{"license":"Free for any use with attribution link to rfid-datasheet.com","citation":"RFID-Datasheet.com Chip Database — Roxtron","source":"https://rfid-datasheet.com/chip/ucode-9m","methodology":"https://rfid-datasheet.com/methodology","data_notes":"Includes automated enrichment. Null means unknown; last_checked is link availability, not technical review. Manufacturer documents govern specifications.","generated_at":"2026-10-28T10:39:45.307Z","chip":{"id":"18d1bfd1-cc9d-492b-ad54-b19cea498cc4","slug":"ucode-9m","name":"UCODE 9m","manufacturer":"NXP","frequency_category":"UHF 860–960 MHz","short_description":"Next-generation UHF tag chip optimized for metal-mountable applications and dense reader environments.","manufacturer_url":null,"frequency":"860–960 MHz (UHF)","protocol":"EPCglobal UHF Class-1 Gen2 (Gen2V2), ISO/IEC 18000-63","memory":"96-bit EPC (extendable up to 496 bits), 48-bit unique serialized TID, no dedicated user memory","interface":"RF (contactless, passive backscatter)","temp_range":"-40°C to +85°C","form_factor":"Bare die / wafer, delivered as assembled straps or inlays for metal-mount tags","security":"32-bit access password, 32-bit kill password, cover-coding, Privacy mode (EPC masking), no cryptographic authentication","use_cases":["asset-tracking","industrial-iot","supply-chain"],"engineering_brief":"UCODE 9m is NXP's metal-optimized UHF Gen2 chip built on the UCODE 9 platform, designed to maintain strong read performance when mounted directly on or near metal surfaces. It supports EPCglobal Gen2V2/ISO 18000-63 protocols with a 96-bit EPC (expandable) and 48-bit factory-programmed TID, but omits general user memory to reduce cost and die size. With enhanced sensitivity and dense-reader-mode support, it's well suited for high-density RFID deployments like industrial asset tracking, tool management, and metal-chassis IT equipment identification. Security is limited to standard Gen2 password protection rather than cryptographic authentication, making it best suited for identification and inventory rather than high-security applications.","enriched":true,"url_status":"needs_review","link_status":"unchecked","last_checked":null,"last_status_code":null,"last_content_type":null,"created_at":"2026-10-10T03:00:22.119225+00:00","manufacturer_id":"6daaf1cc-d0e6-40c7-aba0-a08b4c3493fe","chip_type":"tag_ic","dual_interface":false,"is_family_hub":false,"meta_description":"NXP UCODE 9m is a metal-optimized UHF Gen2 RFID chip with 96-bit EPC and 48-bit TID, built for dense-reader industrial asset tracking on metal surfaces.","faq":[{"a":"It's a UHF RFID chip designed for tagging metal objects, commonly used in industrial asset tracking, tool management, and metal IT equipment identification.","q":"What is the NXP UCODE 9m chip used for?"},{"a":"Yes, UCODE 9m is specifically optimized to maintain strong read performance when mounted directly on or near metal, unlike standard UHF chips.","q":"Does UCODE 9m work on metal surfaces?"},{"a":"It has a 96-bit EPC memory bank (expandable up to 496 bits) and a 48-bit unique serialized TID, but no dedicated general-purpose user memory.","q":"What memory does the UCODE 9m chip have?"},{"a":"UCODE 9m supports EPCglobal UHF Class-1 Gen2 (Gen2V2) and ISO/IEC 18000-63 protocols for passive UHF RFID communication.","q":"What protocol does UCODE 9m support?"},{"a":"No, it only offers standard Gen2 security features such as 32-bit access and kill passwords, cover-coding, and EPC privacy masking, without cryptographic authentication.","q":"Does UCODE 9m support encryption or authentication?"},{"a":"UCODE 9m is built on the same UCODE 9 platform but is specifically tuned for metal-mountable applications, whereas standard UCODE 9 targets general-purpose UHF tagging.","q":"How is UCODE 9m different from the standard UCODE 9 chip?"