INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT REPORT

A PROJECT REPORT

ON
RFID BASED ATTENDANCE SYSTEM
Submitted by

KRISHNA SOLANKI [100630132028]

DEVYANI SADHU [100630132032]
ANURADHA CHAVDA [100630132045]

Under The Guidance

Of
Prof.Vaibhavi Bhaviskar

IN

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Madhuben & Bhanubhai Patel Women’s Institute of Engineering

VALLABH VIDYANAGAR,ANAND
Gujarat Technological University,Ahmedabad
December,2013.

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INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT REPORT

MADHUBEN & BHANUBHAI PATEL WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

OF ENGINEERING COLLEGE
INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
2013

CERTIFICATE

Date:

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled “RFID BASED ATTENDANCE

SYSTEM” has been carried out by Krishna Solanki (ID no.100630132028)
under my guidance in Partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of
Engineering in Information &Communication Technology Engineering 7 th
semester of Gujarat Technological University, Ahmadabad during the academic
year 2013-14.

Prof.Vaibhavi Bhaviskar Prof.V.M.Dabhi

(Internal Guide) (Head of the Department)

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INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT REPORT

MADHUBEN & BHANUBHAI PATEL WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

OF ENGINEERING COLLEGE
INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
2013

CERTIFICATE

Date:

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled “RFID BASED ATTENDANCE

SYSTEM” has been carried out by Devyani Sadhu (ID no.100630132032)
under my guidance in Partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of
Engineering in Information &Communication Technology Engineering 7 th
semester of Gujarat Technological University, Ahmadabad during the academic
year 2013-14.

Prof.Vaibhvi Baviskar Prof.V.M.Dabhi

(Internal Guide) (Head of the Department)

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INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT REPORT

MADHUBEN & BHANUBHAI PATEL WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

OF ENGINEERING COLLEGE
INFORMATION &COMMUNIATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
2013

CERTIFICATE

Date:

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled “RFID BASED ATTENDANCE

SYSTEM “has been carried out byAnuradhaChavda (IDno.100630132045)
under my guidance in Partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of
Engineering in Information &Communication Technology Engineering
Department 7th semester of Gujarat Technological University, Ahmadabad
during the academic year 2013-14.

Prof.Vaibhvi Bhaviskar Prof.V.M.Dabhi

(Internal Guide) (Head of theDepartment)

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INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT REPORT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We wish to avail the opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to our project
guide Prof.Vaibhvi Bhaviskar for their tremendous support, encouragement and
help throughout the project. We would also like to thank Prof.V.M.Dabhi and
Prof.Keyur Prajapati for their help. They have helped us a lot in the project and
related experimental work. Their creative thinking and motivation have oriented us
to work harder and to develop logical approach for the project.

KRISHNA SOLANKI [100630132028]

DEVYANI SADHU [100630132032]
ANURADHA CHAVDA [100630132045]

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INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT REPORT

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this project is to record the attendance of students using
RFID tags. Each student is provided with his/her authorized tag to swipe over the
reader to record their attendance. In classrooms, time is wasted in roll calls as it is
done manually. In this proposed system, authorized student is given an RFID tag. This
tag contains an integrated in built circuit that is used for storing, processing
information through modulating and demodulating of the radio frequency signal that
is being transmitted. Thus, the data stored in this card is referred as the
identification/attendance of the person once the student places the card in front of
the RFID card reader; it reads the data and verifies it with the data stored in the
microcontroller from 8051 family. If the data matches, then it displays a message on
the LCD confirming the entry of that student else displays a message denying the
attendance. The status of a student’s attendance can be retrieved from this system by
pressing the status button interfaced to the microcontroller Hence, a lot of time is
saved as all the students attendance is directly stored in the data base. The project
can be further enhanced by adding features like sending an SMS of the daily
attendance of students to their parents. It can also be enhanced by using a finger
print module in place of RFID module that has certain drawbacks of tags be misused.

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LIST OF FIGURE
FIG. 2.3.1 RFID Tag xvii

FIG.3.1 Block Diagram xxvi

FIG.3.2 Schematic Circuit xxvii

FIG. 4.1 AT89C51 Pin diagram xxviii

FIG. 4.2 Pin diagram of LCD module xxxii

FIG. 4.3(1) RFID Reader Pin diagram xxiv

FIG. 4.3(2) RFID Reader xxiv

FIG. 4.4 MAX232 Pin diagram xxxv

FIG. 4.5 RS232 Pin diagram xxxvi

FIG. 4.6 Pin diagram of RTC xxxvii

FIG. 4.7 Pin diagram of EEPROM xxxviii

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 The different sizes of tags and their application at different frequencies xviii

