Impinj
Encyclopedia
Impinj, Inc. is a manufacturer of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company was started based on the research done at the California Institute of Technology
by Carver Mead
and Chris Diorio. Impinj currently produces EPC Class 1, Gen 2 passive UHF RFID chips, RFID readers, RFID reader chips, and RFID antennas.
and his student Chris Diorio. The name Impinj stands for "Impact-ionized Hot-electron Injection".
In 2006, Impinj became the first company to introduce products based on the EPCglobal
UHF Gen 2 standard.
Bear Stearns
reported in 2006 that Wal-Mart
issued contracts to Impinj and Alien Technology
, including them as significant suppliers for a total 15,000 RFID readers needed for Wal-Mart stores and distribution centers. The report invited speculation but was not confirmed.
In the same year, Impinj created new partnerships in Asia
. In February, Impinj signed an Original Equipment Manufacturer agreement with the Hong Kong
based company Convergence Systems Limited (subsidiary of the Chung Nam Group of Companies).
In December, Impinj partnered with Korean company LS Industrial Systems (part of LS Group
) to create RFID solutions targeting the Korean market.
In June 2008, Impinj sold its non-volatile memory business to Virage Logic
.
Also in 2008, Impinj acquired the Intel RFID division, including an Intel-developed RFID reader chip. Impinj renamed the chip Indy R1000.
In 2009, Coca-Cola
unveiled their Freestyle soda machine that gives users one hundred different possible drink combinations. The Freestyle soda machine uses Impinj Monza tag chips and Indy reader chips to determine user preferences and to monitor the dispensers.
Mexico
has certified the Impinj Speedway reader to be used by state agencies in the electronic vehicle registration initiative beginning in Mexico in July 2010.
In April 2011, Impinj filed with the SEC to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering.
Upon their introduction, it was announced that Impinj would be selling 50 million Monza tag chips that year. These 50 million chips were sold to nine different companies, including competitors Alien Technology
and Texas Instruments
.
In 2010, Impinj introduced its Monza 4 tag chips with increased read and write capabilities and more memory options. These chips also have innovative privacy features and Impinj's patent-pending True3D technology, which allows tags to be read regardless of orientation.
In April 2011, Impinj released their new Monza 5 chips which are designed to speed item-level encoding, with fewer errors. The Monza 5 can boost encoding speeds by up to 220 percent compared with other RFID technology on the market.
The Speedway RFID reader was first introduced in 2005 as the first RFID reader sold by Impinj. Designed to meet the RFID Gen 2 standards, Speedway was one of Impinj's GrandPrix products alongside Monza.
The Speedway Revolution RFID reader was introduced in 2009. The Speedway Revolution is 80% smaller than the original Speedway RFID reader, measuring 6.75 x 5.5 x 1 inches.
The Speedway Revolution introduced Autopilot technology, which enables the reader to reconfigure itself as the environment shifts.
Introduced in 2010, the Speedway xPortal is a RFID fixed reader that combined the Speedway Revolution with Dual-Linear Phased Array technology, with a smaller design than previous reader portals. Whereas previous portal readers weighed about 150 lbs, the Speedway xPortal weighs 6.5 lbs and measures 40.5 x 8.72 x 2 inches.
In 2009, Impinj unveiled the Indy R2000 reader chip, with increased performance designed for use in high-end readers for more challenging applications. In 2010, Impinj further expander their reader chip portfolio by introducing the Indy R500 reader chip, a lower cost chip for applications that don't require high performance.
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
by Carver Mead
Carver Mead
Carver Andress Mead is a US computer scientist. He currently holds the position of Gordon and Betty Moore Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Applied Science at the California Institute of Technology , having taught there for over 40 years.Mead studied electrical engineering at Caltech, getting...
and Chris Diorio. Impinj currently produces EPC Class 1, Gen 2 passive UHF RFID chips, RFID readers, RFID reader chips, and RFID antennas.
History
Impinj was founded in 2000 based on the research of Carver MeadCarver Mead
Carver Andress Mead is a US computer scientist. He currently holds the position of Gordon and Betty Moore Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Applied Science at the California Institute of Technology , having taught there for over 40 years.Mead studied electrical engineering at Caltech, getting...
and his student Chris Diorio. The name Impinj stands for "Impact-ionized Hot-electron Injection".
In 2006, Impinj became the first company to introduce products based on the EPCglobal
EPCglobal
EPCglobal is a joint venture between GS1 and GS1 US .It is an organization set up to achieve worldwide adoption and standardization of Electronic Product Code technology....
UHF Gen 2 standard.
Bear Stearns
Bear Stearns
The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. based in New York City, was a global investment bank and securities trading and brokerage, until its sale to JPMorgan Chase in 2008 during the global financial crisis and recession...
reported in 2006 that Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
issued contracts to Impinj and Alien Technology
Alien Technology
Alien Technology is a manufacturer of RFID technology. The company is headquartered in Morgan Hill, California, with a RFID tag manufacturing facility in Fargo, North Dakota, the Alien RFID Solutions Center, in the Dayton, Ohio area, and sales offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. As of...
