Hardware

Timetap runs on small, cheap hardware you buy yourself, from any electronics shop. Here is what to get.

The server

A Raspberry Pi - the complete setup

• A Raspberry Pi that runs 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS: a Pi Zero 2 W, Pi 3, Pi 4 or Pi 5. A Pi Zero 2 W is plenty.
• A microSD card of 16 GB or more, and a good power supply (5 V, 2.5 A for a Pi Zero 2 W).
• For NFC readers: a USB WiFi adapter that can be an access point on 2.4 GHz. The Pi's own WiFi stays on your network, and the adapter runs the Timetap WiFi the readers join. Without readers you don't need it.

Or a server you already have

Any computer or NAS that runs Docker: Unraid, Synology, QNAP, Proxmox or plain Linux. You get the web page and the iPhone app. The readers need the Raspberry Pi, because they join its own WiFi.

A reader

A reader is a small box you can put wherever it's needed: by the door, at your desk, in the workshop. It only needs power and the Timetap WiFi. People tap their tag to clock in and out, and tap a project tag to switch project. It is made of three parts:

• A Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 - the small computer.
• A PN532 NFC board.
• Optionally, a Waveshare 2.13" e-ink display (V4) that shows names and messages.

You also need a USB-C cable that carries data, and Chrome or Edge on a computer to put the software on it. After that, readers update themselves from the server. How to set one up: The NFC readers.

Tags

• NTAG213 or NTAG215, as cards, key fobs or stickers.
• Card-sized tags read most reliably.
• No metal: metal cards, and tags stuck on metal, block NFC.

One tag per person, and one per project if you want to switch projects by tapping. Anyone can have several.

The iPhone app

The app reads Timetap tags with the iPhone's own NFC, like a reader. The app is paid and still in testing; it isn't in the App Store yet.

We don't sell hardware. Everything here is standard parts you can buy from electronics shops in Norway and online.