Table 2 Size of Smart Tags and Read Distances at Different Frequencies xviii

Table 3 Passive, Semi-passive, and Active tag comparison xx

Table 4 Common RFID operating frequencies xxi

Table 5 Port 3 xxx

Table 6 Pin Description of LCD Module xxxii

Table 7 Technical Data of RFID Reader xxxiii

Table 8 RFID Reader Pin Description xxxiv

Table 9 EEPROM Pin Description xxxviii

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Index
Ch-1 Introduction xi

1.1 Introduction xi

1.2 Introduction to RFID technology xi

Ch-2 Literature review xiii

2.1 History of RFID xiii

2.2 Application xiv

2.3 Components of RFID xv

2.3.1 RFID tags xv

2.3.2 RFID readers xviii

2.3.3 Power sources xix

2.3.4 Operating frequencies xxi

2.4 Working of RFID system xxiii

2.4.1 Active RFID system xxiii

2.4.2 Passive RFID system xxiii

2.5 Future technology xxiv

2.6 Advantages of RFID technology xxv

2.7 Disadvantages of RFID technology xxv

Ch-3 Block Diagram And Circuit xxvi

3.1 Block diagram xxvi

3.2 Schematic circuit xxvii

Ch-4 Component detail xxviii

4.1 AT89C51 Microcontroller xxviii

4.2 LCD Module xxxi

4.3 Reader module xxxiii

4.4 MAX232 xxv

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4.5 RS232 xxv

4.6 RTC xxxvi

4.7 EEPROM xxxvii

Ch-5 Complete working and Outcome of the project lii

5.1 Hardware structure liii

5.2 Software structure liii

5.2.1 Personal identity liv

5.2.2 Medical record liv

5.2.3 Police record lv

5.2.4 Money transaction lv

References lvi

CHAPTER: 1
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INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Traditionally the attendance at an establishment is usually done in a book register. It is

time consuming. It is very difficult to verify the attendance over long periods. This method is
very time consuming and very difficult to verify the attendance over a week or above.
Keeping attendance registers is space consuming. Here chances of doing malpractice in
marking attendance are high. RFID based attendance system uses RFID tags for each person.
Person marks the attendance by swiping the tag near RFID reader module and the message be
send whenever the card is swept or any attendance is marked.
Attendance monitoring is very simple. This System as unique card for each Student. A
Student places the RFID card in the RFID card Reader. The RFID card readers read down
the Student details. The details will be indicated on the LCD display.
.

1.2 INTRODUCTION TO RFID TECHNOLOGY

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless non-contact use of radio Frequency.
Electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purpose of automatically identifying and
tracking tags attached to object.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a rapidly growing technology that has the potential to
make great economic impacts on many industries. While RFID is a relatively old technology,
more recent advancements in chip manufacturing technology are making RFID practical for
new applications and settings, particularly consumer item level tagging. These advancements
have the potential to revolutionize supply-chain management, inventory control, and logistics.

At its most basic, RFID systems consist of small transponders, or tags, attached to physical
objects. RFID tags may soon become the most pervasive microchip in history. When
wirelessly interrogated by RFID transceivers, or readers, tags respond with some identifying
information that may be associated with arbitrary data records. Thus, RFID systems are one
type of automatic identification system, similar to optical bar codes.

There are many kinds of RFID systems used in different applications and settings. These
systems have different power sources, operating frequencies, and functionalities. The
properties and regulatory restrictions of a particular RFID system will determine its
manufacturing costs, physical specifications, and performance. Some of the most familiar
RFID applications are item-level tagging with electronic product codes, proximity cards for

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physical access control, and contact-less payment systems. Many more applications will
become economical in the coming years.

While RFID adoption yields many efficiency benefits, it still faces several hurdles. Besides
the typical implementation challenges faced in any information technology system and
economic barriers, there are major concerns over security and privacy in RFID
systems.Without proper protection, RFID systems could create new threats to both corporate
security and personal privacy.

CHAPTER: 2
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LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 History Of RFID

The origins of RFID technology lie in the 19th century when luminaries of that era made great
scientific advances in electromagnetism. Of particular relevance to RFID are Michael
Faraday’s discovery of electronic inductance, James Clerk Maxwell’s formulation of
equations describing electromagnetism, and Heinrich Rudolf Hertz’s experiments validating
Faraday and Maxwell’s predictions. Their discoveries laid the foundation for modern radio
communications.

Precursors to automatic radio frequency identification systems were automatic object

detection systems. One of the earliest patents for such a system was a radio transmitter for
object detection system designed by John Logie Baird in 1926 .More well known is Robert
Watson-Watt’s 1935 patent for a “Radio Detection and Ranging” system, or RADAR. The
passive communication technology often used in RFID was first presented in Henry
Stockman’s seminal paper “Communication by Means of Reflected Power” in 1948.

One of the first applications of a radio frequency identification system was in “Identify Friend
or Foe” (IFF) systems deployed by the British Royal Air Force during World War II. IFF
allowed radar operators and pilots to automatically distinguish friendly aircraft from enemies
via RF signals. IFF systems helped prevent “friendly fire” incidents and aided in intercepting
enemy aircraft. Advanced IFF systems are used today in aircraft and munitions, although
much of the technology remains classified.

Electronic detection, as opposed to identification, has a long history of commercial use. By the
mid- to late-1960s, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems were commercially offered
by several companies, including Checkpoint Systems and Sensormatic. These EAS systems
typically consisted of a magnetic device embedded in a commercial product and would be
deactivated or removed when an item was purchased. The presence of an activated tag passing
through an entry portal would trigger an alarm. These types of systems are often used in

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libraries, music stores, or clothing stores. Unlike RFID, these types of EAS systems do not
automatically identify a particular tag; they just detect its presence.

2.2 Applications

Early commercial examples of RFID applications include automatic tracking of train cars,
shipping containers, and automobiles. Railroad cars were originally labeled with optical bar
code labels for tracking. These labels began to deteriorate and be obscured by dirt, causing
reads to fail. As a solution, railroad companies began to tag railcars with RFID devices. By
1994, these devices were mandatory and nearly every railcar in the United States was tagged.