, including them as significant suppliers for a total 15,000 RFID readers needed for Wal-Mart stores and distribution centers. The report invited speculation but was not confirmed.
In the same year, Impinj created new partnerships in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In February, Impinj signed an Original Equipment Manufacturer agreement with the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
based company Convergence Systems Limited (subsidiary of the Chung Nam Group of Companies).
In December, Impinj partnered with Korean company LS Industrial Systems (part of LS Group
LS Group
LS Group is a Korean Jaebeol . It is composed of LS Corp. , Gaon Cable, E1 , YESCO and LS Asset Management . "LS Corp." is a holding company, which comprises LS Cable LS Group is a Korean Jaebeol (conglomerate). It is composed of LS Corp. (see below), Gaon Cable, E1 (LPG), YESCO (LNG) and LS...
) to create RFID solutions targeting the Korean market.
In June 2008, Impinj sold its non-volatile memory business to Virage Logic
Virage Logic
Virage Logic corporation, founded 1996, was a provider of both functional and physical semiconductor intellectual property for the design of complex integrated circuits...
.
Also in 2008, Impinj acquired the Intel RFID division, including an Intel-developed RFID reader chip. Impinj renamed the chip Indy R1000.
In 2009, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
unveiled their Freestyle soda machine that gives users one hundred different possible drink combinations. The Freestyle soda machine uses Impinj Monza tag chips and Indy reader chips to determine user preferences and to monitor the dispensers.
Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
has certified the Impinj Speedway reader to be used by state agencies in the electronic vehicle registration initiative beginning in Mexico in July 2010.
In April 2011, Impinj filed with the SEC to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering.
Monza RFID Tag Chips
Introduced in April 2005, Monza tag chips were the first UHF Gen 2 RFID tag chips.Upon their introduction, it was announced that Impinj would be selling 50 million Monza tag chips that year. These 50 million chips were sold to nine different companies, including competitors Alien Technology
Alien Technology
Alien Technology is a manufacturer of RFID technology. The company is headquartered in Morgan Hill, California, with a RFID tag manufacturing facility in Fargo, North Dakota, the Alien RFID Solutions Center, in the Dayton, Ohio area, and sales offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. As of...
and Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
.
In 2010, Impinj introduced its Monza 4 tag chips with increased read and write capabilities and more memory options. These chips also have innovative privacy features and Impinj's patent-pending True3D technology, which allows tags to be read regardless of orientation.
In April 2011, Impinj released their new Monza 5 chips which are designed to speed item-level encoding, with fewer errors. The Monza 5 can boost encoding speeds by up to 220 percent compared with other RFID technology on the market.
Speedway RFID Readers
Speedway is a registered trademark of Impinj. Speedway products include Speedway Revolution RFID Reader and Speedway xPortal RFID reader.The Speedway RFID reader was first introduced in 2005 as the first RFID reader sold by Impinj. Designed to meet the RFID Gen 2 standards, Speedway was one of Impinj's GrandPrix products alongside Monza.
The Speedway Revolution RFID reader was introduced in 2009. The Speedway Revolution is 80% smaller than the original Speedway RFID reader, measuring 6.75 x 5.5 x 1 inches.
The Speedway Revolution introduced Autopilot technology, which enables the reader to reconfigure itself as the environment shifts.
Introduced in 2010, the Speedway xPortal is a RFID fixed reader that combined the Speedway Revolution with Dual-Linear Phased Array technology, with a smaller design than previous reader portals. Whereas previous portal readers weighed about 150 lbs, the Speedway xPortal weighs 6.5 lbs and measures 40.5 x 8.72 x 2 inches.
RFID Reader Antennas
Impinj's RFID antennas with operation optimized for item-level applications enable superior system performance for a variety of deployments, especially when paired with Speedway RFID readers and Monza RFID tag chips. Key features include: Tightly controlled read zones to minimize reading of stray tags; Application-optimized read ranges—short range (near field), long range (far field), or a mix; and Application-optimized beam width (angle within which most intense energy emanates).Indy RFID Reader Chips
In 2008, Impinj acquired the Intel RFID division, including an Intel-developed RFID reader chip which Impinj renamed Indy R1000. By combining many electrical components on one microchip, RFID reader chips can minimize size and costs of RFID readers. As of 2008, 40 to 50 manufacturers had developed readers utilizing the R1000 chip.In 2009, Impinj unveiled the Indy R2000 reader chip, with increased performance designed for use in high-end readers for more challenging applications. In 2010, Impinj further expander their reader chip portfolio by introducing the Indy R500 reader chip, a lower cost chip for applications that don't require high performance.