Powercast Demonstrates Industry’s First Batteryless Electronic UHF Retail Price Tag

Powercast Corporation, the pioneer of radio - frequency (RF) - based long - range power - over - distance wireless charging technology, announced that it will demonstrate the industry’s first Batteryless Electronic UHF (Ultrahigh Frequency) Retail Price Tag at RFID Journal LIVE! ( Booth # 1260 ) being held in Orlando, April 10 – 12. It is a finalist for the show’s Best New RFID Product 2018 A ward , with winners announced April 12. The demonstration will feature Powercast’s RF - to - DC power harvesting technology which can wirelessly update an electronic paper (e Paper) display, sending data and power over the air up to two meters away using a standard UHF RFID reader. Powercast’s technology enables quick electronic price changes, operates perpetually without batteries, and works with typical UHF RFID readers (hand held and fixed).
Powercast developed the concept tag to free retailers from having to change paper labels as well as the batteries required by the industry’s battery - powered electronic price tags – both of which are labor - intensive jobs. An RFID reader ca n update a whole shelf of product prices within a few seconds.
How Powercast’s Batteryless Electronic UHF Retail Price Tag Concept Works :
Select the tag(s) to update and the new price in an app on a handheld UHF reader. (Retailers can easily integrate th is function into their system.) Point the reader at the price tag, up to two meters away, to securely send pricing data and RF energy over the air to Powercast’s tiny PCC110 Powerharvester ® wireless power receiver chip embedded in the tag. The chip convert s RF to DC to power the tag without batteries, and updates the display with the new, authenticated price in a few seconds. The tags don’t need batteries because they can harvest enough power just from a UHF RFID reader to operate perpetually.
Other Enabling Technology in the Batteryless Price Tag :
Powercast chose an ePaper display from E Ink because it can efficiently maintain the price image on the tag even when it’s outside of/not being directly powered by the UHF field. With both active matrix and segme nted displays possible when designing electronic tags , the E Ink segmented display Powercast selected offers a more economical solution than the active matrix displays typically used in battery - powered electronic tags . Further, it doesn’t require a high - end d isplay driver.
An evaluation kit for the Batteryless Electronic UHF Retail Price Tag is expected in Q4 2018 from distributors Arrow Electronics and Mouser Electronics. The concept tag is available for license or Powercast will work with partners to desig n their own batteryless price tags using Powercast’s PCC110 chip.  

About Powercast
Powercast, established in 2003, is the leading provider of RF - based wireless power technologies that provide power - over - distance, eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, and power or charge devices without wires and connectors. Powercast’s IP portfolio includes 46 patents worldwide (21 in the US) and 30 pa tents pending.