Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 12-5:
An RFID reader
and tags.
There are two main frequencies used by RFID systems, 13.56MHz and 125kHz. These
frequencies are incompatible with each other, so whichever reader you get make sure that
you buy matching tags. 13.56MHz is more commonly found in industrial systems, so with a
13.56MHz reader you may ind that you can use a staff/student ID badge, or even a biometric
passport or prepaid travel card.
Near ield communications
(NFC) on some smartphones also
use 13.56MHz tags.
here are diferent levels of security ofered by RFID with the cost of increased complexity,
and more expensive hardware. As this is your irst RFID system, it is best to start with the
simple version of RFID, which ofers a basic level of security (comparable with the cheaper
commercial systems). As you become a more accomplished programmer, you could upgrade
to a more sophisticated system.
Connecting the RFID Reader
In this subsection you will check if your RFID reader works with your Raspberry Pi and read your
irst RFID tag. As the Raspberry Pi has only two USB ports, you will need to use a USB hub or
