RFID-BASED SECURED ACCESS SYSTEM USING 8051 MICROCONTROLLER

(AT89C51)

Table of Contents
LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... 2
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... 4
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 7
1.0

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 7

1.1

Background ................................................................................................................... 8

1.2

Purpose ......................................................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................. 10

2.0

RFID Fundamentals .................................................................................................... 10

2.1

Reader-Tag Coupling and Communication ................................................................ 12

2.2

Data Coding ................................................................................................................ 14

2.3

Modulation.................................................................................................................. 16

2.4

RFID Security Benefits and Threats ........................................................................... 16

2.5

Related Works ............................................................................................................ 17

CHAPTER 3: THE 8051 MICROCONTROLLER .................................................................. 19

3.0

Overview .................................................................................................................... 19

3.1

Schematic Diagram..................................................................................................... 19

3.2

Circuit Description ..................................................................................................... 20

3.3

Selection of Microcontroller ....................................................................................... 22

3.4

Selection of Liquid Crystal Display ........................................................................... 23

3.5

Selection of MAX 32 .................................................................................................. 24

3.6

PIN Description .......................................................................................................... 24

3.7

Circuit Operation ........................................................................................................ 25

3.8

Microprocessors vs Microcontrollers ......................................................................... 26

CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 27

4.0

Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 27

4.1

Areas of Future Research ........................................................................................... 27

REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 29

LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1 Microcontroller PIN Description .......................................................................................25

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3.1 Schematic Diagram of the Microcontroller-RFID Setup ................................................. 19
Figure 3.2 Circuit Diagram of the Microcontroller-RFID Setup .......................................................20
Figure 3.3 Flowchart showing how data is processed from the RFID tag to the display screen .......23

ABSTRACT
RFID based Secured access system implemented on 8051 microcontroller. This is a very
useful application of RFID (Radio-frequency identification) and is very commonly used in
institutes, offices, homes and so on. An RFID system consists of a reader device and a
transponder. A transponder or tag has a unique serial number which is identified by the reader.
Here RFID has been interfaced with AT89C51 to provide secured access. The relevant messages
are also displayed on a 16x2 LCD.
RFID automated access for door controls to buildings, departments, rooms, secured
closets (wiring, PBX, etc.) and cabinets is very cost effective and secure to use. Many people do
not realize how easy it is to implement card access systems such as card access door or doors
using RFID readers and RFID Cards or key fobs for Secured Access Control Management. You
can even use smart readers for computer rooms and securing individual computers.
In fact access based entrance and exits using access smart technology is rapidly becoming
the way of the future for many businesses, government buildings, hospitals, museums and other
establishments requiring secured but easy to control access solutions. Access based systems use
either 125 kHz RFID or 13.56 MHz RFID readers, cards and key fobs.
Features:

Low power requirement.

Excellent characters appearance.

Reliability.

Lower cost.

In our project we are implementing the RFID based secured access system by using
microcontroller. The system communicates with an administrator PC via a serial
communications link and HyperTerminal. RFID technology is based on the concept of magnetic
coupling, which is the principle that current flowing in one circuit can induce current flow in
another circuit through a magnetic field generated in the space between the circuits.

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.0

Introduction
Automatic Identification (Auto-ID) systems have become commonplace in access control

and security applications, in industries requiring the tracking of products through the supply
chain or manufacturing process, and in industries requiring the identification of products at the
point of sale or point of service. Perhaps the most widely recognized Auto-ID system is the bar
code system developed during the early 1970s. More recently, Radio-Frequency Identification
(RFID) systems have begun to find greater use in automatic identification applications. RFID
systems consist of Radio Frequency (RF) tags, or transponders, and RF tag readers, or
transceivers. The transponders themselves typically consist of integrated circuits connected to an
antenna [1]. The use of silicon-based microchips enables a wide range of functionality to be
integrated into the transponder. Typical functionality ranges from large read/write memories to
integrated temperature sensors to encryption and access control functionality. The transceivers
query the transponders for information stored on them. This information can range from static
identification numbers to user written data to sensory data.
The potential applications for RFID systems are numerous. Consider, for example, supply
chain management applications and the use of EAN-UCC bar codes. Today, over 5 billion bar
codes are scanned daily world-wide [2]. Yet, most bar codes are scanned only once during the
lifetime of the item, namely at the checkout. RFID systems, if strategically deployed, are a single
platform on which a number of supply chain management applications can be simultaneously
implemented, benefiting all parties involved in a commercial transaction: the manufacturers, the
retailers, the users, and even regulatory bodies (such as the Food and Drug Administration
7

