RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) is widely used to identify and track objects using radio frequency signals. With an Arduino microcontroller, you can easily read RFID tags and perform various actions based on the tag data.

Components Required:

• Arduino board
• RFID reader module
• RFID tags
• Jumper wires

Circuit Diagram:

Connect the RFID reader module to the Arduino board as follows:

RFID Module <--> Arduino
SDA <--> Digital Pin 10
SCK <--> Digital Pin 13
MOSI <--> Digital Pin 11
MISO <--> Digital Pin 12
IRQ <--> Not Connected
GND <--> GND
RST <--> Digital Pin 9
3.3V <--> 3.3V

Arduino Code:

Upload the following code to your Arduino board:

#include <SPI.h>
#include <MFRC522.h>

#define SS_PIN 10
#define RST_PIN 9

MFRC522 mfrc522(SS_PIN, RST_PIN);  // Create MFRC522 instance

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);  // Initialize serial communication
  SPI.begin();         // Initiate the SPI bus
  mfrc522.PCD_Init();  // Initialize MFRC522

  Serial.println("Place your RFID tag near the reader...");
  Serial.println();
}

void loop() {
  // Look for new cards
  if (mfrc522.PICC_IsNewCardPresent() && mfrc522.PICC_ReadCardSerial()) {
    // Show UID on serial monitor
    Serial.print("UID tag: ");
    String content = "";
    byte letter;
    for (byte i = 0; i < mfrc522.uid.size; i++) {
      Serial.print(mfrc522.uid.uidByte[i] < 0x10 ? "0" : "");
      Serial.print(mfrc522.uid.uidByte[i], HEX);
      content.concat(String(mfrc522.uid.uidByte[i] < 0x10 ? "0" : ""));
      content.concat(String(mfrc522.uid.uidByte[i], HEX));
    }
    Serial.println();
    Serial.print("Message: ");
    content.toUpperCase();
    
    // Output the RFID tag's content as blog title
    Serial.println(content);
    
    mfrc522.PICC_HaltA();  // Halt PICC
    mfrc522.PCD_StopCrypto1(); // Stop encryption on PCD
  }
}

Explaining the Code:

The code above imports the necessary libraries, initializes the RFID reader module, and sets up the communication with the Arduino board. Inside the loop() function, it constantly checks for the presence of a new RFID tag. If a tag is detected, it reads the tag's unique identifier (UID) and outputs it as the blog title.

You can experiment with this code by adding additional functionality, such as storing the UID in a database or triggering specific actions based on the tag data. The MFRC522 library provides various functions to interact with the RFID module.

Conclusion:

In this blog post, we explored how to read RFID tags using an Arduino board and the MFRC522 RFID reader module. We provided the necessary code and circuit diagram to help you get started with your own RFID projects. With RFID technology, you can enable secure access control, inventory management, or any application where identification of objects or individuals is required.