RFID reader on a Raspberry Pi

Counting Pumpkins

© Lead Image © raspberrypi.com

© Lead Image © raspberrypi.com

Article from Issue 263/2022
Author(s):

Inexpensive components for the SPI interface let you upgrade a Raspberry Pi 4 to a display system for zero-contact RFID-based data acquisition.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags have become indispensable in industry and government, as well as the wholesale and retail spaces. The inexpensive transponder chips can be found on clothing labels, identification cards, and credit cards. Armed with just a Raspberry Pi and an RFID kit, you can read the data from these chips and view it on a display.

In this project, I read serial numbers from RFID tags stuck on 3D-printed pumpkins – a slightly different kind of detection task. To do this, I connect an RC522 [1] RFID kit and a 1.8-inch ST7735 serial peripheral interface (SPI) thin-film transistor (TFT) display [2] to a Raspberry Pi 4. Together, the two modules can cost less than $15 (EUR15, £14) in online stores. The pumpkins contain simple RFID tags [3], also available for very little cash. Although at first glance the project seems clear-cut and sounds as if it should work right away, check out the "Mishaps, Misfortunes, and Breakdowns" box to find out what can go wrong.

The circuit diagram in Figure 1 shows how the modules connect to the Raspberry Pi, along with two pushbuttons and LEDs for testing purposes. The KiCad layout of the project is included in the download section of this article [4].

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Chaos Communication Congress

    The 23rd annual Chaos Computer Club Congress offered a fresh perspective on topics such as RFID technology and cyber-crime laws.

  • Digital Spirit Level

    The small MPU6050 sensor contains a gyroscope and an accelerometer, which means that you can build a digital spirit level with it.

  • Countdown Counter

    Build a countdown counter with a Raspberry Pi and some electronics, and you can count down the time to any event.

  • Community Notes

    LUGS debate tax time, free BBC content online, hosting Linux swap on LVM, and more.

  • CircuitPython

    The CircuitPython run-time environment runs on almost all microcomputers and microcontrollers, making it perfect for cross-platform programming.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News