Using the SM130 RFID/NFC reader
Posted by Nick Johnson | Filed under python, sm130, rfid, nfc, arduino
Long time no blog, I know - and this post isn't even my usual. Don't worry, more posts are coming soon!
I've recently been playing around with Arduino, and with NFC tags and readers. Sparkfun (and their Aussie distributors, Little Bird Electronics sell a rather nifty NFC reader/writer, the SM130, by Sonmicro, along with a corresponding Arduino Shield for it. It has a fairly easy to use serial protocol, and supports both regular UART serial and I2C.
In order to use I2C, though, you need to flash the reader with a new firmware. Sonmicro will provide you the firmware for free, b ut the application to flash it to the device is Windows only, which puts a bit of a crimp in the plans of those of us who don't use that platform. I wanted to use the reader in I2C mode, so I decided to try and solve this not just for myself, but anyone else in the same situation.
First step was to obtain the firmware. Sonmicro promptly sent it to me when I asked, and even kindly agreed to allow me to redistribute it - so here it is, in a gist.
The first ...