CardAccess 3000 Users Manual

Transcription

DATE
: 12/14/20 0 4
SOFTWARE VERSION AND BUILD:
DOCUMENT PERTAINS TO:
VERSI ON
P R O G R A M M I N G
2. 0. 25
CardAccess3000
UsersManual
2
CONTINENTAL INSTRUMENTS, LLC
345 BAYVIEW DRIVE
AMITYVILLE, NY 11701
(631) 842-9400
Log In, Log Out
CardAccess® 3000 SQL is a true 32 bit, multi-tier application that runs on
Windows NT 4.0 SP6a, Windows 2000 Professional and Server and Windows
XP Pro. CA3000 successfully integrates advanced client/server system
architecture, scalable MSDE/MS-SQL database technology and advanced
networking capabilities to provide an easy to program and easy to use
integrated access control & facilities management system.
Logging in to CardAccess
CardAccess Log In screen will appear shortly after you start CA3000
software. For successful login into CardAccess software, valid User Name and
Password have to be entered in the CardAccess Log In screen.
Fig. 1.1. CardAccess Log In screen.
Default Login Identity
If you are logging in to CardAccess for the first time, you have to use the
default User Name and Password to log in successfully.
In the User name field, enter the default User Name admin, default
password q and click the OK button.
CardAccess 3000 Version 2.0 User Guide
Note: It is strongly recommended that you change the password of the
default login identity upon your first successful login. To do this, read the
heading ‘Changing password’.
Personal Login Identity
After successful login in to CardAccess software using the default login
identity, you can create your personal User Names and Passwords as desired.
To create personal login identities, refer the section Operators in the User
Guide.
Changing Password
Changing password: After typing the password in the Log In screen, the
Change Password button will be displayed as indicated in the figure below.
Fig. 1.2. Change Password button displayed after password entry.
Click on Change Password button for changing the password. Upon
clicking, the Change Password window will be displayed.
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Fig. 1.3. Change Password window displayed upon clicking
Change Password button in Log In screen.
In the Change Password window, enter a new password of choice and
confirm the same.
CardAccess Main Screen will be displayed shortly after successful log in.
Note: For password change to take effect, you must log out and log back in to
CardAccess. In case you log out and attempt to shutdown CardAccess without
having logged in with the changed password, you will have to use the
password that was used previously to log in to the software.
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Fig. 1.4. The CardAccess main screen.
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Logging Out of CardAccess
Logging out of CardAccess will enable you to exit from CardAccess main
screen. However, the CardAccess software will continue to run even after
logging out.
There are two ways of logging out of CardAccess as mentioned below.
1.
By clicking the Log out button in CardAccess tool bar.
Fig. 1.5. Log Out button in CardAccess tool bar.
2.
By clicking System menu in CardAccess menu bar and choosing the
Log Out menu item.
Fig. 1.6. Log Out menu item in System menu.
Both ways of Logging out will take lead to exit from CardAccess main
screen into CardAccess Log In screen (refer figure 1.7).
After logging out of CardAccess, the following optional functions are
possible using the CardAccess Log in screen:
a. The same operator can log in to CardAccess by typing in his User
Name and Password.
b. A different operator can log in to CardAccess by typing in his
personal login identity.
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c. The current operator who logged out of CardAccess can choose to
shutdown the software by using the Shutdown button.
The third function (shutdown) is explained in the next section.
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Shutting down CardAccess
CardAccess software can be shutdown by clicking the Shutdown button in
the Log In screen.
Fig. 1.7. Shutdown button used for shutting down CardAccess software.
Clicking the Shutdown button will display the Logout dialog.
Fig. 1.8. Logout dialog displayed by clicking
Shutdown button in Log In screen.
In the Logout dialog, enter the same password that was used to log in to
CardAccess and then click the OK button.
Note: If CardAccess is running on a HostPC, the Confirm dialog for
shutting down Communication Driver will be displayed.
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Fig. 1.9. Confirm dialog displayed if CardAccess is running
on Host PC.
Click on Yes button in the Confirm dialog to shutdown Communication
Driver.
The following are the effects of shutting down Communication Driver
• The Communication Driver stops communicating with the panels and
• The HostPC as well as the Workstations no longer receive real time
Event/Alert messages from the panels.
Shutting Down CICDataServer
The final step in CardAccess shutdown is to shutdown CICDataServer on
HostPC. This can be done as below:
o In the system tray, right-click the Yellow icon representing the
CICDataServer Launcher.
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CICDataServer Launcher
Fig. 8.5. Yellow icon representing CICDataServer Launcher in System Tray.
Upon clicking, a pop-up menu will be displayed as below.
Fig. 8.6. Pop-up menu displayed upon clicking CICDataServer Launcher icon.
o Click on Close option in the pop-up menu.
Upon clicking, Confirm dialog for shutting down CICDataServer will be
displayed.
Fig. 8.7. Confirm dialog to shutdown CICDataServer.
o Click on Yes button in the Confirm dialog to shutdown
CICDataServer.
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Upon shutting down CICDataServer on HostPC, the following message will
be displayed on CardAccess workstations, in case CardAccess GUI is
running.
Message box displayed on CardAccess workstations.
The workstation operator must click on OK button in the message box and
contact the system administrator for corrective action.
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Alerts Grid, Events Grid
CardAccess Main Screen will be displayed shortly after successful login in to
CardAccess software as explained under the heading ‘Logging in to
CardAccess’.
Fig. 2.1. The CardAccess main screen showing Events and Alerts grids.
The CardAccess software regularly communicates with security panels.
During the communication process, the communication driver picks up
event messages from the panels and stores them in CardAccess SQL
database. These messages describe every activity that the panel has been
involved with since the last communication. During the setup of CardAccess
software, priority values can be fixed to each of the events stored in the
database to determine where to display the events in the CardAccess main
screen. For more information, read the section Setting Up Priorities .
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There are two display grids on the CardAccess main screen namely, the
Events grid and the Pending Alerts grid or Alerts grid for short. These two
grids are programmable. The Events grid is designed for receiving normal
events that require no action from the security staff while, the Alerts grid is
designed for receiving abnormal events such as an alarm input, invalid
badge access etc to which the security staff will be required to respond.
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Events Grid
The Events Grid seen in the top half of the CardAccess main screen is
reserved to display normal or low priority events based on the settings in
CardAccess configuration screens. See the section Setting Up Priorities for
more information.
Fig. 2.2. Events grid of CardAccess main screen.
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Events Grid Column Bar
Events grid has a number of columns. The column bar is shown below.
Fig. 2.3. Events grid columns shown by reducing the default widths of columns.
Column Width Adjustability
All the columns shown in figure 2.3 may not be visible on the CardAccess
screen by default. If more information on the screen is desired, the Column
widths need to be reduced.
Steps for adjusting column width:
1. Select a column: Select the column whose width is to be adjusted.
2. Position mouse cursor: Position mouse cursor on the intersection line
of the selected column and its adjacent until you see a double arrow
form.
3. Click and hold: Hold down the left mouse button.
4. Drag: Drag the intersection line to a desired position.
5. Release: Release the cursor
The columns will revert back to their default widths when CardAccess is
restarted.
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Events Grid Columns
The columns are explained below.
I. Photo column: This column will be visible only if SmartView or DVR
RemoteView feature is enabled in CardAccess. To display this column,
click on System menu and select System Settings option. In System
Settings screen, click the Edit button on the tool bar and select either
Enable SmartView CCTV-View Only button or
Enable DVR RemoteView button.
Note:
• Only one of the features (SmartView/DVR RemoteView) can be
selected.
• Archive database must be set up before enabling SmartView CCTV or
DVR RemoteView features.
This column will display a camera icon under the following conditions:
• In case Enable SmartView CCTV (View Only/Full Control) button
is selected, the Photo column will display a camera icon for the
highlighted Event, provided the Event has a CCTV Snapshot. For
more information refer the SmartView document.
• In case Enable DVR RemoteView button is selected, the Photo
column will display a camera icon for the highlighted Event
provided the Event has a DVR recorded video. For more
information on DVR recorded video, refer the document DVR
RemoteView Integration with CardAccess 3000.doc.
Class column: Events are grouped into pre-defined classes like Badges,
Doors, Inputs, System, Relays, etc. The Class column will display the
predefined class names of the Events.
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Right-Click Options
Right-clicking on Class column or anywhere under the column will display
the Filter button. Placing mouse cursor on Filter button will display list of
options as shown in the figure below. The options allow the selection of
specific event types for viewing in the Events grid. Thus, the options can be
referred to as ‘filter types’ as they aid in filtering the Events grid to display
only those events that match the selected option.
Fig. 2.4. Filter button displayed by right clicking on Class column, options displayed by
moving mouse cursor over Filter button.
The options are explained below:
a. Show All: Selecting this option will show all event types in the Events
grid. In other words, no filter is applied. This is the default selection
for displaying events in the grid.
b. Show Badges: Selecting this option will display only badge type
events. Any type of badge related event is displayed, excluding
vehicle tags.
c. Show Doors: Selecting this option will display only reader related
events (door forced, door now closed, etc.).
d. Show Inputs: Selecting this option will display only input related
events (input abnormal, input normal, etc.).
e. Show Links: Selecting this option will display only link related
events (link activate, link deactivate).
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f. Show Relays: Selecting this option will display only relay related
events (output on, output off).
g. Show System: Selecting this option will display only system related
event messages (panel trouble, etc.).
h. Show Vehicle Tags: This option will be visible only if Vehicle
Tracking option is chosen for the Badge Tagging Type field in
System Settings screen. Selecting Show Vehicle Tags option will
display only vehicle tag type events.
i. Show NAPCO Panels: Selecting this option will display only
NAPCO Panel related events.
j. Show NAPCO Areas: Selecting this option will display only NAPCO
Area related events.
k. Show NAPCO Zones: Selecting this option will display only NAPCO
Zone related events.
l. Show All NAPCO Events: Selecting this option will display all
NAPCO events.
m. Show Auto-Acknowledge All: Selecting this option will display all
auto-acknowledged events.
The Events grid will revert back to default filter type (Show All) when
CardAccess is restarted.
II. Description column: This column gives a brief description of the
highlighted event.
Right-Click Options
Right-clicking anywhere under Description column will display a list of
options as shown in the figure below. The options allow selection of an
event for viewing the configuration record of the badge holder, or the
hardware device mentioned in the event.
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The options are explained below.
Fig. 2.5. Right click options for Description column.
Note: Some of the options explained below are available as right-click
options for Description column in Alerts grid also. Options that are
common to both the grids are marked with a * sign.
• Show All: Selecting this option will show all event types in the
Events grid. This is the default selection for displaying events in
the grid.
• Show This: Selecting this option will re-filter the Events grid to
display only events that mention the currently highlighted
hardware or badge holder.
• *Show Usage: Selecting this option can lead to one of the several
things depending on which Event/Alert type mentioned below is
highlighted.
Badge Type Event/Alert: Selecting 'Show Usage' when a
badge type Event/Alert is selected brings up the Show Usage
utility screen, which displays a listing of the doors that the
selected badge holder has access to, along with a listing of
the time schedules that the badge holder is permitted to
access those doors.
Reader Type Event/Alert: Selecting 'Show Usage' when
a door type Event/Alert is selected also brings up the Show Usage
utility screen, but you will see a listing of badge holders that have
access to the door mentioned in the highlighted Event/Alert. The
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time schedules that the badge holders have access at that door are
also listed.
• *View Record: Selecting this option will open the configuration
record of the hardware device or badge holder that is currently
highlighted.
• *Badge #: This option is not available in the pop up list unless a
badge type Event/Alert is selected. Selecting this option when
available will bring up the Personnel record of the badge holder
mentioned in the highlighted Event/Alert message.
•
*Tag #: This option is not available in the pop up list unless a
vehicle tag type Event/Alert is selected. Selecting this option when
available will bring up the Personnel record of the badge (vehicle
tag) mentioned in the highlighted Event/Alert message.
III. Location column: This column shows the name of the place where the
highlighted Event occurred.
Right-Click Options
Right-clicking anywhere under Location column will display a list of
options as shown in the figure below. The options allow selection of an
event for viewing the configuration record of the badge holder, or the
hardware device mentioned in the event.
Fig. 2.6. Right click options for Location column.
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Note: Some of the options explained below are available as right-click
options for the Location column in Alerts grid also. Options that are
common to both the grids are marked with a * sign.
• Show All: Selecting this option will show all event types in the
Events grid. This is the default.
• Show This: Selecting this option will re-filter the events screen to
display only events that mention the currently highlighted
hardware or badge holder event.
• *Show Access List: This option applies to Badge related
Events/Alerts only. Selecting this option will bring up the Access
List utility screen which displays a listing of the badge holders that
have access to currently highlighted door Event/Alert message.
• *View Record: Selecting this option will open the configuration
record of the selected hardware device or badge holder.
• Show Video: This option will be visible only when the DVR
RemoteView feature is enabled in CardAccess. Selecting this
option will display the DVR recorded video of the highlighted
Event. For more information on DVR recorded video, refer the
document ‘DVR RemoteView Integration with CardAccess
3000.doc’
IV. Date column: This column shows the date and time at which the
highlighted event occurred.
V. Operator column: If the highlighted Event is an acknowledged Alert,
the Operator column will display the name of the operator who
acknowledged the Alert. If the highlighted event is a normal event of
the Events grid, the Operator column will display ‘SYSTEM’ by
default.
VI. Acknowledged At column: If the highlighted Event is an acknowledged
Alert, the Acknowledged At column will show the date and time at
which the Alert was acknowledged. If the highlighted Event is a normal
Event of the Events grid, the Acknowledged At will show exactly the
same date and time as that displayed in Date column.
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VII. Priority column: This column displays the priority value of the
highlighted Event fixed in the various configuration screens of
CardAccess.
The Priority Number range is 1-99, where 1 is the highest priority and 99 is
the lowest priority number in the range. However 99 is a ‘special’ number.
Events set to Priority value 99 will never report in the CardAccess system.
In other words, they are suppressed. Thus, the actual usable Priority Number
range is 1-98.
Column Relocation
Columns can be relocated if desired.
Steps for relocating a column:
1. Select the column: Select the column to be relocated.
2. Position the Cursor: Position mouse cursor on the column name.
3. Click and Hold: Hold down the left mouse button.
4. Drag the Column: Drag the column to the required position.
5. Release: Release the mouse button.
The columns will revert to their default positions when CardAccess is
restarted.
Events Sorting Order
By default, the events are sorted according to Acknowledged At column as
shown in figure 2.2. This column allows the events to be sorted according to
the time at which the events are acknowledged. However, any column can
be used for sorting. The sort criterion can be changed by clicking on the
column name desired to be used for sorting. Column used for sorting will be
highlighted in yellow color. A column can be sorted in
ascending/descending orders alternately by clicking on the column name.
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Upward/downward arrows seen in a column name (in yellow highlight)
represent ascending/descending sort orders respectively.
Events Grid Buttons
Fig. 2.7. Events grid buttons.
Some of the buttons shown in figure 2.7 may be missing or grayed out
depending on the type of event selected. Each of the buttons is explained
below.
Note: Most of the buttons explained below are available in the Alerts grid as
well and the buttons perform similar functions. Buttons that are common to
both the grids are marked with a * sign.
I. Track/Browse button: The Events grid can be switched between Track
and Browse modes alternately by clicking this button.
• Track Mode: In Track mode, the Events Grid displays each new
event as it arrives. In this mode, the older events scroll up and
off the screen as newer events roll in. The Events grid will have
a white color background in Track mode.
• Browse mode: This is the default working mode of CardAccess.
This mode freezes the CardAccess screen to help examine a
specific event. The Events grid will have a green color
background in Browse mode.
II. *Respond button: Clicking this button will open the manual response
screen. In this screen, an operator can write his comments on the
selected Event/Alert for future references. Read the section Manual
Alert Acknowledgement for more information on manual responses.
III. *Map Button: Clicking the Map button will open a pop up window that
contains a bitmap representation of the area mentioned in the
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highlighted Panel/Reader/Input/Relay or Link Event/Alert provided a
map has been stored in the hardware configuration record of the
concerned device.
Fig. 2.8. Map Popup Window of an Event displayed by
clicking Map button.
IV. *Photo button: This button may not be visible on the tool bar by
default. To display this button, click on System menu and select
System Settings option. In System Settings screen, click on Video
Badging tab and select the Photos Only option in the Video Badging
Package drop down box. Photo button in CardAccess tool bar will be
enabled only when a badge type event is highlighted and that badge
holder has a photo stored in his or her personnel record. Clicking the
Photo button will open a pop up window that contains the bitmap
photograph of the badge holder mentioned in the highlighted
Event/Alert.
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Fig. 2.9. Personnel Photo Popup Window
of a badge type event displayed by clicking
Photo button.
V. *Video Button: Video button will be visible on the tool bar only if
DVR RemoteView feature is enabled in CardAccess. The button will
be active only when an Event/Alert having a DVR recorded video is
highlighted in the grid. For all other Events/Alerts, the Video button
will be grayed out. Clicking the active Video button will display the
DVR Recorded video of the highlighted Reader/Input/Napco Zone
Alert/Event. For more information on DVR recorded video, refer the
document ‘DVR RemoteView Integration with CardAccess 3000.doc’
VI.*Control button: The control button is visible only when a door/
relay/link Event/Alert that can be controlled manually is highlighted.
Clicking the Control button opens the appropriate manual control
screen (door, relay or link). The device mentioned in the selected
Event/Alert will be automatically selected, and will be ready to be
manually activated or deactivated.
VII. Recent button: Clicking the Recent button will display the most recent
events that have occurred. The number of events displayed in the grid
will depend on the setting in the Event Viewing tab of Operators screen.
The Events grid will be sorted by Date or Acknowledged At columns
alternately by clicking on Recent button.
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VIII. Previous button: The previous button works in conjunction with the
column used for sorting the Events grid.
Clicking the Previous button when Class, Description, Location or the
operator columns are used for sorting the Events grid, will display only
those events, whose sorting column values begin with the alphabet (In
English language), that precedes the first alphabet of the sorting column
value, in the highlighted Event.
For example let Class column be used for sorting the Events grid. Let a
PANEL event be highlighted as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 2.10. Events grid displaying Events that belong to class ‘Panel’.
Clicking the Previous button will display only those events, which belong to
a class, whose class name begins with the alphabet that appears before the
letter ‘P’, in English language.
Fig. 2.11. Events grid showing only those Events belonging to class ‘Link’ after clicking
the Previous button.
Note: The same concept explained above holds good when Previous button
works in conjunction with Description/ Location/Operator columns being
used as the sorting columns of Events grid.
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• Clicking the Previous button when Date/Acknowledged At columns
are used for sorting, will display only those events, which occurred
within the time duration of twenty four hours, before the time
displayed in the sorting column, of the highlighted Event.
• Clicking the Previous button when Priority column is used for
sorting, will display only those events, with the priority number
that is immediately lower than the priority number of the currently
highlighted event.
IX. Next button: The Next button works in conjunction with the column
used for sorting the Events grid.
Clicking the Next button when Class, Description, Location or the operator
columns are used for sorting the Events grid, will display only those events,
whose sorting column values begin with the alphabet (in English language),
that succeeds the first alphabet of the sorting column value, in the
highlighted Event.
For example let Class column be used for sorting the Events grid. Let an
INPUT event be highlighted as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 2.12. Events grid displaying Events that belong to class ‘Input’.
Clicking the Next button will display only those events, which belong to a
class, whose class name begins with the alphabet that appears after the letter
‘I’, in English language.
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Fig. 2.13. Events grid showing only those Events belonging to class ‘Link’ after clicking
the Next button.
• Clicking the Next button when Date/Acknowledged At columns are
used for sorting, will display only those events, which occurred
within the time duration of twenty four hours, past the time
displayed in the sorting column, of the highlighted Event.
• Clicking the Next button when Priority column is used for sorting,
will display only those events, with the priority number that is
immediately higher than the priority number of the currently
highlighted event.
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Events Grid Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
Fig. 2.14. Events grid navigation bar.
Note: The navigation bar shown in the above figure exists in Alerts grid as
well. The arrows in the Alerts grid navigation bar can be used to perform
similar functions as explained below for Events grid.
The Events grid navigation bar can be found just below the Events/Alerts
grid. The arrows in the navigation bar can be used for viewing older/newer
Events/Alerts in the grid. In figure 2.14, we have numbered the arrows to
provide simpler explanation. The functions of arrows are as follows:
• Arrow 1: Placing the mouse cursor over arrow 1 will display the
message First record. Accordingly, clicking on this arrow will
highlight the very first record of the grid.
message Prior page. Accordingly, clicking on this arrow will
highlight the last record in page previous to the current page,
containing the highlighted record.
message Prior record. Accordingly, clicking on this arrow will
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted record.
message Next record. Accordingly, clicking on this arrow will
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted record.
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message Next page. Accordingly, clicking on this arrow will highlight
the first record in the page appearing after the current page, containing
the highlighted record.
message Last record. Accordingly, clicking on this arrow will
highlight the last record of the grid.
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Alerts Grid
The Alerts Grid is seen in the bottom half of CardAccess main screen. This
grid is reserved to display only high priority events based on the settings in
the various CardAccess configuration screens. See the section Setting Up
Priorities for more information.
Fig. 2.15. Alerts grid of CardAccess main screen.
There are several options available for displaying alerts in the Alerts grid.
They are:
• Displaying only the most important alerts in the grid.
• Displaying all events in the grid.
• Displaying only specific events types in the grid.
The Alerts grid is not intended to display the alerts for a long period of time.
It is intended that an operator should notice an alert, perform some physical
action to correct the situation and then move the alert into the Events grid.
The process of moving an alert to the Events Grid is referred to as
‘Resolving/Acknowledging the Alert’.
There are several options for Acknowledging alerts. They are:
• Have the alerts stay in the Alerts grid until they are manually resolved
by an operator.
• Have the alerts remain visible in the Alerts grid until a timeout value
has expired. This timeout is set in the Operators screen. Each operator
has an operator ‘Alert Ack Time’ value. For more information see the
Setting Up Auto-Acknowledgement section.
• Force the operator who responds to an alert to fill in a ‘Manual
Response Screen’.
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Alerts Grid Column Bar
Alerts grid has a number of columns. The column bar is shown below.
Fig. 2.16. Alerts grid columns shown by reducing the default widths of columns.
All the columns shown in figure 2.16 may not be visible on the CardAccess
screen by default. If more information on the screen is desired, the Column
widths need to be reduced. The widths can be reduced in the same way as
Events grid columns are reduced. Refer the heading ‘Column Width
Adjustability’ explained under ‘Events Grid’.
The Alerts grid columns are explained below.
Alerts Grid Columns
I. Photo column: This column will be visible on the screen only if
SmartView feature is enabled in CardAccess. To display this column
on the screen, click on System menu and select System Settings
option. In System Settings screen, click the Edit button in the tool bar
and select the Enable SmartView CCTV-View Only button. Photo
column will display a camera icon for the highlighted Alert provided,
the Alert has an associated CCTV Snapshot. For more information refer
the SmartView document.
Right-Click Option
Right-clicking on Photo column or anywhere under the column will display
the Acknowledge All button.
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Fig. 2.17. Right-click option for Photo column in Alerts grid.
Clicking the Acknowledge All button leads to Alerts acknowledgement in
the following ways based on operator privileges:
In case of operators with administrative rights, all Alerts
present in the Alerts grid are acknowledged.
In case of partitioned operators, only Alerts that the operators
have access to, are acknowledged.
II. Class column: Alerts are grouped into pre-defined classes like Badges,
Doors, Inputs, System, Relays, etc. The Class column will display the
predefined class names of the Alerts.
Right-Click Option
Refer Acknowledge All button explained for Photo column under ‘Alerts
Grid Columns’.
III. Description column: This column gives a brief description of the
highlighted Alert.
Right-Click Options
Right-clicking on Description column or anywhere under the column will
display the list of options as shown in figure 2.18. The options allow
selection of an Alert for viewing the configuration record of the badge
holder, or the hardware device mentioned in the Alert.
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Fig. 2.18. Right-click options for Description column in Alerts grid.
• View Record: This option has the same function as the View Record
right-click option of Description column in Events grid. Read
Description column under ‘Events Grid Columns’ for this option.
• Show Usage: This option has the same function as the Show Usage
right-click option of Description column in Events grid. Read
Description column under ‘Events Grid Columns’ for this option.
• Badge #: This option has the same function as the Badge # right-click
option of Description column in Events grid. Read Description
column under ‘Events Grid Columns’ for this option.
• Tag #: This option has the same function as the Tag # right-click
option of Description column in Events grid. Read Description
column under ‘Events Grid Columns’ for this option.
• Acknowledge All: Refer Acknowledge All button explained for Photo
column under ‘Alerts Grid Columns’.
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IV. Location column: This column shows the name of the place where the
highlighted Alert occurred.
Right-Click Options
Right-clicking on Location column or anywhere under the column will
display the list of options shown in the figure below. The options allow
selection of an Alert for viewing the configuration record of the badge
holder, or the hardware device mentioned in the Alert.
Fig. 2.19. Right-click options for Location column in Alerts grid.
• View Record: This option has the same function as the View
Record right-click option of Location column in Events grid. Read
Location column under ‘Events Grid Columns’ for this option.
• Show Access List: This option has the same function as the Show
Access List right-click option of Location column in Events grid.
Read Location column under ‘Events Grid Columns’ for this
option.
• Acknowledge All: Refer Acknowledge All button explained for
Photo column under ‘Alerts Grid Columns’.
V. Date column: This column shows the date and time at which the
highlighted Alert occurred.
Right-Click Option
Refer Acknowledge All button explained for Photo column under
‘Alerts Grid Columns’.
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VI. Priority column: This column displays the priority value of the
highlighted Alert fixed in the various configuration screens of
CardAccess.
range is 1-98.
Right-Click Option
Column Relocation
Columns can be relocated if desired. The columns can be relocated in the
same way as Events grid columns are relocated. Refer ‘Column Relocation’
explained under ‘Events Grid’.
Alerts Sorting Order
By default, the Alerts are sorted according to Priority column as shown in
figure 2.16. This column allows the Alerts to be sorted according to the
priority values set for the Alerts in the various configuration screens.
However, any column can be used for sorting. The sort criterion can be
changed by clicking on the column name desired to be used for sorting. The
column used for sorting will be highlighted in yellow color. A column can
be sorted in ascending/descending orders alternately by clicking on the
column name. Upward/downward arrows seen in a column name (in yellow
highlight) represent ascending/descending sort orders respectively.
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Alerts Grid Buttons
Fig. 2.20. Alerts grid buttons.
Some of the buttons shown in figure 2.20 may be missing or grayed out
depending on the type of event highlighted and the related options being
enabled/disabled. Each of the buttons is explained below.
I. Acknowledge button: The Acknowledge button will be enabled only
when Alerts are present in the Alerts grid. Clicking this button will
acknowledge the highlighted Alert.
Right-Click Option
II. Respond button: This button performs the same function as the
Respond button of Events grid. Refer Respond button explained under
‘Events Grid Buttons’.
III. Map Button: This button performs the same function as the Map
button of Events grid. Refer Map button explained under ‘Events Grid
Buttons’.
Right-Click Options
The Alerts grid supports automatic popup of Map window. When this
feature is enabled, the Map pop up screen will pop up under the
following conditions:
• When an alert that has a map associated with it comes to the top of the
Alerts Grid or
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• When an alert that has a map associated with it is highlighted.
Right-clicking the Map button (or a left-click on the down arrow seen next
to Map button) will display the options available for automatic popup of
Maps window.
Fig. 2.21. Right-click options for Map button in Alerts grid.
• Auto-Show Off: This is the default option. Selecting this option
will disable the automatic pop up of a map window for all alert
types. But map pop up window can still be opened by clicking
the Map button manually.
• Auto-Show All: Selecting this option will enable automatic pop
up of a map window for all alerts.
• Auto-Show This Area: Selecting this option will enable
automatic pop up of map window only for alerts that concern
the hardware mentioned in the currently highlighted alert (door,
relay, input, link).
Example: Select a given door alert. Right click on the Map button,
select the 'Auto-Show This Area’ option. From that point onwards,
each alert that appears in the Alerts Grid for that door will open the
map window (if a map is stored in the reader record).
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Fig. 2.22. Automatic Popup of Map Window by selection of
Auto-Show This Area right-click option.
IV. Photo button: This button performs the same function as the Photo
button of Events grid. Refer Photo button explained under ‘Events
Grid Buttons’.
Right-Click Options
The Alerts grid supports automatic popup of Photo window. When this
feature is enabled, the Photo pop up screen will appear under the following
conditions:
• When an alert that has a photo associated with it comes to the top of
the Alerts Grid or
• When an alert that has a photo associated with it is highlighted.
Right-clicking on Photo button (or a left-click on the down arrow seen next
to Photo button) will display the options available for automatic Photo
popup of the badge type event.
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Fig. 2.23. Right-click options for Photo button in Alerts grid.
• Auto-Show Off: This is the default option. Selecting this option will
disable the automatic pop up of a personnel photo window for all alert
types. But, photo pop up window can still be opened by clicking the
Photo button manually.
• Auto-Show All: Selecting this button will enable the pop up of
personnel photo window for all alerts.
• Auto-Show This Door: Selecting this option will enable automatic
pop up of Photo window only for badge related alerts that concern the
door mentioned in the currently highlighted alert.
Example: Select a given door alert. Right click on the Photo
button, select the 'Auto-Show This Door’ option. From that point
onwards, each alert that appears in the Alerts Grid for that door
will open the Photo window (if a photo is stored in the
configuration record).
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Fig. 2.24. Automatic Popup of personnel
Photo Window by selection of
Auto-Show This Door right-click option.
V. Video Button: This button performs the same function as the Video
button of Events grid. Refer Video button explained under ‘Events
Grid Buttons’.
Right-Click Options
Right-clicking the Video button (or a left-click on the down arrow seen next
to Video button) will display the options shown in the figure below.
Fig. 2.25. Right-click options for Video button in Alerts grid.
1. Auto-Show On: Choosing this option will display the DVR recorded
video window automatically.
2. Auto-Show Off: Choosing this option will not display the DVR
recorded video window automatically.
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VI. Control button: This button performs the same function as the
Control button of Events grid. Refer Control button explained under
‘Events Grid Buttons’.
Alerts Grid Navigation Bar
Alerts grid navigation bar is similar to the one seen in Events grid. Refer the
heading ‘Events Grid Navigation Bar’ explained under ‘Events grid’.
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CardAccess Working Modes
The CardAccess main screen has two modes of working. They are:
• Monitor and
• Status
The main screen switches itself between the modes monitor and status by
clicking a single button on the tool bar. This button will be displayed either
as Monitor/Status depending on the mode selected.
Monitor mode
By default, the CardAccess main screen is displayed in Monitor mode. In
this mode, the CardAccess main screen displays the events and alerts as and
when they are gathered from the panels. The monitor screen is divided into
two grids that are designed for receiving for low and high priority events,
based on the settings in the various CardAccess configuration screens.
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Fig. 3.1. CardAccess main screen in Monitor mode.
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Status mode
Clicking the Monitor button in CardAccess tool bar will switch the
CardAccess main screen over to Status mode. In this mode, the CardAccess
screen displays the current status of manually controlled CardAccess system
components.
Fig. 3.2. CardAccess main screen in Status mode.
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There are three folder tabs available in the Status mode. They are:
1. Control,
2. Status and
3. Stations.
The tabs are explained below.
Control Tab
The Control tab of Status screen will display a listing of all enabled
hardware devices in the CardAccess system. A click on the Control tab will
show three collapsed items namely Doors, Relays and Links in the
Controlled Equipment area seen in the left half of the screen.
Fig. 3.3. Status screen in Control tab.
The items Doors, Relays and Links contain a listing of the enabled active
Doors, Relays and Links respectively in the CardAccess system. The list of
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enabled hardware devices can be seen by clicking on the corresponding
nodes (+ sign). An item that does not have any enabled device will not
display the node. In the figure below, Doors node is expanded to show the
list of the enabled Doors.
Fig. 3.4. List of doors displayed by clicking on Doors node.
In the above figure, the items Relays and Links have no enabled devices and
hence they do not display nodes.
Double clicking on any Door, Relay or Link will open up the manual control
screen of the concerned hardware device. By double clicking Front Lobby
door item in figure 3.4, we have opened the Manual Door Control screen as
shown in figure below. The figure shows automatic selection of the Front
Lobby door check box.
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Fig. 3.5. Manual Door Control screen opened by double clicking Front Lobby door item
in figure 3.4.
Note: The Manual Door/Relay/Link Control screens can also be opened by
clicking the Door/Relay/Link buttons respectively in the CardAccess tool
bar.
Fig. 3.6. Doors, Relays, Links buttons in CA tool bar used for opening manual control
screens.
The Map area seen on the right half of the Status screen is reserved for
displaying the bitmap of the device highlighted in the Controlled Equipment
area. But, it is necessary that the highlighted device has a static bitmap
stored in its hardware configuration record. If the highlighted device has no
bitmap stored, the Map area will remain blank.
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Fig. 3.7. Map area on the right showing bitmap of Third Floor Emergency Stairwell
device highlighted on the left.
Status Tab
The Status tab displays the current operational status (like Open/Closed,
Normal/Abnormal etc) of all enabled hardware devices (like doors, inputs,
relay, links) in the CardAccess system.
A click on the Status tab will show the default selection None in the
Category field. The options available in the Category field allow filtering of
the status screen display to show only those hardware items that match the
selected Event type. The available options can be seen by clicking the down
arrow of the field. Selecting an option in the list will display the columns
Panels, Device, Status, Last Change and Number under the Category field.
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Fig. 3.8. Options in Category field displayed by clicking the down arrow.
Fig. 3.9. Status screen in Status tab with one of the options (All) selected in Category
field.
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The options available in the Category field are explained below.
1. None: Selecting this option will not display any hardware device in
the status screen. This is the default selection.
2. All: Selecting this option will show all enabled hardware devices.
3. All Normal: Selecting this option will show all devices that are not
in an abnormal state.
4. All Abnormal: Selecting this option will show all devices that are
in an abnormal state.
5. All Doors: Selecting this option will display only doors that are in
normal or abnormal states.
6. Doors Forced: Selecting this option will show only doors that are
currently in a forced door state.
7. Doors Free Access: Selecting this option will show only doors that
are currently in free access state.
8. Doors Bypass: Selecting this option will show only doors that have
been bypassed.
9. Doors Manually Unlocked: Selecting this option will show only
doors that have been unlocked using the manual door control screen
(and are currently being held unlocked).
10. Doors Manually Locked: Selecting this option will show only
doors that have been locked using the manual door control screen.
11. Doors Disabled (Manual Mode): Selecting this option will show
only readers (doors) that have been disabled using the manual door
control screen.
12. Doors Disabled (Schedule): Selecting this option will show only
readers that are currently disabled by a time schedule.
13. All Inputs: Selecting this option will show all enabled input devices
only.
14. Abnormal Inputs: Selecting this option will show only input
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devices that have reported input abnormal.
15. Supervised Trouble: Selecting this option will show only abnormal
supervised input devices.
16. Inputs Schedule Disabled: Selecting this option will show only
inputs that have been disabled by a time schedule.
17. Activated Relays: Selecting this option will show only relays that
are currently energized (latched).
Selecting any of the above options will display the following columns:
• Panel: This column will display the panel number of the panel that is
hosting the connected hardware device. The panel number is taken
from the PnlNo field of the Panels screen.
• Device: This column will display the name of the hardware device.
This name is taken from the Name field in the Panels, Readers,
Relays, Inputs or Links screens.
• Status: This column will display the current status of the connected
hardware device. The message displayed is related to the type of the
device.
• Last Change: This column will display the date and time of the most
recent change in status of the indicated hardware item.
• Number: This column will display the number of the hardware item, in
the list of items, in the configuration screen where the item is
mentioned. For example, if a door is mentioned on the Status tab, the
number of the door record in the Readers screen is mentioned in the
Number field. Thus, you have the panel number that the device is
connected to in the Panel field and you have the reader number (as
found in the Reader field for the Readers screen). With this
information, you can easily locate the configuration record of a
hardware device.
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Stations Tab
A click on the Stations tab will show a listing of all CardAccess
workstations that are currently connected to the CardAccess database and
also of the operators who are currently logged in.
Fig. 3.10. Status screen in Stations tab.
The columns seen in Stations tab are explained below.
• Station: The Station column will contain the workstation number
or name of every CardAccess workstation (and host), that is
currently connected to the CardAccess database. In figure 3.10
above, there are two entries, marked Master and Master Comm.
These entries refer to the Host PC and the two software
components Host user screen (Master) and the Communications
Server (Master Comm) that run on Host PC
• Name: The Name column will display the name of the operator
who is currently logged in to the highlighted workstation. The
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name displayed in this field is taken from the Name field of the
operator record, in the Operators configuration screen.
•
Logged On: The ‘Logged on’ column will denote whether the
highlighted to workstation is currently logged in to the CardAccess
system and if it is actively accessing the CardAccess database. Yes
indicates that the workstation is active and No indicates that the
user has logged off.
• Operator: The ‘Operator’ column will display the screen name of
the operator who is currently logged in to the CardAccess
workstation highlighted. The screen name is taken from the Screen
Name field of the Operators screen.
• DVR Running: This column indicates whether DVR RemoteView
is running on the CardAccess system.
• Time: The Time field will denote when the indicated operator
logged in to the CardAccess database.
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System Settings
The default operating characteristics of CardAccess software is set in the
System Settings screen. This screen consists of a number of folder tabs. The
settings in the screen are made during the set up phase of the software. After
that, the settings are rarely changed.
Note: Some of the settings in System Settings screen can profoundly change
the behavior of the CardAccess or even disable the software. We suggest
that access to System Settings be limited to Administrator level users only.
Accessing System Settings Screen
Follow the steps below:
1. In CardAccess menu bar, click on System menu to display System
menu list.
Fig. 4.1. Clicking on System menu in CardAccess menu bar.
2. Click on System Settings menu item in the list.
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Fig. 4.2. Clicking on System Settings menu item.
Upon clicking, the System settings screen will be displayed in General tab.
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General Tab
By default, the System Settings screen will open in General tab as shown in
the figure below.
Fig. 5.1. System Settings screen in General tab.
The controls of General tab are explained below.
Note: Some of the controls on the System Settings screens are Local,
meaning they affect the local workstation only. Some controls are Global,
meaning they affect all the workstations. Some of the settings affect only the
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server. We have indicated where a particular control is local, global or
server in each section.
Station Name
[Local]
Fig. 5.2. ‘Station Name’ and ‘Assign As This PC’ controls in General tab.
The implications of Station Name control have to be understood along with
the Assign As This PC check box.
‘Assign As This PC’ box when checked indicates that
• You are logged in to the CardAccess station (either server or
workstation) that is currently displayed in the Station name control
and
• That you are currently looking at the settings of that station.
Figure 5.1 shows that we are currently logged in to Host PC and looking
at Host PC’s system settings.
Note:
• Host PC is actually the Communications Server that communicates
with the panels. When Station Name is Host PC, CardAccess will
look for and start the communications driver program upon start
up.
• In the current CardAccess system, you are not allowed to have
more than one computer’s Station Name as Host PC.
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Editing Current Workstation Settings
• Click on Edit button in the tool bar.
• Make the necessary changes.
• Click on Save button in the tool bar to save the settings.
Note: You must be in Edit Mode in most CardAccess screens in order to
change the settings of any control. You can enter edit mode by clicking the
New button (to create a new record) or the Edit button (to edit an existing
record). The buttons are located on the toolbar at the top. Click on Save
button to save the changes made.
Viewing Settings of Another Workstation
• Click the down arrow of Station Name control to view the list of
CardAccess workstations available.
Fig. 5.3. List of CardAccess stations displayed by
clicking the down arrow.
• In the drop down list, click on the desired workstation whose settings
you wish to view.
Note: You need not be in Edit mode to view the settings of another
workstation.
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Changing Station Name
• Select a workstation as explained under the heading Viewing
Settings of Another Workstation.
• Select the Assign as This PC check box.
Fig. 5.4. Selection of ‘Assign As This PC’ check box a must for changing Station Name.
Note: If ‘Assign as This PC’ box is not checked, the new workstation
assignment will not be saved.
• Click on Save button in the tool bar to save the changes.
• Restart CardAccess for changes to take effect.
Editing settings of another Workstation
• Select a workstation as explained under the heading Viewing
Settings of Another Workstation.
• Click on Edit button in the toolbar and make the required changes to
the settings of the other workstation.
• Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the changes.
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Modems
[Server]
Fig. 5.5. Controls for Modems in General tab.
Modems are used by the CardAccess for dial out to, and dial in from the
panels. If you wish to use a modem with CardAccess, the driver for that
modem must be installed in Windows first. The CardAccess list of available
modems is taken from the Windows modem list.
Follow steps below to assign a modem:
• Open System Settings screen by clicking System->System Settings in
CA 3000 main screen.
• Click the down arrow of Line 1 Modem Name combo box (or Line 2
Modem Name combo box. Any modem can be assigned first).
• Select a modem in the drop down list and click on it.
• Click on Save button in the tool bar to save the modem(s) selected.
Note: You can assign a maximum of two modems in the System Settings
screen. This will make up to two modems available for use by the software.
The modems are not dedicated to ‘dial out’ or ‘dial in’ in the System
Settings screen. See the section titled Dial Up for more information.
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Max Badge Digits at Panel
[Global]
‘Max Badge Digits at Panel’ control is set to reflect the number of digits in
the longest card number intended to be used. There are several industry
standard card format types, and this control reflects the standard available
types.
Fig. 5.6. Choices for maximum badge digits displayed
by clicking the down arrow.
The available choices are 5, 7, 9 or 19 digits. Make a desired selection
depending on the type of card you use.
Note: The maximum number of badge digits allowed in CardAccess is 19.
Do not use badges with card numbers that are longer than 19 digits.
Badge Tagging Type
[Global]
‘Badge Tagging Type’ control provides two options as shown in the figure
below.
Fig. 5.7. Options available for badge tagging
displayed by clicking the down arrow.
• Select ‘Not used’ option if you don’t intend to use Vehicle
Tagging or
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• Select ‘Vehicle Tracking’ if you wish to use Vehicle Tags.
Selection of Vehicle Tracking option will bring about changes in other
CardAccess screens as listed below.
• Vehicle Tag check box becomes visible in General tab of Personnel
screen.
Fig. 5.8. Vehicle Tag check box in General tab of
Personnel screen.
• Vehicle Superterm Reader Link area becomes visible in Options
tab of Readers screen.
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Fig. 5.9. ‘Vehicle Tag Superterm Reader Link’
area in Options tab of Readers screen.
Read the section titled Readers for more details on vehicle tagging.
• Show Vehicle Tags filter right-option becomes available for Class
column in Events grid.
Fig. 5.10. ‘Show Vehicle Tags’
filter type for Class column of Events grid.
• Tag # right-click option becomes available for Description column of
both Events and Alerts grids
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Disable Clock Synchronization
[Global]
Fig. 5.11. Clock Synchronization control in General tab.
This feature is enabled by default. It keeps the clocks of all of the
CardAccess workstations synchronized. This insures that timestamps
attached to events, which were acknowledged from any of the CardAccess
workstations, will be synchronized with a master clock.
To disable clock synchronization, check the box.
Use Facility Maps
[Local]
Fig. 5.12. Facility Maps control in General tab.
The mapping engine is disabled by default. To enable it, check the box.
Selecting ‘Use Facility Maps’ check box will bring about changes in other
CardAccess screens as listed below.
• Maps menu choice appears in the Administration menu.
• Map folder tab appears in the following screens:
o Panels
o Readers
o Inputs
o Relays
o Links
• Map button appear in Events/Alerts grid tool bar.
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Hide Personnel PIN Code
[Local]
Fig. 5.13. Control provided in
General tab to hide PIN Codes
entered in Personnel screen.
This check box has a bearing on the PIN Code field of Personnel screen.
By default, the Hide Personnel PIN Code check box in System Settings
screen is unchecked, due to which, PIN Codes entered in Personnel screen
will be revealed. Placing a checkmark in the ‘Hide Personnel PIN Code’
box, will replace the PIN Codes by asterisks, thereby concealing the PIN
Codes of the Personnel. This prevents unauthorized operators from knowing
the PIN Codes of the Badges.
Show Badge Re-Issue in Alert Transaction
‘Show Badge Re-Issue in Alert Transaction’ area provides three radio
buttons for controlling the information to be displayed for badge related
events in CardAccess main screen.
Fig. 5.14. Radio buttons for controlling badge events’
Information displayed on CA main screen.
The functions of the buttons are explained below.
• Do Not Show: Selecting this option will not display the badge and
issue level numbers for any of the badge events in CardAccess main
screen.
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• Show Re-Issue on Denied: Selecting this option will display the
badge numbers for only those badge events that are denied for reissue.
• Always Show Re-Issue: Selecting this option will display the badge
and issue level numbers for all badge events in CardAccess main
screen.
The figure below shows the result of selecting ‘Always Show Re-Issue’
option.
Fig. 5.15. Events grid showing badge and issue level numbers of a badge event as a result
of selecting ‘Always Show Re-Issue’ option in System Settings screen.
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In the above figure the badge and issue level numbers are displayed in the
Description column of a badge related event. The highlight contains LITZ,
STEVE (383-IL 0), indicating badge number 383 and issue level 0. Note the
selection of Always Show Re-Issue option in the System settings screen as
shown on the right.
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Databases Tab
The Databases tab of the System Settings screen is used for registering
archive databases with the CardAccess software. A database must first be
manually registered in Databases tab before it can appear in the list of
available archive databases in any other screen.
CardAccess utility screens that use the list of archive databases generated on
the Databases tab include the following:
• Archive Tab of System Settings Screen
• Archive Configuration and Events Screen
• Reports Screen
A click on Databases tab will display the screen below.
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Fig. 6.1. System Settings screen in Databases tab.
The above screen has two panes. By default, the left pane displays the list of
CardAccess server names. The right pane is reserved for displaying database
names of the server you select in the left pane.
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Adding a Database
Follow the steps below to add a database for archiving:
1. In the left pane (refer figure 6.1), click on a Server Name in the list.
Note: If you are archiving data to a Remote Server, you must first register
your CardAccess database equipped SQL servers with the local CardAccess
instance by using the Database Utilities application (on the Link Servers
tab). Database Utilities option is found in the CardAccess tools folder. Once
all of your servers have been registered, that list of servers will then be
visible in the Server Name pane seen on the left side of the screen.
Upon selecting a server, the databases of that server will be displayed in the
right pane.
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Fig. 6.2. Database names displayed after server selection.
In the above figure, databases of ARUNLPT server are displayed in the right
pane.
2. In the right pane of the screen, click on the Database Name that will
be used for archiving.
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Fig. 6.3. Selecting a database name in the right pane for archiving.
In the above figure, CIDATA_ARCHIVE database is selected.
3. Click on Edit button in the tool bar.
Upon Clicking, the Add button (found in between the left and right
panes) will be enabled.
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Fig. 6.4. Add button enabled by clicking Edit button in the tool bar.
4. Click on Add button.
Upon clicking, the server and database names will be added to the grid
seen in the lower half of the screen.
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Fig. 6.5. Server and database names added to grid.
In the above figure, ARUNLPT server and CIDATA_ARCHIVE
database names are added to the grid.
Note: Similarly, other databases needed for archiving can be added to the
grid.
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Fig. 6.6. CIDATA132 database added by following similar steps.
Removing a Database
In case a database added to the grid will not be used for archiving, you can
remove it by using the Delete Highlighted Database pop-up menu.
Steps to remove a database from the grid:
1. Click on Edit button in the tool bar.
2. Move your mouse cursor to the grid in the lower half of the screen.
Doing this will display the Right-click to remove highlighted
database message as shown in the figure below.
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Fig. 6.7. Message displayed for removing a database.
3. Click on the row containing the database name you wish to remove.
Fig. 6.8. CIDATA132 database selected for deletion.
4. Right-click on the highlighted row to display the Delete Highlighted
Database pop-up menu.
Fig. 6.9. Right-click option for deleting the highlighted database.
5. Left-click on Delete Highlighted Database pop-up menu to remove
the highlighted database from the grid.
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Archive Tab
Archive tab is used for assigning a database for auto archiving. The archive
database can be any CardAccess compatible SQL server database (desktop
MSDE or server) except the CardAccess main database.
Note: It is recommended that you create your events archive database on the
same server that is running the CardAccess database.
A click on Archive tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 7.1. System Settings screen in Archive tab.
The controls provided in the tab are explained below.
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Server Name, Database Name
The desired Server and Database names must be selected from the
respective drop down boxes for auto-archiving.
Fig. 7.2. Controls for selecting Server and Database names.
The Database you select will be used for archiving the existing events.
Archive Event Photos
By default, the Archive Event Photos check box will be checked as shown in
figure 7.1. The check mark in this box will allow the associated Event
snapshots (taken by SmartView application) to be archived during autoarchiving of Events.
Fig. 7.3. Control to enable archiving of Event photos.
Note: Removal of check mark will result in the loss of associated snapshots
of events during the process of archiving.
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Limiting Event Count
The ‘Limit the number of Events in Archive database to’ control is provided
for limiting the number of events in the Archive database.
Fig. 7.4. Spin control for limiting event count in Archive database.
It is recommended to limit the number of events in Archive database to
• One million events if MSDE is used or
• Three millions events if SQL Server is used.
The limit can be fixed by
o By typing in the appropriate number in the field or
o By using the up/down arrows of the spin control to choose the
number.
The event count in the Archive database builds up as and when autoarchiving takes place. The following Alerts will be displayed in
CardAccess Alerts grid depending on the event count in the database:
o When the event count in Archive database is 50,000 lesser than the
actual limit fixed, the alert 'Archive database is nearing the limit' will
be displayed.
o When the event count in Archive database equals the actual limit
fixed, the alert ‘Archive database has reached the limit’ will be
displayed.
o When the event count in Archive database crosses the limit fixed, the
alert ‘Archive database has exceeded the limit’ will be displayed.
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Check Archive Database Size
A click on ‘Check Archive Database Size’ button will display
o The physical size of Archive database and
o The current event count in Archive database.
Fig. 7.5. Size and event count of Archive database displayed
by clicking on the button.
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Printers Tab
Printers tab is used for selecting printers that will be used for printing reports
and events.
A click on Printers tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 8.1. System Settings screen in Printers tab.
The controls provided in the tab are explained below.
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Printing Reports
Reports section of Printers tab provides a control for selecting the printer
that will be used for printing Reports.
Fig. 8.2. Report section in Printers tab.
The control is explained below.
Report Printer
[Local]
Fig. 8.3. Report Printer control.
By default, the Report Printer control will display the option None as shown
in the above figure. This control is used to select printers that will be used
for printing reports. The list of printers is taken from Windows printers list.
Thus, at least one printer must be installed in Windows.
Note: The Reports button in CardAccess main screen will be enabled only
when a printer is installed in Windows.
Fig. 8.4. Reports button in CardAccess tool bar enabled when printer is installed in
Windows.
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Selecting a Report Printer
Follow steps below to select a Report printer:
• Click the down arrow of Report Printer control.
• Click on a printer you intend to use for printing Reports.
Fig. 8.5. Selecting a printer for printing Reports.
• Click on Save button in the tool bar for saving the settings.
Printing Events
The Printers tab provides controls for selecting the printer that will be used
for printing Events.
Fig. 8.6. Controls in Events section for printing Event messages.
The controls are explained below.
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Event Printer
[Local]
Fig. 8.7. Event Printer control.
Events printing is disabled by default. You can enable the event printer by
selecting a printer in the ‘Event Printer’ control. Once printing is enabled,
the event-printing engine prints every violation and system event message
that appears in the CardAccess Events Grid, 24 hours per day, every day of
the year by default.
Priority Level for Events Printing
Fig. 8.8. Control for fixing set point for
printing Events.
The ‘Print Events Above Priority’ control allows you to fix a set point for
printing events. The number specified in this control refers to the priority
level of the events you wish to print.
For example, the control in the above figure is set to 6. This means that the
event printer will print all events in the Priority range 1-5. For more
information on Event priority, refer the section Setting Up Priorities.
Printing Valid Events
Fig. 8.9. Control to select time schedule for printing Valid Access Events.
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Valid access messages are not printed by default, in the interest of saving
paper. The default selection for the control will be No Print as shown in the
above figure. Since the majority of event transactions are valid access
events, a considerable amount of paper could be used in a busy system.
The ‘Valid Access Events by Schedule’ control allows the selection of time
schedules for printing valid access Events. When a time schedule is selected,
the valid access events will be printed during that particular schedule. If no
schedule is selected, valid access events will not be sent to the event printer
and only violation and system messages will be sent to the printer.
Note: A high-speed dot matrix printer will offer line by line printing
capability. A laser printer will not eject a document until the entire page has
been filled with text. In a case where the event printer is being used to
monitor violation event traffic, a dot matrix printer is advised if action is to
be taken as events are printed. If event printing is for ‘historical’ purposes,
the laser printer will suffice.
Enabling Event Printing
Follow the steps below to enable Event Printing:
• Click on Edit button in the toolbar.
•
Click the down arrow of Event Printer control and click on a printer
you wish to use for printing events.
Fig. 8.10. Selecting an Event Printer.
• Using the spin buttons of Print Events Above Priority control, choose a
set point for printing events. The number in this control refers to the
priority level of the events that you wish to print.
• If you want to print valid events as well, click the down arrow of Valid
Access Events by Schedule control and select a desired time schedule in
the drop down list.
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Fig. 8.11. Selecting a time schedule for printing valid access events.
Note: If there are no schedules in the drop down list, time schedules need
to be created in Schedules screen. Read the section titled Schedules for
creating time schedules.
• Click on Save button in the tool bar for saving settings.
Printer Properties
[Local]
Fig. 8.12. Printer Properties button
The Printer Properties button is provided as a convenience for the user. This
button gives access to the settings of the printers that are chosen as Events or
Reports printers. To access the printer settings, first click the printer whose
settings you wish to edit and then click the Printer Properties button.
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Alerts Tab
The Alerts tab provides controls to make settings for Alerts that can be
generated in the CardAccess system.
A click on Alerts tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 9.1. System Settings screen in Alerts tab.
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Processing Section
Processing section in Alerts tab provides three controls as shown in the
figure below.
Fig. 9.2. Processing section in Alerts tab.
Enable Auto-Acknowledge
The ‘Enable Auto-Acknowledge’ check box controls enabling/disabling of
the Auto-Acknowledge feature. If the box is checked, the feature is enabled;
if unchecked, the feature is disabled. When disabled, the system will not
automatically acknowledge the alerts.
9 Enable Auto-Acknowledge check box value will override the
Requires Operator Response/ Requires Alert Response/ Response
Required/ Alert Requires Response check box values in the hardware
device screens.
Auto Ack Priority Set-Point
‘Auto Ack Priority Set-Point’ control provides spin buttons (up/down
arrows) for settings the priority level for auto-acknowledgement of alerts.
The system uses the priority level set in this control to determine which of
the alerts will stay in Alerts Grid and which others will automatically be
moved to the Events Grid. The acceptable priority range for the control is 199.
9 The priority value set in Auto Ack Priority Set-Point control will
override the priority values set for the Panel/Reader/Input/Relay/Link
events in their respective screens.
To set priority values for Panel/Reader/Input/Relay/Link events, refer the
section Setting Up Priorities.
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“Response Required” Schedule
If ‘Response Required’ function is set on any event types, the default
condition is that the Response Required window will display at all hours of
the day (24/7/365) (refer topics Programming the CardAccess and Alert
Acknowledgement for details on Response Required function). Response
Required Schedule control allows you to set a limit on when the Response
Required window will appear. Note that if the Response Required function
is disabled by a time schedule, the Response Required window will not
display for any type of event. To create time schedules refer the topic
Schedules in the manual.
Number of Viewable Events
Fig. 9.3. Control for fixing number of viewable events.
The ‘Number of Viewable Events’ control works in conjunction with autoarchiving of events. The events belonging to Event table of
LIVEDATABASE are auto-archived once per hour to maintain system
performance. Only the most recent events will be left in the events table
during the hourly event archive. The ‘Number of Viewable Events’ control is
used to set the number of events that will be retained in the
LIVEDATABASE Events table. It is recommended that the number of
viewable events be set to a low number (say 10,000). Smaller numbers will
increase system response times.
The number can be fixed by
o By typing in the appropriate number in the field or
o By using the up/down arrows of the spin control to choose the
number.
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Alert Sound Generator
There are actually two sound generators included in CardAccess. Each
sound engine has its own sound(s) and its own ‘switch’ to turn it on and off
(see figure 9.4).
Standard Bell Sound
The standard bell sound is active by default every time you re-start
CardAccess. It uses the standard Windows Default Beep sound.
Fig. 9.4. Standard bell sound on/off switch.
The standard Windows bell sound is not selectable from inside CardAccess.
This bell rings whenever an alert is received. The time interval for this sound
is also not selectable.
To turn this bell on and off, go to the tool bar of Alerts Grid, right-click on
the words Pending Alerts, left-click on the Silence button that appears. If the
Silence button appears and it has a check mark in it, the bell sound has
already been turned off.
Fig. 9.5. Standard bell sound turned off by
clicking on Silence button.
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Alert Sound Section
Fig. 9.6. Controls of Alert Sound section in Alerts tab.
CardAccess has a built in Alert sound generator. When alerts appear at the
top of Alerts Grid, it is possible to have CardAccess play a sound that is
linked to the severity of the alert priority.
The Alert Sound section controls are explained below.
Enable Sound
Fig. 9.7. Sound Generator enabled by checking the box.
Enable Sound check box is used to enable/disable the alert sound
generator. To enable the sound generator, click the Enable Sound check
box.
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Play Interval
Fig. 9.8. The Play Interval Spin Control.
Each sound file control has an associated ‘Play Interval’ selection control.
This control sets how often the associated sound will repeat (in seconds).
The minimum is 0 seconds (which is constant repeat) and the maximum is
90 seconds.
To select a Play Interval, click the up or down arrow buttons to the right
of the preferred Play Interval control or click in the white space and type a
number from 0 – 90
Sound File Controls
Fig. 9.9. Controls for selecting sounds files for different priority levels.
Sound File controls are provided for assigning unique sound files for
events belonging to different priority ranges. The sound file controls are
explained below:
• Sound File 5: This control selects the sound that is to be associated with
alerts in the priority range 1-5.
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Note: Priorities lower than 30 (31-99) are not assigned any sound file due to
the assumption that events of lower priority levels will not appear in the
Alerts Grid.
• Response Required Events
This control selects a sound to be played whenever an alert comes to the top
of Alerts Grid that has the Response Required function enabled. This sound
will play on all alerts having Response Required function enabled and will
override the alert priority settings in the Sound File controls mentioned
immediately above.
Selecting a sound file
Selection of sound file for the available priority levels in Alerts tab can be
done as below:
• Click the down arrow of the Sound File control.
• Scroll up/down to select a desired sound file and click on it.
• Assign a Play Interval of 0 seconds or more for the sound file selected.
If the Play Interval is set to 0, the sound will be played constantly for
all alerts, in the alert priority range, of the selected sound file.
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Import Button
Fig. 9.10. The Import button.
The Import button opens an Explorer window that allows you to import a
sound file into the CardAccess3000\Sounds folder. The CardAccess
software is installed with 20 default sound files in the \CardAccess
3000\Sounds folder.
However, you can import as many sound files of choice as you wish. For
each file you import, a copy will be made of the original source sound file
and stored in the Sounds folder. Files are expected to be in ‘.wav’ format.
Click the Import button to search for a file.
Using Socket Alert Notify
Fig. 9.11. The Socket Notify Control
This feature is disabled by default. Socket Alert Notify is a feature that
operates much like event printing. In event printing, event messages are
routed to the database (they are then displayed on the screen) and copies of
those event messages are sent to the event printer. When Socket Alert Notify
is active, event messages are sent to the database as usual, but copies of
those event messages are also sent out onto the network via a TCP socket
message. The CardAccess server creates a TCP client socket that connects to
IP 127.0.0.1 (loop back) and TCP port 5001.The data portion of that TCP
packet is stuffed with a comma delimited string of ASCII characters (plain
text), which has the following format.
Date
BadgeNo
Class
Description
Name
Panel
Reader
To turn on Socket Notify, select the Using Socket Alert Notify check box.
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Custom Tab
The Custom tab in System Settings screen is provided with controls for
creating custom fields that will appear in the Personnel screen.
A click on Custom tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 10.1. System Settings screen in Custom tab.
Four Personnel Custom Tabs are provided in the screen as shown above. The
tabs are:
1. Personnel Custom Tab 1,
2. Personnel Custom Tab 2,
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3. Personnel Custom Tab 3 and
4. Personnel Custom Tab 4
Each of these tabs are provided with nodes (that appear either as ‘+’ or
‘-‘signs). The nodes can be expanded or collapsed alternately by clicking on
+ or – signs to view the fields contained in the tabs.
Fig. 10.2. Personnel Tabs 1, 2, 3 and 4 collapsed by clicking the nodes.
Tab 1 provides 4 fields of Alphanumeric, Numeric and Large Alphanumeric
Names each. These field names are also provided with nodes. Tabs 2, 3, 4
provide 12 Alphanumeric Field Names each.
None of the fields are enabled by default. To create custom fields, you need
to enter a name in the field named ‘Page Title’. This is done as below.
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Entering Page Title
a) Click on System menu in CardAccess menu bar and select System
Settings menu item.
b) In System Settings screen, click on Edit button in the tool bar.
c) Click on Custom tab.
d) Type a name for the Page Title field.
Note:
• You can enter any suitable name of choice in the Page Title
field.
• A new folder tab whose name is same as the name entered in
Page Title field will appear in Personnel screen.
In Figure below we have named the Page Title of Personnel Custom Tab 1
as Medical Data.
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Fig. 10.3. Page Title of Personnel Custom Tab 1 entered as Medical Data.
e) Click on Save button in System Settings toolbar.
Once you save the Page title in System Settings screen, a new folder tab
having the same name as that of Page title you just saved, will appear in
Personnel screen.
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Fig. 10.4. New folder tab displayed in Personnel screen having the same name as ‘Page
Title’ field.
A click on Medical Data folder tab at this point of time will show no items
as indicated in the figure below.
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Fig. 10.5. Medical Data folder tab with no items.
The new tab will contain items only when at least one of the Custom tab
fields (Alphanumeric, Numeric or Large Alphanumeric field) in System
Settings Custom tab has an entry.
Creating Custom Fields
1. Follow steps a-c mentioned under Entering Page Tile.
2. Type in names for the desired Personnel Custom tab fields.
Note:
• You can name only those fields you desire to use and leave the other
fields blank.
• Fields can be named in any order.
• Suitable names of choice can be entered for the fields.
In the figure below, only Large Alphanumeric Field 9 has been named.
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Fig. 10.6. Large Alphanumeric field 9 named as Blood Type.
3. Click on Save button in the tool bar for saving the settings.
The Personnel screen folder tab (Medical data here) will now display the
field name(s) that was/were entered in the Custom tab as shown in the figure
below.
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Fig. 10.7. Personnel screen displaying Blood Type field that was entered in Custom tab.
To Remove Custom Fields
1. Follow steps a-c mentioned under Entering Page Tile.
2. Delete the names entered in the Custom tab fields.
Note: Deleting the name entered for Page Title field will result in deletion of
Personnel screen folder tab (having same name as Page Title) as well.
3. Click on Save button in the tool bar to save the changes.
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Video Badging Tab
Video badging is disabled by default. The controls to enable Video
Badging are provided in the Video Badging tab of System Settings screen.
A click on Video Badging tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 11.1. System Settings screen in Video Badging tab.
The controls are explained below:
Video Badging Package
The Video Badging feature can be turned on or off by using the Video
‘Badging Package’ control. A click on the down arrow of the control will
display three options as shown in the figure below:
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Fig. 11.2. Options available for Video Badging.
The options in the drop down list are explained below:
• None: When this option is selected, Video Badging will be turned off.
• Photos Only: When this option is selected, Video Badging feature is
turned on. But, Badge Template Editing is not available.
In ‘Photos Only’ mode, it is only possible to import the existing images that
were created using another manufacturer’s software package. The following
functions are not possible in Photos Only mode:
o Creating a badge design
o Printing/previewing a badge design
o Capturing an image
o Capturing a signature
When ‘Photos Only’ option is chosen, a new folder tab by name Photo will
appear in Personnel screen. The controls on Photo tab are explained under
the heading Photo Tab in the section titled Personnel.
• Goddard: When this option is selected, Video Badging is turned on along
with Badge Template Editor Software.
In Goddard mode, photos can be captured using a camera kit.
Goddard mode allows the following functions in addition to importing and
exporting of bitmaps:
o Capturing an image (with appropriate hardware)
o Capturing a signature (with appropriate hardware)
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o Creating badge designs
o Printing and Previewing badge designs
When ‘Goddard’ option is chosen, the following changes can be observed:
o A folder tab by name Photo will appear in Personnel screen. The
controls on this tab are explained under the heading Photo Tab of the
section titled Personnel.
o Photo ID menu item can be seen in Administration menu list of CA
main screen. Badge Template Editor Software can be started by
clicking this menu item. Usage of this software is explained in the
section titled ID Badging
Enabling Video Badging
Follow the steps below to enable Video Badging:
• Click the down arrow of Video Badging Package control to display
the available options.
• Select the desired option (Photos Only or Goddard) and click on it.
• Click on Save button in the toolbar for saving the settings.
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Badging Printer
The Badging Printer control allows selection of a printer for Video Badging.
Selecting a Badging Printer
Follow the steps below for selecting a printer:
• Click the down arrow of Badging Printer control and select a desired
printer.
Fig. 11.3. Selecting a Badging Printer.
Note:
• The list of printers that is displayed in the Badging Printer control is
taken from the Windows printers list. If there are no printers installed,
there will be no printers in the list.
• Any printer can be used to accept output from the Badging software.
A badge printer is the standard printer used, but the print output could
just as easily be sent to a document printer or even a file. This fact
might prove useful during the badge design phase. To help save badge
stock, the print output can be sent to a document printer temporarily
until the badge design is perfected.
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Mag Stripe Encoding Schema
‘Mag Stripe Encoding Schema’ control has no effect if you are not
programming magnetic cards using your Badging printer.
Whenever a magnetic stripe card is encoded, a message is set to the printer
card encode head. That message includes a string of information that you as
the CardAccess Administrator have programmed into the CardAccess Badge
Template Editor software (such as badge number, facility code, etc. For
details refer the section ID Badging). Also included in the message are a
number of hidden control characters that are embedded in that message by
the Badging software.
The control characters are sent depend on the brand of the printer you use.
Fargo printers accept different control character strings than Eltron printers.
The ‘Mag Stripe Encoding Schema’ control selects which control characters
are to be sent to the encoding hardware of the Badging printer. This
selection control offers three options.
Fig. 11.4. Options available for Encoding Schema.
• Fargo: Used for Fargo (Cheetah) brand printers.
• Eltron: Used for older Eltron brand printers (P300/400/500).
• Eltron 310: Used for newer Eltron brand printers (P310/420/520).
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Selecting an Encoding Schema
Follow the steps below to select an Encoding Schema
• Click the down arrow of Mag Stripe Encoding Schema control to
display the list of options.
• Select an option for encoding and click on it.
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CCTV Tab
The CCTV tab provides controls that can enable/disable the optional
features provided in CardAccess software. The optional features are:
• SmartView
• DVR Remote and
• Remote Control
A click on CCTV tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 12.1. System Settings screen in CCVT tab.
By default, none of the features will be enabled. ‘Not Used’ will be the
default selection as shown in the above figure.
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CCTV/DVR Control
Fig. 12.2. Radio button controls for enabling optional features.
SmartView CCTV Controls
The SmartView CCTV feature allows the snapshots of Pending Alerts to be
taken automatically thus avoiding manual intervention for snapshots.
Two radio buttons provided for controlling the operation of this feature as
shown in the figure below.
Fig. 12.3. Controls for SmartView CCTV feature.
The buttons are explained below:
• Enable SmartView CCTV- View Only: Selecting this option will
enable SmartView feature in View Only mode.
Note: Archive database must be setup before enabling the SmartView
CCTV controls (View Only/Full Control).
When this option is selected, your local workstation can only view the
snapshots of Alerts taken by other workstations. Local workstation in
View only mode is not capable of taking snapshots. For more
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information refer the help file SmartViewHelp.chm located in
CardAccess3000\Help folder.
• Enable SmartView CCTV- Full Control : Selecting this option will
enable SmartView feature in Full Control mode.
Note: Archive database must be setup before enabling the SmartView
CCTV controls (View Only/Full Control).
When this option is selected, your local workstation will be capable of
both viewing and taking snapshots of the Pending Alerts. For more
information refer the help file SmartViewHelp.chm located in
CardAccess3000\Help folder.
DVR RemotView Control
Fig. 12.4. Radio button control
for enabling DVR RemoteView feature.
DVR RemoteView feature enables viewing of Live/Recorded videos of
cameras that are connected to the DVXi server. Selecting the Enable
DVR RemoteView button will enable this feature on CardAccess
workstation.
Note: Archive database must be setup before enabling the DVR
RemoteView feature.
For more information on DVR RemoteView, refer the document DVR
RemoteView Integration with CardAccess 3000.doc.
Remote Control
Typical CCTV switches have built-in serial interface ports. These ports are
designed to be connected to an outboard device (like a computer) that can
remotely control the actions of the switch.
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The typical CCTV switch is responsible for switching video monitors and
surveillance cameras. Control over the switching actions of any switch is
usually available from any one of the three places as mentioned below.
• The front panel – you can manually switch any camera to any monitor.
• User programmable, automated, mini-programs (Guard Tour).
• External Control – Most switches have a communications port built in.
In order to use this communications port, you must use the manufacturer’s
proprietary communications protocol. This protocol usually consists of
ASCII ‘command strings’, which are recognized by the switch.
Note: When we say ‘ASCII’ protocol, we mean a message format that
consists of ordinary characters (letters and numbers), plus ‘control codes’ as
defined in the ASCII character table.
CardAccess does provide a means to send strings of these ASCII
characters from any serial port of the communications server PC (USB
currently not supported). Remote Control from workstations is not
supported currently.
The essence of how Remote Control works in CardAccess is as below:
• The user will enter ASCII strings in the Command String section of
the System Settings screen in CCTV tab.
• Each of the commands defined in the CCTV tab can then be ‘bound’ to
a reader or input hardware device.
• When there is a change in the ‘state’ of the reader or input, the
associated Remote Control command will be sent from the designated
Remote Control com port.
By default, Remote Control in CardAccess software is disabled.
Let’s look at how to enable Remote Control in CardAccess.
Setting up Remote Control in CardAccess
1. Open System Settings screen by clicking System->System Settings
in CardAccess main screen.
2. Click on Edit button in the toolbar.
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3. Check the Using Remote Control check box. The System Settings
screen will appear as below when Remote Control box is checked.
Fig. 12.5. System Settings screen with Remote Control enabled.
4. Click the down arrow of COM Port control and select a desired COM
Port.
Note: Assure that the port that you want to use has been created in
Windows, has been tested working, and has been physically connected to the
CCTV switch.
5. If necessary, you can set the properties of the Com port by clicking
the Setup COM Port button.
6. Click the white space below Command Name column and type in a
descriptive name for the Command String you want to use.
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7. Click in the white space below Command String column and type in a
Command String that is compatible with your CCTV switch.
Note:
• The Command Strings used are specific to the brand and model
of the CCTV switch you use.
• For entering more commands, press the down arrow key on
your keyboard which will take you to a new command entry
line.
Fig. 12.6. COM Port selected, Command Names and Command Strings entered.
8. Click on Save button in the toolbar for saving the Settings.
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Deleting a Remote Control Command
Fig. 12.7. Control for deleting a Remote Control command.
Follow the steps below to delete a command:
• Open System Settings screen by clicking System->System Settings in
CardAccess main screen.
• Click the Command line you want to delete.
• Click on Remove Entry button.
Setting Up Readers and Inputs
Once Remote Control is been enabled and saved in System Settings screen, a
new folder tab by name Remote Control will appear in
• Readers screen and
• Inputs screen
The command strings entered in System Settings screen can automatically
be sent to the CCTV switch whenever there is a change in the state of the
Reader/Input. This requires that the Reader/Input be configured for Remote
Control.
Configuring Remote Control for a Reader
1. Open the Readers screen by clicking on Configuration->Readers in
CA main screen.
2. Click on Edit button in the Readers screen toolbar.
3. Click on Remote Control tab.
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Note: If Remote Control tab is not visible in Readers screen, it needs to be
enabled as explained under the heading Setting up Remote Control in
CardAccess.
Fig. 12.8. Remote Control tab in Readers screen visible after enabling Remote Control in
System Settings screen.
4. Click the down arrow of CCTV Command Name control and select
a command name in the drop down list.
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Fig. 12.9. Selecting a CCTV command.
Note: In case no commands are seen in the drop down list, they must be
created as explained under the heading Setting up Remote Control in
CardAccess.
5. Select which types of door events will send the command (selected in
step 4) to the CCTV switch. You can check any or all event types
listed in the CCTV Activation Conditions section.
Fig. 12.10. Desired door event selected in ‘CCTV Activation Conditions’ section.
6. Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the settings.
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As a result of the above settings, the occurrence of any door type event that
is selected in ‘CCTV Activation Conditions’ section, will cause the command
selected in the ‘CCTV Command Name’ control, to be sent from the com
port, selected in the System Settings CCTV tab.
Configuring Remote Control for an Input
1. Open the Inputs screen by clicking Configuration->Inputs in
CA main screen.
2. Click on Edit button in Inputs screen tool bar.
3. Click on Remote Control tab.
Note: If Remote Control tab is not visible in Inputs screen, it needs to be
enabled as explained under the heading Setting up Remote Control in
CardAccess.
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Fig. 12.11. Remote Control tab in Inputs screen visible after enabling Remote Control in
4. Click the Enabled check box.
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Fig. 12.12. Enabled box checked.
5. Click the down arrow of CCTV Command Name control in
Abnormal/Return to Normal Condition sections and select a
desired Command Name in the list. In case no commands are seen in
the drop down list, they must be created as explained under the
heading Setting up Remote Control in CardAccess.
Note: You can assign CCTV command to either one or both of the Input
conditions, in any order. You can assign the same or different command
names to both normal and abnormal Input conditions.
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Fig. 12.13. Selecting a CCTV command for Abnormal Input condition.
As a result of the above settings, any change in the Input state will cause the
command selected in the CCTV Command Name control(s), to be sent from
the com port, selected in the System Settings CCTV tab.
Control Codes
Fig. 12.14. Control Codes Legend in CCTV tab of System Settings screen.
Notice that in the System Settings there is a Control Codes ‘key’ printed on
the CCTV folder tab. This key is your guide to adding ASCII ‘control codes’
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to your CCTV strings. Some CCTV switches require these control codes to
be imbedded in the command string. Table 1 below lists the function of each
of the available codes.
Code ASCII Equivalent
^B STX (Start of Text)
^C ETX (End of Text)
^J
LF (Line Feed)
^H
^M
^W
Hex On/Off
CR (Carriage
Return)
Delay (.5 Second)
Result
Send Hex 02
Send Hex 03
Send Hex 0A
Start/End Hex
Mode
Send Hex 0D
Wait ½ Second
Table 1 – Control Codes.
Explanation of Control Codes
• Some of the codes listed do not result in any output. Those codes are
explained in more detail below.
• There are 32 control codes in the ASCII table (00 to 1F Hex. Control @
through Control _). They are not all represented in the legend on the
CCTV tab in the System Settings. You can use all of the codes in the
ASCII chart between 00 hex to 1F hex. However, some of those codes
have been ‘reassigned’ by Continental engineers and are dedicated to
CardAccess functions. A table of those reassigned functions appears
below.
Code
ASCII Equivalent
^H
BS
^W
ETB
Reassigned Function
Hex On/Off
Delay (.5 Second)
Table 2 – Reassigned Control Codes.
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Result
Start/End
Hex Mode
Wait ½
Second
Hex On/Off Mode
Hex mode allows you to create hexadecimal output to a CCTV switch.
Typically, if you create a CCTV command string like
‘ABCDEF1234567890’, the output will exactly be the same as the command
string entered. The characters arriving at the switch will be
ABCDEF1234567890.
In hex mode, the CardAccess CCTV control converts characters entered in
the command strings into hexadecimal output to the CCTV switch. Let’s use
the same command string input, but we will turn hex mode on and off. Here
is the command string we enter in the CCTV screen.
^HABCDEF1234567890^HABCDEF1234567890
Output to the CCTV switch will be as below:
0A0B0C0D0F01020304050607080900ABCDEF123456789
Note that the first group of 16 characters has been converted to hex output.
The first ^H turns on hex mode and the second ^H turns off hex mode. The
second group of 16 characters is output exactly as it was input.
When hex mode is turned on, a leading zero is added to whatever character
you input, converting it into a hexadecimal character of the format
‘0x‘(where x is the character that you input).
Note: The acceptable range of hexadecimal characters for Command String
input is 0-9, A-F. When using Hex Mode, do not try to input characters
outside this range.
Delay
When you put the characters ^W anywhere in a command string, the output
of that string will pause for ½ second. The command string A^WB will
output the ASCII character ‘A’, wait ½ second to output the ASCII character
‘B’.
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Entering a Control Code
• Click on the ‘Command String’ line of any CCTV command line
• Press the Shift key on your keyboard and type the number 6. Shift 6 gives
the character ^ (called ‘control’). Then type the letter of the control code
from the legend that you see above. For example, to add the ASCII
character ‘Line Feed’, type ^J (use capitals only).
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NAPCO Tab
NAPCO Alarm Panels can be integrated with CardAccess 3000. The
integration allows
• NAPCO Alarm Panels to be manually Armed/Disarmed in
CardAccess and
• Receipt of all NAPCO Event information in CardAccess software.
The initial settings for NAPCO integration are done in the NAPCO Tab of
System Settings screen. In this tab, the NAPCO servers that communicate
with NAPCO Alarm Panels must be added.
A click on NAPCO tab will display the screen below.
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Fig. 13.1. System Settings screen in NAPCO tab.
By default, the Use Napco Panels check box will be unchecked. NAPCO
Panels can be integrated with CardAccess only if this box is checked.
Adding a Napco Server
Follow the steps below to add a NAPCO server.
1. Click on Edit button in System Settings tool bar.
2. Select the Use NAPCO Panels check box to enable the ‘Add NAPCO
Server’ button.
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Fig. 13.2. ‘Add NAPCO Server’ button enabled after selecting ‘Use NAPCO Panels’
check box.
3. Click on Add NAPCO Server button to open the
Add NAPCO Server dialog.
Fig. 13.3. The Add NAPCO Server dialog.
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4. In ‘Add NAPCO Server’ dialog, type in the UNC Name of the
computer that communicates with the NAPCO panel being
configured.
Fig. 13.4. Entering UNC Name of the computer
that communicates with the NAPCO panel.
5. Click on OK button. This will add the UNC Name into Workstation
Name area of the screen.
6. Click on Save button in the System Settings tool bar to save the
settings.
7. Click on Close button to close the screen.
The NAPCO server added can now be used to communicate with the
Panels.
Similarly, other NAPCO servers can be added.
After adding NAPCO servers the NAPCO Panels, Areas and Zones need
to be configured for integration of the Alarm Panels. For detailed
explanation on this refer the document NAPCO Alarm Panel Integration
with CardAccess 3000.doc
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Removing a Napco Server
A NAPCO server added that will not be used for communicating with the
panels can be removed from the list of UNC names present in the NAPCO
tab.
Follow the steps below to remove a NAPCO server:
• Click on Edit button in the System Settings tool bar. This will enable
the Remove NAPCO Server button.
• Click on UNC Name of the server you wish to remove from the
Workstation Name area of the screen.
• Click on Remove NAPCO Server button. This will display the
message box below.
Fig. 13.5. Message displayed before removing the NAPCO server.
Note: Make sure that you have selected the correct NAPCO server you
intend to remove. Because, you cannot undo the removal action even by
clicking Cancel button in System Settings tool bar.
•
Click on Yes button to remove the selected NAPCO server. This will
remove the UNC name of the server from Workstation Name area of
the screen.
• Click on Save button in the System Settings tool bar to save the
changes.
•
Click on Close button to close the screen.
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Scripting Tab
A user can respond to event messages in CardAccess system by performing
system actions (like Door, Relay, Link or Alarm Panel actions). An example
for this is Arming/Disarming of NAPCO Areas in response to NAPCO event
messages in CardAccess.
In order that events can be responded, a scripting server must be added to
receive all event messages from the CICDataServer. The Script servers are
added in Scripting tab of System Settings screen.
A click on Scripting tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 14.1. System Settings screen in Scripting tab.
By default, the Use Scripting check box will be unchecked.
