Express RFID Dashboard ⏱🏁

Overview

This project is a Node.js application for managing RFID race data. It provides a dashboard for race participants, race results, and admin approvals. Built with Express, EJS, and Firebase, the application supports user authentication, role-based access control, and race-specific data storage in Firebase Firestore. The dashboard includes features for participant registration, race results visualization, and race management.

Features

• User Authentication: Login functionality with Passport.js and bcrypt.
• Role-based Access Control: Admin-specific routes for managing user approvals and race access.
• Participant Management: Register participants and update details via a web interface.
• Race Results: Categorized and ranked race results with timing calculations.
• Session and Flash Messages: Display success, error, and warning messages using express-session and connect-flash.
• Data Persistence: Store user, participant, and race data in Firebase Firestore.

Requirements

Hardware:

• RFID readers connected to your network.

Software:

• Node.js 14 or later.
• Firebase Firestore setup with appropriate credentials.

Dependencies:

• express: Web framework for Node.js.
• ejs: Template engine for rendering dynamic views.
• passport: Middleware for user authentication.
• passport-local: Local authentication strategy for Passport.
• bcryptjs: For password hashing.
• firebase-admin: Firebase SDK for Firestore integration.
• express-session: Session management.
• connect-flash: Flash messages for user feedback.
• cors: Cross-origin resource sharing.

Setup

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/anjanak13/RFID_Backend.git
   cd <repository-directory>

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set Up Firebase:

   • Add your Firebase project credentials to a firebaseConfig.js file in the root directory.
   • Example firebaseConfig.js:

     const admin = require('firebase-admin');
     const serviceAccount = require('./path/to/serviceAccountKey.json');
     
     admin.initializeApp({
         credential: admin.credential.cert(serviceAccount),
     });
     
     const db = admin.firestore();
     module.exports = db;

4. Run the Application:

   node auth_index.js

   The application will be accessible at http://localhost:3000.

How to Use

Routes

Public Routes:

• /welcome: Home page listing available races.
• /login: User login page.
• /register: User registration form.

User Routes:

• /dashboard: User dashboard displaying approved and available races.
• /participant-form: Form for adding race participants.
• /race-results: Overview of race results.
• /sorted-race-results: Categorized and ranked race results.

Admin Routes:

• /admin/login: Admin login page.
• /admin/approve: Approve or revoke user access to races.
• /admin/approve-race: Approve specific races for users.
• /admin/revoke-race: Revoke user access to specific races.

Participant and Race Management

• Add participants using the /participant-form route.
• View and update participant details via /update-participant-details.
• Update timing data for participants with /update-timings.

Race Results

• View race results with /race-results and /sorted-race-results.
• Results include ranks, timing calculations, and categorization by age and gender.

Data Storage Structure

Firestore Collections:

• Users:

  Users/{username}
  

  Fields:

  • username
  • password (hashed)
  • role (e.g., user/admin)
  • status (e.g., approved/pending)
  • races (array of objects with raceName and status)

• Races:

  Races/{raceName}/Participants/{tagNumber}
  

  Fields:

  • firstName
  • lastName
  • age
  • gender
  • tagNumber

• RFIDReaders:

  RFIDReaders/{raceName}/{readerIp}/{epc}
  

  Fields:

  • date
  • time

Notes

• Ensure Firebase credentials are correctly configured in firebaseConfig.js.
• Use strong secrets for sessions in production.
• Network connectivity is required for accessing Firebase and RFID readers.

Limitations

• Only supports local authentication (no OAuth integration).
• Assumes two RFID readers per race.
• Requires manual setup of Firebase Firestore structure.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

• Firebase Errors:

  • Verify the service account credentials.
  • Check Firestore permissions.

• Login Issues:

  • Ensure users are approved by an admin.
  • Check hashed passwords.

• Race Results Missing:

  • Verify timing data is properly uploaded to Firestore.
  • Ensure RFID readers are operational.