RFID Smart Home: Access Control and Automated-Lighting System

Final Report RFID Smart Home: Access Control and Automated-Lighting System ECE4007 Senior Design Project Section L02, RFID Smart_Home Team Phillip ...
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Final Report

RFID Smart Home: Access Control and Automated-Lighting System

ECE4007 Senior Design Project

Section L02, RFID Smart_Home Team Phillip Robinson, Team Leader David Meyers Nazar Trilisky Jared Santinelli

Submitted December 8, 2008

Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………………………………………………………………………………...…………………………………………………….iii 1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 OBJECTIVE...............................................................................................................................................................1 1.2 MOTIVATION ...........................................................................................................................................................2 1.3 BACKGROUND..........................................................................................................................................................2 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOALS ................................................................................................................... 3 3. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 4 RFID AUTHENTICATION...................................................................................................................................................5 MICROCONTROLLER AND ELECTRONICS...............................................................................................................................6 4. DESIGN APPROACH AND DETAILS ...................................................................................................................... 7 4.1 DESIGN APPROACH ...................................................................................................................................................7 4.2 CODES AND STANDARDS ..........................................................................................................................................10 4.3 CONSTRAINTS, ALTERNATIVES, AND TRADEOFFS ...........................................................................................................11 5. SCHEDULE, TASKS, AND MILESTONES .............................................................................................................. 13 6. PROJECT DEMONSTRATION ............................................................................................................................. 14 7. MARKETING AND COST ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................... 16 7.1 MARKETING ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................................................16 7.2 COST ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................................................................18 8. SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................................... 21 FUTURE IMPLEMENTATIONS ...........................................................................................................................................21 9. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 APPENDIX A. NON-REOCCURRING COSTS ............................................................................................................ 24 APPENDIX B. ESTIMATED COST OF A PRODUCT UNIT’S PARTS ............................................................................. 25 APPENDIX C. REOCCURRING COSTS ..................................................................................................................... 26 APPENDIX D. ACTUAL PROTOTYPE BILL OF MATERIALS (BOM) ............................................................................ 27 APPENDIX E. MAIN MODULE SCHEMATIC ............................................................................................................ 28 APPENDIX F. ROOM MODULE SCHEMATIC .......................................................................................................... 29

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The RFID Smart Home system is an access control and automated-lighting system that provides ID-based entry into a building and triggers the activation of a user-matched lighting scheme. This system uses an RFID authentication protocol to communicate with a microcontroller that releases an electric door strike for access and turns on a set of lights corresponding to the pre-determined path of the user. The key components of the project include three RFID readers, an ICOP eBox-2300 computer, and a Cypress microcontroller. The RFID Smart Home system is designed for Multiple Dwelling Units (MDUs) and office buildings where implementation of a secure, energy efficient entry system is desired. Using an electronic door strike provides convenience of hands-free access. The unique identification of the entrant using passive RFID tags permits tracking of individuals entering and exiting the premises. Creating a user-specific lighting scheme is energy efficient because it allows unused lights to be turned off. The outcome of the project is a prototype system including an entrance/exit module and a room module. The prototype demonstrated correct identification of RFID tags and appropriately granted or denied entry into the main door. It illuminated correct lights along the path to the user’s room for 30 seconds. When the room unit identified an authorized user, the PV switch and the integrated motion detector controlled a foyer light. Upon exiting, the motion detector also turned on hallway lights for 27 seconds. The parts for the prototype cost $688.90. A typical installation of the system in a 50-room building will be priced at roughly $43,270. Additional prototype cycles should be completed to investigate the use of wireless technology and the integration with security, audio/video, and HVAC systems.

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RFID Smart Home: Access Control and Automated-Lighting System 1. INTRODUCTION The RFID Smart Home system is an access control and automated-lighting system that provides ID-based entry into a building and triggers the activation of a user-matched lighting scheme. This system uses an RFID authentication protocol to communicate with a microcontroller that releases an electric door strike for access and turns on a set of lights corresponding to the pre-determined path of the user. The complete project included three RFID readers, an ICOP eBox-2300 computer, a Cypress microcontroller, two electric door strikes, relays, a photovoltaic (PV) switch, light bulbs, a motion detector, and a timer circuit, along with necessary cables and basic circuit elements. The project’s design contains an aspect of a previous Georgia Tech ECE Senior Design project from Fall 2006. The previous project simply used RFID to allow electronic access to a door. The implementation of an identification-based lighting scheme will allow for building operators to save electricity and money by only turning on necessary lights and provide increased security by tracking individuals on the building property.

