SMART R4 is an enterprise-grade embedded solution designed for contactless attendance tracking. Developed as part of the CS 445 – Embedded Systems curriculum at West Virginia State University, this system leverages the Renesas RA4M1 architecture (Arduino UNO R4) and the MFRC522 radio-frequency identification module to automate identity verification.
- Course: CS 445 – Embedded Systems
- Instructor: Dr. Ali Al-Sinayyid
- Developer: Shikhar Pandey
- Institution: West Virginia State University
The system operates on a low-latency verification loop, utilizing the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) protocol for high-speed data transfer between the MCU and the RFID transceiver.
[Image of RFID system block diagram]
- Signal Induction: The MFRC522 module creates an electromagnetic field. When a passive RFID tag enters this field, it powers up and transmits its Unique Identifier (UID).
- Data Acquisition: The Arduino UNO R4 captures the UID via the MFRC522 library over the SPI bus.
- Verification Logic: The firmware compares the captured UID against a pre-authorized hash table stored in the MCU's flash memory.
- Actionable Output: * Authorized: Attendance is logged with a high-precision timestamp.
- Unauthorized: Access is denied, and the event is flagged in the Serial Monitor.
| Component | Function |
|---|---|
| Arduino UNO R4 WiFi | Central Processing Unit (Renesas RA4M1 ARM Cortex-M4). |
| MFRC522 Module | 13.56 MHz RFID Reader/Writer. |
| RFID Tags/Cards | Passive transponders (Mifare 1k). |
| Logic Level Shifting | Jumper-wire bus configuration for SPI communication. |
- IDE: Arduino IDE (v2.0+ recommended)
- Board Package: Arduino Mbed OS (UNO R4) via Board Manager.
The following libraries must be initialized within the environment:
MFRC522.h- Hardware abstraction for the RFID module.SPI.h- Low-level serial communication protocol.
| MFRC522 Pin | Arduino UNO R4 Pin |
|---|---|
| SDA (SS) | 10 |
| SCK | 13 |
| MOSI | 11 |
| MISO | 12 |
| RST | 9 |
The system underwent rigorous validation phases:
- Protocol Verification: Verified MOSI/MISO integrity using the Serial Monitor.
- UID Simulation: Stress-tested the lookup table with both authorized and "spoofed" UIDs to ensure zero false-positive entries.
- Environmental Testing: Validated read distances and interference levels for the 13.56 MHz frequency.
- Cloud Integration: Utilizing the UNO R4’s ESP32-S3 co-processor to push logs directly to a Firebase/Google Sheets database.
- OLED Interface: Adding an I2C-based 128x64 display for standalone visual feedback.
- Biometric Layer: Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) combining RFID and fingerprint scanning.
The SMART R4 project successfully demonstrates the principles of real-time embedded logic, interrupt handling, and serial communication. It provides a robust foundation for modern, low-cost institutional attendance management.
Developed by Shikhar Pandey Embedded Systems Engineering @ WVSU