TinkerMill is a makerspace native to SparkFun – it is positioned in Longmont, CO, about quarter-hour from our HQ. TinkerMill provides house and gear to members, and so they actually have all of it. Along with their electronics store the place you’ll find some SparkFun gear, they’ve a metalworking store, a blacksmithing tent, a pottery studio, a stained glass space, a stitching room, a woodshop, and an enormous laser, amongst extra trades and crafts.

At TinkerMill, gear price is not a barrier to entry for proficient of us seeking to study a brand new ability (or proceed a craft they have been honing for some time). They even have some small companies operating out of their facility.

Completely different memberships at TinkerMill get you completely different gear entry, and a few areas just like the woodshop are open for member entry 24/7 whereas different areas are solely in a position to members who full trainings on gear administration and security. As a way to handle completely different entry permissions all through the ability, they constructed TinkerAccess.

TinkerAccess is an digital entry management system. Each member is issued a novel RFID key fob that they then use all through the ability to open doorways to sure areas. TinkerAccess limits entry to sure varied gear till members have been correctly skilled on their use, in addition to giving all members door entry system to the constructing itself.

The {hardware} relies on a Raspberry Pi with a customized daughtercard containing an RFID reader. The primary code is written in Python. There may be additionally a Raspberry Pi based mostly server that hosts the SQLite database and net server interface for controlling particular person consumer entry to particular gear or doorways.

As a result of TinkerMill’s security setup surrounding sure areas and gear, they knew they wanted to implement a dependable RFID digital entry system that was versatile and customizable. Additionally they wished to have a enjoyable time doing it. Being makers themselves, the angle was “why would we purchase a business product after we might make it ourselves,” and it really works completely!

They selected to make use of SparkFun for TinkerAccess as a result of we’re native and well-known within the maker neighborhood. The code examples and libraries accessible for our {hardware} made their implementation fairly straightforward.

Listed below are all of the merchandise they purchased from SparkFun that they used of their construct::

TinkerAccess was a hit! TinkerMill says that the largest profit is the way it retains gear restore prices down by limiting entry to skilled people solely. Their members are fairly good at reporting gear injury and points, however in circumstances the place that does not occur, TinkerAccess has a log of the final customers to allow them to make an inquiry into what occurred. Additionally, since it’s in-house designed, it’s extremely customizable to their altering wants. The query “can TinkerAccess do this?” comes up typically, and the reply is sort of all the time “sure.” It usually simply takes some code and database adjustments to make it occur.

TinkerAccess is a supply of pleasure for these at TinkerMill who labored on it, and so they love to indicate it off throughout open home excursions. The success of TinkerAccess has been a crew effort from TinkerMill’s membership. Everybody who has contributed volunteered their time to work on it, whether or not it’s writing code, designing a PCB, and even simply sustaining and including new installations. It is a good instance of how volunteerism makes TinkerMill profitable on the entire. It is always impacting the enterprise by being expandable and customizable, so once they add new areas or gear, TinkerAccess comes with.

You could find out extra about TinkerAccess on their Github web page.

Even for those who’re not native, you’ll be able to take a digital tour of TinkerMill to see all of the cool stuff they’ve:

Should you are native, try TinkerMill’s electronics and robotics store. They provide lessons and a fantastic workspace the place you’ll be able to solder, 3D print, and tinker to your coronary heart’s content material. Should you’re impressed by their mission, look into volunteering right here.

All photos had been despatched to us by TinkerMill or discovered on their web site.