1.1 Objective The purpose of RFID Smart Home is to automate entry into Multiple Dwelling Units (MDUs) and office buildings using RFID technology. This technology will be used in order to customize lighting conditions based on the individual who is attempting entry. Also, requiring the user to be authenticated upon entrance and exit at main entry points will allow for the monitoring of individuals entering and exiting the premises. The RFID Smart Home will primarily be purchased and installed by builders and developers of MDUs and offices, although it can be adapted to single family residences. RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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1.2 Motivation The use of RFID for access control is becoming popular because it can remove the manual aspect of entry involved with keys, keypads, and magnetic stripe cards. Using RFID for entrance into a building not only increases convenience, but also allows for tracking of who has entered the building premises at a given time. By using RFID to uniquely identify users upon entry and exit, building security is increased. Implementing adaptable lighting based on the user requesting entry and on the present natural light conditions allows lights to be turned off when they normally would be left on in the absence of an occupant. For example, if it is dark just inside the door when an individual enters the unit, the entry light automatically turns on upon entrance, eliminating the need to manually turn the light on or leave it on while the individual is away. Removing the need to leave such a light on will reduce the amount of electricity used, which enables both the user and building complex to save money. Currently, no widely available systems exist for MDUs, which combine electronic access control and user identification with a lighting automation scheme. Combining these two technologies creates a more complete entry system for residential and office buildings.

1.3 Background The electronic access control industry has been shifting from basic systems to more complex mechanisms. In the past, keys, keypads, and magnetic stripe cards were used simply to open doors. These technologies are being phased out as more sophisticated systems such as smart cards and biometrics provide more security and more functionality like tracking of individuals entering and exiting buildings [1]. HID Corporation is a major competitor in access control for apartments and offices. The company implements systems that use magnetic stripe

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cards, Wiegand swipe cards, and RFID contactless cards. All three of these cards contain similar binary data, but use different interfaces between the card and the reader [2]. A previous project was completed that used RFID to automate entry through a door. This project used an RFID authentication system to communicate with a microcontroller, which unlocked an electric door strike if access was permitted [3]. The Smart Home system includes similar functionality of this previous project as well as supporting automated lighting. Home automation systems, or domotics, have the goal of minimizing human labor while focusing on aspects such as security and environmental control [4]. Products are on the market that can adjust systems such as lighting, climate, audio, and video, such as the Cortexa My Home, which allows users to control these systems from one location [5]. Typically these automation systems require manual user input or make adjustments on a schedule, whether it is a learned schedule or pre-programmed timing. IVCi sells a system specifically dealing with the automation of lighting. Pre-set lighting conditions can be stored, but still require the user to select the desired setting [6].

2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOALS The RFID Smart Home prototype was proposed to contain the following key attributes: 

Automated entry and identification using RFID



Electric door strikes



Automatic hallway lighting



Need-based foyer lighting with motion detector turn off



Occupant tracking



Prototype price less than $500

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The primary goal of the RFID Smart Home product is to provide an electronic access control system that will automate entry to a building, identify the entrants and turn on specified lights. Upon proper authorization by the ICOP eBox computer at a main entry point, a microcontroller triggers an electric door strike, allowing the individual to open the door and a sequence of lights in the hallway corresponding to the entering user to be turned on. The entrance and exit of these individuals is monitored within the authorization point for security purposes by means of a GUI and a log file. When the occupant reaches his/her specific door, RFID readers and electric door strikes are again used to allow electronic access into the room. If the natural illumination directly inside the room is insufficient, a light is triggered on. These lights then stay on until a motion detector determines the light is no longer necessary and triggers them to turn off. When leaving, the occupant activates the motion detector, which triggers the timer circuit, turning the hallway lights on for 27 s so the individual can exit the building under appropriately lighted conditions. The prototype was a simulation environment consisting of a main door, a hallway, and a room. A series of tests were performed to demonstrate the prototype met all of the above functional attributes. However, the actual prototype cost was $688.90 due to a more complete inventory list.

3. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS The RFID tag, in conjunction with the Phidget RFID reader, was used for keyless access to a building. The reader communicated with the ICOP eBox, which interfaced with the microcontroller, energizing the door strike and designated lights within the building. The relays served as an interface between the low voltage signals and 120 VAC line power.

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RFID Authentication The Phidget RFID reader received data from the passive RFID tag, communicating with the eBox via USB. The eBox, in turn, compared the read tag against a known list of tag IDs. Specifications for the RFID reader and eBox can be found in Table 1, which shows that it is important for the user to pay attention to component spacing. The eBox was within 1.5 meters of the RFID readers when using non-active USB cables. The Phidget readers should also be spaced out by roughly two feet. Table 1. RFID and EBOX Specifications

Item

Proposed Specs.

Actual Specs.

