How much effort do you think it would take to make your own card access system?

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Disowned
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I know you can get the parts to make a magnetic reader for around 40 to 60 dollars. I also know (from reading 2600 mag) that you can access the magnetic strip of your credit card and rewrite the data inside it. I think it is possible to get the magnetic reader to communicate with your keyboard if you solder them together. Given this, it is possible to make a security card access system to something like a door?

Disowned, what the hell do you mean by card access system?

Well, I mean is basically a security that revolves around your card as the key to unlock that system. Maybe I'm not explaining it correctly but someone out there has to know what I am talking about.
 
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Well I theorizing a system that could operate without interaction from the PC. A standalone program, if you will, where the lock system would be operated by the card reader, a monitor, and the keyboard.

However, given what you said, it would much easier to do this if I took an old RTV unit and PC and hooked it up to the reader and keyboard. Not that I have the money or time to embark on this project anyway.
 
Bar code readers connect to the keyboard port and send the key scan codes as if you had typed on the numeric keypad - I suppose a card key could do the same. The advantage of this is that you don't need to change the software.

But you would need someway of signalling back to the lock wether or not it should open.