Arduino project · Smart doors and home · Medium
RFID Vehicle Barrier Gate
A car owner holds a registered card to the reader and the barrier arm lifts for three seconds, then closes. An unknown card does nothing.
What you will learn
- How an RFID gate works
- How a program waits for either of two cards
- How a barrier closes by itself after a delay
How it works
The program waits until card A or card B is read. Then the arm lifts to 90 degrees, the green LED lights and after 3 seconds both go back. An unknown tag never matches, so the barrier stays shut.
Try this next
- Add a red LED for unknown tags.
- Count the cars that enter.
- Add an ultrasonic sensor so the barrier never closes on a car.
The simulator program and explanation on this page are original. The idea follows a classic Arduino project that students have built for years.
Parts: sensors and actuators (tap to show or hide)
Try the inputs (virtual sensors)
Pins (you can change them)
| Part | Arduino pin (change it here) | How to wire it |
|---|
Every wire, one by one
Red rail = 5 V from the Arduino 5V pin. Black rail = GND. The coloured wires carry signals. Match the wire colours on the drawing to this list.
| # | Colour | From (part and leg) | To |
|---|
Steps run from top to bottom, then start again. While the simulation runs, the active step is highlighted in green.
Quantities come from the parts you added. The store links open a search for that item on Robu.in, Amazon.in and ThinkRobotics, so you always see what is in stock today. Check the model, voltage and price before you order.
| # | Item | Qty | Search term | Buy / compare |
|---|
The PDF has the circuit sketch, pin table, every wire, sequence, full code, the parts list with store links, do’s and don’ts for each part, and the safety notes. The project file lets you come back and keep editing.
In the real world
A vehicle barrier gate
Show card A or B in the simulator. The barrier lifts and the car can drive through, then the barrier closes.
Tip: use the gold tab at the bottom of the circuit drawing to pull the real-world view up over the Arduino board. Your parts stay visible above it, so you can press a button and watch the real scene react.
- RFID reader = the card reader at the gate
- Servo = the barrier arm