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Adding a Script Server
Follow the steps below to add a Script server:
1. Click on Edit button in System Settings tool bar.
2. Select the Use Scripting check box to enable the ‘Add Scripting
Server’ button.
Fig. 14.2. Add Scripting Server button enabled after checking ‘Use Scripting’ check box.
3. Click on Add Scripting Server button to open the ‘Add Scripting
Server’ dialog.
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Fig. 14.3. The Add Scripting Server dialog.
4. In Add Scripting Server dialog, type in the UNC Name of the
computer that receives the event messages from CICDataServer.
Fig. 14.4. Entering UNC Name of the computer that
will receive event messages from CICDataServer.
5. Click on OK button. This will add the UNC Name into Workstation
Name area of the screen.
6. Click on Save button in the System Settings tool bar to save the
settings.
The scripting server thus added will receive event messages from
CICDataServer and will run the script required to perform system actions in
response to specific events.
Similarly, other Scripting servers can be added.
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Removing a Script Server
A Script server that will not be used for receiving event messages can be
removed from the list of UNC names entered in the Scripting tab.
Follow the steps below to remove a Script server:
• Click on Edit button in the System Settings tool bar. This will enable
the Remove Scripting Server button.
• Click on the UNC Name of the Script server you wish to remove from
the Workstation Name area of the screen.
• Click on Remove Scripting Server button. Doing this will display
the message box below.
Fig. 14.5. Message displayed before removing the Script server.
Note: Make sure that you have selected the correct Script server you intend
to remove. Because, you cannot undo the removal action even by clicking
Cancel button in System Settings tool bar.
•
Click on Yes button to remove the selected Script server. This will
remove UNC name of the Script server from Workstation Name area
of the screen.
• Click on Save button in the System Settings tool bar to save the
settings.
•
Click on Close button to close the screen.
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Setting Up Priorities
Every event generated in the CardAccess system has a programmable
priority value setting. By design, the CardAccess main screen is divided into
two grids for receiving normal (low priority) and abnormal (high priority)
events. Attaching priority numbers to the events will allow the system to
route high priority events to Alerts grid and low priority Events to the Events
grid of CardAccess main screen.
range is 1-98.
Note: Auto acknowledgement feature for Alerts requires that, alerts are
attached to specific priority numbers previously. This section mainly
explains those controls in the hardware device screens that you must
configure, if you want to enable auto-acknowledgement of alerts.
The hardware device screens that have controls for setting up priorities in
CardAccess are:
• Panels
• Readers
• Inputs
• Relays
• Links
Setting up alert priorities in each of the screens is explained below.
Panels
Open Panels screen by clicking Configuration menu and Panels menu item
in CardAccess main screen. By default, Panels screen will open in General
tab. Priority values for CardAccess Panel events can be set in Priorities tab.
A click on Priorities tab will display the screen below.
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Fig. 15. Panels screen in Priorities tab.
Controls for Alert Acknowledgement
The Priorities tab in Panels screen provides the following controls for
acknowledgement of panel alerts.
Panel Event Priorities
The ‘Panel Event Priorities’ section shows four labeled spin controls as
shown in figure 15. The labels describe the panel event types in CardAccess.
By default, the system loads default priority values to each of the event types
as shown in figure 15. The system loaded priority values can be changed as
desired. The priority values aid in routing of the events to one of the two
grids (Events/Alerts) in the CardAccess main screen.
9 Priority values set for the events in Panels screen will be overridden
by Auto Ack Priority Set-Point value set in the System Settings
screen.
The ‘Auto Ack Priority Set-Point’ control is explained under the heading
Alerts tab in the section System Settings.
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Changing Default Priority Value
The system loaded default priority values can be changed as desired. The
usable Priority Number range is 1-98, where 1 is the highest priority and 98
is the lowest priority number in the range.
Follow the steps below to change the default priority number:
• Change the default priority number. This can be done by
o Typing in a desired number in Priority spin control or
o Using up/down arrows of the spin control to choose a desired
number.
Requires Operator Response
Each of the Alert priorities has a check box labeled ‘Requires Operator
Response’ as shown in figure 15. By default this box is unchecked. If a
priority has this check box selected, automatic acknowledgement of the
concerned alert type will be disabled. Manual acknowledgement will be
required to resolve the alert upon its occurrence. In manual alert
acknowledgement, the operator is forced to respond to an alert by typing in a
Response Message in the Alert Acknowledge popup window and clicking
the Acknowledge button to move the alert from the Alerts Grid to the
Events Grid.
Note: The check box to control the method of alert acknowledgement
(manual or automatic) can have different labels like ‘Requires Operator
Response’, ‘Requires Alert Response’,’ Response Required’, ‘Alert Requires
Response’ in the different hardware device screens. All these labels have the
same meaning and they all control the Alert Acknowledgement method.
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Readers
Open Readers screen by clicking Configuration menu and Readers menu
item in CardAccess main screen. By default, Readers screen will open in
General tab. Priority values for CardAccess Reader events can be set in
Priorities tab.
A click on Priorities tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 16.1. Readers screen in Priorities tab.
Figure 16.1 shows the Priorities folder tab being divided into two sections –
‘Priority Settings’ and ‘Miscellaneous Priorities’. The reader priorities listed
in the Priority Settings section are ‘serious’ door events while those listed
in the Miscellaneous Priorities are ‘normal’ door events. The segregation of
event types on the screen is by design. The violation events are treated quite
differently from normal events.
The two sections are detailed below.
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Priority Settings section
The Priority Settings section consists of controls for serious door alerts like
door break-ins, doors not closed on time, bad badges etc.
Fig. 16.2. Priority Settings section showing
controls for serious door alerts
Controls for acknowledgement of door alerts in Priority Settings section are
explained below.
Fig. 16.3. Controls for acknowledgement of
door alerts in Priority Settings section highlighted.
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Priority
Every Door Alert seen in Priority Settings section has a corresponding spin
control for setting the priority value. CardAccess loads default priority
values for each of the door alerts as shown in figure 16.3. The system loaded
priority values can be changed as desired.
9 Priority values set for the events in Readers screen will be overridden
by Auto Ack Priority Set-Point fixed in the System Settings screen.
Auto Ack Priority Set-Point control is explained under the heading Alerts
tab in the section System Settings.
Apply the same steps explained under the heading Changing Default Priority
Value in the section Panels.
Requires Alert Response
Every door alert in Priority Settings section has a check box labeled
‘Requires Alert Response’ as shown in figure 16.3. ‘Requires Alert
Response’ check box in Readers screen has the same function as ‘Requires
Operator Response’ check box in Panels screen. Refer the heading Requires
Operator Response explained in the section Panels.
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Miscellaneous Priorities
The ‘Miscellaneous Properties’ section has controls for normal door alerts,
when the door is being accessed normally with permission.
Fig. 16.4. Miscellaneous Priorities section showing
controls for normal door alerts
Controls for acknowledgement of door alerts in Miscellaneous Priorities
section are explained below.
Fig. 16.5. Controls for acknowledgement of door
alerts in Miscellaneous Priorities section highlighted.
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Enable Oper Acknowledge
Every Alert mentioned in the ‘Miscellaneous Priorities’ section has an
Enable Oper Acknowledge check box as shown in figure 16.5. The value in
this box controls where the alert will be displayed in CardAccess main
screen (Events/Alerts grid).
Occurrence of an alert when ‘Enable Oper Acknowledge’ box is unchecked,
will display the alert in Events grid. Priority setting of the Alert will be
ignored in this case.
When an alert has the ‘Enable Oper Acknowledge’ box checked one of the
following can take place depending on the controls in System Settings
screen:
• The alert will be displayed in Alerts Grid provided ‘Enable AutoAcknowledge’ box is unchecked in the System Settings screen.
• If ‘Enable Auto-Acknowledge’ box is checked, the alert can be
displayed either in Events, or in the Alerts grid, depending on Auto
Ack Priority Set-Point value in the System Settings screen.
The ‘Enable Auto-Acknowledge’ and ‘Auto Ack Priority Set-Point’ controls
are explained under the heading Alerts tab in the section System Settings.
Priority
Every Door Alert seen in ‘Miscellaneous Priorities’ section has a
corresponding spin control for setting the priority value. CardAccess loads
default priority values for each of the door alerts as shown in the figure 16.5.
The system loaded priority values can be changed as desired.
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Every door alert in ‘Miscellaneous Priorities’ section has a check box
labeled ‘Requires Alert Response’ as shown in figure 16.5. ‘Requires Alert
Response’ check box in Readers screen has the same function as ‘Requires
Operator Response’ check box in Panels screen. Refer the heading Requires
Operator Response explained in the section Panels.
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Inputs
Open Inputs screen by clicking on Configuration menu and Inputs menu
item in CardAccess main screen. By default, Inputs screen will open in
General tab as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 17.1. Inputs screen in General tab.
Controls for acknowledgement of Input alerts are explained below.
Fig. 17.2. Controls in Inputs screen for acknowledgement of Input alerts.
Alert Priority
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Fig. 17.3. The Alert Priority Selection Control.
The ‘Alert Priority’ control is used to set the priority level for all event
messages that are received from a particular Input. There are only two
events associated with inputs – ‘Normal’ and ‘Abnormal’. A single alert
priority is set for both event messages in this control. The priority set is
used by the system to route event messages to the Events or Alerts Grid.
The default Alert Priority loaded by the system for Inputs is 50. System
loaded priority values can be changed as desired.
9 Priority values set for the events in Inputs screen will be overridden
by Auto Ack Priority Set-Point value fixed in the System Settings
screen.
Response Required
Fig. 17.4. The Response Required Check Box.
‘Response Required’ check box in Inputs screen has the same function as
‘Requires Operator Response’ check box in Panels screen. Refer the heading
Requires Operator Response explained in the section Panels.
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Relays
Open Relays screen by clicking on Configuration menu and Relays menu
item in CardAccess main screen. By default, Relays screen will open in
Fig. 18.1. Relays screen in General tab.
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Controls for acknowledgement of Relay alerts are explained below.
Fig. 18.2. Controls in Relays screen for acknowledgement of Relay alerts.
Alert Priority
Fig. 18.3. The Alert Priority Selection Control.
The ‘Alert Priority’ control is used to set the priority value for relay type
event messages from a particular relay. There are only two events
associated with Relays – ‘Output On’ and ‘Output Off’. A single alert
priority is set for both event messages in this control. The priority set is
used by the system to route event messages to the Events or Alerts Grid.
The default Alert Priority loaded by the system for Relays is 1. System
loaded priority values can be changed as desired.
9 Priority values set for the events in Relays screen will be overridden
by Auto Ack Priority Set-Point value set in the System Settings
screen.
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Alert on Change
Fig. 18.4. The ‘Alert on Change’ check box.
By default, relay event messages are not reported in CardAccess. To
enable the reporting of ‘Output On’ and ‘Output Off’ event messages for a
particular relay, click the ‘Alert on Change’ check box. Box checked is
enabled, unchecked is disabled (the default).
Alert Requires Response
Fig. 18.5. The ‘Alert Requires Response’ check box.
‘Alert Requires Response’ check box in Relays screen has the same function
as ‘Requires Operator Response’ check box in Panels screen. Refer the
heading Requires Operator Response explained in the section Panels.
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Links
Open Links screen by clicking on Configuration menu and Links menu
item in CardAccess main screen. By default, Links screen will open in the
Fig. 19.1. Links screen in General tab.
Controls for acknowledgement of Link alerts are explained below.
Fig. 19.2. Controls in Links screen for acknowledgement of Link alerts.
Alert Priority
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Fig. 19.3. The ‘Alert Priority’ Selection Control.
The ‘Alert Priority’ selection control is used to set the priority value for the
event messages from a particular link. There are only two events associated
with Links – ‘Link Activate’ and ‘Link Deactivate’. A single alert priority is
set for both event messages in this control. The priority set is used by the
system to route event messages to the Events or Alerts Grid.
The default priority loaded by the system for Links is 10. System loaded
priority values can be changed as desired.
9 Priority values set for the events in Links screen will be overridden by
Auto Ack Priority Set-Point value fixed in the System Settings
screen.
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Fig. 19.4. The ‘Alert Requires Response’ Check Box
‘Alert Requires Response’ check box in Links screen has the same function
as ‘Requires Operator Response’ check box in Panels screen. Refer the
heading Requires Operator Response explained in the section Panels.
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Archive & Restore Data
The Archive Configuration and Events screen is used to transfer
Configuration/ Events data from CardAccess main database to an archive
database. The resulting archive database is immediately usable as it is a fully
functioning exact copy of the CardAccess main database. The screen also
allows restoration of the configuration data from archive database.
Before you can transfer Configuration/ Events data, you must first create an
empty, CardAccess compatible database. This can be done by using
CardAccess 3000 Database Utilities program available in CardAccess
3000 Tools folder. Refer the document CardAccess 3000 Database
Configuration for creating a new archive database.
Archive database once created can be used for various functions with the
help of ‘Archive Configuration and Events’ screen
Accessing Archive Configuration and Events screen
1. Click on System menu in CardAccess menu bar.
2. Click on Archive Data menu item.
Fig. 22.1. ‘Archive Data’ option in System menu list.
Note: Archive Data menu item will be displayed in System menu list only
on CardAccess Host PC.
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Upon clicking, Archive Configuration and Events screen will be displayed
as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 22.2. The ‘Archive Configuration and Events’ screen.
The screen has two main tabs namely Archive and Restore. By default, the
screen will open in Archive tab as shown in the figure above.
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Archive tab
The ‘Archive Configuration and Events’ screen in Archive tab provides two
sub –tabs namely Configuration and Events (refer figure xxx). The two
sub-tabs are explained in detail below.
Configuration tab
The configuration tab is used for archiving configuration data from
CardAccess main database to an archive database. This is explained below.
Archiving Configuration Data
Follow the steps below to archive the configuration data:
1. Make sure Archive tab is selected at the top of the screen. If it is
not selected, click on the tab to select it.
Fig. 23.1. Archive tab selected for archiving configuration data.
2. Select the desired Destination Server and Database names from
the respective drop down boxes.
Fig. 23.2. Selecting Destination Server and Database names by clicking the down
arrows.
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In the above figure, ARUNLPT and CIDATA_ARCHIVE are
selected as the Destination Server and Database names respectively.
Note: If no name is seen in the Database drop down list, a new database
must be created for archiving purposes. Refer the document CardAccess
3000 Database Configuration for creating a new archive database.
The Destination Server and Database names selected will be displayed on
the status bar seen at the bottom of the screen.
Fig. 23.3. Status bar showing the selected Destination Server and Database names.
3. Make sure Configuration tab is selected. If it is not selected, click on
the tab to select it.
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Fig. 23.4. Configuration tab selected for archiving configuration data from CardAccess
main database.
4. Select the configuration items you wish to archive. This can be done
in two ways as below:
• Clicking on All check box to select all items.
• Clicking the individual check boxes to select only desired items.
Fig. 23.5. Selecting all Configuration items for archiving by clicking the All check box.
5. Click on Archive Data button in the toolbar to archive the
configuration items selected.
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Fig. 23.6. Clicking on ‘Archive Data’ button to archive the configuration items
selected.
Upon clicking the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 23.7. Message box displayed after clicking Archive Data button.
Note: Before you click on Yes/No button in the above message box, make
sure you have chosen the correct Destination Database as pre-existing
configuration data in the Destination Database will be overwritten during
archiving.
6. Click on Yes button in the message box after confirming the
Destination Database.
Upon clicking the screen will show the progress of Configuration Data
archive.
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Fig. 23.8. Progress of Configuration data archive.
After Archiving is complete, the message box below will be displayed.
Fig. 23.9. Message box displayed after archiving is complete.
7. Click on OK button in the message box to acknowledge the
completion of archive.
The final screen will show the details of archiving as highlighted in the
figure below.
159
Fig. 23.10. Final screen showing details of Configuration Data Archive.
The above figure shows that configuration data has been transferred from
CIDATA, the CardAccess main database, to CIDATA_ARCHIVE, the
archive database.
8. Click on Close button in the toolbar to close the screen.
Fig. 23.11. The ‘Close’ button.
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Events tab
The Events tab can be used to perform the following two functions:
Archive events from the CardAccess main database.
Archive events from CardAccess databases other than the main
CardAccess database. The Alternate Source check box is provided
for this function.
The functions are explained in detail below.
Archiving Events from CardAccess Main Database
Follow the steps below to archive events from CardAccess main database:
a) Make sure Archive tab is selected at the top of the screen. If it is
Fig. 24.1. Archive tab selected for archiving events from CardAccess main database.
b) Select the desired Destination Server and Database names from
the respective drop down boxes.
Fig. 24.2. Selecting Destination Server and Database names by clicking the down arrows.
selected as the Destination Server and Database names respectively.
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The Destination Server and Database names selected will be displayed on
the status bar seen at the bottom of the screen.
Fig. 24.3. Status bar showing the selected Destination Server and Database names.
c) Click on Events tab.
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Fig. 24.4. Events tab selected for archiving CardAccess events.
Note:
The Include Photos in Archive check box will be selected by default
as shown in figure 24.4. Check box when selected will allow
archiving of the associated event photos, when events are archived. It
is recommended that the box is checked. In case you do not prefer
Photo archiving, deselect the check box by clicking on it.
The Alternate Source check box in Events tab (refer figure 24.4) is
used when events are archived from databases other than the
CardAccess main database. This is explained under the heading
Archiving Events from an Alternate Source.
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d) Select the desired radio button control in the Backup Period area.
Fig. 24.5. Radio button controls for archiving events from CardAccess main database.
The radio button controls are explained below.
Prior To
By default, the Prior To radio button will be selected, and will display the
current date as shown in figure 24.5. The default Date in the control can be
changed as desired. This can be done in 2 ways as below:
• By clicking directly on the numbers which require to be changed in
mm/dd/yyyy date format and typing in a date of choice.
Fig. 24.6. Date in Prior To area requiring a new date entry is highlighted by clicking
on it.
• By using the calendar to choose a desired date. This can be done by
following the steps below:
o Click the calendar button (numbered as 15) found on the right
side of ‘Prior To’ control. Upon clicking, a calendar window of
the current month and year will be opened with the current date
in highlight.
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Fig. 24.7. Calendar window displayed by
clicking on calendar button (numbered as 15).
Note: Double left/right arrows and single left/right are provided at the top of
the screen to scroll backward/forward through the dates/months of a year to
aid desired date selection.
o Click on a desired date in the calendar.
All events prior to the date displayed in the ‘Prior To’ control will be
archived and purged from the CardAccess main database.
All Events
The ‘All Events’ radio button is not selected by default. Selection of this
radio button will archive and purge all events from the CardAccess main
database.
Fig. 24.8. Selecting ‘All Events’ radio button to archive all
of the events from CardAccess main database.
Clicking on ‘All Events’ control will gray out the date display in ‘Prior To’
control as shown in the above figure.
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e) Click on Archive Data button in the toolbar to archive the events.
Upon clicking, the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 24.9. Message box displayed after clicking the Archive Data button.
Note:
• Before you click on Yes/No button in the above message box,
make sure you have chosen the correct Destination Database.
• Events archive process will include AUDIT TRAIL archive
also. This information is made known by a message box display
after the completion of archive. Refer figure 24.11 for the
message box. For details on Audit Trail, refer the section Audit
Trail in the manual.
f) Click on Yes button in the message box after confirming the
Destination Database.
Upon clicking, the screen will show the progress of archiving Events.
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Fig. 24.10. Progress of archiving events from CardAccess main database.
After Archiving is complete, the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 24.11. Message box displayed after
events and Autdit Trail archive is complete.
g) Click on OK button in the message box to acknowledge the
h) Click on Close button in the toolbar to close the screen.
Archiving Events from an Alternate Source
167
Events tab provides the Alternate source check box to control the archiving
of events from databases other than the CardAccess main database.
Archiving of events from an Alternate Source Database is carried out as
below:
• Follow steps a –c mentioned under the heading Archiving Events
from CardAccess Main Database.
• Check the Alternate Source check box by clicking on it.
Fig. 25.1. Alternate Source box checked in order to archive events from an Alternate
Source Database.
• Select the Alternate Source Server and Database names from the
respective drop down boxes.
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Fig. 25.2. Alternate Source Server and Database names selected from the respective
drop down lists.
CIData132 selected in the above figure is an Alternate Source Database.
• Select the desired radio button control in the Backup Period area.
Fig. 25.3. Radio buttons controls for archiving events from the Alternate Source
database.
The radio button controls in are explained below.
Prior To
By default, Prior To radio button will be selected, and will display the
current date as shown in figure 25.3. The default Date in the control can be
changed as desired. This can be done in 2 ways:
By clicking directly on the numbers which require to be changed in
mm/dd/yyyy date format and typing in a date of choice.
169
Fig. 25.4. Date in Prior To area requiring a new date entry is highlighted by clicking
on it.
By using the calendar to choose a desired date. This can be done by
o Click the calendar button (numbered as 15) found on the right
side of Prior To control. Upon clicking, the calendar of current
month and year will open up with the current date in highlight.
Note: Double left/right arrows and single left/right are provided at the top of
the screen to scroll backward/forward through the dates/months of a year to
aid desired date selection.
All events prior to the date displayed in ‘Prior To’ control will be archived
and purged from the Alternate Source database.
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All Events
The All Events radio button is not selected by default. Selection of this radio
button will archive and purge all events from the Alternate source database.
Fig. 25.6. Selecting All Events radio button to archive all
of the events from the Alternate Source database.
Clicking on All Events control will gray out the date displayed in ‘Prior To’
control as shown in the above figure.
• Click on Archive Data button in the toolbar to archive the events.
Fig. 25.7. Message box displayed after clicking Archive Data button.
Note:
o Before you click Yes/No in the above message box, make sure you
have chosen the correct destination database.
o Events archive process will include AUDIT TRAIL archive also. This
information is made known by a message box display after the
completion of archive. Refer figure 25.9 for the message box. For
details on Audit Trail, refer the section Audit Trail in the manual.
• Click on Yes button in the message box after confirming the
destination database.
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Upon clicking, the screen will show the progress of Archiving events
from the Alternate Source Database.
Fig. 25.8. Progress of archiving events from the Alternate Source database.
After Archiving is complete, the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 25.9. Message box displayed after events
and Audit Trail archive is complete.
• Click on OK button in the message box to acknowledge the
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• Click on Close button in the toolbar to close the screen.
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Restore Tab
In the event of CardAccess main database crash, it may become necessary to
restore configuration data from the archive database. This can be achieved in
the Restore tab.
A click on Restore tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 26.1. Archive Configuration and Events screen in Restore tab.
‘Archive Configuration and Events’ screen in Restore tab provides the
Configuration sub-tab. Notice the absence of Events tab in the above figure.
Thus, it is possible to restore only configuration data. CardAccess Events
although archived, cannot be restored from the archive database.
174
Restoring Configuration Data
Follow the steps below to restore configuration data:
• Make sure Restore tab is selected at the top of the screen. If it is
Fig. 26.2. Restore tab selected for restoring the configuration data.
• Select the Source Server and Database names from the respective
drop down boxes.
Fig. 26.3. Selecting the Source Server and Database names by clicking the down
arrows.
selected as the Source Server and Database names respectively.
The Source Server and Database names selected will be displayed on the
status bar seen at the bottom of the screen.
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Fig. 26.4. Status bar showing the selected Source Server and Database names.
• Select the configuration items you wish to restore. This can be done in
two ways as below:
o Clicking on All check box to select all items.
o Clicking the individual check boxes to select only desired items.
Fig. 26.5. Selecting all configuration items for restoration by clicking the All check
box.
•
Click on Restore Data button in the toolbar to restore the
configuration items selected.
Fig. 26.6. Clicking on ‘Restore Data’ button to restore the configuration items
selected.
Upon clicking the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 26.7. Message box displayed after clicking Restore Data button.
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Note: Before you click on Yes/No in the message box above, make sure you
have chosen the correct source database as the existing configuration data in
main Database will be overwritten during the restore process.
• Click on Yes button in the message box after confirming the source
database.
Upon clicking, the screen will show the progress of restoring
Configuration Data.
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Fig. 26.8. Progress of restoring Configuration data.
After restoration is complete, the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 26.9. Message box displayed after data restoration is complete.
•
Click on OK button in the message box to acknowledge the
completion of data restoration.
The final screen will show the details of data restoration as highlighted in the
figure below.
178
Fig. 26.10. Final screen showing details of configuration data restore.
The above screen shows that Configuration data has been restored from
CIDATA_ARCHIVE back to CardAccess main database.
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Backup and Restore Database
The CardAccess Database Backup/ Restore utility is used to Backup and
Restore the entire CardAccess database. During the Backup process, the
database will be backed up to a data file (.dat extension). The same data file
is used to restore the database when need arises. Backup and Restore
functions are necessary to recover from disasters like database crash.
Database Backup
Follow the steps below to backup a database:
1. Run the ‘CardAccess Database Backup/Restore’ utility by clicking
C:\Program Files\CardAccess 3000\Tools\CABackup.exe in succession.
By default, the screen will open in the ‘Backup’ tab.
Fig. 27.1. The ‘CardAccess Database Backup/Restore’ utitlity in Backup tab.
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2. Make sure that the Backup tab is selected at the top of the screen as
shown in figure 27.1. If it is not selected, click on the tab to select it.
3. Click the down arrow of Database control and select the database in
the list you want to backup. The list includes all database names that
are taken from the SQL server on your local machine
Fig. 27.2. CaDBMain database chosen for backup action.
Note: Database selections are limited to the local SQL server only. You
cannot select databases that are not installed on the PC you are working
from.
4. In the Name control, you have to enter a name for the data file that
will be created during the backup of the selected database.
Fig. 27.3. Backup data file named as CaDBMain_Backup.
Note
• The name you enter should not contain spaces or special
characters.
• After backup action is completed, a data file (in .dat format),
having the same name as entered in the Name control will be
stored in the Destination Directory you select in the next step.
• The Backup file having the same name entered in the Name
control must be selected in the OPEN Database backup file
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dialog (refer figure 28.5), during the restoration of the backed up
database.
5. By default, the data file will be stored in c:\ as shown in figure 27.1.
You can change the Destination Directory by clicking the Select
Directory button.
Fig. 27.4. The ‘Select Directory’ button used to
change the default directory of backupfile.
Upon clicking, the Browse For Folder dialog will be opened. Using this
dialog, you can change the default directory by navigating to a desired
folder.
Fig. 27.5. Browse for folder used for choosing a desired directory.
We recommend the data file be saved in C:\Program Files\CardAccess
3000\Backup folder as shown in the above figure.
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Click the OK button in ‘Browse For Folder’ dialog after selecting the
desired directory.
Upon clicking, the ‘CardAccess Database Backup/Restore’ utility will
show the changed directory as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 27.6. The Destination directory for CaDBMain_Backup file.
6. Click on Backup button seen at the bottom of the screen for backup
action to take place.
Fig. 27.7. The Backup button.
Upon clicking, the Confirm dialog will be displayed as below.
Fig. 27.8. Confirm dialog displayed after clicking Backup button.
7. After confirming that no user is connected to CaDBMain database,
click on OK button in the Confirm dialog.
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Fig. 27.9. Message box displayed after backup action is complete.
8. Click on OK button to acknowledge the completion of backup action.
9. Click on Close button (next to Backup button) to close the screen.
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Database Restore
Database restoration requires that the backed up database (CaDBMain in our
case) be detached from the SQL Server. The backed up database can be
detached in the Detach tab of ‘CardAccess 3000 Database Utilities’ screen
as shown below.
Fig. 28.1. CaDBMain detached in CardAccess 3000 Database Utilities screen to perform
restore action.
For more information on detaching database, refer the section Detaching a
Database in the document CardAccess 3000 Database Configuration.
Follow the steps below after detaching the backed up database:
1. Open ‘CardAccess Database Backup/ Restore’ utility by clicking
C:\Program Files\CardAccess 3000\Tools\CABackup.exe in succession.
By default, the screen will open in the ‘Backup’ tab.
2. Click on Restore tab.
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Fig. 28.2. The ‘CardAccess Database Backup/Restore’ screen in Restore tab.
3. Click the down arrow of Restore as Database control and select the
database name in the list, into which, you want to restore the database
that was backed up earlier (we had backed up CaDBMain database).
The list includes all database names, taken from the SQL server on
your local machine.
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Fig. 28.3. Choosing CaDBMain2 database for restoring
CaDBMain database that was backed up.
Note
•
Database selections are limited to the local SQL server only. You
cannot select databases that are not installed on the PC you are
working from.
• The Restore action is destructive. It will overwrite all data present in
the database you are restoring into (in our case CaDBMain2).
4. Click on Browse button.
Fig. 28.4. The Browse button used for opening the database backup file.
Upon clicking, the OPEN Database backup file dialog will be
displayed. The dialog will contain the list of all backup data files.
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Fig. 28.5. The ‘OPEN Database backup file’ dialog.
5. In the ‘OPEN Database backup file’ dialog, click on the backup data
file you named while backing up the database, that you are now
restoring. We had named the backup data file as CaDBMain_Backup.
Refer figure 27.3.
Fig. 28.6. Selecting the backup data file name specified in figure 27.3 while backing
up CaDBMain database.
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6. Click on Open button in ‘OPEN Database backup file’ dialog after
selecting the correct backup data file.
Fig. 28.7. Open button in ‘OPEN Database backup file’ dialog.
The Restore database from field of ‘CardAccess Database
Backup/Restore’ utility will now display the directory of the backup data
file selected in previous step.
Fig. 28.8. Directory of the backup data file displayed in
‘CardAccess Database Backup/Restore’ utility.
Note: The directory displayed in the ‘Restore database from’ field for the
database being restored will match the destination directory, selected while
backing up the same database. Here, directory in figure 28.8 matches with
the directory in figure 27.6.
7. Click on Restore button seen at the bottom of the screen. Upon
clicking, the Confirm dialog will be displayed as shown below.
Fig. 28.9. Confirm dialog displayed after clicking on Restore button.
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Note: The Restore action is destructive. It will overwrite all data present in
the database you are restoring into.
8. After confirming the database selection in the ‘Restore as database’
field, click on Yes button in the Confirm dialog.
Fig. 28.10. Message box displayed after restore action is complete.
9. Click on OK button to acknowledge the completion of database
restoration.
10. Click on Close button (next to Restore button) to close the screen.
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Audit Trail
The Audit Trail screen allows viewing of system changes made in
CardAccess such as logging in/out, configuration changes, adding/ deleting
Personnel records etc. Every change made to CardAccess database is
recorded in the Audit Trail table. The screen has controls that allow
connection to any CardAccess SQL database. The Audit Trail data is
archived hourly along with the auto-archive of events.
Accessing Audit Trail Screen
• Click on System menu in CardAccess menu bar.
• Click on Audit Trail option in the menu list.
Upon clicking, the ‘Audit Trail’ screen will be displayed as below.
Fig. 29.1. Audit Trail screen showing the system changes of CardAccess main
database CIDATA.
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By default, the Audit Trial screen will display the system changes made in
CardAccess main database (CIDATA in the above figure). The status bar at
the bottom of the screen will show the currently connected CardAccess SQL
server and database names.
Fig. 29.2. Status bar showing the CardAccess SQL server and main database names.
Viewing Audit trail data of an archive database is explained in the section
titled Viewing Audit Trail of an Archive Database.
Audit Trail Columns
Fig. 29.3. Audit Trail columns shown by reducing the default column widths.
The changes made to the database are recorded in the columns of the Audit
Trail screen. The columns are explained below:
1. Occurred On: This column shows the date and time at which a
change was made.
2. Description: This column gives a short description of the change
made.
3. Action: This column indicates the type of action involved in the
change.
4. Operator Name: This column shows the name of the operator who
made the change.
5. Station Name: This column shows the name of the station from which
the change was made.
6. Table Name: This column shows the database table name that was
affected by the change.
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All the columns shown in figure 29.1 may not be visible on the Audit Trail
screen by default. If more information is desired on the screen, the Column
widths need to be adjusted.
Steps for adjusting a column width:
6. Select a column: Select the column whose width is to be adjusted.
7. Position mouse cursor: Position mouse cursor on the intersection line
of the selected column and its adjacent until you see a double arrow
form.
8. Click and hold: Hold down the left mouse button.
9. Drag: Drag the intersection line to a desired position.
10. Release: Release the cursor
The columns will revert back to their default widths when the screen is
reopened.
Column Relocation
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The columns will revert back to their default positions when the screen is
reopened.
Audit Trail Sort Order
By default, the Audit Trail data is sorted according to ‘Occurred On’
column. This column allows the records to be sorted according to the date
and time at which the changes were made. However, any column can be
used for sorting the Audit Trail data. The sort criterion can be changed by
clicking on the column name you desire to use for sorting. The sort column
will be highlighted in yellow color. A column can be sorted in
Upward/downward arrows seen in the column name (in yellow highlight)
Fig. 29.4. ‘Action’ column used for sorting in ascending order.
Audit Trail Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 29.5. The Audit Trail navigation bar.
The Audit Trail navigation bar can be found just above the status bar at the
bottom of the screen. The arrows of Audit Trail navigation bar can be used
for viewing older/newer/bookmarked records in the screen. In figure 29.5,
we have numbered the arrow buttons of the bar to provide simpler
explanation. The functions of the arrow buttons are as follows:
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highlight the very first record of the grid.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted record.
message Next page. Accordingly, clicking on this arrow will
highlight the first record in the page appearing after the current page,
highlight the last record of the grid.
message Save Bookmark. Clicking on this arrow will bookmark the
highlighted record.
message Goto Bookmark. Clicking on this arrow will highlight the
previously bookmarked record.
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Viewing Audit Trail of an Archive Database
By default, the Audit Trail screen will display Audit Trail data of
CardAccess main database (refer figure 29.1). In order to Audit Trail data of
an archive database, follow the steps below.
• Firstly, click the down arrow of Server control to display the list of
CardAccess SQL server names. Among the names, click the server
name of the archive database whose Audit Trail data you wish to
view.
Fig. 29.6. Selecting a server name in the drop down list.
• Click the down arrow of Database control to display the list of
archive databases.
Note: Database names will be seen in the drop down list only when a
server is selected in the Server control.
Among the names, click the database name whose Audit Trail data you
wish to view.
Fig. 29.7. Selecting a database name to view the Audit Trail data.
Upon clicking, the Audit Trail screen will display the Audit Trail data of the
archive database selected.
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Fig. 29.8. Audit Trail data of archive database selected.
Note: After connecting to the archive database, the status bar will display the
archive database name as highlighted in the above figure.
Printing Audit Trail
Follow the steps below to print the Audit Trail data:
• Open the Audit Trail screen by clicking on System->Audit Trail.
• Click on Print Button in Audit Trail screen toolbar.
Note: The Print button will be enabled only when a ‘Report Printer’ is
selected in the System Settings screen. To select a Report Printer, refer the
heading Printers tab in the section CardAccess 3000 System Settings.
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CardAccess Events History
The CardAccess Events History screen allows viewing of archive event data.
The typical use of this screen is to scan archive events from past months or
years to look for some notable event(s). The screen will only allow the
review of events. It is not possible to review database information such as
configuration or System Settings. The screen has controls that allow
connection to any CardAccess SQL database.
Accessing CardAccess Events History Screen
• Click on System menu in CardAccess menu bar.
• Click on View History option in the menu list.
Upon clicking, the ‘CardAccess Events History’ screen will be displayed as
below.
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Fig. 30.1. The ‘CardAccess Events History’ screen showing events history of CardAccess
main database.
By default, the Events History screen will display the archive event data of
the CardAccess main database (CIDATA in the above figure). Hence, the
Events History screen will be displaying the same data as in CardAccess
Events Grid.
The status bar at the bottom of the screen will display the currently
connected CardAccess SQL server and database names.
Fig. 30.2. Status bar showing the CardAccess SQL server and main database names.
Viewing Events history of an archive database is explained in the section
titled Viewing Events History of an Archive Database.
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Note: The Events History can be filtered to view only specific event types
that are generated during a specific time period. Controls for filtering events
are explained in the section titled Event History Filters.
Events History Columns
Fig. 30.3. CardAccess Events History Columns.
The Events History columns are explained below.
Date/Time: This column shows the date and time at which the highlighted
event occurred.
Acknowledged: If the highlighted Event is an Alert that was acknowledged,
the Acknowledged column will show the date and time at which the Alert
was acknowledged. If the highlighted Event is a normal Event in
CardAccess, the Acknowledged column will show exactly the same date and
time as that displayed in the Date/Time column.
Event Class: Events are grouped into pre-defined classes like Badges,
Doors, Inputs, System, Relays, etc. The Event Class column will display the
predefined class names of the Events.
Description Text: This column gives a brief description of the highlighted
event.
Location: This column shows the name of the place where the highlighted
Event occurred.
Priority: This column displays the priority value of the highlighted Event as
fixed in the various configuration screens of CardAccess.
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Show Video Right-Click Option
The ‘Show Video’ option is displayed by right-clicking on/under any of the
Events History columns, when DVR RemoteView is enabled in CardAccess.
Fig. 30.4. ‘Show Video’ option available by right-clicking on/under any of the Events History
columns.
Clicking on this option will display the DVR Recorded Video of the
highlighted Event. For more information on DVR recorded video, refer the
document ‘DVR RemoteView Integration with CardAccess 3000’
Column Relocation
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The columns will revert back to their default positions when the screen is
reopened.
Events Sorting Order
By default, the events are sorted according to Acknowledged column. This
column allows the events to be sorted according to the time at which the
events are acknowledged. However, any column can be used for sorting. The
sort criterion can be changed by clicking on the column name desired to be
used for sorting. The sort column will be highlighted in yellow color. A
column can be sorted in ascending/descending orders alternately by clicking
on the column name. Upward/downward arrows seen in a column name (in
yellow highlight) represent ascending/descending sort orders respectively.
Fig. 30.5. ‘Event Class’ column used for sorting in descending order.
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Viewing Events History of an Archive Database
By default, the CardAccess Events History screen will display events data of
CardAccess main database (refer figure 30.1). In order to view events data
of an archive database, follow the step below.
• Click the down arrow of Server control to display the list of
CardAccess SQL server names. Among the names, click the server
name of the archive database whose Events History data you wish to
view.
Fig. 30.6. Selecting a server name in the drop down list.
• Click the down arrow of Database control to display the list of
archive databases.
Note: Database names will be seen in the drop down list only when a
server is selected in the Server control.
Among the names, click the database name whose Events History you
wish to view.
Fig. 30.7. Selecting a database name to view Events History.
Upon clicking, the screen will display the Events History of the archive
database selected.
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Fig. 30.8. Events History of archive database selected.
Note: After connecting to an archive database, the status bar will display the
archive database name as highlighted in the above figure.
Event History Filters
A number of ‘filter’ controls are provided in the Events History screen.
These controls aid in filtering the Events displayed on the screen to help
view only specific event types, generated during a specific time period.
The filter controls are explained below.
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Date Filter
Fig. 30.9. Date selection controls.
Date selection controls act as filters. When a date range is set, the Events
History screen will filter out any events from view that do not fall within the
date range specified. Note that the date selection controls default to the
previous month every time View History screen is reopened.
Setting Date Range
Two calendar controls are provided to set the date range. The Time From
control on the left is used for setting the start date and the Time Thru
control on the right is used for setting the end date.
Follow the steps below to set the date range:
a) Click the down of ‘Time From’ control. Upon clicking, a calendar
window will be displayed as shown below.
Fig. 30.10. Calendar window displayed by clicking down arrow of ‘Time From’ control.
By default, the current date will be highlighted in the calendar.
b) Click on a date of your choice (for start date) in the calendar window.
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Note:
o The Today button (refer figure 30.10) can be used to choose
the current date.
o The Clear button (refer figure 30.10) can be used to remove
a date entered.
o The left/right arrows at the top of the calendar window (refer
figure 30.10) can be used to scroll backward/forward
through the months of a year.
c) Repeat steps a) and b) to select a desired end date in the ‘Time Thru’
control.
Events Filter
Fig. 30.11. Radio button controls for filtering events.
The ‘Events Selected’ area of ‘CardAccess Events History’ screen provides
radio buttons controls to allow selection of specific Event types to view.
Selection of the radio button provided for a particular event type will filter
out all other events that do not match the selected type. By default, System
radio button will be selected as shown in figure 30.11. To change the default
selection, click on the button control of the event type you wish to view.
The button controls are explained below:
• All radio button: Selecting this button control will display all events
types of the CardAccess database.
• Badges radio button: Badges radio button can be selected for viewing
badge type events. Selecting this button control will display the following
additional controls:
• Badge Event Type
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• Badge Search Columns
o Badge #
o Last Name
o First Name
o Group
o Dept
These additional controls aid in filtering of badge events.
Fig. 30.12. Additional controls for filtering badge events displayed by clicking on
‘Badges’ radio button.
If no changes are made to the additional controls, then all badge events will
be displayed on CardAccess Events History screen.
Note: It is necessary to click on Run button (refer figure 30.12) to refresh
the screen for displaying the badge events.
The additional badge controls are explained below:
Badge Event Type
It is possible to view specific badge events using the options provided by the
‘Badge Event Type’ control. Click on down arrow of the control to view the
available options.
Fig. 30.13. The Available badge event types for selection.
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Scrolling down you can see that there are fourteen badge event types
available. Each of these options acts as a filter, and when selected, will
display only those badge events that match the specific type. For example,
selection of ‘Valid Access’ option in the list will display only valid access
badge events on the CardAccess Events History screen. If none of the
options are selected in the drop down list, the screen will display all badge
events (the default), which is the same as selecting ‘All’ option in the list.
Badge Search Columns
Fig. 30.14. Badge search columns for filtering badge events.
Note the following points for all badge search columns shown in figure
30.14.
Column entries are case insensitive.
To specify a search criterion in any field, click in the white space
and type the name of the item you like to search.
A badge search column can be used individually or in combination
with other column(s) for filtering the events.
If none of the columns are used for filtering, the CardAccess
Events History screen will display all badge event types (unless a
specific event type is selected in the Badge Event Type drop down
list).
The badge search columns are explained below:
Badge #: If a badge number is entered, only events specific to that
badge number will be displayed.
Last Name: If a last name is entered, only events containing the
specified last name will be displayed.
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First Name: If a first name is entered, only events containing the
specified first name will be displayed.
Group: If a group name is entered, only events specific to that
group will be displayed.
Dept: If a department name is entered, only events specific to that
department will be displayed.
Run Button
For Badge events filtering to take effect, you must click on Run button after
making change(s) to the filter control(s)
Fig. 30.15. The ‘Run’ Button.
The CardAccess Events History screen will display the filtered badge events
if matching records are found for the selected filter type. The screen will be
blank if there are no matching records.
• Readers radio button: Selecting this button control will display all
door related messages (bypass, door open too long, forced door, etc.)
on CardAccess Events History screen.
• Inputs radio button: Selecting this button control will display all
Input related messages (normal, abnormal) on CardAccess Events
History screen.
• Relays radio button: Selecting this button control will display all
Relay related messages (Output on/off) on CardAccess Events History
screen.
• Links radio button: Selecting this button control will display all Link
related messages (Link activate/deactivate) on CardAccess Events
History screen.
• System radio button: Selecting this button control will display all
system related event messages (download started/complete, power fail
etc) on CardAccess Events History screen.
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• NAPCO radio button: Selecting this button control will display all
NAPCO event messages on CardAccess Events History screen.
Printing Events History
Follow the steps below to print the Events History data:
• Open the CardAccess Events History screen by clicking on System>View History.
• Click on Print/Preview button in Events History screen toolbar.
Note: The Print button will be enabled only when a ‘Report Printer’ is
selected in the System Settings screen. To select a Report Printer, refer
Printers tab under the section CardAccess 3000 System Settings.
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Language Control
The default language of CardAccess software is English. But the user has the
privilege of choosing a desired language for using the software.
Choosing a Language
Follow the steps below to choose a desired language for CardAccess
software:
• Click on System menu in CardAccess menu bar and select the
Language menu item.
• Upon clicking, the Select Language dialog will be displayed as
shown below.
Fig. 31.1. The Select Language dialog.
• In the Select Language dialog, click on the desired language in which
you like to use the CardAccess software, and then click on OK button.
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Upon clicking, CardAccess will access a language translation text file
(explained in section Language Translation Files) and load the translation
key for the selected language. The labels for all CardAccess controls will
then be displayed in the selected language.
Fig. 31.2. CardAccess in Dutch language.
Note: Only the text labels of controls, message boxes and screen menus used
in CardAccess will be displayed in the selected language (Dutch in above
figure). The CardAccess transactions (Event/Alert messages) continue to be
in English.
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Language Translation Files
There are four important files that contain the language translations for
CardAccess software. All the four files are located in
CardAccess3000 \Language folder as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 31.3. Language translation files provided in CardAccess 3000 folder.
The language translation files are explained below:
• TRANSLAT.txt – This file contains the language translations for
controls, message boxes and screen menus of the CardAccess GUI.
• TranslatHost.txt – This file contains the language translations for the
Host communications driver program.
• translatRpt.txt – This file contains the language translations for all
CardAccess reports.
• LanguageEditor.exe – This is the language editor program. This
program can be used to edit all language text files mentioned above.
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Editing Language Translation Files
CardAccess provides the ‘Language Editor’ program that has a convenient
user interface for editing language translation text files (explained in the
section Language Translation Files). Follow the steps below to view/edit the
language translations:
• Using Windows Explorer, navigate to CardAccess3000 \ Language
folder.
Fig. 31.4. Language Editor program for editing language translations.
• Double click on Language Editor.exe file (refer figure 31.4).
Upon clicking, ‘Language Translation Editor’ screen will be displayed as
below.
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Fig. 31.5. The CardAccess ‘Language Translation Editor’ screen.
The screen has three columns- Item, Reference Text and Language as shown
in the above figure.
Observe that the status bar at the bottom of the screen is empty at this point
of time. Once a program is selected in the Program selection control, the
status bar will display the directory Path corresponding to the language
translation text file of the selected program.
• In the ‘Language Translation Editor’ screen, click the down arrow of
Program selection control and select a desired program in the list.
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Fig. 31.6. Selecting a program for language translation.
Upon clicking, control labels (in English) of the selected program will be
displayed in the second column (Reference Text column) of the screen as
shown below.
Fig. 31.7. Control names of CardAccess 3000 GUI.
Notice that the status bar now displays the directory path of the program
selected.
• Click the down arrow of Language selection control and select a
desired language in the drop down list.
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Fig. 31.8. Selecting a language for language translation.
Upon selection, the column on the right (language column) will display the
translation for the control labels.
Fig. 31.9. Translation for controls in Dutch language.
It is possible that some controls in the screen may not have translations
available by default. Also, the default translations in the screen can be edited
as desired.
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Follow the steps below if you wish to edit an existing translation or enter a
new translation in ‘Language Translation Editor’ screen:
o Click the Language column of the control for entering/editing the
language translation.
Fig. 31.10. Clicking on Language column of Operator control.
o Type in the language translation for the control.
o Click on Save button at the bottom of the screen (refer figure 31.10.)
for saving the changes.
o Click on Exit button (next to Save button) at the bottom for closing
the screen.
Note: For language translation changes to take effect, you must restart
CardAccess software.
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Note: Clicking on Exit button directly without saving the changes will
display the following message box.
Fig. 31.11. Message box displayed if Exit button is clicked without saving changes.
In the message box, click on Yes button if you do not wish to save the
translation changes. Otherwise, click on Cancel button to return back to
‘Language Translation Editor’ screen.
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Alert Acknowledgement
The Alerts grid of CardAccess main screen is not intended to display alerts
for a long period of time. An operator is expected to notice the alerts,
perform some physical action to correct the situation and then move the
alerts to Events grid of CardAccess. The process of moving an alert to
Events Grid is referred to as Alert Acknowledgement.
CardAccess Alerts can be acknowledged in two ways as below:
• Manual and
• Automatic
The acknowledgement methods are explained below.
Manual Alert Acknowledgement
There are two kinds of Manual Alert Acknowledgement. They are:
• ‘No Response Required’ and
• ‘Response Required’.
‘No Response Required’ Manual Alert Acknowledgement
The ‘No Response Required’ manual alert acknowledgement method does
not require any set up in CardAccess. It can be accomplished by means of
Acknowledge button provided in the Alerts grid tool bar.
Clicking on ‘Acknowledge’ button will move the highlighted alert from the
Alerts to the Events Grid.
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Fig. 20.1. Acknowledge button used for ‘No Response Required’
manual alert acknowledgement.
‘Response Required’ Manual Acknowledgement
The ‘Respond’ button is an optional way to acknowledge a ‘no response
required’ alert. Clicking on ‘Respond’ button when an Alert is highlighted
will open the Alert Acknowledge window, where the operator is required to
enter a response in the Response Message control, and then click on
Acknowledge button.
Fig. 20.2. Respond button used for ‘Response Required’
manual alert acknowledgement.
Thus, in this case, the operator has elected to create a response message,
although there is no need to do so.
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Fig. 20.3. Alert Acknowledge window displayed by clicking on
Respond button
Note: At least three characters must be entered in the response message
control. Failing this and clicking on Acknowledge button directly will
display the message box shown below.
Fig. 20.4. Message displayed when Acknowledge button
is clicked with Response Message.
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The result is the same as pressing the Acknowledge button wherein the
highlighted alert moves from the Alerts Grid to the Events Grid.
Note: The major reason to use Response button instead of Acknowledge
button is to add comments to an event, which will be permanently linked to
it. A new shift of security guards can examine specific events at a later date
to see what action was taken by other guards for those events.
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Auto- Alert Acknowledgement
CardAccess software can be set to resolve the Alerts automatically, without
human intervention.
Note: Auto acknowledgement of Alerts requires that the alerts have been set
to specific priority values previously. Refer the section Settings up Priorities
for priority value settings.
Several screens, menus and controls are involved in setting up the AutoAcknowledgement feature for Alerts. They are as follows.
Hardware Screen Controls
In Panels/Readers/Inputs/Relays/Links screens, the following controls
must be configured:
• ‘Alert Priority’ and
• ‘Response Required’
For configuring these controls refer the section Setting Up Priorities.
System Settings Screen Controls
In System Settings screen, the following controls must be configured:
• ‘Enable Auto-Acknowledge’,
• ‘Auto Ack Priority Set-Point’ and
• “Response Required” Schedule
Fig. 21.1. Controls in Alerts tab to be configured for Auto-Acknowledgement of Alerts.
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For configuring these controls refer the heading Processing Section under
Alerts tab in the topic System Settings.
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Operator Screen Control
The Alert Ack Time value must be set in Operators screen.
Open Operators screen by clicking Administration-> Operators in
CardAccess main screen. By default Operators screen will open in General
tab as shown below.
Fig. 21.2. Operators screen in General tab.
The Alert Ack Time value is a timer that represents the amount of time in
seconds that an alert will remain in the Alerts Grid before it is
automatically moved to Events Grid. This value is attached to each
operator definition.
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Fig. 21.3. Control in Operators screen to be configured for Auto-Acknowledgement
of Alerts.
When there are several CardAccess workstations, the following
conditions must be satisfied for auto-acknowledgement to be operational:
a) At least one operator must be logged in at any computer. If no
operator is logged in to CardAccess, Auto-acknowledgement feature
is turned even though the software is running and alerts are coming in.
b) The operator must have ‘Alert Ack Time’ value set in his record.
The Alert Ack Time value can be different for different operators. This
means that the amount of time that an Alert stays in the Alerts Grid is not
fixed. When there are several CardAccess workstations with operators
logged in, each workstation will ‘compete’ to automatically acknowledge
alerts. The operator workstation that has the shortest Alert Ack Time set will
acknowledge alerts before the other workstations.
The minimum Alert Ack Time is one second and the maximum is 9999
seconds (166.65 minutes, 2.778 hours). Alert Ack Time set to zero for an
operator will default to 1 second for that operator logon.
The time value can be entered by
• Typing in a desired number in the Alert Ack Time spin control or
• Use up/down arrows of the spin control to choose a desired number.
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When an operator logs on, the operator’s alert ack timer is started whenever
an alert appears in the Alerts Grid. When the timer for that alert expires, the
alert will automatically be moved from the Alerts Grid to the Events Grid.
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Holidays
There are no predefined holidays in CardAccess software. Instead, a screen
called Holidays is provided for creating holidays. Using this screen, any day
of the year can be designated as a Holiday.
Accessing Holidays Screen
Follow the steps below to open Holidays screen:
• Click on Administration menu in CardAccess menu bar to display
the menu options.
• Click on Holidays menu option.
Holidays screen will be displayed as below.
Fig. 39.1. The ‘Holidays’ screen.
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Creating a Holiday Record
Follow the steps below to create a new holiday:
1. Open the Holidays screen by clicking Administration->Holidays in
2. Click on New button in the toolbar to create a new Holiday.
Upon clicking, the screen will display a default holiday record with Date
column showing the current date, and Start and Stop Times spanning 24
hours.
Fig. 39.2. Default holiday record displayed in upper half of the screen on clicking
‘New’ button.
To define a holiday, the date and time duration of the holiday must be
specified. This can be done by following the steps below.
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3. Fix the date for the holiday in the Date control. This can be done in
two ways as below.
• By typing a date of choice in the Date control. The date must be
in MM/DD/YY or MM/DD/YYYY date format.
Fig. 39.3. The ‘Date’ control.
•
By clicking on the calendar button (marked as 15) and selecting
a desired date in the calendar window.
Fig. 39.4. The Calendar window.
Note:
o By default, the calendar window will show the current date in
highlight. Double left/right arrows and single left/right arrows are
provided at the top of the calendar window to scroll backward/forward
through the dates/months of a year, to aid in desired date selection.
o You can create holidays for future years as well. However, only
holidays for the current date + the next 365 days will be downloaded
to the panel. Holidays beyond 365 days from the date of the last
holiday data download are not stored at the panel.
4. The default time Start and Stop Times loaded by the system span 24
hours (that is, 12 AM- 12 AM as in figure 39.2). If the default time
values are acceptable, move to step 5.
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In case the holiday has to span less than a day, click the ‘Start Time’ and
‘Stop Time’ fields and change them to the required values. Either clock
notation or military time can be used.
6. Click the Cancel button anytime if you do not wish to save the
settings.
7. Click the Close button to close the screen.
Editing a Holiday record
To edit a holiday record, follow the step below:
• Open the Holidays screen by clicking Administration->Holidays in
• Click on the holiday record you wish to edit. Upon clicking, the lower
half of the screen will show the details of the selected holiday record.
• Make the desired changes to Date, Start Time and Stop Time
controls.
• Click on Close button to close the screen.
Deleting a Holiday Record
• Open the Holidays screen by clicking Administration->Holidays in
• Click on the holiday record you wish to delete. Upon clicking, the
following message box will be displayed.
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Fig. 39.5. Message box displayed before deleting a holiday record.
• Click on Yes button in the message box to delete the selected holiday
record.
Note: Deleting a holiday record in Holidays screen will automatically
delete the corresponding record stored at the panel.
‘Holidays’ Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 39.6. The ‘Holidays’ screen navigation bar.
The ‘Holidays’ screen navigation bar is seen at the bottom of the screen,
above the status bar. The arrows of the navigation bar can be used for
viewing older/newer/bookmarked Holiday records in the screen. In figure
39.6, we have numbered the arrow buttons of the bar to provide simpler
highlight the very first holiday record in the screen.
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highlight the last holiday record in page previous to the current page,
containing the highlighted Holiday record.
highlight the holiday record previous to the currently highlighted
holiday record.
highlight the holiday record appearing after the currently highlighted
holiday record.
message Next page. Accordingly, clicking on this arrow will highlight
the first holiday record in the page appearing after the current page,
containing the highlighted holiday record.
highlight the last holiday record in the screen.
highlighted holiday record.
previously bookmarked holiday record.
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Schedules
The schedules screen is used for creating time schedules that can be used in
other CardAccess screens. The time blocks created do not play any role
unless they are connected to software components or to hardware devices.
Technically, the schedule becomes ‘valid’ while the time block is in effect,
and becomes invalid outside the time block. A hardware device that has a
schedule assigned will be activated while the schedule is in effect, and
deactivated when the schedule is no longer in effect. Stated another way, the
device will be activated at the Start Time, and deactivated at the End Time,
for each time block created in the schedule.
A schedule can contain up to ten time blocks as shown in the figure below.
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.
Fig. 41.1. A schedule with multiple time blocks.
In the above figure, the schedule Every Hour, Weekdays contains ten time
blocks (only 6 are visible as highlighted). A hardware device that has this
schedule assigned would be activated and deactivated ten separate times, on
each day of the week.
Typically, a schedule will contain just one time block as shown in figure
below. A hardware device with this schedule assigned would be activated
and deactivated once per day for each day of the week, indicated in the
schedule.
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Fig. 41.2. A schedule with a single time block.
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Accessing Schedules screen
Schedules screen can be accessed in the following two ways:
1. By clicking on Schedules button in CardAccess tool bar.
Fig. 41.3. The ‘Schedules’ button in CardAccess tool bar.
2. By clicking on Administration-> Schedules menu options in
CardAccess menu bar.
Fig, 41.4. Clicking ‘Schedules’ menu item in ‘Administration’ menu list.
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Creating a Schedule
1. Open Schedules screen by clicking on Schedules button or
Administration->Schedules menu option in CardAccess main
screen.
The schedules screen will be displayed as below.
Fig. 41.5. The ‘Schedules’ screen.
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2. Click on New button in Schedules screen toolbar to create a new time
schedule.
Note: The Schedule No edit box will show the value 1 by default. The value
will be incremented for every new schedule you create.
3. In Description field, type in a descriptive name for the schedule being
created.
4. If the schedule has to belong to a group, click the down arrow to the
right of Group control and select a group name in the drop down list.
5. The ‘Time Schedule Blocks’ area in the lower half of the screen is
where the time block(s) of the schedule is created. Follow the steps
below to create a time block:
• In the ‘Time Schedule Blocks’ area, double-click under the Start
Day column. Doing this will display a default time block having
the value 24/7/365 (that is, MON-HOL, 12:00:00 AM-12:00:00
AM as shown in the figure below), and a down arrow under the
‘Start Day’ column.
Fig. 41.6. Default time block row and down arrow displayed by double clicking under
Start Day column.
• Click the down arrow and select a desired day in the list for the
Start Day column.
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• Similarly, select a day for the End Day column.
Note:
A word about Start Days, End Days and Holidays is in order here. The
following chart shows the effects of using the most common Start Day
and End Day combinations.
Start Day
Mon
Mon
Hol
Mon
Sat
Mon
End Day
Hol
Sun
Hol
Fri
Sun
Mon
Effect
Every Day of the Year * (24/7/365)
Every Day of the Year Except Holidays *
Holidays Only *
Weekdays Only
Weekends Only
Mondays Only (a one day per week schedule)
Table 1. Start Day & End Day Effects (valid if at least one Holiday is defined)
* There are no predefined holidays in CardAccess software. Holidays
can be defined by the user as required. For more information on
creating Holidays, see the section titled ‘Holidays’. Table 1 above
assumes that at least one Holiday is defined.
Table 2 below assumes that no Holidays have been defined.
Start Day
Mon
Mon
Hol
Mon
Sat
Mon
End Day
Hol
Sun
Hol
Fri
Sun
Mon
Effect
No Effect *
Weekdays Only
Weekends Only
Mondays Only (a one day per week schedule)
Table 2. Start Day & End Day Effects (valid if no Holidays are defined)
• By default, the Start Time and the End Time columns show the
default value of 12:00:00 AM (see figure 41.6).
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Note: Start Time of 12:00:00 AM to End Time of 12:00:00 AM means,
00:00:00 o’clock to 24:00:00 o’clock (or 24 hours). If you want your
schedule to span 24 hours, then retain the default time values.
The default time can be changed as well. The change can be made by
clicking on the default time display and typing in the desired time values.
Start and End Times can be entered either in standard clock notation or
military time.
6. If the schedule is complete, click on Save button in the toolbar to save
the schedule.
In case the schedule contains more than one time block, apply steps 7 and
8 below.
Note: Each schedule can contain up to ten time blocks.
7. Click on New Block button (or press the down arrow key on your
computer keyboard) to obtain a new time block as shown in the figure
below.
Fig. 41.7. New time block displayed by clicking on ‘New Block’ button.
Note: Each new time block has the default value of 24/7/365 (that is,
MON-HOL, 12:00:00 AM-12:00:00 AM as highlighted in the above
figure).
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8. For the new time block, repeat step 5 above for fixing the Start Day,
End Day, Start Time and End Time.
Similarly, a maximum of ten time blocks can be created for the
schedule by applying steps 7 and 8.
Note: If you attempt to create more than ten time blocks, a message
box will be displayed as below.
Fig. 41.8. Message box displayed on clicking ‘New Block’ button after the tenth time
block.
Click the OK button on the message box and proceed to step 9.
9. Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the schedule with multiple
time blocks.
Editing a Schedule
Follow the steps below to edit a schedule:
• Open the Schedules screen by clicking Schedules button or
Administration-> Schedules menu options in CardAccess main screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the schedule record you wish to
edit.
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•
Make the required changes to the controls seen in the lower half of the
screen.
Note: When you edit a schedule, the behavior of all devices to which the
schedule is assigned, will be changed. The operation of Free Access and
schedules applied to hardware devices (readers, inputs, relays and links) are
other important considerations.
Deleting a Schedule
A schedule (with either single/multiple time blocks) can be deleted by
• Open the Schedules screen by clicking on Schedules button or
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the schedule record you wish to
delete.
• Click on Delete button in the toolbar. Upon clicking, the following
message box will be displayed.
Fig. 41.9. Message box displayed on clicking ‘Delete’ button.
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Note: When you delete a schedule, the behavior of all devices to which the
schedule is assigned, will be changed. Be sure that, any access group that
has the deleted schedule assigned does not deny door access to the
cardholders. The operation of Free Access and schedules applied to
hardware devices (readers, inputs, relays and links) are other important
considerations.
• Click on Yes button in the message box to delete the selected time
schedule.
Deleting a Time block
The time block of a schedule (having multiple time blocks) can be deleted
by following the steps below:
• Open the Schedules screen by clicking the Schedules button or
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the schedule record whose time
block you wish to delete. Upon clicking, the lower half of the screen will
display the time blocks contained in the selected schedule.
• Click on the time block you wish to delete.
• Click on Delete block button to delete the highlighted time block.
Fig, 41.10. The ‘Delete block’ button.
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‘Schedules’ Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 41.11. The ‘Schedules’ screen navigation bar.
The ‘Schedules’ screen navigation bar can be found just above the Schedule
No. control of the screen. The arrows of the bar can be used for viewing
older/newer/bookmarked Schedule records in the screen. In figure 41.11, we
have numbered the arrow buttons of the bar to provide simpler explanation.
The functions of the arrow buttons are as follows:
highlight the very first schedule record in the screen.
containing the highlighted schedule record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted schedule
record.
highlight the schedule record appearing after the currently
highlighted schedule record.
containing the highlighted schedule record.
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highlight the last schedule record in the screen.
highlighted schedule record.
previously bookmarked schedule record.
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Access Groups
“Access Groups” refers to access ‘templates’ that are created to control the
badge holders’ access to specific doors in a building, at specific times. The
Access Groups do not play any role unless they are attached to Personnel
records.
The ‘Access Groups’ screen is provided for creating these ‘access
templates’. The templates contain a listing of all card readers in the
CardAccess system. The readers can be activated to allow access at the
doors by assigning time schedules.
The resulting effect is that, when an access group (comprising of a time
schedule attached to a reader) is assigned to a badge holder, he will be
allowed access to the doors included in the access group, during the time
schedule specified for every reader in the group.
The same access group can be assigned to other badge holders who have
similar access permissions at a door.
The CardAccess permits a maximum of 1000 access groups (inclusive of
Dedicated Access groups) to be created.
Opening Access Groups Screen
Access Groups screen can be opened in two ways as below:
1. By clicking on Access button in CardAccess tool bar.
Fig. 42.1. Access button in CardAccess tool bar.
2. By clicking on Access-> Access menu options in CardAccess menu
bar.
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Fig. 42.2. The ‘Access’ menu option in ‘Access’ menu list.
Both the methods will open the ‘Access Groups’ screen as below.
Fig. 42.3. The ‘Access Groups’ screen.
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The ‘Access Groups’ screen (see above figure) is divided into two halves.
The top half of the screen contains the main toolbar and a view window. The
view window will show a list of all Access Groups created in CardAccess.
In figure 42.3, the view window is empty as no access group is created yet.
The bottom half of the screen contains two columns- Reader and Time
Schedule. The Reader column shows a list of all readers that have been
(previously) programmed in the ‘Readers’ screen. Refer the section Readers
for programming on readers. The Time Schedule column will show the
default selection ‘Not Used’ for every reader that is listed.
Types of Access Groups
There are two types of access groups. They are:
1. Standard Access Groups- Standard Access Groups are created in the
‘Access Groups’ screen. These access Groups can be assigned to
many badge holders who have similar access permissions at doors.
Creation of standard access Groups will be explained in detail below.
2. Dedicated Access Groups- Dedicated access groups are created in
‘Personnel’ screen. A dedicated access group is unique to a particular
badge holder, and cannot be assigned to other badge holders. Refer
the section Personnel for creating dedicated access groups.
Note:
The following are the pre-requisites for creating access groups.
• Readers and Time Schedule must be configured in CardAccess
software. Refer the sections Readers and Schedules to do this.
• The CardAccess administrator needs to list out all cardholders in the
system, and decide who should have access to what doors, and at what
times of the day.
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Creating an Access Group
As an example, let us create an access group for the ‘Human Resource’
department in a company. Let the access of the employees be limited to two
Readers- First Floor Cafeteria and First Floor Employee Entrance, during
Business Hours of the Weekdays.
The following are the steps involved.
• Open ‘Access Groups’ screen by clicking on Access button or
Access->Access menu options in CardAccess main screen.
• Click on New button in ‘Access Groups’ screen toolbar.
Note: The Access Group No edit box will display the value 1 by default.
The value will be incremented for every new Access Group you create.
• In the Description field, type in a descriptive name for the access
group being created.
Note: There is no error checking on the name you assign to something.
Thus, you could create a time schedule that includes only weekend hours (or
no hours what-so-ever), but you could call it Weekdays, Business Hours.
Therefore, when you are programming Access Groups and using schedules
from the Schedules screen, you are strongly advised to check to be sure that
the operation of a given schedule matches the name of the schedule.
In the figure below, we have given the name Human Resource for the access
group we are creating.
Fig. 42.4. Naming the Access Group.
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• When the access group being created is assigned to badge records,
there can be changes to the access permissions of the concerned badge
holders. Hence, it is necessary to get the changed information to every
hardware access control panel. By default, the system is set up to
automatically download changed data to the panels. But, in case you
are dealing with a large system, changes to thousands of badges can
cause a massive download that may disable the system for a period of
time. To prevent this from happening, you can check the Do not
Update Badges at Panels check box.
• If required, a group can be selected for the access group you are
creating by clicking the down arrow of Group control, and selecting a
desired group name in the drop down list. For more details, refer the
section Groups.
• Under ‘Readers’ column seen in the bottom half of the screen, locate
the desired reader names you wish to include in the Access Group.
Note: If no reader is seen under the ‘Reader’ column, you need to create
them afresh. Refer the section Readers to do this.
In the figure below, we have located the readers First Floor Cafeteria
and First Floor Employee Entrance.
Fig. 42.5. Locating Readers to create an Access Group.
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Observe that, at this point of time, the rows corresponding to the readers you
locate show the default selection ‘Not Used’.
• Select a desired time schedule for the located reader. This can be done
as below.
o Click the Time Schedule column corresponding to the reader
located. This will display a down arrow in the ‘Time Schedule’
column.
o Click the down arrow to display a list of Time schedules
(previously created) in CardAccess.
Note: If no time schedule is seen in the drop down list, you need to create
them. Refer the section Schedules to create time schedules.
o Select the required time schedule.
Similarly, select time schedules for other readers you wish to include in the
access group.
In the figure below, we have selected the time schedule Weekdays, Business
Hours for the readers we had located earlier.
Fig. 42.6. Selecting Time Schedules for the located readers.
• Click on Save button to save the settings.
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Fig. 42.7. Access Group ‘Human Resource’ created and saved.
Thus, we have created an Access group by name ‘Human Resource’.
Note that this access group does not play any role until it is attached to
Personnel record(s). When attached to a record, the concerned personnel
can access the doors First Floor Cafeteria and First Floor Employee
Entrance, during Business Hours of Weekdays. They will be denied
access at every other reader that does not have a time schedule assigned
(that is, all those readers having the selection ‘Not Used’) in the ‘Access
Groups’ screen.
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Personnel Access Group Controls
Access groups created in the ‘Access Groups’ screen become functional
only when they are assigned to badge holder record(s).
The figure below is a small section from ‘Personnel’ screen that contains the
‘Access Groups’ controls.
Fig. 42.8. ‘Personnel’ screen ‘Access Groups’ controls.
The controls in figure 42.8 are briefly explained below.
‘Dedicated Access’ check box can be used to create the ‘dedicated’ access
group for a badge record, in ‘Personnel’ screen. A dedicated access group is
unique to a particular badge holder, and cannot be assigned to other badge
holders. Refer the section Personnel for creating dedicated access groups.
Access Group 1 & 2 controls are used to select the desired access groups
(that are previously created in ‘Access Groups’ screen) for badge holder
records in ‘Personnel’ screen. For details on these controls, refer the section
Personnel.
The Expiration Date control is used to fix a date for removing the access
group assigned to a badge holder. When the date is reached, the badge
holder can no longer access the doors that were included in the access group.
For more details, refer the section Personnel.
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‘Get Template’ Button
Access Groups screen in New/Edit mode offers the ‘Get Template’ button as
highlighted in the figure below.
Fig. 42.9. The ‘Get Template’ button visible on clicking ‘New’/‘Edit’ button in the
toolbar.
This button allows you to select another access group (created previously),
as the basis for a new access group. The template is a time saving feature
that allows you to load all of the settings belonging to another access group,
into the current access group being created/edited. The usage of the button is
explained below.
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Using ‘Get Template’ button
Below we create a new access group called ‘Engineering Staff’. The new
access group will allow access to the First Floor Employee Entrance
reader, the Engineering Office reader and the First Floor Cafeteria
reader, during Business Hours of Weekdays. We will be using the
‘Human Resource’ access group as the template, as it already has First
Floor Employee Entrance and First Floor Cafeteria readers included in
the access group. Following are the steps involved.
• Open Access Groups screen by clicking on Access button or
• Click on New button in the toolbar.
• In the Description field, type in a descriptive name for the access
group being created.
In the figure below, we have entered the name ‘Engineering Staff’ for the
new access group.
Fig. 42.10. Naming the new access group as ‘Engineering Staff’.
• When the access group being created is assigned to badge records,
there can be changes to the access permissions of the concerned badge
holders. Hence, it is necessary to get the changed information to every
hardware access control panel. By default, the system is set up to
automatically download changed data to the panels. But, in case you
are dealing with a large system, changes to thousands of badges can
cause a massive download that may disable the system for a period of
time. To prevent this from happening, you can check the Do not
Update Badges at Panels check box.
• If required, a group can be selected for the access group you are
creating by clicking the down arrow of Group control, and selecting a
desired group name in the drop down list. For more details, refer the
section Groups.
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• Click on Get Template button.
Upon clicking, the ‘Select Access Group Template’ dialog will be displayed
as below. The field in the dialog will show the default selection of the first
access group (‘Human Resource’ as in the figure below) available in the
drop down list.
Fig. 42.11. The ‘Select Access Group Template’ dialog.
• Click the down arrow of the field to see the list of access groups.
Note:
o The drop down list will show only names of the standard access
groups that are created in ‘Access Groups’ screen. This excludes
‘Dedicated’ access groups (that are created in Personnel screen).
o The drop down list will show access groups names only if they are
created earlier. If no access group name is seen in the list, they must
be created afresh in the ‘Access Groups’ screen. To do this, refer the
heading Creating an Access Group
• In the drop down list, locate the access group name whose settings
you wish to load into the new access group, and click on it.
Fig. 42.12. Selecting ‘Human Resource’ access group in the list.
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Upon clicking, the settings of the selected access group will be loaded
into grid in the lower half of the screen.
Fig. 42.13. Settings of ‘Human Resource’ access group loaded on clicking the access
group name.
•
Make desired changes to the settings (by selecting other Readers and
time schedules) as required.
Below we are selecting a time schedule for Engineering Office reader.
Fig. 42.14. Locating ‘Engineering Office’ reader and selecting a time schedule for it.
• Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the settings.
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Thus, using the ‘Human Resource’ access group, the ‘Engineering Staff’
access group is created, and it allows access through the readers
highlighted in the figure below.
Fig. 42.15. Engineering Staff access group created and saved.
Editing an Access Group
Follow the steps below if you like to edit an access group.
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the access group record you
wish to edit.
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• Make the required changes to the controls in the lower half of the
screen.
Note: An edited access group can change the access permissions of the
badge holders. Hence, it is necessary to get the changed information to
every hardware access control panel. By default, the system is set up to
automatically download changed data to the panels. But, in case you are
dealing with a large system, changes to thousands of badges can cause a
massive download that may disable the system for a period of time. To
prevent this from happening, you can check the Do not Update Badges
at Panels check box.
Deleting an Access Group
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the access group record you
wish to delete.
• Click on Delete button in the toolbar.
Upon clicking, the following message box will be displayed to inform
that, deletion of the access group can remove the other related data.
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Fig. 42.16. Message box displayed before deleting an access group.
• After reading the message in the box, click on the Yes button to delete
the selected access group.
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‘Access Groups’ Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 42.17. The ‘Access Groups’ screen navigation bar.
The Access Groups screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the
screen (just above the Access Group No control). The arrows of the bar can
be used for viewing older/newer/bookmarked records in Access Groups
screen. In figure 42.17, we have numbered the arrow buttons of the bar to
provide simpler explanation. The functions of the arrow buttons are as
follows:
highlight the very first access group record in the screen.
containing the highlighted access group record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted access
group record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted access
group record.
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containing the highlighted access group record.
highlight the last record of Access Groups screen.
highlighted access group record.
previously bookmarked access group record.
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Operator Responses
The Operator Response screen is used to create and store pre-defined
operator response strings. These strings are stored in the database and will be
available for selection in the other CardAccess screens. The operator has the
choice of attaching these strings as his responses (see section Event
response) to CardAccess Events/Alerts upon their occurrence.
Accessing Operator Responses Screen
• In CardAccess main screen, click on Administration menu to display
the menu items.
• Click on Operator Responses menu item in the list.
Fig. 43.1. The ‘Operator Responses’ screen.
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Creating an Operator Response String
Follow the steps below to create an operator response string:
• Open ‘Operator Responses’ screen by clicking on
Administration->Operator Responses menu options in CardAccess
main screen.
• Type in a response string of choice in the Response Text field
provided at the bottom of the screen.
Fig. 43.2. The ‘Response Text’ field.
Note: There are no restrictions on the type of content that can be included in
an operator response string. The ‘Response Text’ field allows a maximum
character 256 characters (including special characters).
• Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the response string.
Similarly, other pre-defined operator response strings can be created. All of
the strings created will be available as selection options for ‘Response
message’ control in Events Response screen.
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Editing an Operator Response String
Follow the steps below to edit an operator response string:
main screen.
• Under ‘Response Text’ area, click on the response string you wish to
edit. Upon clicking, the response string you selected will be displayed
in the ‘Response Text’ field.
• Click on Edit button in the toolbar. Upon clicking, the response string
will be highlighted in the ‘Response Text’ field, and keyboard cursor
can be seen blinking at the end of the highlighted string.
Fig. 43.3. Editing an operator response string.
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• Make the desired changes to the response string.
Deleting an Operator Response String
main screen.
• Under ‘Response Text’ area, click on the response string you wish to
delete.
Fig. 43.4. Message box displayed before deleting an operator response string.
• After confirming, click on Yes button in the message box to delete the
selected operator response string.
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‘Operator Responses’ Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 43.5. The ‘Operator Responses’ screen navigation bar.
The ‘Operator Responses’ screen navigation bar can be found above the
‘Response Text’ field in the screen. The arrows of the bar can be used for
viewing older/newer/bookmarked records in the screen. In figure 43.5, we
highlight the very first operator response string in the screen.
highlight the last string in page previous to the current page,
containing the highlighted operator response string.
highlight the string previous to the currently highlighted operator
response string.
highlight the string appearing after the currently highlighted operator
response string.
highlight the first string in the page appearing after the current page,
containing the highlighted operator response string.
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highlight the last operator response string in the screen.
highlighted operator response string.
previously bookmarked operator response string.
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Operator Instructions
An operator may require instructions to take proper action against the
Events/Alerts generated in CardAccess software. This requirement can be
met by creating instructions in the ‘Operator Instructions’ screen. Creation
of operator instructions will be explained in detail below.
Once operator instructions are created, they must be linked to the
corresponding Event types in CardAccess. Without linking, the instructions
have no meaning. Linking is done in ‘Operator Instruction Links’ screen.
Refer the section Operator Instruction Links for details.
Once linked, the operator can obtain the instructions for CardAccess
Events/Alerts upon their occurrence.
Accessing Operator Instructions Screen
• Click on Administration menu in CardAccess main screen.
• Click on Operator Instructions menu item in the list.
Operator Instructions screen will be opened as below.
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Fig. 44.1. The ‘Operator Instructions’ screen.
Creating an Operator Instruction
Follow the steps below to create a new operator instruction.
• Open ‘Operator Instructions’ screen by clicking
Administration->Operator Instructions menu options in
• Click on New button in the toolbar. Upon clicking, the ‘Instruction
Name’ field will show the words ‘New Instruction’, and the keyboard
cursor will be seen blinking in the text area of the screen. ‘New
Instruction’ is the default name given to every ‘new’ instruction you
create.
• The default instruction name can be changed if desired. To do this,
click the ‘Instruction Name’ field and type in a name of your choice.
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•
Click in the white space of the ‘text area’, and type in the instruction
you want the operator to follow, upon the occurrence of a particular
Event/Alert.
Fig. 44.2. The ‘text area’ of ‘Operator Instructions’ screen.
Note: There are no restrictions on the type of content that can be included in
an operator instruction. A maximum of 256 characters (including special
characters) can be typed in the ‘text area’, for a particular instruction.
• Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the instruction.
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Editing an Operator Instruction
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the instruction you wish to
edit.
•
Click on Edit button in the toolbar. Upon clicking, the keyboard
cursor can be seen blinking in the text area of the screen.
Fig. 44.3. Editing an operator instruction.
• Make the desired changes to the instruction seen in the text area.
• Click on Save button to save the changes.
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Deleting an Operator Instruction
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the instruction you wish to
delete.
Fig. 44.4. Message box displayed before deleting an operator instruction.
selected operator instruction.
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‘Operator Instructions’ Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 44.5. The ‘Operator Instructions’ screen navigation bar.
The ‘Operator Instructions’ screen navigation bar can be found above the
text area of the screen where you type in the instructions. The arrows of the
bar can be used for viewing older/newer/bookmarked instructions in the
screen. In figure 44.5, we have numbered the arrow buttons of the bar to
provide simpler explanation. The functions of the arrow buttons are as
follows:
highlight the very first operator instruction in the screen.
highlight the last instruction in page previous to the current page,
containing the highlighted operator instruction.
highlight the instruction previous to the currently highlighted
operator instruction.
highlight the instruction appearing after the currently highlighted
operator instruction.
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highlight the first instruction in the page appearing after the current
page, containing the highlighted operator instruction.
highlight the last operator instruction in the screen.
highlighted operator instruction.
•
Arrow 8: Placing the mouse cursor over arrow 8 will display the
previously bookmarked operator instruction.
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Operator Instruction Links
Operator instructions created in the ‘Operator Instructions’ screen (see
section Operator Instructions) must be linked to CardAccess Event types.
This is done in the ‘Operator Instruction Links’ screen.
Accessing Operator Instruction Links Screen
• Click on Administration menu in CardAccess main screen.
• Click on Operator Instruction Links menu item in the list.
Operator Instruction Links screen will be opened as below.
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Fig. 45.1. The ‘Operator Instruction Links’ screen.
Observe that all toolbar buttons except the ‘Close’ button are grayed out.
Note: The ‘New’ button required for creating a new operator instruction link
will be enabled only when an Event type is selected. Steps to arrive at Event
type selection are explained under the heading Linking Operator Instruction
to an Event Type.
By default, the left hand side of the screen will list the names of the panels
that are previously created in CardAccess software.
Note: Before using ‘Operator Instruction Links’ screen, panel records must
be created in CardAccess. Refer the section Panels and the document on
NAPCO Alarm Panel Integration with CardAccess 3000.
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The first panel (Bldg 1 Superterm 1 as in figure 45.1) will be expanded by
default and its contents (Readers, Inputs, Relays and Links as in figure 45.1)
will be revealed. Each of these hardware items will again be provided with
nodes (+ marks).
