Low Cost UHF RFID Reader IC

Srikanth - 

from TI we have general purpose Sub 1GHz transceivers which can be used for this application. 

the company TSS has created development kit, finished readers and module based on them - most likely this best option around since just the IC (from any vendor) will not be all what you are really looking for i think.

check them out ==>  

the PPT you found was the concept basis for what can be done with the CC430, CC1101 or CC1200 or CC13xx parts + MCU. it was strictly a prototype concept - not something that was made for more than proof of concept.

UHF ICs specific to this application from other vendors with MOQs of higher than 1 start in the ~$40 range (before you add anything else to the circuit), so this was the motivation to show how an interrogator could be realized with a little ingenuity.

You have an interesting point of view in light of the link you sent has similar handheld reader right next to it from another vendor for almost 3x the cost, and folks making these types of readers - bear with me for a moment.

for this application, to create a circuit design and end product which is robust and capable of meeting WW EMC and Safety regulations and the demands put on it by the application itself requires an experienced staff of at least one EE, one ME, one SE, a good RF layout person, and a good RF technician. Then you have testing and product submission costs (Regulatory (EMC and Safety, for WW operation), production costs, marketing, website development, and management of the product(s) and the people, not to mention the overhead of having a location with a good lab and all the equipment and software needed to accomplish the overall task. These folks have done all that. 

think about that for a moment, then reflect on the fact you saw the product available @ QTY = 1 through a distributor and compare please that price again to its competitors.

it will look different.  

i again recommend you contact these folks directly if interested, ask for volume pricing  and have a look at their modules and development kit, too - if you are wanting to make your own version of it, to reduce your own costs. 

hope that helps. 

CAT5 and CAT6 cable has characteristic impedance of about 100 ohms and is good for up to about 250MHz. 

Coaxial cable characteristic impedance of either 50 Ohms (radio applications) or 75 Ohms (TV applications), depending on the type and is pretty flat impedance wise over frequency compared to twisted pair. additionally, coax is usually good for much higher frequencies (up into high GHz ranges) because that is what it is designed for.  

the way you describe using the twisted pair, perhaps you could think more along the lines of using that to extend your host control communication lines the distance you call out and using shorter coaxial cable, in the manner it is designed for. 

this would be measurable, repeatable and realistic approach i think.