EPCglobal Certification

EPCglobal Certification Testing

The successful deployment of accurate and reliable UHF Gen 2 systems is greatly enhanced with the exclusive use of EPCglobal-certified components, including tag chips, readers, and label printers with embedded reader modules. Products that pass the certification tests earn EPCglobal certification marks, "seals of approval" indicating the products' adherence to the stringent requirements of the standard. EPCglobal has defined three phases of certification: conformance, interoperability, and performance--each of which is briefly described below. For a more complete understanding of this important topic, download the white paper.

Conformance

Conformance testing verifies that products comply with the UHF Gen 2 standard. Impinj’s Monza™ chip was the first to achieve certification, while our Speedway™ reader was one of first readers certified for operation in all modes of the Gen 2 standard, including "dense reader mode."

Interoperability

Interoperability testing builds on the conformance certification and verifies the critical ability of different conformance-certified Gen 2 components to work together. Interoperability is a cornerstone of Impinj's product development efforts. It is also the most rigorous and challenging of the certification tests, comprising 267 test suites that stress all aspects of the tag-reader interface. By earning both certifications, we can assure our customers that their Impinj-powered tags and readers interoperate flawlessly with other Gen 2 certified products.

New Combined Certification Mark

Effective June 25, 2007, EPCglobal changed their certification policy. In order to gain certification, eligible devices such as Impinj’s tag chip and reader products are required to demonstrate that they effectively meet all applicable mandatory testing for both conformance and interoperability requirements. The new marks are a combination of the old conformance and interoperability certification marks. Shown above are Impinj’s combined marks for Monza (our first tag chip, top left), Monza 2 (our second generation tag chip, top right), and the Speedway reader (bottom right).

Performance (Planned for future)

EPCglobal, recognizing the critical importance of system performance, created a working group to address this essential aspect. In defining minimum performance requirements, these tests will assess the performance of tags applied to various classes of products, and other essential aspects of tag performance, including sensitivity, interference rejection, orientation, and other parameters.

To learn more about EPCglobal certification-what it means and why it matters-please visit,
www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/2724/1/82/

Additional details of the EPCglobal Hardware Certification Program can be viewed at:
www.epcglobalinc.org/certification/hw_cert/