Description

RFID Tag

EM4102 protocol

EM4102 protocol

Specifies tag to be passive, read only with frequency of 125 kHz

RFID Read Range RFID Reader Spacing

3-4 inches

Typical range for passive RFID

1 meter

0.5-4 inches vert. 0.5-2 inches horiz. 18-24 inches

Read Update Rate

30 updates/sec

30 updates/sec

Maximum number of RFID reads per second

USB 1.1, 2.0

USB 2.0

Protocol for eBox and RFID readers

5 meters

1.5 meters

Maximum length of USB connection before signal power is insufficient

128 MB 3 2

128 MB 3 2

SDRAM size for eBox Number of USB ports Number of serial ports

USB Connection ICOP eBox

Necessary spacing to prevent interference between readers

Three USB ports on the eBox exactly matched the number needed for RFID readers. To support more readers, a USB hub would have to be implemented. A major difference between the proposed and actual specifications was that the distance between RFID readers was better than the expected specs, with no interference occurring for spacing as small as 18-24 in. When approaching an RFID reader a user must place the RFID tag within four inches of the reader to ensure proper detection. Upon validation, the eBox keeps the doors unlocked for five seconds RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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and turns the hallway lights on for 30 s. In a real deployment of the RFID Smart Home the timing for the hallway lights should be extended so that the user has ample time to get to his/her room.

Microcontroller and Electronics The microcontroller communicated with the eBox via an RS-232 connection. The program in the microcontroller determined the appropriate outputs, activating a set of relays that controlled the door strikes and lights. The specifications of these components can be found below in Table 2. Table 2. Microcontroller and Electrical Component Specifications

Item

Proposed Specs.

Actual Specs.

Description

RS-232 input

RS-232 input

80 mA max IOH budget

80 mA max IOH budget

5 – 12 VDC output 5.1 VDC output

Standard serial interface for communication When the voltage on I/O pins is high the maximum current output from all high I/O pins should be less than 80 mA Signal output used to drive relays

Timer Circuit

30 s

27s

RC circuit timing characteristic

Door Strike

7.3V DC

7.3V DC

Relay Operation

80 - 100 %

80 - 100 %

Operating voltage needed to unlock door strike Operating voltage range for relay

Microcontroller

Caution should be taken not to exceed the maximum current for the microcontroller. As stated in Table 2, the combined current for all high I/O pins should be less than 80 mA. The worst case current through the pins had to be calculated for when all pins were in use. This maximum combined current drawn was ensured to be less than 80 mA. The expected specifications in Table 2 matched the actual specifications, with the microcontroller high output voltage being 5.1 VDC from the possible range of 5-12 VDC output voltages. This output voltage depends on the difference between the microcontroller’s Vdd and Vss. The timing characteristic of the RC circuit was anticipated to be 30 s. Using available resistor and capacitor RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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values with a tolerance of ±5 and ±10 percent, respectively, the actual timing characteristic was 27 s. This timing characteristic means the hallway lights remained on for 27 s when a user was simulated to exit the room.

4. DESIGN APPROACH AND DETAILS 4.1 Design Approach The RFID Smart Home system merges a passive RFID reader/tag system interfaced with locks and light automation via an eBox and microcontroller that manage access depending on the tag ID. An overview of the RFID Smart Home system can be seen in Figure 1 below. The red blocks symbolize the entrance/exit module, which is placed at main access points. The green blocks represent the room module, which can be replicated for every unit in the building. The majority of the processing takes place in the eBox and microcontroller. A standard single pole single throw wall switch is replaced with a double pole double throw (three-position) switch so the user can select whether the lights are controlled by the RFID Smart Home system or manually.

Figure 1. Overview of RFID Smart Home system layout.

The EM4102 RFID tag, which contains a 64 bit identification code, is read by the USB powered Phidget RFID reader. The tag must be placed within four inches of the RFID reader and is read via inductive coupling. Data is then transported to the eBox using a USB cable. RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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Additional active USB cables can be connected in series with the standard USB to increase the distance the reader can be from the eBox to greater than five meters. A C# program is run on the eBox to detect the data signal from the Phidget reader. The program then determines which Phidget reader is activated and interprets the tag’s data, which is compared against predetermined values. If the data matches one of the predetermined values, the user is considered valid and a signal is sent to the microcontroller to activate the appropriate lights and door strike. Each time a valid tag is read a thread is created that will turn on a light or unlock a door, sleep 30 s for a light or five seconds for a door, then turn off the light or lock the door. If a user is invalid and the door is not already locked, the door will immediately be relocked. The C# program contains two methods of monitoring accesses. For every access attempt, valid or invalid, a time-stamped entry is added to a log file on the eBox providing user information, tag ID, and which door is used. Figure 2 shows a screenshot of the GUI, which updates real-time displaying tag ID, tag validity, and whether the user is on or off the premises. The image in the right of Figure 2 shows the status of the doors and lights in real-time.

