14 February, 2005
category: RFID
Phidgets USA makes RFID technology available to everyone… from students to hobbyists to basement scientists.
Phidgets USA is excited to announce the release of their RFID reader version 2.0, the latest innovative addition to the Phidgets USA product line. Priced at $51.25 the RFID reader is the only of it’s kind delivering RFID technology to anyone who wants it!
Geared toward hobby-level developers as well as professional users, the Phidget RFID reader is a simple low cost solution to high tech needs. This reader connects to a computer via the USB port, and is accessed through high-level languages such as Visual Basic, C++, Java, Delphi, and Foxpro. With the extremely low cost Phidget RFID reader students, hobbyists, and professionals alike can easily integrate RFID into their projects, prototypes, demonstrations, and proof of concept build ups.
RFID Reader Tech Specs:
- Connects through USB and works on Windows 2000 and Up.
- Reads EM4102 type tags within a range of approximately 1-4 inches
- A +5V output to power an external relay for use in security or doorway systems etc.
- A +5V LED output for driving an external LED.
- An onboard LED (Green).
- Added ability to turn off RFID from code for close proximity RFID matrixes.
- Board Dimensions: 6.3 x 8.1 cm, Mounting Holes: 5.7 x 7.5 cm
Phidgets USA carries a large variety of tags, each with its own pre written unique serial number. Tags are available in a range of sizes and formats such as Tic-Tac sized glass Ampoules, various diameter flat discs, paper-thin inventory stickers, or key chains to name a few.
The practical and professional uses for the Phidgets USA RFID reader and tags are limited only by imagination. With RFID reader technology being utilized by an increasing amount of corporations for everything from tracking products to enhancing security systems, Phidgets USA makes that same technology available to everyone… from students to hobbyists to scientists.
Home automation developers have implemented the Phidget RFID reader into numerous projects. In one instance, connecting an RFID reader to a computer situated near the main entrance of a home created a family checkpoint station. Through the swipe of a keycard or key chain fob, the user tracked the dates and times family members entered and left the house.
The same concept has also been applied in business settings to track employee break times and monitor the use of supply and file cabinets. In fact, one school used the Phidgets USA RFID reader in their computer lab. In this lab, students had storage drives for project information and files. The students shared several computers in the lab and a secure system was needed where each student could access their drive as they moved between computers. The solution was to outfit each computer with an RFID reader and give each student an RFID card. Custom software was then written for the lab, which allowed students to use their RFID cards to access their drives as needed from any computer station.
Solutions such as this are proving to be not only simple, but also extremely cost effective.
A town marathon recently utilized the Phidgets reader to track runner times, saving thousands of dollars by avoiding the expense of specialized race software and tracking systems. Runners were given key chain tags to swipe as they passed checkpoints during the marathon. The unique number of each tag was recorded, along with the corresponding runner’s name, race number, and individual time. At the end of the race, the data from each checkpoint was consolidated to compile the race results.
This ease of use and convenience has inspired some particularly innovative creations. Car modification enthusiasts have integrated the Phidgets USA RFID reader into carputer applications, allowing for keyless entry and customized mp3 player enhancements such as remembering guest play lists.
Even astronomers have found use for the reader. One institution utilized the reader as part of a dome rotation system on an observatory dome. They spaced 36 disc tags along the perimeter of a rotating dome, and placed the RFID reader 2 inches under the perimeter to read the tags as they pass over it. This gives an absolute position indicator that was much easier to install than an encoder system.
More and more people are finding inventive and groundbreaking applications for the Phidget reader. This low cost technology gives developers of all skill levels the tools to bring their inventions to life.
For more information on Phidgets USA RFID readers and tags, as well as the rest of the product line, please visit: Phidgets USA