(FDA) in the United States). Automated item level inventory identification using RFID systems
will revolutionize supply chain management by enabling applications such as automated realtime inventory monitoring (at the shelf and in the warehouse), automated quality control, and
automatic checkout.
1.1

Background
The significant benefits that an inexpensive, open standards-based RFID system can

provide are widely understood and acknowledged. At the same time, typical low-cost
transponders are priced in the range of US$0.50US$1.00, and RFID systems lack widely
accepted and implemented standards for communication and functionality, thereby limiting their
practical usefulness and keeping their system costs too high for many applications. In order to
achieve significant item-level penetration within most supply chain applications, transponders
will need to be priced well under US$0.10, and preferably under US$0.05. These cost targets
cannot be achieved without a system-level approach that encompasses every aspect of the RFID
technology, from IC design to RF protocols, from reader design to back-end data systems, and
from IC manufacturing to antenna manufacturing. The challenge has been to develop a complete
open standards-based system that enables the design and manufacture of low-cost RFID systems.
1.2

Purpose
The Auto-ID Center, an industry sponsored research center with laboratories at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, Cambridge University, UK, and the University of
Adelaide, AU, has designed, developed, and deployed within a large-scale field trial an open
standards-based system that enables the unique identification of and retrieval of information on
ubiquitously tagged items. The Center, in conjunction with its sponsors, has also undertaken
8

projects to design and manufacture open standard low-cost RFID readers and tags capable of
little more than communicating a unique identifier stored within them. Low-cost tags enable the
tagging and unique identification of virtually all man-made items.
The commercial availability of low-cost, Auto-ID Center standards-based RFID systems
by mid-2003 has poised these systems to be one of the earliest and perhaps most explosive
opportunities in ubiquitous computing. As these systems leave the industrial applications and
enter our daily lives, privacy and security related issues will play an increasingly important role
in their use and ubiquity. The purpose of this thesis is to shed more light on the technology,
challenges, and opportunities ubiquitous RFID systems present to the security and privacy
communities.

CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0

RFID Fundamentals

All RFID systems are comprised of three main components:

The RFID tag, which is located on the object to be identified. This is also the data carrier
in the RFID system.

The RFID reader, which may be able to both read data from and write data to a tag.

The data processing sub-system, which utilizes the data obtained from the reader in a
useful manner.
Tags consist of a microchip that stores data and a coupling element, such as a coiled

antenna, used to communicate via radio frequency communication. Tags may either be active or
passive. Active tags have an on-tag power supply (such as a battery) and actively send an RF
signal for communication while passive transponders obtain all of their power from the
interrogation signal of the reader and either reflect or load modulate the readers signal for
communication. Most tags, both passive and active, communicate only when they are
interrogated by a reader.
RFID readers consist of a radio frequency module, a control unit, and a coupling element
to interrogate electronic tags via radio frequency communication. In addition, many readers are
fitted with an interface that enables them to communicate their received data to a data processing
subsystem, e.g., a database running on a personal computer. The use of radio frequencies for
communication with tags allows RFID readers to read passive RFID tags at small to medium
distances and active RFID tags at small to large distances even when the tags are located in a
hostile environment and are obscured from view.
10

