Using Punctured Convolution Coding (PCC) for Error Correction in Chipless RFID Tag Measurement

Abstract

This letter presents an error correction technique for chipless radio frequency identification (RFID) tags using punctured convolution coding (PCC). We use a frequency signature-based chipless RFID tag which can encode Tag IDs at different resonance frequencies. Due to the presence of unwanted interference during communication, the backscatter tag response undergoes an abrupt change in amplitude and a shift in frequency, resulting in missing bits or errors. Normally, error correction in RFID technology requires intelligent behavior on the tag and in the reader. Our proposed measurement technique abandons the need for an integrated circuit (IC) and memory on the tag. Alternatively, the error correction functionality is executed during the design and fabrication process in chipless RFID tags. The PCC-based chipless RFID tag is then detected by the detection technique based on the presence of tag resonance resembling logic “1” and “0,” which is then decoded using Viterbi decoder to obtain the original source data. The proposed technique can detect error and recover missing bits in the chipless RFID system.