First of all you need a compatible NFC reader. We use an NFC reader of Touchatag, but any reader that is OK according to the libnfc website should work.

Second, you need some tags. When you buy a tagreader of touchatag, you will also get some Mfiare UltraLight tags. I have used these tags for experimenting. The tags have been written already with an URL that points to the touchatag site. That is OK, we do not use the data that is on the tag, we only use the Unique ID of the tag.

However, you do not need to buy tags, if you want people to use tags they already own. I, for instance own a tag in my library card, my passport, my public transport card. I have also used tags from the public transport in Montreal and Göteborg. If you want to make sure the cards that you have will work with the application, just send me one, and I will check if these cards will work with the application.

So people can use any of these tags to identify themselves: their public transport card, their library card, whatever. It does not matter. As long as the tag contained in the card is a card that is recognized by the application and has a unique ID.

Third, you need a database to connect to. I am using a postgresql database, with a PHP script to connect to the database. An example schema, and script to retrieve data from the database can be found here. There is also a MySQL version available. It is also possible to use the application standalone. The data will be stored in a SQLite database on the machine where the application is running.

The database can be filled via

-a PHP-script, which you can download here.
-via the app itself, provided you use the PHP script which you can also download here

If you already happen to have a database filled with users, no problem: just add two fields: a nfcuid field and a nfctagtype field to the database, and define these fields in the settings of the application.

Then you start adding the users to the database with the tags that you want to use for that user.

What I did to make sure the user had the right code.

  • First use ReadRFID without internet connection, just to get the data of the chip, and use that to fill the field in the database, together with a picture from the person.
  • Copy the UID and the Tag type to the database.
  • Make a picture of the person, copy that to the database.
  • Now connect once again to the database, and check that the data have been inserted properly.

That’s it!