Access control and management system (ACS) is an indispensable element of an integrated security system and an integral part of a modern office, like an electronic document management system or an air conditioning system.
And this is fully justified, since it allows you to control the incoming and outgoing people, which effectively protects the object from the penetration of unwanted persons into its territory. Allows you to differentiate the passage of visitors and employees to the critical premises of the enterprise.
It is often integrated into the overall security system, and it interacts with video surveillance or burglar alarms. Also, advanced ACS carries a system for recording working hours. This allows you to control the time of arrival and departure of workers. Which cannot but increase discipline in the enterprise.
Basic elements of an access control system
Manufacturers producing access control equipment, a great variety. However, its main elements remain unchanged: a control controller, an identifier reader and personal identifiers themselves, a blocking device and a matching device.
Personal identifier (card,various tokens, key rings)
Issued to each employee and serves as a pass so that he can enter the territory of the enterprise. Each such card contains a unique code that is retrieved upon contact with the reader. Then the personal code is analyzed by the ACS controller. And if it meets the admission criteria, an automatic signal is sent to the blocking device, the door opens, the barrier rises, the turnstile unlocks. Communication protocols for a personal identifier and a reader may differ, and the design organization must take this into account. Mifare, Em-marine protocols are widely used in Russia.
Reader
Responsible for extracting information from the code carrier and passing it to the controller. The choice of a reader, in addition to the technical parameters, is also determined by the interior of the room where the installation will be carried out.
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 will not work in conjunction with a computer, then you should pay attention to the following characteristics:
- Number of regulated events.
- The presence of an internal clock.
- Maximum number of users.
- Support programmable rules, etc.
Correction device
Serves to connect the controller (or several) to the server or office computer. Sometimes itthe device is built into the access controller.
Lock device
Locks, electromagnetic and electromechanical, turnstiles, barriers, sluices, gates. The choice of device for blocking is carried out based on specific requirements and the nature of the object.
The principle of ACS operation
This system has different configurations. The simplest one is designed for one front door, the more serious ones are able to control access to banks, factories and large enterprises. A regular intercom is an example of a simple access control system.
Access control is carried out according to this principle. At the checkpoint organization, at the entrance to closed premises, on the office door, an access control device is mounted: an electromagnetic lock, a turnstile or others, and a reader. These devices are connected to the controller. It accepts and processes information received from personal identifiers and controls executive devices.
Each employee has a personal identifier, which is a contactless access card or another type. In order to get into the territory of the enterprise, the employee must bring his card to the reader, and he will transmit 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 allow employees to enter designated areas. You can also connect security sensors to it.
All events about movements throughcontrol points are recorded in the ACS memory. In the future, this will make it possible to use this data to analyze the use of working time by employees and receive reports on labor discipline. Such information will also help in official investigations.
Installation of ACS will help control incoming vehicles. In this case, the driver must present his personal ID at the entrance to open the barrier.
Types of ACS
They can be conditionally divided into autonomous systems and network systems.
Standalone is great for small offices and small buildings. They are not connected to a computer, and are controlled using master cards or jumpers on the controller itself. At large and medium-sized guarded facilities, an ACS installation of this type is rarely used. The exception is the control over remote premises, or as a backup system. An autonomous ACS system is installed on the central doors and/or emergency exits.
When implementing such a system, doors with a capacity of about a thousand people are equipped with a combination lock or a reader, there may be a turnstile or a barrier. In a modest office with a single door, everything can be limited to a stand-alone controller connected to an electromechanical (electromagnetic) lock and combined with a reader
Network access control systems ACS include one or more computers as control elements. It is the PC that monitors what is happening at the facility and controls their parameters. This build is much more flexible.and more functional. It is network access control systems that are especially popular at facilities of any level of complexity. And integration with a security and video system allows for comprehensive protection at no additional cost.
Connection of several computers at large facilities is due to the fact that one of them may fail. This ensures the continuity of work.
The ACS network system with a database allows you to display detailed statistics on a specific identifier and its movement in a protected facility. You can see what access rights each employee has.
The main features of ACS are access control and management
Main function. It allows you to separate the access rights of employees and deny access to unwanted persons. It is possible to organize remote control of devices for blocking. You can prohibit employees from entering the enterprise on weekends and holidays, as well as after the work shift.
Collecting and issuing statistics
The access control and management system is constantly collecting information. Who passed through which point and how many times. For each of the employees, you can get information: arrival / departure time, attempts to access restricted areas and premises, attempts to enter at prohibited times. You can track how the employee moves around the territory when the access control system passes through the readers. All identified disciplinary violations can be entered in the employee's personal file, and the violator's management will be duly informed.
Access employees only withelectronic passes
An employee, passing through a checkpoint, identifies himself with a card, and information about the employee and a photo can also be displayed on the security monitor screen. This will exclude the possibility of penetration by someone else's identifier. In the ACS reaction rules, you can block re-entry through the checkpoint to the enterprise using one access card for a short period of time.
Time tracking
ACS allows you to keep track of working time, based on the marks of the arrival and departure of people from their workplace. As a result, it is possible to calculate the total working time of an employee, taking into account "smoke breaks", lunches, etc. And at the beginning of the working day, it can generate a report on employees who did not pass the checkpoint at the specified time, which will identify latecomers or those who did not come to work. By analogy, you can create a report at the end of the work shift.
Autonomy of the system
Equipped with an uninterruptible power supply, the ACS will not stop working in the event of 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 security
The ACS access control system provides the ability to remove and arm certain premises 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 thismore information later.
A security officer, thanks to ACS, can, without leaving the workplace, control turnstiles and doors, give alarms. It is enough to put the floor plans of the building and the layout of control points into his computer.
Control via web or mobile phone
When the ACS is connected to the worldwide network, the administration can remotely manage the system and control its operation.
Integration with other systems
Fire, burglar alarms, video surveillance are perfectly integrated with ACS. Integration with video surveillance provides visual control over the protected area. And it allows in the shortest possible time to identify, identify and block the offender as soon as possible.
Combination with a burglar alarm allows you to set up a joint response to unauthorized entry. So you can make the siren work at the guards in the office, turn on the alarm lamp, or simply block the doors in the right part of the enterprise.
Integration with fire alarms is vital. This will automatically unlock all checkpoints in the event of a fire. This will greatly simplify the evacuation of workers during a critical period.
A few words about design
When developing an ACS project, first of all, the imposed restrictions on the number of pass cards should be taken into account. The number of the latter must be calculated taking into account the growth of the company, otherwise you may find yourself in a situation where the number of employees reachesthe maximum value for the system and you will have to change it to a more capacious one. The optimal design solution is to install a modular system that allows upgrades or extensions. With a limited budget, it would be useful to take into account the possibility of integrating ACS with other systems responsible for security. The advantages of such a combination were described above. Clear tech. the task will help designers create exactly the system that the customer needs. A clearly drawn up project, in turn, will greatly facilitate the work of the installation organization. And it is better when one company is engaged in design and installation. She can also take care in the future.
