A door-opening system using a low-cost fingerprint scanner and a PC

Biometrics can offer improved security for access control. Several biometric devices can be adapted to our special requirements and some criterion is needed to choose the best solution for us. On the one hand, it is possible to use a standalone embedded system. On the other hand, a low-cost PC-based system can be better fitted to our special requirements, by means of special purpose software. With the actual reduction on the price of informatic components, it can be a good alternative. This describes one of these systems for door-opening with the user's fingerprint. Special emphasis is given on the design, advantages, and inconveniences with respect to embedded systems.