Wireless Authentication of Smart Doors using RFID

An “Internet of Things” ApproachAustin Hentrup, Deyi Lu, and Peter Roldan

March 19, 2016

Overview● Goals

● Background

● System Overview

● Cost

● Progress

Project Objectives● To design a door locking system that is convenient, secure, and connected

● To investigate the minimum price of such a system

● To allow the system to be managed remotely and safely

● To investigate the feasibility of RFID as a standard of security for modern

businesses

● Fast and hassle-free to open○ Authentication process takes less than 3s○ No direct contract required

● Easy to install/maintain (fewer locksmith visits)○ Install without replacing current doorknobs○ No battery required○ User permissions can be edited wirelessly

● Simple management of many users● Secure

○ Cards can be terminated remotely○ Door can be overridden manually using existing metal keys○ RFID encryption is to be investigated

● Cost-effective

Goals for an Office Door Locking System

Conventional MethodsMetal Key Magnetic Stripe Card

Pros Commonly Used Commonly Used

Simple Design Cheap

Cons Requires contact and proper orientation

Requires contact and proper orientation

Easy to duplicate Easy to duplicate

Static system Cards wear out over time

Need to change lock when key is stolen

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)● Wireless

○ Reading/writing of data can be done without contact, line-of-sight, or specific key orientation

● Convenient○ Users can open doors quickly and without hassle○ Administrators can easily manage user access rights

and view logs remotely

RFID Door System

RFID Module Block Diagram

Comparison to LMU One Card SystemLMU One Card System Our RFID Authentication System

Read Technology Magnetic Stripe Radio Frequency Identification

Locking Mechanism Onity Door Lock Generic ANSI Electric Strike Plate

Power Supply Battery Line Voltage

Security Proprietary Custom

Server Blackboard Transact Amazon Web Services

Cost per card $0.20 $0.26

Cost per online door $3000 $71

What is Arduino?● Open-source prototyping

platform● Atmega328P Microcontroller

○ Carries out users’ instructions

● Designed with the beginner in mind but flexible for advanced users

● Free and user-friendly software

Yún Shield● Linux Operating System

● Managed by Web GUI, SSH

via LAN or WiFi

● Software & Firmware

Configurable via Network

Electric Strike Plate● The “keeper” blocks the door’s latch bolt which prevents the door from being opened.● When access is granted, pressure is relieved from the “keeper,” and the door can now move.● Supplementary to current metal key and mag-stripe door locks

○ Original keys can be kept as an override.

Electronic Hardware Cost Per DoorProject Parts Cost

RFID Reader $8

Electric Strike Plate $24

Yun Shield $30

Arduino Uno R3 $9

Total $71

A Simple RFID Circuit

Switch Circuit

Arduino Uno 3

LEDs

RC522 RFID Reader

Electric Strike Plate

Reading an RFID Code● Check if a new card is present

● Scan card code

○ RFID Code format: d3 5d 75 85

● Pass information about the card to

Yun

● Yun passes information to AWS

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Server Progress● Created a basic administrator interface for door/client management

○ Created directly with HTML, PHP, MySQL, etc.○ Node.js is used to make HTTP POST requests for communication between Arduino-server○ Aiming for simplicity and functionality

Steps to complete before semester’s end:

● Finalize server-side logic● Bulk-registration of clients● Investigate encryption methods for communication

Final Thoughts● Construction is still underway for the outlined system● RFID is a promising technology that has the ability to become the

backbone of modern business security systems● Current commercial solutions are prohibitively expensive, and these costs

are not justified● The Internet can provide a cheap, secure method for providing

communication between embedded devices

Thank youAny Questions?