Note:
• Nodes will be seen for only those hardware items for which records
have been created previously in CardAccess software. For example, in
the figure below, there are no Input, Relay and Link records created
for Bldg 2 SuperTerm 1 panel. Hence these items do not show nodes.
Fig. 45.2. No node seen for Inputs, Relays, Links of Bldg 2 SuperTerm 1 panel.
• In order to link operator instructions to Event types generated from a
hardware item (Reader/Input/Relay/Link), make sure records are
created for the item in CardAccess. Refer the sections Readers, Inputs,
Relays, Links to create hardware item records.
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Linking Operator Instruction to an Event Type
• Open ‘Operator Instruction Links’ screen by clicking on
Administration->Operator Instruction Links menu options in
‘Operator Instruction Links’ screen will be opened as below.
Fig. 45.3. The ‘Operator Instruction Links’ screen.
Observe that the left hand side of the screen shows the list of panels
previously created in CardAccess software.
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Note: The ‘New’ button essential for the linking process is grayed out.
It can be enabled by following the steps below.
• Click on a desired panel name that is connected to the hardware item
of interest, whose Event type you wish to link with an operator
instruction. Upon clicking, the hardware items connected to the panel
will be revealed. Each of these items will be provided with nodes
(‘+’ marks).
Fig. 45.4. Clicking on ‘Bldg 1 Superterm 1’ panel to reveal the hardware
items connected to it.
Note: If a hardware item does not show a node, it means that no records
are created for that item in CardAccess software. If you wish to link an
Event type of that item with an instruction, you must first create records
for the hardware item.
• Click on the desired hardware item node. Doing this will reveal the
various records created for selected hardware item.
Fig. 45.5. Clicking on ‘Readers’ node.
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• Click on a desired hardware item record. Doing this will offer you
the Events node.
Fig. 45.6. Clicking on ‘First Floor Lobby Elevator’ node.
• Click on Events node. Doing this will show the list of all of the Event
types associated with the selected hardware item record.
Fig. 45.7. List of ‘First Floor Lobby Elevator’ Event types.
• Click on a desired event type to which you wish to link an operator
instruction. Observe that the new button in the toolbar is enabled after
Event type selection.
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Fig. 45.8. An Event type selection enabling the ‘New’ button in toolbar.
• Click on New button in the toolbar. Doing this will enable the
‘Instruction to use for this event’ and ‘Link Enabled’ controls in the
‘Instruction Link’ tab seen at the bottom of the screen. The
‘Instruction to use for this event’ control will show the default
selection of the first option available in the drop down list, and the
‘Link Enabled’ check box will be selected by default.
• Click the down arrow of ‘Instruction to use for this event’ control
for viewing the list of the available operator instructions.
• Locate the instruction you wish to link to the selected Event type and
click on it.
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Fig. 45.9. Selecting an operator instruction in the drop down list.
• Click on Save button to save the settings in the screen.
Similarly, other Event types can be linked with the required operator
instructions by following the above steps.
Advantages of Operator Instruction Links
A few screen changes that are advantageous to the operator are resulted by
linking Event types with operator instructions:
• When an Alert attached with an operator instruction occurs, a sliding
window is displayed on the right hand side of CA main screen for a
brief period of time. This window contains the operator instruction for
that alert type. The operator can read the instruction in the window,
and take proper action against the alert.
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Fig. 45.10. Sliding window displayed for an Alert linked with operator instruction.
• The ‘Alert Acknowledge’/‘Event Response’ windows of Alerts/Events
that are attached with operator instructions contain a folder tab called
‘Operator Instructions’. The user can click on the tab and read the
attached instruction to take proper action against the Alert/Event.
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Fig. 45.11. Operator instruction seen in ‘Operator Instructions’ tab of ‘Alert
Acknowledge’ window, for an Alert linked with an operator instruction.
Editing an Operator Instruction Link
Follow the steps below if you wish to ‘change’ the operator instruction
linked to an Event type:
• Navigate to Event type of the hardware item record, for which you
wish to link a ‘different’ operator instruction.
• Click on Edit button in the toolbar. Upon clicking, the ‘Instruction to
use for this event’ and ‘Link Enabled’ controls in the ‘Instruction
Link’ tab seen at the bottom of the screen will be enabled.
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• Click the down arrow of ‘Instruction to use for this event’ control,
and select a different operator instruction of choice for linking to the
selected Event type.
• Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the change.
Deleting an Operator Instruction Link
Follow the steps below if you wish to delete an operator instruction link:
• Navigate to Event type of the hardware item record, whose operator
instruction link you wish to delete.
Fig. 45.12. Message box displayed before deleting an operator instruction link.
selected operator instruction link.
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Event Response
The ‘Event Response’ screen is generally used to attach response messages
to CardAccess Events/Alerts. This screen allows the user to either type in
new response messages in or attach pre-defined messages for the
Events/Alerts selected in CardAccess main screen (refer the section Operator
Responses for creating pre-defined operator response messages).
Accessing Event Response Screen
The Event Response screen can be accessed in the following two ways:
1. Double-clicking on an Event/Alert in CardAccess main screen.
2. Clicking on the desired Event/Alert, and then clicking on Respond
button.
Fig. 46.1. Respond button of CardAccess Event and Alerts grids.
Note: If the event belongs to Events grid, then, Respond button above
‘Events’ grid must be used. If the event belongs to Alerts grid, then,
Respond button above ‘Alerts’ grid must be used.
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Both the methods will open the ‘Event Response’ screen for the selected
event as below.
Fig. 46.2. The ‘Event Response’ screen for DOOR FORCED OPEN event.
By default, the screen will open in ‘Event’ tab as shown in the above figure.
A few other folder tabs may also be visible depending on the type of event
you select, and on the options that are enabled in ‘System Settings’ screen
previously. The folder tabs are explained in the section Event Response
Screen Folder Tabs.
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Attaching ‘Response Message’ to Event
Response message can be attached to an Event by following the steps below:
• Open Event Response screen by double-clicking on the event (or
alternatively by highlighting the event and clicking on Respond
button) in CardAccess main screen.
Note: If the event belongs to Events grid, then, Respond button above
‘Events’ grid must be used. If the event belongs to Alerts grid, then,
Respond button above ‘Alerts’ grid must be used.
The screen will open in ‘Event’ tab by default, and the keyboard cursor will
be seen blinking in the ‘Response Message’ control.
• Apply one of the two methods below to attach a ‘Response Message’
to the selected event.
1. Type in a ‘new’ message in the Response message’ control, and
click on Accept button.
Fig. 46.3. Typing a new response message.
Fig. 46.4. The ‘Accept’ button.
Note: The ‘Accept’ button will be enabled only after you type in the
response message.
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The ‘new’ response Message thus attached to the event will be added on
to ‘Response List’ window (see figure 46.14) of the selected event. Refer
the heading Response History for details.
2. A Pre-defined response message can be attached to the event by
a. Click the down arrow to the right of ‘Response Message’
control to view the list of ‘pre-defined’ response messages.
Fig. 46.5. Pre-defined response messages.
Note: Response messages seen in the drop down list are those that
are previously created in ‘Operator Responses’ screen. If the list is
empty, it means that no pre-defined response messages have been
created yet. Read the section Operator Responses to create them.
b. Select a desired response message in the list, and click on it.
c. Click on Accept button.
Note: The Accept button will be enabled only after a response message is
selected in the drop down list.
The ‘pre-defined’ Response Message thus attached to the event will be
added on to ‘Response List’ window (see figure 46.14) of the selected
event. Refer the heading Response History for details.
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Event Response Screen Folder Tabs
The ‘Event Response’ screen will open in ‘Event’ tab by default.
Fig. 46.7. ‘Events Response’ screen in ‘Event’ tab.
A few other folder tabs may be visible on the screen depending on the type
of event selected and the options previously set in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Each of the folder tabs are explained below.
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Event tab
‘Event’ is the default folder tab of ‘Event Response’ screen. This tab shows
the details of the selected event.
Note: The ‘Event’ tab is always visible regardless of the type of event
selected.
The Event tab has three sections namely Alert, Archive Information and
Response (see figure 46.7). These sections are explained below.
• The ‘Alert’ section shows details related to the person and/or the
location of the selected event.
Fig. 46.8. The ‘Alert’ section of Event tab
• The ‘Archive Information’ section shows the system information.
Fig. 46.9. The ‘Archive Information’ section of Event tab.
• The ‘Response’ section provides controls that are needed to attach and
view response messages for the selected event.
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Fig. 46.10. The Response section.
The controls of Response section are explained below.
Response Message, Accept
The ‘Response Message’ control and the ‘Accept’ button are used for
attaching a response message to the selected event.
Using the Response Message control, you can either type in a new
message or select a pre-defined response message for the event.
Fig. 46.11. The ‘Response Message’ control.
After you type in or select a response message, you must click on
‘Accept’ button to attach the response message to the event.
Refer the heading Attaching ‘Response Message’ to Event for more
details.
Response History
The ‘Response History’ button can be used to view the list of all
response messages attached to a particular event.
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Fig. 46.13. The ‘Response History’ button.
Clicking on this button will open the ‘Response List’ window of the
selected event. The window shows the list of all response messages
attached to the selected event.
The figure below shows the Response List window for DOOR
FORCED OPEN event.
Fig. 46.14. ‘Response List’ window for ‘DOOR FORCED OPEN’ event.
To close the ‘Response List’ window, click on Close button seen at the
bottom right corner of the window.
Fig. 46.15. The Response List ‘Close’ button.
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Recent Responses
The ‘Recent Responses’ button can be used to view the list of all events
associated with a specific badge or hardware item, that have response
message(s) attached.
Fig. 46.16. The ‘Recent Responses’ button.
Clicking on this button will open the ‘Recent Responses’ window of the
selected badge/hardware item. This window contains the list of all events
associated with the selected badge or hardware item that have response
message(s) attached.
The ‘Recent Responses’ window in the figure below shows all of the events
associated with ‘4-1 Front Door’ reader that have response message(s)
attached.
Fig. 46.17. The ‘Recent Responses’ window for ‘4-1 Front Door’ reader.
Clicking on a particular event in the window will display the ‘history’ list of
response messages attached to that event.
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The lower half of ‘Recent Responses’ window in the figure below, shows
the history list of response messages attached to DOOR FORCED OPEN
event.
Fig. 46.18. ‘Recent Responses’ window showing the ‘History’ list of response messages
attached to ‘DOOR FORCED OPEN’ event.
The ‘Recent Responses’ window in the figure below shows all events of a
badge (badge holder Edwards, Terry) that have response message(s)
attached.
Fig. 46.19. The ‘Recent Responses’ window for a selected badge.
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Clicking on a badge event in the window will display the ‘history’ list of
response messages attached to that badge event.
The lower half of ‘Recent Responses’ window in the figure below, shows
the history list of response messages attached to BADGE VIOLATE
UNAUTHORIZED (Trk) event.
Fig. 46.20. Lower half of ‘Recent Responses’ window showing the ‘History’ list of
response messages attached to BADGE VIOLATE UNAUTHORIZED (Trk) event.
To close the ‘Recent Responses’ window, click on OK button seen at the
bottom right corner of the window.
Fig. 46.21. The Recent Responses ‘OK’ button.
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Exit
To close the ‘Event Response’ screen, click on Exit button seen at the
bottom right corner of the screen.
Fig. 46.22. The Event Response ‘Exit’ button.
DVR Recorded Video in Event Tab
The Event tab will show the DVR recorded video of the selected event
under the following conditions:
• DVR RemoteView has been enabled in System Settings CCTV tab
and
• The selected event is a Reader/Input/Napco zone event that has been
configured to display the DVR recorded video.
Fig. 46.23. Event Response window showing the embedded DVR recorded video.
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Map Tab
The ‘Map’ tab can be used to view the map assigned to the hardware
device mentioned in the selected event.
Map tab will be visible only under the following conditions:
• The selected event involves a hardware device (Panel, Reader, Input,
Relay, Link) and
• The ‘Use Facility Maps’ box is checked in System Settings screen.
Fig. 46.24. Event Response ‘Map’ tab showing map assigned to a hardware device.
If the Map tab is visible but empty, it means that no map has been assigned
to the hardware device.
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Photo Tab
The photo tab can be used to view the photo of a particular badge holder.
Photo tab will be visible only under the following conditions:
• The selected event is a badge related event and
• The ‘Photos Only’/ ‘Goddard’ option is selected in System Settings
Video Badging tab.
Fig. 46.25. Event Response ‘Photo’ tab showing the photo assigned to Terry Edwards.
If the Photo tab is visible but empty, it means that no photo has been
assigned to the concerned badge holder.
CCTV Tab
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The CCTV tab can be used to view the CCTV snapshot of the selected
event.
CCTV tab will be visible only under the following conditions:
• The selected event is a Reader/Input event and
• SmartView CCTV ( View Only/Full Control) option is enabled in
System Settings CCTV tab.
If the CCTV tab is visible but empty, it means that no CCTV snapshot is
taken for the selected event.
Fig. 46.26. CCTV tab showing CCTV snapshot of the selected Event.
For details on the various controls seen in the above figure, refer the
explanation provided under Figure 21 & 22 in SmartView Helpfile.
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Personnel
The Personnel screen is used for creating cardholder records. Using the
screen, it is possible to associate a badge number with a name, set access
rules for a badge holder, and attach special attributes to a badge.
Accessing Personnel Screen
The Personnel screen can be opened in two ways as below:
1. By clicking on Personnel button in CardAccess toolbar.
Fig. 32.1. The ‘Personnel’ button in CardAccess tool bar.
2. By clicking on Access-> Personnel menu options in CardAccess
menu bar.
Fig. 32.2. Clicking on ‘Personnel’ menu option in Access menu list.
Both the methods will open the Personnel screen in General tab as shown
below.
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Fig. 32.3. Personnel screen in General tab.
The Personnel screen consists of four major sections. They are as follows:
a) The Main Toolbar: The toolbar seen at the top of the screen
(refer figure 32.3) provides buttons for functions such as
Adding, Deleting, Editing, Searching of badge records etc.
b) The View Window: The view window seen in the top half of
the screen will display the summary of Personnel records that
are created. For a highlighted badge record, the columns of the
view window will display the data you enter in the respective
controls provided in the bottom half of the screen. In figure
32.3, the view window is empty as badge records are not yet
created. If you wish to see more records in the view window,
resize the Personnel screen. To view the details of a specific
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record, use the scrollbar to the right of the View window to
scroll to the desired record, and then click on the record. The
settings of the selected record will then be displayed in the
bottom half of the screen.
c) The Settings Section: The settings section seen in the bottom
half of the Personnel screen has a number of controls (refer
figure 32.3) for entering the badge holder information and
setting the operating rules for a badge holder. The settings made
for the controls affect the operation of devices configured in the
other CardAccess screens. Each of the controls is explained
under the heading General Tab Controls.
d) The Status Bar: The status bar seen at the bottom of the screen
contains the historical information. The ‘Last Edit’ area
indicates the date on which the currently highlighted record was
last changed. In figure 32.3, the Last Edit area is not showing
any date as badge records are yet to be created. The ‘Total
Badges’ count indicates the total number of badges stored in the
database. In figure 32.3, the Total Badges is indicated as 0 as
there are no badge records created so far.
Personnel Records Sort Order
By default, the records in Personnel screen will be sorted according to Badge
No column as shown in figure 32.3. This column allows the personnel
records to be sorted according to badge numbers. However, any column can
be used for sorting. The sort criterion can be changed by clicking on the
column name desired to be used for sorting. Column used for sorting will be
highlighted in yellow color. A column can be sorted in
Upward/downward arrows seen in a column name (in yellow highlight)
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General Tab
The General tab of Personnel screen is where the general information of a
cardholder is entered.
The Personnel screen will be displayed in General tab by default.
Fig. 32.4. Personnel screen in General tab.
The controls of General tab are explained in the following section.
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General Tab Controls
Badge Number
This field is provided for entering the badge number assigned to a particular
badge. The Badge Number entry is a must for creating a basic working
badge.
Fig. 32.5. The ‘Badge Number’ field.
The field accepts numeric values only. Leading zeros if entered are ignored.
The following message box will be displayed when you type in 0 as the first
digit in the field.
Fig. 32.6. Message box displayed when 0 is entered as the first digit in Badge Number
field.
The maximum number of digits that the field accepts depends on the value
set for the Max Badge Digits at Panel control in the System Settings screen.
A maximum of 5, 7, 9 or 19 digits can be set for this control in System
Settings.
First Name
This field is provided for entering the first name of the badge holder. The
field accepts any combination of letters and numbers. A maximum of 25
characters can be entered in this field.
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Fig. 32.7. The ‘First Name’ field.
Last Name
This field is provided for entering the last name of the badge holder. The
field accepts any combination of letters and numbers. A maximum of 25
characters can be entered in this field.
Fig. 32.8. The ‘Last Name’ field.
Middle Name
This field is provided for entering the middle name of the badge holder.
The field accepts any combination of letters and numbers. A maximum of
30 characters can be entered in this field.
Fig. 32.9. The ‘Middle Name’ field.
Facility
The field accepts numbers from 0 – 10. The number can be entered by
o Typing the number in the field or
o Using the arrow buttons to the right of the control to choose the
number.
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You must set this number to the position of the facility code in the facility
codes screen. See the section of the manual called Facility Codes for more
information. When facility is set to zero in a badge holder record, facility
codes are ignored for that badge holder (see Facility Codes for more on what
that means).
Fig. 32.10. The ‘Facility’ field.
Re-Issue
Every badge has an associated Badge Number and a Re-Issue number. The
Re-Issue number plays an important role to identify the authorized badge
holder in case of badge loss. When a badge is lost, the badge holder will be
issued a new badge with the same badge number. But, since the old and new
badges now have the same badge number, it becomes necessary that the two
badges are differentiated from each other. This is when the Re-Issue number
comes into picture. To distinguish between the two badges, the Re-Issue
number of the lost badge will be incremented by 1, and assigned to the new
badge.
When reissue numbers are enabled in a badge format (see ‘Badge Formats’
for more information), the CardAccess panels will examine the badge and
the re-issue numbers to determine if the card holder will be allowed access.
The reissue number must match the number in the Re-issue field of the
cardholder’s Personnel record. If the numbers don’t match a ‘Badge Violate
Re-Issue’ error event message is generated and access is denied.
In this way, numerous badges can be issued with the same badge number,
but only the most current issue of the badge will gain valid access at any
door.
The Re-Issue number can be set by
• Typing in a value in the range 1-99 in Re-Issue field or ,
• Using the arrow buttons on the right side of the Re-Issue control to
choose the required number.
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Fig. 32.11. The Re-Issue field.
Pin Code
The pin code is a 1-4 digit (personal) number used in applications where the
badge holders are required to present two forms of identification to gain
entry at a door. When the system is set up to require ‘Card & Code’ access at
a door, an access card must be presented to a reader and a security code must
be entered into a keypad before the door will unlock. Pin codes can be
common/unique for all users. Refer the section Readers for information on
setting up ‘Card & Code’ operation at a reader
Fig. 32.12. The ‘Pin Code’ field.
Embossed ID
Some brands of access cards (like Weigand swipe) do not have card
numbers printed on the cards. Instead, they have a serial number
‘embossed’ (printed) on the card. The manufacturer includes a document
with a cross-reference chart that matches serial numbers to card numbers.
That serial number is the only identifier on this type of card. The Embossed
ID field is a notation field where the user can use this serial number for
reference purposes (in case the card is lost). The Embossed ID field is not
actively used by the system, it is for notation only.
Fig. 32.13. The ‘Embossed ID’ field.
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Activation Date
Activation date is a means of automatically enabling a badge based on date.
When a badge record is created with Activation date set to some date in the
future, the system will automatically enable the badge on the indicated date.
Once enabled, the system will automatically download the badge record to
every panel that has doors, that the cardholder is allowed access. Activation
happens at 00:00:00 o’clock (midnight + n seconds, at the start of the day) of
the date indicated in Activation Date field.
The Activation Date can be set in the following two ways:
• Typing a date of choice in the Activation Date field. The date entered
must be in MM/DD/YYYY or MM/DD/YY date format.
Fig. 32.14. The ‘Activation Date’ field.
o Click on the calendar button (marked as 15) to the right of
Activation Date field. Upon clicking, a calendar window of the
current month and year will be opened, with the current date in
highlight.
Fig. 32.15. Calendar window displayed by clicking on calendar button.
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Note: Double left/right arrows and single left/right arrows are provided at
the top of the screen to scroll backward/forward through the dates/months of
a year, to aid in selection of a desired date.
Expiration Date
Expiration date is a means of automatically disabling a badge based on date.
Disabled badges are not deleted from the database; they are ‘deactivated’
and can be reactivated at any time later.
Note: The date entry must be in MM/DD/YYYY or MM/DD/YY date
format.
Once a badge record has been deactivated, the system will automatically
remove that badge record from every panel where it is stored. Deactivation
happens at 24:00:00 o’clock (midnight, at the end of the day) of the date
indicated in Expiration Date field.
The Expiration Date can be set in the following two ways:
• Typing a date of choice in the Expiration Date field. The date entered
Fig. 32.16. The ‘Expiration Date’ field.
Expiration Date field. Upon clicking, a calendar window of the
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current month and year will be opened with the current date in
highlight.
a year, to aid in selection of a desired date.
Note: When a badge is disabled by means of an Expiration Date, the system
will remove the check mark from Enabled check box, in the concerned
Personnel record.
Access Time
Access Time is the number of seconds that a door is held unlocked (that is,
open state) after a successful badge read. The Access Time control in the
Personnel record can be set to ‘override’ door open times for certain users,
without affecting the door open times for the general population. Door open
times are set in the Readers screen. Access Time values set in a badge
holder’s record preempt settings in the Readers screen, for every door that
the Badge Holder has access to.
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Fig. 32.18. The ‘Access Time’ field.
The Access Time can be set by
• Typing the desired value in Access Time field or
• Choosing a desired value using the arrow buttons to the right of
Access Time control.
Badge Use Limit
The ‘Badge Use Limit’ control is used to set the maximum number of times
a badge can be used, before it is automatically disabled by the system. Once
a badge is disabled, it cannot be used again (system wide) until the badge
holder record is manually re-enabled by the system administrator.
The Badge Use Limit can be set by
• Typing a number from 1-999 in the Badge Use Limit field or
• Choosing a desired number using the arrow buttons to the right of
Badge Use Limit control.
Fig. 32.19. The ‘Badge Use Limit’ field.
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Dedicated Access
A ‘Dedicated’ Access group is an access group that belongs to only one
badge holder.
The Dedicated Access check box turns the Dedicated Access function
On/Off. If checked, the feature is on, and if unchecked the feature is off.
Fig. 32.20. The ‘Dedicated Access’ check box.
Note: Standard access groups are those that can be assigned to several badge
holders. For more information, refer the section Access Groups.
Creating a Dedicated Access Group
As an example, let us create a ‘dedicated’ access group for the president of a
company. The following steps are involved.
1. Open Personnel screen by clicking on Personnel button or
Access-> Personnel menu options in CardAccess main screen.
2. Click on New button if you wish to create a new personnel record, or
Edit button to edit an existing record.
3. If you are creating a new record, enter the badge holder’s information
using the controls seen in the lower half of the screen, and proceed to
the step 4 when you arrive at the ‘Dedicated Access’ check box.
In case you are editing an existing personnel record, click on the
desired record in the upper half of the screen for which you wish to
create a ‘dedicated’ access group.
4. In the lower half of the screen, click on Dedicated Access check box.
Upon clicking, you will be taken to Dedicated Access Folder tab.
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Fig. 32.21. Personnel screen in ‘Dedicated Access’ folder tab.
Observe that this folder tab looks similar to ‘Access Groups’ screen
containing ‘Reader’ and ‘Time Schedule’ columns (see figure 42.3 in the
section Access Groups).
5. The Access Group Name field will show the Badge Number of the
personnel record, by default. The default name can be changed if
desired.
We have changed the default name to Smith, John (name of the badge
holder) as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 32.22. Access Group named as ‘Smith, John’.
6. If required, a group can be selected for the personnel by clicking the
down arrow of Group control, and selecting a desired group name in
the drop down list. For more details, refer the section Groups.
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7. Under the Reader column, locate the reader names you wish to
‘dedicate’ to the selected personnel.
8. Click the Time Schedule column corresponding to the located readers
and select a desired time schedule in the drop down lists for each of
those readers individually.
Fig. 32.23. Locating readers for including in the ‘dedicated’ access group, and
assigning time schedules to them.
9. Click on Save button in the toolbar.
Upon clicking, you will be taken back to General tab (of Personnel
screen) as shown in figure 32.24.
Access Group 2 control will no longer be available to the Personnel record.
Observe the highlight in figure 32.24 to note this change.
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Note: If you are using ‘dedicated’ access for a given card holder, you will be
allowed to create only one (dedicated) access group for that card holder.
This is the reason for the second access group control to become
unavailable.
Fig, 32.24. Access Group 2 field unavailable after creating a dedicated access group.
The (dedicated) Access Group Expiration Date works in the same way as it
does on a standard access group. For more information, refer the heading
Access Group 1 & 2 Expiration Date.
Once ‘dedicated’ access groups are created, they do not appear in the
standard ‘Access Groups’ screen. However, every dedicated access group
that is created does use up an access group number, just like a standard
access group. The CardAccess permits a maximum of 1000 access groups.
Every dedicated access group and standard access group that you create is
subtracted from the total number available.
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‘Get Template’ Button
‘Dedicated Access’ tab in New/Edit mode offers the ‘Get Template’ button
as highlighted in the figure below.
Fig.32.25. ‘Dedicated Access’ tab showing the ‘Get Template’ button in ‘New’/’Edit’
mode.
This button allows you to select another access group (created previously),
as the basis for a new access group. The template is a time saving feature
that allows you to load all of the settings belonging to another access group,
into the current access group being created/edited. The usage of the button is
explained below.
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Using ‘Get Template’ button
Below we create a ‘dedicated’ access group for Carl Blake, the vice
president of a company. To do this, we will be using Smith, John (access
group for the President of the same company) as the template. The
following steps are involved.
1. Open Personnel screen by clicking on Personnel button or
Access-> Personnel menu options in CardAccess main screen. The
screen will open in General tab by default.
2. Click on New button in the toolbar.
3. Using the controls provided in the lower half of the screen, enter the
information of the Personnel.
We have entered the Badge Number, First and Last Names as in the
figure below.
Fig. 32.26. Entering Badge Number and Name of the Personnel.
4. Click on ‘Dedicated Access’ Check box. Upon clicking, you will be
taken to ‘Dedicated Access’ Folder tab as shown in the figure below.
Notice that the ‘Access Group Name’ field will show the ‘Badge
Number’ that was entered earlier in ‘General’ tab.
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Fig. 32.27. Dedicated Access tab for Badge Number 59030.
5. The default ‘Access Group Name’ can be changed as desired.
Below, we have changed the ‘Access Group Name’ to Blake, Carl (name of
the vice-president).
Fig. 32.28. Dedicated Access Group for vice-president named as Blake, Carl.
6. If required, a group can be selected for the personnel by clicking the
down arrow of Group control, and selecting a desired group name in
the drop down list. For more details, refer the section Groups.
7. Click on ‘Get Template’ button. Upon clicking, the ‘Select Access
Group Template’ dialog will be displayed as below.
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Fig. 32.29. The ‘Select Access Group Template’ dialog.
8. In ‘Select Access Group Template’ dialog, click the down arrow of the
control to view the list of the available access groups.
Note:
• The drop down list will show the names of standard access groups
(created in ‘Access Groups’ screen) as well as ‘Dedicated’ access
groups (created in ‘Personnel’ screen).
• The drop down list will show access groups names only if they are
created earlier. If no access group name is seen in the list, they must
be created afresh. To do this, refer the heading Creating an Access
Group in the section ‘Access Groups’ or Creating a Dedicated Access
Group in the section ‘Personnel’.
9. Locate a desired access group in the drop down list and click on it.
In the figure below, we are selecting the access group ‘Smith John’.
Fig. 32.30. Selecting Smith, John as the template for the new access group.
Upon clicking, the settings of the selected access group will be loaded
into the grid in the lower half of the screen.
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Fig. 32.31. Settings of ‘Smith, John’ access group loaded on clicking the access group
name.
10. Make the desired changes to the settings by varying the time schedule
selections.
The figure below highlights the changes we have made to Smith, John access
group. Compare with the settings in figure 32.31 to note the changes.
Fig. 32.32. Changes made to Smith, John access group.
10. Click on Save button in the toolbar.
Upon clicking, you will be taken back to General tab (of Personnel
screen) as shown in figure 32.33.
Access Group 2 control will no longer be available to the Personnel record.
Observe the highlight in figure 32.33 to note this change.
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Note: If you are using ‘dedicated’ access for a given card holder, you will be
allowed to create only one (dedicated) access group for that card holder.
This is the reason for the second access group control to become
unavailable.
Fig, 32.33. Access Group 2 field unavailable after creating a dedicated access group.
The (dedicated) Access Group Expiration Date works in the same way as it
does on a standard access group. For more information, refer the heading
Access Group 1 & 2 Expiration Date.
Editing a Dedicated Access Group
Follow the steps below if you wish to edit a dedicated access group:
• Open ‘Personnel’ screen by clicking on Personnel button or
Access->Personnel menu options in CardAccess main screen.
• Click on Dedicated Access folder tab.
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• In the upper half of the screen, click on the dedicated access group
record you wish to edit.
• Make the required changes to the controls in the lower half of the
screen.
Deleting a Dedicated Access Group
The following steps are involved in deleting the dedicated access group of a
badge holder.
• Open Personnel screen by clicking on Personnel button or
Access-> Personnel menu options in CardAccess main screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the Personnel record whose
dedicated access group you wish to remove.
• Click on Dedicated Access check box.
Upon clicking, the following message box will be displayed to inform
that the ‘delete’ action is irreversible.
Fig. 32.34. Message box displayed before deleting the dedicated access group of a
badge holder.
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dedicated access group.
Access Group 1 & 2
There are two Access Group controls available for every Personnel record
unless dedicated access feature is enabled. Using these controls, you can
assign a maximum of two standard access groups per badge holder. In case
you are using ‘dedicated’ access for a badge holder, Access Group 2 control
becomes unavailable. This is because, CardAccess allows only one
(dedicated) access group for a given card holder (refer the section Creating a
Dedicated Access Group for details). This is the reason for the second access
group control to become unavailable.
If you elect to assign only one access group to a given badge holder, you can
assign that access group in either control, Access Group 1 or Access Group
2. The system does not care about the order in which you use the access
group controls.
To select an access group from either one of these controls, follow the steps
below:
• Click on Edit button in Personnel screen toolbar.
• Click the down arrow of Access Group 1 and/or Access Groups 2
Control(s).
• Select an access group from the drop down list by clicking on it.
• Click on Save button in the toolbar.
Fig. 32.35. Access Group 1 & 2 fields.
If no Access Group is seen in the drop down lists, they need to be created.
Creation of Access Groups is explained in the section Access Groups.
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Access Group 1& 2 Expiration Date
The Access Group 1 & 2 Expiration Date fields allow you to set a (future)
date when Access Group 1 or 2 (or both) will be removed from a cardholder
(that is, the Access Group control(s) for the cardholder record will revert back
to the default selection ‘Not Used’ ). This event takes place at 24:00:00
o’clock (midnight at the end of the day) of the indicated date.
Note: When an access group is taken away from a cardholder because the
expiration date has been reached, the change is automatically downloaded to
the panels where the cardholder had access.
Unlike the badge Expiration Date which disables the card, removing an access
group does not necessarily mean that the cardholder will no longer have
access to a building. For example, if we provide a card holder with Access
Groups 1 & 2 and we set an expiration date on Access Group 2 only, Access
Group 2 will be removed from the card holder on the expiration date, but that
card holder will still have access group 1.
The Expiration Date for Access Groups 1 and/or 2 can be set in the
following ways:
• Typing a date of choice in the Expiration Date field. The date entered
Fig. 32.36. Access Group 1 & 2 Expiration Date fields.
Expiration Date field. Upon clicking, a calendar window of the
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current month and year will be opened, with the current date in
highlight.
Fig. 32.37. Calendar window displayed by clicking on number button.
a year, to aid in the selection of a desired date.
Group
This field is used for selecting a group for database partitioning. The default
selection in this field will be None.
Fig. 32.38. The Group field.
To select a group, follow the steps below:
• Click on Edit button in Personnel screen toolbar.
• Click the down arrow of Group control.
• Select a group from the drop down list by clicking on it.
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Enabled
This control enables or disables a badge. If checked, the badge is
enabled. When the badge is enabled, the cardholder’s badge record is
automatically sent to all panels, where the cardholder will be allowed
access. When the badge is disabled, the record is automatically removed
from every panel, where the cardholder has access. To enable or disable
the badge, click on ‘Enabled’ check box.
Fig. 32.39. The ‘Enabled’ check box.
Tracked
The tracked function is usually used to track a badge holder’s movements
throughout a building. When the Tracked check box is enabled (checked) for
a particular badge record, a different priority level is assigned to the badge.
Priority levels for badge card reads are set in the Readers screen (for more
information, refer the section Readers). In figure 32.26, observe that the
default priority for a Tracked Badge is higher than the default priority for a
valid badge. This means that, even though a Tracked badge read is a ‘valid’
badge read, it will be treated differently.
There are two specific differences in the handling of a tracked badge versus
a standard valid badge. They are:
• A Tracked badge read has a special event message called “Badge
Valid – Tracked” and
• It is usually displayed in the Alerts portion (not Events) of
CardAccess screen so that, they can be noticed by security personnel
easily.
Click the ‘Tracked’ checkbox to enable or disable the Tracked function for a
given badge holder.
Fig. 32.40. The ‘Tracked’ check box.
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Fig. 32.41. Readers screen Priorities tab showing default priority values for ‘Tracked
Badge’ and ‘Valid Access’ badge reads..
Escorted
When Escorted box is checked for a badge, two badge reads are required at
the reader for the Escorted cardholder to gain access. The second badge read
must be from a non-Escorted type card. However, an Escorted card will
require a second badge read only at those readers that are set up as Escort
readers (for more information on setting up an Escort reader, refer the section
Readers). At a non-escort reader, a badge set to Escorted is treated in the same
way as any other non-Escorted badge. To enable escorted, click the Escorted
check box.
Fig. 32.42. The ‘Escorted’ check box.
Stay on Panel
This control is active only when an access panel is in Interactive Mode
(to learn more about interactive mode, refer the section Panels). When
Interactive Mode is enabled at a panel, all badge records that have the
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‘Stay on Panel’ function enabled, will be permanently stored in the panel
memory, as much as space allows. Those badge records that have not
been used recently, and do not have the ‘Stay on Panel’ function enabled,
can be deleted from panel memory, if memory space becomes an issue.
When Interactive Mode is turned on at a panel, set the ‘Stay on Panel’
function active for all badges that are expected regularly at readers on
that panel, provided the memory space allows.
Fig. 32.43. The ‘Stay on Panel’ check box.
Initial Download
This control is active only when an access panel is in the Interactive
Mode (to learn more about interactive mode refer the section Panels).
When Interactive Mode is enabled at the panel, all badge records that
have the Initial Download function enabled, will be downloaded to the
panel memory, on every full panel or badge download. When Initial
Download is not enabled, each badge will only be downloaded to the
panel as they are presented to readers on that panel.
Fig. 32.44. The ‘Initial Download’ check box.
Vehicle Tag
The ‘Vehicle Tag’ check box will be visible only when Vehicle Tracking is
enabled in System Settings screen. This box when checked changes the type
of badge holder record from cardholder to Vehicle Tag. Technically, this
means that, the badge belongs to an asset and not a person. Vehicle tags are
most commonly created to track company automobiles. Setting up the
vehicle tagging function is explained in more detail in the Readers section.
Click the check box to enable vehicle tagging.
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Fig. 32.45. The ‘Vehicle Tag’ check box.
Last Valid Access
The ‘Last Valid Access’ area automatically displays the location and date of
the latest badge read, for the currently highlighted badge record.
Fig. 32.46. The ‘Last Valid Access’ area.
Creating a Basic Badge
In Personnel screen, the fields that must have user inputs to create a basic
working badge for opening doors are Name, Badge Number and Access
Group. The other fields will be filled up with default values by the system
when the ‘New’ button is clicked.
Follow the steps below to create a basic working badge:
Note: Before entering the information in Personnel screen, you must have
badges for which information will be entered in the screen.
• Open Personnel screen by clicking on Personnel button or
Access ->Personnel menu options in CardAccess main screen. The
screen will open in General tab by default.
• Click on New button in Personnel screen tool bar.
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• In Badge Number field, enter the badge number of the given badge.
Note: The maximum number of digits that badge numbers can have is fixed
in the System Settings screen. In System Settings screen, the badge numbers
are allowed a maximum of 5, 7, 9 or 19 digits.
• Enter the First, Last and the Middle names of the personnel in the
respective fields. A maximum of 25 characters are allowed in each
of these fields.
• Click the down arrow of Access Group 1 and/or Access Group 2
controls, and select an access group.
Note: In case the drop down lists do not show any access group, they need to
be created using the Access Groups screen. Refer the section Access Groups
for more information.
• Click on Save button in the tool bar to save the settings.
Fig. 32.47. A basic working badge record.
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Once the badge record is saved, the badge created will be automatically
downloaded to the panels that have readers in the assigned access group.
General Tab Hyperlinked Controls
The ‘General’ tab of Personnel screen has several hyperlinked controls that
can take you to other screens or functions. If the cursor is placed over a
hyperlinked control, the mouse cursor will change from an arrow to a hand
with a pointing finger. This change of cursor is an indication that you can
left or right click on the control to start a special associated function or open
a related window.
The General tab hyperlinked controls are explained below.
Note for all hyperlinked controls: The hyperlinked controls are case
insensitive. The ‘search string’ entered in these controls can be either in
upper or in lower case.
Badge Number Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed on the label ‘Badge Number’, the cursor will
change from an arrow to a hand with a pointing finger. Left-clicking on the
label will change the ‘Badge Number’ field color from white to blue color.
When a badge number is typed into the blue colored field, and the Enter key
is pressed, the system will search for and display all records that contain the
specified Badge Number.
Click Here
Type Search String
Fig.32.48. The ‘Badge Number’ Field In Search Mode.
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First Name Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed on the label ‘First Name’, the cursor will
change from an arrow to a hand with a pointing finger. Left-clicking on
the label will change the ‘First Name’ field color from white to blue.
When a First Name is typed into the blue colored field, and the Enter key
is pressed, the system will search for and display all records that contain
the specified First Name.
Click Here
Type Search String
Fig. 32.49. The ‘First Name’ Field in Search Mode.
Last Name Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed on the label ‘Last Name’, the cursor will
the label will change the ‘Last Name’ field color from white to blue.
When a Last Name is typed into the blue colored field, and the Enter key
is pressed, the system will search for and display all records that contain
the specified Last Name.
Click Here
Type Search String
Fig. 32.50. The ‘Last Name’ Field in Search Mode.
Note: In the First and Last Name fields, you have the option of typing in the
first character only or the first several characters of the name. In that case,
the system will pull up all records that have the partial string, as the first part
of the name.
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Activation Date Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed on the label ‘Activation Date’, the cursor will
label will change the ‘Activation Date’ field color from white to blue. When
an Activation Date is typed into the blue colored field, and the Enter key is
pressed, the system will search for and display all records that contain the
specified Activation Date.
Note: The date entered must be in the form MM/DD/YYYY or MM/DD/YY
(slashes are mandatory).
Click Here
Type Search String
Fig.32.51. The ‘Activation Date’ Field in Search Mode.
Expiration Date Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed on the label ‘Expiration Date’, the cursor will
label will change the ‘Expiration Date’ field color from white to blue. When
an Expiration Date is typed into the blue colored field, and the Enter key is
pressed, the system will search for and display all records that contain the
specified Expiration Date.
Click Here
Type Search String
Fig. 32.52. The ‘Expiration Date’ Field in Search Mode.
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Access Group 1 & 2 Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed in the white space of either Access Group 1
or Access Group 2 fields, the cursor will change from an arrow to a hand
with a pointing finger. Right-clicking in the white space of any of these
two fields will display the Show Access List button as below.
Fig. 32.53. The ‘Show Access List’ button displayed by
right-clicking in the white space of Access Group 1 or 2 fields.
A left-click on ‘Show Access List’ button will open the Show Usage
window as shown in figure 32.39 below. This window gives a listing of
readers from both access groups that the highlighted cardholder has access
to.
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Fig. 32.54. Show usage window listing the readers that the badge holder
Smith, John has access to.
Access Group 1 Expiration Date Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed in the white space of Access Group 1
Expiration Date field, the cursor will change from an arrow to a hand with a
pointing finger. Left-clicking on the label Expiration date will change the
Expiration Date field color from white to blue. When an Expiration Date is
typed into the blue colored field, and the Enter key is pressed, the system
will search for and display all records that contain the specified Expiration
Date.
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Click Here
Type Search String
Fig. 32.55. The Access Group 1 ‘Expiration Date’ Field in search mode.
Access Group 2 Expiration date Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed in the white space of Access Group 2
Expiration Date field, the cursor will change from an arrow to a hand with a
pointing finger. Left-clicking on the label Expiration date will change the
Expiration Date field color from white to blue. When an Expiration Date is
typed into the blue colored field, and the Enter key is pressed, the system
will search for and display all records that contain the specified Expiration
Date.
Click Here
Type Search String
Fig. 32.56. The Access Group 2 ‘Expiration Date’ Field in search mode.
Group Hyperlink
When mouse cursor is placed on the label ‘Group’, the cursor will
the label will change the ‘Group’ field color from white to blue. When a
Group Name is selected from the drop down list, the system will search
for and display all records that contain the specified Group Name.
Click the down arrow and
select a Group name in the
list
Click Here
Fig. 32.57. The ‘Group’ field in search mode.
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Control Tab
Controls for Anti Passback and Alarm Shunt Settings for individual badge
holders are available in the Control tab.
A click on Control tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 33.1. Personnel screen ‘Control’ tab.
Anti Passback controls are on the left and Alarm Shunt controls are on the
right sides of ‘Control’ tab as shown in the above figure.
Anti Passback (APB)
Anti Passback is a mode of operation that is set at a Reader (see Readers for
more information). The function of Anti Passback is to prevent a card from
being presented to the same Reader twice.
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Controls for Anti Passback settings are provided in two screens- Readers
and Personnel. Settings made in Readers screen apply to the concerned
Reader at the door, as well as to all cardholders accessing the door. Whereas,
settings made in the Personnel screen are applied to each cardholder
individually. Personnel screen settings allow Anti Passback operation to be
modified for a cardholder individually, without affecting the Anti Passback
settings for the other cardholders who access the given Anti Passback
enabled door.
Note: Anti Passback controls in the Personnel screen work in conjunction
with the Anti Passback controls in the Options tab of the Readers screen.
Anti Passback processing parameters must be set in both locations or Anti
Passback will not be enabled.
Personnel APB Controls
APB controls are seen on the left side of Personnel screen ‘Control’ tab as
shown in the figure below.
Fig. 33.2. APB controls for personnel.
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Duration Use
The Duration Use control is used in conjunction with a timer called
‘Duration Use Time’, which is set in Options tab of Readers screen. The
basic operation of Duration Use is to allow the setting of a time period
duration which, successive reads of the same badge will be blocked, until the
timer expires.
Fig. 33.3. Personnel ‘Duration Use’ Control.
Fig. 33.4. Readers screen APB controls.
The ‘Duration Use’ control in a Personnel record has several modes of
operation. Which mode is active, depends on settings in the Readers screen.
The modes are discussed below.
Timed Re-Entry
With no Anti Passback set at the Reader (that is, Reader set to ‘Neutral’ as in
figure 33.6), the Reader allows unlimited badge reads of the same card, by
default. When a Duration Use Time is set in the Readers screen, and the
Duration Use feature is enabled in a card holder’s Personnel record, that card
holder will be blocked from re-entering the same door until the time out
period has expired. Other badge holders who do not have the Duration Use
times set in their records are not blocked from re-entering the door as the
Reader is not in Anti Passback mode. This type of Reader functionality is
more accurately termed as ‘Timed Re-Entry’.
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Fig. 33.5. ‘Duration Use’ box in Personnel screen checked for Timed Re-Entry.
Fig. 33.6. APB Type set to ‘Neutral’ in Readers screen Options tab, for Timed Re-Entry .
Note: The alert message generated for a timed re-entry violation (Badge
Violate Re-Use) is different from an Anti Passback violation.
Timed APB
With Timed APB reader functionality, one or more readers are set up as Anti
Passback readers (where option IN/OUT is selected in APB Type control, as
in figure 33.8). A Duration Use Time is also set on each of those readers.
The Duration Use feature can then be enabled for selected Personnel
records. Those badges that have Duration Use enabled, will be able to reenter an Anti Passback reader after the time out period has expired. Badge
holders who do not have Duration Use set in their badge records will be
denied the option of re-entering any APB enabled door (they cannot re-enter
until they ‘exit’).
Fig. 33.7. ‘Duration Use’ box in Personnel screen checked for Timed APB.
Fig. 33.8. APB Type set to ‘In’ in Readers screen Options tab, for Timed APB.
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APB Setting
The APB setting is a manual method of presetting the Anti Passback status
for the highlighted cardholder. When a cardholder’s card is presented to an
Anti Passback IN reader, the status of that card holder is said to be ‘IN’.
When a cardholder’s card is presented to an Anti Passback OUT reader, that
cardholder is said to be ‘OUT’ (of the building).
The APB setting controls offer the CardAccess administrator a way to preset
the current APB status of a cardholder. The following options are available:
• In: Sets the card holder status to IN the building
• Out: Sets the card holder status to OUT of the building
• Exempt from APB: Sets the cardholder to be ‘immune’ from Anti
Passback rules. The card acts as though Anti Passback is not enabled at
any APB reader.
• Set IN/OUT on Next Use: Sets the cardholder’s status to IN or OUT
based on which type of APB reader (IN or OUT) the next card read
comes from.
Fig. 33.9. APB Setting controls in Personnel screen.
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Alarm Shunt Control
An ‘Alarm Point’ by definition is (usually) a set of contacts of some type
that are connected by wires to an alarm panel ‘Input’ (ours or someone
else’s). ‘Alarm Shunting’ is a term that refers to the (old technology) act of
bridging a shorting wire across the contacts of an Alarm Point, to prevent
that Alarm Point from triggering an alert, when an access door is opened. In
effect, the system is ‘faked’ into believing that the door is still closed so an
alarm is not sounded.
Shunting is often used with burglar alarm systems so that authorized entries
and exits can be made to and from a building, without the need to disarm the
alarm system. However, the explanation above that detailed using a piece of
wire to short the contacts of an alarm point is highly over simplified. There
is some specialized hardware and software that has been created to perform
these shunting functions.
There are two types of shunting used in modern access control systems such
as the CardAccess. They are- hardware shunting and software shunting.
Hardware shunting uses relays to accomplish ‘hardwire bridging’ across
input points. Software shunting is discussed in detail below.
Every panel made by Continental is shipped with some number of (software
programmable) alarm inputs. Since those inputs are under software control,
the status of those inputs can easily be ignored by the software. Ignoring
input status messages (on purpose) is called ‘software alarm shunting’.
When software shunting is enabled, the software ignores the status messages
of one input or a group of inputs.
By enabling the shunt feature in a cardholder record, that badge holder’s
card is set up as a ‘shunt card’. A shunt card opens doors just like a standard
card, but the shunt card has an additional special feature. Once shunting is
enabled in a cardholder record, that cardholder can enable or disable
shunting at a reader or group of readers.
What we mean when we say ‘enable or disable shunting’ is, when the shunt
card is presented to a reader, the door strike is activated (opening the door
like a normal card), and shunting is activated. When the same card is
presented again to the same reader, shunting is deactivated.
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The most understandable example of an application for alarm shunting
happens when the access control or security system includes Programmable
Infrared Sensors (PIRS). These sensors trigger every time they see ‘moving
heat’ (moving people). That means that when a building is fully occupied
during the day, these sensors will be constantly triggering (false) alarms.
Here is a case where you may not want to disable the entire access control
system (because you want to maintain security at the doors), but you do
want to disable the PIR inputs (or perhaps, other types of inputs that are
located inside the building perimeter). The alarm shunting function was
designed for just such a purpose.
For example, you can set up a manager’s access card as an alarm shunt card.
When the manager arrives in the morning to open the building and presents
his or her card to a door, the door opens as normal, but the PIR inputs are
turned off as well (shunting is turned on). The rest of the access control
system remains operationally unchanged.
Setting Up a Shunt Card
Setting up alarm shunting at a door or group of doors is a two-step process.
• You need to decide which badges will be allowed to turn the shunting
feature on and off and
• You need to decide which inputs or groups of inputs will be shunted, and
by which cards
Note:
o Before you can shunt groups of Inputs, you must create Input Groups
in the Groups screen, available from the Administration menu. See the
manual section on Groups for more information
o You can create a number of different shunt cards - cards that shunt
different groups of inputs, a number of cards that shunt the same
group of inputs, cards that turn on shunting at one door only, some
cards that turn on shunting of an input group from any reader, other
cards that turn on shunting at shunt designated readers only.
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Alarm shunting can be set up to operate in any one of the three modes.
Which mode is active for a particular card is determined by the alarm shunt
control settings on the Control tab of the Personnel record. There are also
some companion settings that must be made in the Readers screen for some
modes as explained below.
Shunt a Group of Inputs from Any Reader
In Personnel screen, if you add a Shunt Group to any card holder record, but
do not enable the ‘Shunt by Designated Reader’ check box, that card will
turn on shunting of the selected Input group from any reader in the system.
Be sure that the ‘Alarm Shunt Reader’ check box remains unchecked in the
Readers screen.
Fig. 33.10. Personnel screen settings to shunt a group of Inputs from any Reader.
Shunt a Group of Inputs from Shunt Designated Readers
In Personnel screen, if you add a Shunt Group to any card holder record, and
you enable the ‘Shunt by Designated Reader’ check box (refer figure 33.11),
that card will turn on shunting from shunt designated readers only. The
‘Alarm Shunt Reader’ box in Readers screen must be checked to designate a
reader as a shunt reader (refer figure 33.12).
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Fig. 33.11. Personnel screen settings for shunting by designated reader.
Fig. 33.12. ‘Alarm Shunt Reader’ box checked in Readers screen to enable shunting by
designated Reader (here, Front Door Reader).
Shunt One Door
In Personnel screen, if you enable ‘Shunt by Designated Reader’ but do not
add a shunt group (figure 33.13), that card will shunt the door contact of
whichever door the card is presented to. All door contact messages will be
suppressed at that door as long as the door remains open. This means that if
the door were left open after the entry, the ‘Door Open Too Long’ event
message would not be broadcast. Input shunting for that door is disabled
when the door contact closes.
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Fig. 33.13. Personnel screen settings to shunt one door only (any door).
Shunt Event Messages
When you activate or deactivate shunting using a badge at a reader, there are
event messages sent from the panel to the CardAccess software (seen below
in Figure 33.14). Note that the name of the badge holder who activated
shunting is shown as well as the shunt group that was activated and the door
where the badge read occurred.
Fig. 33.14. Shunt Event Messages in CardAccess.
Manually Activate/Deactivate Shunting
There is a way to turn the shunt feature on and off manually (in addition to
turning the feature on and off using an access control badge). To manually
activate or deactivate shunting, follow the steps below:
• Open the Personnel Screen.
• Click on the Control Tab.
• Click on the Personnel record that has shunting enabled.
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Note: Only badge records that have a shunt group selected have the ability to
activate shunting manually. If a shunt group is not selected in a given badge
record, manual shunting is not available.
• Click on the Words “Current State”.
Click Here
Fig. 33.15. Manual Shunt Control.
Upon clicking the following message box will appear.
Fig. 33.16. Shunt warning dialog.
• Click the Yes button in the warning dialog.
Change in alarm shunt status can be seen by closing and re-opening the
Personnel screen, and highlighting the Personnel record whose shunt status
you attempted to change. The status would have changed from ‘Inactive’ to
‘Shunting’ or vice versa.
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Personal Tab
The Personal tab provides a number of fields for entering personal notes
about a cardholder. These fields are primarily notation fields. Although the
fields are not active like those on the General tab, they are still available to
reports and to the Badge Editor software.
A click on the Personal tab will display the screen below.
Fig. 34.1. Personnel screen in Personal tab.
The Personal tab fields in figure 34.1 are explained below.
Soc. Sec #
This field is meant for entering the Social Security Number of the badge
holder. The field accepts nine numeric digits only.
Company ID, Department, and Location
These fields are meant for entering the Company Name, Department and
Location in which the badge holder works. Each of these fields accepts
sixteen alphanumeric characters. These three fields are also special because
as you enter names in these fields, they create a list of names already
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entered. After the list has been started, you can then choose a name from the
drop down list instead of typing in a name.
Supervisor
This field is meant for entering the name of the badge holder’s Supervisor.
The field accepts nineteen alphanumeric characters. This field is also
creates a list of names as you enter them, like the above mentioned fields.
Hire Date
This field allows you to enter the date of hiring the personnel. The date can
be entered in the following two ways:
o Typing a date of choice in the Hire Date field. The date entered
o By using the calendar to choose a desired date. This can be
done by following the steps below:
Click the calendar button (numbered as 15) found on the
right side of ‘Hire Date’ control. Upon clicking, a
calendar window of the current month and year will be
opened, with the current date in highlight.
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a year, to aid in desired date selection.
Click on a desired date in the calendar.
Hire Date is a non-active field. The date in this field is not connected to
any program logic.
Date of Birth
This field is for entering the badge holder’s Date of Birth. The date can
be entered in the following two ways:
o Typing a date of choice in the Date of Birth field. The date
entered must be in MM/DD/YYYY or MM/DD/YY date
format.
o By using the calendar to choose a desired date. This can be
done by following the steps below:
Click the calendar button (numbered as 15) found on the
right side of ‘Date of Birth’ control. Upon clicking, a
calendar window of the current month and year will be
opened with the current date in highlight.
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a year, to aid in desired date selection.
Click on a desired date in the calendar.
Gender
This field is for specifying the Gender of the badge holder. The default
selection for this field will be ‘Unspecified’. The Badge Holder’s Gender
can be specified by clicking the down arrow of the ‘Gender’ control and
choosing a gender in the drop down list.
Phone, Ext
These fields are provided for entering the badge holder’s contact phone
numbers and their extensions. The fields accept ten and eleven alphanumeric
characters respectively.
Vehicle/Make
This field is provided for entering a description of the badge holder’s
automobile. The field accepts a maximum of seventeen alphanumeric
characters.
License Plate
This field is provided for entering the License Plate number of badge
holder’s automobile. The field accepts a maximum of eleven alphanumeric
characters.
Remarks
The remarks field is provided for entering remarks/comments on the badge
holder. The field accepts a maximum of two hundred and fifty five characters.
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Middle Name
This field is for specifying the middle name of the badge holder. The field
accepts a maximum of 30 alphanumeric characters.
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Custom Fields Tab
The Custom Fields tab will be seen in Personnel screen only if Custom
Fields has been created in the System Settings screen. This tab will have the
same name as the ‘Page Title’ entered in System Settings Custom tab. For
creating Custom fields, refer the heading Custom Tab under the section
CardAccess 3000 System Settings.
The Custom Fields tab is used in case where the user needs more notation
type fields than are provided in the Personal tab. Custom fields can be titled
according to the user’s choice.
Fig. 35. Personnel screen in Custom Fields tab (titled Medical Data) showing ‘Blood
Type’ field that was created in System Settings Custom tab.
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Photo Tab
The Video Badging software is shipped as a part of the CardAccess software
package. But, the Video Badging software is disabled by default. The
‘Photo’ tab in Personnel screen will be visible only if Video Badging is
enabled in the System Settings screen. For enabling Video Badging, refer the
heading Video Badging Tab in the section titled CardAccess 3000 System
Settings.
Note: The CardAccess software is shipped along with the Video Badging
package included. However, parts of the Video Badging package will not
operate unless you have purchased and installed a hardware security key.
This key attaches to the parallel printer port. Without the key, Image
Capture, Badge Design Preview and Badge Printing are disabled.
The Photo tab has two working modes depending on the option (either
Photos Only or Goddard) selected in the System Settings screen. Also, the
number of buttons that will be visible in the Photo tab are dependant on
which of the two options is selected in System Settings screen. The tab will
have less number of buttons in ‘Photos Only’ mode. The two working
modes are detailed below.
Working Modes of Photo Tab
The Photo tab in Personnel screen can have two working modes- Photos
Only or Goddard depending the options selected in System Settings screen.
Photos Only Mode
When Photos Only option is selected in System Settings screen, the
Photo tab in Personnel screen will be displayed as below.
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Fig. 36.1. Photo tab when ‘Photos Only’ option is selected in System Settings screen.
As shown in the above figure, Photo tab provides only three buttons in the
‘Photos Only’ mode- Import, Clear Photo, and Export.
Thus, in this mode it is only possible to import the existing images that were
created using another manufacturer’s software package. It is not possible to
do the following functions in this mode:
o Creating a badge design.
o Printing or previewing a badge design.
o Capturing an image.
o Capturing a signature.
Note:
o The buttons in figure 36.1 are grayed out. They can be enabled by
clicking on Edit button in the toolbar.
The button controls of Photo tab in ‘Photos Only’ mode are explained in the
following section.
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Photo Tab Controls in ‘Photos Only’ Mode
The controls seen in Photo tab while ‘Photos Only’ mode is enabled are
explained below.
Import Button
Clicking on Import button will bring up the ‘Import a Photo Image’ dialog
that allows searching of the hard drive or network drives for importing a
bitmap. The window supports .bmp, .jpg, .wmf and .gif type image files.
Fig. 36.2. ‘Import A Photo Image’ Window
Export Button
Clicking on Export button will bring up the ‘Export Photo to File’ dialog
that allows exporting of the badge holder’s image to a bitmap type file. A
destination folder and a filename must be selected in the dialog.
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Fig. 36.3. The ‘Export Photo to File’ dialog.
Clear Photo Button
Clicking on the ‘Clear Photo’ button clears the badge holder’s photo from
the current record. The system displays a warning message before deleting
the image.
Fig. 36.4. ‘Clear Photo’ warning dialog.
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Goddard Mode
When Goddard option is selected in System Settings screen, the Photo tab in
Personnel screen will be displayed as below.
Fig. 36.5. Photo tab when ‘Goddard’ option is selected in System Settings screen.
In comparison with Photos Only mode (see figure 36.1), Goddard mode (see
above figure) provides more number of button controls.
In Goddard mode, photos can be captured using a camera kit.
Goddard mode allows the following functions in addition to importing and
exporting of bitmaps:
o Capturing an image (with appropriate hardware).
o Capturing a signature (with appropriate hardware).
o Creating badge designs.
o Printing and Previewing badge designs.
Note: The buttons in figure 36.5 are grayed out. They can be enabled by
clicking on Edit button in the toolbar.
The button controls of Photo tab in ‘Goddard Only’ mode are explained in
the following section.
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Photo Tab Controls in ‘Goddard’ Mode
The controls seen in Photo tab while ‘Goddard’ mode is enabled are
explained below.
Capture Photo Button
By default, the ‘Capture Photo’ button is grayed out. It can be enabled by
clicking the Edit button in the toolbar. Clicking on ‘Capture Photo’ button
will display the Capture Image window as below, and the software will
attempt to connect to a camera.
Fig. 36.6. The ‘Capture Image’ Window.
Note: The type of camera the software will search for, is set in the Camera
Setup window (see figure 36.12) explained under the heading Camera Setup
Button.
When the image is satisfactory, the ‘Capture button’ is clicked and the image
is transferred to the CardAccess and the badge holder’s record.
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Capture Signature Button
By default, the ‘Capture Signature’ button is grayed out. It can be enabled by
clicking on Edit button in the toolbar. When the ‘Capture Signature’ button
is clicked, the system will search for a signature pad device. If the device is
found, the Capture Signature window will be displayed as below.
Fig. 36.7. The ‘Capture Signature’ Window.
After the signature has been entered on the signature pad, the OK button is
clicked and the image is transferred to the CardAccess and the badge
holder’s record.
Modify Button
In case the quality of the photo that is capture/imported is not satisfactory,
the image can be edited by using the ‘Modify’ button. Clicking on Modify
button will display the Modify Image window that has controls for enhancing
the image.
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Fig. 36.8. The ‘Modify Image’ Window.
Import Button
Clicking on Import button will bring up the ‘Import a Photo Image’ dialog
that allows searching of the hard drive or network drives for importing a
bitmap. The window supports .bmp, .jpg, .wmf and .gif type image files.
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Fig. 36.9. ‘Import A Photo Image’ Window
Clear Photo Button
Clicking on the ‘Clear Photo’ button clears the badge holder’s photo from
the current record. The system displays a warning message before deleting
the image.
Fig. 36.10. ‘Clear Photo’ warning dialog.
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Clear Signature Button
Clicking on the ‘Clear Signature’ button will clear the signature from the
cardholder’s record. The system displays a warning message before clearing
the signature.
Fig. 36.11. Clear Signature warning dialog.
Camera Setup Button
Clicking on the ‘Camera Setup’ button brings up the Camera Setup window
that allows you to select some camera operating parameters.
Fig. 36.12. The ‘Camera Setup’ window.
Each of the camera parameters in figure 36.12 are discussed below.
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Camera Type
The Camera Type control provides four choices. The choices can be
displayed by clicking the down arrow to the right of the control. The choices
are explained below.
o None : When this option is chosen, no camera selected.
o Hitachi w/Flashpoint 128: This option is selected when photos are
to be captured using the Flashpoint 128 video capture card.
o Hitachi w/Flashbus: This option is selected when photos are to be
captured Using the FlashBus MV Pro video capture card.
o TWAIN: This option is selected when photos are to be captured
using digital camera with a serial or USB interface.
Video In
The ‘Video In’ area has two sections- Type and Standard.
Type
Three camera connection types are supported. The SVideo connection type
is supported by the Video Badging software, but the other camera
connection methods can be supported with special order interface cables as
mentioned below:
o Composite: This connection type uses one round BNC type
connector.
o SVideo: This connection type uses a 7 pin round DIN type
connector.
o RGB: This connection type uses five round BNC type connectors.
Standard
Always set to NTSC in the United States. PAL is a European video
standard.
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Image Buffer Size
The badge creation software must be told what the maximum size of a
captured image will be. This setting affects the badge printing software only.
If this setting is set too small, there will be an internal software error and the
image will fail to preview or print properly. Set the Image Buffer Size to the
smallest possible value to save database space. Recommendations follow.
o Hitachi VKC77 Camera: This camera captures images of about
75K in size. Set the image buffer size to 100K maximum, lower if
possible.
o Digital Camera: Most (if not all) digital cameras have a built in
image quality adjustment control. The default value for that control
is usually set to the highest available setting. Reset that setting to
the lowest possible setting that produces an acceptable image that
can be used in the CardAccess. That will reduce the image size that
is output from the camera.
Lower resolution images save database space. The Image Buffer
Size control will not let you set the resolution higher than 2
Megabytes. Digital cameras in high-resolution mode can create
images that exceed 2Megabytes in size, which will fill up the
database quite fast and will fail to preview and print properly as
was explained above.
We have successfully reduced digital camera images to 17K with
fine results. Start with the lowest resolution setting on your camera,
and increase it in small increments if the photo does not display
well in the CardAccess. The average quality digital photo should be
50-100K in size.
When you are done setting camera parameters, click the ‘Save’
button.
Badge Type
The Badge Type control provides options for choosing a badge template.
The choices can be seen by clicking the down arrow to the right of the
control. The template selected will be used as the basis for
previewing/printing the badge.
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Fig. 36.13. The ‘Badge Type’ control.
Preview Button
Clicking on ‘Preview’ button brings up a print preview window that allows
you to see what your badge design will look like before you commit to
printing it.
Fig. 36.14. The ‘Preview’ button.
Print Button
Clicking on ‘Print’ button will print the badge design.
Fig. 36.15. The ‘Print’ button.
Copies Spin Control
Using the ‘Copies’ spin control you can set the number of copies of the
currently highlighted badge you wish to print. Default value of 1 is shown in
this control.
Fig. 36.16. The ‘Copies’ spin control.
Export Button
Clicking on Export button will bring up the ‘Export Photo to File’ dialog
that allows exporting of the badge holder’s image to a bitmap type file. A
destination folder and a filename must be selected in the dialog.
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Fig. 36.17. The ‘Export Photo to File’ dialog.
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Groups
Groups are primarily used by the system to filter the display in CardAccess
GUI and in reports. This display filtration is known as ‘Database
Partitioning’.
Firstly, groups are created in the ‘Groups’ screen. The created groups
then assigned to hardware items, personnel, time schedules and so
Access to these groups can be controlled by setting up a filter in
‘Operator Privileges’ screen. Each Operator Privilege template can
assigned one or more groups (refer the heading ‘Database Partitions’ in
section Operator Privileges).
are
on.
the
be
the
Operators whose privilege templates do not have groups assigned, can
access all of the groups by default. In effect, their display will show all of
the hardware items, personnel, time schedules etc.
Whereas, operators whose privilege templates do have groups assigned, can
access only those specific groups. In effect, the hardware items, personnel,
time schedules etc that do not belong to the operators’ groups are filtered out
of display. This display filtration is known as ‘Database Partitioning’.
Groups are used as a vehicle to accomplish Database Partitioning.
Groups are also used to filter reports. The user can run reports filtered by a
group.
Accessing Groups Screen
• Click on Administration menu in CardAccess menu bar to display
the menu options.
• Click on Groups menu option.
Upon clicking, Groups screen will be displayed in Personnel tab as below.
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Fig. 40.1. The Groups screen.
Figure 40.1 shows that, the lower half of Groups screen provides nine folder
tabs (Personnel, Panels, Readers etc) for nine categories of groups (the
complete name of the last tab –‘DVR Cameras’ can be seen by clicking the
right arrow next to ‘DVR’. Once you click the right arrow, the Personnel tab
becomes invisible. Clicking on the left arrow will make it visible again).
Creating a Group
Follow the steps below to create a group.
• Open Groups screen by clicking Administration->Groups in
CardAccess main screen. By default, ‘Groups’ screen will be
displayed in Personnel tab.
• Click on the folder tab (Personnel, Panels, Readers etc) for which you
wish to create a group.
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• In the Group Name field at the bottom of the screen, enter a
descriptive name for the group being created.
• In case you like the group records to be listed alphabetically (in the
upper half of the screen), check the List Alphabetically check box.
Note: The value of ‘List Alphabetically’ check box (that is,
checked/unchecked) applies to every folder tabs in Groups screen.
• Click the Save button to save the group settings.
• Click the Cancel button at any time to cancel without saving.
• Click the Close button to close the screen.
Similarly groups of other categories (such as Panels, Readers etc) can be
created by going into the appropriate folder tabs provided in the screen.
Note: An unlimited number of groups can be created in each category.
Editing a Group
CardAccess main screen. By default, Groups’ screen will be displayed
in Personnel tab.
• Click on the folder tab (Personnel, Panels, Readers etc) of the group
you wish to edit.
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the group record to be edited.
• Make the necessary changes.
• Click on Save button to save the changes.
• Click the Cancel button at any time to cancel without saving.
• Click Close button to close the screen.
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Deleting a Group
CardAccess main screen. By default, ‘Groups’ screen will be displayed
in Personnel tab.
• Click on the folder tab (Personnel, Panels, Readers etc) of the group
you wish to delete.
• In the upper half of the screen, click on the group record to be
deleted.
Fig. 40.2. Message box displayed before deleting the group.
• After confirmation, click on Yes button in the message box.
• Click the Close button to close the screen.
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‘Groups’ Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 40.3. The ‘Groups’ screen navigation bar.
The Groups screen navigation bar can be found just above the ‘List
Alphabetically’ check box. The arrows of Groups screen navigation bar can
be used for viewing older/newer/bookmarked records in Groups screen. In
figure 40.3, we have numbered the arrow buttons of the bar to provide
simpler explanation. The functions of the arrow buttons are as follows:
highlight the very first group record in the screen.
containing the highlighted group record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted group
record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted group
record.
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containing the highlighted group record.
highlight the last record of Groups screen.
highlighted group record.
previously bookmarked group record.
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Operators
Logging in to CardAccess software requires a user name and password.
Login names in CardAccess are called as ‘Operators’. The Operators screen
is used for creating the Operator login identities.
Operators screen is closely associated with ‘Operator Privileges’ screen that
is used for creating operator access permission ‘templates’. Each operator
must be assigned an access template that will determine his permission level
to the various menus, fields and controls in CardAccess software. For more
information on Operator Privileges, refer the section Operator Privileges.
Accessing Operators Screen
• Click on Administration menu in CardAccess menu bar.
• Click on Operators menu item in the list.
The Operators screen will be displayed as below.
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Fig. 47.1. The ‘Operators’ screen.
By default, the screen will open in General tab showing the details of the
operator ‘Admin’, which is the name used to login in to CardAccess
software the first time.
The folder tabs of the screen and their controls are explained in the
following section.
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Operators Screen Folder Tabs
The Operators screen has three folder tabs that consist of several controls.
Each of the tabs is explained in detail below.
General Tab
The General tab has controls that are used to set up the log in parameters of
a given operator. The controls and their functionality are explained below.
Fig. 47.2. Default settings seen in General tab when Operators screen in opened.
Name
The ‘Name’ field is meant for entering the full name of the operator who
will be logging in to CardAccess software.
Fig. 47.3. The ‘Name’ field.
This field allows a maximum of 32 characters.
Note: The name you enter in this field must be the operator’s actual name.
This name will not be used as the CardAccess ‘login name’.
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Screen Name
The ‘Screen Name’ field is meant for entering the operator’s ‘login
name’. The operator will be entering this name in the ‘User Name’ field
of CardAccess login screen, while logging in to the software.
Fig. 47.4. The ‘Screen Name’ field.
This field allows a maximum of 12 characters. Any typed character is
allowed.
The login name will be displayed in the status bar of the CardAccess
main screen, and in all status screens that show the logged in operator
name.
Note: In all status screens, the ‘Screen Name’ will be used to refer to the
operator instead of the operator’s actual name.
New Password
The New Password field is meant for entering the operator’s login password.
The operator will be entering this name into the ‘Password’ field of
CardAccess login screen, while logging in to the software. This field does
not limit the number of characters. But it is suggested that you limit the
password to a manageable length (say 10 characters) that can be easily
remembered. It is further suggested that you avoid common, easy to deduce
passwords. The best passwords consist of letters, numbers and symbols that
do not spell any known words. Characters typed into this field are masked
from view by means of asterisks.
Fig. 47.5. The ‘New Password’ field.
Note that once you save the operator record, the password cannot be
changed from inside the Operators screen. This is a safeguard measure to
prevent anyone with access to the Operators screen from changing the
password and logging in under another operator's sign in.
Changing Operator Password
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There are two ways to change a password after it has been saved. They are
as explained below.
Changing Password from Inside Operators Screen
Password can be set only once from inside the Operators screen. If it has to
be changed, the only way it can be done is by deleting the operator record
and recreating it, entering a different password. Note that you must be
logged in as an authorized operator with the correct permissions to delete an
operator record. Further, an audit trail record will be logged with details of
which operator deleted the original record, and who created the new one.
Changing Password from Outside Operators Screen
An operator’s password can be changed outside the Operator’s screen by
making use of Card Access Log In screen. To do this, you must know the
correct password of the operator whose password needs to be changed. On
entering the password, the ‘Change Password’ button will be seen as shown
in the figure below.
Fig. 47.6. ‘Change Password’ button displayed after password entry.
A click on ‘Change Password’ button will offer the ‘Change Password’
window, where you can enter a new password for the selected operator.
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Fig. 47.7. The ‘Change Password’ window for changing an operator password.
Confirm
For verification purpose, the Operators screen requires you to type in the
operator password twice. Thus, in the ‘Confirm’ field, you must re-enter the
same password that you typed earlier in the ‘Password’ field.
Fig. 47.8. The ‘Confirm’ field.
This makes sure that you made no mistake while typing the operator’s
password.
Operator #
The Operator Number is assigned automatically by the system. But it can be
changed if you desire to have breaks in the operator number sequence.
Fig. 47.9. The ‘Operator #’ spin control.
The Operator Number merely refers to the location of the operator record in
the Operators screen listing.
The number can be changed by
• Typing a desired number in the ‘Operator #’ spin control or
• Using up/down arrow of the spin control to choose a desired number.
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Alert Ack Time
The Alert Ack Time is a timer that determines how long the CardAccess
alerts will remain in ‘Alerts’ Grid, for a particular operator.
Note: The word ‘Ack’ can be understood as an abbreviation for the word
‘Acknowledge’.
Operators can have the same ack time or different ack times.
By default, the Alert Ack Time is 5 seconds for a new operator record. But it
can be changed to any value in the range 1 to 9999 seconds. If you attempt
to enter a number less than 1 second, the timer will default to 1 second.
Fig. 47.10. The ‘Alert Ack Time’ spin control.
The time value can be changed by
• Typing a desired number in the ‘Alert Ack Time’ spin control or
An operator’s alert ack timer is started whenever an alert appears in the
Alerts Grid. When the timer for that alert expires, the alert will automatically
be moved from the Alerts Grid to the Events Grid.
Alerts that are acknowledged using the operator's Alert Ack Time will be
time & date stamped along with the currently logged in operator's screen
name.
Auto-Logoff Time
The Auto-Logoff Time is an ‘inactivity timer’. The setting in this field
determines how many minutes the CardAccess will allow the main
monitoring screen to remain open, before closing the main screen down and
reverting back to the log in screen.
This timer is started when the user activities such as mouse clicks and
keyboard entries cease in CardAccess GUI. When the timer expires, the
Operator is automatically logged out of CardAccess and a new operator
login is required to regain access to CardAccess menus.
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This timer prevents unwanted tampering in the case where the logged in
operator has walked away from the CardAccess equipped PC. Each operator
can have their own unique timer setting, or all operators can be set to the
same value.
The selectable time range is from 1 to 99999 minutes (or 69.44 days). If set
to 0, the Operator will be auto logged out in 10 minutes by default.
Fig. 47.11. The ‘Auto-Logoff Time’ spin control.
The time value can be changed by
• Typing a desired number in the ‘Auto-Logoff Time’ spin control or
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Event Viewing Tab
The Event Viewing tab determines how many events will be retained in the
CardAccess Events Grid, for the current operator. Each operator is permitted
to have a different setting for viewing events.
The smallest number of viewable events possible is 10. The largest number
of viewable events is 250. The default setting is 10.
The number of viewable events can be changed by
• Typing a desired number in the Number of Events to Retain in View
spin control or
• Use up/down arrow of the spin control to choose a desired number.
Note: The value set in the ‘Number of Events to Retain in View’ field will
take effect only when the concerned operator logs out and logs back in to
CardAccess again.
Further, the value set in the 'Number of Events to Retain in View' field, will
determine the number of events in the 'recent events view'. The recent events
view is obtained by clicking the 'Recent' button on the top right side of the
CardAccess main toolbar.
As an example, let the Number of Events to Retain in View field be set to
100 as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 47.12. The ‘Event Viewing’ tab.
On logging out and logging back in, the CardAccess events window will
display the most recent one hundred events only. All other events in the
database will be filtered out. Suppose the control is set to ten, the most
recent ten events will be displayed. Thus, the display is constantly filtered to
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remove the view of all but the ‘n’ most recent events, where n equals the
number you set in the ‘Number of Events to Retain in View’ control.
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Privileges Tab
The Privileges tab is used to set the screen permissions that will be allowed
for the selected operator. The controls in Privileges tab are explained below.
Screen Privileges
The Screen Privileges control provides options for selecting an ‘operator
privilege type’, for the selected operator. An operator ‘privilege type’
restricts the operator’s access to CardAccess menus and fields. The privilege
types are created in the ‘Operator Privileges’ screen. Refer the section
Operator Privileges for more details.
'System Administrator’ is the default Privileges type selected for an
operator. This Privilege type allows the operator to have access to all
CardAccess menus and functions.
Fig. 47.13. The ‘Screen Privileges’ control showing the default privilege type of an
operator.
To select a different privilege type, click the arrow to the right of the ‘Screen
Privileges’ control, scroll up or down to locate the desired privilege type and
click on it.
Device Control Privileges
The Device Control Privileges area provides a group of checkboxes that
apply to the manual control of Doors, Relays and Links.
Fig. 47.14. Operators ‘Device Control Privileges’ check boxes.
These check boxes work in conjunction with the ‘Manual Control Privilege’
controls in the Readers, Relays and Links screens.
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Fig. 47.15. Readers, Relays, Links ‘Manual Control Privilege’ control.
Together, these controls set up a filter that is applied on a per Operator basis.
This filter is designed to hide selected doors, relays or links from view in the
manual control screens, to prevent selected operators from having the ability
to manually activate those devices.
By default, manual control filtering is disabled. That means that when you
open any manual control window (by clicking the Doors, Relays or Links
button on the Main toolbar), you will see a listing of all doors, relays or
links. That gives any logged in operator the access to manually activate any
of those devices.
If you wish to implement Device Control Privileges, you will also need to
visit every Reader, Relay and Link configuration record and apply a setting
to the 'Manual Control Privilege' field found in each of those screens. If no
value is assigned in the Manual Control Privilege field of a given hardware
device, that device is visible to all operators who wish to manually control it.
In theory, assigning privilege levels works very much like the CardAccess
‘Groups’ function. All hardware devices (readers, relays, links) that have
been assigned a Priv level of 1 belong to a group, those that have a Priv
Level of 2 belong to another group, etc. However, in this case the group that
each of those devices belongs to, is used for the purpose of manual control
permissions. The results of the filter are seen only when you open a manual
control screen.
When you look at the options available for ‘Manual Control Privilege’
control for readers, relays and links, you will find an option called ‘All’ (in
addition to Priv 1-8) as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 47.16. Manual Control Privilege options.
When set to ‘All’, it means that the device in question can be manually
activated by an operator with any privilege level, and also if there is no
privilege level set. Alternatively, when a hardware device has a Manual
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Control Privilege setting of Priv 1-8, that device can only be manually
controlled by an operator having that specific privilege setting enabled in his
or her operator profile. That device becomes ‘invisible’ to any operator that
does not have the privilege enabled.
Note: The ‘Device Control Privilege’ setting for an operator will take effect
only when the operator logs out and logs back in to CardAccess again.
In the Operators screen, on the Privileges tab, you can check off which
privilege groups you want the operator to see in his or her manual control
list. The check boxes are ‘additive’. That is, each additional check box that
you select, adds one more privilege group to that operator. The hardware
items from each checked privilege group will appear in every manual control
screen that the operator opens.
Suppose an operator is assigned only one permission level say Priv 4, that
operator would be allowed to see only those devices having ‘Priv 4’ or ‘All’
set in the Manual Control Privilege field of each manual control screen .
Note: The ‘Device Control Privilege’ setting for an operator will take effect
only when the operator logs out and logs back in to CardAccess again.
For example, consider Smart Relay 1 set to Priv 4 as shown in the figure
below.
Fig. 47.17. Smart Relay 1 set to Manual Control Privilege 4.
This relay can be manually controlled by only those operators who have
‘Device Control Priv 4’ enabled in their respective profiles.
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Fig. 47.18. ‘Device Control Priv 4’ enabled for an operator.
If you want an operator to have access to multiple privilege levels, you must
check off multiple check boxes for enabling the various privilege levels.
Fig. 47.19. Checking multiple checkboxes.
In above figure, an operator with these settings will be able to manually
activate those hardware devices that have Priv levels of 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 or ‘All’
set in ‘Manual Control Privilege’ field of hardware screens. Devices with
Priv levels of 2, 5, or 6 will be hidden from the view of this operator. The
manual control screen will open with devices 2, 5, and 6 filtered out of the
list.
Note: When the hardware screen has the ‘Manual Control Privilege’ field
set to ‘All’, checking all of the Priv check boxes in an operator profile will
work identical to checking none of the Priv check boxes. In both the cases,
the operator will have access to all devices in the manual control screen.
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Creating an Operator Definition
Follow the steps below to create an operator record.
1. Open Operators screen by clicking on Administration->Operators
menu options in CardAccess main screen. The screen will open in
General tab by default.
Fig. 47.20. Operators screen in General tab.
3. The General Tab controls must be configured as explained below.
o In the Name field, enter the full name of the operator. A
maximum of 32 characters can be entered.
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Fig. 47.21. The ‘Name’ field showing an operator’s full name.
o In the Screen Name field, enter the login name that the
operator will be using to log in to CardAccess. A maximum of
12 characters are allowed.
Fig. 47.22. The ‘Screen Name’ field showing an operator’s login name.
o In the Password field, enter the password that the operator will
be using to log in to CardAccess. It is suggested that you limit
the password to a manageable length (say consisting of 10
characters) that will be easily remembered. The characters
typed into this field are masked from view by means of
asterisks. In the Confirm field, re-enter the same password
again.