Figure 2. Screen shot of GUI. RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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The microcontroller receives the signal over a serial cable from the eBox using the RX8 module. The microcontroller is programmed using C to receive capital or lower case ASCII letters from the eBox. Each letter corresponds to a light or door strike and the case corresponds to whether the light or door strike is triggered, capital meaning on/open and lower case meaning off/closed. The microcontroller then sends a 5.1 VDC signal through a BJT to energize the coil of the double pole double throw relay. The prototype’s main door, room door, three hallway lights, and one foyer light are energized by the microcontroller. The main module schematic shown in Appendix E shows that the output of each pin in the microcontroller is fed into the bases of 2N3904 NPN BJTs. Each BJT is used to ground one of the DC contact pins on a relay. When a microcontroller pin is low, the BJT does not conduct and the relay is off. When a pin goes high, the BJT starts to conduct, thus grounding one of the DC contact pins. Grounding creates a 12 VDC differential across the relay, thus turning it on. Each relay is in series with a circuit that either supplies 120 VAC to lights or 12 VDC to door strikes. Activating a relay either turns a light on or opens a door. The room module serves two purposes: controlling the foyer light upon entry and the hallway lights upon exiting. Appendix F shows the schematic for the room module. The module takes into account the amount of light and motion in addition to the microcontroller output. The motion detector outputs a 4 VDC signal, which triggers the RC timing circuit that has the 100 uF capacitor and 270 kΩ resistor. The timing characteristic of the circuit, which is currently set to 27 s, can be adjusted by changing the capacitor and/or resistor value. The RC circuit feeds into a unity gain operation amplifier circuit, which provides isolation from the BJT. The BJT, in turn, triggers the relay, keeping it on for 27 s. For the foyer light to turn on, the user must be entering his or her room. Entry into the room is recognized when a tag is scanned at the room RFID

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reader. Once it is known that the user is entering, the conditions of insufficient light and existing motion have to be met for the foyer light to turn on. The amount of light in the room is detected using a photovoltaic switch. The hallway lights leading from the room to the main entrance turn on when the room module’s motion detector is triggered.

4.2 Codes and Standards The RFID Smart Home design team utilized the following standards to create the prototype: Phidget RFID Reader (EM4102)   

EM4102 RFID tags are created with an EM4102 chip CMOS integrated circuit for use in Read-Only RF transponders Chip sends back 64 bits of data contained in a programmable memory array

USB Cable (USB 1.1, USB 2.0)  

USB x.x cable is a male/male cable Maximum length of five meters

ICOP eBox (C# API )   

C# program processes data from the Phidget RFID reader Sends ASCII output to the microcontroller Compact .NET Framework for Windows CE The EM4102 standard was used to interface the Phidget RFID reader with the eBox.

Read only passive tags were used to transmit the 64 bits of information used to identify the user. Three standard 1.5 meter USB cables were used to build the prototype. Active USB cables were not used with the prototype but will be needed for a full-scale implementation of the product. In the proposal the C programming language was suggested, but due to a lack of available libraries and sample code the RFID controller program was written in C#. Serial Cable (RS-232) 

Pin #5 (GND) of the serial cable supplies ground to the microcontroller

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Data is transmitted on Pin #3 (DTX) from the eBox

Cypress Microcontroller (C API)  

C is used to program the microcontroller Controls the relays & switches

Relays & Switches (NEMA: ICS 2-2000 (R2005))  

NEMA standard of controllers, contactors and overload relays NEMA standard of power capacities of the relays. switches. Only pin 3 (DTX) and pin 5 (GND) of the straight-through RS-232 serial cable were

used. C was used to program the microcontroller because of the available libraries and sample code. The above NEMA standard was used to verify coil resistance as well as the maximum current and voltage rating of the relays and switches. The entrance/exit and room modules were created based on tolerances for low voltage controllers described in the NEMA standard.

4.3 Constraints, Alternatives, and Tradeoffs Constraints Phidget reader cost of $56 is the biggest constraint of the RFID Smart Home. The entrance module contains two RFID readers and an additional reader is needed to automate each additional room. The production costs of the entrance module are approximately $471.31 and the production costs of each additional room module are approximately $275.34. As the system production cost rises with the automation of additional rooms, the product becomes less marketable. The distance between the Phidget reader and the eBox is limited to five meters, using a standard USB cable. By using active USB cables, the distance can be extended to 25 meters by connecting a standard USB cable with four active USB cables. Each additional active USB cable increases the product cost by $20.

