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Fingerprint Scanner Module — Parallax Forums

Fingerprint Scanner Module

Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
edited 2014-03-02 21:16 in General Discussion
Hey Everyone,

In yesterday's new product post over at SparkFun Electronics, they introduced a Fingerprint Scanner module with serial communication. I try not to recommend products other than those of Parallax, but this is a module that I've been looking for, for quite some time.

Product page here:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11651

SparkFun produced a separate product video for the module here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s0WRSgCJ

This module will be great in combination with Basic Stamps and Propellers!

Enjoy,

Tim

Comments

  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2013-02-09 14:37
    Tim,

    I also thought this looked like an interesting product.

    I ordered one yesterday. Have you ordered one yet?

    It mentions being able to retrieve "templates" from the device to load in other devices. This made me wonder if templates could be stored externally on a SD card and then loaded when desired. I thought maybe stored templates would let one get around the 20 template limit. Maybe different sets of templates could be loaded to the device depending on the circumstances.

    My plan is to use it with a Propeller controlled robot/security system. I'm be interested in hearing what your plans are?

    Has anyone else ordered one of these, or plan to order one?
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-09 15:17
    Hi Duane,

    I think the module features are interesting too, and found them considerably more versatile than expected for the $50 price range. From what I read so far, your idea of storing templates on flash memory and loading them as needed sounds quite feasible. Having the capability of 19 users at a time is certainly more than I thought a module like this would handle. Pretty cool that the fingerprint images can be viewed and retrieved too!

    Security for my garage and shop entry, plus a couple of machines is my planned use. It will have to wait for a while though as cash-flow is limited... I was laid off in a company down-sizing last March and my wife and I are now putting life savings into a new business start-up. We hope to offer services to this good group and will make an official announcement when we're set up in a few months. We'll see how my will power holds up, I've been looking forward to a fingerprint module like this for a long time and may have to order one sooner rather than later.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-02-09 17:40
    Looks fantastic if it works and is truly secure. Check out that "sausage attack" comment though. Jimmy Dean was a hardened criminal and known perp. :)
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-09 19:14
    That does make you wonder how fool-proof and secure the module is... maybe wise to use in conjunction with a key pad or additional measures when it comes to high value protection or true security needs. The data sheet does provide some repeatability and similar information, but that doesn't speak to the Jimmy Dean test!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-02-09 21:34
    My dog is an excellent judge of character and eats everything EXCEPT McDonalds sausage patties. Makes me wonder about the generally shady nature of sausages. Where do they come from? Where do they go?
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-09 21:46
    Well said Erco, animals pick up far more than people do... I shall not trust a sausage again!
  • ajwardajward Posts: 1,130
    edited 2013-02-10 01:49
    erco wrote: »
    Looks fantastic if it works and is truly secure. Check out that "sausage attack" comment though. Jimmy Dean was a hardened criminal and known perp. :)

    Jimmy was just a pawn... the true criminal was Blofeld! ;-)
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-11 16:58
    Hey Duane,

    Would you let us know when you get your fingerprint module and what your first impressions are? That would be most appreciated!

    Tim
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2013-02-11 17:31
    I have three commercial use scanners, one wi-fi and the other two ethernet. the sensor has circuitry built in to allow for trickery and also compensates for sunlight and other things like dirt etc

    The sensor also checks for real fingers by reading through live tissue
    A website link:

    http://www.unidost.com/bio-guard.html

    the wi-fi unit link:

    http://www.unidost.com/biosafe340.pdf
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2013-02-11 20:08
    Tim-M wrote: »
    Hey Duane,

    Would you let us know when you get your fingerprint module and what your first impressions are? That would be most appreciated!

    Tim

    Yes, I'll do that.

    It should be here sometime tomorrow.
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-11 22:39
    skylight wrote: »
    I have three commercial use scanners, one wi-fi and the other two ethernet. the sensor has circuitry built in to allow for trickery and also compensates for sunlight and other things like dirt etc

    The sensor also checks for real fingers by reading through live tissue
    A website link:

    http://www.unidost.com/bio-guard.html

    the wi-fi unit link:

    http://www.unidost.com/biosafe340.pdf


    Thanks for sharing these Skylight, they look like really nice units. May I ask the price range they fall into? I'd like to consider it for my shop entry door. -Tim
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-11 22:40
    Duane Degn wrote: »
    Yes, I'll do that.

    It should be here sometime tomorrow.

    Thanks very much Duane, looking forward to what you find out. -Tim
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2013-02-12 15:53
    @Tim-M I got them from ebay, I got the three of them for £30
    If you google Bioguard and then look for bio-safe you'll find them
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-12 17:24
    @Skylight
    Wow, great price, particularly for three of them... I would assume they were they used?
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2013-02-12 18:57
    The scanner arrived today. The PC software only works with comm ports 1 through 10. I've used so many QuickStart and other Propeller boards that none of my Prop Plugs have a comm number low enough to use with the software.