RFID devices began to be used for automated toll collection in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Electronic toll systems have since been adopted around the world. Like railway and shipping
applications, electronic toll systems may use sturdy, self-powered RFID devices.

Automobiles, railcars, and shipping containers are all high-value items, with ample physical
space that can accommodate more expensive and bulky RFID devices. These types of tags
could offer much more functionality than simple identification. For example, shipping
containers might have accelerometer sensors, tamper alarms, or satellite tracking integrated
into an identification device.

As manufacturing costs dropped, RFID systems began to be used for lower-value items in
industries besides transport. An example is in animal identification of both pets and livestock.
Glass-encapsulated RFID devices have been implanted in millions of pets throughout the
United States. These tags allow lost animals to be identified and returned to their rightful
owners. These tags have a very short read range.

Livestock, particularly cattle, are often labeled with a RFID device that is clamped or pierced
through their ear, attached to a collar, or swallowed. Unlike implanted pet tags, these RFID
devices are rugged and able to be read from greater distances. Concerns over Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow) disease have motivated proposals for universal
tracking of livestock with these types of RFID systems. Like transport applications, animal
tracking is still essentially a low-volume, high-value market that may justify relatively
expensive RFID systems..

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Summarization of several present and envisioned future applications of RFID:

 Tracking and identification

 Large assets, e.g. railway cars and shipping containers
 Livestock with rugged tags
 Pets with implanted tags
 Supply-chain management with EPC
 Inventory control with EPC
 Wild Animal Tracking

2.3 Components of RFID

This section discusses basics of RFID systems and offers taxonomy of the many various types
of RFID systems. Discussion of RFID technology tends to focus only on tag devices. It is
more accurate to view RFID as a complete system that includes not only tags, but also other
important components. RFID systems are composed of at least three core components:

 RFID tags, or transponders, carry object-identifying data.

 RFID readers, or transceivers, read and write tag data.
 Databases associate arbitrary records with tag identifying data.

2.3.1 RFID Tags

Different type of RFID tags

 Active tags
 Semi-passive tags
 Passive tags

Active tags

Active RFID tags have their own internal source of power. This is used to power the circuits
and broadcast signals to the reader. These tags are usually more reliable than passive tags.

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They also have a stronger signal because of their built-in power supply. This also allows them
to work in places that passive tags wouldn't be able to, such as in water(which would incluce
humans and other animals), metal, or from longer distances. They are however, larger and
more expensive than passive tags. Today, active tags can transmit from hundreds of meters
and their batteries can last for about 10 years. Some active tags contain different sensors that
can read things like temperature, humidity, and radiation

Semi-passive tags

Semi-passive tags have an internal power source like active tags, but it only powers the
integrated circuit and doesn't broadcast a signal to the reader. The radiofrequency is used to
broadcast a signal like a passive tag. These tags have a higher sensitivity than passive tags.
This means that they can have a higher range and enhanced reliability. They also have a
longer battery life than active tags.

Passive tags

Passive RFID tags don't have an internal source of power. There is an electrical current that is
created in the antenna by the incoming radio frequency signal from the reader. This means
that the antenna has to be able to collect power from the incoming signal and also transmit the
outbound signal to the reader. A passive tag can respond with identification numbers or non-
volatile storage data. It can be read from about 10 cm to a couple of meters and since they
don't have to have a power source on the device, they can be extremely small(they can be
embedded in a sticker or under the skin).

In 2007, a company called RFIDsec created a passive tag that had many more privacy
capabilities built into the device. These included built-in firewall acces controls,
communication encryption, and a silent mode that would ensure that the soncumer at the point
of sales can get exclusive control of the key to control the tag. In 2007, Hitachi,Ltd. developed
a passive tag that was table to embedded in a sheet of paper. The problem with this is the
antenna is 80 times bigger than the device. It can receive and send signals from as far away as
a couple hundred meters. Companies are currently developing methods of production that will
hopefully lower the prices of RFID tags dramatically.

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Fig 2.3.1 RFID tag

Transponder has 3 components

 A Silicon chip.
 An antenna, which is connected to the chip.
 Encapsulation.

The card is internally having a Silicon chip which controls communication with the reader.
Chip has a section of memory that stores the Identification code and the content of the
memory are transferred to the reader when the chip is activated. The card has an antenna
attached to the chip to transmit the frequency.

The Different in Sizes and Shapes of Inlays @ Different Operation

Frequencies
OPERATING 13.56 MHz 915 MHz 2450 MHz
FREQUENCY (2.45 GHz)
Typical # of Loops <10 1 1
@ 2 inch x 3 inch (3.8"x1.5") (0.3"x1.5")
Thickness Can easily fit into a single Can easily fit into a single Can easily fit into a single
Implication layer. layer. layer.

