RFID Reader and Tags

serky

Member
Hi All,
 
I have a Wavetrend RX211 and 2 Tags.  I also have an OmniPro II.  I am trying to have one tag trip the reader and therefore open garage 1.  The 2nd tag will trip the reader and open garage door 2.  I have been going through technical support for a few weeks and can't get this accomplished.  I have a Zone and a Flag for each tag.  When Zone 1 is tripped, I want garage 1 to open.  I want zone 1 to stay not ready until the tag leaves the zone for 30 seconds to prevent accidental opening of the doors.
 
 
I have followed the wiring diagram provided to me.  It has terminal 1 out of the reader to + on the Omni zone.  Terminal 2 to the - on the omni.  A resistor goes across terminal 1 and 2 on the reader.  The zone is always secure.  I have tried to swap the + and - too.  I was think maybe the resistor should not go across the terminal 1 & 2.  zone 2 on the omni uses terminal 4 & 5 on the reader.  
 
​Besides the technical issues of getting it to work with the Omni, I can't really get it to work well on its own and the tags.
 
Anyway,  anyone out here ever set up a wave trend reader and tags?
 
Thanks,
 
Jason
 
The first thing I would do is disconnect the wires to the Omni from the RX211, and also the resistor.  Then put an ohmmeter across terminals 1 and 2.  You should get a reading of open/infinite when the tag is out of range.  When the tag comes in range, it should read 0 ohms, or close to it.
 
What resistor value are you using?
 
Do you have the Omni configured for using EOL resistors on the zones?
 
Have you properly configured the tag IDs in the database to turn on the Out0 and and Out1 relays and uploaded the database to the reader?
 
Even is you get it all configured (which is relatively complex) I will tell you with one reader, your results are going to be poor and unreliable. These readers work great when you have a network of readers running, but with one will find that the Wavetrend 433 Mhz tags don't transmit in an omnidirectional fashion, so one day you may detect it at 100 feet and the next day not at all. 
 
If you have Space and an iPhone, get an iBeacon for about $25.  Basically an iBeacon is a Bluetooth LE transmitter that an iPhone can detect. When Space on the iPhone detects the iBeacon, it can perform some action on the Omni.  So your iPhone is the reader, and the iBeacon is the RFID tag.
 
Thanks Coconut.  
 
I tried the Space and Beacon approach.  I put long range Beacons in each car but it would never work.  I used Radius and they would eventually have to be reset. So far the most reliable has been the Space App with geolocation but that is not great either. It is about 50/50 with my 6 plus and less with my wife's 6. Then the garage opening is tied to a specific phone and not a car.  We don't always have the same car or or we might be together and both doors open and the code to prevent this has been long with all sorts of flags and thrown out the window if one of our phones is not detected. So, with both those results being poor, I so decided to try this approach to get better reliability.  
 
What can I do to make the Wavetrend more reliable?  What do people with gates use that make it always open?  
 
Thanks for the help,
 
 
Jason
 
serky said:
Thanks Coconut.  
 
I tried the Space and Beacon approach.  I put long range Beacons in each car but it would never work.  I used Radius and they would eventually have to be reset. So far the most reliable has been the Space App with geolocation but that is not great either. It is about 50/50 with my 6 plus and less with my wife's 6. Then the garage opening is tied to a specific phone and not a car.  We don't always have the same car or or we might be together and both doors open and the code to prevent this has been long with all sorts of flags and thrown out the window if one of our phones is not detected. So, with both those results being poor, I so decided to try this approach to get better reliability.  
 
What can I do to make the Wavetrend more reliable?  What do people with gates use that make it always open?  
 
Thanks for the help,
 
 
Jason
I wish i had better solutions for this.  I used the Wave Trend stuff back many years ago with two receivers, and it was very flaky.  The battery life on the tags was also pretty poor.  With iBeacons, have you tried increasing the power and decreasing the transmit interval? It will impact your battery some but its worth a try. These parameters can typically be changed with software from the iBeacon manufacturer. 
 
I was part of a group evaluating systems used for the gate for my home owners association, and i can tell you, even these systems costing much more than you want to pay are not perfect. Many car's have windows which block their signals.
 
I've heard some people have had good results with cheap RFID systems mad in China, but it all depends on your expectations.
 
I use a simple keyfob that triggers my GE wireless receiver connected to the Omni Pro II. It works well, but you do have to press a button for it to work. (Different keyfobs can trip different zones, so you can tell whose keyfob was pressed.
 
ano said:
use a simple keyfob that triggers my GE wireless receiver connected to the Omni Pro II. It works well, but you do have to press a button for it to work. (Different keyfobs can trip different zones, so you can tell whose keyfob was pressed.
 
That's an excellent suggestion...and that methodology is SAFER. 
 
Using a garage door remote, keyfob, or Flash2Pass module is so much safer than using a happenstance approach to RFID opening (and/or closing) of a garage door, and those button-type methods can still interact with the Omni for whatever else you want it to do. 
 
Using RFID may result in an unwanted or unreliable action if you don't develop a fully engineered solution to account for all the variables.
 
Also, what happens when you switch from Apple - will you no longer be able to open your doors?
 
All is good.  I got it working very reliably.  I was misinformed about the terminal numbers and once I switched the wires, I got it working. Yes, it is more costly than the iBeacons but in my world, it works every time.  By the time my garage is in view, the door is halfway up.  
 
serky said:
All is good.  I got it working very reliably.  I was misinformed about the terminal numbers and once I switched the wires, I got it working. Yes, it is more costly than the iBeacons but in my world, it works every time.  By the time my garage is in view, the door is halfway up.  
Me too. i just press the button on my remote. :rofl:
 
Here for years have left the "cheaper RFID" tags in the headliners of the automobiles powered by the car battery.
 
I do not use them to open the garage door; well never did. 
 
That said did test them to work fine down my court not in sight of the garage door just fine a few months back.
 
I do use the tags for automation events but there is no criticality to the events if that makes any sense? 
 
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