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RFID Reader Opinions


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#1 Charles

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 05:31 PM

I have been experimenting with the ID Innovations ID-12 and ID-20 models of RFID readers lately.

SparkFun: ID-12
SparkFun: ID-20

They are working very well with my N+ setup, however I am very disappointed with the range vs. price. They hardly achieve 40% of their range specifications even under ideal circumstances.

I found this unit the other day:

Parallax: Serial RFID Card Reader

Does anyone have any experience with it? What sorts of real-world range could I expect with it? Is there another, similar device out there I should consider??

Thanks in advance!

#2 Thomas

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 07:58 PM

I actually have both the Parallax Serial reader and the ID-20, but have only played with the Parallax one up until now. As I remember, the reading distance is relatively short, something like 1-2 inches for a regular CC card type tag. I can try to make a comparison between the two, but I will likely not have time before this weekend. Generally, my experience with the 125kHz system is that the reading distance is pretty short... and often almost need "contact" if the reader is housed in an enclosure. /Thomas

#3 bill.french

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 08:04 PM

What kind of distance are you looking for? I've worked with some rfid stuff a bit, but none of this stuff. These look interesting in the sense that they have a simple looking antennae that might be easy to modify: http://www.seeedstud...rd=rfid&x=0&y=0

#4 Fred

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 08:43 PM

I found the range of the ID-20 / credit card sized tag was OK. May be down to lower expectations on my part though. Another thing worth bearing in mind is that the ID-12/20 uses EM4001 and the Parallax uses EM4100. Both are 125kHz but the cards aren't compatible. My work and a friend's place use the more common EM4100 format so if I do implement a RFID system for home entry, I'd like to make it compatible.

#5 phantomtypist

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 11:48 PM

I have the Parallax and the range is about contact to one inch. If I house it in an enclosure it usually requires the card to touch the enclosure to get a reading. The 125khz devices don't have that great of range.

#6 Charles

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 03:41 AM

I have the Parallax and the range is about contact to one inch. If I house it in an enclosure it usually requires the card to touch the enclosure to get a reading. The 125khz devices don't have that great of range.


Is there an alternative technology I should perhaps be considering?

#7 Charles

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 03:44 AM

I found the range of the ID-20 / credit card sized tag was OK. May be down to lower expectations on my part though.


About the ID-20, did you have any trouble with it in a breadboard? I have not soldered it to the breakout board yet because it seems that there would be no room to connect to the breadboard's pins underneath.

#8 Fred

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 09:41 AM

I didn't use the ID-20 with a breadboard. Tried it with both the USB adaptor and initial PC-based tests. I used a breakout board to connect it to the Netduino and some 2mm headers so it didn't need to be permanently attached.

#9 Charles

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 05:42 PM

Thanks - I'll try that. I didn't think of standing it off with headers.

#10 Thomas

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Posted 02 January 2011 - 10:02 PM

OK, I have now made a few tests with both the Parallax reader and the ID-20. I have made a post (including a little video) about it on my blog http://www.hackmeist...-with-netduino/ where you will find all the details and the source code I used with the Netduino. There is very little difference between the two readers when it comes to reading distance. The variation between different readings on the same reader is way bigger. Also, I found that both readers read the same EM4100 tags just fine. I have tried with 4 different tags (two different CC sized tags, and two different keychain tags) I also made a little blog post about how I solved the 2mm pin spacing problem on the ID.20: http://www.hackmeist...il-pin-spacing/ /Thomas

#11 Fred

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Posted 03 January 2011 - 12:30 PM

Interesting that you got the ID-20 to read EM4100 tags. A friend of mine has a Paxton access system at his holiday home, and at work I have what I believe is also a Paxton system. The specs on their site specify 125kHz EM4100. The data sheet for the ED-20 specifies 125kHz EM4001.

Here's what I found:
The ID-20 ignores the Paxton key fob tag and my work CC tag.
The door at work ignores the CC tags that came with the ID-20 but sees the tags for my friend's house.

I assumed that it was an EM4001 / EM4100 incompatability issue. Maybe that's not it. :huh:

#12 Thomas

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Posted 04 January 2011 - 12:03 AM

I just tried Googling a bit, and it seems I'm not the only one with that observation: http://forum.sparkfu...hp?f=14&t=25360 I think it's just minor changes or feature upgrades but they kept backwards compatibility. EM4001 seems to have been replaced by EM4100 and EM4102 and those have now been replaced by EM4200, but again with backwards compatibility. (http://www.emmicroel...p?IdProduct=282) /Thomas

#13 Charles

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Posted 04 January 2011 - 11:40 PM

Good to know, thanks! So, anyone have any input of RFID devices with some sort of integrated security? Apparently it is quite easy to clone a simple RFID tag that just transmits a simple string of numbers.




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