Xavier Amorós

Adding RFID tags for ikPods

How to add new tags linked to html pages to be used by the ikPods

In the exhibition space we have some art pieces with RFID tags next to them. These tags are linked to some hmtl page, so when they are readed using the ikPod, we are redirected to them. Normally they link some content regarding the exhibition, like extra information about the piece of art.

This howto explains the steps to follow in order to add new tags to the list.

In order to add new tags to the exhibition space, we have to update the database containing the couples url-tag_id. First we need to obtain this database from the server, the best way to do it is using a svn checkout:

svn co svn://svn.mediamatic.nl/jhm05/trunk/serverside

The file ikpod.db is the database. We need to install sqlite3 in order to have access to it. In linux we can do:

sudo apt-get install sqlite3

Once we have installed it, we open the file:

sqlite3 ./ikpod.db

We are now in the sqlite3 program, we need then to insert couples url-id (internet direction – tag id) using the INSERT statement:

INSERT INTO 'jhm05_tag' VALUES('urn:rfid:04AED25A341E80' , 'http://www.mediamatic.nl/simple/153393/en');

where urn:rfid:04AED25A341E80 is the tag id. We can obtain it using the any_regdesk program, used to link tags to existing profiles (normally at the entrance of the exhibition space). And the rest is the url of the page we want to show when using the ikPod. jhm05_tag is the table containing the url-id couples. There are other tables, used for other ikPod applications, please don't modify them.

If we want to modify an existing entry, we have to use the UPDATE sqlite3 statement:
-modify the url of o known tag:
update jhm05_tag set url='http://www.mediamatic.net/simple/149586/en' where id='urn:rfid:0405D35A341E81';

-modify the tag linked to a specific url:
update jhm05_tag set set id='urn:rfid:0405D35A341E81' where url='http://www.mediamatic.net/simple/149586/en' ;

Once we have done all the modifications, we close the sqlite3 program with:
.exit

Now we have to upload the ikpod.db file to the server, so the ikPods can update with the new urls. For that we need to connect via SSH to the server 83.98.140.17, and copy the file in /srv/www/vhosts/hwdeps.mediamatic.nl/ikpod

For that we need special permissions, you should ask the system administrator about how to do that. Something like this would work:

scp ./ikpod.db xavier@83.98.140.17:/srv/www/vhosts/hwdeps.mediamatic.nl/ikpod/ikpod.db

or websrv03.mediamatic.nl instead of the ip:

scp ./ikpod.db xavier@websrv03.mediamatic.nl:/srv/www/vhosts/hwdeps.mediamatic.nl/ikpod/ikpod.db

That should be enough, the ikPods will autoupdate their database once they connect to the internet (the check is done every half hour or so)