Build Your Own RFID Reader

We asked for it and our readers delivered. [Klulukasz] left a comment pointing to this diy RFID reader that was a final project in 2006 for a class at Cornell University. It is well documented and includes not only a schematic and code, but an explanation of the design considerations used during the build. The project uses an ATmega32 and the parts list priced out at about $50 at the time. There were plenty of responses to the RFID spoofer post pointing out that there are readers available for $40, but we want the fun of building our own.

A bit more vague with the details but no less interesting is this other simple RFID reader design. Thanks to [Chuck] for his comment which pointed to that link.

24 thoughts on “Build Your Own RFID Reader

  1. I feel like this design is a little dated…
    A quick pursuing of digikey generated atleast 2 better options:
    1) MLX90109EDCCT-ND – $10
    You give it power a coil and a capacitor and your done.

    2) 568-2206-5-ND – $3
    Requires a crystal and a half dozen passive components but its cheap looks a lot like whats in the parallax design.

    I guess my point is why pay parallax $40 or fill 2 protoboards (unless flexing your analog muscles is your thing) when someone already made a chip that does everything your could want for very little money.

  2. Anyone have good info on how to read RFID tags implanted in pets – specifically cats in the United States? I really want to be able to read the tags in the 2 cats I have with an arduino for tracking/feeding/etc, but can’t find any good info on reading the special RFID frequency/protocols they use.

    Can anyone help?

  3. Any projects on RFID detection? I’m mainly interested in seeing if an RFID chip exists more than reading it. It would also be nice if it supported on more frequencies than these project frequencies for RFID.

  4. Andrew, the Propeller-based one – which is nowhere near “vague” – uses a chip that costs only $9 even here in Canada, and using the code posted can read both HID and EM4102-based cards. I can’t find mention of HID or EM4102-compatible readers with the chips you mentioned, but maybe I’m not looking hard enough.

    As for why you’d roll your own… because learning stuff is fun, and this isn’t Buy-off-the-shelf-a-day.

  5. Same here I built an RFID reader for work to do some experiments on some RFID chips only to find out the sample set I ordered and need are UHF code 1 Gen 2 chips and my reader is not. Now I need A low cost solution. All I need to do is verify that our procceses have not damaged the chips. any ideas would be apreciated.

  6. If you talk to the people who make the ATmega32 and tell them its for a project (justed be tell them the truth)and most of the time the are quite happy to send 3 or 4 as sample FOC
    dont lie to them as that will get there backs up

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