Width and Length Largest can be Limited flexibility No flexibility

♦ 10"x6" ♦ 3.5"x1.2"
Smallest can be ♦ 3.9"x0.4"
♦ 0.6"x0.6" ♦ 2.2"x1.2"
♦ 0.2"x3.0"
Shape Round to square to One basic shape only One shape only
Rectangular

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Applications ♦ Larger tag of 2"x10"for ♦ Can be placed in articles ♦ Can be placed in

pallet larger than the sizes of almost all articles
♦ 2"x3" for card size 2.2"x1.2" flat surfaces. ♦ May be limited by the
♦ 3"x4" for badge ♦ May be limited by the substrate (water and
♦ 0.6"x0.6"for smaller substrate (water and liquids sensitive)
articles liquids sensitive) ♦ May be subject to
♦ 0. 2"x1.8" for smallest ♦ May be subject to health concern when
syringes health concern when too close to operators or
♦ 1.2" circular shape for too close to operators or users at several times
CD users at several times higher power level than
♦ Any size and shapes in higher power level than cell phone
between cell phone ♦ Article level for most
♦ Can be placed on any ♦ Article level tagging is articles other than those
article for article-level more difficult for smaller than the one-size
tagging of any size and smaller objects tag
shape
Table 1: The different sizes of tags and their application at different frequencies

Size of Smart Tags and Read Distances at Different

Frequencies
OPERATING 13.56 MHz 915 MHz 2450 MHz
FREQUENCY (2.45 GHz)
♦ In the FM frequency ♦ Similar to the ♦ Similar to the digital
Wavelength band analog cell phone cell phone frequency
frequency ♦ 0.4 ft, plane wave
♦ 68 ft, near field ♦ 1.0 ft, plane wave
Typical FREE ♦ 5 feet max. ♦ Up to 17 feet ♦ >17 feet max.
SPACE Read ♦ 8-60 inches ♦ 7 feet average ♦ >7 feet average
Distance depending on size ♦ 3-4 feet typical
of tag
0.6"x0.6" ♦ >8 inches ♦ NA ♦ NA
1.3"x0.4" ♦ >8 inches ♦ NA ♦ >10 feet
1.15" OD Circular ♦ >13.5 inches ♦ NA ♦ NA
2"x3" ♦ >36 inches ♦ >10 feet ♦ NA
5"x2" ♦ >40 inches ♦ NA ♦ NA
10.8"x3.1" ♦ >60 inches ♦ NA ♦ NA
Table 2: Size of Smart Tags and Read Distances at Different Frequencies

2.3.2 RFID Readers

RFID readers communicate with tags through an RF channel to obtain identifying

information. Depending on the type of tag, this communication may be a simple ping or may
be a more complex multi-round protocol. In environments with many tags, a reader may have
to perform an anti-collision protocol to ensure that communication conflicts to not occur.
Anti-collision protocols permit readers to rapidly communicate with many tags in serial order.

Readers often power what are called passive tags through their RF communication channel.
These types of tags carry no on-board power and rely solely on a reader to operate. Since
these tags are so limited, may subsequently rely on a reader to perform computation as well.

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Readers come in many forms, operate on many different frequencies, and may offer a wide
range of functionality. Readers may have their own processing power and internal storage, and
may offer network connectivity. Readers might be a simple conduit to an external system, or
could store all relevant data locally.

Currently, many applications rely on fixed reading devices. Early trials of EPC at a major
supermarket chain integrated fixed readers into docking-bay entrances. These readers scan
tags at the pallet level as shipments of products arrive. In the long term, readers may be
integrated at a shelf level as a “smart shelf ”. Smart shelves would scan for tags at the item
level and monitor when they are added and removed from a shelf.

RFID readers may also be integrated into hand-held mobile devices. These mobile readers
would allow someone to, for example, take inventory of a warehouse by walking through its
aisles. The cellular phone manufacturer Nokia is already offering RFID-reading functionality
in some of their cell phones. If EPC-type tags become highly successful, interesting and useful
consumer applications might arise. If this occurs, RFID reading functionality might become a
common feature on cellular phones, PDAs, or other handheld computing devices.

2.3.3 Power Sources

As briefly mentioned before, tags may obtain their power in several different ways. The power
source is an essential property of a tag, since it will determine a tag’s potential read range,
lifetime, cost, and what kind of functionalities it may offer. The power source will also be
important in determining how a tag may be oriented and what physical forms it may take.

There are three main classes of tag power sources: active, semi-passive, and passive. Active
tags have their own source of power, such as a battery, and may initiate communication to a
reader or other active tags. Because they contain their own power source, active tags typically
have a much longer operating range than passive-tags. Large asset and livestock tracking
applications often use active tags, since the items they are attached to (e.g. railcars, shipping
containers, or cattle) are high in value and have physical space for a bulkier, rugged tag.

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A key feature of active tags is that they are able to initiate their own communication with
readers. Advanced active tags, or “smart dust”, might even form ad hoc peer networks with
each other. One useful application of active tags is in shipping containers, which can fall off
ships over rough seas. These missing containers sometimes are not accounted for until well
after the ship has docked. An active tag with an accelerometer sensor could detect when it was
falling off a stack of containers and broadcast a log of its demise before it sank into the ocean.
Active tags could also function as security alarms using the same functionality. By contrast a
semi-passive (or semi-active) tag have an internal battery, but are not able to initiate
communications. This ensures that semi-passive tags are only active when queried by a reader.
Because semi-passive tags do have an internal power source, they do offer a longer reader
range than passive attacks, but at a higher cost.

Passive tags have neither their own power source, nor the ability to initiate communication.
Passive tags obtain energy by harvesting it from an incoming RF communication signal. At
lower frequencies, this energy is typically harvested inductively, while at higher frequencies it
is harvested through capacitance.