Fig. 47.23. Password of an operator shown as asterisks.
Note: The Password can be set only once from inside the Operators screen.
Once set, you must delete and re-create the operator record if you wish to
change a password from inside the Operators screen. However, you can
change the password during log in. For more information, refer the heading
Changing Operator Password explained under General Tab.
o The Operator # field will show the number assigned to the
operator, automatically by the system. This number will be
incremented for every ‘new’ operator record.
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Fig. 47.24. System assigned operator number.
The default number assigned by the system can be changed if breaks are
desired in the operator number sequence.
The number can be changed by
Typing a desired number in Operator # spin control or
Using the up/down arrow of the spin control to choose a desired
number.
o The Alert Ack Time field will show the default value 5
assigned automatically by the system.
Fig. 47.25. Default ‘Alert Ack Time’ value assigned by the system.
The Alert Ack Time is a timer that determines how long an alert will remain
in the ‘Alerts’ Grid before it is automatically acknowledged and sent to
‘Events’ grid.
The default time indicated can be changed to any number in the range 19999 seconds. Operators can have the same ack time or different ack times.
The default time value can be changed by
Typing a desired number in the Alert Ack Time spin control or
Use up/down arrow of the spin control to choose a desired
number.
The operator’s alert ack timer is started whenever an alert appears in the
Alerts Grid. When the timer for that alert expires, the alert will automatically
be moved from the Alerts Grid to the Events Grid.
o The Auto-Logoff Time field will show the default value 5
automatically assigned by the system.
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Fig. 47.26. Default ‘Auto-Logoff Time’ value assigned by the system.
The Auto-Logoff Time is an ‘inactivity timer’. The setting in this field
determines how many minutes the CardAccess will allow the main
monitoring screen to remain open before closing the main screen down, and
reverting back to the log in screen. The operator will require a new login to
regain access to the CardAccess main screen.
The default time indicated can be changed to any number in the range 199999 minutes.
The default time value can be changed by
Typing a desired number in the Auto-Logoff Time spin control
or
Use up/down arrow of the spin control to choose a desired
number.
4. Click on Event Viewing tab. Observe that the ‘Number of Events to
Retain in View’ control will show the default value 10.
Fig. 47.27. Default ‘Number of Events to Retain in View’ as decided by the system.
The value in this control determines how many events will be retained in the
CardAccess ‘Events’ Grid, for the current operator.
The smallest number of viewable events possible is 10. The largest number
of viewable events is 250.
The default value can be changed by
Typing a desired number in the ‘Number of Events to Retain in
View’ spin control or
Using up/down arrow of the spin control to choose a desired
number.
5. Click on Privileges tab and configure the controls in the tab as
explained below.
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o The Screen Privileges control shows the default selection of ‘System
Administrator’ privilege type.
Fig. 47.28. Default privilege type selected for an operator.
An operator privilege type restricts the operator’s access to CardAccess
menus and fields. The privilege types are created in the ‘Operator Privileges’
screen. Refer the section Operator Privileges for more details.
The ‘System Administrator’ privilege type allows access to all CardAccess
menus and functions.
To select a different privilege type, click the arrow to the right of ‘Screen
Privileges’ control, scroll up or down to locate the desired privilege type,
and click on it.
o In the Device Control Privileges area, select the desired check boxes
to bestow device control privileges for the current operator.
Fig. 47.29. Check boxes to control ‘Device Control Privileges’ of the operator.
These check boxes work in conjunction with the ‘Manual Control Privilege’
controls in the Readers, Relays and Links screens.
Fig. 47.30. Readers, Relays, Links ‘Manual Control Privilege’ control.
Using these control, you can set up a filter (if desired) to hide selected doors,
relays or links from the operator‘s view in manual control screens (available
by clicking Doors, Relays, Links buttons in CA main toolbar). This will
prevent the operator from having the ability to manually activate those
devices in manual control screens.
Operator ‘Device Control Privileges’ operate under the following rules.
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If no Device Control Privileges are assigned in the Operator record
(which is the default setting), privilege level settings are ignored and
the operator will have access to all devices listed in any of the manual
control screens (doors, relays or links), provided that the ‘Manual
Control Privilege’ field in the hardware screens is set to ‘All’.
If you assign only one permission level ( say Priv 4) to the operator,
the operator would be allowed to see only those devices with ‘Priv 4’
or ‘All’ selected in the ‘Manual Control Privilege’ field of each
manual control screen.
Note: The ‘Device Control Privilege’ settings for the operator will take
effect only when the operator logs out and logs back in to CardAccess again.
Manual control filter will work only when ‘Manual Control Privileges’ are
assigned to the hardware devices. This is explained below.
Applying Manual Control Privileges to Hardware Devices
Readers, Relays and Links can be grouped into nine privilege levels namely
‘Priv 1-8’ or ‘All’. In theory, assigning privilege levels works very much
like the CardAccess ‘Groups’ function. All hardware devices (readers,
relays, links) that have been assigned a Priv level of 1 belong to a group,
those that have a Priv Level of 2 belong to another group, etc. However, in
this case the group that each of those devices belongs to, is used for the
purpose of manual control permissions. The results of the filter are seen only
when you open a manual control screen.
Manual Control access is provided to an operator under the following rules.
If you assign the selection ‘Manual Control Privilege = All’ to any
hardware device, that hardware device can be manually activated by
the operator, regardless of his privilege level setting in Operators
screen Privileges tab.
If you set any privilege 1-8 on a given hardware device, that device
becomes hidden from the operator in case he does not have that
specific numbered privilege assigned in his Operator screen profile.
Follow the steps below to assign a manual control privilege to a hardware
device.
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• Open the Readers, Relays or Links screen, available from the
Configuration menu in CA main screen. All the screen open in
General tab by default.
Fig. 47.31. Readers, Relays and Links menu options in Configuration menu.
If you have opened the Relays and Links screens, you can locate the
Manual Control Privilege control at the bottom of the screen (in General
tab).
Fig. 47.32. ‘Manual Control privilege’ control in Relays screen General tab.
If you have opened the Readers screen, you will need to click on Priorities
tab to locate the Manual Control Privilege control at the bottom right
corner of the screen.
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Fig. 47.33. ‘Manual Control privilege’ control in Readers screen Priorities tab.
• Click on Edit button in the Readers/Relays/Links screen toolbar.
• Click the down arrow of ‘Manual Control Privilege’ control to view
the privilege options available.
Fig. 47.34. Manual Control Privilege options.
Note: Before assigning any of the Manual Control Privileges to the hardware
devices, it is necessary to decide which of the hardware devices the operator
will be allowed access in the system.
• Click on a desired ‘Manual Control Privilege’ option in the list.
• Repeat the above steps for every hardware device that you wish to
filter out of the manual control default list.
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• Close the Reader/Relays/Links screen by clicking on Close button in
the toolbar.
6. Once the controls in all the tabs (General, Event Viewing and Privileges)
are configured for the operator, click on Save button in Operators screen
toolbar, to save the operator record.
Note: The settings for the new operator will take effect when the operator
logs in to any workstation.
7. Click on Close button in the toolbar to close the Operators screen.
Editing an Operator Definition
• Open Operators screen by clicking on Administration->Operators
menu options in CardAccess main screen. By default, the screen will
open in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the operator record you wish to
edit and click on it.
• Make the desired changes to the controls in the folder tabs -General,
Event Viewing, and Privileges.
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Deleting an Operator Definition
• Open Operators screen by clicking on Administration->Operators
menu options in CardAccess main screen. By default, the screen will
open in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the operator record you wish to
delete and click on it.
Fig. 47.35. Message box displayed before deleting an operator record.
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Operators Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 47.36. Operators screen navigation bar.
The Operators screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the
screen. The arrows of the bar can be used for viewing
older/newer/bookmarked operator records in the screen. In figure 47.36, we
highlight the very first operator record in the screen.
containing the highlighted operator record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted operator
record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted
operator record.
containing the highlighted operator record.
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highlight the last operator record in the screen.
highlighted operator record.
previously bookmarked operator record.
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Operator Privileges
The ‘Operator Privileges’ screen is used for creating operator access
permission templates. An access permission template will determine the
permission level of an operator to the various menus, fields and controls in
CardAccess.
Every operator must be assigned an access permission template. This is done
in ‘Operators’ screen. The ‘Screen Privileges’ control in Operators screen
will store all of the access templates that are created in ‘Operator Privileges’
screen. Refer the section Operators for details.
An access permission template created in Operator Privileges screen can be
assigned to as many operators as you wish to. A template does not play any
role unless it is assigned to at least one operator.
Accessing Operator Privileges Screen
• Click on Administration menu in CardAccess menu bar.
• Click on Operator Privileges menu item in the list.
The Operator Privileges screen will be displayed in Forms Control folder
tab as shown in the figure below.
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Fig. 48.1. The ‘Operator Privileges’ screen.
By default, the system provides five operator privilege templates- ‘System
Administrator’, ‘Security Officer’ Etc as shown in the upper half of the
screen. All these default templates (and every ‘new’ template you attempt to
create) are offered to you as ‘full access’ templates. The full access
templates will allow an operator to have complete access to all CardAccess
menus, buttons and screens.
If you wish to create a ‘limited access’ template, you need to subtract access
to selected menus, buttons and screens from the full access templates.
This is explained in the following sections.
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Operator Privileges Folder Tabs
There are three folder tabs in ‘Operator Privileges’ screen as shown in the
figure below.
Fig. 48.2. Operator Privileges folder tabs.
Each of the tabs is explained below.
Forms Control Tab
‘Forms Control’ is the default tab in which ‘Operator Privileges’ screen is
displayed.
By default, all menus in CardAccess are completely accessible by any
operator who log into the software. If you wish to limit the access of certain
menus, you can do so by using the controls provided on ‘Forms Control’ tab.
This tab provides controls that are required to prevent the selected
menu/menu item from being used by a given operator, or to change the
access permission level of the operator with respect to the selected
menu/menu item.
Fig. 48.3. Operator Privileges Forms Control tab.
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The tab consists of Menu Items section that holds a window on the left and
four button controls on the right. The buttons controls will be grayed out
initially.
The window in the ‘Menu Items’ section gives a listing of all CardAccess
menus. By default, all menus will be in ‘collapsed’ state (consisting of nodes
showing ‘+’ marks).
Clicking on a + mark will expand the selected CardAccess menu and the
menu items contained in that menu are exposed in a tree form (similar that
seen in Windows Explorer).
In the figure below, the Access menu list is expanded by clicking on the
Access node in ‘Menu Items’ section.
Fig. 48.4. Access menu list exposed by clicking on Access node.
Note: It is possible that some nodes after expansion may not show all of the
menu items as seen in CardAccess GUI. For such of those menu items,
separate nodes have been provided in the ‘Menu Items’ section. You need to
scroll down the ‘Menu Items’ section to find the required menu item. Also,
separate nodes have been provided for CardAccess toolbar items. Examples
follow.
NAPCO Panels is actually a menu item seen under ‘Configuration’ menu in
the CardAccess GUI. But, Configuration node in ‘Menu Items’ section does
not show this menu item. Instead, a separate node called NAPCO has been
provided. This applies to several other nodes in the ‘Menu Items’ section.
The figure below highlights a few of such nodes. Separate nodes have also
been provided for CardAccess toolbar items. All CardAccess ‘Alerts’ grid
toolbar items are included under Alerts node as shown in the figure below.
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Fig. 48.5. Separate nodes for certain CardAccess menu items and toolbar items.
Changes made to a node in the ‘Menu Items’ section will affect all menu
items contained in that node. Whereas, changes made to an individual menu
item (that does not have a + mark) will affect only that particular menu item
only.
Changes to a particular menu/menu item can be made by using the button
controls provided on the right side of ‘Menu Items’ section.
The button controls are explained below.
The buttons- Disable, View Only, Create Only and Create/Edit represent
four ‘states’ that can be applied to the menu/menu item that is selected in the
‘Menu Items’ section. Initially, all these buttons are grayed out by default.
They will be activated only when you enter the New/Edit modes.
Fig. 48.6. Forms Control buttons disabled by default.
Generally, you will be selecting a menu item in the ‘Menu Items’ section (by
clicking it), and then be clicking on one of the buttons on the right side of
‘Menu Items’ section. This will apply the ‘state’ indicated on the button to
the selected menu item. The functionality of the individual buttons is
detailed below.
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Disable
When this button is applied to a menu (having + mark), most or all of the
menu items contained in that menu will be disabled. This is the lowest level
of access permission that can be given to a CardAccess menu.
A red circle is shown against the menus and menu items that are in ‘Disable’
state.
As an example, let us disable System menu of a particular privilege template.
Doing this will disable all of the menu items contained in the ‘System’ Menu
as shown in the figure below. Notice that the red circle is seen against every
menu item under System menu.
Fig. 48.7. All System menu items disabled on disabling the System node.
An operator who is assigned the template with the above settings will see all
System menu items grayed out in CardAccess GUI except the Log Out
button as shown in the figure below.
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Fig. 48.8. All System menu items grayed out except the ‘Log Out’ option for an operator
whose privilege template has System menu disabled.
In this example, the System menu will only allow the operator to ‘Log Out’
of CardAccess software. This is the lowest level of access permission that
can be given to an operator.
On the other hand, if Disable button is applied to only a particular menu
item, (not having a + mark) only that menu item will be disabled/grayed out.
As an example, let us disable System Settings menu item of a particular
template. Doing this will disable only this particular menu item as shown in
the figure below. Notice that the red circle is seen only for ‘System Settings’
menu item. All other menu items have three green arrows that allow
Create/Edit access permission.
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Fig. 48.9. System Settings menu item disabled.
The CardAccess GUI for such a template will show only System Settings
menu item disabled for the operator.
Fig. 48.10. System Settings menu item grayed out for an operator whose privilege
template has System Settings item disabled.
Here, the operator can access all System menu items except System Settings.
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View Only
Every menu item of a CardAccess menu is capable of opening a screen in
CardAccess GUI. When ‘View Only’ button is applied to a menu (having +
mark) in ‘Menu Items’ section, the operator will only be allowed to view the
screens corresponding to menu items, contained in the selected menu. But he
will not have editing privileges on those screens. In other words, he will not
have create/edit or delete permissions on those screens.
A single green arrow will be seen against the menu items that are in ‘View
Only’ state.
As an example, the ‘View Only’ button is applied to Control menu in the
figure below. Notice that the single green arrow is seen against every menu
item under ‘Control’ menu.
Fig. 48.11. Control menu in ‘View Only’ state.
An operator who is assigned the template with the above settings can only
view the screens that each Control menu item opens in CardAccess GUI.
But he cannot perform create, edit and delete functions in those screens.
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Create Only
Every menu item of a CardAccess menu is capable of opening a screen in
CardAccess GUI. When Create Only button is applied to a menu (having a
+ mark) in ‘Menu Items’ section, the operator will be allowed to create new
records and delete existing records in the screens corresponding to menu
items, contained the selected menu. But he cannot edit the existing records
in those screens.
Double green arrows will be seen against the menu items that are in ‘Create
Only’ state.
As an example, the ‘Create Only’ button is assigned to Configuration menu
in the figure below. Notice that double green arrows are seen against every
menu item under ‘Configuration’ menu.
Fig. 48.12. Configuration menu in ‘Create Only’ state.
An operator who is assigned the template with the above settings can create
new records and delete the existing records in all of the Configuration
screens. But he will not be allowed to edit the existing records in those
screens.
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Create/Edit
This is the default state of all menus and menu items in CardAccess. In this
state, the operator can create new records, delete existing records and edit
existing records in all screens. This is the highest level of access permission
that can be given to an operator.
Three green arrows are seen against the menu items that are in ‘Create/Edit’
state.
The figure below shows Forms Control tab in its default state where all
menus are in Create/Edit state. Notice that three green arrows are seen
against every menu in the ‘Menu Items’ section.
Fig. 48.13. All menus in Create/Edit default state.
Thus, by default, an operator has complete access to all CardAccess
menus. In other words, the operator can create new records, delete
existing records and edit all of the existing records in every CardAccess
screen.
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Personnel Fields Control Tab
By default, all fields and controls in CardAccess ‘Personnel' screen are
visible to any operator. If you wish not to show certain ‘Personnel’
fields/controls to an operator, such controls can be made invisible by using
the controls provided on ‘Personnel Fields Control’ tab.
Fig. 48.14. Personnel Fields Control tab.
The tab consists of ‘Form Fields’ section that holds a window on the left and
three button controls on the right. The buttons will be grayed out initially.
Unlike the ‘Menu Items’ window that consists of several nodes, the ‘Form
Fields’ window consists of only one node called ‘Badges’. This node holds
all controls of the ‘Personnel’ screen. The node will be in the collapsed state
(consisting of + marks) by default. Clicking on the + mark will give a listing
of all Personnel screen controls as shown in the figure below.
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Fig. 48.15. Badges node expanded.
Unlike the Menu Items window, the Form Fields window does not allow
you to change the state of ‘Badges’ node as a whole. Here, changes are
possible only by selecting the individual ‘Personnel’ controls, after
expanding ‘Badges’ node. Change of state can be achieved by using the
button controls provided on right side of ‘Form Fields’ section.
The button controls are explained below.
The buttons- Disable, View Only and Edit represent three ‘states’ that can be
applied to the Personnel screen control selected in the ‘Form Fields’ section.
Initially, all these buttons are grayed out by default. They will be activated
only when you enter the New/Edit modes.
Fig. 48.16. Personnel Fields Control buttons disabled by default.
Generally, you will be selecting a Personnel screen control in the ‘Form
Fields’ section (by clicking it), and then be clicking on one of the buttons on
the right side of Form Fields section. This will apply the ‘state’ indicated on
the button to the Personnel control selected. The functionality of the
individual buttons is detailed below.
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Disable
When this button is applied to a Personnel screen control, the control
becomes invisible to the concerned operator in ‘Personnel’ screen. This is
the lowest access permission that can be given to an operator, on any
control.
A red circle is shown against the Personnel screen controls that are in
‘Disable’ state.
As an example, let us disable Badge Modify control of a particular template.
Notice that a red circle is seen against this control in the Form Fields section.
Fig. 48.17. ‘Badge Modify’ button disabled.
An operator who is assigned the template with the above settings will not see
the ‘Badge Modify’ button in ‘Personnel’ screen toolbar, as shown in the
figure below.
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Fig. 48.18. ‘Badge Modify’ button missing in Personnel screen toolbar for an operator
whose Privilege template has Badge Modify control disabled.
Hence, in this case, the operator cannot access the ‘Batch Save’ screen.
View Only
When ‘View Only’ button is applied to a ‘Personnel’ control, the concerned
operator will only be allowed to view the selected control in Personnel
screen. But he will not have editing privileges on that particular control. In
other words, he cannot add, edit or delete the contents of the selected
control.
A single green arrow will be seen against the Personnel screen controls that
are in ‘View Only’ state.
As an example, the ‘View Only’ button is applied to ‘Group’ control as
shown in the figure below. Notice that the single green arrow is seen against
this control.
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Fig. 48.19. Group control set to ‘View Only’ state.
An operator who is assigned the template with the above settings can only
view the data in ‘Group’ control .But he will not have edit privileges on this
control.
Edit
This is the default state of all controls in Personnel screen. In this state, the
operator can add, view, edit and delete the contents of the selected Personnel
control. This is the highest level of access permission that can be given to an
operator, on any control.
Three green arrows are seen against the Personnel screen controls that are in
‘Edit’ state.
The figure below shows Personnel Fields Control tab in its default state
where all of the controls are in Edit state. Notice that three green arrows are
seen against every Personnel control under the ‘Badges’ node.
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Fig. 48.20. All Personnel controls in ‘Edit’ default state.
Thus, by default, an operator has complete access to all Personnel controls.
In other words, the operator can add, view, edit and delete the contents of the
every control in Personnel screen.
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Database Partitions Tab
The general goal of database partitioning is to allow several tenants to share
a common database while hiding the CardAccess data viewed by each
tenant, from view of the other tenants (possibly unrelated tenants). The term
‘database partitioning’ is somewhat misleading. The common database is not
actually divided in any way. Instead, filtering is used to block the view of
records by selected operators.
Fig. 48.21. The ‘Database Partitions’ tab.
The tab consists of two list windows- Available Groups and Selected Groups
as shown in the above figure. The ‘Available Groups’ window on the left
will show the list of all Group Names that have been created previously in
the ‘Groups’ screen.
Note: If the ‘Available Groups’ window does not show any group name, it
means that no groups have been created so far. Refer the section Groups to
create them.
The ‘Selected Groups’ window on the right will show the list of all groups
that are assigned to the selected Operator Privileges template. In figure
48.21, the ‘Selected Groups’ window is empty as no groups have been
assigned to the template yet.
The arrow button controls that are positioned between the two windows
allow you to move the selected groups from one side to the other, and back.
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Fig. 48.22. Arrow button controls in Database Partitions tab.
The buttons with the single arrow will move whichever item you select, in
the direction of the arrow. The buttons with double arrows will move all
items, in the direction of the arrows.
Database partitioning in the CardAccess is disabled by default. If database
segregation for privacy sharing is an issue, database partitioning can be
enabled. Enabling it requires a number of steps as summarized below.
• To begin with, groups must be set up in the Groups screen (refer the
sections Groups). What groups are created and how they are assigned is
completely under the control of the CardAccess administrator. How
many and which category of groups one will choose to create, depends
on how you wish to apply the database partitioning.
It is possible to create nine different categories of Groups (and an
unlimited number per group) using the various tabs provided in Groups
screen, as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 48.23. Folder tabs provided for nine different categories in ‘Groups’ screen.
If you wish to implement full database partitioning, you have to create
some number of groups in each of the nine different categories in Groups
screen. You also have the option of implementing ‘partial’ database
partitioning. You can elect to create groups in only one or more
categories (say, Personnel groups only).
• Once you have created groups, database partitioning cannot be activated
unless those groups are assigned to at least one of the nine categories (say
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Panels, Access Groups, Time Schedules, Personnel, DVR Cameras etc).
Hence, you need to visit the screen corresponding to the category chosen,
and apply groups to the selected items in the screen (Panels, Access
Groups, Time Schedules, Personnel screen etc).
The figure below highlights the Group control in Panels screen. The same
control can be found in the other screens as well.
Fig. 48.24. The Panels General Tab – Group Control
Note the following rules regarding groups and database partitioning.
o If an Operator Privilege has no Groups Assigned in the ‘Selected
Groups’ window of Database Partitions tab– That operator can see
all screens irrespective of the groups assigned to each screen. This
includes all screens that have no groups assigned as well.
o If an Operator Privilege has Groups Assigned in the ‘Selected
Groups’ window of Database Partitions tab – That operator can see
only those screens that are assigned the groups seen in ‘Selected
Groups window’ AND all screens that have no groups assigned.
If you wish to ensure that no operator must be able to see all screens, you
must assign groups to each of the nine categories AND you must assign
every operator an operator privilege template that is assigned some
group(s) seen in the Selected Groups window of the Database Partitions
tab.
Note: If you intend to create an Operator Privileges template that has full
access to all of the CardAccess screens and data, you only need to accept all
of the default settings. Full access is granted by default. Any changes that
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you make to a given template will be for the purpose of taking away access
permissions.
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Creating an Operator Privilege Template
Follow the steps below to create an Operator Privilege template.
1. Open Operator Privileges screen by clicking on
Administration->Operator Privileges menu options in CardAccess
main screen. By default, the screen will open in ‘Forms Control’ tab
Fig. 48.25. Operator Privileges screen in Forms Control tab.
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Observe that five templates are already available for your usage. All
these default templates offer complete access to all CardAccess menus,
‘Personnel’ fields and all of the CardAccess data.
Click on New button in the toolbar to create a new Operator Privilege
template. Note that when you click the New button, the system creates
the default privilege template 6 (observe the Priv No control showing the
number 6) offering complete access, similar to the five default templates
already available to you. Notice the keyboard cursor blinking in the
‘Privilege’ field.
Note: If you like the template to have complete access, the default
settings need to be retained. In this case only steps 3, 7 and 8 need to be
followed.
On the other hand, if you like this template to have limited access, you
need to subtract access to selected menus, buttons and screens. This
requires you to follow all of the steps below.
2. In the Privilege field, type a descriptive name for the template being
created. In the figure below, we have named the template as ‘Guard’.
Fig. 48.26. Naming the Operator Privilege template.
3. This step can be followed if you wish to limit the access permissions
of the default template (‘Guard’ in our case) to CardAccess
menus/ menu items. The ‘Forms control’ tab (the default tab in
which ‘Operator Privileges’ is displayed) provides the controls
required to achieve this.
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Fig. 48.27. The ‘Forms Control’ tab.
The ‘Menu Items’ section of the tab lists all the menus seen in
CardAccess software. The menus are provided with nodes. The nodes
will be in the collapsed state (showing + mark) by default as shown in the
above figure.
On clicking a node, the menu items contained in the selected menu are
exposed. In order to change the access permissions of the menus/menu
items, four button controls are provided on the right side of ‘Menu items’
section. Placing the mouse cursor over the buttons will briefly indicate
the function that each button performs.
Generally, a menu/ menu item will be selected in the ‘Menu Items’
section (by clicking it), and then one of the buttons on the right side of
Menu Items section will be used to apply the ‘state’ indicated on the
button, to the selected menu item.
Note: Changes made to a menu (showing + mark) will affect all of the
menu items contained in that menu. Whereas, changes made to an
individual menu item (that does not have + mark) will affect that
particular menu item only.
The functions of the buttons are summarized in the table below.
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Attribute
Function
Makes the selected menu item invisible
Takes away the ‘New’ and ‘Edit’ buttons but let’s the
operator look at the screen in question.
Takes away the Edit button on the screen in question,
allowing the operator to create new records, but not edit the
existing records.
Allows full access. The ‘New’ and ‘Edit’ buttons are
available on the screen in question.
Table. 48.28. Button controls in ‘Menu Items’ section.
Follow the steps below to change the Access Permission of menus/Menu
Items.
o Scroll up/down the ‘Menu Items’ section to locate the desired
menu. If you wish to change the access permission of the entire
menu, click the menu name (menus are those that show ‘+’ mark).
Note: Changes made to a menu will affect all menu items contained in
that menu.
If you intend to change the access permission of only a particular
menu item under a menu, then, click on the + sign of the menu to
view the list of the menu items it contains, scroll up/down to locate
the desired menu item, and then click on it.
o Depending on the access permission you wish to grant to the
selected menu/menu item, click on the appropriate button for
executing the function it performs.
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In the figure below, we have disabled ‘Administration’ menu for ‘Guard’
template. Observe that the red circle is seen against every menu item under
Administration menu.
Fig. 48.29. Administration menu disabled for ‘Guard’ privilege template.
Thus, Administration menu will appear as below for an operator who is
assigned ‘Guard’ privilege template with the above settings.
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Fig. 48.30. CardAccess Administration menu of an operator whose privilege template
has Administration menu disabled.
Note: In the above figure, ‘Operator Instructions’ and ‘Operator
Instruction Links’ menu items are not disabled. This is because, these
menu items are included under a separate node called
OperatorInstrcutions (in Forms Control Menu Items section), which still
remains enabled.
Similarly, the default access permission of other CardAccess menus/menu
items can be changed as desired.
4. This step can be followed if you wish to limit the access permissions
of the default template (‘Guard’ in our case) to the ‘Personnel’ screen
controls. The ‘Personnel Fields Control’ tab provides the required
controls to achieve this.
Click on Personnel Fields Control tab. You will see that the ‘Form
Fields’ section of the tab consists of a node called Badges. This node will
be in the collapsed state (showing a + mark) by default.
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Fig. 48.31. The ‘Personnel Fields Control’ tab.
On clicking the ‘Badges’ node, all the ‘Personnel’ screen controls are
exposed. In order to change the access permissions of the ‘Personnel’
screen controls, three buttons are provided on the right side of ‘Form
Fields’ section. Placing the mouse cursor over the buttons will briefly
indicate the function that each button performs.
Generally, a ‘Personnel’ screen control will be selected in the ‘Form
Fields’ section (by clicking it), and then one of the buttons on the right
side of Form Fields section will be used to apply the ‘state’ indicated on
the button, to the selected ‘Personnel’ screen control.
Note: Unlike the Menu Items window, the Form Fields window does not
allow you to change the state of ‘Badges’ node as a whole. In order to
change the states, the ‘Personnel’ controls have to be selected
individually.
The functions of the buttons are summarized in the table below.
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Attribute
Result
Makes the selected ‘Personnel’ control invisible.
Takes away the ‘New’ and ‘Edit’ buttons but let’s the
operator look at the screen in question.
Allows full access. The ‘New’ and ‘Edit’ buttons are
available on the screen.
Table. 48.32. Button controls in ‘Form Fields’ section.
Follow the steps below to change the access permission of ‘Personnel’
controls.
o Click on Badges node to view the list of ‘Personnel’ screen
controls.
o Scroll up/down to locate the desired control, and click on it.
o Depending on the access permission you wish to grant to the
selected control, click on the appropriate button for executing the
function it performs.
In the figure below we have disabled the SSN control for ‘Guard’ template.
Observe that the red circle is seen against SSN control in Form Fields
section.
Fig. 48.33. SSN Personnel field disabled for ‘Guard’ privilege template.
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Thus, the ‘Personnel’ screen of an operator who is assigned ‘Guard’
privilege template with the above settings, will not show the Soc. Sec # field
in Personal tab, as highlighted in the figure below.
Fig. 48.34. Soc Sec # field disabled for an operator whose privilege template has SSN
menu item disabled.
Similarly, the default access permission of other the Personnel controls can
be changed as necessary.
5. This step can be followed if you wish to assign Groups to the template
for the purpose of database partitioning (Refer the heading Database
Partitions Tab for details on database partitioning).
Click on Database Partitions tab. You will see that the tab consists of
two windows- Available Groups and Selected Groups. Groups can be
assigned to the template by moving some or all of the group names listed
in the ‘Available Groups’ window, into the ‘Selected Groups’ window.
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Fig. 48.35. The ‘Database Partitions’ tab.
Note: The Available Groups window will list all Groups that are previously
created in Groups screen. If the window does not show any group name, it
means that, no groups have been created so far. Refer the section Groups to
create then.
If you wish to assign all of the Available Groups to the template in question,
click on the double-right arrow button.
Fig.48.36. Double-right arrow button to move all Available Groups into ‘Selected
Groups’ window.
If you wish to assign only selected groups to the template, click on the
single- right arrow button.
Fig.48.37. Single-right arrow button to move only selected Groups.
6. Once the folder tabs are configured as explained above, click on Save
button in the toolbar to save the template settings.
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Editing an Operator Privilege Template
Follow the steps below to edit an operator privilege template.
• Open Operator Privileges screen by clicking on
main screen. By default, the screen will open in Forms Control tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, locate the privilege template you wish
to edit, and click on it.
• Make the desired changes to the template using the controls in the
folder tabs – Forms Control, Personnel Fields Control and Database
Partitions.
Deleting an Operator Privilege Template
• Open Operators Privileges screen by clicking on
main screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, locate the privilege template you wish
to delete, and click on it.
• Click on Delete button in the toolbar. Upon clicking, one of the two
message boxes will be displayed under the conditions explained
below.
o If the selected privilege template has been assigned to an
operator, the message box shown below will be displayed.
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Fig. 48.38. Message box displayed if the selected template is assigned to an operator.
In this case, the selected template cannot be deleted. In other words, to
delete a template, it must not be assigned to any operator.
So, click on Ok button after reading the message in the box.
o If the selected privilege template is not assigned to any
operator, the message box shown below will be displayed.
Fig. 48.39. Message box displayed if the selected template is not assigned to any
operator.
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Operator Privileges Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 48.40. ‘Operator Privileges’ screen navigation bar.
The Operator Privileges screen navigation bar can be found just above the
Priv No control in the screen. The arrows of the bar can be used for viewing
older/newer/bookmarked privilege templates in the screen. In figure 48.40,
highlight the very first privilege template in the screen.
highlight the last template in page previous to the current page,
containing the highlighted privilege template.
highlight the template previous to the currently highlighted privilege
template.
highlight the template appearing after the currently highlighted
privilege template.
highlight the first template in the page appearing after the current
page, containing the highlighted privilege template.
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highlight the last privilege template in the screen.
highlighted privilege template.
previously bookmarked privilege template.
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Panels
Note: Unless otherwise stated, all functionality of the SuperTerm, Turbo
SuperTerm and Super-4 panels are identical.
The (access control) ‘panel’ could be considered the single most important
component in the CardAccess access control system. All physical hardware
mounted at doors or in a building ultimately connects to some kind of panel
arrangement. The CardAccess Host PC exists to program and communicate
with panels. CardAccess workstation PCs exist in large part to configure
panel hardware and monitor event messages that are broadcast from panels.
The panels themselves have onboard microprocessors and have ‘local
intelligence’. When panels are shipped from the factory, they are supplied
with a minimal start up program (in firmware). This ‘boot strap’ program
provides enough programming for the panels to start up and wait for
instructions from the PC. The PC uses serial, LAN or Modem
communication to download configuration data to panels, and to upload
event and status data from the panels.
When a panel powers up for the first time after shipment from the factory,
the configuration menu of that panel is ‘blank’. That is, none of the onboard
hardware is activated.
Activation of reader ports, inputs, relays, keypads and the like is
accomplished by using the various screens of the CardAccess software to
create a software configuration template for a given panel. That
configuration template is then downloaded to the panel via a serial
communications link (typically). Once the configuration template is received
by the panel, the panel activates the hardware specified in the configuration
template, with the attributes specified in the CardAccess software
configuration for that panel.
Thus, it is the PC and the CardAccess software that determine the
configuration and operation of the panels. Ultimately, the mode of operation
of any hardware connected to those panels is determined by the CardAccess
software configuration. For more information on hardware devices, refer the
Continental hardware manual.
The Panels screen is used to describe the panel configuration and
geographical layout to the CardAccess software. This section of the manual
explains the ‘Panels’ screen in detail.
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Accessing Panels screen
• Click on Configuration menu in CardAccess main screen.
• Click on Panels menu option in the list.
Upon clicking, the ‘Panels’ screen will be displayed in General tab as shown
Fig. 49.1.The ‘Panels’ screen.
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The folder tabs and the various controls in Panels screen are detailed in the
following section.
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Panels Screen Folder Tabs
The Panels screen consists of four folder tabs- General, Priorities, Maps and
Location/Remarks. The ‘Maps’ tab will be visible only when the ‘Use
Facility Maps’ feature is enabled in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Fig. 49.2. Panels screen folder tabs.
Each of the folder tabs is explained below.
General Tab
This is the default tab in which ‘Panels’ screen will be displayed.
Fig. 49.3. Panels ‘General’ tab.
The various controls in General tab are explained below.
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Name
The ‘Name’ field is meant for typing in a descriptive name for the panel in
question.
It is strongly suggested that you give your panels names that describe their
location in a building or their function. The names that you assign in this
field will be used in all event messages for that panel (in the ‘Location’ field
of the Events and Alerts Grids).
Panel #
The Panel Number is a number that is automatically assigned by the
CardAccess software each time you create a new panel definition.
Fig. 49.5. The ‘Panel #’ field.
Note: The Panel Number field must not be confused with the ‘Panel
Address’ field. See the heading Panel Address to learn about panel address.
For a given panel, the Panel Number simply refers to the number of the
panel definition in the entire list of panel definitions. The Panel column in
Panels screen (see figure below) will show the number assigned to every
panel in the screen.
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Fig. 49.6. The ‘Panel’ column showing Panel numbers.
Typically, there is no need to edit the automatically assigned Panel Numbers
unless you wish to modify the panel numbering sequence. The system will
let you override the automatic panel numbering sequence, if preferred.
The panel number can be manually changed by
o By clicking the white space of Panel # field and typing in a
number of choice or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of Panel # spin
control and choosing the desired number.
Group
The Group selection control allows you to assign the current panel to a
group. Groups are used for database partitioning and for manual control list
filtering. For more information see the manual section titled ‘Groups’.
Fig. 49.7. The ‘Group’ control.
To select a Group, click the arrow button to the right of ‘Group’ control and
click on the Group you wish to assign to the panel.
Enabled
The Enabled check box enables or disables the panel record. If the panel
record is disabled, that panel is taken out of the list of panels to be polled
and polling stops for that panel. The panel is effectively disconnected from
communications.
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When the panel is enabled, it is put back in the list of panels to be polled and
communication between the PC and the panel will resume. ‘Enabled’ is the
default state for any newly created panel record.
To enable or disable the panel, click the Enabled check box. Checked means
enabled, unchecked means disabled.
Interactive Badges
Interactive Mode primarily exists to support panel types with limited
memory, which are installed into sites that have large numbers of badge
records.
There is no setting in the CardAccess that tells the software what type of
panel you are connecting to. Thus, it is possible to attempt to load a database
of 20,000 badges into a Microterm (that holds a maximum of 1,100 badges
only).
When any panel’s memory capacity is exceeded (such as when you try to
download more badges than the panel can store), the panel will refuse to
store those records that exceed its memory size. This creates a ‘memory
overflow’ condition.
The key issue is that, when the panel memory is exceeded, there are valid
records that belong at the panel that the panel cannot store. In the specific
case of overflowed badge records, some badge holders will be rejected when
badge records have not been stored due to lack of memory.
As a temporary measure to overcome a limited memory badge overflow
situation, Interactivity can be enabled. When Interactive Mode is enabled,
the panel badge rejection behavior is modified.
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Fig. 49.9. The ‘Interactive Badges’ check box.
A panel will normally reject any badge that is not stored in local panel
memory and report a ‘violate void’ type error event message. When
Interactive mode is enabled, the panel is forced to check the CardAccess
database in addition to checking local panel memory to validate a badge.
Once a badge is read by a reader connected to a given panel, a badge
validation procedure is applied. The ‘normal’ panel badge validation
procedure and the Interactive mode badge validation procedure are
explained in more detail below.
Normal Badge Validation
After a badge is presented to a reader on a given panel set to normal mode,
the panel logic checks the local panel memory for a badge record
corresponding to the badge number read. If that record does not exist, the
entry request is rejected and a denial message is sent to the CardAccess Host
computer.
Interactive Mode Badge Validation Procedure
After a badge is presented to a reader on a given panel set to Interactive
mode, the panel logic checks the local panel memory for a badge record
corresponding to the badge number read. If that record does not exist, a
message is sent to the Host PC inquiring if the badge has a valid record in
the CardAccess database.
There are several conditions that could exist, with different outcomes. The
various conditions are as below:
There is no CardAccess database record of the badge
If this is the case, the badge is rejected with the error event message
‘Badge Violate Void’.
There is a record of the badge in the database, but the badge does
not belong at any reader on the panel
‘Badge Violate Void at Panel’.
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There is a record of the badge, the badge does belong to at least one
reader on the panel, but the badge is not permitted at the reader in
question.
‘Badge Violate Unauthorized’.
There is a record of the badge, the badge does belong at the panel,
and the badge is permitted at the reader, but not at the current time
of day.
If this is the case, the badge record is downloaded to the panel but the
badge is rejected with the error event message ‘Badge Violate Time of
Day’. The badge record is stored at the panel, overwriting an existing
badge record that has remained unused for some time
There is a record of the badge, the badge does belong at the panel,
and the badge is permitted at the reader, at the current time of day
If this is the case, the badge record is downloaded to the panel and the
door is unlocked. The badge record is stored at the panel, overwriting an
existing badge record that has remained unused for some time
It is important to note that, in Interactive mode the panel will communicate
with the CardAccess Host PC to validate badge numbers that are not locally
stored in panel memory.
The panel logic will attempt to store the most frequently used badges and
overwrite badge numbers that are less frequently used in an attempt to
optimize memory usage.
Enabling Interactive mode could increase communications traffic and slow
the overall response of the system. Thus, Interactive mode should not be
considered a long-term solution for a badge overflow condition. A memory
or panel upgrade is the only long-term solution to lack of panel memory.
Note that enabling Interactive mode will not solve other types of memory
overflow problems, such as Access Group or Time Schedule overflows.
To enable or disable Interactive mode for the panel in question, click the
Interactive Badges check box. Checked means enabled, unchecked means
disabled (the default setting).
Repeat Off-Line Alert
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When the CardAccess Host computer loses communication with a panel, an
error event message is displayed that says ‘No Response’ (see figure 49.10
below). That message is displayed once, several seconds after the panel fails
to respond to three successive polls.
If you wish to have the no response error message repeated about every 3
minutes, set the ‘Repeat Off-Line Alert’ check box to enabled. You will then
receive an error event message that says ‘Still No Response’, repeated
indefinitely until the panel begins responding again.
Fig. 49.10. The Panel Response Event Messages.
Fig. 49.11. The ‘Repeat Off-Line Alert’ check box.
To enable the Repeat Off-Line Alert feature for a given panel, click the
check box. Checked is enabled, unchecked is disabled (the default
setting).
Using Elevator Readers
Elevator reader capability is disabled at all panels by default. Thus, the
option to set a reader to an elevator type reader is made unavailable (grayed
out) until you enable the ‘Using Elevator Readers’ option for the panel that
the given reader is connected to.
Once the ‘Using Elevator Readers’ feature is enabled for a given panel, all
readers that are connected to that panel have the ‘Elevator Reader’ option
made available in the Readers screen (see figure 49.13). For more
information see the manual section titled ‘Readers’
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Fig. 49.12. The ‘Using Elevator Readers’ check box.
Fig. 49.13. The Readers screen ‘Reader Type’ section – ‘Elevator’ option selected.
To enable the Elevator Reader option for a given panel, click the ‘Using
Elevator Readers’ check box. Checked is enabled and unchecked is disabled
(the default setting).
Enable Password
Panel passwords are only used for dial up panel clusters (see the manual
section titled ‘Dial Up’). Since dial up panel clusters are exposed to the
outside world through the public switched telephone network, it is possible
for anyone with a copy of the CardAccess software to dial in and connect to
a given panel node.
This raises the possibility that someone with the wrong database settings
could potentially dial in to a panel cluster and accidentally change the
configuration of the panels on that cluster.
To prevent unauthorized dial in access, panels that are known to be included
in dial up panel clusters can have the ‘Enable Password’ option set.
Fig. 49.14. The ‘Enable Password’ check box.
Further, the actual password is entered in the Com Ports screen (for more
information see the section ‘Com Ports’).
Note that a password is only needed for the panel that is directly connected
to the modem. All other panels in the dial up panel cluster do not need to
have the password option set.
Note also that the panel that is physically connected to the modem must be
set to panel address 1. In a dial up configuration, panel address 1 acts as a
‘master’ panel, which answers the incoming call, and negotiates the
password.
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To enable the password feature for a given panel, click the Enable Password
check box in the ‘General’ tab of Panels screen. Checked is enabled,
unchecked is disabled (the default setting).
Degrade Mode ON
Degrade Mode is a feature that allows you to modify how a panel will
evaluate badge numbers. In normal mode, a panel will examine a badge
number and a facility code to determine the identity and access permissions
of a given badge holder.
When Degrade Mode is enabled, the panel will ignore badge numbers and
time schedules. The panel will evaluate only the facility code on a badge to
determine access permission. Essentially, all badge holders with the correct
facility code will gain entry, at any hour of the day.
Fig. 49.15. The ‘Degrade Mode ON’ check box.
This feature may prove useful if you are having problems reading badge
numbers correctly, but the badge format is being read. Setting Degrade
Mode will force the system to ignore badge numbers (while you fix the
problem), but will still allow you to require badge holders to use an access
badge to gain entry to secured areas.
To enable Degrade Mode for a given panel, click the ‘Degrade Mode ON’
check box in the ‘General’ tab of Panels screen. Checked is enabled,
unchecked is disabled (the default setting).
Connection Section
The ‘Connection’ section has settings that are important to establishing data
communications between the CardAccess Host PC and the panel nodes . A
panel node can be defined as a PC serial port, dial line or LAN connection
supporting one or more panels. For details on the panel connection types,
refer the sections COM Ports and Dial Up.
The various controls in ‘Connection’ section are explained below.
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Fig. 49.16. The ‘Connection’ section.
Panel Address
There is a hardware Panel Address switch block on every panel type. The
panel address will be set on this block. The Panel Address field of a given panel
record must match the number set for that panel in the hardware switch block.
Fig. 49.17. The ‘Panel Address’ field.
The Panel Address is needed to identify the panel to the CardAccess
communications driver (called the ‘Host’ polling program). The Host program
uses a polling and response protocol to communicate with the panels.
The ‘Panel Address’ setting in the Panels screen works in conjunction with
the ‘Com Port’ setting (see heading Com Port). The ‘Com Port’ setting
determines what node the panels are on, and the Panel Address determines
what panel the system is communicating with.
Every panel that shares the same Com Port must be set to a panel address
that is different from every other panel on that Com Port. For example, panel
address 1 existing on Com1 and panel address 1 existing on Com2 is ok.
But, two panels with panel address of 1 on Com1 will cause a conflict.
The highest possible panel address that can be set on Superterm, Smarterm
or Miniterm panels is 63. The highest panel address for a Microterm is 31. If
the Panel Address is set to 0, the panel will not be polled.
Note: If a panel has an address set to 0 and the panel is reset, the
configuration of that panel will be erased.
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The system will assign the default Panel Address of 1 for the first panel, 2
for the second panel and so on. It is necessary that the value in the Panel
Address field matches the address that is actually set in the hardware switch
block of a given panel. This may require you to change the default values
assigned by the system. The default values can be changed by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Panel Address’ field and typing the
address that is set in the hardware switch block or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Panel Address’ spin
control and choosing the correct address.
Station Name
The Station Name field specifies which CardAccess PC will be
communicating with the selected panel. This field will show the default
selection of Host Com Ports (which refers to CardAccess Host PC).
Fig. 49.18. The ‘Station Name’ control.
If you wish to use a Secondary ComServer to communicate with the selected
panel, click the down arrow to the right of ‘Station Name’ control and
choose a desired Secondary ComServer in the list.
Note: If there are no Secondary ComServer names in the ‘Station Name’
drop down list, it means that Secondary ComServers do not exist. Refer the
section Com Ports to create them.
COM Port
The Com Port control is used to select the communications port that the
panel will be physically connected to.
Fig. 49.19. The ‘Com Port’ control.
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The Com Port number may not necessarily refer to a serial port. The
CardAccess uses the label ‘Com Port’ to refer to serial ports, LAN
connected panel nodes and dial nodes. Refer the sections Com Ports and
Dial Up for more information on panel connection types.
The system will assign Com Port number 1 for every new panel record you
attempt to create. This default value must be changed to the Com Port
number that the panel is actually connected to. The default values can be
changed by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Com Port’ field and typing in the correct
Com Port number or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Com Port’ spin control
and choosing the correct number.
Initialization Parameters Section
When configuration data is downloaded to a panel, part of the downloading
process is to set the sizes of some panel static memory buffers. Some of
these buffers are adjustable from inside the CardAccess software. Three such
adjustable memory buffers can be set in the ‘Initialization Parameters’
section.
Fig. 49.20. The ‘Initialization Parameters’ section.
Note that panel memory space is limited (unless you have added expanded
memory). Thus, every buffer size that you increase using the controls below
will subtract from the total memory available for badge records. Thus, you
should seek to set the below controls to their smallest possible size where
memory for badge storage is an issue.
Transaction Buffer Size
The Transaction Buffer Size control allocates panel memory for the number
of event transactions to be stored before a buffer full condition occurs. The
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event buffer is a ‘circular’ type buffer, which means that if the panel runs out
of space for event transactions, it will begin to overwrite the oldest
transactions in memory.
When a panel is connected to a computer serial port, event transactions are
picked up every few seconds by the polling program, so it is rare that you
would need to set a large Transaction Buffer Size.
However, when a panel is connected to a dial line and is not dialed
frequently, event buffer size could become more of an issue if the panel sees
substantial traffic. Event messages could be lost if the panel is allowed to
fill, then begin to overwrite the event buffer.
In that case, you would want to increase the Transaction Buffer Size.
The default size is 1000 event transactions. The maximum is 30,000.
Fig. 49.21. The ‘Transaction Buffer size’ control.
The default Transaction Buffer size can be changed by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Transaction Buffer size’ control and
typing in a desired number or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Transaction Buffer size’
spin control and choosing the desired number.
Time Schedule Blocks
The Panels screen ‘Time Schedule Blocks’ control allows you to allocate the
minimum amount of memory for the storage of time schedule blocks (which
will help save space for badge records if adjusted to a minimum size).
Fig. 49.22. The ‘Time Schedule Blocks’ control.
The CardAccess software will permit a maximum of 128 schedules. The
maximum number of time blocks per schedule is 10. The maximum setting
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for the Time Schedule Blocks control cannot exceed 1280 blocks (128
schedules x 10 blocks per schedule).
The Time Schedule Blocks control can be set to the actual number of time
schedule blocks that have been created in the Schedules screen if memory is
needed for additional badge record storage. Note that the settings in the
Time Schedule Blocks control is ignored by the panel if the panel is
equipped with expanded memory. In that case, the panel automatically
allocates the maximum memory space of 1280 time blocks.
To determine how many time blocks exist in your Schedules screen, visit
each schedule and count the number of rows in the ‘Time Schedule Blocks’
area, of each schedule created in that screen.
Time Schedule Blocks control will be set to the default value 150 for every
new panel record you attempt to create. The default value can be changed if
required. This can be done by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Time Schedule Blocks’ control and
typing in the desired number or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Time Schedule Blocks’
Max Access Groups
The Max Access Groups control should be set to a value equal to the highest
numbered access group, in the Access Group No field in ‘Access Groups’
screen.
Fig. 49.23. The ‘Access Group No’ field in Access Groups screen.
Note that the CardAccess will permit you to create a maximum of 1000
access groups.
As an example, if you have created Access Group No. 1000 in the Access
Groups screen, then you must set the Max Access Groups control in the
Panels screen to 1000 for every panel. Scroll to the highest numbered access
group to check the access group number and set that number in the Max
Access Groups control in each panel definition in the Panels screen.
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‘Max Access Groups’ control will be set to the default value 256 for every
new panel record you attempt to create.
Fig. 49.24. The ‘Max Access Groups’ control.
The default value can be changed as needed. This can be done by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Max Access Groups’ control and typing
in a desired number or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Max Access Groups’
Priorities Tab
The Priorities folder tab is used to set the alert priority levels of the various
Panel event messages. Every possible Panel event message is mentioned in
‘Priorities’ tab.
Fig. 49.25. Panels screen ‘Priorities’ tab.
Priority levels are used by the system to determine which part of CardAccess
main screen (the Events or Alerts grid) each type of panel event message
will be displayed.
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The controls in ‘Priorities’ folder tab are explained below.
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Panel Event Priorities
The ‘Panel Event Priorities’ section shows four labeled spin controls as
shown in figure 49.25. Each label describes a panel alert type in CardAccess.
The spin controls allow you to set the ‘numeric significance’ of a given alert
type. By default, the system loads default priority values to each of the alert
types as shown in figure 49.25. The priority values aid in routing of the
panel alerts to one of the two grids (Events/Alerts) in the CardAccess main
screen.
Note: Priority values set for the Panel alert types in Panels screen will be
overridden by Auto Ack Priority Set-Point value set in the System Settings
screen.
is the lowest priority number in the range. Priority values can be changed by
o Typing in a desired number in Priority spin control or
o By using up/down arrows of the spin control to choose a desired
number.
Requires Operator Response
Each of the panel Alert priorities has a check box labeled ‘Requires Operator
Response’ as shown in figure 49.25. By default this box is unchecked. If a
priority has this check box selected, then, automatic acknowledgement of the
concerned alert type will be disabled. So, manual acknowledgement will be
required to resolve the alert upon its occurrence. In manual alert
acknowledgement, the operator is forced to respond to an alert by typing in a
Response Message in the Alert Acknowledge popup window and clicking
the Acknowledge button to move the alert from the Alerts Grid into the
Events Grid.
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Maps Tab
The ‘Maps’ tab has controls that allow you to add or edit a map for the
selected panel. The Maps tab is not visible unless the ‘Use Facility Maps’
Option is enabled in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Fig. 49.26. The Panels ‘Maps’ tab.
For details on creation of maps, see the manual section titled ‘Maps’.
The controls in ‘Maps’ folder tab are explained below.
Facility Map for This Device
This field displays the name of the map that is attached to the selected panel.
Fig. 49.27. The ‘Facility Map for This Device’ field.
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Map Description
In this field, you can add a text description of the map.
Fig. 49.28. The ‘Map Description’ field.
Size Image to fit
Fig. 49.29. The ‘Size Image to fit’ check box.
Image bitmaps come in all shapes and sizes. The CardAccess Maps
image view control is set by default to stretch the image to fit the size of
the image display window.
If ‘Size Image to fit’ checkbox is disabled, the image will be displayed in
its native size format (wherein white space may appear on the sides, or
top and on the bottom). The check box is enabled by default.
View Maps
Fig. 49.30. The ‘View Maps’ button.
Clicking on ‘View Maps’ button will open the ‘Configure Maps’ screen
where it is possible to create/edit a map.
Remove Map
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Fig. 49.31. The ‘Remove Map’ button.
The ‘Remove Map’ button is available only in ‘Edit’ mode. Clicking on the
button will delete the map in question.
Location/Remarks Tab
The ‘Location/Remarks’ tab can be used to mention the place of location
and remarks (if any) on the selected panel.
Fig. 49.32. The ‘Location/Remarks’ tab.
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Creating a Basic Panel Definition
To create a basic, working panel record, most of the CardAccess default
settings can be used. Follow the steps below to create a basic panel record.
• Open Panels screen by clicking Configuration->Panels in
CardAccess main screen. The screen will open in General tab by
default.
Fig. 49.33. The ‘New’ button.
• Enter a descriptive name for the panel in Name field. A name that can
describe the panel location/function is recommended.
Fig. 49.34. Panel name describing the location of a panel.
• Select the panel address for the panel from the Panel Address control.
To select the address, click the spin buttons to the right of the control,
or click in the white space and type in a number.
Fig. 49.35. The ‘Panel Address’ field.
Note: The Panel Address you enter must match the address that is set in
the hardware switch block of the given panel.
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Be aware of the following issues as well.
o The available panel address range is 1 to 63 if Superterm, Smarterm or
Miniterm panels are used. The available panel address range is 1 to 31
if a Microterm panel is used.
o The panel address must be unique if the panel is to be connected on the
same com port with other panels.
o You cannot mount more than 63 total panels on any panel node.
o If the panel is connected to a dial node, the panel that is physically
connected to the modem must be set to panel address 1.
o Pressing the panel Reset button while the Panel Address is set to 0 on
any panel type will clear the panel configuration memory (called a zero
reset).
o If the panel is directly connected to a modem, switch 7 (the ‘modem’
switch) must be rocked to the left (set to off) on a Superterm,
Smarterm and Miniterm. Switch 6 must be rocked to the left for a
Microterm.
• Click the down arrow to the right of Station Name control and select
the station you wish to use for communicating with the panel.
Fig. 49.36. The ‘Station Name’ control.
• Select the COM Port that the panel is to be connected to. To select
the Com Port, click the arrow button to the right of the ‘Com Port’
selection control, and choose a Com Port from the list by clicking it.
Fig. 49.37. The ‘COM Port’ control.
If there are no com ports in the list, you must create some Windows Com
ports using the Windows ‘Control panel’
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• Make sure that the ‘Enabled’ check box is selected. The panel will
not be polled unless the Enabled box is checked.
Fig. 49.38. The Enabled check box.
Fig. 49.39. The ‘Save’ button.
Once the panel record is saved, polling will begin for that panel.
Editing a Panel Definition
• Open Panels screen by clicking on Configuration->Panels menu
options in CardAccess main screen. By default, the screen will open
in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the panel record you wish to edit
and click on it.
• Make the desired changes to the controls in the folder tabs -General,
Priorities, Maps and Location/Remarks.
Note: The Panel # field cannot be edited. Panel # once set during panel
creation is not subject to change.
Note: The following message boxes can be displayed under the
conditions listed below.
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o In case the ‘Panel Address’ and/or ‘Station Name’ was changed
during the editing process, the message box shown below will
be displayed.
Fig. 49.40. Message box displayed if Panel Address and/or Station Name was
changed.
o A ‘Station Name’ change will cause an additional message box
to be displayed as shown below.
Fig. 49.41. Additional message box displayed if Station Name was changed.
You need to read the message in these boxes and click on Ok button.
• Click on Close button in the toolbar to close ‘Panels’ screen.
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Deleting a Panel Definition
• Open Panels screen by clicking on Configuration->Panels menu
in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the panel record you wish to
Fig. 49.42. Message box displayed before deleting a panel record.
Note: When a panel is deleted, all hardware devices (Readers, Inputs, Relays
and Links) connected to it become non-functional. Observe that the Panel or
Panel Name field in the configuration records of Reader/Input/Relay/Link
devices that are connected to a deleted panel will be blank.
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Panels Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 49.43. Panels screen navigation bar.
The Panels screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the screen.
The arrows of the bar can be used for viewing older/newer/bookmarked
panel records in the screen. In figure 49.43, we have numbered the arrow
buttons of the bar to provide simpler explanation. The functions of the arrow
buttons are as follows:
highlight the very first panel record in the screen.
containing the highlighted panel record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted panel
record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted panel
record.
containing the highlighted panel record.
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highlight the last panel record in the screen.
highlighted panel record.
previously bookmarked panel record.
Download Configuration Data to Panels
Panel data downloads are generally initiated automatically every time you
click the 'Save' button in any of the CardAccess configuration screens. After
a record has been created or changed in a configuration screen, the changed
record is immediately (and automatically) queued up by the system for
transmission to the appropriate panel. During the automatic data
transmission, the CardAccess host computer clock is also downloaded to
hardwired panels once per hour. The clock is downloaded to dial panels at
the end of a dial session. The system treats changed configuration records
with a very high priority and sends them to the appropriate panel as soon as
possible, without human intervention.
However, there may be times when you wish to initiate data download to a
panel manually. This may be true in a case where the CardAccess
administrator is bringing a new panel online, or in the rare case where a
panel seems to be malfunctioning and a data re-download seems appropriate.
The ‘Download’ button is provided on Panels screen toolbar to initiate a
manual data download.
Accessing ‘Download Categories’ Screen
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• Click on Download button in ‘Panels’ screen toolbar.
Upon clicking, the Download Categories screen will be displayed as below.
Fig. 49.44. The ‘Download Categories’ screen.
The Download Categories screen provides several controls to help you
download the desired configuration data.
The following section explains the controls.
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‘Download Categories’ Screen Controls
The ‘Download Categories’ screen controls are explained below.
Badges
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Personnel
badge records that belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Personnel’
screen)
Fig. 49.45. The ‘Badges’ check box.
Readers
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Reader records
that belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Readers’ screen)
Fig. 49.46. The ‘Readers’ check box.
Inputs
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Input records
that belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Inputs’ screen)
Fig. 49.47. The ‘Inputs’ check box.
Relays
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Relay records
that belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Relays’ screen).
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Fig. 49.48. The ‘Relays’ check box.
Links
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Link records that
belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Links’ screen).
Fig. 49.49. The ‘Links’ check box.
Badge Formats
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Badge Format
records that belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Badge Formats’
screen).
Fig. 49.50. The ‘Badge Formats’ check box.
Access Groups
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Access Group
records that belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Access Groups’
screen).
Fig. 49.51. The ‘Access Groups’ check box.
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Time Schedules
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Time Schedule
records that belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Schedules’ screen).
Fig. 49.52. The ‘Time Schedules’ check box.
Facility Codes
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Facility Code
records that belong at the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Facility Codes’
screen).
Fig. 49.53. The ‘Facility Codes’ check box.
Holidays
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all Holiday
records to the selected panel (as seen in the ‘Holidays’ screen).
Fig. 49.54. The ‘Holidays’ check box.
Full Download
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download all records, from
all database tables that concern the selected panel. Selecting the 'Full
Download' option is like selecting every checkbox mentioned above (except
the firmware checkbox). Panel firmware will not be downloaded on a full
(data) download.
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Fig. 49.55. The ‘Full Download’ check box.
Firmware Download
When this checkbox is selected, the system will download panel firmware to
the selected Superterm panel (note that only Superterms have downloadable
firmware). The panel will be taken offline during the firmware download,
but will continue to read badges and admit any card holder having a badge
with the correct facility code (badge numbers are not checked during a
firmware download, only facility codes are checked. The panel is put into
Degrade mode when receiving a firmware download). You can elect to
download firmware or data but not both simultaneously.
Fig. 49.56. The ‘Firmware Download’ check box.
Download Panel
Clicking this button causes the communications driver software to download
the requested configuration data only to the panel that is currently
highlighted in the Panels screen.
Fig. 49.57. The ‘Download Panel’ button.
All Panels
Clicking this button causes the communications driver software to download
the requested configuration data to all panels in the panels list of the ‘Panels’
screen.
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Fig. 49.58. The ‘All Panels’ button.
Abort Download
Clicking this button will stop the download that has started to the selected
panel(s).
Fig. 49.59. The ‘Abort Download’ button.
Note: It is recommended not to stop a panel download until it is complete,
especially a firmware download. The panel memory is cleared before a
download, and you could leave the panel in an unstable state if the download
is incomplete.
Exit
Clicking this button will close the Download Categories screen.
Fig. 49.60. The ‘Exit’ button.
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Manual Data Download to Panel(s)
Follow the steps below if you wish to download the configuration data to
panel(s) manually.
• If you wish to download configuration data to a specific panel only,
then, locate that panel record in the upper half of ‘Panels’ screen and
click on the record.
• Click on Download button in ‘Panels’ screen toolbar.
Fig. 49.61. The ‘Download’ button.
Upon clicking, the Download Categories screen will be displayed as
below.
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• Select the desired configuration data category check box(es)
depending on the configuration data type(s) you wish to download.
Fig. 49.63. Check boxes provided for various configuration data categories.
On clicking, the ‘Download Panel’ and ‘All Panel’ buttons will be
enabled (see figure 49.65).
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•
Select either the ‘Full Download’ or the ‘Firmware Download’ check
box (refer the headings Full Download and Firmware Download to
know the implications of selecting these check boxes).
Fig. 49.64. The ‘Full Download’ and ‘Firmware Download’ checkboxes.
• Click on either ‘Download Panel’ or ‘All Panels’ button depending on
whether the configuration data has to be downloaded to the selected
panel or all of the panels in the Panels screen.
Fig. 49.65. The ‘Download Panel’ and ‘All Panels’ buttons.
Note: These buttons will be enabled only when at least one checkbox is
selected in figure 49.63.
Fig. 49.66. Message box displayed before downloading configuration data to panel(s).
• After confirmation, click on Yes button in the message box to start
configuration data download.
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Readers
Readers are hardware devices that are used for reading access badges. They
are physically connected to access control panels that evaluate the access
permissions of all badge card reads. In CardAccess software, readers are
configured in the ‘Readers’ screen. Reader records cannot be created without
the existence of Panel records. To learn about creating panel records, see the
manual section titled ‘Panels’.
Accessing Readers Screen
•
Click on Configuration menu in CardAccess menu bar.
• Click on Readers option in the menu list.
Upon clicking, ‘Readers’ screen will be displayed in ‘General’ tab as shown
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Fig. 50.1. The ‘Readers’ screen.
The screen can contain several other folder tabs depending on the
configuration made in ‘System Settings’ screen. Detailed information on all
of the tabs and their controls can be obtained under the heading Readers
Screen Folder Tabs.
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Reader Functional Types
A reader can be set to any of the functional types explained below by
making use of controls in the ‘Readers’ screen.
Standard Door Reader
By default, a reader will be set to perform the function of a ‘standard door’
reader. It is assumed that most readers will be used for door access, and that
an access badge of some type will be used to open those doors. Thus, a
reader in its default settings will consist of all items needed to operate a
standard door.
Badge Validator
When set to ‘Badge Validator’ option, a reader can perform the function of
enabling or disabling ‘Personnel’ badges.
Fig. 50.2. The ‘Badge Validator’ control.
Upon badge presentation, a badge validator reader will either ‘disable’ the
badge (in case it is currently enabled) or ‘enable’ the badge (in case it is
currently disabled).
Fig. 50.3. Badge Validator Reader Enable & Disable Messages.
When we say ‘enable’ or ‘disable’, we mean that the ‘Enabled’ check box in
the badge holder Personnel record will be checked or unchecked. The badge
will also either be ‘activated’ or ‘deactivated’ by changing that badge
holder’s Enabled status in the CardAccess database. The amended badge
holder record will be downloaded to the appropriate panels (or deleted from
the appropriate panels).
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The Badge Validator functionality can be useful to a department responsible
for activating badges for a company. After badge holder records have been
created, a card reader mounted on a desktop can serve to activate and
deactivate those badges. There would be no need to visit the Personnel
screen and search for those badge records.
Note:
• The badge validator reader will not create a new badge record for a
badge. It will only enable or disable a badge record that already exists
in the CardAccess badge database.
• When a valid ‘enabled’ badge is presented to a badge validator reader
that is mounted at a door, the following things happen.
a) The door will be unlocked as the badge is in ‘enabled’ state and
b) The badge will be changed to ‘disabled’ state.
• When a ‘disabled’ badge is presented to a badge validator reader
mounted at a door, the following things happen.
a) The door will not be unlocked as the badge is in ‘disabled’ state
and
b) The badge will be changed to ‘enabled’ state.
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Escort Reader
A reader can be designated as an escort reader by selecting the ‘Escort Enabled’
checkbox in Readers ‘General’ tab. This check box works in conjunction with
the ‘Escorted’ checkbox in Personnel ‘General’ tab.
Fig. 50.4. Readers Screen Check Boxes – Escort Enabled Highlighted
Fig. 50.5. Personnel Screen Check Boxes – Escorted Highlighted.
When the Escort option is selected in a given badge holder’s Personnel
record, that badge holder will require a second, non-Escort enabled badge
holder, to ‘escort’ him through doorways, that have readers with the Escort
option set.
The Escort enabled badge has the following properties.
• If a valid Escort enabled badge is presented to a non-Escort enabled reader
(and the badge holder has permission to enter that door), the badge holder
will be granted access.
• If a valid Escort enabled badge is presented to an Escort enabled
reader (and the badge holder has permission to enter that door), the
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door will not be opened unless there is a second, non-escort enabled
badge, presented to that same reader before the ‘Two-Badge’ timer
expires. The Two-Badge Timer is set in the Readers ‘Options’ tab.
Fig. 50.6. The ‘Two-Badge Timer’ section in Readers ‘Options’ tab.
The Two Badge Timer sets the time, in seconds, that the system will wait for
the presentation of a second badge, for any two badge type event (Escort,
Two-Person and Vehicle Tag).
Two-Person Reader
The ‘Two Person Reader Type’ control allows you to activate the ‘TwoPerson’ function at a reader. The Two-Person function operates very much
similar to the Escort function explained above.
Fig. 50.7. The ‘Two-Person Reader Type’ control in Readers ‘Options’ tab
In general, a Two-Person reader will wait to obtain badge reads from two
valid badges before allowing entry to either cardholder. The door will not be
unlocked until two valid badge reads are received.
The Two-Person function software tracks how many occupants are in a
given room or facility at a given point of time. The software requires that at
least two badge holders enter the room together. Any two badge holders
must remain in the room at all times. And the last two occupants must leave
together.
The application for a two person reader might be in a sensitive lab area
where your firm would want a minimum of two people in that lab at all
times. An entry door and an exit door would be provided. At least two badge
holders would be required to be in the room at any time.
The above scenario brings up several optional methods of operating such a
secure room. The ‘Two Person Reader Type’ control provides the following
options.
• In – When the Two-Person ‘IN’ function is assigned to a reader:
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o If the room in question currently has no occupants, two badges are
required to open the door for the first time. Single card reads are
rejected with a violation event message after a timeout period (waits
for second badge read).
o Once the room or facility has a minimum of two occupants, the reader
behaves like a standard reader and admits individual badge holders
without escort.
• Out – When the Two-Person ‘OUT’ function is assigned to a reader:
o As badge holders leave the room or facility, the last two card holders
are required to leave together. The reader requires two badge reads at
an exit reader before the door will be unlocked.
o Single card reads will be rejected by the reader at all times, with a
violation event message (after a timeout), when set to Two-Person
Out.
• Out with Override – When the Two-Person ‘OUT with Override’
function is assigned to a reader.
o As the room is emptied, a single card read will unlock the door, but a
violation message will be generated. All Two-Person functions
require that two valid badge holders occupy the room at any one time.
‘Out with Override’ prevents a cardholder from being ‘stranded’ in a
room or facility. It is possible for the last two persons in a room to
present their badges at the exit door, and let one person leave. If the
exit reader has the Two-Person ‘Out’ setting, there is no way that the
final occupant can exit. ‘Out with Override’ allows the single card
holder to leave, but generates a violation message so it can be
determined who was in the room without escort.
• Always – When the Two-Person ‘Always’ function is assigned to a
reader, there is no ‘In’ or ‘Out’ function. Two valid card reads are
required at that door at all times.
Alarm Shunt Reader
A reader can be set up to perform alarm shunting function by selecting the
‘Alarm Shunt Reader’ check box in Readers ‘General’ tab.
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Fig. 50.8. Readers screen check boxes – ‘Alarm Shunt Reader’ highlighted.
An Alarm Shunt reader will behave as a standard door type reader
(explained above) unless a Shunt enabled badge is presented. In case a Shunt
enabled badge is presented, shunting will be activated and will be in the
mode as described by the settings in the Personnel record (on the ‘Control’
tab) of the shunt card badge holder. Refer the section Personnel for more
information on alarm Shunting.
The next subsequent presentation of any shunt enabled badge at the same
Shunt enabled reader, will disable the shunting that was enabled by the first
badge read.
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Card Only Reader
Fig 50.9. The ‘Card-Only Time Schedule’ selection control in Readers ‘Door Control’ tab.
By default, when you create a new reader record, that reader is already in
‘Card-Only’ mode. Thus, if no changes have been made to the default
Reader record settings, then you will not need to apply a Card-Only Time
Schedule.
The Card-Only Time Schedule control is used to ‘override’ another applied
schedule. An example would be where you wish to have badge holders enter
the building during business hours using their badges only (security
personnel can identify valid card holders on sight). After hours (when there
are fewer security personnel), you require badge holders to type an access
PIN code into a keypad in addition to presenting a valid access card (this
may prevent someone from being able to use a stolen card and ‘sneak in’
unnoticed after hours).
In the example above, you would create a Card-Only time schedule for use
during the day, and you would create a ‘Card & Code’ schedule for use at
night. Thus, the mode of the reader will be switched between Card-Only and
Card & Code automatically by the system.
Card & Code Reader
It is possible to set a reader into a mode where you will require that any card
holders that present badges to that reader also type an access PIN code into a
keypad (that keypad will be connected to the same reader port).
When a Card&PIN schedule is selected in the Card&PIN Schedule control,
the panel reader port is set to expect a keypad entry after every badge read.
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Fig. 50.10. The ‘Card&Pin Time Schedule’ control in Readers ‘Door Control’ tab.
The keypad port for a given reader is not enabled by default, so you must
enable the keypad port for a given door before you select a Card&PIN
Schedule for that door.
Keypad set up is discussed later in this manual section.
Time & Attendance Reader
The Time & Attendance selection control allows you to activate the Time &
Attendance function for a given reader.
Fig. 50.11. The ‘Time & Attendance Type’ control.
The T & A reader will behave like a standard reader, but the CardAccess
will generate special event messages as badges are presented to T&A readers
(see figure 50.12). T & A Readers can be set up as IN, OUT or IN&OUT
readers.
Time & Attendance is a ‘passive’ function. That is, a T&A reader will not
generate a violation message if you wish to ‘enter’ or ‘exit’ the same reader
twice (so a card holder could clock IN or OUT more than once, for
example). A cardholder will be allowed to enter or exit as many times as
they wish, without restriction.
Fig. 50.12. Time&Attendance Event Messages.
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Anti-Passback Reader
The ‘APB control’ section allows you to activate the Anti-Passback function
of a given reader. An Anti-Passback reader functions much like the Time &
Attendance reader described above, except that Anti-Passback readers can
be set to deny re-entry to a given door.
Fig. 50.13. The ‘Anti-Passback Control’ section in Readers ‘Options’ tab.
Typically, one reader is set up to be an APB IN reader, and a second reader
is set as an APB OUT reader. After a given cardholder has presented a badge
to an APB IN reader, that badge will not be accepted at an APB IN reader
again until it has been presented to an APB OUT reader.
The APB function is designed to enforce strict entry and exit rules, which
will prevent card holders from‘re-entering’ an APB IN enabled door, until
they have exited through an APB OUT enabled door. Thus, you must enable
APB on at least two readers if you wish to enforce Anti-Passback.
Vehicle Tag Reader
Generally, ‘Vehicle Tagging’ is a function where two readers are linked
together by software settings and employed to track which badge holder has
exited a facility in possession of a given vehicle. Note that the Vehicle Tag
function can only be enabled on a Superterm, Turbo Superterm and the
Super Two controller panel types. The firmware of all other panel types does
not support Vehicle Tagging.
There are two readers placed at the exit point of a motor pool parking
facility. One reader is at an elevation suitable to read a badge presented by
the driver of a vehicle. The second reader is mounted in the roadway,
directly underneath the vehicle. The second reader reads a proximity badge
mounted on the vehicle chassis.
The two readers are linked by software so that badge events from both
readers can be treated as one logical event. The ‘Vehicle Tag Superterm
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Reader Link’ control selects the vehicle tag reader that will be associated
with the badge holder reader. In other words, the link between the two
readers is accomplished in the Readers screen, on the ‘Options’ tab, in the
‘Vehicle Tag Superterm Reader Link’ control. You link the badge holder
reader to the Vehicle Tag reader (not the other way around).
Fig. 50.14. The ’Vehicle Tag Superterm Reader Link’ control in Readers ‘Options’ tab
Two readers on a single panel are required. The panels may be of Superterm,
Turbo Superterm and the Super Two controller types only.
Besides linking two readers together, you will need to create badge holder
badges and Vehicle Tag badges in the Personnel screen (see the manual
section titled Personnel for more information). The badge holder badges for
drivers of vehicles are not special badges. The same badges that allow door
access can be used.
The Vehicle Tag badge records are not special in any way either. They are
created and configured just like standard badge holder records and all of the
same rules apply. A Vehicle Tag badge record must have access group
permissions just like a standard badge. You will want to enter names in the
First and Last name fields that describe the vehicle, however.
The only configuration requirement for identifying a badge as a Vehicle Tag
is to check the ‘Vehicle Tag’ checkbox in the badge record (figure 50.15).
The Vehicle Tag badge type is created with all of the default settings of a
standard cardholder badge.
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Fig. 50.15. Personnel Screen ‘Vehicle Tag’ checkbox.
Note that in all functions that involve two badge reads, the ‘Two-Badge
Timer’ is used. The time set in the Two-Badge Timer determines how long
the system will wait for the second badge read for all two badge type events
(including Vehicle Tagging).
Fig. 50.16. The ‘Two-Badge Timer’ section in Readers ‘Options’ tab.
Thus, you need to set a value in the timer if you will be using Vehicle Tags
(the time is in seconds).
If the system collects one badge read (either badge may be read first), but
does not receive the second badge read before the timer expires, there will
be a violation event message generated as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 50.17. Vehicle Tag Violation Event Massage.
In the specific case of a Vehicle Tag reader and its associated badge reader,
you need to set a Two-Badge Timeout time for both readers. That timer will
determine how long each reader will wait for the second badge read before
generating an error event message. The timers do not need to be set to the
same value.
When either a badge or tag is read, all of the standard access control checks
are performed on that badge or tag. If the badge or tag is valid, the
associated door strike is activated (if programmed) and the panel waits for
the second reader event.
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When both the badge and the tag have been read successfully, only one
event message is generated that mentions both the ‘badge’ and ‘vehicle tag’
Fig. 50.18. A Valid Tag Event Message.
Once two readers are linked together in a Vehicle Tag arrangement, the
badges read at those readers will report as Vehicle Tag type events by
default. Further, two badge reads (one at each reader) are then expected on
every badge event. If only one (valid) badge is read at either reader, and the
timer expires, you will get a violation event message even though the door
relay was fired in response to a valid badge.
However, you can override the ‘Tag No Match’ error event message (see
figure 50.17) for specific badges, in a case where you need to set up a
situation where only one valid badge read will be permitted at either reader,
and you want a ‘Badge Valid’ event message generated instead of ‘Tag No
Match’.
For each badge that you wish to have override the vehicle tag programming,
check the ‘Tracked’ checkbox in that cardholder’s Personnel record. In the
specific case of Vehicle Tag readers, the Tracked function does not set the
badge to Tracked mode. When the Tracked enabled badge is presented to a
Vehicle Tag reader, it causes the system to ignore the Vehicle Tag linking.
At all other readers, the badge reports as ‘Tracked’.
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Readers Screen Folder Tabs
Readers screen may contain several folders tabs as shown in the figure
below.
Fig. 50.19. Readers screen folder tabs.
a) General Tab
b) Door Control Tab
c) Options Tab
d) Priorities Tab
e) DVR Tab - This tab will be visible only when ‘Enable DVR Remote
View’ option is selected in System Settings screen.
Fig. 50.20. System Settings ‘Enable DVR Remote View’ option.
f) CCTV Tab - This tab will be visible only when ‘Enable SmartView
CCTV-Full Control’ option is selected in System Settings screen.
Fig. 50.21. System Settings ‘Enable SmartView CCTV-Full Control’ option.
g) Elevator Access Tab - This tab will be visible only under the
following conditions:
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o ‘Using Elevator Readers’ checkbox is enabled in Panels screen
General tab.
Fig. 50.22. The ‘Using Elevator Readers’ check box.
o The reader is set to ‘Elevator’ type in Readers screen General
tab.
Fig. 50.23. The Readers screen ‘Reader Type’ section – ‘Elevator’ option selected.
h) Map Tab - The ‘Map’ tab will be visible only when the ‘Use Facility
Maps’ feature is enabled in System Settings screen.
Fig. 50.24. System Settings ‘Use Facility Maps’ checkbox.
i) Remote Control Tab - This tab will be visible only when the ‘Remote
Control’ check box is selected in System Settings screen.
Fig. 50.25. System Settings ‘Using Remote Control’ checkbox.
j) Location/Remarks Tab
Each of the tabs and their controls are detailed below.
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General Tab
This is the default tab in which ‘Readers’ screen will be displayed.
Fig. 50.26. Readers screen ‘General’ tab.
Panel
Readers are ultimately always connected to panels. Each new reader
definition must be attached to a panel through CardAccess software
configuration. Selecting a panel in the ‘Panel’ control attaches this reader
definition to that panel.
Fig. 50.27. The ‘Panel’ control.
Once the reader record is saved, a data packet is downloaded to the selected
panel and the panel software automatically enables the reader port indicated
by the reader record, with the options selected in the controls explained
below.
To connect the reader to a panel, click the down arrow to the right of ‘Panel’
control and select a panel in the list of panels.
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Note: Panels must be defined before attempting to create Reader definitions.
In case ‘Panel’ drop down list does not show any panel name, you need to
create panel records first. Refer the section Panels to create them.
Reader#
The ‘Reader #’ control is used to number the reader in question.
Fig. 50.28. The ‘Reader #’ control.
By default, all panel reader ports are deactivated. The Reader # indicates
which reader port the panel should activate, once the record is downloaded
to the panel indicated in the ‘Panel’ control.
A reader can be numbered by
o Clicking the white space of Reader # field and typing a number
of choice or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of Reader # control
and choosing a desired number.
Note: The software lets you create up to eight readers per panel. The
CardAccess will not allow you to create two readers with the same reader
number, on the same panel.
Name
The ‘Name’ field is for entering a descriptive text label that you wish to give
to the reader.
The name should clearly describe where the reader is located in a given
building. The CardAccess software will display this name in all events
relating to the reader in question. Descriptive names will aid users of the
CardAccess in locating the proper door when needed.
Group
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The Group selection control allows you to assign the current reader to a
click on the Group you wish to assign to the reader.
Reader Type
The ‘Reader Type’ control programs the panel reader port to behave in one
of the three ways listed below. The difference in actual software behavior of
the three reader types listed below is minimal. The primary difference
between the reader types below is how the reader will be used.
Fig. 50.31. The ‘Reader Type’ control
Door – When the Reader Type is set to Door, the reader is configured as a
standard door reader. A ‘Door’ in the CardAccess system is defined as a
reader with one door strike relay, one bypass input, one door contact input,
and optionally one shunting relay, and one keypad.
Elevator – Elevator reader programming is treated quite differently from
door reader programming in the following ways.
A new folder tab appears in the reader record called ‘Elevator
Access’
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Fig. 50.32. The Readers Screen ‘Elevator Access’ tab.
