CISSOID and INSTRUMENTEL announce MERLIN, their High Temperature, Battery-less, RFID Telemetry chip

The MERLIN integrated circuit is a highly versatile inductively coupled telemetry transponder, which can support a variety of sensors through a built-in 10-bit A-D converter. The MERLIN chip incorporates a programmable unique 48-bit identifier and a set of general-purpose I/Os that can be monitored and controlled remotely. Data transmission operates with a data rate of up to 200kbps. The whole functionality of MERLIN is available without any direct power supply, as it retrieves power from the 13.56MHz electromagnetic field generated by a remote reader.

The chip is designed to operate in temperatures that range from -55°C to +225°C, which makes the solution ideal when sensors have to be located in extreme environments, in places where no power supply or battery-replacement are available.

MERLIN was developed with the system level expertise of INSTRUMENTEL in wireless telemetry and taking full advantage of CISSOID best-in-class semiconductor capabilities for extreme temperatures and harsh environments. INSTRUMENTEL has already demonstrated the capabilities of MERLIN, under the brand XT01, for many industrial applications including explosion metrology and nuclear waste monitoring.

MERLIN is now available for use in aeronautics, space, industrial, medical and automotive applications. INSTRUMENTEL sell a demonstration kit incorporating MERLIN tags, a reader and software interface, and can provide specialist design services and integrated solutions incorporating the MERLIN chip. CISSOID will sell stand-alone MERLIN chips in high volumes directly to end-users.

Neil Loxley, CEO of INSTRUMENTEL said: “We have been working with CISSOID for several years to combine INSTRUMENTEL’s world-leading wireless telemetry technology with CISSOID’s high temperature silicon platform to create MERLIN. Having demonstrated the capability of MERLIN in extreme applications such as explosion metrology, where the device has shown its ability to survive multiple blasts, we are delighted to be working with CISSOID to market the solution more widely. INSTRUMENTEL can offer customers specific expertise for designing and manufacturing bespoke products based on MERLIN, and CISSOID are able to both extend our market reach and provide a high volume chip supply capability directly to customers when required”.

Jean-Christophe Doucet, VP Business development at Cissoid said: “MERLIN is the only RFID chip in production in the world today, which can operate reliably at 225°C, plus it offers sensing telemetry and I/O capabilities. We have been shipping it to Instrumentel, and we are seeing now 3rd parties’ applications where such functionalities are needed. This agreement is the natural next step for both companies, as it is going to accelerate the promotion of the solution and of our technologies, while making the access to MERLIN easier to more customers”.