Microduino NFC
-
It's a shame you're so far away mate, otherwise I'd offer a remedial soldering class... bad soldering makes Lokki cry.
You probably need some solder flux, it's available reasonably cheap at electronics stores in syringe form.
Use it by smearing some where you're going to solder, tin that area, tin the wire and then solder the two together.
High heat, short application is my favourite method.
Another suggestion, ignore the 'health politics' and use a 'standard' lead/tin solder. The new lead free solders require more heat, are trickier to get right and the joints even if they are perfect do not last as there tends to be whisker formation rather quickly.
The shift towards lead free solder is more P.C. and Corporate driven than anything else in my view. It makes the perpetually Green ones happy, and makes sure that you have to replace your electronics more regularly without actually providing much tangible benefit. -
@Lokki Found a box on my desk this morning, which contains the second type of aerials with the wires attached. hopefully will get time to test them out this week :)
-
Nice, looking forward to hearing how you go!
-
ok so well it works but only just, with the Alpha Ring I can get it to read every now and then, with the classic I only got it to work once. The Alpha is certainly much more readable thanks for sending that through to test with. With the yellow NFC tag it was 100%, so again its just an aerial issue.
may have to try your method above with the previous aerial.
pic attached.
EDIT - Just working with what I have I tried the other aerial again, It really just wont stick. I have lead/Tin solder and I roughed it up before hand.. I reckon I just have to find a better aerial. Good thing they are pretty cheap.
EDIT EDIT - Got it to stick, I can confirm that the taoglas FXR.07.A aerial doesn't work with any of the NFC ring tech, not even the inlay. Will try the smaller taoglas one next.
Edit Edit Edit - the little taoglas aerial didn't work either. looks like the one from seed studios is the best bet, but need to see if they have other sizes.
-
@jasok2 yeah no worries, I was curious to know how it would go!
that antenna you're showing in the picture does still seem rather large by comparison to the rings still! Matching would still be poor, though nowhere near as poor as the original antenna.
Will be interested to hear how the smaller antenna works! -
ok I can now also confirm that the taoglas FXR.05.A part 1246 also does not recognize any of the NFC ring tech.
in all cases of my testing I had the yellow tag to act as a test that I actually soldered it on correctly, and in all cases the yellow tag worked.
-
That's a shame, @jasok2. Were both the taoglas units the round style?
-
-
No worries, that could make a difference with the rings being rectangular in shape, they'll match best with another antenna that is also rectangular in shape.
-
That actually makes a lot of sense, the NFC reader I have that works is rectangle and the door lock reader is square.
-
You just solder the antenna where was the previous one? does the according circuit resized?
I have order the antenna with the hole and I think it can provide good result with a recalibration.I will make soon the conception of 6 differents antenna like the first one I have done, I expect have great result and provide all the design on eagle :)
-
Did you guys reach any conclusion about the Microduino NFC module itself?
I may just be being a bit thick and not spotting your conclusion, but this seemed to vear off into an interesting discussion about aerials but apparently connecting them to other kit, such as the Asus NFC Express board.
-
*antennas. It's an RF tech dislike of "aerials" happening.
Yeah, nah - I had one, packed it in a box to move and appear to have misplaced that entire box. I'll pick up another soon if they're still selling them, I like the form factor. So the discussion just veered sideways and then I forgot until you bumped it... lol -
can't find mine :(
-
It's catching!
-
Hokay, I've ordered a replacement... now I just have to find the antennas.
-
My second Microduino NFC module arrived today, so I took a few pictures and had a quick play with it.
For size reference that's a macbook pro touchpad, so a little larger than most touchpads.
Here's the module connected in a stack to a Microduino core module and a usb programming module:
-
What's the read range like? :) Love the form factor!!
-
@johnyma22 , form factor is brilliant eh. you can get an arduino mega equivalent in the same form, currently mine is basically an UNO.
Read range with that antenna is utter crap - I'll have to try a few things before I pronounce the thing unusable though (check and clean antenna, test patch lead continuity/impedance and then see if it works better with a different antenna.) -
I think maybe the antenna matching was why I wrote it off..
