My friend Nikita has a sheep farm. Some time ago we discussed together how we could increase efficiency in farm management. Some simple technological solution that can simplify work.
I decided to build a simple RFID ear tag reader, because inventory with piece of paper and pencil can by quite difficult with the number of sheep around 300. (live sheep tracking maybe later.)
Requirements:
- as simple as possible
- bluetooth connectivity
- display easy readable on direct sunlight
- microSD card slot
I designed a simple PCB in stack with eink display. There is MCU, battery charger, battery protection, voltage regulator at the top of the PCB and BT module, microSD card slot and RTC at the bottom. The entire stack is enclosed in 3D printed case.
RFID reader is simple RFID module from AliExpress. It has UART output and requires 5V power supply. I tuned the antenna to 137,5 kHz with capacitor on the module. Whole module is enclosed into 3D printed cover and will be placed at the top of the stick.
Device is powered by 1s2p li-ion 18650 cell, which is located in handle.
And all assembled together
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| The sheep must have an ear tag in both ears. Type of tags (RFID or classic) is optional for domestic breeding. On the photo: round in right ear - RFID tag, rectangle in left ear - classic tag |
At the end some photos and video from testing:
I am looking forward to the android application that Nikita is developing.
Here is the source code if you are interested.