Access Group programming is extended to the Readers screen, on
the Elevator Access tab. You are given the opportunity to attach
extra relays to the door definition.
You can assign multiple relays to activate upon the presentation of
a valid access card, which is in contrast to a standard door reader
that can fire up to two relays (door strike and a shunt relay)
maximum.
However, you are still provided with the standard door relays in
addition to the elevator control relays, when you create an elevator
reader definition.
You can find more details on elevator control programming in the section
called Elevator Control found later in this section
Badge Validator – When a reader is set up as a Badge Validator, badges
that are presented to that reader will be toggled between Enabled and
Disabled. Thus, the Badge Validator reader is used to activate and deactivate
access cards (badges). Note the following rules.
Badge records are not created by the Badge Validator reader.
Only badge records that exist in the database can be activated or
deactivated.
The Badge Validator function will only change the enabled status
of the badge. When you present a badge to a Badge Validator
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reader once, the badge will be enabled (if it is currently disabled).
When you present the same badge again, the badge will be disabled.
When an enabled, valid badge is presented to a Badge Validator
reader, the door strike is fired (if programmed) and the badge is
disabled.
When a disabled badge is presented to a Badge Validator reader,
the door strike is not fired, and the badge is enabled.
Assign to Access Group from Reader
Access groups are usually created in the ‘Access Groups’ screen (see section
Access Groups). The ‘Assign to Access Group from Reader’ control allows
you to assign a reader to an access group from the Readers screen.
Fig. 50.33. The ‘Assign to Access Group from Reader’ control.
The ‘Assign to Access Group from Reader’ control contains a list of readers
that already belong to access groups. To assign a reader to an access group
from the Readers screen, you click the arrow to the right of ‘Assign to
Access Group from Reader’ control and select a reader that belongs to the
access group you want to attach the current reader to.
The current reader will be attached to the same access group as the reader
that you selected, and the current reader will be assigned the same time
block as the reader you selected.
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Enabled
The ‘Enabled’ check box either enables or disables the reader record.
A reader record that is saved with the ‘Enabled’ box checked, will be
downloaded to the panel to which, the reader is physically connected.
A reader that is saved with the ‘Enabled’ box unchecked will be removed
from the concerned panel, thereby rendering the reader inoperative.
To enable or disable the reader, click the ‘Enabled’ check box. Checked
means enabled, unchecked means disabled.
Report Bypass
Fig. 50.35. The ‘Report Bypass’ check box.
Report Bypass is enabled (checked) by default. Each panel door
connector is equipped with two inputs, which become enabled (on the
panel door connector) automatically when a new Reader record is saved
in the CardAccess software.
One of those inputs is a Bypass Input, often called a ‘request to exit’
input. On each panel door connector, the Bypass input is treated as a
special input. When there is a contact closure (a ‘short’) across the
Bypass input, the door strike relay is fired, opening the door.
The typical use for this input is to mount a switch on the inside of a door
to allow badge holders to exit a building without the need to present a
badge to a reader to do so.
Because the number of employees exiting the building, at the end of a
workday in a large facility can generate literally thousands of requests to
exit event messages, some clients prefer to turn those messages off. Some
security teams are less interested in who is leaving a building.
To turn Report Bypass off, uncheck the check box.
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Bypass Unlocks
Bypass Unlocks is enabled by default. The ‘Bypass Unlocks’ check box is
related to the ‘Report Bypass’ input explained above. The Bypass Unlocks
check box determines whether the bypass switch mentioned above will be
coupled to the door strike relay.
Fig. 50.36. The ‘Bypass Unlocks’ checkbox.
If Bypass Unlocks is checked, a closure on the bypass input will unlock the
associated door. If Bypass Unlocks is not checked, the bypass switch will be
ignored.
Report Access After Open
By default, when a valid badge is presented to any reader, the CardAccess
system generates a ‘Badge Valid’ event message immediately (no delay).
The system does not wait for the door to be pulled open before reporting the
badge access.
Potentially, a cardholder could present a valid card and decide not to enter
the door. However, an event message would still be generated, making it
look like the badge holder entered the building.
To prevent false door access reporting by valid badge holders, the
CardAccess allows you to suppress Badge Valid event messages until the
door is actually opened. The system senses the state of the door by using the
door contact input (mentioned later).
When the Report Access After Open check box is checked, the panel
software will wait for the door contact to open before sending a Badge Valid
event message.
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Fig. 50.37. The ‘Report Access After Open’ checkbox.
With the ‘Report Access After Open’ checkbox unchecked, the panel will
send a Badge Valid event message immediately, every time a valid badge is
presented to a reader.
This event message suppression works only for Badge Valid messages.
Violation messages are not affected by the ‘Report Access After Open’
control, and are sent immediately.
Escort Enabled
The Escort Enabled function is disabled by default (unchecked). When the
Escort Enabled check box is checked, the reader becomes an ‘Escort
Reader’.
Fig. 50.38. The ‘Escort Enabled’ checkbox.
No essential functioning of the reader is changed. The only noticeable
change in reader behavior is when an Escort enabled badge is presented to
an Escort reader.
When the Escort attribute is enabled for a badge, that badge works as a
normal badge at any reader that is not set with the Escort Enabled function
activated.
When an Escort enabled badge is presented to an Escort enabled reader, the
reader will refuse to grant door access unless a second, non-escort enabled
badge is presented within a timeout period.
More information on Escort readers can be found under the heading Reader
Functional Types. To set the reader as an Escort Reader, check the check
box.
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No Transaction for Valid
No Transaction for Valid is disabled on every reader by default. All events
are logged to the database unless those settings are overridden. However
there are some events that could be considered ‘less significant’, such as
Badge Valid messages.
In a standard system, the greatest majority of event messages are Badge
Valid messages. You can elect not to receive Badge Valid event messages
by enabling the No Transaction for Valid (check the check box) feature on a
reader port.
Fig. 50.39. The ‘No Transaction for Valid’ checkbox.
The benefits of not logging event messages are
o Not logging Badge Valid messages would save considerable hard
drive and database space.
o The system would not need to pick up Badge Valid event messages
from panels and would likely gain some speed improvement.
The main pitfall of not logging event messages is that if you need to
reference an event for a later report on valid access activity, perhaps
during a selected hour or day, none of those events will be stored in the
database or any archive (the events are not sent to the computer by the
panel).
Note that the No Transaction for Valid check box only suppresses Badge
Valid messages. All other event messages are unaffected.
Check the No Transaction for Valid checkbox to suppress Badge Valid
event messages for one specific reader. The feature must be set on each
reader where you wish suppress valid event messages. You are permitted
to set the feature (or not) on any readers of your choosing.
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Suppress OTL Warning
When ‘Suppress OTL Warning’ box is checked for a particular reader, all
‘Door Open Too Long’ event messages generated on that reader will be
suppressed. By default, the box is unchecked.
Fig. 50.40. The ‘Suppress OTL Warning’ checkbox.
Door Open Too Long event messages are sent by a panel (to the PC) when
there has been a ‘valid door access’ (defined as a successful badge read, and
subsequently the door contact was broken), but the door contact has not
returned to the normal state (the door has not closed) before the ‘Still Open
Delay’ timer has elapsed.
The ‘Still Open Delay’ timer is set in the ‘Doors’ section of the ‘Options’
tab, found in the Readers screen (see figure below). The default value for the
Still Open Delay timer is 30 seconds. Thus, the system will report that the
door has been ‘held open’ (which is a violation) if the door is not closed
within 30 seconds.
Fig. 50.41. The ‘Still Open Delay’ control in Readers ‘Options’ tab.
The Suppress OTL Warning option is generally used when there is a need to
hold the door open for an extended period, such as when there is a
construction crew working in the building.
Door Open Too Long messages are enabled by default. To suppress Door
Open Too Long messages, click (check) the check box for every reader that
you wish to have suppressed.
Time Schedule Violate Override
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Fig. 50.42. The ‘Time Schedule Violate Override’ checkbox.
Generally, badge holders are assigned ‘access rights’ to a given reader.
Those rights include the right to access a certain reader at selected time
schedules during which access is possible.
If a badge holder attempts to access a reader outside of a permitted time
schedule, a violation error is generated by the system and access is denied.
The ‘Time Schedule Violate Override’ feature allows you to modify the
violation behavior of the reader. If the Time Schedule Violate Override
feature is enabled (check box is checked), and a valid badge holder attempts
access at that reader outside of the specified time schedule, the panel will
still send a violation message to the PC, but the cardholder will be admitted
through the door.
Alarm Shunt Reader
Fig. 50.43. The ‘Alarm Shunt Reader’ checkbox.
If the ‘Alarm Shunt Reader’ check box is checked, the reader continues to
behave as a normal reader. However, the reader is enhanced to treat badges
that have the Alarm Shunt feature enabled differently. Alarm Shunting
behavior is fully explained in the manual section titled Personnel.
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Door Control Tab
All reader definitions are created with default settings, some of which appear
in the below list.
• Every reader is enabled 24/7/365 by default
• Every reader will accept access cards only by default
• The Keypad port is disabled
• There is no Free Access schedule
• Degrade Mode is disabled
The ‘Door Control’ folder tab contains a number of controls to modify the
default behavior of a given reader.
Fig. 50.44. Readers screen ‘Door Control’ tab.
The ‘Door Control’ tab is divided into two sections- Door Controls and
Keypad Settings. The controls in the two sections are detailed below.
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‘Door
Controls’ Section
Fig. 50.45. The ‘Door Controls’ section in Door Control tab.
The controls seen in ‘Door Controls’ section are explained below.
Card-Only Time Schedule
The ‘Card-Only Time Schedule’ control is used in conjunction with the
Keypad controls mentioned below. By default, all readers are created with a
(concealed) card only time schedule that activates the reader 24 hours per
day, 365 days per year. Also by default, the reader keypad is disabled.
Note: If you are not planning on enabling a keypad at a given door, you will
not need a ‘Card Only Time Schedule’.
When a keypad is activated for a given reader, a ‘Card & Code’ time
schedule or a ‘Code Only’ time schedule must be applied to the keypad to
make it operational. When this keypad schedule is in effect, it overrides the
default reader time schedule of ‘card only’, 24 hours per day, every day of
the year. The keypad time schedule ‘reprograms’ the door to require keypad
entries in addition to (or instead of) card reads to allow entry.
The Card-Only Time Schedule control allows you to select a schedule to
return the reader to its default state, where only a card is required to gain
entry.
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Fig. 50.46. The ‘Card-Only Time Schedule’ control.
All keypad time schedules are disabled by the Card Only time schedule. The
keypad is ignored while the Card Only time schedule is in effect.
You must decide how you wish to set up your door. You will select a CardOnly time schedule if you have a keypad enabled at the current door, and it
has a Code Only or Card & Code schedule assigned to it, and you wish to
have the keypad disabled during certain hours, requiring only a card to gain
entry during those hours.
To select a Card-Only Time Schedule click the arrow to the right of the
Card-Only Time Schedule control (see figure 50.46) and select a schedule.
The list of schedules is taken from the Schedules screen. If there are no
schedules visible, you need to create some in the ‘Schedules’ screen. Refer
the section Schedules to do this.
To disable the ‘Card-Only Time Schedule’, select ‘Not Used’ from the CardOnly Time Schedule list.
Free Access Time Schedule
Fig. 50.47. The ‘Free Access Time Schedule’ control.
During a Free Access schedule, the door control relay is activated unlocking
a door for the duration of that schedule.
Typically, Free Access schedules are used to unlock doors when employees
enter a building in the morning, during lunch or when they leave at night.
The doors are held unlocked at those times to permit easy access.
To Set a Free Access Time Schedule, click the arrow to the right of the Free
Access Time Schedule control and select a schedule. If no schedules are
visible, you must create some in the ‘Schedules’ screen. Refer the section
Schedules to do this.
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To disable the Free Access Time Schedule, select ‘Not Used’ from the ‘Free
Access Time Schedule’ list.
Degrade Mode Time Schedule
Fig. 50.48. The ‘Degrade Mode Time Schedule’ control.
When a panel is placed in Degrade mode, (by checking the ‘Degrade Mode
ON’ checkbox in Panels screen) readers on that panel are instructed to
ignore badge numbers and admit cardholders who have the correct Facility
Code (if Facility Codes are used).
This feature may prove useful when badge numbers are not being read
correctly by the readers. Since degrade mode ignores badge numbers,
cardholders with the correct facility code can still gain entry to the building.
The ‘Degrade Mode Time Schedule’ control allows you to activate degrade
mode for each door individually, based on the Degrade Mode Time
Schedule you select. To activate degrade mode for a reader during a
particular time schedule, click the arrow to the right of the ‘Degrade Mode
Time Schedule’ control and select the desired schedule from the list. In case
there are no schedules in the list, you must create some in the ‘Schedules’
screen. Refer the section Schedules to do this.
To deactivate degrade mode for a Reader, select ‘Not Used’ in the Degrade
Mode Time Schedule control.
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Door Sensor Input
The Door Sensor Input (door contact) control sets the panel input number
that the ‘door’ will use as the door contact.
Fig. 50.49. The ‘Door Sensor Input’ control.
By default, the system assigns the next available odd numbered input for the
door contact function. Door one gets input 1; door two gets input 3, etc.
The Door Sensor Input control is provided in case you wish to override the
system’s choice of input number for the door. When set to 0, there is no door
contact for the given door.
Note that any input number that gets assigned to door contact duties through
this control becomes a ‘special’ input. The standard input messages ‘Input
Normal’ and ‘Input Abnormal’ messages are changed to the door input event
messages ‘Door Forced Open’, ‘Door Now Closed’ respectively.
Further all door contact inputs have the settings of the controls of the readers
screen applied, whereas standard inputs have the settings of the Inputs
screen applied.
Note that each door contact is enabled with some default ‘behavior’. You
can override that behavior by going to the Inputs screen and creating an
input definition with the same input number as the door definition input
number (termed a ‘duplicate input definition’).
If you check the ‘Enabled’ check box in the duplicate input definition, the
door contact will report with input event messages. If you do not check the
Enabled check box, the settings found on the input screen will override the
default door contact setting behavior, but the input will report with door
contact type event messages.
The Door Sensor Input Number can be set by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Door Sensor Input’ control and typing a
number or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Door Sensor Input’
control and choosing a number.
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Bypass Input
Technically, the ‘Bypass Input’ control works identically to the ‘Door
Sensor Input’ mentioned above. However, the Bypass Input sets the input
number of the ‘Request to Exit’ switch.
Fig. 50.50. The ‘Bypass Input’ control.
By default, all door input numbers are assigned by the system automatically.
The automatically assigned Bypass Input number will be the next available
even number.
The Bypass Input (request to exit) control sets the panel input number that
the door will use as the bypass input. This can be any available input on the
panel type that you are using.
The same rules apply as stated above for the Door Sensor Input. You can
override the default settings of the door Bypass Input by creating a duplicate
input definition in inputs. If you enable the duplicate input, event messages
will report as an input instead of a door bypass.
The Bypass Input Number can be set by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Bypass Input’ control and typing a
number or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Bypass Input’ control
and choosing a number.
Door Strike Relay
The Door Strike Relay control selects the panel relay that will be used to
operate the door strike.
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Fig. 50.51. The ‘Door Strike Relay’ control.
A relay selected to be a door relay becomes a ‘special’ relay. Standard relay
event reporting, Output On, Output Off type messages are changed to Door
type access event messages.
The Door Strike Relay Number can be set by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Door Strike Relay’ control and typing a
number or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Door Strike Relay’
control and choosing a number.
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‘Keypad Settings’ Section
Fig. 50.52. The ‘Keypad Settings’ section in Door Control tab..
The controls seen in ‘Keypad Settings’ section are explained below.
Keypad Enabled
The ‘keypad Enabled’ control can be used to enable or disable a keypad.
Fig. 50.53. The ‘Keypad Enabled’ checkbox.
If checked, the Keypad will be enabled. If unchecked, the Keypad will be
disabled.
Disable Duress
Fig. 50.54. The ‘Disable Duress’ checkbox.
Duress is a feature that works in conjunction with the Card & Code feature
mentioned earlier in this section. Generally, ‘Duress’ is defined as an
emergency situation where a valid cardholder has an urgent need to attract
the attention of security personnel (the victim is under duress).
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The classic access control Duress case is where a valid cardholder
approaches a reader and is about to present his access card. An attacker
approaches from the rear and forces the cardholder to admit them both to the
building.
At the typical ‘reader only’ door installation, there would be no easy way for
the victim to attract the attention of security personnel. However, at a door
with a keypad mounted, an emergency code could be entered that would
create a special CardAccess event message. This message could then attract
the attention of security without alerting the attacker.
You need several things in place to use the Duress feature
The keypad must be enabled at all doors where the duress feature is to
be made available.
Each door must also have a reader installed and enabled.
Each badge holder must have a numeric PIN code entered in their
Personnel records (PIN codes don’t have to be unique)
A Card & Code schedule must be in effect on each door.
Thus, you will provide a keypad and reader at the door. Badge holders will
be required to present a badge and type in a PIN code on every access (while
the Card & Code schedule is in effect).
A Duress alarm is recognized by typing the first character of the PIN code
four times. Typically, if the wrong characters are typed in for the PIN code,
the door will remain locked.
However, after a valid card is presented at the reader for a door, if the first
digit of that card holder’s PIN code is typed on the keypad four times, the
Duress feature is activated and a ‘violation’ class event message is generated
(alerting security at the door), but the door is unlocked as though the correct
PIN code was typed.
The fact that the door is unlocked even though the PIN code was typed
incorrectly allows security personnel to respond without the attacker
knowing about detection.
The Disable Duress check box shuts off the duress feature when the Disable
Duress check box is checked. It is suggested however, that you leave Duress
enabled for safety reasons.
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Common Code
Fig. 50.55. The ‘Common Code’ control.
The Common Code control works in conjunction with the ‘Common Code
Schedule’ control mentioned below. A ‘Common Code’ in the CardAccess
system is defined as a numeric code, known to all cardholders that can be
typed into a keypad to gain admittance at a door without the need for an
access badge.
Thus, when a door has been set to common code mode, all cardholders will
gain entry by typing the same numeric code into the appropriate keypad.
That ‘common’ code is entered into the Common Code control for each
reader (the common code does not need to be the same for each reader).
It is important to note that there are actually two modes to the common code
control explained below.
Common Code Mode – When you fill a numeric code into the
Common Code control, the Common Code feature is put in ‘Common
Code’ mode for that reader.
Common code mode is as described above. While the Common Code
Schedule is in effect, the panel reader port will be expecting badge
holders to type in the common code as defined in the Common Code
control.
Card Number Mode– When you fill in the hexadecimal value FFFF
into the Common Code Control, the Common Code feature is put in
‘Card Number’ mode for that reader.
In Card Number mode, the panel reader port expects badge holders to
type in their card numbers (maximum 9 digits) as defined in each
individual Personnel record, for that reader.
Note the following operational issues regarding using keypad entered
card numbers to access a building (where Common Code = FFFF.
o It would be wise for cardholders to press the * key before
entering the badge number. This clears the keypad memory of
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any ‘unresolved’ digits that another user may have typed in and
left incomplete
o If facility codes are not used for a given panel, or if the facility
code is set to 0 for a given badge holder’s record, the badge
holder must type the badge number into the keypad followed by
the # symbol (the enter key) to gain access
o If facility codes are being used at the panel being accessed, then
the badge holder must type the number ‘0’, then the facility code
(in decimal), then the badge number, then the # symbol (the
enter key) to gain access.
If you are using facility codes on panels that have reader ports
set to allow keypad badge number access, only facility numbers
0-9 can be typed in (because the facility code must be preceded
by a 0). Do not use facility numbers greater than 0009 (hex) at
such panels (refer the section ‘Facility Codes’ for more
information).
Card & Pin Schedule
Fig. 50.56. The ‘Card & PIN Schedule’ control.
While ‘Card & PIN Schedule’ is in effect, entry will be granted to
cardholders only when both of the conditions below are satisfied.
A valid badge is presented at the door and
A valid PIN code is entered into a keypad mounted at the same door.
To select a schedule, click the arrow to the right of the Card & PIN Schedule
control and click on a desired schedule.
To disable Card & PIN mode (also known as card & code mode), select ‘Not
Used’ from the list of schedules and uncheck the ‘Keypad Enabled’ check
box.
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Common Code Schedule
Fig. 50.57. The ‘Common Code Schedule’ control.
While ‘Common Code Schedule’ is in effect, badge holders will be expected
to enter the common code as defined in the ‘Common Code’ control
(described above) for that reader, in order to gain entry through the door.
Badges will be rejected.
To select a schedule, click the arrow to the right of the ‘Common Code
Schedule’ control and click on a desired schedule.
To disable Common Code mode, select ‘Not Used’ from the list of schedules
and uncheck the ‘Keypad Enabled’ check box.
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Options Tab
Fig. 50.58. Readers screen ‘Options’ tab.
The controls on ‘Options’ tab are explained below.
‘Doors’ Section
Fig. 50.59. The ‘Doors’ section in Options tab.
The controls in ‘Doors’ section are explained below.
Shunt Relay
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The Shunt Relay control enables the hardware shunting relay for a door.
Fig. 50.60. The ‘Shunt Relay’ control.
The hardware shunting relay is generally used to bypass another
manufacturer’s door contact switch to prevent that alarm system from false
triggering each time a door is opened, as a result of valid access using the
CardAccess system.
The panel software is designed to activate the shunting relay a few
milliseconds before the door strike relay.
Input and relay numbers are not pre-assigned in the CardAccess. Thus, you
can assign any relay on the panel to any door or function (excepting the
console relay, #73).
However, the system does automatically assign the odd numbered onboard
relays for door functions and ‘reserves’ the even numbered onboard relays
for shunting functions. Even though you are free to change those
conventions, typically you would select an even numbered relay to perform
shunting functions.
The shunt relay can be selected by
o Using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Shunt Relay’ control and
choosing a number or
o By clicking the white space of ‘Shunt Relay’ control and typing a
number.
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Door Strike Time/Elevator Relay Duration
The dual function Door Strike Time/Elevator Relay Duration control allows
you to select the amount of time (in seconds) that the door strike (or elevator
relay) will energize before releasing and returning to the relaxed state.
The control is dual function because,
If the reader has been set up as a door reader (the default setting), this
control selects the door strike time.
Fig. 50.61. The ‘Door Strike Time’ control.
If the reader has been set up as an elevator reader (see above sections)
this control selects the elevator relay energize time duration. The label
on the control changes to reflect its function when the reader is set as
an elevator reader.
Fig. 50.62. The ‘Elevator Relay Duration’ control.
Intrusion Delay
The Intrusion Delay control selects the amount of time (in seconds) that the
system will wait before reporting a ‘Door Forced’ event message.
Fig. 50.63. The ‘Intrusion Delay’ control.
When this control is set to 0 (the default), door forced messages are reported
immediately.
When set to a number other than 0, the system will wait the specified time
before reporting the door ajar. However, if the door is returned to closed
status before the timeout period has expired, the door forced message will
not be reported.
The Intrusion Delay time can be set by
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o Using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Intrusion Delay’ control and
choosing a desired number or
o By clicking the white space of ‘Intrusion Delay’ control and typing a
number of choice.
Still Open Delay
The ‘Still Open Delay’ selects the amount of time (in seconds) that the
system will wait before broadcasting a ‘Door Open Too Long’ event
message.
Fig 50.64. The ‘Still Open Delay’ control.
When a door has been opened as a result of a valid badge read, but the door
was not returned to the closed position, the system will wait the amount of
time selected in the ‘Still Open Delay’ timer before reporting ‘Door Open
Too Long’.
The timer is only used for the first open too long delay. If the door remains
open long term, the system will rebroadcast the Door Open Too long event
messages every three minutes.
The Still Open Delay time can be set by
o Using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Still Open Delay’ control
and choosing a desired number or
o By clicking the white space of ‘Still Open Delay’ control and typing a
number of choice.
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Lock Control
The Lock Control selector determines when the system will release the door
strike relay.
Fig. 50.65. The ‘Lock Control’ control.
The control provides the following options
On Open – The door strike relay is released as soon as the door
contact is broken.
Note: You must use a door contact with this setting or the system will have
no way of determining if the door has been opened.
On Close – The door strike relay is released when the door is closed
(that is when door contact is closed). A door contact must be used for
this setting as well.
On Timeout – The system will use the timer value found in the ‘Door
Strike Time’ control to determine how long to hold the activated door
strike relay.
Time & Attendance Type
The Time & Attendance setting determines:
The type of event message generated upon a valid badge read and
The In/Out status of a given badge holder.
Fig. 50.66. The ‘Time & Attendance Type’ control.
There are three selections (and three Time & Attendance reader types).
In – When the Time & Attendance Type is set to ‘In’ for a given
reader, that reader will report ‘Badge Clock In’ event messages. The
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In/Out status of a card holder will be changed to ‘In’ after gaining
valid access at a Time & Attendance In reader.
Out – When the Time & Attendance Type is set to ‘Out’ for a given
reader, that reader will report ‘Badge Clock Out’ event messages. The
In/Out status of a card holder will be changed to ‘Out’ after gaining
valid access at a Time & Attendance Out reader.
In/Out – The In/Out Time & Attendance function uses one reader to
clock a badge holder in and out. A bi-directional capable reader (like a
Weigand swipe reader) is needed, and the badge format type must be
set to ‘Insertion’ (see the Badge Formats section of this manual).
Badge Clock In is accomplished by swiping a badge in the forward
direction. Badge Clock Out is accomplished by swiping the same
badge in the opposite direction, on the same reader.
To select a Time & Attendance type, click the arrow to the right of ‘Time &
Attendance Type’ control and click your selection.
There is more information on the Time & Attendance function in the manual
section titled Badge Holders IN .
Two Person Reader Type
Fig. 50.67. The ‘Two Person Reader Type’ control.
The Two Person Reader Type is explained in more detail under the heading
Reader Functional Types. The control provides the following choices.
In – Reader acts as a Two Person ‘In’ reader
Out – Reader acts as a Two Person ‘Out’ reader
Out w/Override – Reader acts as a Two Person Out reader, but
permits one remaining occupant to exit through the reader ‘alone’ (but
generates a violation message)
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Always – Reader always requires two badge reads to permit entry to a
door.
To select a Two Person reader type, click the arrow to the right of ‘Two
Person Reader Type’ control and click your selection.
‘Two Badge Timer’ Section
Fig. 50.68. The ‘Two-Badge Timer’ section.
Second Read Timeout – The Two Badge Timer is the timer value used by
any reader type that requires two badge reads. The timer is started when the
first badge is read. If the timer expires before the second badge is read, a
violation event message is generated. Two badge functions (Escort Reader,
Two-Person Reader and Vehicle Tag Reader) are explained in more detail
under the heading Reader Functional Types.
The Two-Badge Timer value can be set by
o Using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Second Read Timeout’
control and choosing a desired number or
o By clicking the white space of ‘Second Read Timeout’ control and
typing a number of choice.
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‘APB Control’ Section
The ‘Anti-Passback’ reader function is explained under the heading Reader
Functional Types. A reader with the APB function enabled requires that a
badge holder present a badge to an ‘In’ reader, and subsequently to an ‘Out’
reader (in that prescribed order). If the badge is presented to either reader
more than once, a violation condition occurs and the reader refuses readmittance to the cardholder (a condition termed as ‘hard’ Anti-Passback).
Fig. 50.69. The ‘Anti-Passback Control’ section in Options tab.
The controls in the ‘APB Control’ section are explained below.
APB Type
Fig. 50.70. The ‘APB Type’ control.
APB Type can be set to one of the following.
In – The reader is set to be an Anti-Passback ‘In’ reader.
Out – The reader is set to be an Anti-Passback ‘Out’ reader.
Neutral – (the default) Anti Passback is disabled at the reader.
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APB Violate Override
Fig. 50.71. The ‘APB Violate Override’ checkbox.
When the ‘APB Violate Override’ check box is checked, the panel will
allow a badge holder to open a door protected by an APB In or Out reader
multiple times, but will generate violation event messages (termed ‘soft’
Anti-Passback) each time the same reader is accessed by the same badge. In
other words, door re-entries are permitted but are seen as a violation by the
system.
Duration Use Time
Fig. 50.72. Readers screen ‘Duration Use Time’ control.
Duration Use is more fully explained in the section titled Personnel. The
Readers ‘Duration Use Time’ control works in conjunction with the
Personnel screen ‘Duration Use’ check box.
Fig. 50.73. Personnel screen ‘Duration Use’ checkbox.
When a Duration Use Time value is set at an APB reader, and a badge that
has the Duration Use feature enabled is used to access that reader, the card
holder will be allowed to re-enter at that reader after the Duration Use Time
has expired (timed Anti-Passback).
However, any card holders that do not have the Duration Use feature
enabled will be denied re-entry capability at every APB enabled door
regardless of the Duration Use Time value.
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‘Duration Use Time’ control accepts values in the range 1-2700 minutes.
The time value can be set by
o Using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Duration Use Time’ control
and choosing a desired number or
o By clicking the white space of ‘Duration Use Time’ control and
typing a number of choice.
Vehicle Tag Superterm Reader Link
The Vehicle Superterm Reader Link selection control allows you to logically
link the current reader with a second reader (on the same panel only) so that
both readers can perform Vehicle Tag functions in conjunction with one
another.
Fig. 50.74. The ‘Vehicle Tag Superterm Reader Link’ control.
More information is available under the heading Reader Functional Types.
In the ‘Vehicle Tag Superterm Reader Link’ you will be selecting the
vehicle tag reader that will be associated with the badge holder reader.
To select a reader, click the arrow to the right of ‘Vehicle Tag Superterm
Reader Link’ control and click on a reader of choice.
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Priorities Tab
The Priorities folder tab is used to set the alert priority level of the various
Reader event messages. Priority levels are used by the system to determine
which part of the CardAccess main screen (Events/Alerts grids) to display
the various reader events. Every possible type of reader event message is
mentioned on the Priorities tab.
Fig. 50.75. Readers screen ‘Priorities’ tab.
The Priorities tab is divided into two sections- Priority Settings and
Miscellaneous Priorities.
The two sections and their controls are explained below.
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‘Priority Settings’ Section
The Priority Settings section sets the priority of each type of alert that you
would normally want to have displayed because they are (mostly) violation
type messages.
Fig. 50.76. The ‘Priority Settings’ section offering controls for violation type alerts.
The controls in the ‘Priority Settings’ section are explained below.
Priority
The ‘Priority’ spin controls allow you to set the ‘numeric significance’ of a
given alert type. By default, the system loads default priority values to each
of the alert types as shown in the figure below.
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Fig. 50.77. Priority spin controls for Reader alert types.
The priority values aid in routing of the reader alerts to one of the two grids
(Events/Alerts) in the CardAccess main screen.
Note: Priority values set for the reader alert types in Readers screen will be
screen.
o Typing in a desired number in the ‘Priority’ spin control or
o By using up/down arrows of ‘Priority’ spin control to choose a
desired number.
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Each of the Reader Alert priorities has a check box labeled ‘Requires Alert
Response’ as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 50.78. The ‘Requires Alert Response’ checkboxes for reader alert types.
By default these checkboxes will be unchecked. If an alert type has this
check box selected, then, automatic acknowledgement of the concerned alert
type will be disabled. So, manual acknowledgement will be required to
resolve the alert upon its occurrence.
In manual alert acknowledgement, the operator is forced to respond to the
alert by typing in a Response Message in the Alert Acknowledge popup
window and clicking the Acknowledge button to move the alert from the
Alerts Grid into the Events Grid.
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Activate Console Relay
Fig. 50.79. The ‘Activate Console Relay’ checkboxes for reader alert types.
When Activate Console Relay checkbox is checked for an alert type, the
system will fire the Console Relay every time alerts of the type indicated are
received from the reader. Note that the Console Relay (relay 73) must be
enabled at the panel before it can be activated (see the manual section titled
Relays)
‘Miscellaneous Priorities’ Section
The ‘Miscellaneous Properties’ section has controls for normal door alerts,
when the door is being accessed normally with permission.
Fig. 50.80. The ‘Miscellaneous Priorities’ section offering controls for normal door
alerts.
The controls in the ‘Miscellaneous Priorities’ section are explained below.
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Enable Oper Acknowledge
Enable Oper Acknowledge is disabled by default. When disabled, all event
types mentioned in the Miscellaneous Priorities section will go directly into
CardAccess ‘Events’ grid.
Fig. 50.81. The ‘Enable Oper Acknowledge’ checkboxes.
When enabled (checked), the events will enter the ‘Alerts’ grid and wait for
the operator to acknowledge them.
Priority
The ‘Priority’ spin controls allow you to set the ‘numeric significance’ of a
given alert type. By default, the system loads default priority values to each
of the alert types as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 50.82. Default Priorities loaded for normal alerts in ‘Miscellaneous Priorities’
section.
An alert’s Priority value in the ‘Miscellaneous Properties’ section will
determine where to display the alert (CardAccess Events/Alerts grid),
depending on the ‘Enable Oper Acknowledge’ checkbox value of that
particular alert. In case the checkbox is checked, the concerned alert will go
into the ‘Alerts’ grid ignoring the Priority value. On the other hand, if the
checkbox is unchecked, the alert will directly go into the Events grid.
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Note: Priority values set for the reader alert types in Readers screen will be
screen.
o Typing in a desired number in the ‘Priority’ spin control or
o By using up/down arrows of ‘Priority’ spin control to choose a
desired number.
Each of the Reader Alert priorities has a check box labeled ‘Requires Alert
Response’ as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 50.83. The ‘Requires Alert Response’ checkboxes for Miscellaneous Priorities.
Note: The ‘Requires Alert Response’ checkboxes will be grayed out by
default as seen in the above figure. A ‘Requires Alert Response’ checkbox
will be active only when the corresponding ‘Enable Oper Acknowledge’
checkbox is checked.
If an alert type has this check box selected, then, automatic
acknowledgement of the concerned alert type will be disabled. So, manual
acknowledgement will be required to resolve the alert upon its occurrence.
In manual alert acknowledgement, the operator is forced to respond to the
alert by typing in a Response Message in the Alert Acknowledge popup
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window and clicking the Acknowledge button to move the alert from the
Alerts Grid into the Events Grid.
Manual Control Privilege
Fig. 50.84. The ‘Manual Control Privilege’ control.
The manual Control Privilege control sets the manual control access level of
the reader. This feature affects how the reader is displayed in the ‘Doors’
manual control screen, available from the CardAccess main toolbar. See the
manual section titled Manual Control for more information.
The default privilege for any new reader will be set to ‘All’. To change the
privilege level for the given reader, click the arrow to the right of ‘Manual
Control Privilege’ control and click the desired privilege level.
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DVR Tab
The ‘DVR’ tab in Readers screen is used for configuring a DVR Camera to
the selected Reader.
The DVR tab will be visible only when Enable DVR RemoteView option is
selected in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Fig. 50.85. Enabling DVR RemoteView in System Settings screen.
Readers screen in DVR tab will appear as below.
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Fig. 50.86. Readers screen in DVR tab.
The controls in DVR tab are explained below.
DVR Server Name
The ‘DVR Server Name’ control will contain the list of all DVR Servers that
are defined in CardAccess 3000 Dvr RemoteView Configuration screen
(refer the document ‘DVR RemoteView Integration with CardAccess 3000’
for details).
Fig. 50.87. The ‘DVR Server Name’ control.
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To select the DVR Server that supports the camera focusing the selected
reader (door), click the down arrow to the right of ‘DVR Server Name’
control and select the required server name in the list.
Camera
The ‘Camera’ control will contain the list of all camera names that are
connected to the DVR Server that was selected in the ‘DVR Server Name’
control.
Fig. 50.88. The ‘Camera’ control.
Note: Camera drop down box will not be available unless a DVR Server is
selected. The label ‘Camera’ will be visible by default. But the drop down
box for camera selection will be seen only after server selection.
To select the camera focusing the selected reader, click the down arrow to
the right of ‘Camera’ control and select the required camera name in the list.
Pre-Event Time, Post Event Time
The ‘Pre-Event Time’ control is used to set the view time you wish to allow
before the occurrence of events at the selected reader.
The ‘Post Event Time’ control is used to set the view time you wish to allow
after the occurrence of events at the selected reader.
Both these controls will be assigned the default value of 50 seconds.
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Fig. 50.89. The ‘Pre Event and Post Event Time’ controls.
The default Pre-Event/Post-Event Times can be changed in the following
ways:
o By clicking the white space of the control (Pre/Post Event
Time) and typing in a number of choice or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of the control to
choose the desired number.
Priority From, Priority To
Priority From and To controls are used to set the priority range for the events
that can occur at the selected reader. When a range is fixed, only DVR
recorded videos of events whose priority values fall within that particular
range can be viewed.
Fig. 50.90. The ‘Priority From and To’ spin controls.
The system assigns the default priority range of 1-70.
Note: Values in the range of 1-98 can be employed.
The default priority range can be changed in the following ways.
o By clicking the white space of the control (Priority From/To) and
typing in a number of choice or
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o By using the up/down arrows to the right of the control to choose the
desired number.
Configuring DVR Camera to a Reader
Following are the steps for configuring DVR camera to a reader:
• Open Readers screen by clicking on Configuration->Readers menu
options in CardAccess main screen.
• In the upper half of Readers screen, click on a reader record.
• Click on DVR tab.
Note: The DVR tab will be visible only if Enable DVR RemoteView
option is selected in ‘System Settings’ screen.
The DVR tab will look similar to the figure shown below.
Fig. 50.91. Readers Screen ‘DVR’ tab.
• Click the down arrow to the right of DVR Server Name field and
select a desired server in the drop down list.
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• Click the down arrow to the right of Camera control and select a
desired camera name in the drop down list.
Note: The ‘Camera’ drop down box will not be available unless a
DVR Server is selected.
• Enter the Pre Event Time (view time before the occurrence of an
event at the selected reader).
The time value can be entered in two ways as below.
o By clicking the white space of ‘Pre Event Time’ control and
typing in a number of choice.
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Pre Event Time’
spin control and choosing a desired number.
• Enter the Post Event Time (view time after the occurrence of an
event at the selected reader). Post Event Time can be entered in the
same manner as pre-event time was entered.
• Enter lower limit of the priority range in the Priority From
control. The lowest possible number that can be entered is 1.
Note: Priority range is the range in which events of different priorities
fall into. The DVR recorded video of only those events falling within this
range can be viewed.
• Enter upper limit of the priority range in the Priority To edit box.
The highest possible number that can be entered is 98.
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CCTV Tab
CCTV tab can be used to program the selected reader for SmartView CCTV
feature.
CCTV tab will be visible only when the Enable SmartView CCTV-Full
Control option is selected in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Fig. 50.92. Enabling ‘SmartView CCTV –Full Control’ feature in System Settings
screen.
Readers screen in CCTV tab will appear as below.
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Fig. 50.93. Readers screen in CCTV tab.
The controls in CCTV tab are explained below.
Enable SmartView for this Reader
The ‘Enable SmartView for this Reader’ checkbox is used to enable/disable
the SmartView CCTV feature for a selected reader.
Fig. 50.94. The ‘Enable SmartView for this Reader’ checkbox.
Checked is enabled, unchecked is disabled (the default).
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Assign as this PC
The function of ‘Assign as this PC’ button is to assign the current PC as a
CCTV workstation.
Fig. 50.95. The ‘Assign as this PC’ button.
For assigning, click on ‘Assign as this PC’ button.
Fig. 50.96. Message box displayed after clicking ‘Assign as this PC’ button.
Click on Yes button in the message box for workstation assignment.
CCTV Activation Conditions
The ‘CCTV Activation Conditions’ section provides checkboxes for event
types that can be generated in the CardAccess system.
Fig. 50.97. The ‘CCTV Activation Conditions’ section.
Selection of a checkbox will trigger the selected CCTV function or preset
upon the occurrence of an event that belongs to the selected type. Click the
checkbox to select the desired event type.
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Note: The CCTV functions and presets are defined using the Live Video
screen and ‘Function Key Programming’ screen respectively. Refer the
SmartView Helpfile for details.
CCTV Function to Execute
The ‘CCTV Function to Execute’ control stores the default and, all of the
CCTV functions that are defined in the ‘Function Key Programming’ screen
(refer SmartView Helpfile for details). A desired CCTV function can be
selected for execution upon the occurrence of the selected event types.
Fig. 50.98. The ‘CCTV Function to Execute’ control.
To select a function, click the down arrow to the right of ‘CCTV Function to
Execute’ control and select a function of choice.
Note: The ‘CCTV Function to Execute’ control will be visible only after you
click the ‘Assign as this PC’ button, for assigning your computer as the
SmartView workstation.
Take CCTV Snapshot
When ‘Take CCTV Snapshot’ checkbox is selected, the SmartView CCTV
software will take snapshots of the events (whose event type is selected in
the ‘CCTV Activation Conditions’ section) upon their occurrence. By
default the checkbox is unchecked.
Fig. 50.99. The ‘Take CCTV Snapshot’ checkbox.
Click the checkbox if you wish to take CCTV snapshots of the event types
selected.
The snapshot taken will be stored in the database along with the event. An
event having a CCTV snapshot will show a camera icon in the Photo column
of the event record, in CardAccess main screen.
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Snapshot delay (ms)
A few cameras such as the PTZ cameras need some time to move and
position themselves before they can take snapshots. This time requirement is
met by fixing what we call as the snapshot ‘delay’ time.
The ‘Snapshot Delay’ field is used to set the amount of time you wish to
allow for proper positioning of cameras before taking CCTV snapshots.
Fig. 50.100. The ‘Snapshot Delay’ field.
Configuring CCTV SmartView for a Reader
Following are the steps for configuring CCTV SmartView feature to a
reader:
• In the upper half of Readers screen, click on a reader record.
• Click on CCTV tab.
Note: CCTV tab will be visible only when Enable SmartView CCTVFull Control option is selected in ‘System Settings’ screen.
The CCTV tab will look similar to the figure shown below.
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Fig. 50.101. The ‘CCTV’ tab.
•
Click the Enable SmartView for this Reader checkbox.
• Click on Assign as this PC button for assigning your computer as the
SmartView workstation and then click on click on Yes button in the
message box that is displayed.
Once this is done, the name of your computer will be shown against the label
‘SmartView Workstation’ and a new control called ‘CCTV Function to
Execute’ will appear below the ‘CCTV Activation Conditions’ section as
shown highlighted in the figure below.
Fig. 50.102. The ‘CCTV Function to Execute’ control visible after ARUNLPT is
assigned as the SmartView Workstation.
• In the ‘CCTV Activation Conditions’ section, check the desired
checkboxes provided for the event types that can be generated in the
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• Click the down arrow to the right of ‘CCTV Function to Execute’ and
select the desired function in the list.
Note:
• The ‘CCTV Function to Execute’ control will not be visible unless
you assign your computer as the SmartView workstation.
• The ‘CCTV Function to Execute’ drop down list will show the
default function (VIDEO WINDOW ON/OFF) and all of the
CCTV functions that you define in the ‘Function Key
Programming’ screen (refer SmartView Helpfile for defining
functions).
•
If you wish to take snapshots of the selected event types, click the
‘Take CCTV Snapshot’ checkbox to select it.
• If you wish to allow time for positioning of cameras before taking
snapshots, click the white space of ‘Snapshot Delay’ field and type a
desired time value.
Fig. 50.103. The ‘Snapshot Delay’ field.
Note: The unit of measurement for ‘Snapshot Delay’ field is
millisecond (1/1000 of a second). That is, in case you wish to allow 1
second for camera positioning, you will have to enter the value 1000.
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Elevator Access Tab
The Elevator Access tab will be visible only when the following options are
enabled for a Reader record:
• The ‘Using Elevator Readers’ check box is selected in Panels screen
General tab.
Fig. 50.104. The ‘Using Elevator Readers’ check box in Panels screen General tab.
Note: Unless the ‘Using Elevator Readers’ check box is selected, the
‘Elevator’ radio button option will not be available for selection in the
‘Readers’ screen.
• The Reader type is set to ‘Elevator’ in Readers screen General tab.
Fig. 50.105. The ‘Reader Type’ section in Readers General tab- ‘Elevator’ option
selected.
A click on the ‘Elevator Access’ tab will display Readers screen similar
to the figure shown below.
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Fig. 50.106. The Readers ‘Elevator Access’ tab.
The tab is divided into an upper half and a lower half. The upper half lists
the access groups that have the current reader included. The lower half of the
screen lists all of the relays that have been defined in the ‘Relays’ screen (for
more information refer the section Relays).
Generally, for a given reader you highlight a selected access group in the top
half of the screen, and you click whichever relays you wish to activate for
that access group in the bottom half of the screen.
Functionally, you are first setting the mode of a given reader to ‘Elevator’.
Then, you are using the Elevator Access tab to assign selected relays to
selected access groups for that reader only.
You have then created a situation where a card holder who belongs to a
given access group can access a reader that has relays assigned for that
access group, and fire each one of those relays simultaneously upon the
presentation of a valid badge. In this way, elevator call buttons can be
activated for selected floors. See the section titled ‘Elevator Control’ at the
end of this chapter for more detailed information on Elevator Control.
You can elect to assign relays to all access groups listed or none of the
access groups listed. First, select an access group on the top half of the
screen by clicking it. Then click the checkbox for each relay that you wish to
fire when a card with that access group is presented.
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Elevator Control
Continental Instruments access control panel can be used to perform the
function of ‘Elevator Control’.
‘Elevator Control’ implies the following:
• The ability of the Continental access control panels to limit access into
and out of the elevator ‘cab’ (call the elevator and open and close the
elevator door)
• The ability of the Continental panels to limit access to a given floor or set
of floors (enable or disable selected floor selection buttons).
In general, the above limits can be assigned on a per person basis or can
permit ‘everyone’ access based on a time schedule.
Note: Currently the Superterm and the Smarterm access controls panel are
the only Continental panels equipped with firmware capable of performing
elevator control. If you intend to use a Smarterm, you must upgrade the
memory to at least 256K. The Superterm comes with 256K standard, enough
to handle elevator control. For the examples in this discussion we will use
the Superterm panel.
Before you can apply Continental hardware to an elevator control situation,
it will be helpful to define the problems you wish to solve. In the case of an
elevator control application, you must decide on the following:
• Do you need to limit access to the elevator cab?
• Do you need to limit access to a given floor or set of floors?
• Who is to have access to the elevator cab?
• Who is allowed access to each floor?
Once the problem set is defined, Continental’s line of sophisticated hardware
can be applied to solve each of the elevator problems in turn.
Let’s create a few examples to illustrate the configuration issues.
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Example 1 Summary – Full Control
In this example we want to limit access to the Elevator cab and we want to
limit which floors a given ‘rider’ on the elevator has access to.
Example 2 Summary – Limited Floor Access Only
In this example, we want to allow anyone into the elevator cab, but we want
to limit which floors a given rider on the elevator has access to.
For both examples let’s say we will have ten floor selection buttons inside
the elevator. The lower five floors will be available to anyone who enters the
elevator cab, and the top five selection buttons will remain unavailable
unless you are specially authorized. In other words, there are a number of
unrestricted floors in the building and some restricted floors too.
Hardware Considerations
The hardware you choose for the application will depend on the problem
definition. Let’s talk about some generalities first.
In the simplest CardAccess installation, our panel may be connected to a
switch, which is mounted at a door. When that switch is activated, the panel
activates a built in relay, which is connected to an electronic door lock,
which unlocks the door.
So, Continental panels can be viewed as intelligent switching devices.
Activate an input; the panel activates a relay based on rules you set in the
The type of input device used to control a Continental panel is optional. You
can use a switch, a keypad or a reader. The panel is flexible enough to accept
any or all of those devices as input devices. All of those input devices have
but one mission inside the panel hardware – when an input device is
triggered, a relay or a group of relays will be activated based on rules that
you as the CardAccess Administrator set up in the software.
Note:
• Whenever you go to Configuration->Readers and create a new door
definition on any panel, some automatic input and relay assignments
are already made for you on the Readers screen Door Control Tab.
You need to keep this in mind when you start to assign relays and
inputs for your elevator application. Look in the readers screen to see
what inputs and relays have already been used before you try to
assign them to your elevator.
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• Read and understand the entire Superterm and Smarterm Installation
and Service manuals. All the specifications and connection
information for the panels and all of their accessories are in those
manuals.
Let’s look at a typical elevator. It has a push button on the outside of the cab
so you can summon the elevator. Once you enter the cab, you usually find
several floor ‘selection’ buttons.
Thus, to add security to the typical elevator you will perhaps limit who goes
into the elevator cab and/or you will limit what selection buttons are made
available to a given rider.
Example Elevator Control Implementations
Example 1 – Full Control
General Considerations
Since we want to limit access to the elevator cab in this example, we can’t
permit a push button on the wall outside of the cab. We will want to replace
the button with a card reader or a keypad. This will require that anyone who
wishes to gain access to the elevator, present the system with some means to
identify them before being permitted to enter the elevator cab.
Since the elevator call button is a very simple device that basically ‘shorts’
two wires together, we can replace that button with a relay that performs the
same function.
Generally, you will disconnect and remove the elevator’s floor call button,
and bring that call button’s wires back to a relay on the Superterm. When we
activate that relay, it will short the call wires (in place of the button). When
you turn off that relay it will release the short across the call button wires.
The relay will ‘mimic’ the operation of the call button. Except now, we have
software control over the function of that relay. The elevator call button
input will ‘see’ what we want it to see, and we will gain control over when
we want it to happen.
Input Considerations
Our goal in example 1 is to place an input device on the wall in place of the
call button. You will be required to run the appropriate wire type from the
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reader to wherever the panel is mounted. Regarding input device types, you
have three options:
• Card Reader
• Keypad
• Button
A card reader or keypad are commonly used. This will force anyone wanting
to gain entry to the elevator to identify themselves to the CardAccess
system. This is very useful for creating detailed reports of who was using the
elevator, how much they used it and when.
Note that you could also connect a button to the Superterm in place of a
keypad or reader. You may think that this was exactly what we had
originally, why do it?
It is not really what we had originally. When you insert the Superterm panel
in between the call button and the elevator control circuits, it allows you to
have more control over the call button’s operation.
You can create history files of when the button was used. You can disable
the button outside of specified hours of the day. Those functions may not be
available from the elevator manufacturer, so you pick up some rudimentary
control of granting access to the elevator cab.
By far the biggest reason to insert a CardAccess system into an elevator
control application is to gain ‘identity control’ capability. You can prevent
unauthorized use of the elevator and you can identify who was in the
elevator, at what time of day. So for example 1, since we want to be able to
identify the elevator occupants, we will add a reader.
There are several types of card readers available. We will choose a
‘proximity reader’ available from Continental Instruments (with a 36 bit
output, say).
Output Considerations
The second half of the problem for this example stated that we wanted to
control the floor selection buttons inside the elevator cab. Again, a floor
selection button is simply a momentary switch.
Our goal here will be to splice a relay into one wire (the hot wire, say) of
each floor selection switch. We only need to put relays in the circuits of the
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switches that we want to control. These relays will hold the line open unless
the relay is energized by the panel.
With the connection between the elevator circuits and the floor selection
switches now broken and ‘normally open’, the floor call button will be
‘dead’ to anyone entering the elevator cab. Now we have software control
over whether that switch will be active or not.
In the CardAccess software, you now have several choices of how you want
to approach control of these ‘switched’ floor selection buttons.
Regarding the Operation of Relays
• Relays can be energized on a time schedule
• Relays can be energized based on some input change of status
• Relays can be made to energize when a particular badge or group of
badges are presented at a reader.
• Relays can be made to energize on certain types of badge or door events
(see the section on virtual inputs).
Our example 1 project requires that we use a reader at the elevator door to
activate the floor selection buttons. Since we are using access cards to gain
entry to the elevator cab, let’s create a situation where we activate a floor
button or a group of buttons based on which cardholder presents their card.
What this means inside the CardAccess software is that we will program a
card to activate a number of relays. If you present a valid card, and that card
is allowed at that elevator, at that time of day, then we will allow the relays
that are connected to (some or all of) the elevator floor selection buttons to
be energized (completing the floor button circuits).
Example 2 – Limited Floor Access Only
General Discussion
In this example, we will allow everyone access into the elevator cab.
However, we want some buttons on the elevator control panel to be available
to everyone, and some buttons to be available to only those riders that we
authorize.
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Example 2 is identical in many respects to example 1, except that we will
not add a card reader at the elevator entrance. We will leave the call button
in place so anyone may gain entry to the elevator cab.
However, we will mount a reader inside the elevator cab so that once a rider
is inside the elevator, they can present an access card to that reader. We will
then control which buttons become available for that user.
We will not discuss the similarities to example 1, just the expected
differences. The method of connecting relays, readers and inputs is identical
to what you have already read in example 1. Below are the differences:
Example 2 Implementation
• We will leave the elevator call button in place outside the elevator door.
• We will move the reader to inside the elevator cab. The connection for
this reader is the same as example 1.
• There are some floor selection buttons that will be available to every
elevator passenger. We will leave those floor selection buttons connected
to the standard elevator controls (they will not be connected to the
Superterm)
• As in the previous example, let’s assume that we have 10 total floor
selection buttons. Five of those buttons are ‘unrestricted’ and five are
‘restricted’. Further, regarding those five restricted buttons, there will be
some riders that have permission to use restricted buttons. Let’s also say
that there will be no rider who has access to each of the five floors
• In both examples, only the 5 restricted buttons need to be connected to the
Superterm
Software Setup for Elevator Control
Step 1 – Program the Panel for Elevator Control
To set a panel up to support elevator readers, do the following.
• Open ‘Panels’ screen by clicking on Configuration->Panels menu
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• Click on New button to create a new panel definition or the Edit button to
edit an existing definition.
• Click the Using Elevator Readers check box (so it is checked).
Fig. 50.107. The Panels Screen ‘Using Elevator Readers’ checkbox highlighted.
• Click on Save button in the toolbar.
Step 2 – Program the Reader for Elevator Control
• Open the ‘Readers’ screen by clicking on Configuration->Readers
menu options in CardAccess main screen.
• Click on New button to create a new reader definition or the Edit button
to edit an existing definition.
• Click on Elevator radio button in the ‘Reader Type’ section. Once
‘Elevator’ is selected, the Elevator Access folder tab will become visible.
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Fig. 50.108. Readers screen in General Tab showing ‘Elevator’ button and ‘Elevator
Access’ tab highlighted.
Step 3 – Program the Elevator Access Groups
• Open the ‘Readers’ screen by clicking on Configuration->Readers
menu options in CardAccess main screen.
• Assuming that you have accomplished step 2 on at least one reader, use
the scrollbar to locate a reader that has a Reader Type set to ‘Elevator’.
• Click on Elevator Access tab. Readers screen in this tab will look similar
to the figure shown below.
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Fig. 50.109. The Readers screen in ‘Elevator Access’ tab
Notice that the Elevator Access tab is divided into an upper and lower
section. The upper section is a listing of all of the access groups that have
been programmed into the CardAccess software that include the reader that
you are currently looking at.
The object in this screen is to select one or more access groups that already
belong to cardholders, to whom you wish to allow access to elevator call
buttons. You select the given access group in the top part of the screen by
clicking it, and then click on each relay in the ‘Relay Call Buttons’ section
of the screen. Each relay that has a check mark beside it will fire whenever a
badge with the selected access group is presented to the reader you are
currently editing.
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Fig. 50.110. ‘Maintenance’ Access Group provided access to all of the elevator call
buttons by checking every Relay Call-Button.
If your access group section is blank, you need to create some in the ‘Access
Groups’ screen (if none are created). Refer the section Access Groups to do
this. Or, if you see access groups in the Access Groups screen but none
appear in the Elevator Access tab of the reader you are editing, you need to
include the reader you are currently editing in some of your existing access
groups. See the manual section titled Access Groups for more information.
For example, in the figure above reader 2-1 is highlighted. If there were no
access groups visible in the Access Groups half of the folder tab, we would
open the Access Groups screen. We would then add a schedule to reader 2-1
in some existing access group(s), if there were existing access groups that
we wanted to use.
Or, we would create a new access group where we would want to make sure
that reader 2-1 did have a time schedule programmed. Once reader 2-1
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appears in any access group (and has a time schedule assigned), that access
group becomes visible in the Elevator Access tab of the Readers screen.
The lower section of the Elevator Access tab is a listing of all of the Relays
that have been programmed into the CardAccess software. If the lower half
of the screen is blank, open the Relays screen, available from the
Configuration menu and create some relay definitions. See the section titled
Relays for more information.
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Map Tab
The ‘Map’ tab has controls that allow you to add or edit a map for the
selected reader. The Map tab is not visible unless the ‘Use Facility Maps’
Fig. 50.111. The Readers ‘Map’ tab.
The controls in ‘Map’ folder tab are explained below.
This field displays the name of the map that is attached to the selected
reader.
Map Description
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Size Image to fit
Image bitmaps come in all shapes and sizes. The CardAccess Maps
image view control is set by default to stretch the image to fit the size of
the image display window.
If ‘Size Image to fit’ checkbox is disabled, the image will be displayed in
its native size format (wherein white space may appear on the sides, or
top and on the bottom). The check box is enabled by default.
View Maps
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Remove Map
Remote Control Tab
The ‘Remote Control’ tab for a given reader has controls that determine
which types of alerts will cause the transmission of the CCTV command
string mentioned in the ‘CCTV Command Name’ control.
The Remote Control tab will be visible only when the ‘Remote Control’
checkbox is checked in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Fig. 50.117. The Readers screen ‘Remote Control’ tab.
The function of each of the controls on the Remote Control folder tab are
explained below.
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CCTV Activation Conditions
The ‘CCTV Activation Conditions’ check boxes determine which types of
alerts will cause the transmission of the CCTV string. You may select any or
all of the conditions indicated by clicking each condition (checked means
selected).
CCTV Command Name
This control contains the list of all CCTV commands that were created in
the ‘System Settings’, CCTV tab (see the manual section titled System
Settings for more information). You will select a command to be ‘bound’ to
the given reader. That command will be transmitted from the CCTV serial
port each time an event of the type(s) detailed in the CCTV Activation
Conditions section is received by the CardAccess software.
To select a CCTV Command Name, click to arrow to the right of the ‘CCTV
Command Name’ control and click your selection.
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and remarks (if any) on the selected reader.
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Creating a Basic Reader Definition
Following are the steps to create a basic reader record.
in General tab.
• Click the down arrow of Panel control and select a panel in the drop
down list. The current reader will be connected to the panel you
select.
Note: If no panel names are seen in the list, it means that panel definitions
are not yet created. It is necessary that you define panels before you can
proceed with reader definitions.
• Number the reader in the Reader # control. This can be done in two
ways as below.
Fig. 50.121. The Reader # control.
o Click the white space of Reader # field and type in a number or
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o Use the up/down arrows to the right of Reader # control and
choose a desired number.
Note: The software lets you create up to eight readers per panel. The
CardAccess will not allow you to create two readers with the same reader
number, on the same panel.
• Click the white space of Name field and enter a descriptive name for
the reader.
A reader thus created and saved has the following configuration items that
are loaded with default values assigned by the system.
• Reader Type – The Reader type is set to ‘Door’ by default
• Enabled – The ‘Enabled’ check box is checked
• Report Bypass – The ‘Report Bypass’ check box is checked
• Bypass Unlocks – The ‘Bypass Unlocks’ check box is checked
• No Schedules– No schedules are entered in any of the schedule controls.
The reader is activated 24 hours per day, every day of the year by default,
unless an override schedule is manually selected in one of the schedule
controls.
• No Keypad– The available keypad interface is disabled by default. You
must manually activate the keypad interface if desired.
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• Inputs– Door Sensor and Bypass inputs are automatically chosen by the
system based on the reader number
• Door Strike Relay– The Door Strike Relay is automatically chosen by
the system.
• Options – Each control on the Options tab is loaded with default values
• Message Priorities – Event message priorities are automatically entered
for each type of reader event message.
• CCTV – CCTV is disabled
• DVR- DVR is disabled.
• Maps – Maps are not assigned.
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Readers Screen Right-Click Options
The following options are available by right-clicking on any record in the
‘Readers’ screen:
• Show Events and
• Show Access List
Fig. 50.124. Right-click options for reader events.
‘Show Events’ Right-Click Option
Left-Clicking this option will open the ‘Reader Events’ screen. This screen
will show the list of all events that are generated at the reader selected in the
‘Readers’ screen.
The figure 50.125 below shows all events that were generated at the ‘4-1
Front Door’ reader.
This event list was obtained by highlighting 4-1Front Door reader record in
Readers screen, right-clicking on the highlighted reader record and then left
clicking on ‘Show Events’ option.
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Fig. 50.125. The ‘Reader Events’ screen.
The screen details follow.
‘Reader
Events’ Screen Controls
The ‘Reader Events’ screen provides the following controls.
Exclude Badges
When ‘Exclude Badges’ button is selected, the ‘Reader Events’ screen will
show only ‘door’ type events that were generated at the selected reader. The
‘Badge’ type events will not be shown.
Fig. 50.126. The ‘Exclude Badges’ radio button.
The ‘Exclude Badges’ button will be selected by default every time ‘Reader
Events’ screen is opened.
Include Badges
If you wish to view badge events in addition to door events at a selected
reader, click on ‘Include Badges’ radio button.
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Fig. 50.127. The ‘Include Badges’ radio button.
Only Badges
If you wish to view only badge type events that have occurred at a selected
reader, click on ‘Only Badges’ radio button.
Fig. 50.128. The ‘Only Badges’ radio button.
Refresh
When ‘Refresh checkbox is selected, the Reader Events screen will show the
most current events that have occurred at the selected reader.
Fig. 50.129. The ‘Refresh’ checkbox.
The check box is selected by default.
Preview/Print
Clicking on Preview/Print button will print the Reader Events screen that
lists the events that have occurred at a selected reader.
Fig. 50.130. The ‘Preview/Print’ button.
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Close
Clicking on Close button will close the Reader Events screen.
Fig. 50.131. The ‘Close’ button.
‘Reader Events’ Screen Columns
The ‘Reader Events’ screen consists of the following columns:
Event Date
The Event Date column shows the date of occurrence of the events that were
generated at the selected reader. See figure 50.125.
Event Class
The Event Class column shows the class that the events of the selected
reader belong to. See figure 50.125.
Description
The description column gives the description of the selected reader. The
description includes the reader name and the panel that the reader is
connected to. See figure 50.125.
Location
The Location column shows the name of the panel where the selected reader
is located. See figure 50.125.
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How Handled
The How Handled column shows what action was taken on the events that
were generated at the selected reader. See figure 50.125.
Responses
‘Responses’ column will show the date on which the highlighted event was
responded (in case the event has a response message attached) and the name
of the operator who responded to that event.
If the highlighted event has no response message attached, then ‘Responses’
column of that event will be blank.
Note: The navigation bar seen in ‘Reader Events’ screen works similar to
the ‘Readers’ screen navigation bar. Refer the heading Reader Screen
Navigation Bar.
‘Show Access List’ Right-Click Option
Left-Clicking this option will open the ‘Show Usage’ screen that lists the
names of all badge holders who are allowed access at the selected reader and
time schedule during which they can access that reader.
The figure below shows the names of badge holders who have access to
‘First Floor Employee Entrance’ reader and the time schedules during
which they can access it.
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Fig. 50.132. The ‘Show Usage’ screen.
The screen also indicates the total number of badges having access at the
reader and number of badges that are in ‘Disabled’ state (meaning personnel
records whose ‘Enabled’ check box is deselected in Personnel screen).
There are two button controls in the screen as explained below.
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Preview/Print
Clicking this button will print the ‘Show Usage’ screen.
Fig. 50.133. The ‘Preview/Print’ button.
Exit
Clicking this button will close the ‘Show Usage’ screen.
Editing a Reader Definition
in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the reader record you wish to
• Make the desired changes to the controls in the folder tabs.
Note:
o The Reader # field cannot be edited. Reader # once set during
reader creation is not subject to change.
o It is not possible to associate the selected reader with a different
panel. In other words, a reader once associated with a particular
panel is permanently attached to that specific panel only. The
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system will not allow you to change the panel name in the
Panel control.
Deleting a Reader Definition
in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the reader record you wish to
Fig. 50.135. Message box displayed before deleting a reader record.
Note: Deleting a reader record will remove that record from the concerned
panel, thereby rendering the reader inoperative.
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Readers Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 50.136. Readers screen navigation bar.
The Readers screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the screen.
reader records in the screen. In figure 50.136, we have numbered the arrow
highlight the very first reader record in the screen.
highlight the last record in the page previous to the current page,
containing the highlighted reader record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted reader
record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted reader
record.
containing the highlighted reader record.
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highlight the last reader record in the screen.
highlighted reader record.
previously bookmarked reader record.
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Inputs
Note: Unless otherwise stated, all functionality of the SuperTerm, Turbo
SuperTerm and Super-4 panels are identical.
An Input can typically be defined as some form of dry contact switch,
connected to a pair of wires, which are ultimately brought back to two input
contacts on a Continental Instruments designed access control panel.
A small voltage is generated by the panel on each input two-wire circuit as a
means to monitor the state of the input contacts. When the contacts are
broken, the circuit is interrupted, causing an alert violation by the panel
logic.
There are several categories of inputs as explained below.
• Door (Reader) Inputs – These are hardware inputs whose input
connections are mounted on the door connectors of each panel. The panel
design assumes that you will prefer to assign two inputs per door, so those
input connectors are collocated with the reader and keypad connections.
• Auxiliary Inputs – These are hardware inputs that are usually mounted
along the periphery of the panel PC board. The use for these inputs is to
connect auxiliary devices such as motion detectors, fire detectors and the
like.
• Virtual Inputs – ‘Virtual Inputs’ are software inputs. There are no
hardware connections for virtual inputs. Essentially, virtual inputs are
linked by software to door event messages. See the section titled Virtual
Inputs for more information.
• Expansion Inputs – Expansion inputs are accessory inputs obtained by
adding input or relay expansion cards to a panel. The SuperTerm, Turbo
SuperTerm and SmartTerm panels support expansion cards; the MiniTerm
and MicroTerm do not.
Each input expansion card provides 16 additional supervised or
unsupervised inputs. Each relay expansion cards provides 8 expansion
inputs. You can mount 3 expansion cards of any type to a SuperTerm and
Turbo SuperTerm, and 4 expansion cards to a SmartTerm.
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A maximum of 81 inputs is supported on any panel. Input #81 is reserved for
the ‘Tamper’ input on all panel types and may not be used for any other
purpose once enabled. See below for more details.
The typical use for the on board panel inputs for each panel type is shown
below in 51.1. However, remember that all panel input assignments are
completely programmable. This means that any input can be assigned to any
function (or any door). Below is a listing of how the inputs are typically
assigned by the system.
SuperTerm & Turbo
SuperTerm
1-16
17-24
25-72
81
Doors
Auxiliary (on board)
Expansion Cards
Tamper Only
SmarTerm
1-8
Doors
9-16 Auxiliary (on board)
17-80 Expansion Cards
81
Tamper Only
MiniTerm
1-4
Doors
5-8
Auxiliary (on board)
81
Tamper Only
MicroTerm
1-2
Doors or Auxiliary (on board)
81
Tamper Only
Table 51.1. Standard Panel Input Assignments
The ‘Inputs’ screen is used to create configuration records that activate the
above explained input categories.
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Accessing Inputs Screen
•
• Click on Inputs option in the menu list.
Upon clicking, ‘Inputs’ screen will be displayed in ‘General’ tab as shown in
the figure below.
Fig. 51.2. The ‘Inputs’ screen.
The screen can contain other tabs depending on the configuration made in
‘System Settings’ screen. This is explained in the following section.
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Inputs Screen Folder Tabs
Inputs screen can contain the folder tabs shown in the figure below
depending on the options selected in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Fig. 51.3. Inputs screen folder tabs.
a) General Tab
b) Map Tab- The ‘Map’ tab will be visible only when the ‘Use Facility
Maps’ feature is enabled in System Settings screen.
c) Remote Control Tab- This tab will be visible only when the ‘Remote
Control’ check box is selected in System Settings screen.
Fig. 51.5. System Settings ‘Using Remote Control’ checkbox.
d) DVR Tab - This tab will be visible only when ‘Enable DVR Remote
View’ option is selected in System Settings screen.
Fig. 51.6. System Settings ‘Enable DVR Remote View’ option.
e) CCTV Tab - This tab will be visible only when ‘Enable SmartView
CCTV-Full Control’ option is selected in System Settings screen.
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Fig. 51.7. System Settings ‘Enable SmartView CCTV-Full Control’ option.
f) Location/Remarks Tab
General Tab
This is the default tab in which ‘Inputs’ screen will be displayed.
Fig. 51.8. Inputs screen ‘General’ tab.
Panel
An input must be associated with a panel before the operating parameters are
set for that input. The ‘Panel’ control is used to do this. The Panel control
contains a list of all panels that were created in the Panels screen.
To select a panel, click the arrow button to the right of ‘Panel’ control,
scroll up or down to locate the desired panel and click on it. If no panel
names are seen in the list, you need to create them in ‘Panels’ screen. Refer
the manual section titled Panels to do this.
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Input #
The Input # selection control allows you to select which numbered input you
wish to activate on a given panel or any attached input expansion card.
Fig. 51.10. The ‘Input #’ spin control.
By default, all on board and expansion card inputs are disabled. They must
be activated by CardAccess software configuration. The configuration
instructs the panel as to which hardware it should enable, and with what
operating parameters.
Note that some input numbers may have been pre-assigned in the Readers
screen. When you create reader definitions in the Readers screen, some
inputs are automatically assigned to doors (two inputs per door by default).
If you elect to create an input record in the Inputs screen, that has the same
input number as an input that has been assigned to a door in the Readers
screen, you have created a ‘duplicate input definition’.
When you create a duplicate input definition, the settings in the Inputs
screen will override the system defaults for the door input. See the manual
section titled ‘Duplicate Definitions’ for more information.
Input number can be set in the following two ways.
o Clicking the white space of ‘Input #’ field and typing a number of
choice or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Input #’ control and
choosing a desired number.
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Note the following issues.
o Each panel type has a different maximum number of inputs as follows.
Onboard
Inputs
Reade
r
Inputs
Expansion
Inputs
Tamper
Input
Turbo
SuperTerm
1-24
1-16
25-73
81
SmarTerm
1-16
1-8
17-80
81
MiniTerm
1-8
1-4
None
81
MicroTerm
1-2
1-2
None
81
Panel Type
SuperTerm &
Table 51.11. – Panel Onboard Input Numbers
Notice in the above table that the column marked ‘Reader Inputs’
indicates the input number range that is automatically assigned to
Reader ports if they are activated. All inputs on the panel can be used
for any purpose, but if you create a door in the Readers screen, two
inputs will be assigned to that door unless you manually override the
automatic selection.
The CardAccess software automatically assigns the next available,
lowest numbered two inputs, to the next reader record that you create.
Door 1 always gets inputs 1 & 2. Door 2 always gets inputs 3& 4, and
so on.
o The system has no way of determining which type of panel you are
configuring. Thus, you must exercise caution that you do not attempt
to create input numbers that do not exist on a given panel type.
o Some input numbers are already (activated and) allocated to reader
ports on the selected panel. If you don’t want to override the default
settings for inputs already allocated to reader ports, do not create input
definitions in the Inputs screen with the same input numbers that were
previously assigned to reader ports inputs (see ‘Duplicate
Definitions’).
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o The SuperTerm, Turbo SuperTerm and SmartTerm panels can support
input expansion cards. The MiniTerm and MicroTerm have no
expansion capability.
Name
The ‘Name’ field is meant for entering a descriptive name for the input. It is
recommended to use names that describe the location or function of the input.
Fig. 51.12. An input name describing the location (Third Floor) and function (Fire
Sensor) of an input.
The name entered in the ‘Name’ field will be attached to all input event
messages involving the selected input. The field will accept any combination
of letters, numbers or symbols.
Figure. 51.13. Input Event Messages.
Group
The Group selection control allows you to assign the current input to a
Fig.51.14. The ‘Group’ control.
To select a Group, click the arrow button to the right of ‘Group’ control
and click on the Group you wish to assign to the input. If there are no
Groups visible in the list, you need to create some in the ‘Groups’ screen.
Refer the section Groups to do this.
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Enable Schedule
When an input definition is created and enabled (‘Enabled’ checkbox
selected), that input will be operational 24 hours per day, and every day of
the year by default.
However, you can elect to have the input’s status ignored outside of a
predefined schedule. When a schedule is selected in the ‘Enable Schedule’
control, the input will report change of status (normal or abnormal) only
while that schedule is in effect. Outside of the schedule, the panel will ignore
the input contact status and will suppress all event reporting.
Fig. 51.15. The ‘Enable Schedule’ control.
To select a schedule, click the arrow button to the right of ‘Enable Schedule’
control, scroll up or down the list to locate the desired schedule and click on
it. If no schedules are seen in the list, you need to create some schedules in
the ‘Schedules’ screen. Refer the section Schedules to do this.
Enabled
The ‘Enabled’ check box enables or disables the input at the panel. By
default the box is enabled (checked).
When an input is enabled, all events generated for that input are reported in
CardAccess, whenever there is a change in the state of input contacts. When
an input is disabled, the state of the input contacts is ignored by the panel
and there will be no event reporting for that input.
Fig. 51.16. The ‘Enabled’ checkbox.
To enable or disable the input, click the ‘Enabled’ check box. Checked
Normal Open
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Fig. 51.17. The ‘Normal Open’ checkbox.
Typically, input switches are ‘normally closed’ (normally shorted together)
dry contact, magnetically operated reed type switches. However, contact
switches can be purchased in a ‘normally open’ (normally not shorted)
configuration as well.
The panel hardware is set by default to use normally closed type switches for
inputs, but can be set to use the normally open type as well.
To set an input to normally open, click the ‘Normal Open’ check box for a
given input. Checked is normally open, unchecked (the default) is normally
closed type.
Supervised
Fig. 51.18. The ‘Supervised’ checkbox.
Inputs can typically be defined as some form of dry contact switch,
connected to a pair of wires, which are ultimately brought back to two input
contacts on a Continental Instruments designed access control panel.
A small voltage is generated by the panel on each input two-wire circuit as a
means to monitor the state of the input contacts. When the contacts are
broken, the circuit is interrupted, causing an alert violation by the panel
logic.
The shortcoming of a simple switch at the end of a pair of wires is that the
circuit can be easily bridged by a ‘shorting’ wire strapped across the input
contacts, allowing easy intrusion.
A ‘Supervised’ input modifies the electrical connection method between the
dry contact and the panel in an attempt to prevent tampering. This is done by
inserting two 1 Kilo-ohm resistors strategically in the circuit between the
input contacts and the panel.
Inserting resistors in the circuit changes the voltage levels being monitored
by the panel and makes it harder for intruders to bridge the circuit.
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Thus, the panel needs to be notified as to which type of input circuit is being
monitored, dry contact (unsupervised) or supervised, so the output voltages
and input sensing can be modified.
Note: You can only enable supervised inputs on panels or input expansion
cards that support supervised inputs. Note that the SmartTerm panel does not
have on board supervised input capability. If you wish to add supervised
inputs to a SmartTerm, you must add one or more supervised input
expansion boards. The SuperTerm, Turbo SuperTerm, MiniTerm and
MicroTerm panels all support onboard supervised inputs.
To set the input to supervised mode, click the check box. Checked is enabled
and unchecked is disabled (the default).
Activate Console Relay
Fig. 51.19. The ‘Activate Console Relay’ checkbox.
When the ‘Activate Console Relay’ feature is enabled, the console relay will
be fired each time the selected input changes state from normal to abnormal.
However, the console relay (relay #73 on every panel type) must be
configured in the ‘Relays’ screen (refer the section on ‘Relays’).
The console relay is a special relay to the system and a linkage can be made
between any input and the console relay (perhaps) for the purpose of
sounding an alarm of some type, to alert operations personnel to the input
violation (fire sensor, glass break and the like).
To enable the Activate Console Relay function for an input, click the check
box. Checked is enabled and unchecked is disabled (the default).
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Dialup On Abnormal
Fig. 51.20. The ‘Dialup on Abnormal’ checkbox.
The ‘Dialup On Abnormal’ function is only applied when the panel hosting
the input is connected to a dial node (see the section ‘Dial Up’). If ‘Dialup
On Abnormal’ is enabled, and the panel is on a dial up node, when the
selected input changes status from Normal to Abnormal, the host computer
will be dialed by the panel and the resulting ‘Input Abnormal’ event
message will be delivered to the Alerts or Events Grid.
To enable ‘Dialup On Abnormal’, click the check box. Checked is enabled,
unchecked is disabled (the default).
Dialup On Normal
Fig. 51.21. The ‘Dialup on Normal’ checkbox.
The ‘Dialup On Normal’ function is only applied when the panel hosting
the input is connected to a dial node (see ‘Dial Up’). If Dialup On Normal
is enabled, and the panel is on a dial up node, when the input changes
status from Abnormal to Normal, the host computer will be dialed by the
panel and the resulting ‘Input Normal’ event message will be delivered to
the Alerts or Events Grid.
To enable Dialup On Normal, click the check box. Checked is enabled,
unchecked is disabled (the default).
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Alerts Section
The controls in the ‘Alerts’ section are explained below.
Fig. 51.22. The Inputs ‘Alerts’ section.
Alert Delay Time
The Alert Delay Time control will set a delay on when the input will be
reported as ‘Input Abnormal’. Typically, all event reporting as to the change
of status of an input happens immediately.
The ‘Alert Delay Time’ control allows you to apply a delay to the change of
status event message sent by the panel.
Fig. 51.23. The ‘Alert Delay Time’ control.
The setting in this control is applied to the transition from ‘Input Normal’ to
‘Input Abnormal’ only.
The ability to delay input event reporting may prove useful when the input is
used to fire a link.
To set the Alert Delay Time, click the arrow buttons to the right of ‘Alert
Delay Time’ control or click in the white space and type in a number. The
minimum is 0 (no delay, the default) and the maximum is 255 seconds.
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Alert Reset Time
The Alert Reset Time control will set a delay on when the input will be
reported as ‘Input Normal’. Typically, all event reporting as to the change of
status of an input happens immediately.
The ‘Alert Reset Time’ control allows you to apply a delay to the change of
status event message sent by the panel.
Fig. 51.24. The ‘Alert Reset Time’ control.
The setting in this control is applied to the transition from ‘Input Abnormal’
to ‘Input Normal’ only.
The ability to delay input event reporting may prove useful when the input is
used to fire a link.
To set the Alert Reset Time, click the arrow buttons to the right of ‘Alert
Reset Time’ control or click in the white space and type in a number. The
minimum is 0 (no delay, the default) and the maximum is 255 minutes.
Alert Priority
The ‘Alert Priority’ control sets the alert priority level for all event messages
that are received from the selected input. Priority levels are used by the
system as a way of sorting event messages.
Fig. 51.25. The ‘Alert Priority’ control.
Typically, urgent alerts (priority level of 1-20) are placed in the ‘Alerts’ grid
of the CardAccess main screen. Less urgent events (priority levels of 21-98)
are placed in the ‘Events’ grid.
The default Alert Priority for inputs is 50. If you wish a higher or lower
priority for events from the selected input, click the arrow buttons to the
right of ‘Alert Priority’ control or click in the white space and type in a
priority number. The usable priority number range is 1-98.
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Events and Alert priorities are explained in greater detail in the manual
section titled ‘Setting Up Priorities’. Manual and Auto-Acknowledgement of
alerts are explained in the manual section titled ‘Alert Acknowledgement’.
Response Required
Fig. 51.26. The ‘Response Required’ checkbox.
The Response Required feature is used only when an input event appears in
the ‘Alerts’ grid of the CardAccess main screen. If an input has this feature
enabled, then, automatic acknowledgement of all alerts from that input will
be disabled. So, manual acknowledgement will be required to resolve the
alerts upon occurrence.
In manual alert acknowledgement, the operator will be forced to respond to
alerts by typing in a Response Message in the Alert Acknowledge popup
window and clicking the Acknowledge button to move the alerts from the
‘Alerts’ Grid into the ‘Events’ Grid.
By default, ‘Response Required’ checkbox is unchecked (disabled). To
enable the feature, check the box by clicking it.
No Alert Reporting
Fig. 51.27. The ‘No Alert Reporting’ checkbox.
Alert reporting of Input events is enabled by default. This means that each
time there is a change of input status (normal to abnormal, or abnormal to
normal), there will be an event message generated by the associated panel
that indicates the type of status change as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 51.28. Input Alert Messages.
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When the ‘No Alert Reporting’ check box is checked, the panel will be
instructed to suppress all event messages for the selected input. To disable
event reporting for an input, click the check box.
CCTV Tab
CCTV tab can be used to program the selected input for SmartView CCTV
feature.
CCTV tab will be visible only when the Enable SmartView CCTV-Full
Control option is selected in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Fig. 51.29. Enabling ‘SmartView CCTV –Full Control’ feature in System Settings
screen.
