HP’s new Memory Spot chip

A prototype of a tiny wireless chip capable of storing and transmitting data was recently revealed by HP.

When the new chip hits the market in about two years, it will enable a variety of applications ranging from digital wristbands that store patient medical information to a new form of storing digital versions of documents or sound bytes on paper and printed pictures that can be accessed using a reader-equipped device.

The memory spot chip is basically a miniature computer with onboard memory and wireless capability and is composed of six main parts: the processor, the memory and memory driver, the modem, the capacitor array, and the loop antenna. HP’s engineers were able to squeeze all these parts into a chip smaller than a grain of rice (2 mm to 4 mm square).

The chip’s main purpose is to optimize the data flow and data storage of the chip. The wireless capability of the new chip is unique and was developed to perform very specific tasks. When the chip was introduced, many were quick to compare it to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Although there are similarities between the two, HP clearly stated that the memory spot will not replace RFID technology, but rather compliment it.

Source: The Future of Things

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