How to build a DIY 13.56 Mhz RFID?

Projects General Guidance
1

I would like to do a few projects involving RFID reading / writing but one thing that is really hurting me is the really short range and the readers out there not conforming to the size / shape I need to fit them where I want. Ideally I'd like something that had a 3 to 4 foot range, but given that doesn't seem to be possibly with anything non powered currently, I need to find better ways of fitting a regular RFID read close enough to where I want to make the short range work for me.

For example: I've got an old 67 Camaro I've been restoring, but this car is not a garage queen. I like to drive it around, but I'm always worried about it being stolen. Something I'd like to do is rig up a system that will disable the ignition coil from getting spark (and or disable the starter from getting power) unless an RFID chip is present. The best place for a reader for such a chip due to the short range on them, would have to be in the steering column right at the ignition switch in order to be close enough in proximity to the keys to hopefully be able to read the RFID tag hanging there. But none of the RFID readers on the market would ever have a chance of fitting in a situation like this. And I'm not really a fan of having to swipe my RFID tag somewhere else in the car before I crank the car, I'd like it to be simple and seemless.

So that brings me to the conclusion that I need to figure out how to build these readers myself so that I can build it to fit what I want. I've been searching on the net and found a few designs for 125 Khz readers, but nothing for 13.56 Mhz readers. I'd really like to do 13.56 Mhz for other projects so that I can do more than have a simple ID card.

Now I realize there are some specifics to the antennas and such for these things for them to work correctly. But does anyone have a reference to something with a high level overview / parts list for something that will simply work? I'd rather not spend hours reading through hundreds of pages of technical documents to become an expert on RF modulation in order to be able to do this if I can avoid it hehe. For now I'm more interested in the how than the why. Later on when I have more time I may go back and figure out the why :slight_smile:

Thanks for any help!

1 Like
2

Anyone have any information on this or at least a link to where I can find some please?

EDIT: I did manage to find this nice kit:
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2171057_-1

Which for some of my projects would work I think since the antenna is hand wound and I think would enable me to put it in tighter areas. However this is again a 125 Khz kit which works with ID tags only and I'd really like to be able to do something like this with 13.56 Mhz tags so that I can store actual data on them for some applications.