RFID Reader not working

Other Hardware Sensors
1

Hello,
thank you for the great forum first of all. I am trying now for some hours to get the Reader (RFID RC522 from funduino) running, but apart from some starting information I can't get it going.

I identified two different problems:

  1. My reader pinout is a little bit different from the others (see picture), so I am not sure if I wired it up correctly.
  2. I use a chinese version of the arduino nano and the pinout may be different although I can't see any differences at the pcb. Does anyone has some experience with this sort of arduinos?

I would be so happy if the reader would work. Thank you for your help,

crty

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IMG_9239.jpg
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2

Of course I tried the conventional pins as well as the ICSP connection.

Here is my code:

/*
 * Name RC522DumpMifare.ino
 *
 * 2013-07-xx started
 * 2013-08-03 first commit
 * 2013-08-08 anticol/select 7byte UID, RATS
 *
 * Based on code by www.electrodragon.com
 * and modified/fixed by http://twitter.com/regnerischerTag
 *
 * TODO: 
 *  - ISO/IEC 14443-4
 *  - Auth 7byte
 *  
 */

// the sensor communicates using SPI, so include the library:
#include <SPI.h>

#define uchar unsigned char
#define uint unsigned int

//data array maxium length
#define MAX_LEN 16

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//set the pin
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
const int chipSelectPin = 5;
const int NRSTPD = 5;

//MF522 command bits
#define PCD_IDLE              0x00               //NO action; cancel current commands
#define PCD_AUTHENT           0x0E               //verify password key
#define PCD_RECEIVE           0x08               //receive data
#define PCD_TRANSMIT          0x04               //send data
#define PCD_TRANSCEIVE        0x0C               //send and receive data
#define PCD_RESETPHASE        0x0F               //reset
#define PCD_CALCCRC           0x03               //CRC check and caculation

//Mifare_One card command bits
#define PICC_REQIDL           0x26               //Search the cards that not into sleep mode in the antenna area 
#define PICC_REQALL           0x52               //Search all the cards in the antenna area
#define PICC_ANTICOLL         0x93               //prevent conflict
#define PICC_SElECTTAG        0x93               //select card
#define PICC_ANTICOLL2        0x95 // anticollision level 2
#define PICC_ANTICOLL3        0x97               // anticollision level 3
#define PICC_AUTHENT1A        0x60               //verify A password key
#define PICC_AUTHENT1B        0x61               //verify B password key
#define PICC_READ             0x30               //read 
#define PICC_WRITE            0xA0               //write
#define PICC_DECREMENT        0xC0               //deduct value
#define PICC_INCREMENT        0xC1               //charge up value
#define PICC_RESTORE          0xC2               //Restore data into buffer
#define PICC_TRANSFER         0xB0               //Save data into buffer
#define PICC_HALT             0x50               //sleep mode


//THe mistake code that return when communicate with MF522
#define MI_OK                 0
#define MI_NOTAGERR           1
#define MI_ERR                2


//------------------MFRC522 register ---------------
//Page 0:Command and Status
#define     Reserved00            0x00    
#define     CommandReg            0x01    
#define     CommIEnReg            0x02    
#define     DivlEnReg             0x03    
#define     CommIrqReg            0x04    
#define     DivIrqReg             0x05
#define     ErrorReg              0x06    
#define     Status1Reg            0x07    
#define     Status2Reg            0x08    
#define     FIFODataReg           0x09
#define     FIFOLevelReg          0x0A
#define     WaterLevelReg         0x0B
#define     ControlReg            0x0C
#define     BitFramingReg         0x0D
#define     CollReg               0x0E
#define     Reserved01            0x0F
//Page 1:Command     
#define     Reserved10            0x10
#define     ModeReg               0x11
#define     TxModeReg             0x12
#define     RxModeReg             0x13
#define     TxControlReg          0x14
#define     TxAutoReg             0x15
#define     TxSelReg              0x16
#define     RxSelReg              0x17
#define     RxThresholdReg        0x18
#define     DemodReg              0x19
#define     Reserved11            0x1A
#define     Reserved12            0x1B
#define     MifareReg             0x1C
#define     Reserved13            0x1D
#define     Reserved14            0x1E
#define     SerialSpeedReg        0x1F
//Page 2:CFG    
#define     Reserved20            0x20  
#define     CRCResultRegM         0x21
#define     CRCResultRegL         0x22
#define     Reserved21            0x23
#define     ModWidthReg           0x24
#define     Reserved22            0x25
#define     RFCfgReg              0x26
#define     GsNReg                0x27
#define     CWGsPReg          0x28
#define     ModGsPReg             0x29
#define     TModeReg              0x2A
#define     TPrescalerReg         0x2B
#define     TReloadRegH           0x2C
#define     TReloadRegL           0x2D
#define     TCounterValueRegH     0x2E
#define     TCounterValueRegL     0x2F
//Page 3:TestRegister     
#define     Reserved30            0x30
#define     TestSel1Reg           0x31
#define     TestSel2Reg           0x32
#define     TestPinEnReg          0x33
#define     TestPinValueReg       0x34
#define     TestBusReg            0x35
#define     AutoTestReg           0x36
#define     VersionReg            0x37
#define     AnalogTestReg         0x38
#define     TestDAC1Reg           0x39  
#define     TestDAC2Reg           0x3A   
#define     TestADCReg            0x3B   
#define     Reserved31            0x3C   
#define     Reserved32            0x3D   
#define     Reserved33            0x3E   
#define     Reserved34  0x3F
//-----------------------------------------------
3

