How do you build your own RFID reader?

Question

What's involved in building your own RFID reader? As you guys would know industrial RFID readers aren't cheap, how do you energise the antenna, then read back the output?

If you are looking for something cheap [this](http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/125khz-rfid-module-uart-p-171.html?zenid=09bfb99d14c91f240ff5e9077a3d0d0e) may do the trick. — Squirt8500, Nov 19 '09 at 21:04

score 11 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 10 '13 at 09:54

11

There's a University(UG) level final project detailing one here.

There's a more general RFID eavesdropper/reader here.

edited Feb 10 '13 at 09:54

Jobin T Philip

151
2
16

answered Nov 19 '09 at 09:39

Amos

2,893
3
26
26

score 7 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 20 '09 at 11:36

before beginning, you have to know that there are mainly two type of RFID Reader:

125 khz : antenna of 100 turn coil
13.6 Mhz : antenna of 3-5 turn coil, more sofisticated can include communication protocol and security issues

if it just to open a door or something like that you can use the 125 khz

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 29 '12 at 08:37

This is a bit old, but in case someone else is reading in 2012. Actually there are then three "types".. Another common one is 134.2 kHz

Quoted from above answers: ....before beginning, you have to know that there are mainly two type of RFID Reader:

125 khz : antenna of 100 turn coil 13.6 Mhz : antenna of 3-5 turn coil, more sofisticated can include communication protocol and security issues.....

Cheers

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 19 '09 at 11:59

3

SparkFun has a lot of parts and boards that can help you as well.

answered Nov 19 '09 at 11:59

Craig Trader

1,573
9
15

How do you build your own RFID reader?

4 Answers4