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RFID reader interference is another constraint. Destructive interference may occur if multiple readers are placed within 18-24 inches of each other. Thus, the entrance RFID reader and the exit RFID reader must be strategically placed to limit this effect. Alternatives  Door strike vs. Electromagnetic lock Electromagnetic locks are an alternative method to electronically control door access. The advantage of this system is that the electromagnet can be bolted on to any existing door and the frame of the doorway does not have to be modified. The disadvantage to this system is that the electromagnet requires a constant supply of power and during power outages the door is unlocked. The door strike used by the RFID Smart Home only requires power during the unlock cycle, and remains locked during power outages.  USB vs. Serial port eBox limitations Using a serial port I/O signals, 0 - 12V, can be transmitted directly to the eBox using a wire. The eBox only has one serial port which is used to interface to the microcontroller. The eBox contains three USB ports, which can process 0-5 V I/O signals. A USB hub can be used to increase the number of USB ports. The number of serial inputs is limited to the number of ports on the eBox. Trade-offs  Wireless (Broadband Router) vs. Wired (USB) The extended range between the RFID reader and the eBox is the advantage of using a wireless connection. The eBox is already set up for a wireless connection, but the Phidget readers are not. A wireless interface would have to be connected to each Phidget reader, increasing production cost. A wired method of communicating is less prone to interference, but is limited by distance.  Unlocking a door: RFID access vs. Key access Using a standard key to open a door takes less technical knowledge, and a key can be cheaply and easy replaced at a local hardware store. The disadvantages of using a key are that a key wears out over time, it can be easily duplicated, the lock can be broken, and the correct key can be difficult to find on a keychain. A passive RFID tag is cheap, may last longer, is distinguishable from keys, and does not require the turn of a door handle.

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5. SCHEDULE, TASKS, AND MILESTONES The Gantt chart in Figure 3 shows the tasks and milestones for the project.

Figure 3. Gantt chart outlining project schedule. RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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Figure 3 also shows who was responsible for each task, although other group members often assisted on unassigned tasks. The project was broken up into three major milestones, the electrical circuitry, the microcontroller, and the RFID authentication. The proposed schedule was based on the idea that each subsystem would be designed, built or programmed, then tested before integrating the whole system. Each subsystem could not be broken down so simply and some integration took place while also testing the subsystem. The major delays were in the programming of the eBox and the building of the circuit. Programming the eBox took longer than expected due to the library restrictions of the .NET compact framework resulting in adaptations to the initially planned algorithms. The construction of the circuit and integration into the simulation environment exceeded the deadline because of the grounding issues on the protoboard encountered during testing. However, the group worked well together to overcome the difficulties and ended up completing the project on November 25th, three days earlier than projected.

6. PROJECT DEMONSTRATION Design and Setup: The prototype environment is a simulated MDU consisting of a main entry door with both entry and exit RFID readers and an electronic door strike. The hallway simulates the multiple paths available to different users of the MDU; two different paths were simulated using three lights. A single room module uses an RFID reader, a door strike, a PV switch and a motion detector. The entrance/exit module contains the microcontroller and relays that control the hallway lights and door strikes. The room module controls the foyer light, the PV switch, and hallway lights. For the demonstration, the eBox was powered on and booted using the normal boot sequence. The three RFID readers were attached to the available USB ports on the eBox. The 5 RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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VDC and 12 VDC power supplies required to power the microcontroller and the relays were connected along with the 120 VAC plug. Heat shrink tubing covered open 120 VAC connectors to ensure safety. The three-position switches were set in the automatic control mode. The RFID readers were then placed at the appropriate locations more than 18 inches away from each other to ensure interference is not present between the readers. The RFID Controller.exe was then run and the following five tests were performed. Test 1: Valid Entry User 1 Tag 1 was scanned at the main door entrance reader. The door was then unlocked for five seconds and the lights corresponding to User 1 were illuminated for 30 seconds. Next, the same tag was scanned at the entry RFID reader at Room 1 and the door was unlocked for five seconds. The motion detector was triggered when the Room 1 door was opened and the photovoltaic switch turned on the foyer light when natural light conditions were poor. Test 2: Valid Entry User 2 Tag 2 was scanned at the main door entrance reader and the door was unlocked for five seconds. The hallway lights corresponding to Room 2 were illuminated for 30 seconds. Since there was not an RFID reader or door for the second room, this test was used to show the scalability of the system. Test 3: Valid Entry Generic User Tag 3 was then scanned at the main entrance reader; no lights were illuminated and the main door was unlocked for five seconds. User 3 represented a valid user entering the building with no specific room.

