Using Read-a-Card for RFID event logging

Many organisations use RFID and contactless smart card technology to identify and track users and objects, and the technology is spreading through different markets and application areas, from buildings access to time and attendance monitoring, and from print management to production line control.

Modern systems tend to use high-frequency technologies such as Mifare and iCode, based on standards such as ISO14443 and ISO15693. Although specialist reader hardware is available for use in high speed production environments, low-cost readers are also available for use on desktop PCs, typically connected via USB and appearing to Windows as a standard smart card reader.

Often there is a need to reliably capture and track events relating to cards or tags and feed this data into other systems for processing or analysis. This might involve logging of users entering a room, items being checked into stock, or assets being issued to users. Writing software to do this can be complex and time-consuming, due to the need to understand the low-level interfacing needed to read and write data via USB smart card readers.

Read-a-Card provides a quick and easy solution to this, by removing all development time and costs, and providing a convenient software platform for logging unique RFID information from cards and tags in a variety of file formats.

Read-a-Card supports most common contactless card technologies as well as readers from a wide range of manufacturers. It also supports multiple readers, enabling a single PC to log events at multiple locations, along with automatic time-stamping and reader identification.