RFID Access and Tracking System

Getting Started
1

I want to build an IoT RFID Machine Access Control system and I would like to know if anyone has suggestions or pros/cons of using the Particle system. The network would consist of 20+ endpoints with different users able to gain access to different machines/tools based on credentials.

In addition to granting access, I’d like the system to track who is using what and for how long. Ideally we’d use a mesh network, Power Relay Featherwings, and RFID readers such as the MFRC522. I’ve had success creating a crude prototype with Arduino, but I’d like to have a central database that can grant or deny access based on credentials. This could be a cloud-based platform or an on-site local server. Before I start ordering and spending money on things, does anyone have any useful insight or recommendations for me?

2

Yes, that is a certainly possible to do with Particle devices. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it done in a maker space, but I can’t find a link to it.

This link is for item tracking using NFC tags, which is a slightly different application, but it does show how you might do the database back end.

3

@cwdallas, this might be old but useful as well:

4

@rickkas7 & @peekay123

Thank you both! Both linked projects will be helpful in figuring this out. I’m going to go ahead and place an order to get started. I’m assuming a project like this would be a good candidate for a mesh network with endpoints at each tool and an access point for each shop space (or group of 10 tools), right?