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Test 4: Room and Building Invalid Entry Tag 4 represented an invalid tag. When it was scanned at the main door entry reader or the room entry reader, no door was unlocked. The scenario also demonstrated that when the door was unlocked from a previous, valid user and an invalid tag was detected, the door locked immediately. Test 5: Exit Room and Building When exiting Room 1 the motion detector was triggered, which in turn illuminated the hallway lights. Due to imprecise hardware, not all of the hallway lights turned off simultaneously as expected by 27 s. When any tag was scanned at the exit module, the door unlocked to allow any user out of the building. Results The results of the five tests matched the specified goals with the exception of the Test 5 delays. The log file correctly tracked all attempted accesses and the GUI appropriately displayed the real-time status of the doors and lights, except when the lights were triggered by the motion detector circuit. The GUI failed to correctly update the lights’ status in this situation since there was no feedback from the PV switch or from the motion detector to the eBox.

7. MARKETING AND COST ANALYSIS 7.1 Marketing Analysis The market currently provides many home automation products that focus on one particular task. Several of these single-task devices could be bought separately and combined to mimic the functionality of the proposed RFID Smart Home system. An AP501 lock, like the RFID Smart Home, allows the user to enter using RFID. The AP501 and two tag keys costs $349.00 [7]. A locksmith will charge roughly $125.00 to install such a deadbolt on an exterior, RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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wooden door [8]. An Insteon PowerLinc Controller allows the user to program a schedule for turning lights on and off. The PowerLinc Controller costs $69.99 [9]. Combining AP501 locks and Insteon controllers to create a system similar to the Smart Home product will cost approximately $30,000 for a 50-unit building. The cost of such a system would be roughly 70 percent of the average cost of the RFID Smart Home system, as seen in Appendix C. Such a system could incompletely imitate only two features of the RFID Smart Home product: automated lighting and door locks. Lighting would be incompletely imitated because the improvised system would not account for motion and the present amount of light. This improvised system would also not be controlled from a central computer and would rely on a pre-set, rather than adaptive schedule. Tracking users would not be an option in the improvised system. Considering the RFID Smart Home system is controlled form one eBox, which allows for expansion to include other home systems such as HVAC and security, the RFID Smart Home will be competitive despite its somewhat higher price. Several domotics products on the market integrate nearly every system in a home such as climate control, security, entertainment, and lighting. For example, Best Buy offers the Connected-Life Home system that costs approximately $15,000 for a typical three bedroom single-family residence [10]. Other home automation systems’ costs for a single family home average from $10,000 for a basic system with simple add-ons to $50,000 for a complete system [11]. Such systems are not implemented in MDUs or office buildings due to the high cost. The RFID Smart Home system is designed for public residences and office buildings with an average cost of $43,270 for a 50-unit building. The cost advantage of RFID Smart Home is evident if its cost per each additional room in the MDU is compared to that of products such as ConnectedLife Home.

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The distinguishing characteristic of the proposed RFID Smart Home product is the identification of the user upon entering or exiting the house. Most other systems, such as Connected-Life Home, tend to act based on a pre-set schedule. RFID Smart Home, however, is more versatile because it takes the identity of the user, motion, and the amount of light into account.

7.2 Cost Analysis The prototype consisted of an entry/exit module and a room module. The parts for the prototype totaled $688.90. Table 3 shows the most expensive parts, which contributed the largest amount to the total parts’ cost of the prototype. To decrease the prototype’s cost, focus should be placed on substituting the most expensive parts listed in Table 3 with cheaper ones. Appendix D shows a complete bill of materials for the prototype. Table 3. Major Prototype Part Costs

Component

Price per unit

eBox 2300 RFID Reader 12 V Door Strike Door Lock PIC Microcontroller 12 V DPDT Relay Sum

$ 195.00 $ 61.75 $ 39.00 $ 15.00 $ 8.78 $ 6.00 $ 325.53

The total cost for having an RFID Smart Home product installed in a typical 50-unit building with one main access point averages to $43,270 over five years. This price includes: parts, transportation, installation, and any services that are needed during the life of the product. The breakdown of the cost of parts for a 50-unit MDU is shown in Table 4 below. The gray, upper half of Table 4 highlights parts that are only used once per system installation, that is, parts that are only used by the single main door. The lower half of the table shows the parts that are used multiple times, on a per-room-door basis. The complete part listing including sources for RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

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unit prices can be found in Appendix B. The difference between Appendix D and Appendix B is that Appendix D lists every part used for the actual prototype that was built and demonstrated, whereas Appendix B shows the estimated cost of the RFID Smart Home installation in a 50-door MDU. The product cost estimate in Appendix B is based on the known prototype costs from Appendix D. Table 4. Part Cost for a 50-door Unit Item Ebox PSoC (DIP-28 itself) USB hub (7-to-1) Phidget RFID Read Door strike Miscellaneous (relays,

Quantity 1 1 8 2 1

resistors, wiring, boards, timer, capacitors, etc.)

1 2 3 1 2

Active USB Cable Active USB Cable Phidget RFID Read RFID tag Miscellaneous (relays, resistors, wiring, boards, timer, capacitors, etc.)

