Packaging of a Fingerprint Based Access Control System

Abstract

Verification for access control is faster and cheaper than identification based access control systems. The aim of this project was to develop a fingerprint based access control system, where the verification or validation of the entry is based upon the data from a RFID card. The multi-hop unit is controlled by a PIC 18F series, RISC processor. The capacitive sensor employed extracts 40 minutiae points, which are verified based on the pre-stored data in the RFID card. The capacitive sensor is capable of detecting human tissue, eliminating brute-force or latent print attacks. The low power RFID reader makes the unit portable. The use of RFID cards and verification mechanisms eliminate the use of a centralized database to store the data of every valid entry. The Infineon RFID card has an operating distance of 5mm, as opposed to 0.5mm normally used in swipe based RFID systems, making it easier to use. The packaged fabricated unit was successfully designed to program new RFID cards with minutiae data obtained from the capacitive sensor. Additional features of the unit include blacklisting entries and emergency exit.