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A custom pcb to make building projects for your xNT a lot easier
Hi there! I'm currently working on a couple projects to put my xNT tag to use (Car door unlock, password manager, car ignition...), but I found that most NFC readers online wouldn't really cut it due to their size and shape. Most antennas are designed with much larger tags in mind, and its hard to get the xNT to read on them. Because of this, I started working on a custom board that allows you to connect your own external antennas to a micro controller, including antennas that work better with the xNT. The board is compact and would allow you to separate your controller from your reader more easily (Think about stashing the antenna in your cars side-view mirror and running a cable to the controller in your dash).
I think that if we can make this board a reality, it could greatly help others hack stuff together to work with their own xNT tags, and make them a much more valuable tool.
The only problem is that I'm flying by the seat of my pants here. Ive never laid out a PCB before and I need some help making this thing a working project. I've put together a Github with my progress so far, as well as everything I've learned about using my xNT with arduino in the most optimized way I could find. Even if you don't plan on contributing, check it out and see if any of the info is useful to you.
Comments
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Check out KiCad, it's open source and pretty easy to use overall. Lots of tutorials available.
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I've been using eagle so far, since its the program that I will be using at my job once I'm better at it. I mostly just need to work more on designing the board itself. There's a lot of rules and such that I need to figure out so I don't get a malfunctioning board once its printed.
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Ive noticed the same thing, Im not good with board layout but know a couple of guys who are. I can get them to have a look as Im keen on somnething just like this
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@Jackalopiate, good on you for going with Eagle. I've only been using it on and off for a few years now, but once you get the hang of it it can be really powerful.
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