Inputs screen in CCTV tab will appear as below.
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Fig. 51.30. Inputs screen in CCTV tab.
The controls in CCTV tab are explained below.
Enabled
The ‘Enabled’ checkbox is used to enable/disable the SmartView CCTV
feature for the selected input.
Checked is enabled, unchecked is disabled (the default).
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Assign as this PC
The function of ‘Assign as this PC’ button is to assign the current PC as a
CCTV workstation.
Fig. 51.32. The ‘Assign as this PC’ button.
For assigning, click on ‘Assign as this PC’ button.
Fig. 51.33. Message box displayed after clicking ‘Assign as this PC’ button.
Click on Yes button in the message box for workstation assignment.
Note: After workstation assignment, a new control named ‘CCTV Function’
will appear in the ‘Abnormal Condition’ and ‘Return to Normal Condition’
sections. See figure 51.34 below.
Abnormal Condition, Return to Normal Condition
The controls in ‘Abnormal Condition’ and ‘Return to Normal Condition’
sections come into picture when the selected input changes its state from
‘Normal-Abnormal’ or ‘Abnormal-Normal’ respectively.
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Fig. 51.34. The ‘Abnormal Condition’ and ‘Return to Normal Condition’ sections.
The controls in the two sections are explained below.
CCTV Function
The CCTV Function control in the ‘Abnormal Condition’ and ‘Return to
Normal Condition’ sections stores the default and, all of the CCTV functions
that are defined in the ‘Function Key Programming’ screen (refer
SmartView Helpfile for details). A desired CCTV function can be selected
in one/both of the sections for execution when the selected input changes its
state from Normal-Abnormal or vice versa.
Fig. 51.35. The ‘CCTV Function’ control.
To select a function, click the down arrow to the right of ‘CCTV Function’
control and select a function of choice.
Note: The ‘CCTV Function’ control will be visible only after you click the
‘Assign as this PC’ button, for assigning your computer as the SmartView
workstation.
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Take CCTV Snapshot
When ‘Take CCTV Snapshot’ checkbox is selected in the two sections, the
SmartView CCTV software will take snapshots of the input event when the
state of the selected input changes from Normal-Abnormal or vice versa. By
default, the checkbox is unchecked.
Fig. 51.36. The ‘Take CCTV Snapshot’ checkbox.
Click the checkbox if you wish to take CCTV snapshots of input events
whenever there is a change in status of the selected input.
The snapshot taken will be stored in the database along with the event. An
event having a CCTV snapshot will show a camera icon in the Photo column
of the event record, in CardAccess main screen.
Delay (ms)
A few cameras such as the PTZ cameras need some time to move and
position themselves before they can take snapshots. This time requirement is
met by fixing what we call as the snapshot ‘Delay’ time.
The ‘Delay’ field is used to set the amount of time you wish to allow for
proper positioning of cameras before taking CCTV snapshots.
Fig. 51.37. The ‘Delay’ field.
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Configuring CCTV SmartView for an Input
Following are the steps for configuring CCTV SmartView feature to an
Input:
1. Open Inputs screen by clicking on Configuration->Inputs menu
2. In the upper half of the screen, click on an input record.
4. Click on CCTV tab.
Note: CCTV tab will be visible only when Enable SmartView CCTVFull Control option is selected in ‘System Settings’ screen.
The CCTV tab will look similar to the figure shown below.
Fig. 51.38. The ‘CCTV’ tab.
5. Click the Enabled checkbox.
6. Click on Assign as this PC button for assigning your computer as the
SmartView workstation and then click on Yes button in the message
box that is displayed.
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Once this is done, the name of your computer will be shown against the label
‘SmartView Workstation’ and a new control called ‘CCTV Function’ will
appear in the ‘Abnormal’ and ‘Return to Normal Condition’ sections as
shown highlighted in the figure below.
Fig. 51.39. The ‘CCTV Function’ control visible after ARUNLPT is assigned as the
SmartView Workstation.
7. If you wish to take actions when the selected input changes its state
from Normal-Abnormal, then, configure the controls in ‘Abnormal
Condition’ section as explained below.
a) To execute a CCTV function when the selected input changes to
abnormal state, click the down arrow to the right of ‘CCTV
Function’ control and select the desired function in the list.
Note:
The ‘CCTV Function’ control will not be visible unless you
assign your computer as the SmartView workstation.
The ‘CCTV Function’ drop down list will show the default
function (VIDEO WINDOW ON/OFF) and all of the CCTV
functions that you define in the ‘Function Key
Programming’ screen (refer SmartView Helpfile for
defining functions).
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b) To take snapshots of events when the selected input changes to
abnormal state, click the ‘Take CCTV Snapshot’ checkbox to
select it.
c) To allow time for positioning of cameras before taking snapshots,
click the white space of ‘Delay’ field and type in a desired time
value.
Fig. 51.40. The ‘Delay’ field.
Note: The unit of measurement for ‘Delay’ field is millisecond
(1/1000 of a second). That is, in case you wish to allow 1 second for
camera positioning, you will have to enter the value 1000.
8. Similarly, if you wish to take actions when the selected input changes
its state from Abnormal-Normal, then, configure the controls in
‘Return to Normal Condition’ section, as explained in step 7.
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Remote Control Tab
The ‘Remote Control’ tab for a given input can be used if you wish to
transmit CCTV command strings (that are previously created in the ‘System
Settings’ screen) when the input changes its state from normal to abnormal
or vice versa.
The Remote Control tab will be visible only when the ‘Remote Control’
checkbox is checked in ‘System Settings’ screen.
Fig. 51.41. The Inputs screen ‘Remote Control’ tab.
The controls on the Remote Control folder tab are explained below.
Enabled
The Enabled check box works in conjunction with the ‘Abnormal Condition’
and the ‘Return to Normal Condition’ sections mentioned below.
If the ‘Enabled’ check box is checked, the CCTV Command string (if
selected in the ‘Abnormal Condition’ and/or ‘Return to Normal Condition’
sections) will be transmitted when there is a change in the status of the
selected input.
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If unchecked, the command string selection(s) will be ignored and there will
be no transmission.
Click the checkbox to enable or disable it.
Abnormal Condition
If a command string is selected in the ‘Abnormal Condition’ section, that
string will be transmitted to the CCTV switch whenever the current input’s
state changes from normal to abnormal. This requires the ‘Enabled’
checkbox to be checked.
Fig. 51.43. The ‘Abnormal Condition’ section.
If ‘Enabled’ checkbox is not checked, the command string selection will be
ignored and there will be no transmission.
To select a command string, click the down arrow to the right of ‘CCTV
Command Name’ control, locate the desired CCTV string in the list and
click on it.
Note: In case no strings are seen in the list you must create some in ‘System
Settings’ CCTV tab. Refer the section System Settings to do this.
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Return to Normal Condition
If a command string is selected in the ‘Return to Normal Condition’ section,
that string will be transmitted to the CCTV switch whenever the current
input’s state changes from abnormal to normal. This requires the ‘Enabled’
checkbox to be checked.
Fig. 51.44. The ‘Return to Normal Condition’ section.
If ‘Enabled’ checkbox is not checked, the command string selection will be
ignored and there will be no transmission.
To select a command string, click the down arrow to the right of ‘CCTV
Command Name’ control, locate the desired CCTV string in the list and
click on it.
Note: In case no strings are seen in the list you must create some in ‘System
Settings’ CCTV tab. Refer the section System Settings to do this.
DVR Tab
The ‘DVR’ tab in Inputs screen is used for configuring a DVR Camera to
the selected Input.
The DVR tab will be visible only when Enable DVR RemoteView option is
selected in ‘System Settings’ screen.
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Fig. 51.45. Enabling DVR RemoteView in System Settings screen.
The steps for configuring DVR camera to a given input is explained in the
document DVR RemoteView Integration with CardAccess 3000.
Map Tab
selected input. The Map tab is not visible unless the ‘Use Facility Maps’
Fig. 51.46. The Inputs ‘Map’ tab.
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This field displays the name of the map that is attached to the selected Input.
Map Description
Size Image to fit
Image bitmaps come in all shapes and sizes. The CardAccess Maps image
view control is set by default to stretch the image to fit the size of the image
display window.
If ‘Size Image to fit’ checkbox is disabled, the image will be displayed in its
native size format (wherein white space may appear on the sides, or top and
on the bottom). The check box is enabled by default.
View Maps
606
Remove Map
607
and remarks (if any) on the selected input.
608
Creating a Basic Input Definition
Note that when you create a new input definition the system provides the
following default settings automatically (unless you override those settings
by changing the settings in the appropriate controls):
• Input is enabled.
• Input is active 24 hours per day, every day of the year including holidays
(default 24/7/365 enable schedule).
• Input is set to normally closed mode.
• Input is set to unsupervised mode.
• Input is set with no Alert Delay and no Alert Reset time.
• Response Required is disabled.
• Alert Reporting is enabled. ‘Input Abnormal’ and ‘Input Normal’ event
messages will be sent by the panel.
• Set to not activate the console relay.
• Set not to dial up on any condition.
Follow the steps below to create a basic input definition:
• Open Inputs screen by clicking on Configuration->Inputs menu
options in CardAccess main screen. By default, the screen will open in
General tab.
• Click the down arrow to the right of Panel control and select a panel
in the drop down list.
609
proceed with input definitions.
• Number the input in the Input # control (See the section on the Input
# explained above for detailed information).
Input can be numbered in two ways as below.
Fig. 51.55. The input # control.
o Click the white space of Input # field and type in a number or
o Use the up/down arrows to the right of Input # control and
the Input. A name that can describe the input location/function is
recommended.
Fig. 51.56. Input name describing the location (Third Floor) and function (Fire
Sensor) of Input.
You have just created an Input definition with all of the default operational
settings as mentioned in the first part of this section.
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Editing an Input Definition
in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the input record you wish to edit
and click on it.
Note:
o The Input # field cannot be edited. Input # once set during Input
o It is not possible to associate the selected input with a different
panel. In other words, an input once associated with a particular
Panel control.
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Deleting an Input Definition
in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the input record you wish to
Fig. 51.58. Message box displayed before deleting an input record.
Note: Delete action cannot be reversed. A record deleted once is lost
forever. Make sure you have chosen the correct record for deleting.
Note: Deleting an input record will disable that input at the concerned panel,
thereby rendering the input inoperative.
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Inputs Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 51.59. Inputs screen navigation bar.
The Inputs screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the screen.
input records in the screen. In figure 51.59, we have numbered the arrow
highlight the very first input record in the screen.
containing the highlighted input record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted input
record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted input
record.
containing the highlighted input record.
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highlight the last input record in the screen.
highlighted input record.
previously bookmarked input record.
Virtual Inputs
A ‘Virtual Input’ is an input that exists only in software. You would never
wire to a virtual input. A virtual input can be programmed to go abnormal
based on an event rather than on the change of state of a hardware input
(open or closed).
Essentially, the panel logic handles a virtual input in the same way as a
hardware input. When the virtual input status changes, an input event
message is generated, just like a hardware input.
The CardAccess handles the virtual input in the same way it would a
physical input. Thus, you can use virtual inputs in any of the same ways you
would think of using a hardware input. For example virtual inputs (and
inputs in general) are often used to fire links (see the manual section titled
‘Links’) that sound alarms or switch CCTV equipment.
The real strength and usefulness of virtual inputs is that these inputs are
attached to door event types. In other words, when a specific type of event
occurs at a door, a virtual input can be made to go abnormal. This allows
you to set up software ‘macros’ (links) that can trigger hardware events,
based on selected ‘conditions’ at the door.
There are four virtual input types. Each virtual input type can be enabled on
any reader port, for any Continental panel. All panel types support virtual
inputs. There are four available virtual input types per reader port, as listed
below.
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• Forced Door – The ‘Forced Door’ virtual input for given door will go
abnormal if the door is forced open. Forced open is logically defined as
breaking the door contact of a given door without a valid badge read prior
to the door opening.
• Valid Tracked Card – When the ‘Tracked’ feature is enabled in the
Personnel record for a given card holder, each time that card holder
accesses any door, a special ‘Badge Valid Tracked’ event message is
generated (see ‘Personnel’ for more information). A reader port can be set
to trip the Valid Tracked Card virtual input, when any tracked card
successfully accesses a given door
An ‘Input Abnormal’ event message (for the virtual input) is generated
each time a valid tracked card is presented to a reader that has the Valid
Tracked Card virtual input enabled.
• Denied Card/ Void Card – Technically, a ‘denial’ of entry can result
from a denied card or a void card access attempt. A denied card is usually
due to a CardAccess rules violation (time of day, unauthorized access,
etc.). A void card is usually due to the fact that the card record is
‘missing’ from the panel’s card database (the card record does not exist in
the CardAccess Personnel database, or does not belong at any reader on
the panel).
Thus, (when enabled) the Denied/Void Card virtual input will go
abnormal when a denied or void card is presented to the reader.
• Door Open Too Long – Generally, the ‘Door Open Too Long’ event is
triggered at a given door when the door has been opened resulting from
the presentation of a valid card, but the door was not closed before the
‘Still Open Delay’ timer (in the Readers screen, Options tab) has expired.
The Door Open Too Long virtual input will go abnormal when the Still
Open Delay timer expires.
The below section titled ‘Virtual Input Mapping’ details the specific input
numbers for the virtual inputs, for each panel type.
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Virtual Input Mapping
Virtual inputs are available for all panel types. You can elect to activate up
to four virtual inputs for each Reader on any panel.
With hardware inputs, a given input number always refers to the same
physical input on a given panel PC board. This is not the case with virtual
inputs on all panel types. The virtual input numbers assigned to a given
reader port may change depending on how many input or relay expansion
cards you have attached to the panel.
Virtual input numbers are fixed on the SuperTerm, Turbo SuperTerm,
MiniTerm and MicroTerm panels. Virtual inputs numbers will change on the
SmartTerm panel depending on how many inputs are provided from
expansion cards (see the charts below).
Also note that if you add the maximum number of expansion cards to the
SuperTerm, Turbo SuperTerm or SmartTerm panels, you consume all of the
software input numbers that could potentially be allotted for virtual inputs.
Thus, virtual inputs become unavailable if you use the maximum number of
expansion cards for either panel type.
Below are the input number ‘mapping’ charts for each panel type.
All Panels Note: Input #81 is always reserved as the Tamper Input for all
panel types (SuperTerm, Turbo SuperTerm, SmartTerm, MiniTerm,
MicroTerm and Super-Two). However, you must create and enable the input
definition for input #81 on a given panel to activate the tamper input, since
the tamper input is disabled by default.
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SuperTerm and Turbo SuperTerm
Virtual Inputs are fixed on the SuperTerm and Turbo SuperTerm starting
with input 49.
Reader
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Category
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Input
Number
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
Table-51.60. SuperTerm and Turbo SuperTerm Virtual Inputs.
617
Note for SuperTerm and Turbo SuperTerm: Virtual inputs are lost if more
than one expansion board is added.
Super-Two
Virtual Inputs are fixed on the Super-Two as well, starting with input 49.
Reader
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Category
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Table-51.61. Super-Two Virtual Inputs.
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Input
Number
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
Turbo Super 4
Virtual Inputs are fixed on the Turbo Super 4 starting with input 49.
Reader
Number
1
2
3
4
Category
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
Input
Number
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
Table-51.62. Turbo Super 4 Virtual Inputs.
SmartTerm
The following table shows the virtual input mapping for a SmartTerm.
Recall that the SmartTerm virtual input number assignments change
depending on how many expansion cards are installed as shown in the chart
below (the SmartTerm supports up to four expansion cards).
619
Door
Number
1
2
3
4
Category
Input #
with No
Expansio
n Boards
With 1
Expansio
n Board
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too
Long
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too
17
18
19
33
34
35
49
50
51
65
66
67
20
36
52
68
21
22
23
24
37
38
39
40
53
54
55
56
69
70
71
72
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too
25
26
27
28
41
42
43
44
57
58
59
60
73
74
75
76
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
29
30
31
45
46
47
61
62
63
77
78
79
Door Open Too
Long
32
48
64
With 2 With 3
Expan Expansi
s-ion
-on
Boards Boards
Table. 51.63. SmartTerm Virtual Inputs.
SmartTerm Note: Virtual inputs are lost if a fourth expansion board is
added.
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80
MiniTerm and MicroTerm
Reader
Number
Category
Input
Number
1
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
17
18
19
20
2
Forced Door
Valid Tracked Card
Denied/Void Card
Door Open Too Long
21
22
23
24
Table. 51.64. MiniTerm and MicroTerm Virtual Inputs.
Virtual Inputs are fixed on both the MiniTerm and the MicroTerm, starting
with input # 17.
621
Relays
The ‘Relays’ screen is a configuration screen where you create configuration
records that activate panel on-board hardware relays and expansion relays.
It is important to note that relays have a physical operation and a software
operation. The software operation of a relay is somewhat ‘detached’ from
the actual hardware that performs relay switching functions.
There are two software states of any CardAccess relay; ‘Output On’ and
‘Output Off’. The Output On and Output Off states are very similar to the
Input Normal and Input Abnormal states mentioned in the Inputs section of
this manual.
Output Off would logically be considered the ‘normal’ or resting state of the
relay and Output On would be considered the ‘abnormal’ or active state of
the relay. Note that when you fire a relay manually, the relay is switched
from Output Off to Output On as far as the CardAccess logic is concerned.
There are also two physical states of any relay; energized and de-energized.
The association between energized/de-energized and Output On/Off is
software selectable. By default, the logical ‘Output On’ corresponds to the
energized state of the relay and the logical Output Off condition corresponds
to the de-energized state of the relay.
The relationship between logical Output On/Off and energized/de-energized
can be reversed by changing the default setting of the ‘Off State Energized’
control mentioned later in this section.
It is important for you to note for the moment that it is the logical Output On
or Output Off state that the CardAccess uses to determine the state of the
relay, not the physical state of the relay hardware. Note that ‘Output On’
could mean relay energized or de-energized depending on settings in the
Relays screen.
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Note the following additional issues regarding relays.
• Each panel type has a fixed number of on-board relays. Relay expansion
cards can be attached to the SuperTerm, Turbo SuperTerm, and
SmartTerm panels to increase the total number of available relays.
• The lowest odd numbered (on-board) relays are automatically assigned to
reader ports in the Readers screen. You don’t need to redefine those relays
in the Relays screen.
• The lowest numbered even numbered (on-board) relays are available for
‘shunting’ functions. Actually two relays are allocated per door, a door
strike relay (odd numbered) and a shunting relay (even numbered). The
door relay is enabled by default, the shunting relay is optional and is not
enabled.
Once enabled and assigned to a door, the shunting relay fires a few
milliseconds before the door strike relay. The shunting relay would
typically be used to bridge the door contacts of another manufacturer’s
alarm system to prevent it from triggering when its door contact is broken.
• Each panel has a ‘console relay’, which is relay #73 on all panel types.
The console relay is a ‘special’ relay often used to connect to a horn
alarm. There are settings to specifically activate the console relay in the
inputs screen.
Accessing Relays Screen
•
• Click on Relays option in the menu list.
Upon clicking, ‘Relays’ screen will be displayed in ‘General’ tab as shown
623
Fig. 52.1. The ‘Relays’ screen.
The screen may contain three tabs as listed below.
Fig. 52.2. Relays screen folder tabs.
a) The General Tab
b) The Maps Tab- This tab will be visible only when the ‘Use Facility
Maps’ feature is enabled in ‘System Settings’ screen.
c) The Location/Remarks Tab
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General Tab
This is the default tab in which ‘Relays’ screen will be displayed.
Fig. 52.4. Relays screen ‘General’ tab.
Panel
A relay must be associated with a panel before the operating parameters are
set for that relay. The ‘Panel’ control is used to do this. The ‘Panel’ control
contains a list of all panels that were created in the Panels screen.
To select a panel, click the arrow button to the right of ‘Panel’ control, scroll
up or down to locate the desired panel and click on it. If no panel names are
seen in the list, you need to create them in ‘Panels’ screen. Refer the manual
section titled Panels to do this.
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Relay #
The Relay # selection control allows you to select which numbered relay
you wish to activate on a given panel or any attached relay expansion cards.
Fig. 52.6. The ‘Relay #’ control.
By default, all on board and expansion card relays are disabled. They must
be activated by a CardAccess software configuration that is downloaded to
the panel. The configuration instructs the panel as to which hardware it
should enable, and with what operating parameters.
Note that some relay numbers may have been pre-assigned in the Readers
screen. When you create reader definitions in the Readers screen, some
relays are automatically assigned to doors (one odd numbered on-board
relay per door, by default).
If you elect to create a relay record in the Relays screen that has the same
relay number as a relay that has been assigned to a door in the Readers
screen, you will be creating a ‘duplicate relay definition’.
When you create a duplicate relay definition, the settings in the Relays
screen will override the system defaults for the door relay. See the manual
section titled ‘Duplicate Definitions’ for more information.
To select a relay number, click either of the arrow keys to the right of the
Relay # field, or click in the white space and type a number.
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Note the following issues:
o Each panel type has a different maximum number of onboard relays as
follows.
Onboard
Relays
Reader Relays
(odd)
Expansion
Relays
Console
Relay
Turbo
SuperTerm
1-16 + 73
1,3,5,7,9,11,13,1
5
17-65
73
SmartTerm
1-8 + 73
1,3,5,7
9-72
73
MiniTerm
1-4 + 73
1,3
None
73
MicroTerm
1-2 + 73
1 (2)*
None
73
Panel Type
SuperTerm &
Table 52.7. Panel Onboard Relay Numbers.
(* in the above table indicates that the MicroTerm can be configured with
two readers as an option).
Notice in Table 52.7 that the column marked ‘Reader Relays’ indicates the
relay number range that is automatically assigned to Reader ports if they are
activated. Remember though, that all relays on the panel can be assigned to
any purpose that you choose, but if you create a door in the Readers screen,
one (odd numbered) relay will be assigned to that door unless you manually
override the automatic selection.
The CardAccess software automatically assigns the next available, lowest
odd numbered relay (on the same panel), to the next reader record that you
create. Door 1 always gets relay 1. Door 2 always gets relay 3, and so on.
o The system has no way of determining which type of panel you are
configuring. Thus, you must exercise caution that you do not attempt
to create relay numbers that do not exist on a given panel type.
627
o Some relay numbers may already be activated and allocated to reader
ports on the selected panel. If you don’t want to override the default
settings for relays already allocated to reader ports, do not create relay
definitions in the Relays screen with the same relay numbers that were
previously assigned to reader ports relays (see ‘Duplicate Definitions’
for more information).
o The SuperTerm, Turbo SuperTerm and SmartTerm panels can support
relay expansion cards. The MiniTerm and MicroTerm cannot support
expansion cards.
Name
The ‘Name’ field is meant for entering a descriptive name for the relay. It is
recommended to use names that describe the location or function of the relay.
Fig. 52.8. A relay name describing the function of a relay.
The name entered in the ‘Name’ field will be attached to all relay event
messages involving the selected relay. The field will accept any combination
of letters, numbers or symbols.
Fig. 52.9. Relay Event Messages.
Group
The Group selection control allows you to assign the current relay to a relay
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To select a Group, click the arrow button to the right of ‘Group’ control
and click on the Group you wish to assign to the relay. If there are no
Groups visible in the list, you need to create some in the ‘Groups’ screen.
Refer the section Groups to do this.
Times Section
The controls in ‘Times’ section are explained below.
Fig. 52.11. Relays screen ‘Times’ section.
Track Schedule
When you create a relay definition and enable it, that relay becomes
operational. That is, the relay is activated by the panel logic and you now
have the ability to energize the relay at some later time. The relay can be
activated from a number of sources inside the CardAccess software (manual
control button, link, time schedule, card read, etc.).
One of the available ways to activate a relay is to set a ‘Track Schedule’.
Fig. 52.12. The ‘Track Schedule’ control.
The term ‘Track Schedule’, when it refers to a relay, means to have the
action of the relay follow the action of the schedule (the relay ‘tracks’ the
schedule). When the schedule is in effect, the relay is activated. When the
schedule expires, the relay is deactivated (or the opposite behavior can be
true, depending on the setting of Off-State Energized control).
629
Thus, you can use a track schedule to hold a relay in an energized or deenergized state (output on) for some period of time, and then release the
relay (output off) when the time schedule expires. The track schedule can
be applied to any relay, regardless of what function it is assigned to.
To assign a track schedule, click the arrow to the right of the Track
Schedule control, scroll up or down to locate the desired schedule and
click on it.
If there are no selections available in the Track Schedule control, you
need to create some in the ‘Schedules’ screen. Refer the section Schedules
to do this.
Energize Time
The Energize Time control selects the length of time that the relay will
remain energized, before returning to normal.
Fig. 52.13. The ‘Energize Time’ control.
The default time is 0 seconds. When set to 0 seconds, the relay will not
activate. The Energize Time must be set to a value greater than 0 seconds if
you wish the relay to fire. The maximum Energize Time is 10,000 seconds
(about 2.7 hours).
To set the Energize Time, click the arrow buttons to the right of the Energize
Time control or click in the white space and type a number.
630
The Relays screen ‘Manual Control Privilege’ control works in conjunction
with the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen shown in figure 52.15 below.
Fig. 52.14. Relays screen ‘Manual Control Privilege’ control.
Effectively, the Relays screen ‘Manual Control Privileges’ control assigns
the relay to a ‘filter group’. The filter group is intended to hide selected
relays from the view of selected operators, in the ‘Manual Relay Control’
screen.
The effect is similar to database partitioning except that the object is to hide
relays from view in the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen only, to prevent
unauthorized manual activation of selected relays.
Fig. 52.15. The ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen.
631
The Manual Relay Control screen allows operators to manually fire relays
from inside the CardAccess software (see the manual section titled ‘Manual
Control’). Hiding selected relays will prevent unauthorized activation of
those relays.
The Manual Relay Control screen uses the settings in the Operators screen,
on the Privileges tab(Refer Device Control Privileges under ‘Privileges Tab’
in the section Operators), of the currently logged in operator, to determine
which of the relay privilege groups to make visible and which relays to hide,
each time the Manual Relay Control screen is opened.
Enabled
The Enabled check box activates or deactivates the relay at the panel.
When a relay is disabled, the relay is effectively ‘dead’. The relay cannot be
activated by any means, including a time schedule or link. When relays are
not enabled, they rest in a ‘relaxed’ (un-powered), deactivated state.
To enable or disable the relay, click the ‘Enabled’ check box. Checked
Off-State Energized
Effectively, relays have two hardware states; powered and un-powered. The
default state for all newly created relay definitions is un-powered. When you
create a new relay definition, the relay is enabled but no power is applied to
the energizing coils of the relay by default.
Further, the CardAccess software recognizes two software states for a relay;
‘Output On’ and ‘Output Off’. By default Output On (the ‘on-state’)
correlates to the energized state of the relay, and Output Off (the ‘off-state’)
correlates to the de-energized state of the relay.
The ‘Off-State Energized’ check box allows you to reverse the resting state
of the relay from un-powered to powered.
632
Fig. 52.17. The ‘Off-State Energized’ checkbox.
Fig 52.18 below graphically shows the electrical difference between off state
de-energized (the normal state is un-powered) and off-state energized (the
normal state becomes powered instead of un-powered).
Common
N.O.
Normal
Common
N.C.
N.O.
N.C.
Off-State Energized
Fig. 52.18. Relay Pin Out Connections (N.O. = Normally Open;
N.C. = Normally Close)
Note that an ‘Output On’ event message from a relay always means that the
relay has been changed from its ‘normal’ state. If you have enabled off-state
energized, Output On means that the relay has been de-energized. If you
have not enabled off-state energized, Output On means that the relay has
been energized.
To set the relay to Off-State Energized, click the check box. Checked is offstate energized and unchecked is off-state de-energized (the default).
Alert on Change
By default, relay event messages are not reported. If you wish to enable
the reporting of ‘Output On’ and ‘Output Off’ event messages for a
selected relay, click the ‘Alert on Change’ check box.
Fig. 52.19. The ‘Alert on Change’ checkbox.
Checked is enabled and unchecked is disabled (the default).
Fig. 52.20. The ‘Alert Requires Response’ checkbox.
‘Alert Requires Response’ box is not checked by default. In case a relay has
this box checked, then all events from the selected relay will appear in the
633
‘Alerts’ grid of CardAccess main screen. Also, the Alert Acknowledge
popup window will be displayed forcing the operator to manually
acknowledge the alerts.
Note: Automatic alert acknowledgement feature will be disabled when
‘Alert Requires Response’ box is checked.
The manual alert acknowledgement feature will require the operator to type
a Response Message in the Alert Acknowledge popup window and click
the Acknowledge button to move the alerts from the ‘Alerts’ Grid into the
‘Events’ Grid.
Click the checkbox to enable or disable the ‘Alert Requires Response’
feature. Checked means enabled, unchecked means disabled.
Dialup on Change
The ‘Dialup on Change’ option is used only with dial up panels.
Fig. 52.21. The ‘Dialup on Change’ checkbox.
Dialup panels save event messages in a memory buffer and wait to be
dialed (on a regular schedule). While the panel is off-line, relays could be
reporting potentially important event messages which the CardAccess
computer will not be aware of until dialing in to pick up event messages at
some time later.
If you want the panel to dial the CardAccess PC each time the selected
relay reports an Output On or Output Off event message, click the Dial Up
on change check box.
Alert Priority
The ‘Alert Priority’ selection control allows you to set the default event
priority value for relay type event messages from the selected relay.
634
The alert priority is used by the system to route event messages to the
Events or Alerts Grids (see the manual section titled ‘Setting Up
Priorities’ for more information).
To set the Alert Priority, click the arrows to the right of the Alert Priority
control or click in the white space and type a number. The usable priority
number range is 1-98.
Map Tab
selected relay. The Map tab is not visible unless the ‘Use Facility Maps’
Fig. 52.23. The Relays ‘Map’ tab.
This field displays the name of the map that is attached to the selected relay.
635
Map Description
Size Image to fit
display window.
View Maps
636
Remove Map
637
and remarks (if any) on the selected relay.
Creating a Basic Relay Definition
Note that when you create a new relay definition, the system provides the
by changing the settings in the appropriate controls).
• Relay is enabled,
• Relay is ‘available’ to be activated 24 hours per day, every day of the
year.
• Relay is set to be normally de-energized.
• If there is a change in relay status, ‘Output On’ and ‘Output Off’ event
messages will not be sent to the CardAccess host PC by the panel (you
must enable them, if preferred).
• The ‘Alert Requires Response’ function is disabled.
• The ‘Dial Up on Change’ function is disabled.
638
• The alert priority is set to 1 by default.
• Relay is not assigned to a group.
• Relay has no Track Schedule assigned.
• The relay Energize Time is set to 0 seconds. This means that the relay
will not activate, even if it has been enabled and all other settings are
correct. You must manually set the energize time to a value greater than
0.
• The Manual Control Privilege is set to ‘All’. This means that all
operators will have access to manually activate the relay in the ‘Manual
Relay Control’ screen.
Follow the steps below to create a basic relay definition:
• Open Relays screen by clicking on Configuration->Relays menu
options in CardAccess main screen. By default, the screen will open in
General tab.
• Click the down arrow to the right of Panel control and select a panel
in the drop down list.
proceed with relay definitions.
• Number the relay in the Relay # control (See the section on the
Relay # explained above for detailed information).
639
Fig. 52.32. The Relay # control.
Relay can be numbered in two ways as below.
o Click the white space of ‘Relay #’ field and type in a number or
o Use the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Relay #’ control and
the relay. A name that can describe the relay location/function is
recommended.
You have just created a relay definition with all of the default operational
settings as mentioned in the first part of this section.
640
Editing a Relay Definition
in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the relay definition you wish to
Note:
o The Relay # field cannot be edited. Relay # once set during
Relay creation is not subject to change.
o It is not possible to associate the selected relay with a different
panel. In other words, a relay once associated with a particular
Panel control.
Deleting a Relay Definition
• In the upper half of the screen, select the relay definition you wish to
641
Fig. 52.35. Message box displayed before deleting a relay record.
Note: Deleting a relay definition will disable that relay at the concerned
panel, thereby rendering the relay inoperative.
Relays Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 52.36. Relays screen navigation bar.
The Relays screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the screen.
relay records in the screen. In figure 52.36, we have numbered the arrow
highlight the very first relay record in the screen.
642
containing the highlighted relay record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted relay
record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted relay
record.
containing the highlighted relay record.
highlight the last relay record in the screen.
highlighted relay record.
previously bookmarked relay record.
643
Links
The Links screen is a configuration screen where you create configuration
records that activate software ‘links’. All links have one main purpose – to
fire one or more relays. Thus, when a link is activated, one or more relays
will typically be activated as a result. A link basically allows you to monitor
the status of inputs or a time schedule, and cause relays to activate if any of
those inputs change state, or if the time schedule goes into effect.
Link Activation Methods
There are four ways to activate a link. They are as explained below.
• Input Abnormal – A link program can monitor the status of up to five
inputs, selectable on Links screen ‘Input’ tab. If any of those inputs goes
abnormal, the link will be activated.
• Schedule – You can select a track schedule in addition to, or instead of,
using inputs to fire a link. The link will be activated when the schedule
goes into effect, and deactivated when the schedule expires.
• From Another Link – Any link can be made to activate one other link.
The ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control on Links screen ‘General’ tab
allows you to connect any link to one other link. Each time the selected
link is activated, the link mentioned in the ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’
control will also be activated. When two or more links are connected
together in this way they are known as ‘global’ links.
• Manually – You can use the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen (available by
clicking Link button on CardAccess main toolbar) to activate a link.
644
Link Functions
When a link activates, there are two things that could happen.
• Activate a Relay – The ‘Output’ tab of the Links screen allows you to
select up to five relays for activation by the link. Any of those relays can
be placed in one of the three states mentioned below.
o Output On – The relay will be changed from its normal state to the
‘Output On’ state, then return to the ‘Output Off’ state (pulsed relay).
o Output Off – The relay will be changed from the Output On state to
the ‘Output Off’ state, then return to the ‘Output On’ state (pulsed
relay).
o Tracked – The relay will remain in the ‘Output On’ state until all
inputs return to normal or the time schedule expires (tracking relay).
• Activate Another Link – Any link can be set up to trigger another link
using the ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control of Links screen General tab.
You can create a link which will fire local relays and activate another link
or, you can create a link whose sole purpose is to activate a link on
another panel.
Types of Links
Links are broadly classified into two types namely Local and Global. They
are explained in detail below.
Local Links
Local linking means ‘local to a specific panel’. A ‘local link’ links inputs to
relays on the same panel only (all inputs and relays that are mounted on the
same physical panel are said to be ‘local’ to each other).
Note: Local links are controlled exclusively by the panel logic. The
CardAccess PC is not needed to operate a local link.
645
Global Links
Global Linking refers to two or more local links which have been connected
together through software. If a local link is connected to another link
(configured on a different panel) in the ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control,
then it is called a ‘Global Link’.
An input on a given panel can fire a link on another panel. What happens
when that second link is activated depends on the programming settings of
that link.
Note: Global links require communication with the CardAccess host PC.
When a given panel is required to fire a global link, a message is sent to the
CardAccess host PC, which forwards that message to the subject panel. The
panels do not communicate with each other on a peer basis. The CardAccess
host acts as the communications controller for all inter-panel
communications. Global links will fail if the CardAccess PC is off-line
during a remote link activation request.
Global linking can be explained with the help of the schematic diagram
below.
Panel 1
Link 1
Panel 2
Prog# 1
Panel 2
Link 1
Panel Nbr
Link Nbr
Fig. Global Link
Fig. 54.1. Global Link Schematic Diagram.
In the above Global Link Schematic Diagram, Panel 1/Link 1 is globally
connected to Panel 2/Link 1. When Link 1 on Panel 1 is activated (by an
abnormal input or a track schedule), if there are any local relays
programmed into Panel 1/Link 1 they will be activated. In addition, Panel 1
will send a message to the CardAccess communications driver that Panel
2/Link 1 needs to be activated.
The CardAccess communications driver will relay that command to panel 2.
Panel 2 will then activate Link 1. Panel 2/Link 1 will then activate any local
relays programmed into that link. If a remote panel link is programmed into
the ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control of Panel 2/Link 1, a message will be
sent to the CardAccess communications driver to activate that link. The link
activations and the remote panel link activation messages will continue until
the last link in the chain is reached.
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Note: It is possible to create a ‘circular link’ that will activate indefinitely!
In figure 54.1 above, if you enter ‘Panel = 1’ and ‘Prog# = 1’ in the ‘Link to
Remote Link Prog’ control of Panel 2, Panel 1/Link 1 will activate Panel
2/Link1. Panel 2/Link 1 will in turn activate Panel 1/Link 1, which will start
the process over again. This is called an ‘endless loop’ which will never stop
activating these links and consume system resources. This condition is to be
avoided.
Local Link Types
Local links can be of the following types based on the settings in the ‘Input’
and ‘Output’ folder tabs of a Link definition in the ‘Links’ screen.
• Input Only – If there are one or more selections on the Input tab, and no
selections on the Output tab, this link will be activated when an input
goes abnormal, but no local action will take place on the panel where this
link resides (the link has no local relays programmed, so there is nothing
to activate on the local panel).
Since the link itself does ‘activate’ when one of its selected inputs
changes state, it can be used to activate another link by connecting it as a
global link. Thus, the input(s) on one panel can be used to fire relays on
another panel (one example is where an Input Only Link on one panel
fires an Output Only link on another panel. See below).
• Input/Output – The standard way to fire a link. One or more inputs are
selected on the Input tab and one or more relays are selected on the
Output tab. An input is used to fire the local link, the link becomes
activated and in turn, the selected local relays are activated – all on the
same panel.
• Schedule Triggered – When you select a ‘Track Schedule’ to fire a link
(with or without inputs configured), the relays selected in the Output tab
will be changed to the ‘Output On’ state during the schedule and they
will be returned to the ‘Output Off’ state when the schedule expires. You
are permitted to configure inputs and a track schedule in the same link
definition.
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• Output Only – The ‘Output’ tab has relays selected for activation, but
there are no inputs selected on the Input tab and no time schedule
selected in the Track Schedule field. The only way to fire this type of link
is from another link using the Global linking feature.
Accessing Links Screen
•
Click on Configuration menu in CardAccess main menu bar.
• Click on Links option in the menu list.
Upon clicking, ‘Links’ screen will be displayed in ‘General’ tab as shown in
the figure below.
Fig. 54.2. The ‘Links’ screen.
The screen may contain five tabs as listed below.
Fig. 54.3. Links screen folder tabs.
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a) The General Tab
b) The Input Tab
c) The Output Tab
d) The Maps Tab- This tab will be visible only when the ‘Use Facility
Maps’ feature is enabled in ‘System Settings’ screen.
e) The Location/Remarks Tab
General Tab
This is the default tab in which ‘Links’ screen will be displayed.
Fig. 54.5. Links screen ‘General’ tab.
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Panel Name
A link must be associated with a panel before the operating parameters are
set for that link. The ‘Panel Name’ control is used to do this. The ‘Panel
Name’ control contains a list of all panels that are created in the Panels
screen.
Fig. 54.6. The ‘Panel Name’ control.
To select a panel, click the arrow button to the right of ‘Panel Name’
control, scroll up or down to locate the desired panel and click on it. If no
panel names are seen in the list, you need to create them in ‘Panels’ screen.
Refer the manual section titled Panels to do this.
Once a panel is selected, the fields on the ‘Input’ tab and the fields on the
‘Output’ tab will have access to the inputs and relays (respectively) that are
activated for the selected panel.
Prog. #
The Prog. # control allows you to select which numbered link you wish to
activate on a given panel.
Fig. 54.7. The ‘Prog. #’ control.
Link program numbers are used by the system to identify the link. So link
numbers cannot be duplicated on the same panel. Each panel can have its
own set of link program numbers in the range 1-64.
The Prog# field is not automatically incremented. Therefore you must keep
track of the numbers that are used for numbering the links.
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To number a link, click the arrow buttons to the right of the Prog# field or
click in the white space and type a number from 1 to 64.
Description
The ‘Description’ field is meant for entering a descriptive name for the link. It is
recommended to use names that clearly describe the function of the link.
Fig. 54.8. The ‘Description’ field showing the intended use of a link.
The name you enter will be attached to all link event messages involving the
selected link. The field will accept any combination of letters, numbers or
symbols.
Fig. 54.9. Link Event Messages.
Group
The Group selection control allows you to assign the current link to a link
click on the Group you wish to assign to the link. If there are no Groups
visible in the list, you need to create some in the ‘Groups’ screen. Refer the
section Groups to do this.
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Enable Schedule
When you create a link definition and enable it, by default that link is
available to be activated by input trigger or manually 24 hours per day,
every day of the year.
If you select a schedule in the ‘Enable Schedule’ field, the selected link
cannot be activated by an abnormal input outside of the schedule. However,
the link can still be manually activated outside of the enable schedule.
Fig. 54.11. The ‘Enable Schedule’ control.
To assign a link enable schedule, click the down arrow to the right of
‘Enable Schedule’ control, scroll up or down to locate your selection, and
click on it.
If there are no selections available in the Enable Schedule control, you need
to create some in the ‘Schedules’ screen. Refer the manual section titled
Schedules to do this.
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Enabled
The Enabled check box activates or deactivates the link at the panel.
When a link is disabled, the link is effectively ‘dead’. The link cannot be
activated by any means, including input abnormal, track schedule or manual
activation.
To enable the link (the default), click the check box. Checked is enabled and
unchecked is disabled.
Report Activity
Link status event messages (figure 54.14) are enabled by default. You can
elect to suppress link event messages by un-checking the ‘Report Activity’
check box.
Fig. 54.13. The ‘Report Activity’ checkbox.
Fig. 54.14. Link Status Event Messages.
‘Report Activity’ box checked enables reporting of event messages,
unchecked disables reporting for the selected link.
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Fig. 54.15. The ‘Alert Requires Response’ checkbox.
‘Alert Requires Response’ box is not checked by default. In case a link has
this box checked, then all events from the selected link will appear in the
‘Alerts’ grid of CardAccess main screen. Also, the Alert Acknowledge
popup window will be displayed forcing the operator to manually
acknowledge the alerts.
Note: Automatic alert acknowledgement feature will be disabled when
‘Alert Requires Response’ box is checked.
The manual alert acknowledgement feature will require the operator to type
a Response Message in the Alert Acknowledge popup window and click
the Acknowledge button to move the alerts from the ‘Alerts’ Grid into the
‘Events’ Grid.
Click the checkbox to enable or disable the ‘Alert Requires Response’
feature. Checked means enabled, unchecked means disabled.
Dialup on Activation
The ‘Dialup on Activation’ option is only used with dial up panels.
Fig. 54.16. The ‘Dialup on Activation’ checkbox.
Dial panels save event messages in a memory buffer and wait to be dialed
(on a regular schedule). While the panel is off-line, links could be reporting
potentially important event messages which the CardAccess computer would
not be aware of until dialing in some time later.
If you want the panel to dial the CardAccess PC each time the selected link
is activated and reports an event message, click the Dial Up on Activation
check box. Checked is enabled, unchecked is disabled (the default).
Alert Priority
The ‘Alert Priority’ control allows you to set the default event priority value
for event messages from the selected link.
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The alert priority is used by the system to route event messages to the Events
or Alerts Grids (see the manual section titled ‘Setting Up Priorities’ for more
information).
The default priority is 10. If you wish to change the Alert Priority, click the
arrows to the right of the ‘Alert Priority’ control or click in the white space
and type a number. The usable priority number range is 1-98.
The Links screen ‘Manual Control Privilege’ control works in conjunction
with the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen shown in figure 54.19 below.
Fig. 54.18. Links screen ‘Manual Control Privilege’ control.
Effectively, the Links screen ‘Manual Control Privileges’ control assigns the
link to a ‘filter group’. The filter group is intended to hide selected links
from the view of selected operators, in the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen.
The effect is similar to database partitioning except that the object is to hide
links from view in the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen only, to prevent
unauthorized manual activation of selected links.
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Fig. 54.19. The ‘Manual Link Control’ screen.
The Manual Link Control screen allows operators to manually fire links
from inside the CardAccess software (see the manual section titled ‘Manual
Control’). Hiding selected links will prevent unauthorized activation of those
links.
The Manual Link Control screen uses the settings in the Operators screen, on
the Privileges tab(Refer Device Control Privileges under ‘Privileges Tab’ in
the section Operators), of the currently logged in operator, to determine
which of the link privilege groups to make visible and which links to hide,
each time the Manual Link Control screen is opened.
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Link to Remote Link Prog
The ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control allows you to set up Global links.
Fig. 54.20. The ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control.
In the Links screen, when you create new links, you are exclusively creating
local links only. That is, some number of links that reside locally in the
memory of each panel of your CardAccess system.
Once several local links have been created, it is then possible to connect two
or more local links together using the ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control,
thereby forming global links.
The ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control stores all of the links that have been
configured on different panels that are used in the CardAccess system. To
connect the given link to another link globally, click the down arrow to the
right of ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control, locate the link of your choice
(configured on a different panel), and click on it.
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Input Tab
The ‘Input’ tab of Links screen contains the ‘triggers’ that are used to
activate a link.
Fig. 54.21. Links screen ‘Input’ tab.
You can connect up to five inputs to fire the current link. If any one of those
inputs goes abnormal, or if the schedule (if selected in ‘Track Schedule’
control) goes into effect, the link will be fired.
Inputs have two software states – normal and abnormal. The software states
are somewhat ‘disconnected’; from the hardware states – ‘open’ and
‘closed’. An input can be set up to be normally open or normally closed
depending on the setting of the ‘Normal Open’ check box in the Inputs
screen. Thus, an input could be ‘open’ but still be ‘normal’.
Note that the panel software uses the normal and abnormal software states to
describe the condition of the input, not the hardware condition. This is an
important distinction, because a link program uses the software state of the
input to trigger the link, not the hardware state. It is ‘Input Abnormal’ that
fires a link, not necessarily an open input, since open could be the normal
state for the selected input.
To select an input to fire a link, click the arrow to the right of any of the five
selection controls in the Input tab (of Links screen), scroll up or down to
locate the desired input and click on it.
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Fig. 54.22. Links screen input selection controls.
If you elect to use more than one input to trigger the link, note that it does
not matter which of the five available fields are used. The input fields are not
‘prioritized’ in any way. If you elect to fill all five fields, note that the fields
are not logical ‘and’, they are logical ‘or’ instead. This means that, any one
input going abnormal will fire the link.
Also note that you can create a link that does not have any input selections at
all. The link can be activated by a time schedule alone. To select a time
schedule, click the arrow to the right of ‘Track Schedule’ control, scroll up
or down to locate the desired schedule and click on it.
Fig. 54.23. Links screen ‘Track Schedule’ control.
If you don’t see any schedules in the list you need create some in the
‘Schedules’ screen. Refer the manual section titled Schedules to do this.
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Output Tab
The Output tab is used to select relays that will be activated by the selected
link.
Fig. 54.24. Links screen ‘Output’ Tab.
You can select up to five relays. All five relays will be activated when the
link is fired. There is no priority order for selecting a relay on this tab. You
can select a relay from any control bank; the order is ignored by the system.
Relays can be placed in any one of the states by a link. The states are:
• Output On – When the input goes abnormal, the relay(s) will be placed in
the ‘Output On’ state for the period of time set in the ‘Energize Time’
control of the relay record (in the Relays screen). Use this setting if you
want the relay to be activated momentarily.
• Output Off – When the input goes abnormal, the relay(s) will be placed
in the ‘Output Off’ state for the period of time set in the ‘Energize Time’
control of the relay record (in the Relays screen). Use this setting if you
want the relay de-activated momentarily and if the relay is currently
tracking a schedule.
• Track – When the input goes abnormal, the relay(s) will track the input.
As long as the input is abnormal, the relay will remain in the ‘Output On’
state. Use this setting if you want the relay held in the ‘Output On’ state
for as long as the input stays abnormal.
To select a relay, click the arrow to the right of the selected control, scroll up
or down to locate the desired relay, and click on it. If no relays are seen in
the controls, you need create relays in the ‘Relays’ screen. Refer the section
Relays to do this.
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Map Tab
selected link. The Map tab is not visible unless the ‘Use Facility Maps’
Fig. 54.25. Links screen ‘Map’ tab.
This field displays the name of the map that is attached to the selected link.
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Map Description
Size Image to fit
display window.
View Maps
Remove Map
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and remarks (if any) on the selected link.
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Creating a Basic Link Definition
Note that when you create a new link definition, the system provides the
by changing the settings in the appropriate controls).
• Link is enabled.
• Link has no Enable Schedule assigned, but the link is ‘available’ to be
activated 24 hours per day, every day of the year (unless overridden by
the enable schedule).
• If there is a change in link status, ‘Link Activate’ and ‘Link Deactivate’
event messages will be sent to the CardAccess host PC by the panel.
• The ‘Dial Up on Activation’ function is disabled.
• The alert priority is set to 10 by default.
• The link is not assigned to a group.
• The Manual Control Privilege is set to ‘All’. This means that all
operators will have access to manually activate the link in ‘Manual Link
Control’ screen (available by clicking ‘Links’ button in the CardAccess
main toolbar).
• Remote Panel Linking is disabled.
• No inputs are assigned.
• No outputs are assigned.
As stated previously, there are two kinds of links; Local and Global. Global
links are actually comprised of two or more local links (from different
panels) that have been cross-linked in the software. We will first explore
how to create a local link, and then we will explore how to link two or more
links together to create a global link.
Firstly, you need to decide what function your links will perform. There are
some questions to be answered as follows.
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• Will your relays be normally energized or de-energized?
• Will your links fire local relays or only remote panel relays?
• How many relays will be fired for each link (maximum 5 permitted)?
• Should one or more relays track the input state (as opposed to being
switched on momentarily, then being switched off)
• How many inputs should be capable of firing the link (maximum 5
permitted)?
• Would a track time schedule better suit the application?
Creating a Local Link
Since we are creating a local link, some of the questions above are
automatically addressed. In a local link, local inputs (and/or time schedule)
are used to fire local relays only.
Follow the steps below to create a basic local link.
1. Open Links – Open Links screen by clicking on Configuration>Links menu options in CardAccess main screen. By default, the
screen will open in General tab.
2. Click New – Click on New button in the toolbar.
3. Select a Panel – Click the down arrow to the right of Panel Name
control and select a panel in the drop down list. The panel you select
must have inputs created in the ‘Inputs’ screen and relays created in
the ‘Relays’ screen (otherwise there will be nothing to link).
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Fig. 54.33. The ‘Panel Name’ control.
proceed with link definitions.
4. Number the Link – Number the link in ‘Prog #’ control.
Fig. 54.34. The ‘Prog. #’ control.
Link can be numbered in two ways as below.
a) By clicking the white space of ‘Prog #’ field and typing a
number or
b) By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Prog #’ control
and choosing a desired number.
Note:
The Prog # field value is not automatically incremented. Therefore,
you must set the link numbers manually and keep track of the
numbers you use.
The link program number of a particular link must be unique on
the selected panel and should be set to the next available lowest
number.
5. Enter a Name – Type a descriptive name for the link in the
Description field. A name that can describe the link function is
recommended.
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Fig. 54.35. The ‘Description’ field showing the function of a link.
6. Select an Input – To select an input do the following.
a) Click the ‘Input’ folder tab.
b) Click the arrow to the right of any of the five input fields, and select
an input.
Fig. 54.36. The Links Input Selection Controls.
You can select up to five inputs. Only inputs that have been activated for the
panel selected on the General tab, in the ‘Panel Name’ field will be available
for selection.
7. Select an Output – To select a relay that will be fired by the input
change of status do the following.
a) Click the ‘Output’ folder tab.
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Fig. 54.37. Links screen ‘Output’ folder tab.
b) You need to decide how the relay will respond to the change of input
status. You have three states to select from. The states are:
On – When the input goes abnormal, the relay(s) will be placed in
the ‘Output On’ state for the period of time set in the ‘Energize
Time’ field of the relay record (in the Relays screen). Use this
setting if you want the relay activated momentarily
Off – When the input goes abnormal, the relay(s) will be placed in
the ‘Output Off’ state for the period of time set in the ‘Energize
Time’ control of the relay record (in the Relays screen). Use this
setting if you want the relay de-activated momentarily and if the
relay is currently tracking a schedule.
Track – When the input goes abnormal, the relay(s) will track the
input. As long as the input is abnormal, the relay will remain in the
‘Output On’ state. Use this setting if you want the relay held in the
‘Output On’ state for as long as the input stays abnormal
c) Click the arrow to the right of any of the five output fields, in the
appropriate action type column, and select an output. You will only
see outputs that have been activated for the panel you selected on the
General tab, in the ‘Panel Name’ field.
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You have just created a basic, local link definition with all of the default
operational settings as mentioned in the first part of this section.
Creating a Global Link
A global link is simply a local link that has been connected to another local
link through software. You simply take two or more local links and you
‘link’ them together using the ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control, found on
the General tab of ‘Links’ screen.
When creating a global link you have some decisions to make. First, we
need to reinforce the following points.
• Links are ‘chained’ together to form Global links.
• All links are triggered by inputs, time schedules or other links.
• The goal of all links, local or global, is to (ultimately) fire relays.
Local links are fairly straightforward to deal with. But, with a global link
you have a number of issues. Since the global link is created from two or
more local links, what type of links should those local links be? For
example, if you create two local links and then plan to connect those links
globally, your first decision is what each of those links should do locally, at
their respective panels. Here are some of the considerations.
• How many links will you connect together globally?
• What is the overall plan for the links? Will each link be able to operate
independently? Will one of the links act as an Input Only link (see above)
and the other act as the Output Only link?
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Remember that each link can be triggered by up to five inputs on a given
panel. A link can also be triggered by a tracked time schedule. Any link can
activate up to five relays. Any of those relays can be placed in any of the
three modes ‘On’, ‘Off’ or ‘Track’.
You can see that there are a number of variations, so a plan needs to be
created before attempting to connect your links. However, the process can be
simplified. All global links will fall into two categories.
• Links that work independently and fire other links – These will be
links that are complete with input settings and output settings. So each of
these links will operate on its own and be connected globally in addition.
• Links that exist to fire other links – The Input Only and Output only
links mentioned above are examples of links that are dependant on other
links. An input will fire an Input Only link, but that link will not activate
anything on its own. It requires a global connection to do any meaningful
work.
Thus, there are two classes of links that are used to create global links –
those links that activate local relays and fire other links, and those links that
do not activate local relays but use a local input or time schedule to activate
another link, which in turn fires relays that are local to the panel where that
link resides.
To Create a Global Link do the following.
• Create Local Links – Create at least two local links of any type
mentioned above (refer the steps explained under the heading Creating a
Local Link). Decide as to which link will fire the remote link.
• Select the Remote Link – Click the down arrow to the right of ‘Link to
Remote Link Prog’ control of the link that will activate the remote panel
link, and select a remote link of your choice in the list.
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That is all that is needed to create a global link. The act of connecting links
together using the ‘Link to Remote Link Prog’ control is what makes any
link global.
Editing a Link Definition
• Open Links screen by clicking on Configuration->Links menu
in General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the link definition you wish to
Note:
o The Prog # field cannot be edited. Prog # once set during Link
o It is not possible to associate the selected link with a different
panel. In other words, a link once associated with a particular
Panel Name control.
Deleting a Link Definition
• Open Links screen by clicking on Configuration->Links menu
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• In the upper half of the screen, select the link definition you wish to
Fig. 54.42. Message box displayed before deleting a link definition.
Note: Deleting a link definition will disable that link at the concerned panel,
thereby rendering the link inoperative.
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Link Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 54.43. Links screen navigation bar.
The Links screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the screen.
The arrows of the bar can be used for viewing older/newer/bookmarked link
records in the screen. In figure 54.43, we have numbered the arrow buttons
of the bar to provide simpler explanation. The functions of the arrow buttons
are as follows:
highlight the very first link record in the screen.
containing the highlighted link record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted link record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted link
record.
containing the highlighted link record.
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highlight the last link record in the screen.
highlighted link record.
previously bookmarked link record.
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COM Ports
The ‘Communication Ports’ screen is used to configure COM Ports that are
required for communication between the CardAccess (polling) computer and
the Continental access control panels. The following connection types can be
employed for communication.
• Cable connection - Here, CardAccess physical serial ports are used
for communication.
• Modem connection – Dial-up will be used to connect to panels.
• LAN connection- Here, Lantronix box (UDS-10) is used to convert
the serial ASCII based panel protocol to an Ethernet TCP based
protocol.
Accessing COM Ports Screen
1. Click on Configuration menu in CardAccess main menu bar.
2. Click on COM Ports menu item in the list.
Upon clicking, ‘Communication Ports’ screen will be displayed in ‘COM’
tab as shown in the figure below.
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Fig. 55.1. The ‘Communication Ports’ screen in COM tab.
The screen has another tab named ‘LAN Connections’.
The ‘COM’ tab is used to configure Serial/modem ports and ‘LAN
Connections’ tab is used to configure LAN ports.
A maximum of 256 port connections can be made using the two tabs. The
port connections can be serial ports, LAN ports, modems or a combination
of all the three.
Note: The port types (serial, modem and LAN) are ‘mutually exclusive’.
That is, if a particular port is allocated to LAN port, the same port cannot be
allocated to Com Ports and vice versa.
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None of the COM Ports are configured by default.
The controls in the two folder tabs are explained in the following sections.
COM Tab
The COM tab is the default tab in which the ‘Communication Ports’ screen
will be displayed. This tab is used for configuring serial/modem ports.
Fig. 55.2. The ‘COM’ tab.
A maximum of 256 COM Ports are available in COM tab for configuration
(by scrolling down the screen, you can see COM 1 - COM 256 Ports).
These ports can be configured after the hardware supporting the ports are
installed and activated in the operating system.
The controls in ‘COM’ tab for configuring serial/modem ports are explained
below.
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Type
The COM tab ‘Type’ control is used to choose the connection method
(serial/modem) you wish to use for the selected COM port. The control
provides four options which are explained below.
Fig. 55.3. COM tab ‘Type’ control.
• Not Used – This is the default option selected for every Com port
before you attempt configuration. This option, when selected, will
disable connection to the indicated Com port. As a result, the port gets
disconnected and becomes available to be reassigned.
• Cable – ‘Cable’ refers to a physical serial port. If this option is
selected, the CardAccess communication driver will attempt to
connect to the physical serial port indicated by the Com port number
when you click on the ‘Save’ button. The CardAccess will also
attempt to connect to each Com port that is set to ‘cable’ every time
the CardAccess software is started. If connection fails, there will be an
error event message (see figure below). If the connection is
successful, there will be no event message.
Fig. 55.4. Com Port ‘Open Failed’ event message.
• Modem – When a Com port control is set to ‘Modem’, it will use Dial
Up to connect to panels. However, several other items must be set up
before dial up will function.
o At least one modem must be connected to CardAccess as
configured in the ‘Modems’ section of System Settings screen
(see the section System Settings).
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o Dial Up will not take place unless at least one panel is assigned
to a Dial Up Com port number.
o Dial Up will not take place unless a dial up schedule is set in
the ‘Modems’ screen, available from ‘Configuration’ menu.
To learn more about dial up, see the manual section titled ‘Dial Up’.
• UnAvail – You cannot select this menu item. This status is
automatically displayed in the ‘Type’ control on ‘Com Ports’ tab
when you set a given port to LAN. Once a port is allocated to LAN
function, the ‘UnAvail’ indicator is displayed in the Com Ports area
indicating that, this port is already allocated to a LAN connection and
is not available to connect to a hardware serial port.
Fig. 55.5. Com Ports tab view of a port allocated to LAN.
Note: If a given port has already been allocated on ‘LAN Connections’ tab,
then your attempt to select a connection type for that port on ‘COM’ tab will
be ignored. You must uncheck the ‘Enable’ checkbox of the given port in
LAN Connections tab before you will be allowed to allocate that same port
to Cable/modem duties.
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BAUD
The BAUD control provides options for selecting the communication speed.
Fig. 55.6. The available BAUD communication speeds.
Note the following about BAUD rate:
• If Baud speed is set to 0, polling is turned off for the port.
• Setting a Baud speed is required to enable the port.
• The CardAccess Baud setting overrides the operating system setting.
• 9600 is the recommended port speed.
• Speeds 38.4K and 57.6K can be selected only for newer panels like
Turbo SuperTerm and Super-Two.
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Password
Passwords can only be used on dial up nodes. Passwords are not necessary
on Cable and LAN connections.
Fig. 55.7. The ‘Password’ field.
Passwords were instituted to prevent an unsolicited dial in to panels from
more than one service organization. It is possible to load the wrong
configuration into a panel and cause a node to become mis-programmed,
denying access to valid users. In a case where the panels are Cable or LAN
connected, unauthorized connection to a panel cluster is much more unlikely
than with dial up, which is exposed to the public telephone network.
If the Type field (see above) is set to ‘Modem’ and you desire a password,
enter up to six characters (numbers, letters or symbols in any combination).
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LAN Connections Tab
The LAN Connections tab is used to configure LAN Ports. LAN ports in the
CardAccess are configured much like serial/modem ports, but data that is
sent to a LAN port is passed to the computer network card as opposed to
leaving the computer via a physical serial port.
The following are necessary for LAN connections:
On the panel side, a Lantronix UDS-10 (mechanical adapter box) is
needed to facilitate panel hardware connection to a standard Ethernet
LAN network.
Note: The Super-Two controller has an optional built–in LAN adapter.
The Lantronix box needs to be connected to the LAN network,
programmed and operating before CardAccess can connect to it. The box
must have an IP address assigned.
On the PC side, TCP protocol is needed to connect the CardAccess
software to Lantronix UDS-10 interface. TCP port 3001 is used for
connection between CardAccess and the Lantronix.
Note: Make sure that the network infrastructure (routers specifically)
must not be blocking TCP port 3001.
The controls in the LAN Connections tab for configuring LAN ports are
explained below.
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Fig. 55.8. The ‘LAN Connections’ tab.
Enable
The Enable checkbox is used to enable/disable the selected port. Checked
means port is enabled, unchecked means port is disabled.
Fig. 55.9. LAN Ports ‘Enable’ checkbox.
Once you click Enable and save the record, if there are any panels enabled
on the concerned node, CardAccess will attempt to communicate to the IP
address indicated in the ‘IP Address’ field (see below).
Note:
• If ‘Enable’ box is not checked, the selected LAN port will not be
activated even if there is an IP address entered in the IP Address field.
• If a given port has already been allocated on the COM tab, then your
attempt to check the ‘Enable’ box will be ignored. You must set the
connection Type = ‘Not Used’ for a given port on ‘COM’ tab, before
you will be allowed to allocate that same port to LAN duties.
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IP Address
Fig. 55.10. LAN Ports ‘IP Address’ field.
The network administrator of the network you plan to install the CardAccess
into must provide one static IP address for each Lantronix box you use. You
will need one Lantronix box (and thus, one address) per panel node (a node
is a cluster of up to 63 panels).
Each panel node has to be assigned to one port on the LAN Connections tab.
The IP address of the Lantronix box for that node must be entered into the
‘IP Address’ field of the selected port.
Password
Passwords can only be used on dial up nodes. Passwords are not necessary
on LAN (and Cable) connections. Password settings are ignored if the
‘Type’ control is set to LAN (or Cable).
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Configuring Ports of Host PC
Follow the steps below to configure Ports on the CardAccess polling
computer (Host PC).
1. Open ‘Communication Ports’ screen by clicking on
Configuration-> COM Ports menu options in CardAccess main
screen. By default, the screen will open in ‘COM’ tab.
Notice that the Station Name field and the Description field will show
the default names ‘Host PC’ and ‘Host COM Ports’ respectively.
Fig. 55.11. Default names in ‘Station Name’ and ‘Description’ fields.
3. Select a desired Port (among 1-256 ports) and decide on function you
wish the port to perform (serial, modem or LAN function).
If you want the port to perform Serial/modem functions, proceed to the
next step. If the port is intended to perform LAN functions, go to step 5.
4. For the selected port to function as a serial or modem port, make the
following settings.
Note: Make sure the hardware supporting the selected port is installed
and activated in the operating system before you proceed with the steps
below.
a) Click the down arrow to the right of Type control and select
Cable/Modem option for the selected port.
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Fig. 55.12. Cable and Modem options in ‘Type’ control.
b) Click the down arrow to the right of BAUD control and select a
desired speed.
Fig. 55.13. The available BAUD communication speeds.
Note:
• 9600 is the recommended speed.
• Speeds 38.4K and 57.6K can be selected only for newer panels like
Turbo SuperTerm and Super-Two.
c) If ‘Modem’ option is selected in Type control, it is
recommended that you enter a password in the Password field,
for security purposes. The field accepts up to six characters
(numbers, letters or symbols in any combination).
Fig. 55.14. The ‘Password’ field.
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Note: If you have opted for Modem connection, make sure a dial schedule is
set in the ‘Modems’ screen. See the manual section titled ‘Dial Up’ for
details.
5. Click on LAN Connections tab and make the following settings.
Note: Make sure that each Lantronix box you intend to use is connected to
the LAN network, programmed and operating before CardAccess can
connect to them.
a) Click the Enable checkbox to enable the selected port.
Fig. 55.15. LAN Ports ‘Enable’ checkbox.
b) In the IP Address field, enter the IP address of the Lantronix box
you are using for communicating with the panel.
Fig. 55.16. LAN Ports ‘IP Address’ field.
Similarly, the other ports can be configured as necessary by following
the above steps.
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Configuring Ports of Remote ComServer
Follow the steps below to configure Ports of a Workstation:
• Open ‘Communication Ports’ screen by clicking on
Configuration-> COM Ports menu options in CardAccess main
screen. By default, the screen will open in ‘COM’ tab. Notice that the
Station Name field and Description field show the default names
‘Host PC’ and ‘Host COM Ports’ respectively.
• To configure workstation COM Ports, click on New button in the tool
bar.
Upon clicking, a message box will be displayed as shown in the figure
below.
Fig. 55.17. Message box displayed before adding Workstation COM Port definition.
• Click on Yes button in the message box.
After clicking, you will see the default selection of Workstation 1 in
‘Station Name’ field.
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Fig. 55.18. Workstation 1 selected as the default workstation.
Note: The workstation selected will act as the Remote ComServer.
• If you wish to choose a different workstation, click the down arrow to
the right of ‘Station Name’ control and click on a desired
workstation.
Fig. 55.19. Workstations available for selection as Remote ComServer.
We will be retaining Workstation 1.
• In the Description field, type in a descriptive name for the
workstation COM ports you will be configuring.
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Fig. 55.20. Descriptive name entered for Workstation 1 COM Ports.
In the above figure, description is entered as Workstation 1 COM
Ports.
Workstation Com Ports can be configured in the same way as the polling
computer (Host PC) ports. Apply steps 3-6 mentioned under the heading
Configuring Ports on Host PC to configure the workstation ports.
After workstation port definitions are saved (the ‘Save’ button clicked), the
following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 55.21. Message box displayed after saving workstation port definitions.
Read the message in the box and click on OK button.
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Editing Port Definitions
• Open Communication Ports screen by clicking on
Configuration ÆCOM Ports menu options in CardAccess main
screen. By default, the screen will open in ‘COM’ tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the COM Port definition you
wish to edit and click on it.
• Make the desired changes to the ports configured in COM and LAN
Connections tabs.
Note: The ‘Station Name’ field of ‘Communication Ports’ screen cannot be
edited. Station Name once selected during port configuration is not subject
to change.
Deleting Port Definitions
• Open Communication Ports screen by clicking on
ConfigurationÆCOM Ports menu options in CardAccess main
screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the COM Port definition you
wish to delete and click on it.
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Fig. 55.22. Message box displayed before deleting a COM Port record.
Communication Ports Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 55.23. Communication Ports screen navigation bar.
The Communication Ports screen navigation bar can be found just above the
Station Name control in the screen. The arrows of the bar can be used for
viewing older/newer/bookmarked COM Port records in the screen. In figure
highlight the very first COM Port record in the screen.
containing the highlighted COM Port record.
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highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted COM Port
record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted COM
Port record.
containing the highlighted COM Port record.
highlight the last COM Port record in the screen.
highlighted COM Port record.
previously bookmarked COM Port record.
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Dial Up
Configuration of dial nodes is performed in the ‘Setup Dialup’ screen. Each
record created in this screen describes one Dial Node. Conceptually, a Dial
Node is a ‘software macro’ that is ultimately a coupling of three things. It
joins phone numbers, time schedules and panels together to form an action
macro that the software will execute later. The dial node macro begins to
perform ‘activities’ once you create, enable and save it.
Once activated, a dial node macro will wait for the time schedule to go into
effect. The CardAccess communications driver will then dial the phone
number indicated in the dial node record. The communications driver will
attempt to establish a data communications link with the panels selected in
the node record.
The reason for the existence of dial nodes is to have the CardAccess
communications driver connect to selected panel clusters periodically for the
following purposes.
• Uploading Event Messages – All models of Continental panels store
event messages in a memory buffer. When the CardAccess
communications driver polls a given panel, panel event messages are
purged from panel memory and are sent to the CardAccess host. On a dial
node, the panels will not be polled until a dial connection is established.
The panels will continue to store event messages until the memory buffer
is filled, then overflowed. The default size of the panel event message
buffer is set to 1000 events (adjustable in the ‘Transaction Buffer Size’
field in the Panels screen, on the General tab). When full, the events
buffer begins to overwrite itself. The oldest event messages can be lost if
the CardAccess PC does not dial a given panel cluster frequently enough.
• Downloading Configuration Changes – When configuration changes are
made in the CardAccess software, such as adding a badge or changing an
access group, those changes are sent to dial node panels on the next
available dial connection. Thus, dial panels must be connected through
dial up before they can receive configuration changes. However,
configuration changes for any dial panel cause the system to dial the
associated dial node as soon as the change is made, automatically. The
system does not wait for the next valid schedule to send configuration
changes.
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Accessing Setup Dialup Screen
• Click on Configuration menu in CardAccess main menu bar.
• Click on Modems option in the menu list.
Upon clicking, the ‘Setup Dialup’ screen will open in the General tab as
below.
Fig. 63.1. The ‘Setup Dialup’ screen.
The controls in the screen are explained below.
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General Tab
The controls on the General tab are used to set the operating settings for the
dial node.
Fig. 63.2. The Setup Dialup screen ‘General’ tab.
Node Number
Each node you create must be assigned a unique number. The system will
automatically increment the node number every time a new record is
created.
Fig. 63.3. The ‘Node Number’ control.
If you wish to set the Node Number manually, click the arrows to the right
of the ‘Node Number’ control or, click in the white space and type in a
number from 1 to 512.
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Panel Dial In Phone Numbers
The ‘Workstations (Incoming)’ section is where you can enter up to two
phone numbers that the panels will use to dial back the CardAccess host PC.
Fig. 63.4. The dial back phone numbers section.
First, you will select the CardAccess station name for which you intend to
define dial nodes. The Station control will contain the (Description) of all
workstations (ComServer as well as Secondary ComServers) that are defined
in the ‘Communication Ports’ screen. A click on the down arrow will show
the list of ComServers.
Fig. 63.5. Station control showing ComServers that are defined in ‘Communication Ports’
screen.
The two phone number fields, ‘Telephone No. Line 1’ and ‘Telephone No.
Line 2’, represent the phone numbers of the PC side modems connected to
the CardAccess host PC and software.
Fig. 63.6. Telephone No. Line 1 and Line 2 fields.
These will be the modems that you connected to the CardAccess in the
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Fig 63.7. The System Settings screen ‘Modems’ section.
Note that the System Settings screen has fields for ‘Modem Line 1’ and
‘Modem Line 2’ (see figure 63.7 above). These fields let you connect up to
two modems for use by the CardAccess communications driver. There is no
prioritizing of the fields, so you can connect one modem to Line 2, and no
modem to Line 1 if you prefer (This not recommended though. It is far less
confusing to use Line 1 first and then Line 2 if you need a second modem).
Note that the field called ‘Telephone No. Line 1’ in the Setup Dialup screen
is permanently linked by software to the field called ‘Line 1 Modem Name’
in the System Settings screen (on the ‘General’ Tab). The field called
‘Telephone No. Line 2’ in the Setup Dialup screen is also permanently
linked to the ‘Line 2 Modem Name’ field in the System Settings screen.
When you select a modem in the ‘Line 1’ field of the System Settings, that
modem becomes known to the CardAccess software as ‘Modem Line 1’.
The software does not use the modem name to refer to the modem. It uses
whatever modem is assigned in the Line 1 Modem Name field of the System
Settings and is known to the system as ‘Modem Line 1’. The same is true for
the Line 2 modem. This is an important concept in CardAccess dial node set
up. Because, in the CardAccess configuration screens, all references to the
dial modems are expressed as ‘Line 1’ or ‘Line 2’, not as modem name
‘xyz’.
Thus, the field called ‘Telephone No. Line 1’ in the ‘Workstations
(Incoming)’ section of the Setup Dialup screen, refers to the phone number
of the phone line that is connected to the modem referred to in the field
called ‘Line 1 Modem Name’, of the System Settings (in the Modems
section, on the General tab). And, ‘Telephone No. Line 2’ refers to the
telephone number of the ‘Line 2 Modem Name’ modem in the System
Settings.
To enter a phone number, click in the white space of either of the Telephone
No. fields and type a phone number. Each field will hold up to 30 digits.
Panel Dial Out Phone Numbers
The CardAccess software needs to know the phone number of the panel side
modem, for the currently selected dial node. You will supply that phone
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number by typing it into the ‘Telephone No.’ field of the ‘Panels’ section, in
the Setup Dialup screen.
Fig. 63.8. The ‘Telephone No’ field.
Each node record in the Setup Dialup screen represents one dial node. That
dial node could represent 1 panel or up to 63 panels. The phone number
entered into the ‘Telephone No’ field represents the phone number of the
modem that is physically connected to the first panel in the selected cluster.
There will be one record in the Setup Dialup screen for each dial up panel
cluster that you have constructed (in this case a cluster is one or more panels,
with one of those panels connected to a modem). Each panel node record
will have a unique telephone number in the Telephone No field, because
each node record represents a different cluster of panels, each with its own
modem and phone line.
There is an additional field provided in the ‘Panels’ section called ‘Modem
Init Strings’.
Fig. 63.9. The ‘Modem Init Strings’ field.
Here, you can fill in an initialization string that will be sent to the panel side
modem. This string will be downloaded to the panel memory just after the
CardAccess communications driver hangs up every call. This will allow you
to reprogram the remote panel modem behavior from any CardAccess
workstation, possibly saving a trip to the remote site.
Once an initialization string has been downloaded to panel memory, the
panel will send that string to the panel side modem on either of the two
occasions.
o When the panel hangs up just after a connection or
o When the panel is manually reset
Note that when there is no initialization string specified in the ‘Modem Init
Strings’ field of the Setup Dialup screen node record, the panel connected to
the modem still sends a default initialization string to the modem of
‘ATQEV’. The meaning of this string is as follows.
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• AT – The ‘attention’ command. Instructs the modem to enter
command mode
• Q – (Q0) Return result codes
• E – (E0) Echo Off
• V – (V0) Return numeric result codes
This default string will ensure the minimum modem compatibility with
Continental access control panels. The panels require that numeric result
codes be returned from the modem. The panel uses these result codes to
determine the dial and answer status of the modem. Thus, whatever
custom initialization string you create for your modem, at the minimum
that string must include ‘Q0’, ‘E0’ and ‘V0’ as parameters.
Note that the default initialization string is permanently stored in panel
EPROM, so you don’t need to enter it in the Modem Init Strings field. If
you wish to expand on that string, then the Modem Init Strings field is
available.
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Manual Connect
Fig. 63.10. The ‘Manual Connect’ button.
Generally, there are two ways to request that the CardAccess connect to a
given dial node.
o Dial By Schedule – This is the standard way to have the CardAccess
connect to dial nodes. You select a schedule in the Setup Dialup screen
for each dial node that you create. The system will then automatically
dial a given node when the schedule goes into effect
o Manual Connect – You have the option of manually connecting to any
dial node at any time by using the Manual Connect feature. Generally,
you highlight the desired node and click the ‘Manual Connect’ button
(figure 63.10 above). This brings up a manual connection screen, which
provides controls that will allow you to force the communications
driver to dial the selected node immediately.
Fig. 63.11. The Manual Connect Screen.
The manual connect screen controls are explained below.
Node – Using the ‘Node’ field, you can select the name of a node to
manually dial. The Node field will be focused on the name of the
node that was highlighted when you clicked the ‘Manual Connect’
button, on the Setup Dialup screen. However, once the ‘Modem
Connections’ screen is open, you can select any node that you wish
to dial by selecting it in the ‘Node’ control.
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Fig. 63.12. The ‘Node’ selection control.
To select a node, click the arrow button to the right of the ‘Node’
control, scroll up or down to locate the desired node, and click on it.
Modem – As stated above, there are two possible dial lines available
in the CardAccess software. The manual connect screen needs to
know which modem line (Line 1 or Line 2) you wish to use, to dial
out.
Fig. 63.13. The ‘Modem’ selection control.
To select a modem line to dial out, click the arrow to the right of the
‘Modem’ control, and select ‘Modem Line 1’ or ‘Modem Line 2’.
Dial – Click the ‘Dial’ button to force the CardAccess
communications driver to dial the selected dial node.
Fig. 63.14. The manual connect screen ‘Dial’ button.
Hang Up – The ‘Hang Up’ button has been provided as a means to
cancel a manual dial out request. After you click the ‘Dial’ button,
the CardAccess communications driver will attempt to force the
selected modem off hook and dial the selected panel cluster. You can
click the Hang Up button at any time during the connection, to cancel
the dial request and hang up the line.
Fig. 63.15. The ‘Hang Up’ button.
Note: Once a connection has been established to a dial panel cluster, you
must be careful not to hang up the connection while panels are in the middle
of a data download. The panels clear their configuration memory prior to a
data download, and partial downloads can disable the panel. Note though,
that all dial connections do not result in data downloads.
Cancel – If you click the ‘Cancel’ button, all changes will be
discarded and the manual connect window will be closed.
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Fig. 63.16. The manual connect screen ‘Cancel’ button.
The Cancel button will not cause the communications driver to hang up
a currently active call.
Stay Connected – The ‘Stay Connected’ check box allows you to
override the default behavior of the CardAccess communications
driver. For economy, the communications driver is set by default to
hang up all dial connections (manual or automatic), once there is no
more data to transmit or receive.
When checked, the Stay Connected check box tells the
communications driver to remain connected indefinitely once a
manual dial call is connected. The Stay Connected check box applies
to the manual dialing feature and does not apply to the dial by
schedule function.
Fig. 63.17. The manual connect screen ‘Stay Connected’ checkbox.
Check the Stay Connected check box to remain connected. Uncheck
the check box to always disconnect after the data transfer is complete
(the default).
Node Name
Enter up to thirty characters in the ‘Node Name’ field to describe your dial
node.
Fig. 63.18. The ‘Node Name’ field.
It is strongly suggested that you use names that accurately reflect the
location or use of the dial node. Any typed character is accepted in this field.
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Dial On Schedule
Fig. 63.19. The ‘Dial Frequency’ section.
Fig. 63.20. The ‘Time Schedule’ selection control.
The ‘Dial Frequency’ controls (figure 63.19) and the ‘Time Schedule’
selection field (figure 63.20) of the Setup Dialup screen work in conjunction
with one another. As stated previously, dial out to panel clusters can be set
up to happen automatically based on a time schedule, or you can force a
manual dial by using the ‘Manual Connect’ button on the Setup Dialup
screen.
The ‘Dial Frequency’ radio buttons set how frequently the selected node will
be automatically dialed by the CardAccess system. You have the following
choices.
o By Schedule – The selected node is dialed according to the time
schedule selected in the ‘Time Schedule’ field (figure 63.20). To select
the dial by schedule option, click the ‘By Schedule’ option in the ‘Dial
Frequency’ section of the General tab.
Next, click the arrow to the right of the ‘Time Schedule’ field (also on
the General tab) and scroll up or down to select a schedule. If there are
no schedules visible in the list, you need to go to the Schedules screen
and create some. Refer the section titled Schedules to do this.
o On the Hour – The selected node is dialed every hour, at the top of the
hour. To select the dial on the hour option, click the ‘On the Hour’
option in the ‘Dial Frequency’ section of the General tab.
Make sure the selection in the ‘Time Schedule’ control is blank or says
‘Not Used’. The Time Schedule control is only used in the Dial By
Schedule setting.
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o Twice Daily – The selected node is dialed twice daily. Once at noon
and once again at midnight. To enable this, click the ‘Twice Daily’
option in the ‘Dial Frequency’ section of the General tab.
‘Not Used’. The Time Schedule control is only used in the Dial by
Schedule setting.
o Daily – The selected node is dialed once per day, at midnight only. To
enable this, click the ‘Daily’ option in the ‘Dial Frequency’ section of
the General tab.
