Hi...I'm new to the whole RFID thing. I've been asked about the feasibility of using rfid to keep track of the laptop computers in the school I teach in. Having each laptop with an individual ID, so that misplaced laptops can be quickly scanned and returned to the proper rooms. Do the cards and tags work the same way? In the video's I've watched, they all show the cards as masters, with only the tags as individual identifiers. The laptops aren't treated well, and anything attached to the outside will inevitably be ripped off. So I was hoping to have the card or tag inside the battery compartment...
Any advice is appreciated. I'd love to know if this has been done, if it is feasible, or if anyone has a better idea!!
Thanks!!
Do the cards and tags work the same way?
Exactly the same way, if they are the same standard. There are lots of different types of RFID systems and they are mainly incompatible.
In the video's I've watched, they all show the cards as masters, with only the tags as individual identifiers.
I don't understand that, what do you mean by "masters" all cards and tags work the same.
So I was hoping to have the card or tag inside the battery compartment...
You can't read a tag through metal, and even a tag placed on a metal surface is hard to read. You might want to look into ferrite tape to mount the cards on if it is being mounted against metal.
hmm...ok...that's good to know about the metal. What I meant about master cards, is that when a tag was placed, and access denied, the card was read, and tags were added or deleted. But I was thinking a card would be easier to place in/on the laptops, rather than a tag....does that make sense?
when a tag was placed, and access denied, the card was read, and tags were added or deleted.
No that has nothing to do with it being a tag or a card, is is just the software that is being used makes those decisions based on the number it gets back. In some RFID standards cards can be programmed with an ID number and on others it is fixed. There might be a range of numbers that control the behavior of the software to allow it to differentiate between a card and a tag, but their is nothing inherently different.
But I was thinking a card would be easier to place in/on the laptops, rather than a tag
Yes, although tags are often smaller but thicker. You tend to get a longer range with cards.
What sort of RFID standard are you looking at? Low frequency 125 to 135KHz or high frequency at around 13.5MHz. Going up from that the UHF tag readers are very expensive but they can read more than one tag in the reader's field at any time..
I'm thinking low frequency....125kHz? They don't all need to be read at one time, just a lot of them will need to have individual id's...probably between 200 and 300 individual ID's....We will have to do this as cheaply as possible...
just a lot of them will need to have individual id's.
All tags / cards will have a unique ID.