The basic components of an RFID system combine in essentially the same manner for all
applications and variations of RFID systems. All objects to be identified are physically tagged
with tags. The type of tag used and the data stored on the tag varies from application to
application.
Readers are strategically placed to interrogate tags where their data is required. For
example, an RFID-based access control system locates its readers at the entry points to the secure
area. A sports timing system meanwhile, locates its readers at both the starting line and the finish
line of the event. The readers continuously emit an interrogation signal. The interrogation signal
forms an interrogation zone within which the tags may be read. The actual size of the
interrogation zone is a function of the reader and tag characteristics. In general, the greater the
interrogation signal power and the higher the interrogation signal frequency, the larger the
interrogation zone. Sending power to the transponders via the reader-to-tag communication
signal is the bottleneck in achieving large read range with passive tags. Active tags do not suffer
from this drawback; thus, they typically have larger communication ranges than an otherwise
equivalent passive tag.
The readers and tags provide the mechanism for obtaining data (and storing data, in the
case of writable tags) associated with physical objects.
Passive RFID systems are the most promising to provide low-cost ubiquitous tagging
capability with adequate performance for most supply chain management applications. These
low-cost RFID systems are, of necessity, very resource limited, and the extreme cost pressures
make the design of RFID systems a highly coupled problem with sensitive trade-offs. Unlike
other computation systems where it is possible to abstract functionality and think modularly,
almost every aspect of an RFID system affects every other aspect.
11

2.1

Reader-Tag Coupling and Communication

Passive RFID tags obtain their operating power by harvesting energy from the

electromagnetic field of the readers communication signal. The limited resources of a passive
tag require it to both harvest its energy and communicate with a reader within a narrow
frequency band as permitted by regulatory agencies. We denote the center of this frequency band
by f, and we refer to RFID systems operating at frequency f with the understanding that this is
the center frequency of the band within which it operates.
Passive tags typically obtain their power from the communication signal either through
inductive coupling or far field energy harvesting. Inductive coupling uses the magnetic field
generated by the communication signal to induce a current in its coupling element (usually a
coiled antenna and a capacitor). The current induced in the coupling element charges the on-tag
capacitor that provides the operating voltage, and power, for the tag. In this way, inductively
coupled systems behave much like loosely coupled transformers. Consequently, inductive
coupling works only in the near-field of the communication signal. The near field for a frequency
f extends up to 1/(2f ) meters from the signal source.
For a given tag, the operating voltage obtained at a distance d from the reader is directly
proportional to the flux density at that distance. The magnetic field emitted by the reader antenna
decreases in power proportional to 1/d3 in the near field. Therefore, it can be shown that for a
circularly coiled antenna the flux density is maximized at a distance d (in meters) when

where R is the radius of the readers antenna coil. Thus, by increasing R the communication
range of the reader may be increased, and the optimum reader antenna radius R is 1.414 times the
demanded read range d.

12

Far field energy harvesting uses the energy from the interrogation signals far field signal
to power the tag. The far field begins where the near field ends, at a distance of 1/(2 f ) from the
emitting antenna. The signal incident upon the tag antenna induces a voltage at the input
terminals of the tag. This voltage is detected by the RF front-end circuitry of the tag and is used
to charge a capacitor that provides the operating voltage for the tag.
There is a fundamental limitation on the power detected a distance d away from a reader
antenna. In a lossless medium, the power transmitted by the reader decreases as a function of the
inverse square of the distance from the reader antenna in the far field.
A reader communicates with and powers a passive tag using the same signal. The fact
that the same signal is used to transmit power and communicate data creates some challenging
trade-offs. First, any modulation of the signal causes a reduction in power to the tag. Second,
modulating information onto an otherwise spectrally pure sinusoid spreads the signal in the
frequency domain. This spread, referred to as a side band, along with the maximum power
transmitted at any frequency, is regulated by local government bodies in most parts of the world.
These regulations limit the rate of information that can be sent from the reader to the tag. RFID
systems usually operate in free bands known as Industrial-Scientific-Medical (ISM) bands,
where the emitted power levels and the side band limits tend to be especially stringent.
The signaling from the tag to the reader in passive RFID systems is not achieved by
active transmission. Since passive tags do not actively transmit a signal, they do not have a
regulated limit on the rate of information that can be sent from the passive tag to the reader. In
the near field, tag to reader communication is achieved via load modulation. Load modulation is
achieved by modulating the impedance of the tag as seen by the reader. In the far field, tag to
reader communication is achieved via backscatter. Backscatter is achieved by modulating the
13

