THM3060 RFID reader setup issues

By tlfong01 on August 20, 2020 • ( Leave a comment )

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THM3060 RFID reader setup issues

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I got the following rfid reader from a colleague

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000035966273.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.4ac14adcZL3H9M&algo_pvid=af835e25-e532-4426-8714-cd80a9871169&algo_expid=af835e25-e532-4426-8714-cd80a9871169-0&btsid=0ab6d70515978825018782158e600d&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

I have connected it to my raspberry pi 4 module b using the following pinout;

raspberry pin 2 (5V)– reader module pin VDD
raspberry pin 6 (GND)– reader module pin GND
raspberry pin 19 (MOSI) –reader module pin MOSI
raspberry pin 21 (MISO)– reader module pin MISO
raspberry pin 23 (CLK) –reader module pin SCLK
all other pins left unconnected

I have followed the setup steps described in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evRuZRxvPFI

My problem is that the reader is not reading data. I confirmed that the system does power up using an LED and (a resistor) in series connected to the VDD. The reader was pulling 0.46mA using a 3.3V supply, and 0.74mA using a 5V supply (measured using a multimeter).

When I fire up the raspberry and run the code, the reader does not seem to be reading any data from the rfid chips I have. I did confirm that the chips contain data using an other reader module.

I did go through the documentation but I havent found anything useful.

http://read.pudn.com/downloads567/ebook/2333609/THM3060_UM.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1y0qh-cUdnnL9wfk-ZVLEcNVTvyHoviiM6Qsg6VQggS1zu8OVPTPRnPrU

I tried connecting pins RSTN and STDBY to ground but it made no difference. I have no contact with the seller unfortunately(wasnt the one who made the order), so i cant get any more information about the reader. Has anyone had any luck with these specific types of readers? How else could I trouble shoot the system? Continuity tests have confirmed that there are no damaged traces on the reader board itself.

How can I get it to read/write data?raspberry-pi rfid share edit follow flag asked 2 hours ago Malcommand111 bronze badge

#Malcommand, Welcome and nice to meet you. Ah, let me see. Your RFID thing uses the 522 chip, and your tutorial is Pi My Life Up. I once used both a well, and found everything OK. Let me see if I can find my old posts and let you know. In the mean time I am drafting an answer. Please feel free to comment, suggest, or ask newbie question. Cheers. – tlfong01 2 hours ago
Please let me know more about your Arduino/Rpi/IT background, such as, do you know how to use Rpi to blink a LED? or read a button? or used Rpi UART, I2C, SPI before? I will then try to tailor my answer gearing up to your knowledge and skills. Take your time, not urgent at all. Cheers. – tlfong01 2 hours ago
(1) I read the user manual which says that the optimum power to the module is 3.3V~ 3.6V. If you power 5V to the module, you might have a problem. Please read Part 2 of my draft answer for more details. (2) Please let me know you project time frame. If you have a tight schedule, then I would try to give a short answer, without the TLDR explanation. But if your main objective is to learn NFC/RFID and Rpi SPI, then I can be more long winded. I will let you clarify and confirm, before I move on. Cheers. – tlfong01 1 hour ago
BTW, I have been hopping among a couple of forums and have been answering questions about NFC/RFID, sometimes both at the same time. Perhaps you might like to skim References 3~5 helpful, at least the long list references on RFID/NFC/532/522. – tlfong01 33 mins ago
I have found my old lab notes and draft a quick answer in Part C of my answer. Please try it and let me know you can make it. BTW, I might not be responding your comments over the weekend. So see you on Monday. Have a great RFID project. Cheers. – tlfong01 9 mins ago

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1 Answer

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Question

How to set up the THM3060 RFID reader?

The OP’s RFID module wiring is show below.

Answer

Contents

Part A – Schematic

Part B – User Manual Reading Notes

Part C – Pi My Life Up Library Testing Notes

Part A – Schematic

Introduction

The AliExpress product sheet says the OP’s RFID module is RC522 based, but the user guide only mentions THM3060, nothing about RC522. So I need to study carefully if the two chips are 100% compatible, and if standard RC555 wiring is used. Therefore I need to read the schematic very carefully, to find any incompatibility.

Part B – User Manual reading summary notes

The user manual is dated 2009. This might be a problem. I need to check if it is updated with current version of RC522.
his might be a problem. I need to check if it is updated with current version of RC522.
The features section says operation voltage is 3V to 5V, with a foot notes saying the optimum power supply is 3.3 ~3.6V. This might be another problem. If the OP uses 5V power, the modules PI logic signals might be 5V, and this might be a serious problem, because Rpi’s SPI signals are definitely 3V3 logic. Even if Rpi 3V3 SPI can talk to the module’s 5V SPI, there is a very small risk of Rpi’s SPI circuit latching up, frying the SPI or complete SBC, or shortens Rpi’s working life.

Part C – Pi My Life Up Library Testing Notes

Introduction

The OP says that he is following the Pi My Life Up tutorial. So I search my old files to find a similar test I did for his reference. It is not clear if he has already done the basic test of SPI loop. So I also include the loopback test, as shown below. The details is described in Ref 4.

Setting Up