Access control system is ... Access control system

The access control system (ACS) is an indispensable element of an integrated security system and an integral part of a modern office, such as an electronic document management system or an air-conditioning system.

And this is completely justified, since it allows you to control incoming and outgoing people, which effectively protects the object from entering its territory of undesirable persons. It allows to distinguish the passage of visitors and employees to the responsible premises of the enterprise.

It is often integrated into a common security system, and it interacts with video surveillance or burglar alarms. Also, the advanced ACS carries a system for the recording of working hours. This allows you to control the time of arrival of employees and their care. What can not but increase discipline in the enterprise.

The main elements of the access control system

Manufacturers, producing ACS equipment, a great many. However, its basic elements are unchanged: the control controller, the identifier reader and the personal identifiers themselves, the blocking device and the negotiation device.

Personal identifier (card, various tokens, charms)

It is given out to each worker and serves as a pass that that could get on territory of the enterprise. Each card contains a unique code that is extracted when it contacts the reader. Then the personal code is analyzed by the ACS controller. And if it meets the admission criteria, the automatic signal goes to the blocking device, the door opens, the barrier is lifted, the turnstile is unlocked. The communication protocols of the personal identifier and the reader may vary, and the design organization must take this into account. In Russia, the protocols Mifare, Em-marine became widespread.

Reader

Responsible for extracting information from the code carrier and transferring it to the controller. The choice of the reader, in addition to technical parameters, is also determined by the interior of the room where the installation will be performed.

Controller

The main element of the ACS. This is the component, the performance and reliability of which will greatly affect the entire further operation of the system. If the task is to find a controller that does not work in conjunction with a computer, then you should pay attention to such characteristics:

• Number of adjustable events.
• Presence of internal clocks.
• Maximum number of users.
• Support for programmable rules, etc.

Matching device

It connects the controller (or several) to the server or office computer. Sometimes this device is built into the access controller.

Lock device

Locks, electromagnetic and electromechanical, turnstiles, barriers, locks, wickets. The choice of the device for blocking is based on the specific requirements and the nature of the object.

The principle of the ACS

This system has different configurations. The simplest one is designed for one entrance door, serious ones are able to control access to banks, factories and large enterprises. A regular intercom is an example of a simple ACS.

Access control is carried out on this principle. At the entrance organization, at the entrance to closed rooms, an access control device is mounted on the office door: an electromagnetic lock, a turnstile or other and a reader. These devices are connected to the controller. He receives and processes information received from personal identifiers, and manages executive devices.

Each employee has a personal identifier, which is a contactless access card or other type. In order to enter the territory of the enterprise, the employee must bring his card to the reader, and he will pass the code along the chain described earlier. The controller can be programmed to access at certain time intervals (from 8.00 to 17.00) or to drop employees into designated rooms. It can also connect security sensors.

All events about movements through control points are fixed in the ACS memory. This will further enable us to use this data to analyze the use of working time by workers and to receive reports on labor discipline. Such information will also help with official investigations.

Installation of access control system will help to control the incoming vehicles. In this case, the driver should show his personal identifier at the entrance to open the barrier.

Types of access control systems

Conditionally they can be divided into autonomous systems and network.

Autonomous are great for small offices and small buildings. They are not connected to the computer, and control is carried out with the help of master cards or jumpers on the controller itself. At large and medium-sized protected facilities, this type of ACS is rarely used. An exception is control over remote premises, or as a backup system. An independent ACS system is installed on the central doors and / or on emergency exits.

When implementing such a system, doors with a capacity of about a thousand people are equipped with a code lock or a reader, maybe a turnstile or a barrier. In a modest office with a single door, everything can be limited to an autonomous controller connected to an electromechanical (electromagnetic) lock and combined with a reader

Network Access Control Systems Access control systems have one or more computers as control elements. It is the PC that monitors what is happening on the site and manages their parameters. This construction is much more flexible and functional. It is network access control systems that are very popular at sites of any complexity. And integration with security and video systems allows for comprehensive protection without additional costs.

Connecting several computers at large facilities is due to the fact that one of them may fail. This ensures continuity of work.

The ACS network system with a database allows you to display detailed statistics on a specific identifier and its movement on a protected object. You can see what access rights each employee has.

The main features of the access control system are access control and management

The main function. It allows you to separate the access rights of employees and deny access to undesirable persons. It is possible to organize remote control of devices for blocking. You can prohibit employees from going on weekends and holidays to the company, as well as after a shift.

Collection and issuance of statistics

Information collection system of access control and management keeps constantly. Who through what point passed and how many times. For each employee, you can get information: time of arrival / departure, attempts to access restricted areas and premises, attempts to pass through the forbidden time. It is possible to track how an employee moves through the territory when ACS readers pass. All identified disciplinary violations can be entered in the personal file of the employee, and the direction of the offender will be informed properly.

Access of employees only with electronic passes

An employee passing through a checkpoint identifies himself with a card, and on the screen of the security monitor, information about the employee and a photograph can be displayed. This will eliminate the possibility of penetrating someone else's identifier. In the ACS reaction rules, you can block the repeated entry through the checkpoint to the enterprise on one access card for a short period of time.

Accounting of working hours

ACS allows you to keep a record of working hours, based on the marks of arrival and departure from your workplace people. As a result, you can calculate the total working time of the employee, taking into account "breaks", lunches, etc. And at the beginning of the working day, she can create a report on employees who did not pass the control point at the specified time, which will identify latecomers who did not go to work. By analogy, you can create a report at the end of the work shift.

Autonomy of the system

Equipped with uninterrupted power supply, the access control system will not stop its operation with a centralized power outage. In addition, thanks to the functionality of the controller, it can continue to work even when the control computer is stopped.

Real-Time Protection

Access control system ACS provides the ability to shoot and place certain areas under protection. And you can receive real-time information about emergency situations through an organized notification system through responsible persons. As well as alarm events are recorded in the database, which will allow you to view this information later.

The security officer, thanks to the access control system, can, without leaving the workplace, manage turnstiles and doors, give alarm signals. It is enough to place floor plans of the building and layout of control points in his computer.

Control via the Internet or from a mobile phone

When connecting the ACS to the worldwide network, the administration can remotely control the system and monitor its operation.

Integration with other systems

Fire, burglar alarm, video surveillance perfectly integrated with the access control system. Integration with video surveillance provides visual control over the protected area. And it allows us to identify in the shortest possible time, if possible, identify and block the offender.

Combination with burglar alarm allows you to configure a joint response to unauthorized penetration. So you can force the siren to fire in the office, light an alarm lamp, or simply block the doors in the right part of the plant.

Integration with fire alarm is vital. This will automatically unlock all control points in case of fire. That will significantly simplify the evacuation of workers in a critical period.

A few words about designing

When designing an ACS project, first of all, one should take into account the imposed restrictions on the number of card-passes. The number of the latter should be calculated taking into account the growth of the company, otherwise you can find yourself in a situation where the number of employees reaches the maximum value for the system and will have to be changed to a more capacious one. The optimal solution for design is the installation of a modular system that allows for upgrading or expansion. If the budget is limited, it will be useful to consider the possibility of integrating access control systems with other systems responsible for security. The advantages of such a combination were described above. Clear those. The task will help the designers to create exactly such a system that the customer needs. A well-designed project, in turn, will greatly facilitate the work of the installation organization. And it is better, when one firm is engaged in design and installation. She can take the service in the future.