While passive tags have the shortest read range of all three powering types, they are the
cheapest to manufacture and the easiest to integrate into products. Batteries are relatively
expensive and cannot easily be incorporated into some items, like paper packaging. For this
reason, passive tags are the most common tags. EPC tags are passive. Lacking an internal
power source dictates many properties of passive tags. First, they cannot operate without the
presence of a reader, although passive tag could temporarily cache some energy in a capacitor.
Because of their necessarily weak response signal, passive tags are often more sensitive to
environmental noise or interference. Table 1 compares various properties of passive, semi-
passive, and active tags.

Tag Type Passive Semi-Passive Active

Power Source Harvesting RF Energy Battery Battery
Communication Response only Response only Respond or initiate
Max. Range 10 m >100 m >100 m
Relative Cost Least expensive More expensive More expensive
Applications EPC, Electronic tolls, Large asset tracking,
Paoximity cards Pallet tracking Live stock tracking

Table 3: Passive, Semi-passive, and Active tag comparison

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2.3.4 Operating Frequencies

Different RFID systems operate at a variety of radio frequencies. Each range of frequencies
offers its own operating range, power requirements, and performance. Different ranges may be
subject to different regulations or restrictions that limit what applications they can be used for.

The operating frequency determines which physical materials propagate RF signals. Metals
and liquids typically present the biggest problem in practice. In particular, tags operating in
the ultra-high frequency (UHF) range do not function properly in close proximity to liquids or
metal.

Operating frequency is also important in determining the physical dimensions of an RFID tag.
Different sizes and shapes of antennae will operate at different frequencies. The operating
frequency also determines how tags physically interact with each other. For instance, stacking
flat foil inlay tags on top of each other may interfere or prevent tags from reading properly.
Table 2 lists standard frequencies and their respective passive read
distances.
Frequency Range Frequencies Passive Read Distance
Lower Frequency (LF) 120-140 KHz 10-20 cm
High Freuency(HF) 13.56 MHz 10-20 cm
Ultra High Frequency (UHF) 868-928 MHz 3m
Microwave 2.45-5.8 GHz 3m
Ultra Wide Band (UWB) 3.1-10.6 GHz 10 m
Table 4 : Common RFID operating frequencies
2.3.4(A)Low Frequency (LF)

Low frequency (LF) RFID tags typically operate in the 120-140 kilohertz range. Most
commonly, LF tags are passively powered through induction. As a result, they typically have
very short read ranges of 10-20 centimeters.

LF tags can be used in rugged environments and can operate in proximity to metal, liquids, or
dirt. This makes them useful for applications like implantable pet identification tags or
laundry management tags. One disadvantage of LF tags is they have a very low data read rate
compared to other operating frequencies.

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LF tags are often used in car immobilization and access control systems. In these systems, car
will only start if an LF tag, typically attached to the ignition key, is in proximity to the
ignition. This takes advantage of LF’s short read range and uses it as a security feature. In
2006, LF passive tags may be purchased in bulk for US$1 per tag or less. Two major
manufacturers of LF tags are Texas Instruments and Phillips Semiconductor. The ISO 18000-
2 standard offers specifications for LF RFID tag.

2.3.4(B) High Frequency (HF)

High frequency (HF) RFID tags operate at the 13.56 megahertz frequency. HF tags are often
packaged in a foil inlay or credit card form factor. This makes HF tags useful for building
access control, contact-less credit cards, and ID badges. Again, the relatively short read range
of HF is an advantage in theses settings.

HF tags are also used in many asset-tracking applications. Libraries and bookstores often use
HF foil inlays to track books. Some airports have started using HF RFID luggage tags for
baggage handling applications. HF tags offer a higher data read rate than LF tags, but do not
perform as well as LF tags in proximity to metals or liquids. HF tags do, however, offer better
performance near metals or liquids than UHF tags do.

The HF frequency range lies on a heavily regulated part of the radio spectrum. Signals
broadcast by readers must operate in a narrow frequency band. This presents a problem for
environments with sensitive electronics, like medical equipment, that operate on nearby
frequencies. This makes HF tags inappropriate for environments like hospitals.

In 2006, HF passive tags may be purchased for US$0.50 or less per tag in quantity. Texas
Instruments and Phillips both offer HF tag lines, although there are many smaller and
specialized manufacturers or integrators in the HF space.

International Standards Organization (ISO) specifications for HF RFID tags are specified by
the ISO 18000-3 standard.Related specifications for HF contact-less smart cards and
proximity cards appear in ISO standards.

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2.3.4(C) Ultra-High Frequency (UHF)

Ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID tags operate in the 868-928 megahertz range. European
tags typically operate within the 868-870 MHz range, while the United States and Canada
operate at 902-928 MHz. UHF tags are most commonly used for item tracking and supply-
chain management applications. This is largely because they offer a longer read range and are
cheaper to manufacture in bulk than LF or HF tags. The first generation EPC tags operate at
UHF frequencies.

A major disadvantage of UHF tags is that they experience interference in proximity to liquids
or metals. Many applications like animal tracking, metal container tracking, or even many
access control systems are infeasible with UHF tags. Some materials have been developed that
may shield UHF tags from metal-related distortion, but these may be costprohibitive to use in
practice. UHF readers may also interfere with sensitive electronics like medical equipment.
.

2.4 Working of RFID

2.4.1 Active RFID Systems

In active RFID systems, tags have their own transmitter and power source. Usually, the power
source is a battery. Active tags broadcast their own signal to transmit the information stored
on their microchips.

Active RFID systems typically operate in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band and offer a
range of up to 100 m. In general, active tags are used on large objects, such as rail cars, big
reusable containers, and other assets that need to be tracked over long distances.

