My Current Nerd project

[Oogiem]

Hubby & I are working on making an EID tag reader that links to a sheep database for managing our flock. Thought the nerds here might appreciate it.

We're looking at 3 hardware pieces, reader, handheld tablet or phone and desktop. Smarts will be in the 2 computers not the reader.

Pix of the current state of the device are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26001709@N03/sets/72157631585185604/

We used plumbing parts to make the holder for the reader and have a terminal program running on the Android tablet that is just displaying the tag numbers as read.

No smarts, no database nothing really but verifying the hardware is working.

Gave up on iPad due to Apple Bluetooth restrictions and got the Android version working.

It's a start!

More info on the existing state of the system:

If anyone wants to build one or get info e-mail me.

RFID Reader:

http://www.priority1design.com.au/shopfront/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=24

Antenna is included.

Bluetooth Serial module:

For prototyping:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arduino-Wireless-Serial-4-Pin-Bluetooth-RF-Transceiver-Module-RS232-w-Backplane-/271040855319?pt=US_USB_Bluetooth_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item3f1b4b3d17

For production: (needs FCC cert, the above ones from China are real cheap, but no certs.)

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10253

Battery holder:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/551

This one holds 4 cells, I used one that held 6. 4 is ok for this purpose as the RFID reader can take 6-16V as an input. Should run for a couple of hours on these batts, maybe use rechargeable NiMH or LiIon's for production.

Misc.:

switch, led's 2 1k resistors, wire, various PVC fittings ($10US worth, although the switch was surplus and probably cost a lot originally)

You could use GetBlue right now to do a good job of logging tags:

http://www.tec-it.com/en/software/android/getblue/manual/Default.aspx

the free version works ok (with nags), paid it's $25US and can save all the tag data to a file or stuff it into a database or whatnot.

Our app will be completely open (GPLv2)

The Bluetooth API for Android already works well and there are open source apps that use it successfully to read GPS's and the like.

This is where we are starting:

http://pymasde.es/blueterm/

I'm setting up a github repository for the stuff and hope that it will attract a few more programmers. I'm woefully out of date doing real programming

[bigm141414]

Squee!!!

I heart electronics projects.

[Oogiem]

Here is the location for the development. Currently only hubby & I are collaborators but if you want to be added and are willing to help contact me.

https://github.com/OogieM