‘Not Used’. The Time Schedule control is only used in the Dial by
Schedule setting.
Note: Panel event buffers have limited capacity. You will want to select a
dial schedule for a panel cluster that picks up buffered event messages
before panel event buffers overflow. If overflow occurs, the oldest event
messages will be overwritten with newer events. You could lose event
messages if a panel’s event buffer is allowed to overflow. Busier panels
require more frequent dialing.
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Panels Tab
The goal of a dial node macro is to establish communications with the panels
selected on the ‘Panels’ tab of the dial node record. The ‘Panels’ tab is
where you will tell the CardAccess which panels will belong to the current
dial node. The list of panels that appears in the Panels tab contains only
panels that are known to be dial up panels. You select the panels that you
wish include in a given dial node, by clicking the check boxes.
When you click the Panels tab in the Setup Dialup screen for a given dial
node record, you will not see any panels represented there (see figure
below), unless you have created some dial panels first.
Fig. 63.21. Setup Dialup screen ‘Panels’ tab- No panels listed as panels are not yet
configured for dial up function.
To begin the process of creating dial panels, you must start by going to the
‘Communication Ports’ screen. You need to create at least one Com Port that
has the ‘Type’ field set to ‘Modem’ option (see figure below).
Fig. 63.22. Communication Ports screen COM 1 port set to ‘Modem’ type.
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After you have created a modem enabled Com port, you can then assign that
Com Port to one or more panels in the ‘Com Port’ field of each selected
panel record, in the Panels screen.
Fig. 63.23. The Panels screen ‘Com Port’ selection control.
Once a given panel has been assigned to a modem enabled Com port, it
becomes a ‘dial up’ panel. Only dial up enabled panels are shown on the
Panels tab of the Setup Dialup screen (see figure below). Therefore, if you
have not assigned a ‘Modem’ type Com Port to any panel, the list will be
empty (see figure 63.21 above).
Fig. 63.24. Setup Dialup screen ‘Panels’ tab showing dial up enabled panel names.
Note that the Panels tab of the Setup Dialup screen lists all panels that are
assigned to modem enabled Com Ports. The list is simply a listing of all
panels that have been assigned to dial up Com ports. None of those panels
have been assigned to any dial nodes, until you assign them by clicking the
check boxes.
So, when you create a dial node, you are telling the CardAccess software
which panels in the list of all dial enabled panels, you have connected
together on the same remote panel modem.
The controls on the Panels tab of the Setup Dialup screen allow you to select
the panels that will belong to a given dial node. You can also select which of
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the two CardAccess modem lines will be used for dialing out by the
CardAccess host PC, or which modem lines will be used by the selected
panels for dialing in from the currently selected dial node.
Note that all selections in a given node record affect only that node. There
are no ‘global’ settings available from the Setup Dialup screen that will
affect all dial nodes.
The Panels tab controls are explained below.
Panel Selection
The ‘Panels’ selection area (see figure below) is where you will select panels
that will belong to the current dial node. You simply click the check box of
each panel that you wish to include in a given node. All of those panels that
don’t have checks in the check boxes will not be polled when the currently
selected node is connected.
Fig. 63.25. Panels selected by clicking checkboxes.
Note that in the Setup Dialup screen, we are creating a macro that will dial a
given cluster and poll the panel addresses of the panels that we have selected
on the Panels tab. It is important to be sure that all of the panels selected in
the Panels area of a given node are in fact, actually physically connected
together, and are connected to the modem whose phone number is specified
in the ‘Telephone No.’ field of the selected node.
Since the panels list is a list of all dial up panels, it would be easy to
mistakenly include a panel that belongs to a different node by checking the
wrong box. Beware of this.
To select a panel for inclusion with the selected node, click the check box
for that panel. Checked means the panel is included, unchecked means
excluded.
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Dial Out Modem Line
The ‘Dial- Out Line’ radio buttons are used to select which modem the
currently selected dial node will use to dial out from the PC to the panels.
Fig. 63.26. The ‘Dial-Out Line’ radio buttons.
By selecting one of the above options, you are telling the CardAccess which
modem listed in the System Settings (see figure 63.7 above) it should use for
dialing out to the panels when the current node is contacted. Click the
modem line you wish to select (the system will only let you select one of the
modems lines).
Dial In Modem Line
Fig. 63.27. The ‘Dial-In Line’ radio buttons.
The ‘Dial-In Line’ radio buttons enable two things.
o Dial In Phone Numbers – The ‘Dial-In Line’ radio buttons are used to
select which dial in phone numbers will be sent to the currently selected
panel cluster. If you select ‘Modem Line 1’, only the phone number
from the ‘Telephone No Line 1’ field (on the General Tab) will be sent
to the panels in the selected cluster. Thus, they will only be aware of the
one dial back phone line and will use that phone number exclusively for
dial back. Similarly, if you select ‘Modem Line 2’, only the phone
number from the ‘Telephone No Line 2’ field will be sent to the panels.
If you select ‘Both Modem Lines’, both of the phone numbers from the
‘Workstations (incoming) section of the General tab will be sent to all
panels in the selected cluster. A panel wishing to connect to the
CardAccess host PC will dial Modem Line 1 first. If that line is busy,
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the panel will dial Modem Line 2. The panel will continue to cycle
between Modem Line 1 and 2 indefinitely until it achieves a
connection.
o Modem Monitoring – Your selection in the Dial-In Line area of the
Panels tab also enables CardAccess monitoring of the modem lines
selected, waiting for incoming calls. Once you make a Dial-In Line
selection, the CardAccess connects to the selected modem(s) to monitor
for incoming connection requests. The CardAccess may still dial out
from the selected modems, but those modems will not be available to
any other Windows programs.
To make a selection, click ‘Modem Line 1’, ‘Modem Line 2’ or ‘Both
Modem Lines’ (the system will only allow one selection)
Alpha Sort
By default, the list of panels in the list on the Panels tab is sorted in the panel
number order (taken from the ‘PnlNo’ column of the Panels screen). If you
wish to sort the panels list in alphabetical order instead, click the ‘Alpha
Sort’ check box.
Fig. 63.28. The ‘Alpha Sort’ check box.
Checked means sorted in alphabetical order, unchecked means sorted in
panel number order. You don’t need to be in edit mode to use this feature.
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Creating a Basic Dial Node Definition
1. Open ‘Setup Dialup’ screen by clicking on ConfigurationÆModems
menu options in the CardAccess main screen. On clicking, the screen
will open in the General tab.
3. In the Node Name field, type a descriptive name for the node being
created. Any typed character is accepted in this field. It is strongly
recommended that you create a name that accurately describes the
location or the intended use of the node.
Fig. 63.29. The ‘Node Name’ field.
4. Click the down arrow to the right of Station control (seen in
Workstations (Incoming) section), locate the ComServer for which
you wish to define dial nodes, and click on it.
Fig. 63.30. Choosing a desired ComServer.
5. Enter a Dial In Phone Number – Two fields are provided in the
Workstations (Incoming) section for specifying the dial in phone
numbers. Each field represents one of the modems that is selected for
use by the CardAccess software, as indicated in the CardAccess
System Settings.
The Dial In Phone Number fields will contain the phone numbers of the
two modems that are connected to the CardAccess host PC. These
numbers will be downloaded to the panel(s) indicated in the current node
record. The panel(s) will then store these numbers and use them to dial in
to the CardAccess PC where necessary.
The numbers in these fields are optional. If you will not need to have any
panel in the selected node dial the CardAccess host PC, you don’t need to
supply any dial in phone numbers. Also, you may elect to use only one
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modem, which can be either modem 1 or modem 2. However, whichever
number you provide (modem line 1 or 2), there must be a modem selected
for that modem line in the System Settings (see the manual section on the
‘System Settings’ for more information, also refer the heading ‘Panel Dial
In Phone Numbers’ explained under General tab above).
To enter a phone number, click in the white space and type in the number.
Fig. 63.31. The dial-in telephone number fields.
6. Enter a Dial Out Phone Number – The Telephone No field in the
‘Panels’ section is where you will type in the phone number of the
panel side modem for the current panel cluster. This number will be
used by the CardAccess communications driver each time the selected
panel node is dialed.
To enter a phone number, click in the white space and type in the
number.
Fig. 63.32. The dial-out telephone number field.
7. Modem Init String – If preferred, you are permitted to enter modem
initialization strings into the ‘Modem Init Strings’ field (see figure
63.33 below). These strings will be downloaded to the panel that is
connected to the remote modem (the panel whose address is set to
1gets the string stored). That panel will store the initialization string in
memory and will send that string to the (panel side) modem after each
connection event is terminated (shortly after each hang up). The string
will also be sent from the panel to the panel side modem each time the
panel is manually reset.
To enter a string, click in the white space of the Modem Init Strings field
(figure 63.33) and type in your string. The string must begin with the AT
command (the modem ‘attention’ command). You will not need ‘AT’ on
the second line (if you use it). The system sees both lines of the field as
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one contiguous string. You may separate each command with a space if
preferred for readability. Spaces are ignored.
Fig. 63.33. The Modem Init Strings Field.
8. Select a Schedule – The schedule is a key element of the dial node
definition. The schedule determines when, and how frequently the
CardAccess communications driver will connect to the dial node
defined by the current node definition. You have the following
choices.
o By Schedule – The CardAccess will dial the node according to the
schedule selected in the ‘Time Schedule’ field. If you elect to use this
option, you must also select a time schedule in the Time Schedule field.
Fig. 63.34. The ‘Time Schedule’ selection control.
o On the Hour – The CardAccess will dial the node every hour, at the
top of the hour.
o Twice Daily – The CardAccess will dial the node twice daily, once at
midnight and once at noon.
o Daily – The CardAccess will dial the node once per day, at midnight.
If you are not sure which option to select, as a baseline use the ‘Twice
Daily’ option if the system is busy 24 hours per day. Use the ‘Daily’
option for systems that are moderately busy during the day, but are quiet
at night.
To select an option, click on it. If a black dot is shown in the circle, the
option is selected.
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Fig. 63.35. The ‘Dial Frequency’ selection radio buttons.
9. Click on the Panels tab.
10. Select Panels – You will need to add some panels to your dial node.
By default, the software shows you a list of all panels that are known
to be dial up panels, but no panels are added to your new dial node
automatically. You must select each panel that you wish to include in
the current dial node.
You will only select panels that you know are physically connected
together and are on the same modem. The CardAccess communications
driver will then poll the panel addresses of each selected panel, each time
the currently selected dial node is connected.
To select a panel, click the check box of the panel in question. Checked
means selected, unchecked means not selected.
Fig. 63.36. Panels selected by clicking checkboxes.
11. Select a Dial Out Line – Since the CardAccess allows you to assign
up to two modems for use by the dial engine (in the System Settings
screen), the software needs to know which of the two modems you
would prefer this dial node to use for dialing out to the panel cluster
indicated by the currently selected node record.
To select a Dial Out Line, click the radio button to the left of the ‘Modem
Line 1’ or ‘Modem Line 2’ labels. A black dot in the circle means
selected. It is recommended that you check the System Settings ‘General’
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tab to verify which modem line is assigned to the modem you wish to
select. You are permitted to select either line but not both.
Fig. 63.37. The ‘Dial-Out Line’ radio buttons.
12. Select a Dial In Line – You will only need to select one or more Dial
In Lines if you are planning on having the panels dial in to the
CardAccess PC in response to an input, relay or link activation. If you
have not set this option in any of the Inputs, Relays or Links screens,
you may skip this section.
If you wish to have one or more panels in the currently selected dial node
dial in to the CardAccess, you need to supply those panel(s) with the dial
line phone number(s) of the CardAccess host PC modem(s).
The CardAccess host PC can support up to two modems (in the System
Settings). Each of those modems can be assigned to dial in or dial out
duties. However, when you select a modem for dial in duty, that modem
port is placed in ‘monitor’ mode. The CardAccess software will monitor
the port waiting for a ringing indication, then will answer the call.
You can assign up to two modems for dial in duty if you prefer. The
CardAccess will monitor both modems and answer whichever line is
ringing. A modem can be assigned to dial out and dial in duty
simultaneously.
To select a Dial In Line, click the radio button to the left of ‘Modem Line
1’, ‘Modem Line 2’ or ‘Both Modem Lines’. A black dot in the circle
means selected. You are only permitted to select one of the three options.
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Fig. 63.38. The ‘Dial-In Line’ radio buttons.
13. Click on Save button in the Setup Dialup screen toolbar to save the
settings.
When you have saved your node record, the CardAccess will activate that
node. Once the node is activated, the CardAccess will wait for the time
schedule selected in that node to go into effect, and will then dial the remote
node’s modem as requested.
Once the CardAccess is successfully connected to a panel cluster through a
dial line, it will remain online with the panels indicated in the node record
until there are no more event messages received from those panels. The
CardAccess communications driver will then hang up the call and dial the
next dial node, if it is programmed to do so.
Editing a Dial Node Definition
• Open ‘Setup Dialup’ screen by clicking on ConfigurationÆModems
menu options in the CardAccess main screen. The screen will open in
the General tab.
• In the upper half of the screen, locate the dial node record you wish
to edit, and click on it.
• Make desired changes to the controls in the General and Panels tabs
of the screen.
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Deleting a Dial Node Definition
• Open ‘Setup Dialup’ screen by clicking on ConfigurationÆModems
menu options in the CardAccess main screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the dial node record you wish
Fig. 63.39. Message box displayed before deleting a dial node record.
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Setup Dialup Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 63.40. The ‘Setup Dialup’ screen navigation bar.
The Setup Dialup screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the
older/newer/bookmarked dial node records in the screen. In figure 63.40, we
highlight the very first dial node record in the screen.
containing the highlighted dial node record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted dial node
record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted dial
node record.
containing the highlighted dial node record.
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highlight the last dial node record in the screen.
highlighted dial node record.
previously bookmarked dial node record.
General Modem Setup
Generally, you will need at least one dial modem for the CardAccess host
PC (up to two are permitted). An external modem is recommended, as there
have been cases where a modem has ‘locked up’, preventing dial out. The
only way to reset an internal modem is to reboot the host computer, which
will also take the entire CardAccess system down.
You will also need to provide an additional modem for every dial node
(panel cluster) that you wish to construct. A dial node will consist of a
modem with one or more panels serially connected, attached to each other,
and ultimately one panel in the cluster is attached to the modem.
Note: The panel that is directly attached to the modem must have the
‘modem switch’ set to Off (switch #7 on a SuperTerm, Turbo SuperTerm,
SmartTerm and MiniTerm, switch #6 on a MicroTerm). This switch enables
panel control of the modem through AT commands. The modem to panel
link will not work correctly if the modem switch is set to On (the default).
The various CardAccess system dial modems do not have to be the same
brand or model. That is, you can mix modem brands in the same system, but
it is not recommended. Because modems are designed to industry standards,
theoretically you should be able to make any modem talk to another modem.
In practice, this will only be true if the modem installer is highly skilled at
setting up modems and in telecommunications in general. It makes more
sense to use the same modem brand and model for every connection point to
permit ease of setup and insure 100% compatibility.
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All modems, regardless of brand have programmable parameters that are
accessible by sending configuration command codes through the modem
serial port. These command codes are generally referred to as the ‘Hayes AT
Command Set’ due to the fact that the modem command language was first
used by the Hayes modem company, and due to the fact that every command
string must begin with the letters ‘AT’. ‘AT’ is the ‘attention’ command for
a modem, and puts all modems into configuration mode.
The modem expects that some number of recognizable command codes will
follow the AT command. Every modem has a specific list of AT commands
that the modem will respond to. Any commands that are outside of that list
are ignored by the modem.
Unfortunately, the Hayes command set was not officially adopted as a fixed
standard. Manufacturers are free to reassign modem control codes to any
modem function as they see fit. Thus, you will find that each modem comes
with a chart of command assignments, which is unique to that brand or
model of modem.
However, modem manufacturers do attempt adherence to the Hayes
command set for the most part. You will find that most modem command
mnemonics are the same from brand to brand, with only minor variations.
But it is important to be forewarned that a command string that works for
one modem may not work for another modem, even if that modem is a
different model made by the same manufacturer.
The general setup guidelines for modems that will be used with the
CardAccess system are the same for all modem brands. The Host PC side
modem requires no special setup and the panel side modem will require
some compensation for the fact that the panels do not provide any hardware
handshaking signals on the RS232 interface.
Below are the general features that you will want to set up on any modem
(regardless of brand or model) that you intend to use with the CardAccess
system.
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Host PC Side Modem
• Use Factory Defaults – There is no set up necessary for the PC side
modem. Set the modem to the factory default settings and connect the
modem to the PC using the standard modem cable. The factory setup
works because modems are designed to be connected to PC’s, so the
optimal settings for that type of connection have been stored in the
modem’s memory in advance by the manufacturer.
Panel Side Modem
You will need to enable the following features on any modem that you
intend to connect to a Continental designed access control panel.
Modem Feature Name
DTR Normal/Override Option
RTS Override
Carrier Detect Override
Echo Off/On Option
Result Codes On/Off Option
Verbal/Numeric Result Codes
Auto Answer On/Off Option
Answer On One Ring
Fix Modem DTE Speed
Load from NV Ram or
AT Commands Accept/Ignore
Select This Option
DTR Always On
Ignore RTS
Carrier Detect Normal
Echo Off
Display Result Codes
Numeric Result Codes
Auto Answer Enable
S0 = 1
9.6K or 19.2K Baud
Load From NV Ram
Accept AT
Table- 63.41. The required modem features for panel side modems.
*Note: If you find that the panel side modem is picking up the line then
hanging up right away, set the AT Command option on the panel side
modem to ‘Ignore AT Commands’ (or ‘Dumb Mode’ depending on the
modem model). However, be warned that disabling AT commands on the
panel side modem means that the panel will no longer be able to dial back
the CardAccess PC (if set up to do so).
Each option listed in Table 63.41 can be set on a given modem by sending
an AT command string, or in some cases by setting dipswitches. Note that it
is strongly recommended that you use only modems that have been tested
with the CardAccess software. Continental Instruments tech support will be
limited on modem brands that have not been approved for use with the
CardAccess system.
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Note the below modem connection issues:
• Modem Cables
o PC Side – The PC side cable will be a standard RS232 modem cable.
o Panel Side – Continental has designed a modem cable that provides
the correct pin outs and jumpers needed to support the panel side
modem.
As we stated previously, the panel provides connections for RD, TD
and GND (receive, transmit data and ground) but the panel does not
provide any hardware handshake signals (DTR, RTS) to the modem.
However, the modem requires these RS232 handshake signals to
control carrier and dialing.
Inputs like ‘Request to Send’ and ‘Data Terminal Ready’ are
commonly sent by computer equipment to the modem. When a
Continental Instruments panel is connected to a modem, these signals
are not available. Since these signals must be provided, we must find a
way to do so.
There are two methods available to provide handshake signals to a
modem.
Software Jumpers – Modem manufacturers have provided a means
to use initialization strings to set the software of the modem to
ignore the electrical states of some hardware inputs like RTS and
DTR. When the modem is set to ignore selected RS232 inputs, this
is commonly referred to as the ‘software jumpering’ of those inputs.
If you are not providing hardware jumpers (see below), then you
must provide software jumpers for RTS and DTR. If DTR is not
provided, the modem may not answer an incoming call. If RTS is
not provided, the modem may not raise transmit carrier once the call
has been answered.
The initialization codes used to set the above options can vary from
manufacturer to manufacturer. Consult the manufacturer’s
documentation for more information.
Hardware Jumpers – Hardware jumpers have been the traditional
method of providing missing RS232 signals for the decades since
the modem was first invented. A hardware jumper (also known as a
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‘hardwire’ jumper) is nothing more than a piece of wire used to
short two or more pins of the RS232 interface together, for the
purpose of ‘fooling’ the modem into thinking that the proper voltage
level is supplied to selected pins. Using jumper wires to short pins
on the RS232 interface is also known as ‘faking out’ the signals.
Essentially, you find a pin on the interface that has a voltage level
that you need to provide for another pin, and you short one pin to the
other. You bridge the pin that has the voltage with a pin that needs a
voltage.
It is important to be sure that, the pin that you have selected to feed
the voltage to other pins does not change state unexpectedly (go
from high to low, say). You must be sure that, the pins that you
select for hardware jumpers provide a constant voltage to pins that
you wish to fake.
There are a number of tried and true RS232 jumper configurations
that have proven their worth over years of trials, and those will be
the ones we will tend to recommend. Other jumper configurations
are possible, but require knowledge of the RS232 interface to
successfully implement.
For example, the recommended method for the hardware jumper
faking of RTS and DTR are as follows:
Signal
RTS
DTR
Pin
4
20
TO
TO
Pin
5
6
Signal
CTS
DSR
Table- 63.42. Standard RS232 RTS and DTR faking jumpers.
In the specific case of Continental Instruments panels, you would
employ these jumpers on the modem side of the panel to modem
cable.
The Request To Send and Data Terminal Ready pins are expected to
be +12 volts at the modem if a DTE device (computer or panel in
this case) is connected.
The modem signal CTS (clear to send) is held high (+12vdc) when the
modem has receive carrier. Thus, if you jumper RTS and CTS, when
the panel side modem connects to the CardAccess host PC side
modem, CTS will go high (+12Vdc) and CTS will drive RTS high as
723
well. Thus, the modem creates the needed RTS signal by deriving it
from its own CTS signal.
The modem signal DSR (data set ready) is held high once the modem
power is turned on and the modem has passed its self-test. Thus if you
short DSR to DTR, then DTR will always be held high as long as the
power to the modem is on. Again, we use DSR to derive DTR.
Note: Beware of connecting too many pins together as you create
your hardware jumpers. If you attempt to drive too many input signals
from only one output pin, the output pin’s voltage will drop and that
output may be stressed to the point of failure. Thus, it is strongly
recommended that you bridge no more than two pins together as
suggested above.
It is recommended that you consider software jumpers to be somewhat
‘unreliable’. The reasoning for this is that software jumpers relies on
settings stored in programmable areas of modem memory, areas
which have the potential of being corrupted if the modem is hit by a
power spike.
Therefore, to insure absolute reliability, you will want to add
hardware jumpers either in addition to software jumpers, or instead of
software jumpers. If the modem is hit by a spike, the potential exists
(and it has happened) that the modem will revert to its factory
programming (stored in non-programmable EPROM). The factory
settings of most modems set the RTS and DTR functions to the
normal, non-jumpered state.
In the case where the modem has reverted to factory defaults and the
hardware jumpers have not been provided, the modem may stop
answering incoming calls and may require a site visit to restore the
software jumpers to modem memory. Hardware jumpers become
cheap insurance of continued operation in that case.
Continental Instruments Systems offers a modem cable that comes
equipped with the correct hardware jumpers for connections between
Continental panels and all brands of dial modems. This cable is
strongly recommended for all panels to dial modem connections.
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Hardware AT Switches
Earlier in this section we discussed the fact that modem settings can be
modified by sending AT commands to the modem through the serial port.
Some modem models also provide a switch block that allows you to preset
some AT functions by using hardware switches.
Each time the modem powers up, the switch block is read and the
appropriate initialization parameters are loaded from modem EPROM. It is
important to note that the power on switch settings will always override any
contrary software initialization strings that are stored in modem
configuration memory.
For example, in the case of the US Robotics V.Everything modem, if you set
switch 5 to ‘Off’, the modem will auto-answer on one ring regardless of the
setting in the S0=n parameter (which is interpreted by the modem as ‘pick up
on ‘n’ rings’).
Also note that you can use AT commands to temporarily override the
settings of hardware switches if required. If you power up the modem and
wait for it to fully initialize, then send AT commands that concern
parameters that are handled by the switch block, those AT commands will
override the modem switch settings. However, these modified settings will
only remain in effect as long as the power is applied to the modem. When
you remove the power, all temporary initialization parameters are lost.
Continental Approved Modems
The US Robotics V.Everything and the US Robotics Sportster modems have
been tested and have been approved for use with the Continental Instruments
access control system. The V.Everything modem offers high performance at
somewhat higher cost. The Sportster modem is bargain priced and offers
reasonable performance for access control applications.
Other brand modems can be used to provide dial up access for the
CardAccess system, but since they have not been officially tested and
approved by Continental Instruments Systems, support and in-house
knowledge of your specific modem will tend to be limited.
The primary difference between the V.Everything and the Sportster modems
lies in the error correction capability of the modem on questionable phone
lines. In our experience, the business class V.Everything modem has
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succeeded to connect on questionable phone lines where other lesser quality
modems have failed with regularity (including the Sportster). Generally, the
performance of the V.Everything will tend to be more predictable than the
Sportster, but it costs considerably more.
So, where price is an issue, you will want to select the Sportster modem.
Where reliability is an issue, the additional cost of the V.Everything modem
is offset by the fact that it is more adaptable and stable than its lower priced
cousin.
US Robotics Courier V.Everything Modem
The superior error correction circuitry of the Courier V.Everything modem
makes it ideal for use as a general-purpose dial modem for access control
applications involving Continental Instruments equipment. The additional
cost of the V.Everything modem is offset by the fact that the modem has
superior performance on marginal quality phone lines. The properly
configured V.Everything modem has been proven to have fewer support
issues on sub-par phone lines, as compared to standard modems.
The approach to setting up the V.Everything modem is no different than any
other modem that one would consider using for a CardAccess dial
application. The Host PC side modem can generally be used with the factory
default settings, but the panel side modem will require special set up due to
the fact that Continental panels do not provide any hardware handshake
signals to the modem.
Note that the V.Everything modem has a switch block located on the
underside of the modem (see figure below).
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Fig. 63.43. The V.Everything modem switch block.
The ten switches on the switch block correspond to ten AT configuration
parameters that are stored in the modem’s configuration memory. Those
parameters can be changed by switch or by software AT command.
However, the switch settings will override the software settings except as
noted in the above section titled ‘Hardware AT Switches’.
The recommended switch settings and AT command setup for the US
Robotics Courier V.Everything modem follow below. Note the separate
sections for the PC side modem setup and the panel side setup.
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PC Side Modem
The recommended switch settings for the PC side modem are seen in Table
63.44 below.
Switc
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Setting
Off = DTR Normal
Off = Verbal Result Codes
On = Display Result Codes
Off = Echo Offline
Off = Auto Answer Enable*
Off = Carrier Detect
Off = Display Result Codes
On = Accept AT
On = Disconnect With +++
On = Load Factory Settings
Modem Option
DTR Normal/Override
Result Codes On/Off
Echo Off/On
Auto Answer On/Off
Result Codes
Ignore AT Commands
Disconnect Mode
Load from NV Ram or Factory
* Set Auto-Answer to Off (sw 4 to On) if panels will not be dialing in to the host
Table- 63.44. The recommended PC side V.Everything modem switch settings.
No additional initialization strings are needed for the PC side modem. Use
the factory settings.
Panel Side Modem
The switch settings for the Panel Side modem are found below in Table
63.45. As mentioned above, you will need to provide a DTR and an RTS
signal to the modem. Error! Reference source not found.Table 63.45
shows the settings for software jumpering of the modem. However it is
strongly suggested that you add hardware jumpers in addition to software
jumpers (see the manual section titled Continental Approved Modems for
more information).
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Switch
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Setting
On = DTR Always On
On = Numeric Result Codes
On = Display Result Codes
On = Echo Off
Off = Auto Answer Enable
On = Carrier Detect Always On
Off = Display Result Codes
On = Accept AT Commands*
On = Disconnect With +++
Off = Load From NV Ram
Modem Option
DTR Normal/Override
Result Codes On/Off
Echo Off/On
Auto Answer On/Off
Result Codes
Ignore AT Commands
Disconnect Mode
Load from NV Ram or
Factory
* If the panel is picking up then hanging up set to ‘Ignore AT Commands’, but only if
the panel is not set to dial back to the host PC
Table- 63.45. The recommended panel side USR V.Everything switch settings.
On the panel side modem, in addition to the switch settings above you will
need to modify the factory initialization strings settings by sending the
following initialization string to the modem.
AT&N6&R1S0=1&W
Command
AT
&N6
&R1
S0 = 1
&W
Description
The Modem ‘Attention’ Command
Connect Speed Maximum = 9600
Ignore the RTS Signal
Answer On 1 Ring
Store Profile in NV Ram Location ‘W0’
Table- 63.46. The USR V.Everything panel side modem additional command strings.
You can use the Windows HyperTerminal utility (available from the
Accessories program group) to send the initialization strings to the modem.
US Robotics Sportster Modem
The US Robotics Sportster modem provides reasonable performance for
access control applications at an affordable price. The Sportster will perform
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very well in all applications that do not include marginal phone lines (where
you will select the Courier modem instead).
The configuration of the Sportster is very similar to the Courier mentioned
in the previous section. The Sportster provides a switch block on its rear
panel that allows you to program some initialization parameters, much like
the Courier. However, the Sportster has fewer initialization parameters
available from switches.
The recommended PC side and panel side modem switch settings and
initialization strings appear below.
PC Side Modem
The recommended switch settings for the PC side modem are seen in table
63.47 below.
Switch
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Setting
Up = DTR Normal
Up = Verbal Result Codes
Down = Display Result Codes
Up = Echo Offline Commands
Up = Auto Answer Enable*
Up = Carrier Detect Normal
Down = Load Factory Settings
Down = Accept AT Commands
Modem Option
DTR Normal/Override
Result Codes On/Off
Echo Off/On
Auto Answer On/Off
Ignore AT Commands
* Set Auto Answer to Off (sw 4 to On) if panels will not be dialing in to the host PC
Table- 63.47. The recommended PC side Sportster modem switch settings.
No additional initialization strings are needed for the PC side modem. Use
the factory settings.
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Panel Side Modem
The switch settings for the Panel Side modem are found below in table
63.48. As mentioned above, you will need to provide a DTR and an RTS
signal to the modem. Table 63.48 shows the settings for the software
jumpering of the modem. However it is strongly suggested that you add
hardware jumpers in addition to software jumpers (see the manual section
titled Continental Approved Modems for more information).
Switch
Setting
Modem Option
1
Down = Override
DTR Normal/Override
2
Down = Numeric
3
Down = Yes
Result Codes Yes/No
4
Down = Off
Echo Off/On
5
Up = On
Auto Answer On/Off
6
Down = CD Override Carrier Detect Override
7
Up = Load NV Ram
8
Down = Smart
Mode*
Ignore AT Commands
* If the panel is picking up then hanging up set to ‘Dumb Mode’, but only if
the panel is not set to dial back to the host PC
Table- 63.48. The recommended panel side USR Sportster switch settings.
On the panel side modem, in addition to the switch settings above, you
will need to modify the factory initialization strings settings by sending
the following string to the modem.
AT&F&B1&H&N6&U6S0=1S28=255Y&W&W1
The meaning of the above string follows.
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Command
AT
&F
&B1
&H
&N6
&U6
S0 = 1
S28 = 255
Y0
&W0
&W1
Description
The Modem ‘Attention’ Command
Load Generic Template (No Flow
Fixed Serial Port Rate
Flow Control Disabled
Connect Speed Maximum = 9600
Connect Speed Minimum = 9600
Answer On 1 Ring
Answer Only at 9600, V.32
Default Profile = W0
Store Profile in W0
Store Profile in W1
Table- 63.49. The recommended USR Sportster initialization strings.
You can type the command string as one contiguous string as seen
above or you can enter the commands individually as below.
AT&F (hit enter), AT&B1 (hit enter), AT&H (hit enter), etc.
You can use the Windows HyperTerminal utility (available from the
Accessories program group) to send the initialization strings to the
modem.
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Manual Door Control
The ‘Manual Door Control’ screen can be used to manually control the
doors (readers) that are used in the CardAccess system. All the electric door
locks in the CardAccess system are ultimately controlled by relays on the
Continental panels. Thus, manual control of any door will lead to activation
or deactivation of the relay(s) associated with that door.
Accessing Manual Door Control Screen
The ‘Manual Door Control’ screen can be opened in two ways as below.
a) By clicking on Doors button in the CardAccess main toolbar.
Fig. 56.1. The ‘Doors’ button in CardAccess main toolbar.
b) By highlighting the desired door Event/Alert in the CardAccess
Events/Alerts grid, and clicking on Control button seen in the toolbar
of the corresponding grid.
Fig. 56.2. The ‘Control’ button in Events grid toolbar.
Fig. 56.3. The ‘Control’ button in Alerts grid toolbar.
Both the methods (a and b above) will open the ‘Manual Door Control’
screen.
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Fig. 56.4. The ‘Manual Door Control’ screen.
Note: If the ‘Control’ button was used to open the screen, then, the Doors
section of the screen will show automatic selection of the door associated
with the Event/Alert that you highlighted in the CardAccess main screen.
For more information on this, refer the heading Executing Manual Door
Control Using ‘Control’ Button.
The various controls in the ‘Manual Door Control’ screen are discussed
below.
Door Group
The ‘Door Group’ control can be used to apply a filter for the doors
(represented by checkboxes) that are listed in the Doors section (see lower
half of figure 56.4 above) of the ‘Manual Door Control’ screen.
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Fig. 56.5. The ‘Door Group’ control.
The ‘Door Group’ control will store all of the door groups that are defined in
the ‘Readers’ tab of the Groups screen (see the section Groups).
The default option ‘All Doors’ will be seen in the ‘Door Group’ control
every time the screen is opened. Thus, by default, all doors that are defined
in the Readers screen will be displayed on the Manual Door Control screen.
In case you wish to view doors that belong to a particular door group only,
then, click the down arrow to the right of ‘Door Group’ control and choose a
desired door group.
Note:
• Filtering will remain on for the group you selected until you turn it
off, or close and reopen the ‘Manual Door Control’ screen. If you
want to remove filtering, click the ‘Door Group’ control again and
select the option ‘none’. This will turn filtering off.
• There are actually two sets of items that will appear in the ‘Manual
Door Control’ screen filtered list – the items that belong to the
selected group, and the items that have no group assigned (group =
‘none’). If you wish to see the items from a particular door group
only, then, you must assign groups to every door that you create in the
Readers screen. Do not leave any door, with a group = ‘none’.
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Execute Door Action
The ‘Execute Door Action’ button will be grayed out when the Manual Door
Control screen is opened. The button will be activated only when any door is
selected in the Doors section of the screen.
Fig. 56.6. The ‘Execute Door Action’ button grayed out by default.
The label seen on the button will change depending on enabling/disabling of
the ‘Door Action’ and/or the ‘Reader Action’ checkboxes. Also, the function
performed by clicking the button varies based on which checkbox is
enabled.
The label that can be displayed on the button and the function performed by
clicking it are as follows.
• Execute Door Action- This is the default label visible on the button.
This label will be seen when the ‘Door Action’ checkbox is selected.
Clicking this button will execute the door action (Lock, Unlock or
Unlock Hold) you choose, on the selected doors.
• Execute Door and Reader Action- This label will be seen when both
the ‘Door Action’ and the ‘Reader Action’ checkboxes are selected.
Clicking this button will execute the door action (Lock, Unlock, or
Unlock Hold) as well as the reader action (Enable or Disable) you
choose, on the selected doors.
Fig. 56.7. The ‘Execute Door and Reader Action’ button.
• Execute Reader Action- This label will be seen when the ‘Reader
Action’ checkbox is selected. Clicking this button will execute the
Reader Action (Enable or Disable) you choose, on the selected doors.
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Fig. 56.8. The ‘Execute Reader Action’ button.
Note: The buttons in figure 56.6, 56.7, 56.8 will be activated only if at least
one door is selected in the Doors section of the screen.
Door Action Section
The ‘Door Action’ section provides controls for choosing the action you
wish to perform on the doors selected in the Doors section of Manual Door
Control screen.
Fig. 56.9. The ‘Door Action’ section.
The controls in the ‘Door Action’ section are explained below.
Door Action Checkbox
The ‘Door Action’ checkbox is checked by default. When checked, the door
action you select (Lock, Unlock or Unlock Hold) will be executed on
clicking the ‘Execute Door Action’ button.
Fig. 56.10. The ‘Door Action’ checkbox.
Note:
• The Lock, Unlock and Unlock Hold door actions are mutually
exclusive. That is, only one of these actions can be performed on the
doors you select.
• The Lock, Unlock or Unlock Hold action you select will be applied to
all doors that are selected in the Doors section of the screen.
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• The ‘Door Action’ checkbox must be checked if you wish to control
the doors manually. If unchecked, the Lock, Unlock and Unlock Hold
radio buttons will be grayed out and hence manual door control will
not be feasible.
• Remember that door locks are activated and deactivated by relays on
the Continental Instruments control panels. When we say ‘open a
door’, we actually refer to the latching and unlatching of relays that
are assigned to doors. Also remember that relays can be ‘off state
energized’ which means that the relay is energized until the door is
unlocked, which is the opposite of the normal state of ‘off state deenergized’.
Lock
Choosing this option will lock the doors selected in the Doors section of
‘Manual Door Control’ screen. This could mean energizing or de-energizing
the door relays. The relays will be ‘normalized’. This depends on the ‘OffState Energized’ setting of the relays, in the Relays screen.
Fig. 56.11. The ‘Lock’ radio button.
Locking will not be not ‘persistent’. That is, it is not a lock and hold that
prevents future access. The next badge or manual open (unlock) command
will open the doors as normal.
Unlock
‘Unlock’ is the default door action selected in the Manual Door Control
screen. This option will unlock the doors selected in the Doors section of the
screen.
Fig. 56.12. The ‘Unlock’ radio button.
The door relays will be energized for the time duration set in their
respective ‘Door Strike Time’ control found in the Readers screen.
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Unlock Hold
Choosing this option will unlock the doors selected and keep the relays
energized (or de-energized) until you send a manual lock command to the
doors.
Fig. 56.13. The ‘Unlock Hold’ radio button.
Reader Action Section
The ‘Reader Action’ section provides controls for choosing the action you
wish to perform on the readers (doors) selected in the Doors section of the
Manual Door Control screen. The radio button controls in this section will
be grayed out by default.
Fig. 56.14. The ‘Reader Action’ section disabled by default.
The controls in the ‘Reader Action’ section are explained below.
Reader Action Checkbox
By default, the ‘Reader Action’ checkbox will be unchecked and the radio
button controls (Enable/Disable) will be grayed out. When the box is
checked, the reader action you select (Enable/Disable) will be executed on
clicking the Execute Reader Action button.
Fig. 56.15. The ‘Reader Action’ checkbox.
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Note:
• The ‘Enable’ and ‘Disable’ actions are mutually exclusive. That is,
only one of the reader actions can be performed on the selected doors.
• The ‘Enable’ or ‘Disable’ action you select will be applied to all doors
that you select in the Doors section of the screen.
Enable
Selecting this option will turn ‘on’ the readers doors) selected in the Doors
section of the screen. Readers turned ‘on’ will read the badges.
Fig. 56.16. The ‘Enable’ radio button.
‘Enable’ will be the default selection when the ‘Reader Action’ checkbox is
selected.
Disable
Selecting this option will turn ‘off’ the readers selected in the Doors section
of the screen. Readers turned ‘off’ will ignore all badge reads.
Fig. 56.17. The ‘Disable’ radio button.
Note: Once a reader is switched off, you must manually turn it on before it
will read badges again.
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Alpha Sort
The default sort order for the readers (Doors) in the ‘Manual Door Control’
screen is the ‘number entered’ order. That is, the reader names will be
displayed in the ‘panel number numeric order’ where, the readers on panel
one appear before those on panel two, and the lowest numbered reader on
panel one appears before the highest numbered reader, etc.
Selecting the ‘Alpha Sort’ checkbox will allow you to re-sort the readers in
the ‘alphabetical’ order.
Fig. 56.18. The ‘Alpha Sort’ checkbox.
But, the sort order will revert back to ‘number entered’ order (the default)
every time the screen is opened. Hence, you will be required to select the
‘Alpha Sort’ checkbox each time the screen opens, in case you wish
alphabetical order.
Doors Section
The Doors section of the screen contains checkboxes. Each checkbox
represents a reader (door) that has been created in the Readers screen.
Fig. 56.19. The ‘Doors’ section.
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To execute manual door and/or reader actions, you must select the doors of
your choice in this section.
Door selections can be made
• Individually by clicking the door checkboxes or
• Collectively by clicking on ‘Select All’ button (see below).
Doors that are selected will contain a tick mark in the checkbox.
Note: Every door you select in Doors section will be subjected to the door
action (Lock, Unlock or Unlock Hold) and/or the reader action (Enable or
Disable) you choose. Therefore, make sure that you select the correct doors
for the door/reader action you intend to perform.
Select All
Clicking the ‘Select All’ button will select all doors that are listed in the
Doors section of Manual Door Control screen.
Fig. 56.20. The ‘Select All’ button.
Clear All
Clicking the ‘Clear All’ button will deselect the door selections that are
made in the Doors section of Manual Door Control screen.
Fig. 56.21. The ‘Clear All’ button.
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Exit
Clicking the ‘Exit’ button will close the ‘Manual Door Control’ screen.
Executing Manual Door Control
Follow the steps below to execute manual door control of select doors.
• Open ‘Manual Door Control’ screen by clicking the Doors button on
• If you wish to control doors that belong to a particular group only,
then, click the down arrow to the right of Door Group control and
select a desired group.
Fig. 56.23. Door Group control showing door group names.
Note: The Door Group control will show door group names only if they
are created earlier in the ‘Groups’ screen Readers tab. Refer the section
Groups to learn about creating groups.
• In the Doors section of the screen, select the required doors for
manual control. The doors seen in this section are those that are
created and enabled earlier in the ‘Readers’ screen.
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Fig. 56.24. Selecting desired doors by clicking the checkboxes.
Selection of door(s) will enable the ‘Execute’ button (see figure 56.26
below).
• Decide on what action (door/reader action) you wish to perform on
the selected doors. Accordingly, click on the Door Action and/or the
Reader Action checkboxes, to enable their respective radio button
controls.
Fig. 56.25. Door and Reader Action checkboxes and their radio button controls.
The checkbox you select will govern the text displayed on the ‘Execute’
button (see figure 56.26).
• Decide on the door action (Lock, Unlock or Unlock Hold) and/or
Reader Action (Enable or Disable) you wish to perform on the
selected doors, and click on the corresponding radio button(s).
Note:
o The radio button controls for both the door and the reader
actions are mutually exclusive. That is, you can select only one
radio button for each action.
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o The door/reader action you select will apply to all doors
selected in the Doors section.
• Click on Execute button. This button can have the label Execute Door
Action or Execute Reader Action or Execute Door and Reader Action
depending on which checkbox (‘Door Action’ and/or ‘Reader Action’
checkbox) you have enabled.
Fig. 56.26. The Execute button activated on door selection.
Also, the ‘Execute’ button will be enabled only if you have selected at
least one door in the ‘Doors’ section (see figure 56.24).
On clicking Execute, the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 56.27. Message box displayed after clicking ‘Execute’ button.
Note: This message box does not mean that the selected door or reader
action has been performed. It just means that the action command is queued
in the database waiting to be sent to the panel. If communications is down
between the computer and the panel, the queued command will be dropped
after a timeout period.
• Click OK button in the message box.
• Click Exit button to close the Manual Door Control screen.
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Executing Manual Door Control Using ‘Control’ Button
The CardAccess Events and the Pending Alerts grids contain a button named
Control that can be used to open the ‘Manual Door Control’ screen.
The advantage of using the Control button to manually control a given door
is that, you will be saved from searching that particular door in a list of
possibly several other doors. Because, the Manual Door Control screen
opened by means of ‘Control’ button will have, the door of your interest
selected automatically.
Follow the step below if you wish to control only a particular door of your
interest manually.
1. In the CardAccess main screen, click the desired Event or Alert
message generated for the door in question.
Fig. 56.28. Clicking an event generated at ‘First Floor Executive Chamber’ door.
• Click the Control button of the corresponding grid.
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Fig. 56.29. Clicking ‘Control’ button of Events grid.
Upon clicking, the Manual Door Control screen will be displayed with the
door in question selected automatically in the Doors section of the screen.
Fig. 56.30. The ‘First Floor Executive Chamber’ door selected automatically.
• Decide on what action (door/reader action) you wish to perform on
the door in question. Accordingly, click on the Door Action and/or
the Reader Action checkboxes, to enable their respective radio button
controls.
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Fig. 56.31. Door and Reader Action checkboxes and their radio button controls.
The checkbox you select will govern the text displayed on the ‘Execute’
button (see figure 56.32 below).
• Decide on the door action (Lock, Unlock or Unlock Hold) and/or
Reader Action (Enable or Disable) you wish to perform on the door in
question, and click on the corresponding radio button(s).
Note: The radio button controls for both the door and the reader actions
are mutually exclusive. That is, you can select only one radio button for
each action.
• Click on Execute button. This button can have the label Execute Door
Action or Execute Reader Action or Execute Door and Reader Action
depending on which checkbox (‘Door Action’ and/or ‘Reader Action’
checkbox) you have enabled.
Fig. 56.32. The Execute button.
On clicking Execute, the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 56.33. Message box displayed after clicking ‘Execute’ button.
Note: This message box does not mean that the selected door or reader
action has been performed. It just means that the action command is queued
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in the database waiting to be sent to the panel. If communications is down
between the computer and the panel, the queued command will be dropped
after a timeout period.
• Click Exit button to close the Manual Door Control screen.
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Manual Relay Control
The ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen can be used to manually control the
relays that are used in the CardAccess system.
Accessing Manual Relay Control Screen
The ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen can be opened in two ways as below.
c) By clicking on Relays button in the CardAccess main toolbar.
Fig. 57.1. The ‘Relays’ button in CardAccess main toolbar.
d) By highlighting the desired relay Event/Alert in the CardAccess
Both the methods (a and b above) will open the ‘Manual Relay Control’
screen.
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Fig. 57.4. The ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen.
Note: If the ‘Control’ button was used to open the screen, then, the lower
section of the screen will show automatic selection of the relay associated
For more information on this, refer the heading Executing Manual Relay
The various controls in the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen are discussed
below.
Relay Group
The ‘Relay Group’ control can be used to apply a filter for the relays
(represented by checkboxes) that are listed in the lower half of the ‘Manual
Relay Control’ screen (see figure 57.4 above).
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Fig. 57.5. The ‘Relay Group’ control.
The ‘Relay Group’ control will store all of the relay groups that are defined
in the ‘Relays’ tab of the Groups screen (see the section Groups).
The default option ‘All Relays’ will be seen in ‘Relay Group’ control every
time the screen is opened. Thus, by default, all relays that are defined in the
Relays screen will be displayed on the Manual Relay Control screen.
In case you wish to view relays that belong to a particular relay group only,
then, click the down arrow to the right of ‘Relay Group’ control and choose
a desired relay group.
Note:
off, or close and reopen the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen. If you
want to remove filtering, click the ‘Relay Group’ control again and
select the option ‘none’. This will turn filtering off.
Relay Control’ screen filtered list – the items that belong to the
selected group, and the items that have no group assigned (group =
‘none’). If you wish to see items from a particular relay group only,
then, you must assign groups to every relay that you create in the
Relays screen. Do not leave any relay with a group = ‘none’.
Execute Relay Action
The ‘Execute Relay Action’ button will be grayed out when the Manual
Relay Control screen is opened. The button will be activated only when any
relay checkbox is selected in the lower half of the screen.
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Fig. 57.6. The ‘Execute Relay Action’ button grayed out by default.
Clicking this button will execute the relay action (Momentary ON, Hold
Energized or De-Energize) you choose, on the selected relays.
Relay Action Section
The ‘Relay Action’ section provides controls for choosing the action you
wish to perform on the relays selected in the lower half of the ‘Manual Relay
Control’ screen.
Fig. 57.7. The ‘Relay Action’ section.
The controls in the ‘Relay Action’ section are explained below.
Momentary ON
Fig. 57.8. The ‘Momentary ON’ radio button.
‘Momentary ON’ is the default relay action selected in the ‘Manual Relay
Control’ screen. This option will activate the relays selected in the screen,
for the duration of time equal to their respective ‘Energize Time’, which is
set in the Relays screen.
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Hold Energized
Fig. 57.9. The ‘Hold Energized’ radio button.
Choosing this option will activate the relays selected in the ‘Manual Relay
Control’ screen, and hold those relays in that state, until they are DeEnergized.
Note: If any relay is set to ‘Off State Energized’, this control will deenergize that particular relay.
De-Energize
Fig. 57.10. The ‘De-Energize’ radio button.
Choosing this option will deactivate the relays selected in the ‘Manual Relay
Control’ screen
Note: If any relay is set to ‘Off State Energized’, this control will energize
that particular relay.
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Relay Checkboxes
The lower half of the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen consists of checkboxes.
Each checkbox represents a relay that has been created in the Relays screen.
Fig. 57.11. Relay Checkboxes in Manual Relay Control screen.
To execute a manual relay action, you must select the relay checkboxes of
your choice.
Relay selections can be made
• Individually by clicking the relay checkboxes or
Relays that are selected will contain a tick mark in the checkbox.
Note: Every relay you select will be subjected to the relay action
(Momentary ON, Hold Energized or De-Energize) you choose. Therefore,
make sure that you select the correct relays for the relay action you intend to
perform.
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Select All
Clicking the ‘Select All’ button will select all relays that are listed in the
lower half of the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen.
Clear All
Clicking the ‘Clear All’ button will deselect the relay selections that are
made in the lower half of the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen.
Exit
Clicking the ‘Exit’ button will close the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen.
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Executing Manual Relay Control
Follow the steps below to execute manual relay control of select relays.
• Open ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen by clicking the Relays button on
• If you wish to control relays that belong to a particular group only,
then, click the down arrow to the right of Relay Group control and
Fig. 57.15. Relay Group control showing relay group names.
Note: The Relay Group control will show relay group names only if they
are created earlier in the ‘Groups’ screen Relays tab. Refer the section
Groups to learn about creating groups.
• In the lower half of the screen, select the desired relays for manual
control. The relays seen are those that are created and enabled earlier
in the ‘Relays’ screen.
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Fig. 57.16. Selecting desired relays by clicking the checkboxes.
Selection of relay(s) will enable the ‘Execute Relay Action’ button (see
figure 57.18 below).
• Decide on the relay action (Momentary On, Hold Energized or
De-Energize) you wish to perform on the selected relays, and click on
the corresponding radio button.
Fig. 57.17. The relay action radio buttons.
Note:
o The radio button controls for relay action are mutually
exclusive. That is, you can select only one radio button among
the three.
o The relay action you select will apply to all relays selected in
the lower half of the screen.
• Click on Execute Relay Action button. The button will be enabled
only if you have selected at least one relay in the lower half of the
screen (see figure 57.16).
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Fig. 57.18. The ‘Execute Relay Action’ button activated on relay selection.
On clicking the button, the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 57.19. Message box displayed after clicking ‘Execute Relay Action’ button.
Note: This message box does not mean that the selected relay action
(Momentary ON, Hold Energized or De-Energized) has been performed. It
just means that the action command is queued in the database waiting to be
sent to the panel. If communications is down between the computer and the
panel, the queued command will be dropped after a timeout period.
• Click Exit button to close the Manual Relay Control screen.
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Executing Manual Relay Control Using ‘Control’ Button
Control that can be used to open the ‘Manual Relay Control’ screen.
The advantage of using the Control button to manually control a given relay
is that, you will be saved from searching that particular relay in a list of
possibly several other relays. Because, the Manual Relay Control screen
opened by means of ‘Control’ button will have, the relay of your interest
Follow the step below if you wish to control only a particular relay of your
interest manually.
2. In the CardAccess main screen, highlight (click) the desired Event or
Alert message generated for the relay in question.
Fig. 57.20. Highlighting an event generated by ‘Panel 1 Relay 2’ relay.
Fig. 57.21. Clicking ‘Control’ button of Alerts grid.
Upon clicking, the Manual Relay Control screen will be displayed with the
relay in question selected automatically in the lower half of the screen.
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Fig. 57.22. The ‘Panel 1 Relay 2’ relay selected automatically.
• Decide on the relay action (Momentary ON, Hold Energized or DeEnergize) you wish to perform on the relay in question, and click on
the corresponding radio button.
Fig. 57.23. The relay action radio buttons.
Note: The radio button controls for relay action are mutually exclusive.
That is, you can select only one radio button among the three.
• Click on Execute Relay Action button.
Fig. 57.24. The ‘Execute Relay Action’ button.
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Fig. 57.25. Message box displayed after clicking ‘Execute Relay Action’ button.
Note: This message box does not mean that the selected relay action
(Momentary ON, Hold Energized or De-Energize) has been performed. It
just means that the action command is queued in the database waiting to be
sent to the panel. If communications is down between the computer and the
panel, the queued command will be dropped after a timeout period.
• Click Exit button to close the Manual Link Control screen.
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Manual Link Control
The ‘Manual Link Control’ screen can be used to manually control the links
that are used in the CardAccess system. A link can be programmed to fire a
relay(s) depending on the change of state of an input(s). The ultimate goal of
any link is to fire at least one relay. Thus, manual control of any link will
lead to activation or deactivation of the relay(s) associated with that link.
Accessing Manual Link Control Screen
The ‘Manual Link Control’ screen can be opened in two ways as below.
e) By clicking on Links button in the CardAccess main toolbar.
Fig. 58.1. The ‘Links’ button in CardAccess main toolbar.
f) By highlighting the desired link Event/Alert in the CardAccess
Both the methods (a and b above) will open the ‘Manual Link Control’
screen.
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Fig. 58.4. The ‘Manual Link Control’ screen.
Note: If the ‘Control’ button was used to open the screen, then, the Links
section of the screen will show automatic selection of the link associated
For more information on this, refer the heading Executing Manual Link
The various controls in the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen are discussed
below.
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Link Group
The ‘Link Group’ control can be used to apply a filter for the links
(represented by checkboxes) that are listed in the Links section (see lower
half of figure 58.4 above) of the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen.
Fig. 58.5. The ‘Link Group’ control.
The ‘Link Group’ control will store all of the link groups that are defined in
the ‘Links’ tab of the Groups screen (see the section Groups).
The default option ‘All Links’ will be seen in ‘Link Group’ control every
time the screen is opened. Thus, by default, all links that are defined in the
Links screen will be displayed on the Manual Link Control screen.
In case you wish to view links that belong to a particular link group only,
then, click the down arrow to the right of ‘Link Group’ control and choose a
desired link group.
Note:
off, or close and reopen the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen. If you want
to remove filtering, click the ‘Link Group’ control again and select the
option ‘none’. This will turn filtering off.
Link Control’ screen filtered list – the items that belong to the selected
group, and the items that have no group assigned (group = ‘none’). If
you wish to see items from a particular link group only, then, you
must assign groups to every link that you create in the Links screen.
Do not leave any link with a group = ‘none’.
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Execute Link Action
The ‘Execute Link Action’ button will be grayed out when the Manual Link
Control screen is opened. The button will be activated only when any link is
selected in the Links section of the screen.
Fig. 58.6. The ‘Execute Link Action’ button grayed out by default.
Clicking this button will execute the link action (Activate, De-Activate or
Set to Normal) you choose, on the selected links.
Link Action Section
The ‘Link Action’ section provides controls for choosing the action you
wish to perform on the links selected in the Links section of the screen.
Fig. 58.7. The ‘Link Action’ section.
The controls in the ‘Link Action’ section are explained below.
Activate
Fig. 58.8. The ‘Activate’ button.
‘Activate’ is the default link action selected in the ‘Manual Link Control’
screen. Choosing this option will fire the links selected in the Links section
of the screen.
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De-Activate
Fig. 58.9. The ‘De-Activate’ button.
Choosing this option will turn off the links selected in the Links section of
the screen. The links will no longer be active.
Note: If you wish to re-activate the links you must select the ‘Set to Normal’
option (see below).
Set to Normal
Fig. 58.10. The ‘Set to Normal’ button.
The ‘Set to Normal’ button control must be used to re-activate the link(s)
after the ‘De-Activate’ function has been used.
Alpha Sort
The default sort order for the links in the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen is
the ‘number entered’ order. That is, the link names will be displayed in the
‘panel number numeric order’ where, the links on panel one appear before
those on panel two, and the lowest numbered link on panel one appears
before the highest numbered link, etc.
Selecting the ‘Alpha Sort’ checkbox will allow you to re-sort the links in the
‘alphabetical’ order.
Fig. 58.11. The ‘Alpha Sort’ checkbox.
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But, the sort order will revert back to the ‘number entered’ order (the
default) every time the screen is opened. Hence, you will be required to
select the ‘Alpha Sort’ checkbox each time the screen opens, in case you
wish alphabetical order.
Links Section
The Links section of the screen contains checkboxes. Each checkbox
represents a link that has been created in the Links screen.
Fig. 58.12. The ‘Links’ section.
To execute a manual link action, you must select the links of your choice in
this section.
Links selections can be made
• Individually by clicking the link checkboxes or
Links that are selected will contain a tick mark in the checkbox.
Note: Every link you select will be subjected to the link action (Activate,
De-Activate or Set to Normal) you choose. Therefore, make sure that you
select the correct links for the link action you intend to perform.
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Select All
Clicking the ‘Select All’ button will select all links that are listed in the
Links section of the screen.
Clear All
Clicking the ‘Clear All’ button will deselect the link selections that are made
in the Links section of the screen.
Exit
Clicking the ‘Exit’ button will close the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen.
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Executing Manual Link Control
Follow the steps below to execute manual link control of select links.
• Open ‘Manual Link Control’ screen by clicking the Links button on
• If you wish to control links that belong to a particular group only,
then, click the down arrow to the right of Link Group control and
Fig. 58.16. Link Group control showing link group names.
Note: The link Group control will show link group names only if they are
created earlier in the ‘Groups’ screen Links tab. Refer the section Groups
to learn about creating groups.
• In the Links section of the screen, select the required links for manual
control. The links seen in this section are those that are created and
enabled earlier in the ‘Links’ screen.
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Fig. 58.17. Selecting desired links by clicking the checkboxes.
Selection of link(s) will enable the ‘Execute Link Action’ button (see
figure 58.19 below).
• Decide on the link action (Activate, De-Activate or Set to Normal)
you wish to perform on the selected links, and click on the
corresponding radio button.
Fig. 58.18. The link action radio buttons.
Note:
o The radio button controls for link action are mutually exclusive.
o The link action you select will apply to all links selected in the
Links section.
• Click on Execute Link Action button. The button will be enabled
only if you have selected at least one link in the Links section (see
figure 58.17).
Fig. 58.19. The ‘Execute Link Action’ button activated on link selection.
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Fig. 58.20. Message box displayed after clicking ‘Execute Link Action’ button.
Note: This message box does not mean that the selected link action
(Activate, De-Activate or Set to Normal) has been performed. It just means
that the action command is queued in the database waiting to be sent to the
panel. If communications is down between the computer and the panel, the
queued command will be dropped after a timeout period.
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Executing Manual Link Control Using ‘Control’ Button
Control that can be used to open the ‘Manual Link Control’ screen.
The advantage of using the Control button to manually control a given link
is that, you will be saved from searching that particular link in a list of
possibly several other links. Because, the Manual Link Control screen
opened by means of ‘Control’ button will have, the link of your interest
Follow the step below if you wish to control only a particular link of your
interest manually.
3. In the CardAccess main screen, click the desired Event or Alert
message generated for the link in question.
Fig. 58.21. Highlighting an event generated from ‘Panel 1 Link 1’ link.
Fig. 58.22. Clicking ‘Control’ button of Events grid.
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Upon clicking, the Manual Link Control screen will be displayed with the
link in question selected automatically in the Links section of the screen.
Fig. 58.23. The ‘Panel 1 Link 1’ link selected automatically.
• Decide on the link action (Activate, De-Activate or Set to Normal)
you wish to perform on the link in question, and click on the
corresponding radio button.
Fig. 58.24. The link action radio buttons.
Note: The radio button controls for link action are mutually exclusive.
• Click on Execute Link Action button.
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Fig. 58.25. The ‘Execute Link Action’ button.
Fig. 58.26. Message box displayed after clicking ‘Execute Link Action’ button.
Note: This message box does not mean that the selected link action
(Activate, De-Activate or Set to Normal) has been performed. It just means
that the action command is queued in the database waiting to be sent to the
panel. If communications is down between the computer and the panel, the
queued command will be dropped after a timeout period.
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Scheduled Changes
The ‘Scheduled Changes’ screen is a utility screen where you can create
schedules that can temporarily override ‘standard’ schedules that were
created using the ‘Schedules’ screen. (Time) Schedules created in the
‘Schedules’ screen can be applied to CardAccess hardware items such as
Readers, Inputs, Relays and Links. These time schedules modify the
behavior of the concerned hardware items (for more information, see the
section on Schedules).
Technically speaking, override schedules work identical to the schedules
discussed in the Schedules section. The main difference between an override
schedule and a standard schedule is that, an override schedule will ‘preempt’
the standard schedule, if set up to do so.
In fact, that is the main purpose of an Override Schedule, to preempt any
other schedule that has been applied to the given hardware item.
Accessing Scheduled Changes Screen
• Click on Control menu in CardAccess main menu bar.
• Click on Scheduled Changes menu option in the list.
Upon clicking, the ‘Scheduled Changes’ screen will be displayed as
below.
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Fig. 61.1. The ‘Scheduled Changes’ screen.
The controls in the screen are explained below.
Description
The ‘Description’ field is meant for entering a descriptive name for the new
schedule being defined in the ‘Scheduled Changes’ screen. The new
schedule is intended to override the time schedule that is currently applied to
the given hardware item.
Fig. 61.2. The ‘Description’ field.
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Device to Change
In the ‘Device to Change’ section, you will be selecting the hardware item
(in question), whose current time schedule you wish to change.
Fig. 61.3. The ‘Device to Change’ section
The Device control is one control that governs all other controls in this
section. This control is used for specifying the hardware device category of
the hardware item (in question), whose time schedule you wish to change.
Fig. 61.4. The Device control.
The Device control and all other controls in this section will be grayed out
by default (see figure 61.3 above). Only the control labels will be visible;
but, control options will not be available for selection. The controls will be
activated only in the New/Edit modes.
One of the four options- Reader, Input, Relay or Link is selectable in the
‘Device’ control, while you are in the New/Edit Mode.
Fig. 61.5. Options offered by ‘Device’ control in New/Edit modes.
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The option you select here will govern the label of the control found
immediately below the ‘Device’ control, as well as, the options offered by
every other control in this section (that is, ‘Device to Change’ section).
For example, if you select the option Reader in the Device control (as in the
figure below), the control immediately below the Device control will display
the label Reader (see figure below). The Reader control will now offer a list
of all Reader hardware items that are created in the CardAccess ‘Readers’
screen.
So also, the Group control will offer Reader groups that are created in the
‘Groups’ screen, and the Field control will offer the list of all Reader time
schedule fields as available in the ‘Readers’ screen.
Fig. 61.6. Reader time schedules listed in ‘Field’ control on selecting ‘Reader’ hardware
device.
Similarly, selection of Input, Relay or Link hardware device will offer the
respective hardware items, groups and time schedule fields, in these
controls.
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Change to be Made
In the ‘Change to be Made’ section, you will be defining a new schedule that
will override the (current) time schedule set for the hardware item, selected
in the ‘Device to Change’ section.
Fig. 61.7. The ‘Change to be Made’ section.
The controls in this section are explained below.
New Time Schedule
The ‘New Time Schedule’ control stores all of the time schedules that are
defined in the ‘Schedules’ screen. A click on the down arrow will show a list
of all the time schedules.
Fig. 61.8. The ‘New Time Schedule’ control.
You can choose a schedule of your choice to, temporarily override the time
schedule currently set for the hardware item, that is selected in the ‘Device
to Change’ section.
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Effective Date Range
The ‘Effective Date Range’ area has two calendar controls- From and To.
Clicking the calendar button (marked as 15) of these controls, will open up
the calendar window, that can be used for setting the Start Day and the End
Day of the new time schedule, being defined in the ‘Scheduled Changes’
screen.
Fig. 61.9. The ‘Effective Date Range’ area for setting the Start Day and End Day of the
override time schedule.
Note: Unlike the ‘Schedules’ screen, the ‘Scheduled Changes’ screen only
allows you to set the Start Day and the End Day of the override schedule,
but not the Start Time and the End Time for that schedule.
Thus, the shortest duration the new schedule can have is, one day. That day
starts at midnight of the ‘From’ day, and ends at midnight of the ‘To’ day.
But, there is no limit on the number of days that the override time schedule
can span.
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Defining a Scheduled Change
Follow the steps below if you wish to override the time schedule that is
currently set for the given hardware item.
1. Decide on which time schedule of the given hardware item you wish
to change, go to the corresponding CardAccess hardware screen and
note down the schedule set for the same in the corresponding time
schedule field.
2. Open ‘Scheduled changes’ screen by clicking on
ControlÆScheduled Changes menu options in the CardAccess
main screen.
3. Click on New button in ‘Scheduled Changes’ screen toolbar for
defining a new schedule. The new schedule is intended to override
the time schedule currently set for the given hardware item.
On clicking ‘New’, all of the controls in the ‘Device to Change’
section will be activated.
4. In the Description field, enter a descriptive name for the new time
schedule.
5. Click the down arrow to the right of Device control and choose the
hardware device category, of the given hardware item.
Fig. 61.11. Hardware device categories available.
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Now, the control found immediately below the ‘Device’ control will
display the same label as the hardware device category you have
selected.
Figure 61.12 below shows the label Reader as a result of choosing
‘Reader’ option in the ‘Device’ control.
6. Click the down arrow to the right of the control below ‘Device’
control, locate the name of the given hardware item, and click on it.
Fig. 61.12. Selecting the hardware item in question.
7. (If necessary) Click the down arrow to the right of Group control,
and choose a group for the hardware item selected.
Fig. 61.13. Selecting a group for the hardware item.
8. Click the down arrow to the right of Field control and click on the
time schedule field of interest, whose current time schedule you wish
to change.
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Fig. 61.14. Selecting a time schedule field.
You will be overriding the time schedule currently set for this particular
field, as noted in step 1.
9. Click the down arrow to the right of the New Time Schedule field
and choose a time schedule of your choice in the list.
Note: The time schedule you select here must be different from the
schedule you have noted in step 1.
Fig. 61.15. Selecting a new time schedule to override the schedule noted in step 1.
10. In the From control, specify the Start Day of the new time
schedule.
There are two methods to do this.
a) Type the date of the Start Day in MM/DD/YY or MM/DD/YYYY
date format, in the ‘From’ control.
Fig. 61.16. The ‘From’ control.
b) Choose the date of the Start Day using the calendar window. The
following steps are involved:
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‘From’ field. Upon clicking, a calendar window of the current
month and year will be opened, with the current date in
highlight.
any year, in order to aid in the selection of a desired date.
o Click on a desired date in the calendar window.
The scheduled change starts at midnight (12 AM) of the date you
specify in the ‘From’ control.
11. Similarly, in the To control, specify the End Day of the new time
schedule.
Fig. 61.18. The ‘To’ control.
The scheduled change ends at midnight (12 AM) of the date you specify
in the ‘To’ control.
13. Click on Close button in the toolbar to close the screen.
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Editing a Scheduled Change
Only scheduled changes that are not in effect can be edited. The following
steps may be followed to edit such records.
• Open ‘Scheduled changes’ screen by clicking on
ControlÆScheduled Changes menu options in the CardAccess main
screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, locate the scheduled change record
you wish to edit, and click on it.
On clicking, all of the controls in the ‘Device to Change’ section will
be activated.
Note: In case you are accidentally attempting to edit a scheduled change that
is in effect, you will see the following message box on clicking the Edit
button.
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Fig. 61.19. Message box displayed on clicking ‘Edit’ button in case the selected
scheduled change record is in effect.
• Make desired changes to the controls in the screen.
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Deleting a Scheduled Change
Two buttons can perform the ‘delete’ function in the ‘Scheduled Changes’
screen. The buttons and their operating conditions are as follows.
• The Delete button- The ‘Delete’ button can only delete a scheduled
change that is not in effect.
Fig. 61.20. The ‘Delete’ button for deleting a scheduled change that is not in effect.
• The Cancel Active button- The ‘Cancel Active’ button can be used to
delete a scheduled change that is in effect. A scheduled change while
in effect will blink a message in red color, in the lower half of the
screen.
Fig. 61.21. The ‘Cancel Active’ button for deleting a scheduled change in effect.
Note: The ‘Delete’ button (although enabled) will not serve to delete a
scheduled change that is in effect. In case you use the ‘Delete’ button for
deleting such a record, the message box shown in the figure below will be
displayed.
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Fig. 61.22. Message box displayed if ‘Delete’ button is used (clicked) to delete a
scheduled change that is in effect.
The following sections detail the usage of these buttons.
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Deleting a Scheduled Change (Not In Effect)
Follow the steps below if you wish to delete a scheduled change that is
not in effect.
screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, locate the (not in effect) scheduled
change record you wish to delete, and click on it.
Fig. 61.23. Clicking on ‘Delete’ button to delete a scheduled change that is not in effect.
Fig. 61.24. Message box displayed on clicking ‘Delete’ button, for deleting a scheduled
change not in effect.
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Deleting a Scheduled Change (In Effect)
Follow the steps below if you wish to delete a scheduled change that is
in effect.
screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, locate the scheduled change record
(in effect) you wish to delete, and click on it.
A scheduled change that is in effect will blink a message in red color,
in the lower half of the screen.
• Click on Cancel Active button in the toolbar.
Fig. 61.25. Clicking on ‘Cancel Active’ button to delete a scheduled change that is in
effect.
On clicking, the Confirm message box shown in the figure below will be
displayed.
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Fig. 61.26. Message box displayed on clicking ‘Cancel Active’ button, for deleting a
scheduled change in effect.
On clicking ‘Yes’, another message box will be displayed as below.
Fig. 61.27. The last message box displayed before deleting.
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• Read the message in the box and click on OK button.
Scheduled Changes Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 61.28. The ‘Scheduled Changes’ screen navigation bar.
The Scheduled Changes screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of
the screen. The arrows of the bar can be used for viewing
older/newer/bookmarked scheduled change records in the screen. In figure
highlight the very first scheduled change record in the screen.
containing the highlighted scheduled change record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted scheduled
change record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted
scheduled change record.
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containing the highlighted scheduled change record.
highlight the last scheduled change record in the screen.
highlighted scheduled change record.
previously bookmarked scheduled change record.
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Duplicate Definitions
The CardAccess software automatically assigns inputs and relays to doors
by default. Each input and relay that is assigned to a door is enabled with
certain default operational settings as seen below.
Input Default Settings
• The input is enabled*
• The input is active 24 hours per day, every day of the year including
holidays (default 24/7/365 enable schedule).
• The input reports with door event messages (‘Door Forced’, ‘Door Now
Closed’, ‘Door Open Too Long’), not input event messages (Input
Abnormal, Input Normal).
• The input is set to normally closed mode*
• The input is set to unsupervised mode*
• The input is set with no Alert Delay and no Alert Reset time.
• The input is set to no Response Required.
• The input is set to no Alert Reporting.
• The input is set to not activate the console relay.
• The input is set not to dial up on any condition.
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Relay Default Settings
• The relay is enabled*
• The relay is available to be activated 24 hours per day, every day of the
year.
• Relay is set to be normally de-energized*
• The relay can be activated by a valid badge, or from the manual control
screen only.
• The ‘Dial Up on Change’ function is disabled.
• The alert priorities are set by settings in the readers screen.
• Relay is not assigned to a group.
• Relay has no Track Schedule assigned.
• The door strike time is set to 5 seconds by default.
• Relay is released when the door contact input opens (set to ‘On Open’).
• The manual control of a relay which is associated with a reader is
possible from the ‘Doors’ manual control screen, not the ‘Relays’ manual
control screen.
It is important to note that the above settings for inputs and relays that have
been automatically assigned to readers by the CardAccess software are
stored in the CardAccess database. However, those automatically assigned
settings are not accessible from any configuration screen inside the
Thus, if you need to change some selected operational settings of a reader
input or relay, you must create what is termed a ‘duplicate’ input or relay
definition. A duplicate input or relay definition is created by going to the
Inputs or Relays screen and creating an input or relay that has the same input
or relay number as an input or relay that has been previously assigned to a
reader, in the Readers screen.
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For example, input 1 (on panel 1, say) is typically assigned to door 1 as the
door contact. To create a duplicate definition for this input, you would go to
the Inputs screen and create an input record for the input #1 on panel 1. This
sets up a situation where the input is defined in two places, in the Readers
screen and the Inputs screen (hence the term ‘duplicate definition’). The
same rules apply to duplicate relay definitions.
There are a limited number of settings that can be changed by a duplicate
input or relay definition. All of the controls in the Inputs or Relays record for
the selected input or relay record do not apply to a door input or relay. The
door input and relay settings that can be changed by a duplicate definition
are as follows.
Inputs
You may wish to set the reader input to either of the modes shown below.
The only way to accomplish that is through the creation of a duplicate input
definition.
o Normally Open Mode – By default all inputs are created in normally
closed mode. To select normally open mode you must create a duplicate
input definition and check the ‘Normal Open’ check box.
Fig. 53.1. Inputs screen ‘Normal Open’ checkbox.
o Supervised Input Mode – By default all inputs are created in
unsupervised mode. To select supervised input mode you must create a
duplicate input definition and check the ‘Supervised’ check box.
Fig. 53.2. Inputs screen ‘Supervised’ checkbox.
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Relays
By default all relays are created in the off-state de-energized mode. The only
way to set a reader relay to the off-state energized mode is, through the
creation of a duplicate relay definition.
o Off-State Energized – To select off-state energized you must create a
duplicate relay definition and check the ‘Off-State Energized’ check
box.
Fig. 53.3. Relays screen ‘Off-State Energized’ checkbox.
The above settings are the only reader input or relay settings that are affected
by the duplicate input or relay definitions. The other settings in the Inputs or
Relays screens are ignored by the reader input or relay.
Note: The duplicate input or relay definition should not have the ‘Enabled’
box checked. Once you enable the duplicate input or relay definition, the
input or relay begins sending input or relay event messages in addition to
door related event messages.
Automatic Input and Relay Numbering
For your convenience, below in Table 53.4 is a review of how the
CardAccess system automatically assigns input and relay numbers to
readers. The chart below assumes that no inputs or relays have been
previously assigned in the Inputs or Relays screens.
Note that the lowest numbered two inputs available are assigned to the door
contact and bypass switch (respectively). Regarding relays, the lowest odd
numbered relay is assigned to the door strike.
Input and relay number assignments are handled identically on every panel
type. To use the chart below for your panel, simply locate the number of
doors and ignore the remaining chart. For example, the Miniterm has two
reader ports, so you would use the ‘Door 1’ and ‘Door 2’ portion of the
chart, and ignore the rest.
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Door
Number
Door
Contact
Bypass
Door
Strike
Door 1
1
2
1
Door 2
3
4
3
Door 3
5
6
5
Door 4
7
8
7
Door 5
9
10
9
Door 6
11
12
11
Door 7
13
14
13
Door 8
15
16
15
Table 53.4. Input and Relay Automatic Numbering Assignments.
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Badge Holders IN
The purpose of the Badge Holders IN screen is to display a list, commonly
called a ‘muster list’, of all badge holders that have entered a building. This
list might generally be helpful in an emergency situation where the building
would need to be evacuated. The muster list could be printed out and used as
a check list to be sure that all tenants in a given building have been
evacuated safely, and have rallied together at a ‘muster point’.
Accessing Badge Holders IN Screen
o In CardAccess menu bar, click on Access menu to display the menu
options.
o Click on Badge Holders In menu option.
The Badge Holders In screen will be displayed as below.
Fig. 38.1. The ‘Badge Holders IN’ Screen.
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Concept behind Badge Holders IN Screen
In figure 38.1, several badge holders are listed in the view area of the screen.
It is important to note that the CardAccess system (and Badge Holders IN
List) needs to have some way to determine who has passed into a given
building and who has passed out of that building.
In a standard access control system, an access card is read at a door and that
door is opened, but no note is made as to whether, the access was into or out
of the building. All that is known is that, the cardholder has accessed a door.
The way to be more certain who has entered a building and who has left that
building is, to adopt a more ‘disciplined’ approach to access.
In the more disciplined approach, we establish one door as an IN door, and a
second door as an OUT door. We require all entrants to a building to enter
through the IN door and to leave via the OUT door. This makes logging who
is in the building and who is not, somewhat easier.
The CardAccess system has settings to establish a door as an ‘IN’ door or as
an ‘OUT’ door. Those settings are found in the Readers screen, on the
Options tab. Readers are being discussed at this point because, the Badge
Holders IN screen and the Readers screen are linked. At least one IN reader
must exist before the Badge Holders IN screen will begin logging badge
holder activity.
T & A, APB Readers
As stated, the Badge Holders IN List will not operate unless at least one
reader is set up as an ‘IN’ reader. The IN List is gathered from system event
messages that are received from all readers that have been set up as Time
and Attendance (T&A) or Anti-Passback (APB) readers. The messages from
other types of readers are ignored by the Badge Holder In screen. The
Readers screen allows setting up of two types of IN & OUT readers.
Note: APB and T&A functions cannot be set active on the same reader. A
reader must be set to one of the two types only.
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Time & Attendance IN Reader
The Time and Attendance function is applied to a reader if you wish to have
a ‘passive’ notation that a badge holder passed through an IN or OUT type
reader. T&A readers do not restrict the number of times you can enter or exit
through the same reader, but they do generate an event message for every
attempt that is made. When you pass through a T&A reader, two things
happen.
o A special event message is generated – “Badge Clock-IN” or “Badge
Clock-OUT”
o A database notation is made as to whether the badge holder that
passed through the reader is IN the building or OUT of the building
Fig. 38.2. The Readers Screen T&A Control – T&A Type Set to IN.
Anti-Passback IN Reader
The Anti-Passback function is more stringent than the T&A function. With
APB, you can set up the readers to refuse multiple card reads from the same
card. You can force a badge holder to exit through an exit reader before
entering through an entry reader. When you pass through an APB reader,
several things happen.
o A special event message is generated – “Badge Entry” or “Badge
Exit”.
o A database notation is made as to whether the badge holder that
passed through the reader is IN the building or OUT of the building.
o The badge holder is prevented from re-entering the same door.
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Fig. 38.3. The Readers Screen APB Control – APB Type Set to IN.
The following options are available in the ‘Time&Attendance Type’ and the
‘APB Type’ controls. Using the options, you can set up a T&A or an APB
reader as an
• IN Reader: When the card is swiped, the system logs that card as IN.
• OUT Reader: When the card is swiped, the system logs that card as
OUT.
In addition to the above options, the Time&Attendance Type control has a
third option, as explained below.
IN & OUT Reader: When the card is swiped once, the system logs that card
as IN. When the card is swiped again at the same reader, in the opposite
direction the system logs that card as OUT.
Once readers are designated as IN and OUT readers (T&A or APB does not
matter), the Badge Holders In list automatically begins logging which badge
holders are (technically) IN.
If a badge holder passes through an IN reader, that badge holder is
considered IN by the system. If that same badge holder subsequently passes
through an OUT reader, that badge holder is considered OUT by the system.
If a badge holder is considered IN by the system, that badge holder’s name
will appear in the Badge Holders IN screen. When the badge holder passes
through an OUT reader, that badge holder’s name is removed from the
Badge Holders IN screen.
The Badge Holders IN screen updates automatically when new badge
holders are admitted through an IN Reader. Thus, if you leave the screen
open, you will see names added or deleted from the IN list dynamically.
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Badge Holders IN Screen Controls
The controls in Badge Holders IN screen are discussed below.
Select Reader Button
Any number of doors can be designated as IN doors in the Readers screen.
When the Badge Holders IN screen is opened, the screen will display the
badge holder status messages from all IN readers in the system (by default).
You may wish to filter the screen to view the badge holder IN status
messages from just one reader.
Follow the steps below to filter the Badge Holders IN screen:
o Click the Select Reader button
Fig. 38.4. The ‘Select Reader’ Button.
Upon clicking, a popup window will be displayed as below.
Fig. 38.5. Popup window displayed on clicking ‘Select Reader’ button.
o Click the down arrow of ‘Select Reader/ Reader Group’ control to
display the list of readers. The default select in the control will be
‘All’ as shown in figure 38.5.
o Scroll up or down the Reader list to locate the reader whose badge
holder IN status that you wish to view.
o Click on a desired Reader in the list.
o Click on Ok button in the popup window (see figure 38.5) after reader
selection.
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The screen will now be filtered to display badge IN status messages of
card holders, from the selected reader only.
Preview/Print Button
Clicking this button prints a hard copy of the Badge Holders IN screen.
Fig. 38.6. Badge Holders IN screen ‘Preview/Print’ button.
Note: The Preview/Print button is enabled only when
o There are badge holders listed in the view window of Badge Holders
IN screen.
o A printer is installed in Windows and selected in the ‘Report Printer’
control in System Settings screen.
