 MHz frequency range. The PA generates 38 dB of gain, 36 dBm of OP1dB compression, and 46 dBm of OIP3 linearity when adjusted for the RFID UHF bands of 866 MHz to 928 MHz.
The flexible biasing architecture of the GRF5509, like that of other GRF amplifier cores, enables adjustable trade-offs between linearity and power consumption. Although most customers will choose to use a typical 5V supply with 248 mA of biasing current, supply voltages can range from 3.0 to 5.5 V.
Packaged in a compact 3 x 3 mm QFN-16 package, the GRF5509 shares a pinout and matching layout with many of the company’s linear drivers and power amplifier cores. Additional details are available here.
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Key Comments
“Guerrilla RF’s pioneering high-performance power amplifier solutions extend read range and enhance the ability to interrogate passive tags embedded in packaging or pallets,” according to Jim Ahne, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Guerrilla RF. “Pairing Guerrilla RF’s best-in-class power amplifiers with Impinj’s leading RAIN RFID reader ICs helps to accelerate the development of feature-rich capabilities across the market. The GRF5509 delivers up to 2 watts of linear power while meeting the stringent spectral mask requirements required for these reader applications. Guerrilla RF has a full suite of alternative amplifiers as well for applications that might require lower output power levels.”
Vikas Dhurka, Senior Director of Product Management for Reader ICs at Impinj, commented, “Accurately and reliably reading RAIN tags is critical to successful deployments. By integrating Guerrilla RF’s GRF5509 high-performance amplifier, the Impinj E family based RAIN RFID reader module reference design with Impinj Gen2X support delivers the highest possible transmit power, enhancing read range and enabling our customers to successfully read detuned tags.”
Pricing and Availability
Samples and evaluation boards are available for the GRF5509. Prices start at $1.97 (10,000-up, EXW USA).