There are two main types of active tags: transponders and beacons. Transponders are “woken
up” when they receive a radio signal from a reader, and then power on and respond by
transmitting a signal back. Because transponders do not actively radiate radio waves until they
receive a reader signal, they conserve battery life.

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2.4.2 Passive RFID Systems

In passive RFID systems, the reader and reader antenna send a radio signal to the tag. The
RFID tag then uses the transmitted signal to power on, and reflect energy back to the reader.

Passive RFID systems can operate in the low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) or ultra-
high frequency (UHF) radio bands. As passive system ranges are limited by the power of the
tag’s backscatter (the radio signal reflected from the tag back to the reader), they are
typically less than 10 m. Because passive tags do not require a power source or transmitter,
and only require a tag chip and antenna, they are cheaper, smaller, and easier to manufacture
than active tags.

Passive tags can be packaged in many different ways, depending on the specific RFID
application requirements. For instance, they may be mounted on a substrate, or sandwiched
between an adhesive layer and a paper label to create smart RFID labels. Passive tags may
also be embedded in a variety of devices or packages to make the tag resistant to extreme
temperatures or harsh chemicals.

Passive RFID solutions are useful for many applications, and are commonly deployed to track
goods in the supply chain, to inventory assets in the retail industry, to authenticate products
such as pharmaceuticals, and to embed RFID capability in a variety of devices. Passive RFID
can even be used in warehouses and distribution centers, in spite of its shorter range, by
setting up readers at choke points to monitor asset movement.

2.5 Future Technologies

Two promising technological developments especially relevant to RFID are printed circuits
and organic components. These technologies have the potential to greatly lower
manufacturing costs and to produce RFID tags built out of flexible plastic materials, instead of
silicon.

The long-term vision is that a large-scale packaging manufacturer could print RFID tags
directly into paper or plastic as it is produced. Product makers would not use this
RFIDenhanced packaging material as they normally would. One advantage in terms of privacy
is that RFID tags would only be attached to product packaging, and not the product itself.

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This technology is still years away from being economic and there are many hurdles to
overcome. Currently, circuits printed by an inkjet have a very low resolution; circuit gates
take much more surface area than traditionally fabricated circuits. Other technologies like
gravure printing also produce relatively large circuit surface areas. Regardless, much research
is being focused on organic components for other purposes, like flexible displays.
Developments in this area will benefit RFID, potentially opening the door to many
inexpensive and interesting future applications.

2.6 Advantages of RFID Technology

 The need for an individual for carrying out attendance is eliminated thereby
reducing time and labor of human resource.
 A proper and advanced record can be maintained with date and time for years together
thereby eliminating the need of maintaining files and reducing the space occupied because
of it.
 A high range of accuracy can be achieved nullifying the error caused because of human.

2.7 Disadvantages of RFID Technology

 It is difficult for an RFID reader to read the information in case of RFID tags installed
in liquids and metal products. The problem is that the liquid and metal surfaces tend to
reflect the radio waves, which makes the tags unreadable. The tags have to be placed
in various alignments and angles for taking proper reading. This is a tedious task when
the work involves big firms.
 Interference has been observed if devices such as forklifts and walkie-talkies are in the
vicinity of the distribution centers. The presence of mobile phone towers has been
found to interfere with RFID radio waves. Wal-Mart, the retail sector giant, has
installed billions of RFID tags in their products throughout the world and they have
encountered such problems.
 The USA and Europe, for instance, have different range of frequencies that allow
RFID tags to function. This makes it mandatory for international shipping companies
and other organizations to be aware of the working pattern of other nations also, which
can be very time-consuming.

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CHAPTER: 3

BLOCK DIAGRAM AND CIRCUIT

3.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM

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3.2 SCHEMATIC CIRCUIT

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CHAPTER: 4

COMPONENTS DETAIL

4.1 MICROCONTROLLER

A Microcontroller is a single chip that contains the processor, non-volatile memory for the
program(ROM or Flash),volatile memory for input and output(RAM),a clock and an I/O
control unit.AT89C51 is a low power,high performance CMOS 8-bit microcontroller with 8K
bytes of in system programmable flash memory.The AT89C51 provides following standard
features:8K bytes of Flash, 256 bytes of RAM,32 I/O liens, two data pointer, three 16 bit
timer/counters, on chip oscillator.

The Pindiagram of AT89C51 Microcontrller:

Fig 4.1 AT89C51 PIN Diagram

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Pin Description

VCC
Supply voltage.

GND
Ground.

Port 0
Port 0 is an 8-bit open drain bi-directional I/O port. As an output port, each pin can sink eight
TTL inputs. When 1s are written to port 0 pins, the pins can be used as high impedance inputs.
Port 0 can also be configured to be the multiplexed low order address/data bus during accesses
to external program and data memory. In this mode, P0 has internal pull-ups. Port 0 also
receives the code bytes during Flash programming and outputs the code bytes during program
verification. External pull-ups are required during program verification.

Port 1
Port 1 is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port with internal pull ups. The Port 1 output buffers can
sink/source four TTL inputs. When 1s are written to Port 1 pins, they are pulled high by the
internal pull-ups and can be used as inputs. As inputs, Port 1 pins that are externally being
pulled low will source current (IIL) because of the internal pull-ups. In addition, P1.0 and P1.1
can be configured to be the timer/counter 2 external count input (P1.0/T2) and the
timer/counter 2 trigger input (P1.1/T2EX), respectively.
Port 1 also receives the low-order address bytes during Flash programming and verification.