    I finally found a "COMM 7" USB Propeller Protoboard to use a bridge between the scanner and PC but the software still wouldn't do anything. I think it has a problem with Windows 7. I think the software is supposed to be copied to the "My Documents" folder. I tried adding a "My Documents" folder to my Windows 7 PC without any luck.

    I'm writing some Propeller software to communicate with the scanner so I'll let you all know how that works once I've got it up and running.
  • Adam WieslerAdam Wiesler Posts: 81
    edited 2013-02-12 19:18
    I saw this module also, and feel it would be a great addition for my robot controller!!! (I always have to add the big buttons and missile toggle switches with covers, so this would be right at home!)

    Duane, I have had that serial port problem before (audio gear), and this is the simplest way to fix it that i have found: http://plugable.com/2011/07/04/how-to-change-the-com-port-for-a-usb-serial-adapter-on-windows-7. It seems like you have it figured out, but just in case something like that arises again, it can be a time saver.
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2013-02-13 12:25
    Tim-M wrote: »
    @Skylight
    Wow, great price, particularly for three of them... I would assume they were they used?
    They were unused still in packaging, I wonder sometimes if sellers actually realise what they are selling?
    Actually I was done as they were advertised as three wifi units but only one was and the others were wired ethernet , but I didn't moan at that price
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-13 17:46
    Duane Degn wrote: »
    The scanner arrived today. The PC software only works with comm ports 1 through 10. I've used so many QuickStart and other Propeller boards that none of my Prop Plugs have a comm number low enough to use with the software.

    I finally found a "COMM 7" USB Propeller Protoboard to use a bridge between the scanner and PC but the software still wouldn't do anything. I think it has a problem with Windows 7. I think the software is supposed to be copied to the "My Documents" folder. I tried adding a "My Documents" folder to my Windows 7 PC without any luck.

    I'm writing some Propeller software to communicate with the scanner so I'll let you all know how that works once I've got it up and running.

    Thanks for the first-hand feedback Duane, hope you're getting your com port issue sorted out.
  • Tim-MTim-M Posts: 522
    edited 2013-02-13 17:51
    skylight wrote: »
    They were unused still in packaging, I wonder sometimes if sellers actually realise what they are selling?
    Actually I was done as they were advertised as three wifi units but only one was and the others were wired ethernet , but I didn't moan at that price

    It does make you wonder... good for you though!
    So far I have yet to find a BioGuard dealer or rep in the USA but I'll continue to look and check eBay too. I'd like to find or build a stand-alone unit so a computer wouldn't have to run 24/7 to monitor a door.
  • MACyodaMACyoda Posts: 5
    edited 2014-03-01 23:44
    Duane Degn wrote: »
    I'm writing some Propeller software to communicate with the scanner so I'll let you all know how that works once I've got it up and running.

    What happened, did you get it going?
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2014-03-02 21:16
    MACyoda wrote: »
    What happened, did you get it going?

    I didn't get the Prop and the scanner to communicate with each other.

    Some of the documentation was contradictory (default baud). Back when I was trying to figure out how to use it, I couldn't find any examples of using it with a microcontroller. The only the example of using it was with a PC and the software limits made using it with a PC difficult. I still hope to get this working some time but for now it's on a back burner.

    I think my best bet would be to use a logic analyzer to sniff the communication between the reader and the PC.
  • DmashekDmashek Posts: 49
    I am going to "necro" this old thread!

    Duane -

    Have you done any more experimentation on this? I just bought on of these scanner and it arrived today. I am a bit overwhelmed by the complexity of getting this working with my PPDB board. BTW, I am working on a Mac so I done have access to the PC demo software.

    I am a programmer by trade, but I am an extreme novice when it comes to electrical engineering. I am also still noob-ish on Spin and Propellor-C. I can do the basics, but more complex stuff is still beyond me.

    So "long story long", any code that you have written that you could share would be VERY APPRECIATED!

    Thanks,

    Dave Mashek
  • T ChapT Chap Posts: 4,223
    edited 2016-11-11 13:01
    As an alternative:

    http://www.fingerprints.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/FPC-AM3-product-sheet1.pdf

    This the system I use. 991 fingerprints can be stored. Easily communicates with Prop, (although I think it had to have someone modify the 4port serial object to change the parity to get it work). It is available at EdgeElectronics.com I have the part numbers for the miniature headers from digikey to mount the controller. They have a dev kit. Slight learning curve to get an understanding of how you will use in the real world ( menu based access to enter user, delete user #, delete all users). I think it is about 65 bucks?
  • T ChapT Chap Posts: 4,223
    Here is a pic showing the LCD screen that allows menu to pop up for fingerprint config. You must have some LCD or display to allow the users to manage the fingerprints.
    keypad.jpg
    203 x 273 - 11K
  • DmashekDmashek Posts: 49
    T Chap -

    I appreciate the alternative, but I already bought this unit and it is sitting on my table.

    This is not for a specific project, I just like to buy sensors of different types and then find projects to build around them. This is part of my self-paced process for learning more about electrical engineering.

    Thanks,

    Dave
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