radar cross-section of the tag antenna. Comprehensive reviews of the operation of tags and
readers are available in [1] and [3].
The powering of and communication with passive tags with the same communication
signal places restrictions on the functionality and transactions the tags are capable of. First, there
is very little power available to the digital portion of the integrated circuit on the tag. This limits
the functionality of the tag. Second, the length of transactions with the tag is limited to the time
for which the tag is expected to be powered and within communication range. Governmental
regulations can further limit communication timings. In the US in the 915 MHz ISM band,
regulations require that, under certain operating conditions, the communication frequency change
every 400 micro seconds. Since every change in frequency may cause loss of communication
with a tag, transponders must not be assumed to communicate effectively for longer than 400
micro seconds. Finally, it is important to minimize state information required in passive tags. In
many practical situations, power supplied to the tag may be erratic, and any long-term reliance
on state in the tag may lead to errors in the operation of a communication protocol.
2.2

Data Coding
The data, consisting of ones and zeroes, communicated between tags and readers must be

sent in a reliable manner. There are two critical steps to reliable communication, the encoding of
the data and the transmission of the encoded data, that is, the modulation of the communication
signal. The combination of coding and modulation schemes determines the bandwidth, integrity,
and tag power consumption.
The coding and modulation used in RFID communications is limited by the power and
modulation/demodulation capabilities of the tags. Another limiting factor is the bandwidth
occupied by the signal. Readers are capable of transmitting at high power but are limited to
14

narrow communication bands by communications regulations; therefore, the encoding used from
reader to tag usually needs to occupy a low bandwidth. Passive tags, however, do not actively
transmit a signal; therefore, the encoding used for tag to reader communication can occupy a
high bandwidth.
There are two broad categories of codes used in RFID: level codes and transition codes.
Level codes represent the bit with their voltage level. Transition codes capture the bit as a change
in level. Level codes, such as Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) and Return-to-Zero (RZ), tend to be
history independent; however, they are not very robust. Transition codes can be history
dependent, and they can be robust.
The simplest code is Pulse Pause Modulation (PPM) in which the length between pulses
is used to convey the bit. PPM codes provide low bit rates but occupy only a small bandwidth
and are very easy to implement. In addition, these encodings can be adapted easily to ensure
uninterrupted power supply since the signal does not change for long periods of time. The
Manchester code is a higher bandwidth transition code that represents a 1 as a negative transition
at the half period and a 0 as a positive transition at a half period. The Manchester Code provides
for efficient communication since the bit rate is equal to the bandwidth of the communication.
In RFID, the coding technique must be selected with three considerations in mind:

The code must maintain power to the tag as much as possible,

The code must not consume too much bandwidth, and

The code must permit the detection of collisions.

15

The collision detection ability of a code is discussed further in Section 2.5. Depending on
the bandwidth available, most RFID systems use PPM or PWM to communicate from reader to
tag and Manchester or NRZ to communicate from tag to reader.
2.3

Modulation
The data coding scheme determines how the data is represented in a continuous stream

of bits. How that stream of bits is communicated between the tag and the reader is determined by
the modulation scheme. For convenience, RF communications typically modulate a high
frequency carrier signal to transmit the baseband code. The three classes of digital modulation
are Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK), Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) and Phase Shift Keying
(PSK). The choice of modulation is based on power consumption, reliability requirements, and
bandwidth requirements. All three forms of modulation may be used in the return signal although
ASK is most common in load modulation at 13.56 MHz, and PSK is most common in
backscatter modulation.
A problem unique to RFID systems is the vast difference in power between the signal
outgoing from the reader and that returning to the reader as reflected from the tag. In some
situations, this difference may be in the range of 8090 dB [1], and the return signal may be
impossible to detect. To avoid this problem, the return signal is sometimes modulated onto a subcarrier, which is then modulated on to the carrier. For example, in the ISO 15693 standard for
RFID, a sub-carrier of 13.56/32 (= 423.75 KHz) is used.
2.4