Port 2
Port 2 is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port with internal pull-ups. The Port 2 output buffers can
sink/source four TTL inputs. When 1s are written to Port 2 pins, they are pulled high by the
internal pull-ups and can be used as inputs. As inputs, Port 2 pins that are externally being
pulled low will source current (IIL) because of the internal pull-ups. Port 2 emits the high-
order address byte during fetches from external program memory and during accesses to
external data memory that uses 16-bit addresses (MOVX @ DPTR). Port 2 also receives the
high-order address bits and some control signals during Flash programming and verification.

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Port 3
Port 3 is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port with internal pull-ups. The Port 3 output buffers can
sink/source four TTL inputs. When 1s are written to Port 3 pins, they are pulled high by the
internal pull-ups and can be used as inputs. As inputs, Port 3 pins that are externally being
pulled low will source current (IIL) because of the pull-ups. Port 3 also serves the functions of
various special features of the AT89C51. Port 3 also receives some control signals for Flash
programming and verification.

Table 5 Port 3
RST
Reset input. A high on this pin for two machine cycles while the oscillator is running resets
the device.

ALE/PROG
Address Latch Enable is an output pulse for latching the low byte of the address during
accesses to external memory. This pin is also the program pulse input (PROG) during Flash
programming. In normal operation, ALE is emitted at a constant rate of 1/6 the oscillator
frequency and may be used for external timing or clocking purposes.

PSEN
Program Store Enable is the read strobe to external program memory. When the AT89C52 is
executing code from external program memory, PSEN is activated twice each machine cycle,
except that two PSEN activations are skipped during each access to external data memory.

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EA/VPP
External Access Enable. EA must be strapped to GND in order to enable the device to fetch
code from external program memory locations starting at 0000H up to FFFFH. Note,
however, that if lock bit 1 is programmed, EA will be internally latched on reset. EA should
be strapped to VCC for internal program executions. This pin also receives the 12-volt
programming enable voltage (VPP) during Flash programming when 12-volt programming is
selected.

XTAL1
Input to the inverting oscillator amplifier and input to the internal clock operating circuit.

XTAL2
Output from the inverting oscillator amplifier.

4.2 LCD MODULE

Description
16 Characters x 2 Lines,
Built-in HD44780 Equivalent LCD Controller,
Works directly with ATMEGA, ARDUINO, PIC and many other microcontroller/kits.
4 or 8 bit data I/O interface,
Low power consumption,
Datasheet available on the Internet (copy provided with product),
Lowest offer among online shopping sites.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen is an electronic display module and find a wide range of
applications. A 16x2 LCD display is very basic module and is very commonly used in various
devices and circuits. These modules are preferred over seven segments and other multi
segment LEDs. The reasons being: LCDs are economical; easily programmable; have no
limitation of displaying special & even custom characters (unlike in seven segments),
animations and soon.
A 16x2 LCD means it can display 16 characters per line and there are 2 such lines. In this
LCD each character is displayed in 5x7 pixel matrix. This LCD has two registers, namely,
Command and Data.

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The command register stores the command instructions given to the LCD. A command is an
instruction given to LCD to do a predefined task like initializing it, clearing its screen, setting
the cursor position, controlling display etc. The data register stores the data to be displayed on
the LCD. The data is the ASCII value of the character to be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 4.2 Pin Diagram of LCD module

Pin Description: 

 Pin
 Function  Name
No
1 Ground (0V) Ground
2 Supply voltage; 5V (4.7V – 5.3V)  Vcc
3 Contrast adjustment; through a variable resistor  VEE

4 Selects command register when low; and data register when Register Select
high
5 Low to write to the register; High to read from the register Read/write
6 Sends data to data pins when a high to low pulse is given Enable
7 DB0
8 DB1
9 DB2
10 DB3
8-bit data pins
11 DB4
12 DB5
13 DB6
14 DB7
15 Backlight VCC (5V) Led+
16 Backlight Ground (0V) Led-
Table 6 Pin Description of LCD Module

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4.3 READER MODULE

RFID Reader module, are also called as interrogators. They convert radio waves returned from
the RFID tag into a form that can be passed on to controllers, which can make use of it. RFID
tag and readers have to be turned to the same frequency in order to communicate. RFID
systems use many different frequencies, but the most common and widely used & supported
by our reader is 125 kHz.

Technical Data :

Frequency 125 kHz

Read range 5-10 cm

Power supply 12V Dc (+_5%)

Current consumption max <50 mA

Operating temperature -20 to +65 C

Storing temperature - 40 to +75 C

Interface RS 232(TTL), Wiegand and others

Dimensions 32mm X 32mm X 8mm

Serial interface format 9600baud, no parity, 8 Data bits, 1 stop bit

Table 7: Technical Data of RFID Reader

Reader Module Pin Diagram & Description

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Fig 4.3(1) RFID Reader PIN Diagram

Fig 4.3(2) RFID Reader

Pin Description

1 VCC 5V
2 GND GND
3 BEEP BEEP AND LED
4 NC NOT CONNECTED
5 NC NOT CONNECTED
6 SEL HIGH IS UART,LOW IS WEIGAND
7 TX UART TX
8 D1 WEIGAND DATA 1
9 D0 WEIGAND DATA 0
Table 8: RFID Reader Pin Description

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4.4 MAX 232

Since the RS232 is not compatible with today’s microprocessor and microcontroller, we need
a line driver(voltage converter) to convert the RS232’s signals to TTL voltage levels that will
be acceptable to the 8051/DS89c520’s TxD and RxD pins. One example of such a converter is
MAX232 from Maxim Corp. The MAX232 converts from RS232 voltage levels to TTL
voltage levels, and vice versa. One advantage of the MAX232 chip is that it uses a +5V power
source which is the same as the source voltage for the 8051.

