Continuous Operation of RFID Door Opener

Dan Toborowski

I recently built an RFID door opener using the USB BOE development board, BS2 MCU, and a Parallax RFID reader. The device operates a servo which pulls the door knob a few degrees thus deactivating the lock from the inside of the room. I was hoping to use this device as a permanent feature but was curious about the capabilities of the BS2 and BOE equipment when they remain powered indefinitely. Are these components only designed for short-term use for prototyping and testing purposes or can I use these RFID opener as a permanent feature?

Also, my current code leaves the RFID opener enabled continuously ready to detect a tag. I'm worried that this may cause the BS2 and BOE board to be working hard all of the time. Are there any good tricks for having the RFID reader enabled less of the time without sacrificing the systems attentiveness to a present tag? Perhaps switching it on and off in small time intervals to create a smaller duty cycle? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Dan Toborowski

Wolfbrother

Hi,

I had a BOE Rev C hooked up and running in a continous mode while in a gallery for a couple months and it was fine. I knew the piece wouldn't sell, so I left it in a prototype state. But if you want something permanent, you can get the BS2-OEM kits and solder them together and create your own PCB for everything else. It works great and I have also done that for another piece that has been working since 2006. I think these parts are very well designed and with a user group as strong as this one, any little issues that may arise have been found, discussed and repaired.

Franklin

You could also create your own PCB and have the parts arranged into a commercial style product.

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- Stephen