RC522 RFID Reader Writer Module, 13.56MHz, SPI

The RC522 is one of the most widely adopted entry points into RFID for hobbyists and students, built around the MF RC522 chip communicating over SPI at up to 10 Mbit/s and operating on the standard 13.56MHz high-frequency RFID band used by MIFARE and most access-card systems worldwide. Reading distance is rated at 50mm or more for MIFARE 1 cards, enough for a typical tap-to-scan access control or attendance project without needing precise card alignment.

Card compatibility is genuinely broad for a module this size and price: MIFARE 1 S50, MIFARE 1 S70, MIFARE Ultralight, MIFARE Pro, and MIFARE DESFire are all supported, following the ISO 14443A protocol with a two-way data rate up to 424 kbit/s, covering the large majority of RFID cards and key fobs encountered in access-control, attendance-tracking, and inventory-tagging projects.

Power draw stays low throughout its operating states - 13 to 26mA while actively reading, dropping to 10-13mA idle and under 80 microamps in sleep mode - making it genuinely practical for a battery-powered or low-power embedded design, not just a bench-powered demo. Operating temperature is rated from -20 to 80C with 5 to 95 percent humidity tolerance, giving reasonable headroom beyond a purely indoor desk project.

The module ships with a blank RFID card and a shaped key fob included, both ready to scan straight out of the box for testing before committing to a specific card stock for a final project. Students, hobbyists, and builders adding tap-to-unlock, attendance logging, or simple inventory tracking to an Arduino or similar microcontroller project will find the RC522 a well-documented, low-cost, and genuinely capable starting point into RFID.