RFID Security Benefits and Threats

Universally deploying RFID tags offers many potential security benefits, yet may expose

new privacy threats. Otherwise intrusive or cumbersome security practices, such as airline
16

passenger and baggage tracking, can be made practical by using RFID systems. Authentication
systems already take advantage of RFID technology, for example car keyless entry systems.
Embedding RFID tags as seals of authenticity in documents, designer products, and currency
may discourage forgery. While RFID tags improve certain security properties in these
applications, they may exacerbate privacy threats or pose new security risks.
RFID systems are different from other means of identification because RF
communication is non-contact and non-line-of-sight, whereas other means of identification are
either contact-based or require line-of-sight. In other words, it is more difficult for the owner of
the RF tag to physically impede communication with the tag. The promiscuity of RF tags is not
unique; magnetic stripe cards, for example, are promiscuous, but we assume that the owner of
the card takes the physical responsibility of preventing unauthorized users from physically
accessing the card. The propagation characteristics of electromagnetic fields do limit the range
from which passive RFID cards can be read. In fact, most tags operating at 13.56 MHz cannot be
read from more than a meter away, and 915 MHz tags are difficult to read through most
materials. Yet, as the information stored on the tag becomes more and more valuable, it is
necessary to think through some of the security and privacy related issues in RFID.
2.5

Related Works
The contactless interface and constrained computational resources of RFID devices

present a unique set of characteristics most closely related to smart cards. Many relevant lessons
may be learnt from the wealth of smart card and tamper resistant hardware research. [4]
discusses a range of smart card protocols and analyzes cost and security trade-offs. Many RFID
tags will operate in hostile environments and may be subject to intense physical attacks and
countermeasures. Several specific lower cost physical attacks are detailed in [5] and are part of
17

ongoing research at the University of Cambridges TAMPER Lab [6]. Many results pertaining to
implementation of cryptographic primitives on smart cards apply to RFIDs. Cautionary
information regarding implementation of AES in smart cards appears in [7]. Being contactless
and passively powered may make RFID devices especially susceptible to fault induction or
power analysis attacks. Both [8] and [9] highlight many of these issues in cryptographic devices.

18

CHAPTER 3
THE 8051 MICROCONTROLLER
3.0

Overview
Microcontrollers as the name suggests are small controllers. They are like single chip

computers that are often embedded into other systems to function as processing/controlling unit
[10]. For example the remote control you are using probably has microcontrollers inside that do
decoding and other controlling functions. They are also used in automobiles, washing machines,
microwave ovens, toys ... etc, where automation is needed.
Embedded system means the processor is embedded into the required application. An
embedded product uses a microprocessor or microcontroller to do one task only [11]. In an
embedded system, there is only one application software that is typically burned into ROM.
Example: printer, keyboard, video game player. Figure 3.1 shows the schematic diagram of the
microcontroller-RFID setup used in this project.
3.1

Schematic Diagram

Figure 3.1 Schematic Diagram of the Microcontroller-RFID Setup

19

3.2

Circuit Description

3.2.1 Design
The main intension of this project is to design a RFID based Secured access system using
8051 microcontroller (AT89C51). In order to fulfill this application there are few steps that has
been performed i.e.
1) Designing the power supply for the entire circuitry.
2) Selection of microcontroller that suits our application.
3) Selection of LCD
4) Selection of MAX 232
5) Selection of RFID MODULE
Complete studies of all the above points are useful to develop this project. Figure 3.2
shows the circuit diagram of the microcontroller-RFID setup used in this project.

