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05 · Cold chain · NFC

NFC Temperature Tag

Tap. Read. Trust the handover.

A stick-on tag that shows the real temperature of pharma and frozen-food shipments on any NFC smartphone — right at the moment goods change hands.

Also available as a dark-theme brochure.

Circular and rectangular NFC temperature tags with their antenna coils, NFC IC and MCU, next to a smartphone reading −18.3 °C and showing Frozen OK
±0.5 °CAccuracy
TapRead with any NFC smartphone
0Extra readers or equipment
2Form factors
Why it matters

The weakest link in a cold chain is the handover.

Medicines, vaccines and frozen foods change hands many times — warehouse, transporter, distributor, pharmacy, retailer. At each handover the receiver has to decide, on the spot, whether the goods are still at a safe temperature. Probe thermometers are slow, need opening the pack, and are often not at hand.

A thin, self-adhesive tag stays on the product or carton. Anyone with a phone can tap it and see the current temperature in about a second, accurate to ±0.5 °C — no data logger, no reader, no cables. Where continuous logging isn't required but a trustworthy check is, this is the simplest tool for the job.

Why it is different

Know the temperature with a tap

No extra equipment

Any NFC smartphone reads the tag. No dedicated readers to buy or carry.

Battery-free

Powered by the phone's NFC field, so there is no battery to run down.

Peel & stick

Self-adhesive on non-metallic cartons, trays and packs.

How it works

Stick. Tap. Decide.

  1. StickPeel the liner and press the tag onto the carton, vial tray or pack — any clean, non-metallic surface.
  2. TapHold an NFC-enabled smartphone near the tag. The phone's field wakes the tag and powers the measurement.
  3. DecideThe temperature appears on the phone instantly. Accept the goods, or flag them before signing for delivery.
Inside the tag

Accuracy you can sign for

A dedicated digital temperature sensor sits on its own thermal pad. The phone's 13.56 MHz field powers the NFC IC, which wakes a low-power MCU to trigger a conversion, apply calibration and format the reading.

Signal path: smartphone at 13.56 MHz, antenna and NFC IC for RF and energy harvesting, low-power MCU, and digital temperature sensor on a thermal pad

Discrete by design

Rather than a single all-in-one chip, the tag uses three dedicated parts — NFC front-end, microcontroller and precision sensor — each chosen for its job.

Better accuracy

A dedicated digital sensor on its own thermal pad delivers ±0.5 °C, tighter than the on-die sensors in typical single-chip NFC tags.

Room to grow

The MCU lets us add per-tag calibration, threshold alerts and custom data formats in firmware without redesigning the hardware.

Two layouts

Circular or rectangular

Circular, Ø 40 mm

For caps, jar lids and vial trays.

  • Even read response in any orientation
  • Fits round and small surfaces
Circular 40 mm NFC temperature tag with its round antenna coil
Where it is used

Built for temperature-sensitive goods

Pharmaceuticals

2–8 °C shipments.

Vaccines & biologics

Frozen food

Cold-chain logistics

Labs & diagnostics

Dairy & perishables

Specifications

Key specifications

Accuracy
±0.5 °C
Operating range
−25 °C to +70 °C
Resolution
0.1 °C
Interface
NFC 13.56 MHz (ISO/IEC 14443 / NFC Forum)
Reader
Any NFC smartphone
Read distance
Up to ~3 cm (phone dependent)
Power
Battery-free
Architecture
Discrete NFC IC + MCU + digital sensor
Form factors
Circular Ø 40 mm · Rectangular 60 × 32 mm
Mounting
Self-adhesive, non-metallic surfaces
Data logging
Not required: on-demand spot reading

Not for direct mounting on metal; use a ferrite spacer.

Tag construction

Four thin layers

Face stock
Printed top layer for branding, ID and instructions
Flex PCB inlay
Antenna coil, NFC IC, MCU and sensor
Adhesive
Thermal-transfer adhesive couples the sensor to the pack
Release liner
Peeled off at application
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a special reader?

No. Any NFC-enabled smartphone reads the tag.

Does the tag have a battery?

No. It is battery-free and is powered by the phone's NFC field while it takes the reading.

How accurate is it?

±0.5 °C with 0.1 °C resolution, over an operating range of −25 °C to +70 °C.

Can it be stuck on metal?

Not directly. Mount it on non-metallic surfaces such as cartons, trays and packs, or use a ferrite spacer on metal.

Pilot it in your cold chain

Samples, custom sizes, branding and firmware thresholds are available on request.