RFID readers

Developer's Corner General Dev Discussions
1

I’m looking at these proximity readers http://www.elkproducts.com/products/m1/M1_Proximity_Readers.htm and wondering if such a thing can possibly be hooked up into Vera? It uses “26 bit Wiegand output”, whatever it means…

Anyone heard of USB or serial proximity readers?

2

The term Wiegand is applied to several characteristics related to access control readers and cards. Here are the basics.

Wiegand is:

  1. A specific reader-to-card interface
  2. A specific binary reader-to-controller interface
  3. An electronic signal carrying data
  4. The standard 26-bit binary card data format
  5. An electromagnetic effect
  6. A card technology

The Wiegand interface consists of three conductors (wires) called Data Zero (usually green), Data One (usually white), and Data Return (usually black). When installers obtain an HID reader, they expect to see these three names on the connection points (terminals) for both the reader and the access control panel. All current standard HID reader types are available with a Wiegand interface. The three wires carry Wiegand data, also called the Wiegand signal.

3

If you already have an Alarm Panel, and the associated Wiring, you might see if already has the ability for this type of input/control.

It’d likely save you a lot of work over the long run, and give you a bit more functionality - by interfacing both directly with the Alarm unit, and indirectly with any HA Controller for future expansion/scripting.

My house alarm isn’t anything special, and it can be expanded to have those types of card readers, along with electronic door “unlock” devices. These can then be set to unlock doors upon Alarm deactivation, Fire (etc) all by the Alarm module itself, or remotely via something attached to it’s Serial/HA interface (eg Vera).

I have two “remote controls” with my Panel. These look like standard key-chain car-alarm devices, and there are similar HA Events from the Alarm panel that I could wire up in Vera to do other actions when the Alarm is Armed/Disarmed via the keychain remotes - all as separate from the regular keypads.

Anyhow, you’d likely have a whole lot easier wiring and connectivity job this way, assuming your main panel is capable, since it’ll take away the interface/wiring specifics (and avoid backhauling long USB Cables in the walls)

It’ll also distribute the overall workload of automation.

Just a thought…

4

Wavetrend makes an RS232 controlled, reasonably priced RFID system. It’s probably not a big task to make them work as a Luup plugin.

5

Gr8! Any idea if they’re available in retail quantities anywhere?
I could only find channel sales…

6

Not sure. It’s been many years since I bought mine.