RFID reader system project

As part of the requirements in a junior-level wireless communications course for an Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology program, students are required to design and implement an RFID reader system to record multiple tag IDs. This lab project utilized the ThingMagic M5e-C embedded RFID OEM module. This OEM module was mounted in a plastic enclosure box with an attached antenna and a flexible cable for I/O connections. A printed circuit board was designed to interface the assembly to a standard lab breadboard. The enclosure box, OEM module, PCB, and RFID tags were then provided to each student team. The overall objectives for this lab project included connecting a PC to the RFID module via RS-232 and designing LabVIEW software to control the module. The students were required to configure the RFID module, read 5 tag IDs (using the GEN2 protocol), store the tag IDs to a file on disk, and add header information to the file containing the students' names and a time & date stamp. A detailed listing of the command and response packets is provided, along with an example of the tag IDs. A summary of the contents of the student reference materials and the lab handout are also included. Assessment results showing grading statistics, lab report format, and grading rubric are provided. An example of a student's results for the project is shown, and recommendations are included to help ensure student success on the project.