Fig 4.4 MAX232 PIN Diagram

4.5 RS232
To allow compatibility among data communication equipment made by various manufactures,
an interfacing standard called RS232 was set by EIA in 1960.RS232 is the most widely used
serial I/O interfacing standard. This standard is used in PCs and numerous types of equipment.

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In RS232 , a 1 is represented by -3 to -25V , while a 0 bit is +3 to +25V, making -3 to+3

undefined. For this reason, to connect any RS232 to a microcontroller system we must use
voltage converters such as MAX232.

Fig 4.5 RS232 PIN Diagram

4.6 RTC

The purpose of an RTC or a real time clock is to provide precise time and date which can be
used for various applications. RTC is an electronic device in the form of an Integrated Chip
(IC) available in various packaging options. It is powered by an internal lithium battery. As a
result of which even if the power of the system is turned off, the RTC clock keeps running.
They play a very important role in the real time systems like digital clock, attendance system,
digital camera etc.

The RTC used here is DS 12C887 .89C51 microcontroller is a very commonly used controller
from the family of 8051 series of microcontroller

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Figure 4.6 Pin diagram of RTC

PIN DESCRIPTION

AD0-AD7 - Multiplexed Address/Data Bus

NC - No Connect

MOT - Bus Type Selection

CS - RTC Chip Select Input

AS - Address Strobe

R/W - Read/Write Input

DS - Data Strobe

RESET - Reset Input

IRQ - Interrupt Request Output

SQW - Square Wave Output

VCC - +5 Volt Main Supply

GND – Ground

4.7 EEPROM

AT24C02 is an electrically erasable and programmable ROM. It has a 2Kbits of memory size
arranged in 32 pages of 8 byte each. There are 256 (32 x 8) words each of one byte. The data
is transferred and received serially through serial data (SDA) pin.

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The SCL is clock input and is used to synchronize EEPROM with microcontroller for various

operations. When data is to be read or write, first a start condition is created followed by
device address, byte address and the data itself. Finally a stop condition is provided. The start
condition occurs when SDA and SCL get high to low simultaneously. The stop condition is
when SDA remains low while SCL goes from high to low. The data is read or written between
the start and stop conditions on every transition of SCL from high to low.

Figure 4.7 Pin diagram of EEPROM

Pin Description: 

 Pin
 Function  Name
No
1 Address input pins; Provide addresses when more than one  AD0
2 EEPROM is interfaced to a single microcontroller;  AD1
3 Ground when only one EEPROM is used  AD2
4 Ground (0V) Ground
5 Bi-directional pin for serial data transfer Serial Data
6 Provides clock signals Serial Clock
7 Ground allows normal read/write functions; Write protect
Vcc enables write protection
8 Supply voltage; 5V (up to 5.5V) Vcc
Table 9 EEPROM Pin description

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CHAPTER: 5
PROJRCT WORK

Interfacing LCD and Keypad with Microcontroller

CONCLUSION:

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A radio-frequency identification (RFID) based access-control system allows only authorised\

persons to enter a particular area of an establishment. The authorised persons are provided
with unique tags, using which they can access that area. The system is based on
microcontroller AT89C52 and comprises an RFID module, an LCD module for displaying the
status and a relay for opening the door.

Low frequency RFID works on the principle of radio waves and at the frequency of 125 KHz.
There is a coil inside the RFID tag and when it is influenced by magnetic field, it sends an
identity code to a device for further processing. The RFID tag is used as an identity for a
particular user. If the identity (serial number of the tag) of the user is matched with the one
already stored in this system, he gets immediate access through it. This RFID based secured
access system also has many additional features.

REFERENCES:

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1. “The 8051 Microcontroller and Embedded Systems” by Muhammad Ali Mazidi and
Janice Gillispie Mazidi, Pearson Education.

 
2.8051 Micro-controller Architecture, programming and application by
KENNETHJAYALA3.

 3. ATMEL 89C52 Data Sheet

4. LCD Module Data Sheet 

5. EM18 Data Sheet 

6. IC7805 And IC7812 Data Sheet 

7. www.maxim-ic.com  

8. www.digi.com 

9. www.wikipedia.org

10. www.atmel.com

11. www.beyondlogic.org

REFERENCES

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BOOKS:
(1) 8051 Microcontroller And Embedded Systems by Muhammad Ali Mazidi
(2) RFID Technology and Applications by Stephen B.Mills, Sanjay E.Sarma and
John R.Williams, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(3) RFID HANDBOOK Applications,Technology,Security and Privacy By Syed
Ahson and Mohammad Ilyas
(4) Low cost and reliable RFID tags for all frequencies , by Dr. Kevin Chung, Alien
Technology Corp.

ONLINE:
(1) DALLAS SEMICONDUCTOR
(2) RFID.NET
(3) Electronics.stackexchange.com
(4) alldatasheet.com
(5) datasheet4u.com
(6) electronicsforu.com

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