Vehicle Locking/Start

Hi, I found this forum through the NFC ring forums. I backed an NFC ring as I wish to go keyless on my vehicles.

However the format of having the antenna on the circuit boards seems like it could restrict range when used with smaller passive devices like the ring. Is there a possibility of having a 'nano' style mainboard with a very thin antenna patch ribbon to be more flexible in placement?

Hi tawa! your the first active user of this forum, thanks! :p

The crowdfunding for keyduino will be launched in one week, and we will made some stretch goals for externals antennas.
The smaller one allow you to read smaller tag like NFC ring.
The bigger one is for increase the reading range by 2-3.



Is it something like you need?

Thanks for that, I've been rather busy, and while I put a 1$ backing on the project, I was waiting to see if the big antenna was unlocked then forgot to up my pledge before it ended...

Anyway, is there any chance I can get one with a big antenna? And is there any chance there will be an external antenna only version, based on something like the arduino nano?

Hi Tawa, for now we will soon sell the normal keyduino on the elecrow website (http://www.elecrow.com/) and re produce 100boards, 100small & 100 big antenna.

We currently work on the nano version but it won't be available before at least 5months.

Keep you on touch for that.

Hi MrStein,

I notice the boards are now for sale on the Elecrow website, but it does not specify the antenna size; can you confirm if these are the large, or small size? Have you done any testing on read range with the NFC ring on these external antennas?

Hi Tawa, for now we only sale the small one but the big one will be available with the new production (currently launched).

For the reading distance:
Big antenna :
-cannot read the old NFC ring (or at fews mm)
-can read the ring at ~1/1.5cm (depend of your tag size).
- improve by 2/3 the reading range of the big tags

Small one:
- the same than the internal antenna of the KeyDuino.
- can read the old NFC ring at at least 5mm
- can read the new nfc ring at ~1cm

Bye,
Pierre

Thanks for that, I have just ordered one now.

On a side note, how have you found elecrow as an after-kickstarter sales platform? I have a few hardware ideas myself, and that sort of distributor looks like a good idea.

Thank you for the order

ELECROW help me to build my prototypes and they make the production of ~500 boards for kickstarter.
I madde a lot of quotation from few hardware facilitaor (NOA lab, Seedstudio, makerstudio, ABS,...) and it seem to be the best option for the price / quality.

If you want, just send them a BOM and the gerber of your project an they will make you an estimation for the assembly.