Figure 3.2 Circuit Diagram of the Microcontroller-RFID Setup

20

3.2.2 Power Supply

In-order to work with any components basic requirement is power supply. In this section
there is a requirement one voltage level i.e. 5V DC power supply.
Now the aim is to design the power supply section which converts 230V AC in to 5V
DC. Since 230V AC is too high to reduce it to directly 5V DC, therefore we need a step-down
transformer that reduces the line voltage to certain voltage that will help us to convert it in to a
5V DC. Considering the efficiency factor of the bridge rectifier, we came to a conclusion to
choose a transformer, whose secondary voltage is 3 to 4 V higher than the required voltage i.e.
5V. For this application 0-9V transformers is used, since it is easily available in the market.
The output of the transformer is 9V AC; it feed to rectifier that converts AC to pulsating
DC. As we all know that there are 3 kind of rectifiers that is
1) Half wave
2) Full wave and
3) Bridge rectifier
Here we short listed to use Bridge rectifier, because half wave rectifier has we less in
efficiency. Even though the efficiency of full wave and bridge rectifier are the same, since there
is no requirement for any negative voltage for our application, we gone with bridge rectifier.
Since the output voltage of the rectifier is pulsating DC, in order to convert it into pure DC we
use a high value (1000UF/1500UF) of capacitor in parallel that acts as a filter. The most easy
way to regulate this voltage is by using a 7805 voltage regulator, whose output voltage is
constant 5V DC irrespective of any fluctuation in line voltage.

21

3.3

Selection of Microcontroller
As we know that there so many types of micro controller families that are available in the

market. These are:

1) 8051 Family
2) AVR microcontroller Family
3) PIC microcontroller Family
4) ARM Family
Basic 8051 family is enough for our application; hence we are not concentrating on
higher end controller families. In order to fulfill our application basic that is AT89C51 controller
is enough. But still we selected AT89S52 controller because of inbuilt ISP (in system
programmer) option [12]. There are minimum six requirements for proper operation of
microcontroller. Those are:
1) Power supply section
2) Pull-ups for ports (it is must for PORT0)
3) Reset circuit
4) Crystal circuit
5) ISP circuit (for program dumping)
6) EA/VPP pin is connected to Vcc.
Port 0 is open collector thats why we are using pull-up resistor which makes PORT0 as
an I/O port. Reset circuit is used to reset the microcontroller. Crystal circuit is used for the
microcontroller for timing pluses. In this project we are not using external memory thats why
EA/VPP pin in the microcontroller is connected to Vcc that indicates internal memory is used for
this application.
22

3.4

Selection of Liquid Crystal Display

A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a thin, flat panel used for electronically displaying

information such as text, images, and moving pictures. Its uses include monitors for computers,
televisions, instrument panels, and other devices ranging from aircraft cockpit displays, to everyday consumer devices such as video players, gaming devices, calculators, and telephones [13].
Among its major features are its lightweight construction, its portability, and its ability to
be produced in much larger screen sizes than are practical for the construction of cathode ray
tube (CRT) display technology. Its low electrical power consumption enables it to be used in
battery-powered electronic equipment. It is an electronically-modulated optical device made up
of any number of pixels filled with liquid crystals and arrayed in front of a light source
(backlight) or reflector to produce images in color or monochrome. The earliest discovery
leading to the development of LCD technology, the discovery of liquid crystals, dates from 1888.
Figure 3.3 shows how the LCD is incorporated into the project in order to display the
results of the RFID reader and microcontroller data processing.

Figure 3.3 Flowchart showing how data is processed from the

RFID tag to the display screen.

23

3.5

Selection of MAX 32
The MAX232 IC is used to convert the TTL/CMOS logic levels to RS232 logic levels

during serial communication of microcontrollers with PC. The controller operates at TTL logic
level (0-5V) whereas the serial communication in PC works on RS232 standards (-25 V to +
25V). This makes it difficult to establish a direct link between them to communicate with each
other.
The intermediate link is provided through MAX232. It is a dual driver/receiver that
includes a capacitive voltage generator to supply RS232 voltage levels from a single 5V supply.
Each receiver converts RS232 inputs to 5V TTL/CMOS levels. These receivers (R & R ) can
1

accept 30V inputs. The drivers (T & T ), also called transmitters, convert the TTL/CMOS
1

input level into RS232 level.

