
Arduino RFID Security Access - dawsdesign
http://appdelegateinc.com/blog/2010/10/04/arduino-rfid-security-access/
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roel_v
A setup like this is written up in detail in the book 'RFID toys' by Amal
Graafstra. Using this same rfid reader, maybe even an Arduino, or maybe it was
one of the other projects in the book that used an Arduino. The disadvantage
of this setup is that you need power at the door, unless you want to replace
the batteries on your door every couple of weeks. I still want to make
something like this but for a hidden door - I've got an rfid chip implanted in
my hand and I want to be able to unlock a hidden cabinet by waving my hand in
front of it :)

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bigmac
Under what circumstances did you decide to get an RFID chip implanted in your
hand? I'm genuinely curious.

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roel_v
Just for the experimentation really, to get some first-hand (pun not intended)
experience with it. ('it' being both rfid and implanting stuff). Body hacking
for hacking's sake, if you will.

It was quite anti-climactic, really. Turns out there aren't really any good
applications for it, except for the 'fun' things like the 'hidden vault' I
mentioned. It's quite an undertaking though to make something like that
production quality. For example you need a way to unlock the vault even when
there's no power. It would probably require some hidden mechanical mechanism
that is actuated by a certain series of events. Like most experiments, I
mostly lost direct interest after the proof of concept worked. Still if I ever
have a proper workshop and a few weeks, or if I ever build a new house for
myself, it would be nice...

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sanswork
I found much the same thing with mine. I had mine implanted because a friend
owned a piercing shop and offered to do it for free.

Since then I haven't had much practical use for it except for the odd POC
project.

The friend that did mine though uses his with a pass code for the front lock
on his apartment. I've also considered something for my laptop to
automatically unlock it when my wrist is in range.

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roel_v
Yeah the unlocking thing I got to work, I used it for a while to log onto my
machine at work. Wasn't as much of an improvement as I thought it would be.
The book I mentioned has a project on how to build an rfid reader into a
keyboard, maybe it works better, not convinced though.

Where do you have yours? Is it more in the webbing between your index finger
and thumb, or further up your hand? Mine is between the index and thumb but I
did some manual labor a couple of weeks ago and I started to feel it. Does
yours ever bother you?

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sanswork
I have seen that book before and was either going to grab it or did and it's
sitting in my pile of unread books back in Canada.

I have mine in the back of my wrist about an inch up my arm from where my
wrist bends back. It is out of the way of everything. I rarely remember it is
there until I go to scratch my wrist.

Of course the downside is that I have to twist my wrist around in a slightly
awkward fashion to get it to register.

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sunkencity
It's much easier to debug and get it to work using a software serial library
like newsoftserial, as (in the article) you cannot use the serial port at the
same time as the usb serial (it is handy to have a serial session to the
device for debug printouts and the like).

<http://arduiniana.org/libraries/newsoftserial/>

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appdelegateinc
You can still get debug serial working if you set it to 2400 baud.

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sunkencity
Interesting, the rfid card I've worked with (I did a similar thing) only
worked at 9600 baud I think.

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AndrewHampton
I got really excited about this, so I immediately went to my local Radio Shack
and picked this up. Sadly, my hopes of reading my work ID, passport, and store
purchases were dashed when I saw the reader only works with the EM4100 family
of RFIDs. I'm not sure what that means other than it won't ready anything I've
stuck next to it other than the two supplied RFID tags.

