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Keltron introduces micro-controller based attendance system

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CIOL Bureau
New Update

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If organisations think punching and swiping cards for

marking attendance is remotely ancient, perhaps it's time they thought of using

the radio frequency identification micro terminal (RFID) developed by Keltron.

The device was specially developed for VSNL Mumbai but can be configured

according to the employee strength of organisations.

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RFID uses radio frequency to detect a card that is shown against the display

panel eliminating the need for punching. The microcontroller (8 bit CMOS) can be

interfaced with different types of readers such as barcode, magnetic and

proximity.

"The main advantage of this system is that it is tamper proof and will

receive signals from the card shown from any direction," said, V P

Balachandran, Deputy General Manager and Ravi Kumar, Deputy Manager of Keltron

Equipment Complex, the brains behind the device said. Therefore, the device can

be concealed and still receive signals from the ID card of the employee. The

cards cannot be tampered without destroying the IC based cards. For Keltron, who

have manufactured optical punching card systems, barcode and magnetic systems

earlier the facility to read from proximity cards is a movement up the value

chain. "However, the main impediment in making proximity cards is its cost.

At Rs 200 it is much costlier than optical and magnetic cards which could be

produced for Rs 15-20," Balachandran and Ravi Kumar said. No wonder those

going for RFID still prefer not to have proximity cards, they added.

Unique features of RFID include non volatile RAM to store attendance data,

memory capacity to store 2000 records expandable to 6000, 10 hour battery

backup, PC connectivity through RS232C/RS 485, optional siren interfacing, modem

connection option for downloading from remote location, in built 16 character

backlight liquid crystal display with provision for 32 characters and it weighs

only four kilos.

It also has a Micro-controller based UPS Information system.

The engineers Balachandran and Kumar were conferred with an award by the

Keltron management for devising an innovative solution replacing punching cards.

The duo had earlier introduced a micro-controller (Intel 80C31) based UPS

information unit to be interfaced to a central computer for monitoring the

performance and parameters of UPS systems in large organisations. It displays

such parameters current flow, voltages in all the three phases and its

frequencies. This system is already functioning at NTPC Singrauli, ITI Palakkad,

Vizag Steel Plant and a few other locations where Keltron UPS has been

installed. The system UPS system is capable of giving audiovisual alarms and

real time print out. This package developed in Visual Basic is capable of

logging data the print out of which provides information on power supply

parameters and health of UPS.

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