RFID train tracking for model railways in JMRI is something that I've wanted to look into for quite a while. Seeed were kind enough to send me a Grove RFID module to play with and I was impressed with how easy it was to set up in JMRI and how accurate it was at reading the tags. There's a lot of potential here for automation when you can not only detect a train, but also identify it.
RFID is a huge subject to be explored because there are so many different types of readers and tags available on the market, but this demonstration at least shows what's possible with very little effort.
You obviously don't have to use this reader for train tracking in JMRI you could use it to update an OLED display at the station to show which train had just pulled in. Outside of model railways there are tons of other projects you can use this reader with.
Grove RFID Reader:
https://www.seeedstudio.com/Grove-125KHz-RFID-Reader.html
https://www.robotshop.com/uk/seeedstudio-grove-125khz-rfid-reader.html
https://thepihut.com/products/grove-125khz-rfid-reader
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/communication-wireless-development-tools/1845114
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00:00 Introduction
00:46 Test Setup
01:01 Uploading the Sketch
01:33 RFID Tags
02:19 Testing the Reader
02:43 Setup the Connection in JMRI
03:12 Reading Tags in JMRI
03:43 Tracking Trains in Layout Editor
04:20 Final Thoughts
04:53 More Questions
06:10 Off the Shelf Options
06:35 Thanks