NXP Semiconductors has announced the launch of UCODE X, a new RAIN RFID chip designed to deliver higher read and write sensitivity, lower power consumption, and greater configuration flexibility for large-scale deployments. The company said the new chip is aimed at enabling smaller RFID labels and supporting high-volume use cases across sectors such as retail, logistics, healthcare, and consumer goods.
The launch comes as global regulations around traceability, safety, and sustainability continue to tighten. Mandates such as the EU’s Digital Product Passport and the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA 204) are pushing organisations to capture and store more granular product data across supply chains.
Addressing traceability and compliance requirements
According to NXP, UCODE X allows critical product information—including lot numbers, expiration dates, and recycling details—to be stored directly on the RFID chip, while maintaining the performance needed for large-scale, high-speed operations. This combination is intended to help businesses meet evolving compliance requirements without compromising operational efficiency.
“With UCODE X, we’re expanding what’s possible in RAIN RFID,” said Ralf Kodritsch, Senior Director, UCODE RFID at NXP. “This chip combines our most advanced RF performance with flexible memory and configuration options, supporting smaller, higher performing RAIN RFID labels. This means even the most challenging items, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food, can be tagged. It’s a major step forward for retailers, brands, and logistics providers looking to quickly increase RFID adoption.”
Enabling scalable, real-time inventory visibility
Industry partners highlighted the role of improved sensitivity and reliability in moving RFID deployments beyond pilots and into everyday operations. As continuous overhead reading becomes more prevalent, dependable performance at scale is increasingly critical for retailers and logistics providers.
“Continuous overhead reading has reached a new level of maturity, and UCODE X is a key driver in that evolution,” said Danny Haak, Head of Product & Technology at Nedap. “Its industry-leading read and write sensitivity enables truly dependable, real-time inventory visibility. By integrating this capability into the Nedap Inventory Engine, we’re taking another major step from promising pilots to scalable, day-to-day operations, helping retailers prevent losses, optimise stock levels, and elevate the customer experience without adding complexity.”
Supporting ecosystem-wide RFID adoption
From an ecosystem perspective, adherence to industry standards remains a key requirement for broader adoption. NXP said UCODE X is designed using the GS1 G2V2 standard, enabling interoperability across the RAIN RFID ecosystem and supporting deployment across diverse markets.
“At Zebra, RFID technology allows us to create new ways of working that improve productivity and empower organisations,” said Michael Fein, Director of Product Management, RFID and ALT, Zebra Technologies. “UCODE X delivers the advanced read and write sensitivity that we need for our next-generation solutions and is designed using the GS1 G2V2 standard to expand the broad RAIN RFID ecosystem. This will help to accelerate RAIN RFID adoption across a variety of markets.”
Expanding the scope of RFID-enabled products
By enabling smaller labels with higher performance, UCODE X is expected to extend RAIN RFID usage to product categories that have traditionally been difficult to tag, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food items. As regulatory pressure and operational complexity increase, such capabilities are becoming central to modern supply chain strategies.
The launch underscores how RFID technology is evolving from basic tracking to a foundation for compliance, transparency, and real-time operational intelligence across high-volume environments.