Animal tags not reading?

125 kHz RFID
#1

Is there information how to know which animal chips might be compatible with Flipper?

So far I’ve been unsuccessful of scanning any of the 3 chips in our 2 dogs to decode, though I was able to get 1 of them to read as “raw”.

I don’t know what kind of chip they have but I’m told that its “AVID ID” company when my partner has updated the address and apparently that’s what the local vets recommend or use. It sounds like that company makes a variety of chips and I don’t know which one it is.

I know the Flipper works because after the recent updates it now reads HID-Prox cards readily, as well as T5577 fobs.

Any suggestions?

1 Like
#2

The purpose of an animal tag is, to let it read from as much ‘person’ as possible. So I don’t think there is any tag, that is different readable.

We’ve discussed this topic at Animal tag “Bayer Animal Coder” issue - #23 by LupusE

  1. Try to find the spot (the yellow LED blinking is helping).
    If the tag is longer implemented, it could be anywhere inside the animal (not a joke).
  2. And hold still. Holding still is key.
    The readers from dog shelters or vet have a bigger antenna, so it is more tolerant for movement.

The ‘Reading RAW’ could be anything. See: RFID RAW reading allways reads

#3

Yes, and I was able to find the right spot it blinks yellow (on the left shoulder of one dog, on the middle neck of the other) but it will only read raw not decode anything. I can consistently read in raw mode, but not decode it in read-mode.

I do notice if I try for too long it seems to “crash” the flipper blinking yellow even after I take it away entirely. Don’t know if that’s normal or what it means.

#4

I’ve managed to read my cats chips using “extra option—> read animal” but is quite hard. Flipper is small and chip has to be right under it. Regarding yellow ligth… i have obtained yellow light “reading” things without RFID chip, like my hand or the couch, the table…

Raw reading allways gives you a read, It listen for a while an gives you “noise” data.

My most nervous cat tooked me 3 days to read the chip. Thats why my veterinary has a huge chip reader.

#5

I had the same issue until I tried Extra Actions → Read ASK (FDX, Regular).

#6

Plot thickens…so I finally got a dedicated animal-reader off Amazon and it readily reads the one dog as FDX-B with a 15 digit code anywhere within 3-4 inches of their neck (unknown chip, adopted from shelter). Still can’t read anything off either of the chips in the second dog, which we know is supposed to be AVID-ID and at least 1 review claimed the dedicated reader I got supports AVID chips.

EDIT: Ok, it sounds like most of the chips now are 9-digit “unique alphanumeric” ones at 125kHz from what I gather of the AVID website seems to be what most vets are using now.

#7

The digits in the code are described here: Animal tag “Bayer Animal Coder” issue - #17 by hauf
and here: Animal tag “Bayer Animal Coder” issue - #10 by LupusE

Both with sources.

#8

Search won’t let me search for “9” in the posts (too short) but neither of those is coming up with anything on “9 digit” in them.

Maybe Flipper just doesn’t support AVID ID chips yet?

#9

I really doubt the flipper team knows any of the animal tags. But they know RFID and the know FDX and the Animal Tags speaking ‘FDX over RFID’. What a coincidence, but lucky for us pet owners.

Let me google: Microchip implant (animal) - Wikipedia

[…]
Finally, there’s the AVID brand FriendChip type, which has unique encryption characteristics. Cryptographic features are welcomed by pet rescuers or humane societies that object to outputting an ID number “in the clear” for anyone to read, along with authentication features for detection of counterfeit chips, but the authentication in “FriendChips” has been found lacking and rather easy to spoof to the AVID scanner. Although no authentication encryption is involved, obfuscation requires proprietary information to convert transmitted chip data to its original label ID code.
[…]

I really don’t understand, why anyone thinks it is a good idea to obfuscate an anonymous ID. The ID should be readable as easy as possible.

But as written before, I don’t think the Flipper team will dig deeper in animal tags. But lucky you, it is open source. If you are interested, feel free to get hands on a AVID Scanner (The MiniTracker 3 looks promising. The MiniTracker I and Pro are discontinued. Maybe easier to get) and verify. Than extract/analyze the firmware (this isn’t open source and most likely not legal). Or get the missing information somehow else.

Maybe in your area. I’m reading cross since a few month, it is not used in Europe, as far as I know. Just marketing blah.

Keep in mind, that the vet trackers (f.ex. Products - All | Avid Identification Systems, Inc.) have much bigger antennas, so they go better through the skin. The scan with a flipper may needs more time. This is not an error, this is physic.

#10

Yellow light blinkingnis very helpful. Was able to find my older dog tag (10 years old tag), which shifted almost to her leg.
On second dog (tagged 1 year ago) not able to find it and no yellow light. Will tey to find out what chip is there.

#11

I’m glad the yellow blinking works for you, too

Maybe it helps to ask at the next visit at the vet. As @Astra pointed out, the antenna of the Flipper is not as much powerful as it is in dedicated animal tag scanner.
So if you know where it is with the ‘big’ antenna, it should be easier to read it with the Flipper. Because holding still is key here.

#12

Strange, but “read” is not reading it on my younger dog. It reads as raw rfid data (also blinks yellow). But when I keep it in same place and start “read”, it just shows reading. Will share file later.

#13

The yellow light is just an indicator, it is not a ‘found the tag’.
As written in other threads, you can have yellow blinking and capture readings by just waving the flipper in the air… But even if the flipper thinks it could be any signal, it is just garbage.

If the tag is deeper in the dog/cat/sheep/cattle/bird/…, because it happens to move around over time, or the fur is too much, the small antenna of the flipper may be not enough.

Hard to say without any information.

#14

Tried to “read” raw data placing it on my head :rofl: and it got reading :rofl: good tip for parties! And that raw data could be just junk. Still strange that on dog it was reading in same place (left side of neck where it ahould be originally).
Will continue to explore.

#15

Good idea. This comment made my day :slight_smile:

1 Like
#16

Works well on FDX-B chip.

Have tried before many times with attached silicone-case - that doens’t work.