Ok,
sorry for posting the code details, you can see it at GitHub - rena2019/myarduino: my repository for arduino source code

Thank you for your help!! City

4

I am not sure what those pictures are attempting to show?

What we need to know is how have you wired then up to your arduino.

5

Hi Mike,

I tried different options, but were confused because my reader doesn't have a SDA Pin.

I used the ICSP connection in the following way but it didn't work out:
MISO-MISO
MOSI-MOSI
SCK-SCK
3V3-3V3
GND-GND
RST-RST

I tried this one but I didn't know where to put the SDA connection:
RC522 MODULE Uno/Nano MEGA
SDA D10 D9
SCK D13 D52
MOSI D11 D51
MISO D12 D50
IRQ N/A N/A
GND GND GND
RST D9 D8
3.3V 3.3V 3.3V

So as you can see at the picture the reader doesn't have a SDA Pin and I wonder how to connect it. Is it the same as the NSS pin so that I connect NSS and SS (i.e. Pin 5 at Arduino nano, which is low to start the reader)?

Thanks a lot for your patience!

crty

6

The web page says:-

Reset > Pin 5
SS or SDA > Pin 10
MOSI > Pin 11
MISO > Pin 12
SCK > Pin 13
Ground > Ground
3.3v > 3.3v

from RFID-RC522 RF IC Card Sensor Module 203517 - air

However where is the 3V3 coming from? The onle on the Arduino can only supply about 50mA and my guess is that the reader need much more than this.

7

Hi Mike,
thank you for your help again! I checked the 3V3 question with a second power source although I remember that the RFID Sensor is using about 25 mA max at reading (see here).
Anyway, doing this I built up the complete thing again and surprisingly the reader is working perfectly.
I used the code from Miguel Balboa from GitHub with the following pin connections:

  • Typical pin layout used:
  • MFRC522 Arduino Arduino Arduino Arduino Arduino
  • Reader/PCD Uno Mega Nano v3 Leonardo/Micro Pro Micro
  • Signal Pin Pin Pin Pin Pin Pin
  • RST/Reset RST 9 5 D9 RESET/ICSP-5 RST
  • SPI SS SDA(SS) 10 53 D10 10 10
  • SPI MOSI MOSI 11 / ICSP-4 51 D11 ICSP-4 16
  • SPI MISO MISO 12 / ICSP-1 50 D12 ICSP-1 14
  • SPI SCK SCK 13 / ICSP-3 52 D13 ICSP-3 15

Now I am looking for the right code, but I am happy to see it working!

Thanks for your help!

crty

8

Hi,
For the benefit of others can you please post a copy of your circuit, in CAD or a picture of a hand drawn circuit in jpg, png or pdf?
It would make this thread self contained for any other requests for RFID help.

Tom... :slight_smile:

9

Here are the fotos of my wiring which worked.

Thank you for your help.

PS: I also tried to remove the LED on pin 13 which was suggested at some posts, but currently I use different arduino nanos (with and without LED) and there is no difference.

10

here they come

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11

Thanks but this is not quite what we meant. What would be good would be a schematic of your final wiring, not just pictures of plugs in sockets.