3.6

PIN Description

Table 3.1

Microcontroller PIN Description

PIN

SYMBOL

I/O

DESCRIPTION

1
2
3
4

VSS
VCC
VEE
RS

---I

R/W

6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

EN
DB0
DB1
DB2
DB3
DB4
DB5
DB6
DB7

I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O

Ground
+5V power supply
Power supply to control contrast
RS=0 to select command register
RS=1 to select data register
R/W=0 for write
R/W=1 for read
Enable
The 8-bit data bus
The 8-bit data bus
The 8-bit data bus
The 8-bit data bus
The 8-bit data bus
The 8-bit data bus
The 8-bit data bus
The 8-bit data bus

24

3.7

Circuit Operation
The RFID tag is used as an identity for a particular user. If the identity (serial number of the

tag) of the user is matched with the one already stored in this system, he gets immediate access
through it. This RFID based secured access system also has many additional features. For example, a
new user can register himself with the system. A registered user can also withdraw his entry from the
system. These features can be accessed by pressing a tactile switch connected to the microcontroller.
In beginning, the user is prompted to scan his tag or ID. The serial code of the tag is
identified by the reader module and is sent to AT89C51 for checking. If the ID is matched by the
microcontroller, the user gets the access. On the contrary, if the tag is not identified, a message
(Wrong ID) is displayed on LCD screen.
A new user needs to press the switch to register after which his identity is verified twice with
RFID tag. The new record is stored by the microcontroller to grant future access. The system also
shows Error if the tags do not match during verification. An existing user can delete his record by
pressing the same switch. Again the verification is carried out and the user is deleted if the IDs
match. If a different tag is scanned through the reader, LCD displays you have shown different ID.
When an RFID tag comes in this range, the reader detects it and sends a unique code of the
tag serially. This serial code, consisting of 12 bytes, is received by the microcontroller. This code is
treated as an ID for the user and is stored as an array in the microcontroller. If the ID is matched with
this code, the user is granted access though the system. For more details on working and connections
of the circuit, refer RFID interfacing through serial interrupt.

25

3.8

Microprocessors vs Microcontrollers

Microprocessor:

CPU is stand-alone, RAM, ROM, I/O and timer are separate

Designer can decide on the amount of ROM, RAM and I/O ports.

Expensive.

Versatility general-purpose.

Microcontroller:

CPU, RAM, ROM, I/O and timer are all on a single chip.

Fix amount of on-chip ROM, RAM, I/O ports.

For applications in which cost, power and space are critical.

Single-purpose.

26

CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION
4.0

Conclusion
In our project we implemented the RFID-based secured access system by using

microcontroller. The designed system communicates with an administrator PC via a serial

communications link and HyperTerminal. Some fundamental concepts of RFID technology were
also discussed and areas of future research are highlighted below.
4.1

Areas of Future Research

While this project partially satisfies some desired security properties, more secure

implementations require several developments. One key line of research is the further
development and implementation of low cost cryptographic primitives. These include hash
functions, random number generators and both symmetric and public key cryptographic
functions. Low cost hardware implementations must minimize circuit area and power
consumption without adversely affecting computation time. RFID security may benefit from
both improvements to existing systems and from new designs. More expensive RFID devices
already offer symmetric encryption and public key algorithms such as NTRU [14, 15].
Adaptation of these algorithms for the low cost ($0.05 - $0.10), passive RFID devices should be
a reality in the near future.
Protocols utilizing these cryptographic primitives must be resilient to power interruption
and fault induction. Compared to smart cards, RFID tags possess more vulnerabilities to these
types of attacks. Protocols must account for disruption of wireless channels or communication

27

hijack attempts. Tags themselves must gracefully recover from power loss or communication
interruption without compromising security.
Continually improving technology will steadily blur the line between RFID devices,
smart cards and ubiquitous computers. Research benefiting the security of RFID devices will
help pave the way for a universal, secure ubiquitous computing system. Developments related to
RFID tags and other embedded systems may all contribute to the creation of a robust and secure
infrastructure offering many exciting potential applications.

28

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