UPM Raflatac launches range of NFC tags

Product line-up includes media badges for use on music, data and movie discs plus tags for NFC ticketing, pairing and other applications…

DIRECT HIT: The BullsEye NFC tag can be embedded in CDs and DVDs
DIRECT HIT: The BullsEye NFC tag can be embedded in CDs and DVDs

Finnish RFID specialist UPM Raflatac has launched a range of tags that are compliant with NFC Forum tag types 1, 2 and 4. The products are already in use in several projects, the company says, in applications including multifunctional media badges for music, data and movie discs and for electronics pairing.

Three tags are available, each with 512bits of user memory:

  • The MiniTrack NFC, with a coil size of 14x31mm, is designed for toys, electronics pairing, authentication and key fobs.
  • The RaceTrack NFC has a coil size of 45x76mm and is aimed at ID cards, tickets and asset tracking applications.
  • The BullsEye NFC has a 35mm circular coil and is designed for use with CDs, DVDs, smart posters and asset tagging applications.

The media badges use the circular BullsEye NFC tag and have been developed in collaboration with CDA, a pre-recorded optical storage media specialist, and Master Disc, which specialises in optical media replication, memory card copying and RFID ticketing services.

“With a multifunctional NFC media badge embedded into a disc,” says the company, “it is possible to open hyperlinks, use ticket and payment functions and vote for the latest music hits via a mobile phone, for instance. The media badge also offers a normal optical disc interface for music, pictures and movies, as well as a print surface for barcodes, 2D codes and personalized naming.”

In electronics pairing applications, NFC tags are generally used to facilitate recognition between a mother device, such as a mobile phone, and its accessories. The recognition protocol between a device and its accessory means that consumers can pair their devices without a complicated set-up procedure.

“Various NFC applications are already available, and we expect to see more during the coming year,” says Mikko Nikkanen, the business development director for UPM Raflatac’s RFID products. “In anticipation of market growth, we have designed our product portfolio in a way that enables us to provide solutions for most tag-based NFC applications today and in the longer term.”

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