EM4425 vs RF430F5978

EM4425 offers HF/UHF passive RFID with 2048-bit memory for supply chain tracking. RF430F5978 is an active LF/Sub-1GHz MCU with 16KB Flash for livestock monitoring.

Side-by-side specs

Frequency

EM4425: 13.56 MHz (HF/NFC) and 860-960 MHz (UHF) / 125 kHz LF
RF430F5978: 134.2 kHz (LF) / Sub-1 GHz (315 MHz, 433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz)

Protocol

EM4425: ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1, NFC Forum Type 5 Tag, ISO/IEC 18000-63, EPC Gen2v2, ISO/IEC 29167-10
RF430F5978: ISO 11784/11785 (FDX-B), Proprietary Sub-1 GHz

Memory

EM4425: 2048-bit configurable non-volatile memory (HF USER memory, up to 480-bit EPC/UII encodings, UHF USER memory, optional Digital Signature: none/256b/384b/512b), 64-bit UID (HF)…
RF430F5978: 16 KB Flash, 1 KB RAM

Interface

EM4425: RF (contactless) - dual frequency HF/NFC and UHF air interfaces, optional tamper loop inputs/outputs
RF430F5978: RF (contactless 134.2 kHz transponder), SPI, UART, I2C, GPIO

Temp Range

EM4425: -40°C to +85°C
RF430F5978: -40°C to +85°C

Form Factor

EM4425: Sawn wafer, 6-mil (152µm) thickness, gold bumps + polyimide, die size 1117.0 µm × 797 µm
RF430F5978: RGZ (VQFN-48)

Security

EM4425: AES-128 crypto for NFC web-based authentication, Digital signature for authenticity, ISO 29167-10 (AES), Password-protected memory, Random ID option, Tamper Detection with alarm
RF430F5978: AES-128, hardware encryption accelerator

Spec	EM4425	RF430F5978
Frequency	13.56 MHz (HF/NFC) and 860-960 MHz (UHF) / 125 kHz LF	134.2 kHz (LF) / Sub-1 GHz (315 MHz, 433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz)
Protocol	ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1, NFC Forum Type 5 Tag, ISO/IEC 18000-63, EPC Gen2v2, ISO/IEC 29167-10	ISO 11784/11785 (FDX-B), Proprietary Sub-1 GHz
Memory	2048-bit configurable non-volatile memory (HF USER memory, up to 480-bit EPC/UII encodings, UHF USER memory, optional Digital Signature: none/256b/384b/512b), 64-bit UID (HF)…	16 KB Flash, 1 KB RAM
Interface	RF (contactless) - dual frequency HF/NFC and UHF air interfaces, optional tamper loop inputs/outputs	RF (contactless 134.2 kHz transponder), SPI, UART, I2C, GPIO
Temp Range	-40°C to +85°C	-40°C to +85°C
Form Factor	Sawn wafer, 6-mil (152µm) thickness, gold bumps + polyimide, die size 1117.0 µm × 797 µm	RGZ (VQFN-48)
Security	AES-128 crypto for NFC web-based authentication, Digital signature for authenticity, ISO 29167-10 (AES), Password-protected memory, Random ID option, Tamper Detection with alarm	AES-128, hardware encryption accelerator

Verdict

Choose EM4425 if you need a passive dual-frequency tag supporting both HF (13.56 MHz) and UHF (860-960 MHz) air interfaces for supply chain, retail, or anti-counterfeiting applications. This chip operates as a standard ISO/IEC 15693 and ISO/IEC 18000-63 EPC Gen2v2 transponder with 2048 bits (256 bytes) of configurable non-volatile memory, a 64-bit unique HF identifier, and 96-bit UHF TID. It provides AES-128 cryptographic authentication for NFC interactions, digital signature capabilities for product authenticity verification, ISO 29167-10 compliant security, password-protected memory access, and tamper detection with alarm functionality. The dual-frequency design allows the same tag to be read by both HF NFC readers at close range and UHF readers at distances up to several meters, making it suitable for item-level tagging that requires both consumer NFC interaction and warehouse-scale inventory management. Choose RF430F5978 if you need an active wireless microcontroller combining 134.2 kHz LF transponder functionality with Sub-1 GHz radio (315/433/868/915 MHz) for battery-powered tracking applications in livestock management or asset monitoring. This device includes 16 KB Flash program memory and 1 KB RAM, running as a programmable MSP430 microcontroller with dedicated interfaces (SPI, UART, I2C, GPIO) for sensor integration and external communication. The 134.2 kHz transponder operates according to ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B protocol for animal identification, while the Sub-1 GHz radio uses proprietary protocols for long-range data transmission. With a hardware AES-128 encryption accelerator, it supports secure bidirectional communication. This is fundamentally an active, programmable device requiring battery power, contrasting with the EM4425's passive operation that harvests energy from reader fields. The RF430F5978 suits applications needing computational capability, sensor interfacing, and active telemetry rather than simple tag identification.

FAQ

Can the EM4425 and RF430F5978 both operate without batteries?

The EM4425 operates entirely without batteries, harvesting power from HF or UHF reader fields. The RF430F5978 requires a battery to power its microcontroller and Sub-1 GHz radio, though its 134.2 kHz transponder function can respond passively when powered by an LF reader field.

Which chip has more memory for storing data?

The RF430F5978 has significantly more memory with 16 KB Flash and 1 KB RAM versus the EM4425's 2048 bits (256 bytes) of EEPROM. However, the RF430F5978's memory is primarily for program code and active processing, while the EM4425's memory is dedicated to tag data storage.

Do both chips support ISO standard RFID protocols?

The EM4425 supports multiple ISO standards including ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1, ISO/IEC 18000-63, and ISO 29167-10. The RF430F5978 supports ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B for its LF transponder but uses proprietary protocols for Sub-1 GHz communication.

Sourcing EM4425 or RF430F5978 in volume?

Roxtron builds custom RFID and NFC products around both EM4425 and RF430F5978. Tell us your project — quantities, form factor, timeline — and we'll come back within 24 hours with pricing and lead times.