SNARC Simple NetworkAble RFID Controller.

[Lemming .]

Hi guys, 

As some of you know I have been working on this project for a while now. The SNARC is is a 99% Arduino compatible networked RFID controller with on board Ethernet, and a MoSFET for switching a relay or door strike or other large load. The board is designed to function semi-autonomously as an access controller for anything you want to use it for. We already have some example code going at HSBNE which does local authentication of 125KHz cards with network based updating and are working on adding new features to it all the time.

Gallery of the Board

One of the planned features is a networked E-Stop system for use with machine tools. This means that if you have the machines hooked up with these for access control, you can also set it up in such a way that if you see Joe Bloggs on the other side of the room about to get sliced in half. You can hit the button in front of you and save critical seconds, rather than having to run across to where he is. Having these on the machines also means you can log how much the machines are getting used automagically and thus know when maintenance is due on them. 

The Edge at the state library here are working on an interesting project here with it where it will be used as a check in system for people to find other people with similar or meshing interests. Mark is doing this as part of his university studies and you can read his article about the board and his project here. 

The reason for this email is that I am now offering these for purchase in Kit form. This is just to try and recoup some of the time and effort I have spent developing, testing and refining this board. I will be opening up this board for everyone very soon, but I am currently unemployed and really need to see some reward for my hard work. 

Price is $60 per board, this is for a professionally made PCB, all components and headers and the Ethernet module. If you are interested in this please email me directly or reply to this email. I'll be placing the order for all the parts within the next week.

Regards,

Lawrence "Lemming" Dixon

[Julien Goodwin]

Why no (real, 802.3af) PoE?

On 17/05/12 16:03, Lemming . wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> As some of you know I have been working on this project for a while now.

> The SNARC <http://www.hsbne.org/projects/SNARC> is is a 99% Arduino

> compatible networked RFID controller with on board Ethernet, and a
> MoSFET for switching a relay or door strike or other large load. The
> board is designed to function semi-autonomously as an access controller
> for anything you want to use it for. We already have some example code

> <https://github.com/davidbuzz/snarc> going at HSBNE which does local

> authentication of 125KHz cards with network based updating and are
> working on adding new features to it all the time.
>

> Gallery of the Board <http://imgur.com/a/smmxx>

>
> One of the planned features is a networked E-Stop system for use with
> machine tools. This means that if you have the machines hooked up with
> these for access control, you can also set it up in such a way that if
> you see Joe Bloggs on the other side of the room about to get sliced in
> half. You can hit the button in front of you and save critical seconds,
> rather than having to run across to where he is. Having these on the
> machines also means you can log how much the machines are getting used
> automagically and thus know when maintenance is due on them.
>

> The Edge <http://edgeqld.org.au/> at the state library here are working

> on an interesting project here with it where it will be used as a check
> in system for people to find other people with similar or meshing
> interests. Mark is doing this as part of his university studies and you
> can read his article

> <http://kavasmlikon.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/snarc-a-networked-rfid-controller/>

> about the board and his project here.
>
> The reason for this email is that I am now offering these for purchase
> in Kit form. This is just to try and recoup some of the time and effort
> I have spent developing, testing and refining this board. I will be
> opening up this board for everyone very soon, but I am currently
> unemployed and really need to see some reward for my hard work.
>
> Price is $60 per board, this is for a professionally made PCB, all
> components and headers and the Ethernet module. If you are interested in
> this please email me directly

> <mailto:iner...@gmail.com?subject=SNARC%20PTH%20Kit> or reply to this

> email. I'll be placing the order for all the parts within the next week.
>
> Regards,
> Lawrence "Lemming" Dixon
>
>

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--
Julien Goodwin
Studio442
"Blue Sky Solutioneering"

[Philip Rowse]

Please be careful in your planning for e-stop systems.

By adding an e-stop into a system, you are taking full responsibility for the total safety risk assessment for the plant.

Building a device that someone may choose to use as an E-Stop but not marketing it as such is the best way, as you have just designed a versatile tool.

It may even be worth putting a disclaimer to say that the device can't be used in a situation where it's failure could put a human at risk of injury or death.

You will find those sorts of disclaimers on all sorts of devices that ultimately do get used in medical, aircraft, safety etc.

The onus then falls on the person choosing to use the equipment, not the designers/marketers.

If you have a look at ASi safe bus, or ProfiSafe over ProfiNet, and look at the protocols behind these systems to ensure that there is minimal risk of failure, you will see why they are expensive.

If you have any questions on industrial automation safety systems, feel free to ask.

Other than that, the project looks great, and if someone would choose to use it that way, well it's got to be at their risk, not yours.

Here endeth the rant... :)

Philip Rowse 

ProfiCNC

[Luke Weston]

The SNARC is is a 99% Arduino compatible

I'm curious to know what the 1% of Arduino-non-compatibility is. 

On Thursday, 17 May 2012 17:28:59 UTC+10, LapTop006 wrote:

Why no (real, 802.3af) PoE?

That would be nice. 

If you're running a solenoid door strike plate you're going to need a power supply capable of 12V output at 1A or so, to power the solenoid successfully.

You could probably implement this using something like a Freetronics EtherTen with the 802.3af negotiator/regulator module on it, but you'd have to modify the voltage regulator feedback so that it outputs 12V (not 7V or whatever it comes set up for on that board.) and then put a Freetronics RFID access control shield on top of the EtherTen and tap off the 12V rail that the 802.3af module is outputting into the EtherTen and use that to drive the strike via the relay on the RFID lock shield.

But would it be able to supply enough current to operate the door strike? I'm not sure, but maybe.

[Lemming .]

The Ethernet module uses a slightly different library as mentioned on the page about the SNARC.

Sorry I should have clarified that it's 99% software compatible, the hardware is rather different :-P

[Lemming]

This is designed to be used as an adjunct to a proper estop.

Most e-stop buttons have a set of high voltage and low voltage
contacts, this board would be across the low voltage contacts and that
would be used to trigger the network function, but local e-stop is
still purely mechanical. You can also get e-stops that when mains
power is removed from the button, it automatically pops opens and will
not close till mains power is applied again.

So yes, people can use it as part of an e-stop system, but I do not
recommend it as the ONLY e-stop.

On May 17, 5:42 pm, Philip Rowse <Phi...@proficnc.com> wrote:
> Please be careful in your planning for e-stop systems.
> By adding an e-stop into a system, you are taking full responsibility for the total safety risk assessment for the plant.
> Building a device that someone may choose to use as an E-Stop but not marketing it as such is the best way, as you have just designed a versatile tool.
> It may even be worth putting a disclaimer to say that the device can't be used in a situation where it's failure could put a human at risk of injury or death.
> You will find those sorts of disclaimers on all sorts of devices that ultimately do get used in medical, aircraft, safety etc.
> The onus then falls on the person choosing to use the equipment, not the designers/marketers.
>
> If you have a look at ASi safe bus, or ProfiSafe over ProfiNet, and look at the protocols behind these systems to ensure that there is minimal risk of failure, you will see why they are expensive.
>
> If you have any questions on industrial automation safety systems, feel free to ask.
>
> Other than that, the project looks great, and if someone would choose to use it that way, well it's got to be at their risk, not yours.
>
> Here endeth the rant... :)
>
> Philip Rowse
> ProfiCNC
>