}],"standards":["iso-18000-63-epc-gen2"],"alternatives":["db903593-5b3b-44fd-a051-0ac4e7df533b","e7844a89-7888-4774-a53f-2d07fb6c359f","c9ba6ad8-5491-4da0-890d-d7a9706fb6e8","8ba0a183-46ba-43f9-8014-ef945b05d984","22a4ab88-4087-4a87-a31a-066d187b5641","6b34efa1-fd7c-43bd-b044-54c6b7c22b09","56ed1649-180b-46f9-958a-937c67a14dd0"],"no_direct_competitor":false,"long_form_html":{"deployments":"UCODE 9m is built for tags that must be mounted directly on or very close to metal — a scenario that kills read range on standard UHF inlays. Typical deployments include <a href=\"/applications/asset-tracking\">asset tracking</a> of tools, cages, and reusable metal containers; <a href=\"/applications/industrial-iot\">industrial IoT</a> identification of machinery, racks, and metal-chassis IT equipment (servers, networking gear); and <a href=\"/applications/supply-chain\">supply chain</a> tracking of metal totes and pallets in dense warehouse RF environments. It ships primarily as on-metal labels or hard tags with integrated spacer/foam layers rather than as a bare inlay, since the mounting substrate is intrinsic to its RF performance. Dense-reader-mode support makes it a strong fit for portals and gates with multiple readers operating simultaneously. Compared with the standard <a href=\"/chip/ucode-9\">UCODE 9</a> (optimized for non-metal substrates), UCODE 9m trades some raw sensitivity for metal tolerance; compared with <a href=\"/chip/ucode-dna\">UCODE DNA</a>, it omits cryptographic authentication, making it unsuitable where brand protection or anti-counterfeiting is required.","buying_guide":"UCODE 9m is distributed through NXP's standard RFID inlay/label partner network and typically appears pre-converted into on-metal tags or labels by inlay converters rather than sold as a raw die to end users; check with major RFID label converters and distributors for stocked SKUs tuned to your metal substrate. Expect reel-based MOQs (commonly in the low thousands) and lead times typical of custom on-metal label conversion, which can run longer than standard inlays due to spacer-layer construction. When sourcing, ask suppliers for read-range performance data on your actual metal substrate and mounting geometry, confirm Gen2V2 firmware support on your reader fleet, and verify EPC/TID encoding services are available at conversion. If your application needs cryptographic authentication, cross-shop to <a href=\"/chip/ucode-dna\">UCODE DNA</a>; if the tag will not be metal-mounted, the standard <a href=\"/chip/ucode-9\">UCODE 9</a> may offer better range and lower cost.","how_it_works":"UCODE 9m operates as a passive backscatter tag IC in the 860-960 MHz UHF band under EPCglobal Gen2V2, harmonized with <a href=\"/standards/iso-18000-63-epc-gen2\">ISO/IEC 18000-63</a>. The reader initiates all exchanges (reader-talks-first); downlink data uses pulse-interval encoding while the tag modulates backscatter amplitude/phase (ASK/PR-ASK) to return data on the carrier. Anti-collision follows the standard slotted-Q algorithm with session flags (S0-S3) and supports dense-reader-mode operation, letting many UCODE 9m tags be singulated reliably amid adjacent readers — a key requirement in industrial environments. Memory is organized into Reserved (kill/access passwords), EPC (96-bit, extendable to 496 bits), and TID (48-bit, factory-serialized) banks; there is no User memory bank, which trims die size and cost. The chip's RF front-end and antenna-matching are tuned specifically to compensate for detuning and field cancellation caused by nearby metal, distinguishing it from general-purpose UCODE variants built on the same platform, such as <a href=\"/chip/ucode-9\">UCODE 9</a>.","programming_notes":"UCODE 9m works with any EPC Gen2V2 / ISO 18000-63 compliant fixed or handheld reader (e.g., Impinj, Zebra platforms); no proprietary air-interface extensions are needed for basic inventory. Standard commands apply: SELECT and QUERY/ACK for inventory, READ/WRITE against EPC bank, ACCESS to transition into the secured state using the 32-bit access password before issuing WRITE or LOCK, and KILL with the 32-bit kill password to permanently disable the tag. Cover-coding protects password transmission over the air. A key integration gotcha: there is no User memory bank, so application data must be encoded into the EPC bank itself (which supports extension up to 496 bits) — plan EPC encoding schemes accordingly, since longer EPCs can reduce effective read range and increase singulation time. The 48-bit TID is factory-locked and useful for tag authentication at the application layer (not cryptographic). Privacy mode can mask the EPC on command for data-protection use cases; verify your reader/middleware supports toggling this feature."},"og_image_url":"https://rfid-datasheet.com/og/chip/ucode-9m","canonical_url":"https://rfid-datasheet.com/chip/ucode-9m"}}