From hardware to software: my experience building RFID-based systems for fuel stations, covering hardware selection, serial communication, and web integration.
Introduction
RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technology has matured significantly, making it accessible for custom projects. I've used it in multiple projects including an automated fuel station system.
Hardware Components
- RFID Reader - RC522 module for card reading
- Microcontroller - Arduino/ESP32 as the bridge
- RFID Tags - Mifare Classic 1K cards
The Bridge: Embedded to Web
The biggest challenge is connecting hardware to your web application. I use serial communication from the microcontroller to a local service, which then communicates with the Laravel backend via REST API.
// Arduino reads RFID card\nString cardUID = readRFID();\n// Send to local API bridge\nHTTPClient http;\nhttp.begin("http://localhost:8000/api/rfid/scan");\nhttp.POST("{\"uid\": \"" + cardUID + "\"}");Security Considerations
RFID cards can be cloned, so never rely solely on the card UID for authentication. Always combine it with additional factors like PIN codes or biometric verification for sensitive applications.