Privacy Digest

How to: Wire Your House with RFID: Despite criticism concerning securityand personal privacyissues that surround RFID, the technology has become popular and commonplacein the retail environment. But there's no reason why these new technologiesshould be confined to stores and inventorysystems; they can be useful at home as well. RFID can be hooked up to almostanything electronic around the house, especially devices that usually requireusers to carry around keys or use access codes. RFID chips and cards can replacethese conventional items and give your home a more futuristic and unarguablycooler feel.

So whether you're an RFIDtagged geek or just a tech enthusiast looking for new gadgets, wiring yourhome with RFID can be an exciting and beneficial project. Here are a few wayswhere RFID can be integrated into your home to make your life easier and moreconvenient:

Door Locks: For those sick of carrying around multiple keysor who frequently leave the keys in the door, an RFID door lock could be a goodoption. There are a couple of different ways to set up an RFID door lock, butthe simplest method is to buy a pre-packaged system like the MyKey 2300. This lock comes with 8 RFID keys, auto and manual lock modes,and a burglar alarm. It can't be picked since there's nothing to pick, and itcomes with an external forced lock feature that keeps it from being opened througha mail slot or window. The system isn't free from drawbacks, however. It comeswith a hefty price tag ($300) and it isn't recommended that it be exposed torain or snow (which might be a difficult objective to achieve for an outsidedoor).

If you're looking for a cheaper DIY way of hooking up your door with RFID it'lltake some elbow grease and a few small components. There are numerousways of going about this chore, depending on your budget and whether or notyou want the system hooked directly to your computer. You'll need a few basicelectronic components like circuit boards, relays, and a project box as wellas an electronic door strike (the same kind that are used to 'buzz'people in). And, if you'd like, an electronic keypad deadbolt can be added aswell. AmalGraafstra provides detailed instructions for this project in his book, RFIDToys. I would reproduce the project here, but it's detailed and encompassesseveral pages.

Keep in mind that you'll also need a few tools for the job and some delicatetinkering. The system itself is relatively simple, however, and will allow youaccess to your door with the use of a RFID tag or chip and can also be madefancier since it's hooked up to your PC. You can use the system to set up emailalerts when people come or go, or set up timers to only allow certain doorsto be accessed at pre-scheduled times.

Pet Doors: Petdoors can be a great way to let dogs and cats in and out without actuallyhaving to open the door for them each time. Yet, these doors aren't withouttheir drawbacks. If you have a large dog the door can be wide enough for a squirrellyburglar or other unwanted animals. One way to keep out unwanted visitors isto put in an RFID access device on your door. There are a couple of ways toaccomplish this. First, you need to consider whether you would like your animalto have an embeddedchip, like those used to ID lost animals at almost all animals shelters,or if you'd like to simply have your pet wear acollar with the RFID device attached. Both have their benefits and drawbacks,so it's really up to you. After you've considered what your pet will wear, youalso need to consider what kind of door you want to use. There are RFID systemsavailable that are pre-wired and set up that allow you to simply install thepet door, no electronics knowledge required.

If you're really into doing it all on your own, you can install an RFID readerto just about any pet door that has a locking mechanism. However, since thereader system would have to sit outside the pet door itself, it might not bethe most attractive option if you're worried about aesthetics. You'll also wantto consider the relative range of the RFID system that you're installing, sincesome can only have a range of up to 4inches. The principal for setting up the pet door lock is the same as thatfor a larger door lock, except that you'll need to allow the reader, and thechip for that matter, to be in a place where your pet will be able to accessit easily and not get left out in the cold.

Computer Logon: With security being a big issue these days,new and innovative ways to secure your data and workstation are always a welcomeaddition to your tech repertoire. RFID can actually be a quick and easy wayto lock down your data when you're away from your desk. One of the simplestways to implement RFID to your computer is to use a simple USB system like PCProx.PCProx uses RFID to block access to your computer when you leave the immediatevicinity. When you return, you simply wave an RFID card over the reader andyou are immediately signed back into your system. To make it more secure, ascards can and do get lost, users can add a special PIN.

If you want to be a little sneakier about your RFID logon capabilities, youcan fix up a regular keyboard so that an RFID reader is hidden inside. As youcan read here,you'll need to be a little electronically savvy and also have a steady hand.All you'll need is the RFID reader and compatible tag, a working keyboard, someopen source software, and you're ready to go. Why would you want your RFID accessto be secret? While the chances are slim, it is possible that someone couldfind out your tag ID and duplicate it, gaining access to your computer. If noone knows you have RFID access installed in the first place they can't takeadvantage of your privacy.

Garage Door Opener: With the morning scramble out the door,it's easy to forget to shut to garage door amidst the chaos. With an RFID systemit's possible for that problem to be a thing of the past, and also to make yourgarage more secure by making sure it opens only for you and only you. Thereare, of course, places that would be more than happy to install such asystem for you. These, however, can be extremely expensive, especially ifyou get all the extra features (many offer services that turn lights, musicand other household things on when you arrive home).

If you can't pay for the convenience of a full installation, you can installa simpler system on your own. You'll need an RFID reader and tag, a transmitterand a receiver, and this simpledesign for an RFID garage door opener. The system will cause the garagedoor to open automatically when your car, which contains the RFID tag, approaches.The tag isn't embedded in this design, which allows you to move that tag fromcar to car if necessary. It can also be modified to automatically shut the doorafter a certain period of time or when the car reaches a certain distance fromthe house.

Electronic Safe: Some people simply can't remember numbers,and combinations can be a real challenge. If you're one of these people, orif you want to add a different element to your safe system, you can modify yourelectronic safe so that it opens with both an RFID card or tag and the electronickeypad that it came with. For those safes with RFID chips embedded, this canbe an additional means to secure the contents in that safe.

The RFID safe is assembled in a similar way to the other RFID locking systems.An RFID reader is embedded into your safe and installation will vary slightlydepending on the model. You'll also need a USB programmable board. The softwareto program it is open source and programming detailscan be found on that site. You can also hook up the reader to a small LCD lightto let you know if your tag is being read and that the reader is appropriatelypowered.

These are just a few ways that RFID can be used around the house; if you'recreative you can figure out how to hook up many other household items to yourRFID system as well. Be advised that many of these projects do require a certaindegree of skill or knowledge about electronics and circuitry, or at least theability to follow directions very carefully. Still, if you have the patienceand the skill you can use these ideas to up your technology coolness factorsignificantly by installing some RFID devices around your house.

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(Read Original Article - Via RFID Gazette.)