Door strike Num. Doors in a typical unit

1 1 50

Type/Model MSeBox55205050305 EVAL1 - CY3210 SKU1023 Seco-larm SD-995C See BOM worksheet

SKU1023

See BOM worksheet Seco-larm SD-995C

Unit Price $195.00 $8.78 $17.85 $61.75 $78.00

Price for typical unit $195.00 $8.78 $142.80 $123.50 $78.00

$82.28 $20.00 $20.00 $61.75 $1.00

$82.28 $40.00 $3,000.00 $3,087.50 $100.00

$73.59 $78.00

$3,679.50 $3,900.00

Total parts cost for a typical unit

$14,437.36

The non-reoccurring costs of the product add up to $83,831.50, yielding an adjusted nonreoccurring cost of $248.07 per unit sold based on 490 units sold over five years. Research and development of four engineers for three months at a salary of $51,000 per year comprises the bulk of non-reoccurring costs. A detailed breakdown of non-reoccurring costs is shown in Appendix A. The non-reoccurring costs in Appendix A take into account research and development, design, and testing for the final product. Initial marketing, sales, distribution, and support are also included in the total non-reoccurring costs.

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Sales revenue for year one is given by multiplying sales volume, 48, and the unit price as shown in top left of Table 5 below. Likewise, parts cost under Production is multiplied by sales volume, 48, to yield a total parts cost of $692,993.28 for year one. Installation cost (#7) assumes that a team of 10 technicians will be working for 30 hours at a rate of $20.00 per hour. The profit for year one is obtained by subtracting the total parts cost of $692,993.28, the redesign cost, overhead costs, and all the other costs from year one’s sales revenue. Appendix C shows the complete five-year breakdown of the reoccurring costs. The sum of annual profits over a five-year period is estimated to be $1,008,498.26. Table 5. Reoccurring Costs Year 1 Sales Volume(units) Unit Price

115

$42,900.00

$42,500.00 $2,059,200.00

Sales Revenue Non-Re Cost

$248.07

1.Research and Development Redesign Engr Change Order 2. Production Parts Assembly Packaging Testing 3. Package 4. Marketing 5. Sales 6. Distribution 7. Installation 8. Support Total Cost/Year Overhead % Ajusted Cost

Year 5

48

$11,907.49

$4,887,500.00 $248.07

$28,528.37

$4,500.00 $1,900.00 14437.36 $35.00 $50.00 $75.00 $10.00

Non-Engr Non-Engr shipping Non-Engr

95

Cost/Unit % Profit/Unit Total Profit/Year Total Profit Profit/Unit

RFID Smart_Home (ECE4007 L02)

$50.00 $6,000.00

$692,993.28 $1,680.00 $2,400.00 $3,600.00 $480.00 $30,000.00 $30,000.00 $2,400.00 $288,000.00 $30,000.00

$0.00 $0.00 14437.36 $35.00 $50.00 $55.00 $10.00

$50.00 $6,000.00

$1,660,296.40 $4,025.00 $5,750.00 $6,325.00 $1,150.00 $0.00 $20,000.00 $5,750.00 $690,000.00 $20,000.00

$1,099,860.77 $1,044,867.74 $2,144,728.51

$2,441,824.77 $2,319,733.53 $4,761,558.31

$44,681.84

$41,404.85

-4.15%

2.58%

-$85,528.51

$125,941.69

$1,008,498.26 -$1,781.84

$1,095.15

20

8. SUMMARY The RFID Smart Home prototype has been created and successfully provided electronic access to the simulated building, logged the activity of users, and turned on specified lights based on user identification. The demonstration performed according to the design specification, and all initial goals and objectives were achieved, except prototype cost. The electrical circuitry of the room and entrance/exit modules were built using all of the parts specified in the proposal, such as a PV switch, 12 VDC relays, a Cypress microcontroller, and AC to DC converters. A 12 VDC power supply, snubber circuit, transistor-relay circuit, and RC timing circuit were also added to the modules to create a successful product.

Future Implementations Future circuits should be implemented on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), which will eliminate the grounding problems caused by the copper trace of the proto-board breaking. The design team also suggests that the following aspects be changed to enhance functionality of this product: 

Currently, the USB cable length limits the communication distance between the eBox and the Phidget RFID readers. Five active USB cables could be connected in series to extend the communication distance to 25 meters, but for a 50-unit MDU an alternative transmission means should be applied. An Ethernet connection would extend the communication distance to up to 150 meters. The downside to this implementation is that a 50-port Ethernet hub and a USB to Ethernet adapter at each RFID reader would need to be purchased, which increases the production cost by $1900. Using wireless technology to enhance communication distance can be implemented by connecting a

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wireless adapter to each RFID reader in conjunction with several access points. The eBox-2300 system already has wireless compatibility. 

