STUDENT ATTENDANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM USING RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID)

1.5 Scope of Study

The goal of this project work is develop an attendance management system using Radio Frequency Identification technology, the design and implementation is limited to Federal University Technology Minna Department of Computer Science. Two scope will be consider in this project work, firstly the use of suitable Radio Frequency Identification Technology Tag (wireless device) & Reader for this application and secondly the design of Graphic User Interface (GUI) to integrate with Radio Frequency Identification Technology.

The following programming languages were employed to build the graphical interface: C# in Microsoft Visual studio and MySQL for the database. The system functionality was tested with 20 students.

1.6 Limitation of the Study

Every good design innovation has limitations, incorporating biometric security features in the system design such as facial recognition application or fingerprint to control impersonation among students is the limitation of the current system.

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms

1. Radio Frequency Identification: is the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects.

2. Tag: An RFID transponder, typically consisting of an RF coupling element and a microchip that carries identifying data. Tag functionality may range from simple identification to being able to form ad hoc networks.

3. Active Tag: Active RFID uses an internal power source (battery) within the tag to continuously power the tag and its RF communication circuitry. A tag with its own battery that can initiate communications

4. Passive Tag: A tag with no on-board power source that harvests its energy from a reader provided RF signal.

5. Semi-passive Tag: A tag with an on-board power source that is unable to initiate communications with a reader.

6. Reader:  An RFID transceiver, providing read and possibly write access to RFID tags.

5. Microchip: A microchip (sometimes just called a "chip") is a unit of packaged computer circuitry (usually called an integrated circuit) that is manufactured from a material such as silicon at a very small scale

7. Receiver: is an electronic device that receives radio waves and converts the information carried by them to a usable form. It is used with an antenna

8. Transmitter:  is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves

9. Antenna: is an electrical device which converts electric power into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver.

10. Microwave: are a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz (0.3 GHz) and 300 GHz.

11. Systems: An assemblage of interrelated elements, which we find interesting to study, it could be a process, machine or program.

12. Design: It is a detailed plan or arrangement to achieve a particular purpose.

15. RF: Radio Frequency.

14. LF: Low frequency; 120-140 KHz.

13. HF: High Frequency; 13.56 MHz

15. UHF: Ultra-High Frequency; 868-928 MHz

16. Lecturer: A university teacher

17: Attendance: The frequency with which a person is present (at an event or meeting etc.