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Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands

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On 29/04/2017 03:10, Winfield Hill wrote:
> Disney theme park customers have special RFID bands, called MagicBand, helping
> them use the parks.  A 13-month old Wired article called this a $1B bet on their
> MagicBands, but such an expenditure would have been more on the back end, rather
> than on the bands themselves.  https://www.wired.com/2015/03/disney-magicband/
>
> At the time, Disney was quite forthcoming with tech details, photos and
> teardowns about the RFID bands.  EETimes has a video,
> http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=69&doc_id=1320977
>
> At one level the MagicBands operated as 2.4GHz devices, but they also had a
> longer-range low-frequency capability they didn't discuss.  This was explored by
> the fellow at AtDisneyAgain.  See
> https://atdisneyagain.com/2014/01/27/making-the-band-magicband-teardown-and-more/
>
> Their design has recently dramatically changed, which is obvious by comparing
> this photo I took, see dropbox, to the earlier teardowns.
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/sl5c4sh22idv4mp/2017_Disney_MagicBand_pcb.jpg?dl=0
>
> I wasn't able to identify the new 32-pin primary RFID controller IC.  But note
> the coupling components and the 1/4 turn 2.4GHz antenna.
>
> I also wasn't able to identify the large RF driver-IC / module connected to the
> outer five-turn low-frequency antenna loop (outer diameter 0.85 x 1.0 inches).
> Nor could I find any information about the low-frequency system, except that it
> could work at longer ranges.
>
> Perhaps somebody here can help.
>
>

125-128kHz and 13.56Mhz are two other RFID frequencies much used. 
Clearly not enough turns for LF so my guess is they use 13.56Mhz and 2.4GHz.

There are a lot of microcontroller+RF chips made for Zigbee/bluetooth 
usage that would be candidates for the 32pin device, for example I have 
seen Chipcon CC2xxx parts used for just that kind of RFID token.

Are you sure that larger object you think is an RF driver-IC is some 
kind of semiconductor? I wonder if it is a capacitor or filter?

piglet

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RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Winfield Hill <hill@rowland.harvard.edu> - 2017-04-28 19:10 -0700
  Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands piglet <erichpwagner@hotmail.com> - 2017-04-29 07:50 +0100
  Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Mikko OH2HVJ <mikko.syrjalahti@nospam.fi> - 2017-04-29 11:53 +0300
    Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Winfield Hill <hill@rowland.harvard.edu> - 2017-04-29 05:08 -0700
      Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Phil Allison <pallison49@gmail.com> - 2017-04-29 05:30 -0700
  Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> - 2017-04-29 11:00 -0700
    Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> - 2017-04-29 12:58 -0700
      Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@On-My-Web-Site.com> - 2017-04-29 13:39 -0700
        Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> - 2017-04-29 17:49 -0700
          Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@On-My-Web-Site.com> - 2017-04-30 08:45 -0700
            Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> - 2017-04-30 13:01 -0400
            Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> - 2017-04-30 10:55 -0700
          Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> - 2017-04-30 13:14 -0400
            Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> - 2017-04-30 11:28 -0700
              Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@On-My-Web-Site.com> - 2017-04-30 11:41 -0700
      Re: RFID - the Disney way, two frequency bands bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> - 2017-04-30 08:36 -0400

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