Security, Audio/Video and HVAC systems could also be integrated into the RFID Smart Home to make it more marketable. Wireless versions of these systems are easiest to implement due to the wireless compatibility of the eBox.



The 12 V and 5 V DC power needed should be created using a voltage regulator to rectify the 120 VAC power source to reduce the number of power supplies.



To increase the reliability of the room module, the electronic circuitry used in the module should be implemented using a single DIP microcontroller.



Due to the system delays when all 3 RFID readers are used simultaneously, a different embedded control device or a laptop with greater processing capabilities should be used.

The results of this project conclude that the RFID Smart Home is not ready for production. Before this product is placed on the market, the future implementations previously discussed should be investigated during another design cycle.

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9. REFERENCES [1] P. Ward. (2008, September 06). Easy Access. MEP [Online Magazine]. [cited 2008 Sept 13], Available: http://www.itp.net/news/529902-easy-access?start=0 [2] ID Corporation, “How an HID Card is “Read”, ” [Company Website], [cited 2008 Sept 13], Available HTTP: http://www.hidcorp.com/documents/howHIDcardIsRead_wp_en.pdf [3] ECE 4006 B Senior Design Group 2. (2006, December). RFID User-Access Lock Entry System. Georgia Tech ECE Department, Atlanta, GA. [Online Report]. Available HTTP: http://www.ece.gatech.edu/academic/courses/ece4006/06fall/ece4006b/group02/RFID%20D esign.html [4] K. Sangani, “It’s No Place Like Home,” Engineering and Technology, vol. 1, issue 9, pp. 46-48, Dec. 2006. [5] Cortexa Systems, “Cortexa Intelligent Home Management: Products,” [Company Website], [cited 2008 Sept 2], Available HTTP: http://www.cortexatechnology.com/products.php [6] - IVCi Home LLC, “Lighting Control: Q and A with Richard Hollander, Managing Director, IVCi Home,” [Online interview], [cited 2008 Aug 30], Available HTTP: http://www.ivcihome.com/newsletter0307part3.html [7] Sunnect Inc, “The AP501 Lock,” [Company Website], [cited 2008 Sept 11], Available HTTP: http://www.ap501.com/buy/product.php [8] CornerHardware, “How to Install a Deadbolt Lock,” [Company Website], [cited 2008 Sept 2], Available HTTP: http://www.cornerhardware.com/how_to_articles/how_to_install_a_deadbolt_lock/021 [9] SMARTHOME, “Home Automation From your PC – Using USB,” [Company Website], [cited 2008 Sept 14], Available HTTP: http://www.smarthome.com/2414u.html [10] M. Brown. (2007, April 13). The High Cost of Home Automation. Maximum PC [Online Magazine]. Available HTTP: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/the_high_cost_of_home_automation [11] HomeSecurityInformation, “Home Automation Costs,” [Online], [cited 2008 Dec 5], Available HTTP: http://www.homesecurityinformation.com/home-automation-costs.htm

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APPENDIX A. Non-Reoccurring Costs Number

Salary/Yr

Months

Cost

1. Research and Development Employees Engineers

4

$51,000.00

3

$51,000.00 $219.00 $1,000.00 $500.00

Engineers

1

$51,000.00

0.75

$3,187.50

Engineers

2

$51,000.00

0.5

$4,250.00

Engineers Non Engr

1 1

$51,000.00 $30,000.00

0.1 0.1

$425.00 $250.00

Engineers

1

$51,000.00

0.5

$2,125.00 $62,956.50

Non Engr

1

$30,000.00

0.35

$875.00

Non Engr

1

$35,000.00

3

$8,750.00

Non Engr

1

$30,000.00

2

$5,000.00

Non Engr

1

$30,000.00

0.5

$1,250.00

Non Engr

1

$30,000.00

2

$5,000.00

Materials and Supplies Computer Systems Other Cap Equip Documentation Design for Testability 2. Production Setup Charges

Testing Design Sum so far 3. Packaging Package design 4. Marketing 5. Sales 6. Distribution 7. Support Total Non-Reoccurring Total

$83,831.50

Note 1: each group member was estimated to work the same amount of hours, even though this may not perfectly reflect the actual workload distribution. Note 2: a Georgia Tech month is assumed to be made up of 50 hours of work. For example, the 0.5 months of work estimated for testing the prototype is 25 hours of testing and perfecting per group member over a two-week period.

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Appendix B. Estimated Cost of a Product Unit’s Parts

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Appendix C. Reoccurring Costs

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Appendix D. Actual Prototype Bill of Materials (BOM)

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Appendix E. Main Module Schematic

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Appendix F. Room Module Schematic

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