Sparkfun Simultaneous RFID Reader Breadboard Connection Help

Sensors NFC & RFID
1

Hello,

I am working on my university senior year project which entails implementing a smart shopping cart using the M6E Nano RFID reader with the aid of the Arduino Uno R3 microcontroller. I am planning on adding an ultrasonic sensor as well as the HC-05 Bluetooth module to make the Serial communication wireless, but I am facing problems connecting them to the reader. Here’s what works so far:

  • Serial communication of the reader through a USB connection using the Arduino shield.

  • I can convert the serial communication to Bluetooth by running the code first through the USB port and then connect the Bluetooth module’s RX and TX pins to the reader’s TX and RX ports, respectively, and finally convert the port the Arduino IDE reads from to the one the Bluetooth module communicates on.

  • I can connect the reader to a breadboard by supplying 5V, GND and connecting pins 2, 3 from the Arduino to the reader’s 2,3 pins.

The problem arises when I try connecting the Bluetooth module to the reader when it is powered through the breadboard; I am not sure of what pins to connect it to. I have not tried connecting the ultrasonic sensor yet but that takes I/O pins so it should not be a problem (I hope).

The few questions that I have are:

  1. If I want to power the Simultaneous RFID Reader through the breadboard, am I doing it the right way as I have aforementioned? If not, what is the correct way to do so?

  2. How can I connect the Bluetooth module to the reader through the breadboard if the reader is connected to the microcontroller through pins 2, 3?

  3. More of a software question: The reading power is assigned in the setup method in all the examples in the Sparkfun library on the Arduino IDE. Can I adjust the reader’s power in the loop based on what functions I need it to perform? I am trying to have the reader scan tags being placed into and out of a shopping cart, however, due to the sheer power of the reader, it just keeps continuously reading whatever is already in the cart, which is fine until I want to remove something from the cart. Let’s say 10.0dBm is enough to cover the dimensions of the cart. That is fine if I am placing things inside of the cart, but if I want to take something out, I would like to reduce the reader’s power to 5.0dBm for instance and limit it’s reading range to control what the reader detects. Is that possible to do, or is the power only declared once in the setup and there is no changing it in the loop?

I am looking forward to getting a response.

Thank you in advance

2

HI

I am not understanding the setup and the need for this setup. I have done a number of projects with this RFID reader and might be able to help. Not to overload this forum I will drop you a personal message.

  1. These connection should do the work.

  2. Need to understand better the setup. Normally I use the RX /TX on an Uno for the USB and nothing else. Then connect the reader with softserial.

  3. From the programming guide Mercury it looks to be possible: Changing Settings During Continuous Reading
    The M6e, Micro/Micro-LTE, and Nano modules support continuous reading. In this mode, a read
    plan is sent to the module and it executes that plan until told to stop. Until this release of firmware

BUT not sure that this was implemented in the Sparkfun Driver. Need to check on that .