ACCESS CONTROL SECURITY

Access Control Security is a crucial aspect of any school, dorm,  facility, business or organization. It ensures that only those authorized can enter a building, obtain access to certain doors, rooms and areas. This is done through access cards, key fobs, or cell phones. With the right access control system in place, you can have peace of mind knowing that your school, dorm, facility, or business is secure and the students, faculty and personnel are safe.

​​

To design an effective access control system, we need to consider factors such as the size of the facility, the number of employees, the level of security required, and the type of access control technology to be used. Access control systems may be classified by the functions they are able to perform:

​

Basic (non-intelligent) readers:  

These readers simply read card numbers or pins, and forward the information to a control panel. This is the most popular type of access control readers. 

​

Semi-intelligent readers:    

These readers have all inputs and outputs necessary to control door hardware (lock, door contact, exit button), but do not make any access decisions. When a user presents a card or enters a PIN, the reader sends information to the main controller, and waits for its response. If the connection to the main controller is interrupted, such readers stop working, or function in a degraded mode. Usually semi-intelligent readers are connected to a control panel via an RS-485 bus

​

Intelligent readers:   

These readers have all inputs and outputs necessary to control door hardware; they also have memory and processing power necessary to make access decisions independently. Like semi-intelligent readers, they are connected to a control panel via an RS-485 bus. The control panel sends configuration updates, and retrieves events from the readers.  There is also a new generation of intelligent readers referred to as "IP readers". Systems with IP readers usually do not have traditional control panels, and readers communicate directly to a PC that acts as a host.

Some readers may have additional features such as an LCD and function buttons for data collection purposes (i.e. clock-in/clock-out events for attendance reports), camera/speaker/microphone for intercom, and smart card read/write support. 

  ​

If you are thinking of adding a security system to your facility, we can work together to design a system that meets your specific needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help. 

​