A dual-mode secure UHF RFID tag with a crypto engine in 0.13μm CMOS

An ultra-high-frequency （UHF） radio frequency identification （RFID） secure tag chip with a non-crypto mode and a crypto mode is presented. During the supply chain management, the tag works in the non-crypto mode in which the on-chip crypto engine is not enabled and the tag chip has a sensitivity of-12.8 dBm for long range communication. At the point of sales （POS）, the tag will be switched to the crypto mode in order to protect the privacy of customers. In the crypto mode, an advanced encryption standard （AES） crypto engine is enabled and the sensitivity of the tag chip is switched to ＋2 dBm for short range communication, which is a method of physical protection. The tag chip is implemented and verified in a standard 0.13μm CMOS process.