Auto Refresh Check Box
If ‘Auto Refresh’ checkbox is enabled (that is, when the box is checked),
the screen will update every 8 seconds and refresh the display to include the
most recent badge holder entries and exits. If the box is not selected, the
refresh engine is turned off. Then, the only way to refresh the screen is, to
close and reopen it, or, select a different reader from the Select Reader
control.
Fig. 38.7. Badge Holders In screen ‘Auto Refresh’ Check Box.
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Exit Button
Clicking this button closes the Badge Holders In screen
Fig. 38.8. Badge Holders In screen ‘Exit’ Button.
Status Bar
The status bar seen at the bottom indicates the total number of badge
holders listed in the view window of Badge Holders In screen. This is
helpful in the case of an emergency to know the total number of people to
be accounted for.
Fig. 38.9. Badge Holders IN screen status bar.
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Batch Save Utility
The Batch Save utility can be used to create/modify Personnel records in
batches. Using the utility, an entire range of records (say badge numbers 1500) can be created at the same time, in a single batch, with all records
having the same preset values. The utility can be made to visit every
Personnel record and change the settings of one or more fields. Performing
badge creation/modification operations in batches will save considerable
time, by avoiding the need to create Personnel records individually.
Accessing Batch Save Screen
• Open Personnel screen by clicking on Personnel button or Access->
Personnel menu options in CardAccess main screen.
• Click on Batch Modify button seen in Personnel screen toolbar.
The Batch Save screen will be displayed as below.
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Fig. 37.1. The ‘Batch Save’ screen.
The controls on Batch Save screen are explained in the following section.
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Batch Save Screen Controls
The controls in Batch Save screen are explained below.
Badge Range
The 'Badge Range' (from, to) fields are used set the range of badge numbers
that the Batch Save utility will operate on. You can set the range anywhere
from one badge (by putting the same badge number in the 'from' and 'to'
fields) to as many badges as you like.
Fig. 37.2. The ‘Badge Range’ Fields.
Note:
o It is a must that the utility be supplied with a badge number range. The
badge number range is the one required key field for the utility. All
other fields are optional.
o In the Badge Range fields, the 'from' number (on the left) must be less
than or equal to the ‘to’ number (on the right).
o The utility will visit each Personnel screen badge record that fall in the
badge number range you specify. Each record may or may not be
affected, depending on the option that you select in the 'How to Handle
a Range' area.
Batch Save Range Selection
Three radio buttons are provided in the ‘How to Handle a Range’ section of
the screen. These radio buttons control the operation that the Batch Save
utility will be performing, on the personnel records. The button controls are
explained below.
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Fig. 37.3. The Batch Save Range Selection Controls
Create and/or Modify All
For a given badge number range, selection of this option can perform two
functions simultaneously. They are:
o The selected fields of the existing personnel records in the specified
range will be modified according to the selections made in Include,
Value to be Set and Batch Criteria columns, of the Batch Save screen.
For details on these columns, refer the heading Batch Save Columns.
o In case of missing records in the specified range, new personnel
records will be created according to the selections made in Include,
Value to be Set and Batch Criteria columns of the Batch Save screen.
For example, consider there are badge records existing with badge numbers
1, 3 and 5, and no badge records existing with badge numbers 2 & 4. Let
‘Enabled’ box (seen under Item column of ‘Batch Save’ screen) be checked.
Selection of 'Create and/or Modify All' option will perform the following
functions:
• The existing records of badge numbers 1, 3, and 5 will be modified
(wherein 'Enabled' box will be checked, in case unchecked
previously).
•
New badge records for badge numbers 2 & 4 will be created (with
‘Enabled’ box checked).
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Create New Only (Ignore Existing)
Selecting this option for a given badge number range will only create new
records for the badge numbers in the specified range. Any existing record in
the range will remain unaffected.
Selecting this option in the above example will create two new badges
with numbers 2 & 4, while the existing badges 1, 3 & 5 will remain
unchanged.
Modify Existing Only
Selecting this option for a given badge number range will not create any new
badges in the specified badge range. The utility will only modify existing
badge records with the selected settings in Include, Value to be Set and
Batch Criteria columns of the Batch Save screen.
Note: Be very careful which option you set in the ‘How to Handle a Range’
section of ‘Batch Save’ screen. An incorrect option can alter fields in records
that you did not intend to alter.
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Batch Save columns
Fig. 37.4. The Batch Save Columns.
Columns in figure 37.4 are explained below.
Item Column
The 'Item' column contains a listing of every field found in the Personnel
screen. By default, none of the personnel fields are included in the batch
save. The fields to be included in the batch save must be selected
individually, by clicking the Include check box (explained below) found
adjacent to every field label in the Item Column.
Include Column
The 'Include' column contains check boxes which are associated with the
field labels present in the Item column. Any or all check boxes may be
selected to include the selected fields in the batch save. Checked is included,
unchecked is not included.
Value to be Set Column
The 'Value to be Set' column contains controls that can be used to set a value
for every field included in the batch save. The value specified in this column
will be loaded into the selected field of every personnel record in the
selected badge range. Recall that the list of fields (under Item column) in the
Batch Save utility actually represent every field found in the Personnel
screen. If no selection is made in the ‘Value to be Set‘ column for a given
field, the default value as decided by the Batch Save utility will be loaded
into that field
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There are five types of controls found in the ‘Value to be Set’ column. They
are:
Spin field: This is usually a numeric field. Click the arrow buttons
to the right of the field to select a number.
Fig. 37.5. A spin control field
Text field: A line of text must be entered in this field.
Fig. 37.6. A text field.
Combo field: The combo field control contains a list of options.
Click the arrow to the right of a combo field to display the options,
and select a desired option.
Fig. 37.7. A combo field control.
Check Box field: Click a check box field to enable an option
(checked is enabled).
Fig. 37.8. A check box field.
Calendar field: A calendar field is used to provide a fixed date
value to the selected field. You may manually type in a date (of the
form MM/DD/YY), or you can use the built in calendar by clicking
the button (marked as 15) to the right of the calendar field control,
and choose a desired date.
Fig. 37.9. A calendar field control.
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Batch Criteria Column
The fields found in the 'Batch Criteria' column are used when you wish to
search the personnel records for a particular value, and modify only those
records where the value is found. Note that all records that do not match the
search criteria will remain unaffected.
Stated another way, the Batch Modify utility will search every personnel
record for the values specified in the Batch Criteria column fields. If any
record(s) are found to have the specified values, only those record(s) will be
changed to the settings made in 'Include' and 'Value to be Set' columns. All
other records will remain unaffected.
The Batch Criteria column also has ‘Combo fields’ and ‘Calendar fields’ as
explained under ‘Value to be Set’ column.
Send Badges to Panels Check Box
The Batch Save utility can be used to modify thousands of personnel
records. Some of the changes made to the records can change the access
permissions of the badge holders. Hence it is necessary to get the changed
information to every hardware access control panel at the earliest.
In a large system, changes to thousands of cards can cause a massive
download that may disable the system for a period of time. To take care of
such a situation, the system is set up not to automatically trigger a badge data
download at the end of the batch save operation. This means that you will
need to manually download each panel (or all panels at once) to get the
changed personnel data to the panels.
The ‘Send Badges to Panels’ check box (seen at the bottom of the screen)
can be used to control, when to download the updated badges, to the access
control system. If you prefer to automatically download changed badge
records to the panels on completion of Batch Save operations, click the
'Send Badges to Panels' check box (checked means that the utility will
trigger an automatic download).
Fig. 37.10. The ‘Send Badges to Panels’ Check Box.
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Execute Button
‘Execute’ button is seen at the bottom of the screen. Clicking this button will
start the batch operation.
Fig. 37.11. The ‘Execute’ button.
Cancel Button
The Cancel button is seen at the bottom of the screen. Clicking this button
will stop the batch operation. The Batch Save screen will be closed on
clicking ‘Cancel’ button. It is strongly recommended not to click on Cancel
button during a batch operation. Let the operation be completed to prevent
unexpected consequences.
Fig. 37.12. The ‘Cancel’ Button.
815
Running a Batch Save
Running a batch save operation will create or modify a 'range' of badge
records. The following are the steps to run a batch save operation:
1. Open the Batch save screen by clicking on Batch Modify button in
Personnel screen toolbar.
Fig. 37.13. The Personnel Screen ‘Batch Modify’ Button.
2. In the 'Badge Range' (from, to) fields, set the range of badge numbers
that the Batch Save utility will operate on. The 'from' number (on the
left) must be less than or equal to the ‘to’ number (on the right).
Fig. 37.14. The Badge Range Fields.
Note: The badge number range is the one required key field for the
utility. All other fields are optional.
3. Select the required option in the 'How to Handle a Range' section.
Fig. 37.15. The ‘How to Handle a Range’ section.
4. Select the Items in Item column you wish to change, by clicking the
Include check box, provided by the side of every item. Items that are
not included will remain unaffected.
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Fig. 37.16. The ‘Item’ and ‘Include’ Columns.
5. Items whose Include box is checked can be set to desired values using
the controls provided in Value to be Set column. The new values set
for the included items will be placed in the respective Personnel
screen fields when the batch save takes place.
Fig. 37.17. The ‘Value to be Set’ column.
Note: Every personnel record that falls within the selected badge number
range will be given the value that is set in the ‘Value to be Set’ column.
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6. In case you wish to modify settings of only those Personnel records
having a specific value, such of those records can be searched by
indicating specific values using 'Batch Criteria' column controls. If
any selection is made in the batch criteria column, the utility will
search for Personnel records that have the selected batch criteria, and
will modify the fields of only those records. The records that do not
match the search criteria will be ignored.
Fig. 37.18. The ‘Batch Criteria’ column.
7. Click the 'Execute' button to start the batch operation.
Fig. 37.19. The ‘Execute’ button.
After execution, a message box will be displayed to inform about the batch
save operation that took place.
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Fig. 37.20. Message box displayed after the executing the batch save operation.
8. Click on Ok button in the message box.
9. Click on Close button found at the bottom to close the Batch Save
screen.
819
Facility Codes
It is possible for two clients of an access badge manufacturer to buy card lots
with the same card number range. If the buildings for these two clients
happened to be next door to each other, then cardholders from one building
could gain unauthorized access to a neighboring building. Without some
second level of security, badge holders from other companies, could gain
unauthorized access to your facility.
The facility code is an additional number that is encoded on the badge, in
addition to the badge number. The facility code and the badge number are
read together and treated as one number. When these two numbers are
combined together, they form a unique combination that is more secure than
a badge number alone.
Facility codes are generally associated with ‘batches’ of cards. When you
buy a ‘batch’ of access control cards, those cards are programmed with a
badge number range (say 1 – 500). They also have a facility code
programmed that is the same on every card in that batch. The code will
generally be written on a label attached to the box that your cards were
shipped in. Some card types have a spec sheet inserted inside the box that
has the facility code on it.
Note: If you are using magnetic cards, then you will most likely be
programming the card’s mag track. When you program the facility code on
the badge, you must convert the hexadecimal value to decimal and encode
the decimal equivalent on the mag track, not the hexadecimal value. Using
the Windows calculator, set to scientific mode, makes the conversion
process easy.
Each Continental Instruments access control panel can store up to ten facility
codes. This means that a given panel is capable of storing identical card
numbers from up to ten different batches of cards. The need for using
facility codes becomes important when you have a campus of several
buildings and you want to prevent cardholders from accessing whole
buildings on the campus. Each building can be assigned its own facility
code. This makes it easy to prevent the cardholders from entering each
others’ buildings. However, all cardholders will need to have an access
group for accessing the doors in their respective buildings.
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Accessing Facility Codes Screen
• Click on Administration menu in CardAccess main menu bar.
• Click on Facility Codes option in the menu list.
Upon clicking, the ‘Facility Codes’ screen will be displayed as below.
Fig. 59.1. The ‘Facility Codes’ screen.
The controls in the screen are explained in the following section.
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Facility Codes Screen Controls
The controls in ‘Facility Codes’ screen are explained below.
Panel
The ‘Panel’ control consists of panel names that are created in the Panels
screen. Using this control, you have to select the panel of your interest, for
which, you wish to set facility code(s).
To select a panel, click the down arrow to the right of Panel control, locate
the desired panel, and click on it.
Codes section
The Codes section provides ten fields numbered from 1-10. These field
numbers are referred to as facility numbers. Initially, all fields 1-10 show the
default value 0 as in the figure below.
Fig. 59.3. The ‘Codes’ section showing fields 1-10 with default facility code = 0.
Each of these fields accepts a four digit hexadecimal value.
As an example, we have entered the hexadecimal value ‘2FA1’ in field 1.
822
Fig. 59.4. Hexadecimal facility code 2FA1 entered in field 1.
Similarly, hexadecimal facility codes can be entered in the other fields
(fields 2-10), for a selected panel. A given panel can thus be set to ten
different hexadecimal facility codes, in the ‘Facility Codes’ screen.
To get these facility codes actually working at the selected panel, you must
associate the badges that may attempt access at the selected panel with, the
facility codes that are entered in the ‘Facility Codes’ screen. The ‘Personnel’
screen Facility control is used to do this.
Fig. 59.5. Personnel screen ‘Facility’ control.
What you enter in the ‘Personnel’ screen Facility control is not the actual
hexadecimal code entered in the ‘Facility Codes’ screen. Instead, you will be
entering the facility number (1-10) that corresponds to the hexadecimal code
you wish to assign to the badges.
Suppose you wish to assign the facility code 2FA1 (see figure 59.4) to a
badge, you have to enter the value 1 (because, 2FA1 was entered in field 1,
in our example) in the ‘Personnel’ screen Facility control, for that badge
record.
823
Setting Facility Codes
Setting facility codes is a two-step process, involving two CardAccess
screens as mentioned below.
a) The ‘Facility Codes’ screen- In this screen, hexadecimal facility
codes must be entered (using fields numbered 1-10), for a selected
panel.
b) The ‘Personnel’ screen- In this screen, badges that may attempt
access at the selected panel must be associated with facility codes that
are entered in the ‘Facility Codes’ screen. This association is made in
the Facility control, of the badge records.
The steps to be followed in these screens are explained in the
following sections.
Entering Hexadecimal Codes in ‘Facility Codes’ Screen
1. Open ‘Facility Codes’ screen by clicking on
AdministrationÆFacility Codes menu options in the CardAccess
main screen.
2. Click on New button in ‘Facility Codes’ screen toolbar to create a new
definition. Ten facility codes can be entered in a single definition.
3. Click the down arrow to the right of the Panel control, locate a
desired panel name in the list, and click on it.
Fig. 59.6. Selecting a panel in ‘Panel’ control.
Ten facility codes can be entered for the selected panel.
824
4. In the Codes section of the screen, click on a desired field (among
fields numbered 1-10), and type in a four digit hexadecimal value.
Fig. 59.7. Four digit hexadecimal code 2FA1 entered in field 1.
Note: All facility codes you enter must contain 4 digits. If a facility code
has leading zeros, you must enter those leading zeros as well. When you
save the record, the leading zeros will not display (observe the values in
figure 59.8), but they will be stored in the database.
Similarly, you can enter (if necessary), hexadecimal codes in fields
numbered 2-10, for the selected panel. To navigate to a desired field, make
use of the ‘Tab’ button on your computer keyboard, or the mouse to click on
a desired field.
Facility codes can thus be set for all panels that you use in your CardAccess
system, by following the above steps.
In the figure below, we have entered facility codes in fields 1-3, for three of
the panels used in our system.
825
Fig. 59.8. Facility codes entered in fields 1-3, for three of our panels.
Once saved, the facility codes set for a particular panel will work only when,
the codes are associated with the badges that attempt to gain access at that
panel. This association is made in the ‘Personnel’ screen, as explained in the
following section.
826
Entering Facility Number in Personnel Screen
1. Open ‘Personnel’ screen by clicking on AccessÆPersonnel menu
options or by clicking the Personnel button in the CardAccess main
toolbar.
Fig. 59.9. The ‘Personnel’ screen.
2. In the upper half of the screen, select the personnel record to which,
you wish to assign a facility number.
In the figure below, we are selecting the personnel Blake, Carl.
827
Fig. 59.10. Selecting a personnel record.
Note:
o The badge of the personnel you select will have a facility code
encoded on the badge, in addition to the badge number. Access at any
panel is decided by the validity of both the parameters.
o If no personnel records are seen in the upper half of the screen, create
the records newly by clicking on New button in the toolbar, and
entering the basic details like badge number, personnel name etc.
Refer the section Personnel to learn about creating personnel records.
3. Click on Edit button in the ‘Personnel’ screen toolbar.
4. Obtain the facility number from the ‘Facility Codes’ screen.
The following steps are involved in noting the facility number, in the
‘Facility Codes’ screen.
a) In the upper half of ‘Facility Codes’ screen, locate the panel
you want the selected personnel to have access, and click on
that record.
Upon clicking, you will see facility codes (hexadecimal values)
set for that panel in the lower half of the screen.
b) Among the codes, select the facility code you wish to assign to
the personnel record in question.
828
c) Note down the facility number (among 1-10 numbers)
corresponding to that particular facility code.
In the figure below, we have selected facility code 110F of Panel 1
(which Blake, Carl will access in our example), and noted the
corresponding facility number as 2.
Fig. 59.11. Noting the facility number of a desired hexadecimal facility code.
5. In the Facility field (see control highlighted in the figure below) of
the selected personnel record, enter the facility number that you have
noted from the ‘Facility Codes’ screen.
In the figure below, we are entering the facility number 2 for the personnel
Blake, Carl.
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Fig. 59.12. Entering facility number in Personnel screen ‘Facility’ field.
The facility number can be entered by
o Clicking the white space of ‘Facility’ field and typing in the facility
number you have noted or
o By using the up/down arrows to the right of ‘Facility’ spin control and
choosing the number equal to the facility number you have noted.
6. Click the Save button on ‘Personnel’ screen toolbar to save the setting
made for the selected personnel record.
7. Click on Close button in the toolbar to close the ‘Personnel’ screen.
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Editing Hexadecimal Facility Codes
• Open ‘Facility Codes’ screen by clicking on
AdministrationÆFacility Codes menu options in CardAccess main
screen.
• Under the Panel column in the upper half of the screen, locate the
panel whose facility codes you wish to edit, and click on it.
On clicking, the lower half of the screen will show the hexadecimal
facility codes entered for that panel.
• In the Codes section, change the existing codes as necessary by
clicking their respective fields, deleting the current codes (by using
the Backspace/Delete buttons on your keyboard), and entering new
codes in their place.
Also, you can add codes to empty fields, if any.
• Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the changes. The changes
made will be updated in the ‘Facility’ columns seen in the upper half
of the screen.
831
Deleting Facility Code Definitions
• Open ‘Facility Codes’ screen by clicking on
AdministrationÆFacility Codes menu options in the CardAccess
main screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, select the facility code record you wish
Fig. 59.13. Message box displayed before deleting a facility code record.
832
Facility Codes Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 59.14. Facility Codes screen navigation bar.
The Facility Codes screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the
older/newer/bookmarked facility code records in the screen. In figure 59.14,
highlight the very first facility code record in the screen.
containing the highlighted facility code record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted facility
code record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted facility
code record.
containing the highlighted facility code record.
833
highlight the last facility code record in the screen.
highlighted facility code record.
previously bookmarked facility code record.
834
Badge Formats
Badge formats are not pre-programmed into the Continental access control
panels. The formats are created in the ‘Badge Formats’ screen of the
CardAccess software, and then ‘downloaded’ (as serial data) to the panels.
Once the formats are stored at the panels, the panels will be programmed to
‘recognize’ the badge format types.
Accessing Badge Formats Screen
• Click on Administration menu in CardAccess main menu bar.
• Click on Badge Formats menu item in the list.
Upon clicking, the Badge Formats screen will be displayed as below.
Fig. 60.1. The ‘Badge Formats’ screen.
A few standard formats are preprogrammed into the ‘Badge Formats’ screen
(see the records in upper half of figure 60.1 above). These formats can be
used without the need to create badge formats from scratch.
835
On the other hand, the CardAccess system designer can design and
implement a completely unique badge format as well. The system will allow
you to design badge formats from scratch, program these formats onto cards,
and have the access panels recognize the ‘proprietary’ formats.
A general discussion on Badge Formats follows below.
What is a Badge Format?
In order to understand badge formats, we must first look at what actually
happens when the system reads a badge. An access control system typically,
has some kind of card reader connected through wires to an access control
panel, and that panel is in turn connected through wires to a computer.
In the case of Continental Instruments designed access control systems, the
panel is programmed with local intelligence. It is the panel that locally
makes all of the decisions on who will gain access through a given door. The
PC connection mostly exists to receive history and status messages from the
panel about what access attempts have taken place.
The ‘access scenario’ most often seen at an entry door is, a cardholder steps
up to a reader with an access card, and presents that card to a card reader.
But what is actually happening at the reader? How does the reader get data
from the badge? (For the purpose of this discussion, we assume that the card
type used is designed to match the reader type used. That is, we get a
successful read each time).
Every access card is ‘encoded’ with some kind of ‘data string’. Essentially,
some information is programmed into the card, and that information is
‘dumped’ to the reader when the card is presented to the appropriate reader
type.
The reader (somehow) activates the card (the technology used to activate the
card varies with the reader and card design) and the data content of that card
is dumped to the reader memory (the card activates, dumps its data contents,
then ‘shuts off’). The reader then forwards that data stream to the panel,
which evaluates it.
836
The data that is actually sent from the card to the reader is an unintelligible
string of ‘data bits’ that looks like figure 60.2 below.
837
1011101110001111100001111101011111
Fig. 60.2. A typical string of card data bits from a 36 bit format.
It is the badge format that gives description to this meaningless string of data
bits. The badge format tells the panel how to divide the data bits into several
logical (sub) groups of bits. Each sub- group of data bits is assigned a
meaning, which is defined by the badge format.
At this point, it’s helpful to look at the type of information that gets
conveyed from the badge to the access control panel. What things might we
want to know about a badge holder from the data stream on his access card?
The answer to that question will define a badge format. The total number of
bits needed on the badge will depend on how many data fields are needed on
that badge.
As an example, let us examine the (standard) 36-bit format. Embedded in
this format are a Facility Code (16 bits), a Badge Number (16 bits) and an
Issue Level (2 bits).
Notice that we have not accounted for two bits out of the 36 total bits
(16 badge number bits+ 16 facility code bits+ 2 issue level bits= 34 bits
only).
The first bit and the last bit of this format are part of a checking calculation.
We will discuss how this calculation is performed later in the manual
section.
P FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB I I
Fig. 60.3. 36 Bit (Weigand) Format.
In figure 60.3 above, the 36-bit format graphic shown is divided into five
subsections. The system knows to ‘parse’ the bit stream into the subsections
shown above, because that information is programmed into the Badge
Formats screen (see figure 60.4 below).
The 36 bit example we have been discussing is taken from the actual badge
Format 1 which is one of the predefined badge formats that Continental has
created for you. Figure 60.4 is a picture of the definition for Format 1, from
the Badge Formats screen.
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Fig. 60.4. 36- bit format.
The controls seen in figure 60.4 are explained below.
Format No
The ‘Format No’ control will show the number assigned to the badge format
in question.
Fig. 60.5. The ‘Format No’ field.
Note: A maximum of 10 badge formats are allowed in the screen.
Name
The ‘Name’ field is used to enter a descriptive text label you wish to give to
the badge format in question.
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Badge Format Type
Four badge format types are available for selection in the ‘Badge Formats’
screen. Selection can be made by clicking the down arrow to the right of
‘Badge Format Type’ control, and then clicking on a desired format type.
Fig. 60.7. The available badge format types in CardAccess
software.
Each of the format types is briefly explained below.
a) ABA – ABA is a format type created by the American Banking
Association.
b) Non ABA – A format not adhering to the ABA standard.
c) Insertion – A bi-directional format designed to be used with swipe
or Insertion type readers.
d) Key - A format designed to be used with Weigand key badges.
Bit/Char Length
Non-ABA badge formats are decoded as bits. Whereas, the ABA formats are
decoded as characters. The ‘Bit/Char Length’ control is used to specify the
total number bits or characters present in a given badge format.
Fig. 60.8. The ‘Bit/Char Length’ control.
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For non-ABA formats you will enter the number of bits, and for ABA
formats, you will enter the number of characters in this control.
All Types Section
The ‘All Types’ section provides controls for specifying the string location
(Offset) and the length of the Badge ID, Facility and the Issue that are fixed
for a particular badge format. For information on string Length and Offset,
refer the heading Bit Position, Offset and Length.
Fig. 60.9. The ‘All Types’ section.
Note: The length of Badge ID, Facility and Issue for non-ABA formats must
be specified as number of bits. Whereas, the length for ABA formats must be
specified as number of characters.
Non ABA Type Section
The ‘Non ABA Type’ section will be visible when the badge format in
question is of Non-ABA type.
Fig. 60.10. The ‘Non ABA Type’ section.
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This section provides controls for specifying the string location (offset) and
the length for Even and Odd Parity calculations, for a particular Non-ABA
type badge format.
Refer the heading Parity Calculation for more information.
ABA Types Section
The ‘ABA Types’ section will be visible when the badge format in question
is of ABA type.
Fig. 60.11. The ‘ABA Types’ section.
This section provides controls for specifying the string location (offset) and
the characters for Start Sentinel, End Sentinel and the Field Separator
characters seen on a particular ABA badge format.
Bit Position, Offset and Length
The terms Bit Position, Offset and Length can be explained with the help of
figures 60.12 and 60.13 below.
Both figures 60.12 and 60.13 below depict the same 36-bit format. Both
figures are identical except for the bit position numbering method used.
Figure 60.12 shows the count of bits from left to right numbered
sequentially, starting with the leftmost bit as bit #1.
Figure 60.13 is also numbered sequentially from left to right, but the count
starts at ‘0’. The reason for this is that, in the bit offset method of counting
bits, the leftmost bit (bit ‘0’ location) is used as a reference point to locate
the rest of the bits in the string.
842
Each bit is counted as being so many places to the right of the first, or ‘zero’
bit. So ‘offset’ means ‘offset to the right of the first bit in the bit string’ (the
first bit has a zero offset, the second bit is offset one bit to the right of the
first bit, the third bit is offset two bits to the right of the first, etc).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Fig. 60.12. Bit Positions – 36 Bit Format.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Fig. 60.13. Bit Offsets – 36 Bit Format.
When you type in the ‘Offset’ and ‘Length’ in the Badge Formats screen
(figure 60.4), what you are really saying to the software is, “when you see a
bit stream from a badge, count n bits to the right of the leftmost bit. Then
count off the next n bits, stop counting, and use the bits you have just stored
as the Badge Number (or the Facility Code, etc.).
In the specific case of the standard, Continental supplied 36-bit format, the
first bit is a parity check bit. Then you count one bit to the right of the first
bit, and you are located on the first bit of the Facility Code. You then count
15 more bits to the right and you find the last bit of the Facility code
information. If you then count off the next 16 bits, you will find the Badge
Number. The next two bits are the Reissue number. The last bit is another
parity check bit (see figure 60.14 below).
P
Issue P
Facility Code
Badge Number
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Fig. 60.14. 36 Bit Badge Data Format with Fields Delineated and Labeled
If we now take a close look at figure 60.4 and compare what you see in each
field of figure 60.4 to figure 60.14, you will see that both figures represent
two different ways to describe the same data structure. Figure 60.4 describes
the badge data string using numeric coordinates. Figure 60.14 is a graphic
representation of the numeric coordinates described in figure 60.4.
843
The information that is filled into the Offset and Length fields of a badge
format, tells the (panel) software where in the badge data string to look for
the Facility Code, the Badge Number and other data items included in the
data string.
So, when we are creating badge formats (in the Badge Formats screen), we
are actually telling the system how to ‘decode’ strings of data bits from
the readers. The system does this by counting the bits as they are received
and then parsing those bits into groups of bits. What those groups of bits
represent is described in the Badge Formats screen by the titles on each of
the fields (‘Badge ID’, ‘Facility’, ‘Issue’, etc.).
When you set up your system, it is imperative that you have a badge format
in the Badge Formats screen that exactly matches the type of badge you
intend to use. If one bit is unaccounted for in your format, the entire system
may not read badges. This means that you must know what type of badge
format you intend to use for your system, and you must be sure it is
programmed correctly.
Fortunately, the CardAccess software already has a few standard, time tested
badge formats pre-programmed into the Badge Formats screen. Let’s
examine them in the following section.
Predefined Badge Formats
On opening the Badge Formats screen, you will see a few badge format
records in the upper half of the screen. These are the standard badge formats
that are preprogrammed and shipped with the CardAccess software.
Fig. 60.15. Badge Formats screen view window showing standard badge formats
available by
default in CardAccess software.
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A short explanation of each format follows.
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Format 1 – Insertion 36 Bit Format
On highlighting ‘Format 1’ record in the Badge Formats screen view
window, the lower half of the screen will show the following settings.
Fig. 60.16. Settings for format 1 - 36 bit insertion format.
Referring to these settings, the data structure for the format can be
constructed as below.
Odd Parity Calculation
Even Parity Calculation
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Facility Code
Badge Number
Issue
Fig. 60.17. Data structure for format 1 - 36 bit Weigand/HID.
Specifications for this format are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
The badge format type is set to Insertion.
This data format is 36 bits long.
The data string starts (read left to right) with an odd parity bit.
The odd parity calculation is performed on the left most eighteen bits.
The next sixteen bits are the facility code.
The next sixteen bits are the badge number.
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• The next two bits are the issue level.
• The data string ends with an even parity bit.
• The even parity calculation is performed on the right most eighteen bits.
This 36 bit format can be used with Weigand swipe readers, HID 36 bit
proximity readers and Recognition systems 36 bit Biometric hand and
fingerprint readers. Any device using the 36 bit format will work using this
predefined format. A reader does not have to be an ‘Insertion’ type to work
with this 36 bit format. See below for more details.
The ‘Insertion’ badge format type (historically) refers to a type of Weigand
brand reader that has a slot in it, which accepts an access badge. This type of
reader is unique because it is one of several designs of readers that allow the
bit stream from a badge to be read forward and backward (one simply turns
the card around, and inserts it the opposite way around). Note that the
(Weigand) ‘swipe’ type reader also allows you to read a badge bit stream
forward and backward (swipe in the opposite direction, as opposed to
turning the card around).
Time and Attendance logging is a CardAccess related application where
reading a bit stream backwards would be helpful. When setting up the
system for Time and Attendance logging, you have the option to use two
separate readers, one set up as an IN reader, and one set up as an OUT
reader. However, using one reader to read both the IN and OUT card swipes
would lower the total cost of the access control project. Using one reader for
T&A IN and OUT is permitted by the system.
So, if you were to use a swipe type reader for this application, when
clocking IN you would swipe your badge in a forward motion, when
clocking out you swipe your badge in the opposite direction.
When you create a badge format and set it as ‘Insertion’ type, the
Continental access control panels become programmed to evaluate the badge
bit stream as swiped in either direction (left to right or right to left).
The ability to evaluate a badge when swiped backward is the primary
difference between the ‘Insertion’ badge format type and other types. Other
badge format types do not allow backward swiping of badges. That is, if the
badge format stored at the panel is not an Insertion type, the panel will not
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attempt to read the bit stream backward. A backward badge read will be
thrown away as an error.
Parity Calculation
In figure 60.16, on the lower right side of the diagram, there are two fields
that concern parity calculations. One is called Odd Parity and the other is
called Even Parity. The entries in these fields tell the software how to check
the incoming badge data string to make sure it has not been corrupted during
transmission.
The parity check digit is a standard method of checking a data string to be
sure that it has not been corrupted during its journey through wires. A parity
check digit or bit is added to a data string (usually at the end) and that digit
or bit is used as a reference to check the integrity of the rest of the data bits.
To create the parity check bits that are used for the 36-bit format, the 36-bit
format is divided into two, 18-bit formats. A calculation is made on each 18bit format individually (figure 60.17).
One bit is added as the first bit in the data string, to cause the first half of the
data string to have an odd number of ones. A second bit is added as the last
bit in the data string. This causes the second half of the data string to have an
even number of ones.
This odd and even parity is checked on every card read to be sure that the
data has not been corrupted between the reader and the panel.
Note
• Corrupted badge reads are thrown away by the panel without any
other action, and with no error messages of any kind from the panel to
the PC.
• There are two alternate ways to set the parity calculation for the 36-bit
format. The above-mentioned method suggests dividing the format
into equal halves. This will work with most 36-bit cards. However, if
you are using
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Motorola/Indala cards, they will not work with this parity calculation.
They require the parity settings as seen in figure 60.18 below.
If you install your system and all the settings seem to be right, but the
system is not reading cards correctly, try the parity settings as seen in figure
60.18.
Fig. 60.18. Alternate weigand 36 bit format parity settings.
Format 2 – ABA 19 Character Format
Fig. 60.19. Settings for format 2 – 19 character ABA format.
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SS Facility FS
Badge ID
Not Used
ES
B 1 2 3 4 5 D 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 F
Fig. 60.20. Data structure for format 2 – 19 character ABA magnetic stripe format.
Specifications for this format are as follows:
• This data format has 19 total characters.
• The data string starts with a ‘Start Sentinel’, which will always be the
letter ‘B’ (capital).
• The facility code consumes the next 5 digits.
• The next character is a ‘Field Separator’, which will always be the letter
‘D’ (capital).
• The next 6 characters are the badge number (note the maximum 6 digit
badge number).
• The five characters following the badge number are not used.
• The last character is the ‘End Sentinel’. This will always be the letter ‘F’
(capital).
• There is no check character programmed into this format.
The ABA 19-character format is generally used when encoding magnetic
stripe or barcode type cards. The ABA standard was developed for the
American Banking Association for use with ATM and credit cards. In the
access control application, some of the data characters available in this
format are not used.
In this card format, the data structure is expressed in characters instead of
number of bits (as it was above, in Format 1).
Format 3 – Non-ABA 26 Bit Format
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Fig. 60.21. Settings for format 3 - 26 bit non-ABA format.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Facility Code
Badge Number
Fig. 60.22. Data structure for format 3 – 26 bit non-ABA format.
Specifications for this format are as follows.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The badge format type is set to Non ABA.
The data string starts (read left to right) with an even parity bit.
The even parity calculation is performed on the left most thirteen bits.
The next eight bits are the facility code.
Issue level field is not used.
The data string ends with an odd parity bit.
The odd parity calculation is performed on the right most thirteen bits.
The 26-bit format is a well-known standard format and is identical in many
ways to the 36-bit format, Format 1. This format has parity bits at the
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beginning and ends of the data string and is a Non ABA type (like Format
1).
This format is used by Motorola (Indala) readers. The Recognition Systems
hand and finger type biometric readers and HID proximity readers are also
available with 26-bit output and can use this format with no changes.
Note that the data string is divided into two halves, and parity is calculated
separately on each half (like Format 1). Note that Even parity is calculated
on the left half of the data string and that Odd parity is calculated on the
right half of the string which is opposite of the way it is done in Format 1.
Note that the standard 26-bit format does not provide an Issue Level field.
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Format 4 – Non-ABA 31 Bit Format
Fig. 60.23. Settings for format 4 - 31 bit non-ABA format.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Issue
Facility
Badge Number
Fig. 60.24. Data structure for format 4 – 31 bit non-ABA format.
Specifications for this format are as follows.
•
•
•
•
•
The badge format type is set to Non ABA.
The data string starts (read left to right) with an even parity bit.
The even parity calculation is performed on the left most seventeen bits.
The next two bits are the issue level.
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•
•
•
•
The next eight bits are the facility code.
The data string ends with an odd parity bit.
The odd parity calculation is performed on the right most seventeen bits.
Note that the parity calculation for this format is different from formats 1
and 3 explained above. Here, there are three bits in the center of the format
that are used for both parity calculations. These three bits ‘overlap’ both the
odd and the even calculations.
Creating Badge Formats
If you are creating a badge format, there are basically two things to consider.
Are you creating your own custom badge format (for use with barcode or
magnetic stripe cards), or are you creating a format for a card type that you
have purchased from a supplier (a standard format). The approach you take
will be quite different for each method. Essentially, there are only two kinds
of access cards - those that have preprogrammed data, and those that are
programmable by the user.
Preprogrammed Access Cards
Weigand cards, HID proximity cards and Motorola/Indala cards are the
examples of preprogrammed access cards. The badge data string is encoded
into each card by the manufacturer. These cards are well known and the
formats for cards from these manufacturers are already programmed into the
Preprogrammed cards have some advantages and disadvantages as listed
below.
Preprogrammed Access Card Advantages
• There is no need to get data on these cards. The badge data string will
be encoded into each card by the manufacturer. This proves to be time
saving.
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• Badge formats are well known and already programmed into the
Preprogrammed Access Card Disadvantages
• Unit price is higher.
• It is much harder to get cards with duplicate badge numbers and higher
issue levels.
Programmable Access Cards
Examples of programmable access cards are magnetic stripe cards and
barcode cards. Magnetic stripe cards are plain PVC plastic cards with an
electronically programmable magnetic stripe embossed on the card. You can
encode magnetic stripes with a special card printer available from
Continental Instruments. Barcode is printed on blank, plain PVC plastic
cards using a standard card printer, also available from Continental
Instruments.
Programmable Access Card Advantages
• You can exercise complete control on what data gets programmed on
the card.
• Initial price per unit is lower.
• You can use a ‘standard’ badge data format or create your own
‘proprietary’ format.
• Badges can be made to work with multiple manufacturers’ systems
(such as CardAccess and a Time and Attendance system).
• It is easy to reissue cards with the same badge number (reissue levels).
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• You can print as many or as few cards as you need, when you need
them.
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Programmable Access Card Disadvantages
• More time is needed to program these cards.
• More technical complexity is involved. The CardAccess administrator
must create badge programming data strings in the badge editor
software. He will be responsible to ensure that the badge format is
entered correctly and is working properly.
Note: There are essentially two kinds of badge data types; ABA and NonABA. Both data types have the same data fields available to them – ‘Badge
ID’, ‘Facility’ and ‘Issue’. If you are using magnetic stripe cards or barcode
cards, you must include Badge ID (it is a required field) in your badge
format. Facility and Issue are optional.
There are two things you should do before trying to create any kind of badge
format.
• If you have purchased access cards from a supplier, ask that supplier to
provide you with a description of the badge format.
• Before trying to create a custom or standard badge format in the ‘Badge
Formats’ screen of CardAccess, draw a diagram of your badge format (see
figure 60.25 below). This will act as your guide and will make it easy to
count characters or bit places as you create the format. Remember that if
you misstate even one bit of the badge format in your description, it is
likely that the system will reject all card reads. The format that you create
in the ‘Badge Formats’ screen must be exact.
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Creating a Standard Format
There are numerous different types of access control cards. Weigand, HID,
Motorola/Indala, 26 bit, 36 bit and more. The place to start is to be sure what
format of card you are buying, since we have to describe that badge format
to the system.
If you purchase all of your supplies from Continental Instruments, the
readers and cards will be a matched set and the badge format will be well
known to Continental technicians, who can help you set up the system.
The 36-bit format (Format 1) and the 26-bit format (Format 3) are the most
commonly used because they are widely adopted standards. Format 2 is
most often used with magnetic stripe cards and barcode cards.
Note: If some or all of the CardAccess predefined badge formats are missing
or corrupted, you can restore them quickly by clicking the Default button at
the top of the ‘Badge Formats’ screen.
Below are the steps to create a 36-bit format.
1. Draw a diagram of your badge format.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Facility Code
Badge Number
Issue
Fig. 60.25. Diagram of 36-bit Badge Format.
2. Open the ‘Badge Formats’ screen by clicking on
Administration Æ Badge Formats menu options in the CardAccess
main screen.
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3. Click the New button in ‘Badge Formats’ screen toolbar.
4. In the Name field, enter a descriptive name for the badge format you
are creating.
5. Click the down arrow to the right of Badge Format Type control and
choose a desired format type. ‘Insertion’ type is selected in the figure
below.
Fig. 60.27. The available badge format types.
6. In the Bit/Char Length control, set the total bit length of the format
equal to 36.
Fig. 60.28. The ‘Bit/Char Length’ spin control.
There are two ways to set the number.
o Clicking the white space of ‘Bit/Char Length’ control and typing in
the number.
o Using the up/down arrows to the right of the spin control to choose
the required number.
7. Click the Offset field for Badge ID, and type in the number 17.
Similarly enter the Length for Badge ID as 16.
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Fig. 60.29. Offset and Length fields for Badge ID.
8. Click the Offset field for Facility, and type in the number 1. Similarly
enter the Length for Facility as 16.
Fig. 60.30. Offset and Length fields for Facility code.
9. Click the Offset field for Issue, and type in the number 33. Similarly
enter the Length for Issue as 2.
Fig. 60.31. The ‘Offset’ and ‘Length’ fields for Issue.
10. Click the Offset field for Even Parity, and type in the number 18.
Similarly enter the Length for Even Parity as 18.
Fig. 60.32. Offset and Length fields for Even Parity.
11. Click the Offset field for Odd Parity, and type in the number 0.
Similarly enter the Length for Odd Parity as 18.
Fig. 60.33. Offset and Length fields for Odd Parity.
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On clicking the ‘Save’ button, the format will be automatically downloaded
to the concerned panel(s).
Note: You cannot create two very similar badge formats. The system will
have a logical error trying to differentiate which format it should use. The
two formats must be uniquely different enough for the system to recognize.
As a general rule, do not create two formats with the same number of bits or
characters.
Creating a Custom Format
When creating a custom format, you will be limited to using cards that do
not have a preprogrammed format on them. Barcode and magnetic stripe
cards are the only two types of cards that can be considered.
There will be nothing different about the badge format that you create for
magnetic stripe cards vs. barcode cards. Both will use the ABA badge
format type. Within the framework of the ABA type, certain start and stop
characters are required (not optional). Also you must include the badge
number as a required field. However, Badge Number is the only required
field. Facility Code and Issue Level are optional.
Note: The total number of bits read from any badge cannot exceed 255.
Therefore any custom non-ABA format Bit/Char length cannot exceed 255
bits, and any custom ABA format cannot exceed 53 characters (each ABA
character is 5 bits)
You will need to follow the steps below in order to create a custom format.
• Make a diagram of your proposed format.
SS Facility FS Badge ID
B
12345
6
7 8 9 10 11 12
Not Used
ES
13 14 15 16 17 18
Fig. 60.34. Data structure for the standard 19- character ABA format.
When creating your data structure diagram, bear in mind that there are some
required items and some optional items. You can modify the above standard
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data structure for your own use, but consult the requirements lists below
before creating your format.
Custom Format Required Items
• The Start Sentinel and the End Sentinel are required. The position of
those fields in the data structure must be at the beginning and at the end
of the data string. However, the characters themselves can be any
characters 0-9 or A-F (any hexadecimal character). We will use the
standard characters in these examples.
• The Badge ID field is required. The position of this field in the data
string is optional, it can be placed anywhere in between the Start and End
Sentinels.
Note: The system will allow a maximum of 9 badge digits. The ‘Badge’
field in ABA formats cannot exceed 9 digits, and the Badge field in nonABA formats cannot exceed 27 bits.
Custom Format Optional Items
• The order of the data fields does not matter. As long as required fields are
included in the data string, which field appears in the string first is not
important, except for the Start and End Sentinels which must be placed at
the extreme ends of the string.
• The Field Separator character is optional. If you wish to adhere to the
ABA standard you will include the field separator character. However, it
can be eliminated without penalty.
• The Facility code field and the Issue level field are both optional. They
can be eliminated from the badge format with no penalty.
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Fig. 60.35. The standard 19-character ABA Format.
Note: When you set any of the data fields to Offset = 0 and Length = 0, or if
you leave them blank, it means that those fields are not used.
Let’s create two example custom formats to illustrate the process.
Custom Badge Format Example 1
The constraints for this badge design are: - we will allow a 5-digit badge
number on the badge and there will be no other data encoded on this badge.
This would represent the simplest badge format the system will allow.
First, let’s construct a data diagram.
SS Badge ID ES
B
12345 F
Fig. 60.36. A custom 7- character badge format.
Now let’s construct the above format in the ‘Badge Formats’ screen.
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Fig. 60.37. Custom 7- character badge format created.
Follow the steps below.
• Open the Badge Formats screen by clicking on
main screen.
• Click the New button in ‘Badge Formats’ screen toolbar.
• Copy the values seen in figure 60.37 above into the respective fields.
• Give the badge format a descriptive name in the Name field.
Note:
o Observe that the total Bits/Char length is seven characters, not five
(see figure 60.37). The length calculation includes the Start and End
Sentinels. In an ABA format, the count is in number of characters,
not bits.
o Observe that the Start Sentinel begins at offset zero and the End
Sentinel begins at offset six (see figure 60.37). Each Sentinel is one
character wide. Sentinel characters in custom formats are not limited
to ‘B’ and ‘F’. Sentinels can be any character 0-9, or A-F, but the
Start and End Sentinels cannot be the same character
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Custom Badge Format Example 2
In this format, we will allow a five-digit badge number. We will also allow a
one-digit issue level field and an 8-character field for future use. There will
be no facility code for this format.
Again, let’s construct a data diagram first.
SS Badge ID
Not Used
IS ES
B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 F
Fig. 60.38. A custom 16- character badge format.
Now let’s construct the above format in the ‘Badge Formats’ screen.
Fig. 60.39. Custom 16- character badge format created.
Follow the steps below.
main screen.
• Click the New button in ‘Badge Formats’ screen toolbar.
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• Copy the values seen in figure 60.39 above into the respective fields.
• Give the badge format a descriptive name in the Name field.
Note:
o Observe that the total Bits/Char length is sixteen characters. The
length calculation includes the Start and End Sentinels (see figure
60.39). In an ABA format, the count is in number of characters, not
bits.
o Observe that the Start Sentinel begins at offset zero and the End
Sentinel begins at offset fifteen (see figure 60.39). Each Sentinel is
one character wide. Sentinel characters in custom formats are not
limited to ‘B’ and ‘F’. Sentinels can be any character 0-9, or A-F, but
the Start and End Sentinels cannot be the same character.
o Observe that we have added eight characters to the data string that are
not used by the CardAccess (see figure 60.38). These characters could
potentially be used by another device that can read a bar code or
magnetic stripe.
o Observe that we have limited the Issue level to 1 character (see figure
60.39). That means that we will allow up to 9 total re-issues (1-9). In
case 2 characters were entered, a maximum of 99 re-issues were
possible. Note that when you encode a badge that has never been
reissued, the Issue level is set to 0.
Magnetic stripe and bar code cards make it easy to replace lost cards with
cards that have the same card number. You simply create another identical
card. This is called ‘reissuing’ the card. Issue level refers to how many times
the card has been reprinted for the user.
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Deleting a Badge Format
main screen.
• In the upper half of the screen, locate the badge format you wish to
Note: Deleting a Badge Format could disable all badges in the system!
Select only unused badge formats for deleting.
Fig. 60.40. Message box displayed before deleting a badge format.
• Click on Close button in the toolbar to close Badge Formats screen.
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Badge Formats Screen Navigation Bar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fig. 60.41. The ‘Badge Formats’ screen navigation bar.
The Badge Formats screen navigation bar can be found in the middle of the
older/newer/bookmarked badge format records in the screen. In figure 60.41,
highlight the very first badge format record in the screen.
containing the highlighted badge format record.
highlight the record previous to the currently highlighted badge
format record.
highlight the record appearing after the currently highlighted badge
format record.
containing the highlighted badge format record.
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highlight the last badge format record in the screen.
highlighted badge format record.
previously bookmarked badge format record.
Restoring Default Badge Formats
If you accidentally delete one or all of the default badge formats that are
available in CardAccess, you can restore them by following the steps below.
Note: The steps below will delete all of the existing formats in the screen,
and restore only the default formats that are available in the software.
main screen.
• Click on Default button in the toolbar.
Fig. 60.42. The ‘Default’ button.
On clicking the following message box will be displayed.
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Fig. 60.43. Message box displayed on clicking the ‘Default’ button.
• Click on Yes button in the message box.
• Click on Close button in the toolbar to close the ‘Badge Formats’ screen.
The default formats will be automatically downloaded to all panels after
restoration.
Downloading Badge Formats to Panels
If you are having problems reading badges, you may need to download the
badge formats to the concerned panel(s) manually. The following steps will
be involved.
• Open the Panels screen by clicking on ConfigurationÆPanels menu
options in the CardAccess main screen.
• Click on Download button in the ‘Panels’ screen toolbar.
Fig. 60.44. The ‘Download’ button.
Upon clicking, the Download Categories screen will be displayed as
below.
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• In the ‘Download Categories’ screen, click on Badge Formats check box.
Fig. 60.46. Badge Formats checkbox selected.
On checkbox selection, the ‘Download Panel’ and the ‘All Panel’ buttons
will be enabled (see figure 60.47 below).
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• Click on ‘Download Panel’ button if you are downloading badge formats
to only a particular panel or click on ‘All Panels’ button if you are
downloading badge formats to all panels in the system.
Fig. 60.47. The ‘Download Panel’ and ‘All Panels’ buttons.
Note: These buttons will be enabled only after the ‘Badge Format’
checkbox is selected (see figure 60.46 above).
On clicking one of the buttons, the following message box will be
displayed.
Fig. 60.48. Message box displayed before downloading badge formats to panel(s).
• After confirmation, click on Yes button in the message box to start the
download.
At this point, badge format downloading would have begun if communications
to the panel is operating.
• Click on Close button in the toolbar to close the ‘Panels’ screen.
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Maps
A ‘Map’ as defined in the CardAccess software is a static bitmap
background, with a flashing cursor icon, which indicates the relative position
of the hardware device being represented. The mapping engine does not
allow dynamic control of hardware objects from a map control surface.
Maps in the CardAccess are used for ‘visual location verification’ only.
The mapping engine is disabled by default. The following section explains
how to enable it.
Enabling Maps
The map engine can be enabled in the ‘System Settings’ screen. Follow the
steps below.
1. Open ‘System Settings’ screen by clicking on
SystemÆSystem Settings menu options in the CardAccess main
screen. The screen will open in the General tab.
2. Click on Edit button in ‘System Settings’ screen toolbar.
3. (In ‘System Settings’ General tab), Click on Use Facility Maps
checkbox to select it.
Fig. 64.1. Checkbox to be selected for enabling Maps in CardAccess software.
4. Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the setting.
Once this checkbox is selected and saved, the following screen changes can
be observed in CardAccess.
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• The CardAccess Events and Alerts grid toolbars display a new
button called Map.
Fig. 64.2. The ‘Events’ grid toolbar showing ‘Map’ button after selecting the ‘Use
Facility Maps’ checkbox.
.
Fig. 64.3. The ‘Alerts’ grid toolbar showing ‘Map’ button after selecting the ‘Use
Facility Maps’ checkbox.
.
Clicking the ‘Map’ button will display the map pop up window for those
events/alerts, whose hardware devices have a map assigned to them
previously, in the Configure Maps screen.
Fig. 64.4. Map pop up window obtained by clicking the ‘Map’ button for a door event,
whose reader device has been assigned a map in the ‘Configure Maps’ screen.
• The Administration menu in the CardAccess main menu bar will
offer a new menu option called Maps.
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Fig. 64.5. The ‘Maps’ menu option seen in ‘Administration’ menu list after
selecting the ‘Use Facility Maps’ checkbox.
Clicking this menu option will open the ‘Configure Maps’ screen (see
figure 64.7 below), where you can create/edit maps.
o The CardAccess hardware screens (Panels, Readers, Inputs, Relays
and Links screens) will contain a new folder tab called Maps (or
Map).
In the figure below, we have shown the ‘Map’ tab, of Readers screen.
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Fig. 64.6. The ‘Map’ tab seen in Readers screen after enabling the ‘Use Facility Maps’
checkbox.
The ‘Maps’ tab controls in the other hardware screens look exactly similar to
the Readers screen ‘Map’ tab controls, seen in the above figure.
Clicking the ‘View Maps’ button (highlighted in the above figure) in the
‘Map’ tab of the hardware screens, will open the ‘Configure Maps’ screen
(see figure 64.7 below), where you can create/edit maps.
Creating a Map
Follow the steps below if you wish to create a map for a given hardware
device.
1) Open the ‘Configure Maps’ screen. This screen can be opened in two
ways as below.
a) By clicking on AdministrationÆ Maps menu options in the
CardAccess main screen (see figure 64.5).
b) By opening the concerned hardware screen (Panels, Readers,
Inputs, Relays or Links screen), clicking on Maps tab in that
screen, and then clicking on View Maps button in the Maps tab
(see figure 64.6 above).
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Both the methods will open the ‘Configure Maps’ screen as shown below.
Fig. 64.7. The ‘Configure Maps’ screen for creating/editing maps.
2) Click on New button in ‘Configure Maps’ screen toolbar, to create a
new map.
On clicking the ‘New’ button, you will see the cursor control in the
‘New Name’ field.
3) In the New Name field, type in a name for the map you are creating.
Fig. 64.8. The ‘New Name’ field.
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4) In the Description field, enter a description for the map you are
creating.
5) Click on Import button seen on the bottom left side of the screen.
Fig. 64.10. The ‘Import’ button.
On clicking, you will see the ‘CardAccess Alert Maps’ floating
toolbar (see the highlight at the bottom left corner of the figure below)
and the Windows Explorer ‘Open’ dialog.
Fig. 64.11. The Windows Explorer ‘Open’ dialog and the ‘CardAccess Alert Maps’ floating
toolbar.
The ‘Open’ dialog is a standard Windows type file search tool that will
allow you to search your local hard drive and network shares for a suitable
import image file.
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The ‘CardAccess Alert Maps’ floating toolbar has a number of buttons that
offer additional methods for importing image files.
You can use either of the dialogs for importing the required map image.
First, let us learn how to import a map image from the ‘Open’ dialog. Then,
we shall discuss the ‘CardAccess Alert Maps’ button functions.
6A. Importing a Map Image from ‘Open’ Dialog
Following are the steps to import an image from the ‘Open’ dialog.
a. In the ‘Open’ dialog, double click the folder where you have
previously saved the map image. You will see a list of all file names
stored in that folder.
b. Click on the file name of the required map image (bitmap or jpeg
file).
Note:
o The image file you select will generally be the bitmap or jpeg image
of a floor plan. Or, the image could be a digitized photograph of a
doorway, a building, or a section of a building. Any image that would
assist an operator in identifying the area of a building where a
hardware device alarm is taking place would be suitable.
o Although other files like .ico, .emf and .wmf files are also supported
by the Image ‘Open’ dialog, it is best to limit your map images to .jpg
or .bmp files. Icons and Windows Meta Files are not supported as map
images.
On clicking the filename of the required map image, you will see a small
picture of that map on the right side of the ‘Open’ dialog (see the
highlight in the figure below). The size of the selected image is indicated
immediately above the image (see the highlight in the figure below).
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Fig. 64.12. Small picture of the selected map visible on clicking the file name, and
size of the map indicated above the picture.
c. You may click on the Preview button (on the top right corner of the
dialog) to see an enlarged ‘Preview’ of the map image, before finally
selecting it.
Fig. 64.13. The Preview button on ‘Open’ dialog.
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Fig. 64.14. Enlarged Preview of the selected map image seen on clicking the Preview
button.
d. (Close the ‘Preview’ Window if you opened it) Click on Open button
seen at the bottom of the dialog.
Fig. 64.15. The ‘Open’ button.
You will now see the selected map image, on the ‘Configure Maps’ screen.
The next step is to associate the imported map, with a hardware device (see
step 7 below).
Before that, let us look at the functions of a few buttons in the ‘CardAccess
Alert Maps’ floating toolbar, that can also be used to import maps.
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6B. CardAccess Alert Maps Floating Toolbar
We just finished discussing about importing maps from the ‘Open’ dialog.
The ‘CardAccess Alert Maps’ floating toolbar has a number of buttons that
offer additional methods for the importation of image files.
Fig. 64.16. The ‘CardAccess Alert maps’ floating toolbar.
The buttons on the floating toolbar and the image import methods they
support are as below.
Importing From Scanner
The ‘Scanner Select’ button allows you to connect directly to a scanner for
the importation of a scanned image. To import from a scanner, do the
following
a) Click the Scanner Select button.
Fig. 64.17. The ‘Scanner Select’ button.
b) Select a Source – After you click the ‘Scanner Select’ button, the
‘Select Source’ box appears as in the figure below. You are expected
to select one of the sources in this box. If there are no sources listed,
you need to install TWAIN or scanner drivers for the devices you are
trying to scan from.
Fig. 64.18. The ‘Select Source’ box.
c) At this point, the CardAccess program will relinquish control to your
scanner software. The scanner software typically starts up and
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performs the scan. The scanner software may not automatically
upload the scan to the CardAccess. You may need to click an upload
button in order for that to take place.
In any case, the object is to have your scanner software ‘hand off’ the
image to the CardAccess Maps engine. The Maps software will then
display that image in the ‘Configure Maps’ screen.
Importing From File
The ‘New Image (Edit)’ button (see figure below) offers a way to manually
open the Windows Explorer ‘Open’ dialog (figure 64.11) discussed earlier.
The ‘Open’ dialog opens automatically when you click the ‘Import’ button
in the ‘Configure Maps’ screen. But if you close the ‘Open’ dialog, the ‘New
Image Edit’ button offers you a way to reopen it without having to close
down the entire import ‘session’ and re-press the Import button.
Fig. 64.19. The ‘New Image (Edit)’ button.
Copy & Paste Buttons
The Copy button is used to copy an image from one map to a second map.
The Paste button is used to paste that image into the second map. Open the
map that you want to use the image from. Click the copy button. Then open
the map that you wish to paste the image to (or click the New button to
create a completely new map), and click the Paste button
Fig. 64.20. The ‘Copy’ and ‘Paste’ buttons.
7) Select a Device – After a map image is imported into the Configure
Maps screen (using either the ‘Open’ dialog or the ‘CardAccess Alert
Maps’ floating toolbar), it has to be associated with a hardware device
(or more than one hardware device). Until some linkage is made
between the map and at least one hardware device, the map is just a
static bitmap that has little practical use.
The ‘Devices’ control panel is the toolbar that you will use to create
linkages between the map and hardware devices.
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Fig. 64.21. The ‘Devices’ control panel in ‘Configure Maps’ screen.
The Devices control panel uses ‘drag and drop’ operation. You click on
an icon button, hold down the left mouse button, drag the icon to the
desired location on the map and click where you want to drop the
hardware reference. You will note that the Devices control panel has five
icons available. The function of those icons is shown in table 64.22
below.
Button
Function
Connected to the Readers screen. This button will
display a list of every reader in the system.
Connected to the Inputs screen. This button will
display a list of every input in the system.
Connected to the Relays screen. This button will
display a list of every relay in the system.
Connected to the Links screen. This button will
display a list of every link in the system.
Connected to the Panels screen. This button will
display a list of every panel in the system.
Table- 64.22. The buttons in ‘Devices’ control panel.
To link a hardware device to a map, do the following.
o Click the Hardware Button – Click any of the hardware icon buttons
(see table 64.22 above), and hold down the left mouse button.
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o Drag the Icon – Drag the hardware item to the desired location on the
map.
o Drop the Icon – Release the left mouse button.
Once the icon is dropped, you will obtain the ‘Select the Device’ box, for the
hardware device chosen. In the figure below, we have shown the box for
Reader hardware device, whose icon we dropped.
Fig. 64.23. The ‘Select the Device’ box for Reader hardware device.
6) Select a Device –Click the down arrow to the right of the hardware
device field (‘Reader’ shown in figure 64.24 below) seen in ‘Select
the Device’ box, and click on a desired device in the list.
Fig. 64.24. Selecting a desired hardware device in Select the Device’ box.
You are permitted to assign a given hardware device to one map only.
Once a hardware device has been assigned to a map, it cannot be
assigned to a second map unless you delete the first map. If you try to
assign a hardware device to more than one map, you will get an error
message informing you that the device has already been assigned a
map (see figure below).
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Fig. 64.25. Message box displayed in case you attempt to assign a ‘second’ map to a
hardware device.
7) Save the Map – Note that the system permits you to add more than
one icon per map. This option will allow you to create one map that
will be linked to several hardware devices. So you can click the
‘Save’ button now, or you can repeat the process of dragging and
dropping hardware devices as explained above, add as many device
icons as you require, and then click the Save button. Or, you can add
one icon per map, and dedicate each map to one hardware device.
Fig. 64.26. Map with several devices attached.
Editing a Map
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a) Open ‘Configure Maps’ screen by clicking on Administration Æ
Maps menu options in the CardAccess main screen.
b) To select the map you wish to edit, click the down arrow to the right
of Select Map field, use the scrollbar to scroll the list of maps, and
click on a desired map name.
c) Click on Edit button in the toolbar.
d) Make the required changes to the selected map, using the controls in
the screen.
e) Click on Save button in the toolbar to save the changes.
Deleting a Map
To delete a map, do the following.
a. Open ‘Configure Maps’ screen by clicking on Administration Æ
b. To select the map you wish to delete, click the down arrow to the right
of Select Map field, use the scrollbar to scroll the list of maps, and
click on a desired map name.
c. Click on Delete button in the toolbar.
On clicking the following message box will be displayed.
Fig. 64.27. Message box displayed before deleting a map.
Note: Delete action cannot be reversed. A map deleted once is lost forever.
Make sure you have chosen the correct map for deleting.
d. After confirmation, click on Yes button in the message box to delete
the selected map.
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Finding a Map
Open ‘Configure Maps’ screen by clicking on Administration Æ
The map you are searching for can be found in two methods as explained
below.
Method 1- Using the ‘Select Map’ control
The ‘Select Map’ control can be used if you wish to view a particular map
that was created in the ‘Configure Maps’ screen.
All you have to do is, click the down arrow to the right of the Select Map
control, and click on the name of the map you wish to view.
Fig. 64.28. Finding a map using the ‘Select Map’ control.
On clicking, the map you selected will be displayed on the Configure Maps
screen.
Method 2- Using the ‘Find’ button
If you wish to view the map assigned to a particular hardware device, you
may use the ‘Find’ button instead. Follow the below steps.
o Click on Find button located on the lower left side of the Configure
Maps screen
Fig. 64.29. The ‘Find’ button.
On clicking, you will obtain the ‘Select the Device’ box as shown in the
figure below.
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Fig. 64.30. ‘Select the Device’ box displayed on clicking the ‘Find’ button.
o Click the down arrow to the right of the first control seen in the
‘Select the Device’ box, and click on the desired hardware device
category in the list.
Fig. 64.31. Selecting a hardware device category in the first control of the ‘Select the
Device’ box.
Upon device category selection, the second control in the box will provide
the list of all hardware devices in the selected category.
o Click the down arrow to the right of the second control in the ‘Select
the Device’ box, and click on a desired hardware device in the list.
Fig. 64.32. Selecting a hardware device in the second control of the ‘Select the Device’
box.
o Click on Ok button in ‘Select the Device’ box.
Fig. 64.33. The ‘OK’ button.
The map that is assigned to the selected hardware device will now be
displayed on the Configure Maps screen.
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Displaying Maps
Once maps have been created and linked with hardware devices, they are
ready to be utilized. The primary use for a map is to allow an operator to
bring up a map in response to some alert or event, and to be able see a
graphic representation of the alarm point. This would assist him or her in
locating an alarm in a given building or complex.
Note that the actual displayable map is primarily a static bitmap with a
flashing icon that represents an alarm point (see figure below).
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Fig. 64.34. The Maps Pop Up Window.
Thus, the bitmap can be anything of your choosing. It can be a floor plan,
picture of the area, or even written text instructions that have been saved as a
bitmap file. Your image options are open to whatever type of image is useful
to you and your organization.
There are two ways to display maps, manually and automatically. Manual
viewing of maps involves clicking a button and causing the Maps Pop Up
screen to open with the requested map. Automatic viewing of maps, also
called ‘Pop Up’ maps, is accomplished by setting the map controls to display
a map automatically, every time an event or alert appears that has a map
associated with it. Both methods are further explained below.
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Manual Map Display
You can manually view a map in the following ways.
A. Using Events Grid or Alerts Grid, Map Buttons
There are two buttons labeled ‘Map’ available on the CardAccess main
screen. One button is located on the Events Grid toolbar (figure 64.35),
and the other Map button is located on the Alerts Grid toolbar (figure
64.36). Clicking either button will open the Maps Pop Up window, and
display the map that is associated with the event or alert that is
highlighted.
Fig 64.35. The ‘Map’ button in ‘Events’ grid toolbar.
Fig. 64.36. The ‘Map’ button in ‘Alerts’ grid toolbar.
Note the following special properties of the Events and Alerts Grids Map
buttons.
• If you highlight an Event, click the Map button above the Events Grid
to manually bring up the map associated with that event (see figure
64.4 above).
• If you highlight an Alert, click the Map button above the Alerts Grid
to manually bring up the map associated with that alert.
• The Pending Alerts toolbar Map button can be grayed out when there
are no alerts in the Alerts Grid
B. Using Hardware Screens, ‘View Maps’ Button
When maps are enabled in the System Settings, a ‘Map’ tab becomes
visible in each of the hardware screens. As a convenience, you can open
the Configure Maps screen from inside any hardware screen. To view or
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edit a map from the Panels, Readers, Inputs, Relays or Links screens, do
the following.
o Open Panels, Readers, Inputs, Relays or Links screen, available from
the Configuration menu.
o Click on Map tab.
If a map is assigned to that hardware device, you will see a thumbnail
view of the assigned map on the Map tab, as shown in the figure below.
Fig. 64.37. Readers screen ‘Map’ tab.
o You may click the View Maps button seen on the right side of the
Maps tab. This will open the Configure Maps screen with an enlarged
view of the thumbnail view you saw on the Maps tab.
C. Using Administration menu, Maps shortcut – The standard way to
open the ‘Configure Maps’ screen is to click on
AdministrationÆMaps menu options in the CardAccess main screen
(see figure 64.5 above).
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Pop Up Maps
You can set maps to automatically display when alerts appear in the Alerts
grid. It is an important point that maps will pop up only for alerts, and not
for events. Once you enable the feature, you will not see any maps pop up
unless you have some alerts rolling into the Alerts Grid of the CardAccess
main screen.
If a given alert has a map and the pop up feature is enabled, once that alert
makes its way to the top of the alerts grid, the pop up map for that alert is
displayed. The maps pop up display is closed down when that alert is
acknowledged out of the Alerts Grid and moved into the Events Grid.
If there is another alert to move into the topmost position of the Alerts Grid,
and that alert too has a map, then the maps pop up screen is reopened with
the new map image belonging to the current alert. This will happen until the
alerts grid has been emptied of all alerts.
Automatic map display (Pop Up Maps) can be enabled or disabled by rightclicking on Alerts grid ‘Map’ button. On right-clicking, a menu will be
displayed with three choices as explained below.
Fig. 64.39. Right-click options for Alerts grid ‘Map’ button.
• Auto-Show Off: This is the default option. This option will disable
the automatic pop up of the map window for all alert types. But map
pop up window can still be opened manually by clicking the ‘Map’
button, on the toolbar.
• Auto-Show All – Selecting this option will enable automatic pop up
of the map window for all alerts.
• Auto-Show This Area – Selecting this option will enable automatic pop
up of map window only for the device mentioned in the ‘Location’ field
of the currently highlighted alert. Once activated, maps will only pop up
if there is activity at the specific hardware device mentioned in the
highlighted alert.
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Example: Select a given door alert. Right click on the ‘Map’ button, select
the 'Auto-Show This Area’ option. From that point onwards, each alert that
appears in the Alerts Grid for that door will open the map window (if a map
is stored in the reader record).
Hardware Screen Map Controls
The controls found on the Map tab of each of the hardware screens are
identical. So, we will use the Readers screen Map tab as our example.
Fig. 64.40. Readers Screen Map Tab.
Every control in figure 64.40 is explained below.
• Facility Map for This Device – The name in this field is taken from the
‘New Name’ field (visible in Edit mode) of the ‘Configure Maps’ screen.
This is the name of the map.
• Map Description – The information in this field is taken from the
‘Description’ field of the Configure Maps screen. This is a note
describing the map.
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• Size Image to Fit – This control allows you to stretch an image to fit the
thumbnail view window in the hardware screen. When unchecked, the
image window will display the image in its native size format, even if the
fit in the image window is not exact. When the Size Image to Fit feature
is enabled, the entire view window is filled with the image. The image is
stretched to fill the window. Use this feature if you want to eliminate
white borders around the map images.
Fig. 64.43. The ‘Size Image to Fit’ checkbox.
• View Maps – Clicking this button opens the ‘Configure Maps’ screen.
• Remove Map – Clicking this button deletes the map from the
CardAccess database.
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Find Usage Utility
The ‘CardAccess Usage Utility’ is a multi-purpose utility that will allow you
to generate a variety of system statistics.
Opening ‘Find Usage Utility’ Screen
• Click on Access menu in CardAccess main menu bar.
• Click on Find Usage Utility menu option in the list.
On clicking, the ‘CardAccess Usage Utility’ screen will be displayed as
below.
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Fig. 62.1. The ‘CardAccess Usage Utility’ screen.
Observe that the right hand side of the screen has three distinct sections
namely Counts, Time Schedules and Access Groups. The controls provided
in these sections can be used to display CardAccess related information, on
the left hand side of the screen, which serves as the result window.
The sections and their controls are discussed in separate sections below.
First, we begin with the ‘Counts’ section.
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Counts Section
This section can be used to query the CardAccess database and display the
number of badges and access groups, to be stored at a given panel.
Fig. 62.2. The ‘Counts’ section.
Panel
In the Panel field, you are required to enter the panel number of the panel,
whose badge count and access group count you are interested to know.
Fig. 62.3. The ‘Panel’ field.
The required ‘panel number’ has to be obtained from the ‘PnlNo’ column, in
the Panels screen, available from Configuration menu.
Fig. 62.4. Panel Number column from ‘Panels’ Screen.
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Total badges
The ‘Total Badges’ field will indicate the total number of badges to be
stored at the panel, that has been specified in the ‘Panel’ field. You are
required to click on (any) one of the blue colored fields in the ‘Counts’
section, for obtaining this count.
Fig. 62.5. The ‘Total Badges’ field.
Total Access Groups
The ‘Total Access Groups’ field will indicate the total number of access
groups to be stored at the panel, that has been specified in the ‘Panel’ field.
You are required to click on (any) one of the blue colored fields in the
‘Counts’ section, for obtaining this count.
Fig. 62.6. The ‘Total Access Groups’ field.
Total Blocks
The ‘Total Blocks’ field will indicate the total number of access group
blocks to be stored at the panel, that has been specified in the ‘Panel’ field.
You are required to click on (any) one of the blue colored fields in the
‘Counts’ section, for obtaining this count.
Fig. 62.7. The ‘Total Blocks’ field.
Read the section ‘Panel Statistics’ below for more information.
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Panel Statistics
The general process of examining panel statistics is to verify that the data
reported by a given panel matches the database programming for that panel.
In a case where the two reports don’t match, it means that, the configuration
data for that panel may not have downloaded properly, a situation that would
certainly warrant immediate corrective action.
Regarding the general analysis of panel statistics and panel data downloads,
there are three panel error conditions that the CardAccess administrator
should be aware of.
• Overflow – Panel data overflow conditions generate warning alert
messages in the CardAccess main screen, usually in the Alerts Grid.
Overflows occur when the host computer attempts to send more
configuration data than a panel’s memory can store. This problem has
most commonly occurred when panel memory size has not been
increased, and the download of an excess number of badges records is
attempted.
• Underflow – This condition occurs when the panel has not stored all of
the configuration data that the database indicates should be downloaded to
that panel. This can be typically due to a communication error. This
problem can be located by using diagnostic tools. But, there may not be
error event messages associated with it.
• Logic Error – This condition occurs when the panel logic has been
disrupted and configuration memory gets corrupted or lost. A power spike
or dip coupled with low backup battery voltages may set the stage for this
type of problem. The panel might then possibly begin ‘misreporting’
statistical numbers, and possibly denying previously valid cardholders.
Thus, when it becomes necessary to examine panel configuration memory
behavior, you will find the CardAccess Usage utility, Counts section, useful.
The CardAccess Usage utility will only report the database programming
settings for a given panel. To read statistical counters from the actual panel
memory, you need to use the ‘CardAccess Communications Driver’ window
(see figure below).
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Fig. 62.8. The ‘CardAccess Communications Driver’ window.
The Communications Driver data is obtained by directly querying the panel
(‘request for status’ messages). The CardAccess Usage utility screen
information is obtained by querying the database (SQL query). This gives
you the ability to compare how many badges and access groups a given
panel claims are stored, against what the database says there actually should
be.
Let’s look at how to use these two tools in conjunction with each other. To
open the CardAccess Communications Driver window, follow the steps
below.
a) Locate the Satellite icon in your Windows system tray, and double
click it.
Fig. 62.9. The satellite icon in system tray.
Doing this will display the application title ‘CardAccess Comm’, on
the Windows taskbar.
Fig. 62.10. The ‘CardAccess Comm’ application title seen on taskbar.
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b) Left-click the ‘CardAccess Comm’ application title seen on the
taskbar.
On clicking, the ‘CardAccess Communications Driver’ window will open,
revealing the statistics on every active panel in the system.
Fig. 62.11. The ‘CardAccess Communications Driver’ window.
Observe that the window contains several columns. The meaning of each
column in the window is briefly explained below.
Fig. 62.12. Column values of an active panel.
•
Panel – This column will indicate the panel number of the panel (the
number is taken from the ‘Panels’ screen).
• Version – This column will indicate the firmware version of the panel
firmware.
• State – This column will indicate the panel’s current communication
status.
• TZ Blks – This column will indicate the number of time zone blocks
stored at the panel.
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• Max Cards – This column will indicate the maximum number of badge
records that can be stored by the panel memory.
• Card Cnt – This column will indicate the actual number of cards stored at
the panel.
• Exp Mem – This column will indicate the total number of expanded
memory blocks (each block represents 4k bytes) at the panel.
• Xacts – This column will indicate the number of event transactions that
are being buffered in panel memory, waiting to be sent to the CardAccess
host polling computer.
• AG Blks – This column will indicate the total number of Access Group
blocks that are stored at the panel.
• Retrys – This column will indicate the total number of times the panel
was polled but did not respond.
• Retry Fail – This column will indicate the total number of times the panel
failed to respond to a group of three successive polls. In order to
compensate for possible communications line problems, the panel is
polled three times before being considered ‘non-responsive’ (a ‘Retry
Fail’).
For the purposes of this discussion about the CardAccess Usage utility, we
will be interested only in the data found under the columns marked ‘Card
Cnt’ and ‘AG Blks,’, in the CardAccess Communications Driver window.
The reason being, these fields are also represented in the CardAccess Usage
Utility as ‘Total Badges’ and ‘Total Blocks’ respectively.
The following sections explain the steps involved in obtaining panel
statistics from the ‘CardAccess Usage Utility’ and comparing them with the
‘CardAccess Communications Driver’ window values.
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Obtaining Panel Statistics
Following are the steps to obtain panel statistics, in the ‘CardAccess Usage
Utility’ screen.
1. Decide on the panel whose statistics (total badge count and total
access group count) you are interested to know; go to Panels screen
(available from ‘Configuration’ menu) and note down the panel
number of that panel under the ‘PnlNo’ column.
Fig. 62.13. Noting the panel number in ‘Panels’ screen – Panel Number column.
2. Open ‘CardAccess Usage Utility’ screen by clicking on
AccessÆFind Usage menu options in the CardAccess main screen.
3. In the ‘Counts’ section Panel field, type in the panel number you have
noted in step 1.
Fig. 62.14. Panel number entered in ‘Panel’ field of ‘Counts’ section.
4. Click on any of the blue colored fields (that is, Total Badges, Total
Access Groups or Total Blocks fields), in the ‘Counts’ section.
Fig. 62.15. Click on any of the blue colored fields.
On clicking, the system will go busy momentarily, and then will provide the
results in, each of the three fields.
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Fig. 62.16. Panel statistics obtained by clicking one of the blue colored fields.
Comparing with Communications Driver
After you have brought up the panel database settings in the ‘CardAccess
Usage Utility’ screen, proceed to the following steps.
a) Open the ‘CardAccess Communications Driver’ window. The
following steps are involved in opening.
o Locate the Satellite icon in your Windows system tray, and double
click it.
Fig. 62.17. The satellite icon in system tray.
Doing this will display the application title ‘CardAccess Comm’, on
the Windows taskbar.
Fig. 62.18. The ‘CardAccess Comm’ application title seen on taskbar.
o Left-click the ‘CardAccess Comm’ application title seen on the
taskbar.
On clicking, the ‘CardAccess Communications Driver’ window will open,
revealing the statistics on every active panel in the system.
b) Under the ‘Panel’ column in the ‘CardAccess Communications
Driver’ window, locate the panel number you have entered in the
CardAccess Usage Utility ‘Counts’ section (step 3 under previous
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heading), and (here in the Communications Driver window), note
down the corresponding Card Cnt and AG Blks column values, for
that particular panel number.
Fig. 62.19. Noting the values under the columns Card Cnt and AG Blks for the panel in
question
c) Compare the ‘Card Cnt’ and ‘AG Blks’ values respectively with the
‘Total Badges’ and ‘Total Blocks’ values, obtained in the CardAccess
Usage Utility screen. It is necessary that the values match with each
other.
Fig. 62.20. Comparing Card Cnt and AG Blks with ‘Total Badges’ and ‘Total Blocks’
values in ‘Counts’ section
d) In case the values don’t match, you need to re-download data to the
concerned panel. To do this, refer the heading ‘Manual Data
Download to Panel(s)’, in the section titled Panels.
H
H
Next, we will be dealing with the ‘Time Schedules’ section, in the
'CardAccess Usage Utility’ screen.
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Time Schedules Section
The ‘Time Schedules’ section can be used to examine how the (CardAccess)
time schedules are assigned in the CardAccess database. You may wish to
know which of the hardware devices use a particular time schedule or, which
of the time schedules have been created, but, not yet been assigned to any of
the hardware devices.
Fig. 62.21. The ‘Time Schedules’ section.
Time Schedules Drop Down Box
The drop down box seen in the ‘Time Schedules’ section stores all of the
time schedules that are created in the ‘Schedules’ screen.
Fig. 62.22. The Time Schedules drop down box.
Clicking the down arrow will provide the list of time schedules. You will be
selecting a desired schedule in the list, for knowing its usage in the
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Show Schedule Usage
On clicking the ‘Show Schedule Usage’ button, the left hand side of the
screen will display the list of all CardAccess hardware and software items
that have been assigned the time schedule selected in the Time Schedule
drop down box.
Fig. 62.23. The ‘Show Schedule Usage’ button.
The example figure below shows that the schedule ‘Weekdays, Business
Hours’ is assigned to two readers (CardAccess hardware devices) and three
access groups (CardAccess software items). Out of them, Blake Carl and
Smith John are ‘dedicated’ access groups.
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Fig. 62.24. Time Schedule Usage information obtained by clicking on ‘Show Schedule
Usage’ button.
Note: In case the selected schedule is not assigned to any CardAccess item
(either software or hardware), then, the result window will be empty.
In the example figure below, the result window is empty as the schedule
‘Weeknights, 10 PM-12 AM’ is not assigned to any CardAccess item.
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Fig. 62.25. Result window empty as the selected time schedule is not assigned to any
CardAccess item.
Unused Time Schedules
You may click on ‘Unused Time Schedules’ button if you wish to know
which of the schedules (created in the ‘Schedules’ screen) have not been
assigned to any item in the CardAccess software.
Fig. 62.26. The ‘Unused Time Schedules’ button.
On clicking this button, the left hand side of the screen will show the list of
all unused time schedules in CardAccess.
911
Fig. 62.27. Unused Time Schedule information obtained by clicking on ‘Unused Time
Schedules’ button.
912
Finding Time Schedule Usage
Follow the steps below to obtain Time Schedule Usage information in
• Open ‘CardAccess Usage Utility’ screen by clicking on
• Click the down arrow of Time Schedules drop down box, locate the
desired time schedule, and click on it.
Fig. 62.28. Selecting a desired time schedule to find its usage in CardAccess.
Note: The drop down list will show all schedules created in the ‘Schedules’
screen. If no schedule is seen in the list, it means that time schedules have
not been created so far. Refer the section Schedules to create them.
• Click on Show Schedule Usage button.
Fig. 62.29. The ‘Show Schedule Usage’ button.
Upon clicking, the left hand side of the screen will display the usage
information of the selected time schedule.
The information will include the software as well as hardware items of the
CardAccess database that use the selected time schedule.
The figure below informs that the schedule Weekdays, Business Hours is
used by two readers (hardware device) and three access groups (software
item). Out of them, Blake Carl and Smith John are ‘dedicated’ access
groups.
913
Fig. 62.30. Time Schedule Usage information of a selected time schedule.
Note: In case the selected schedule is not assigned to any CardAccess item,
then the result window will be empty.
Next, we deal with the ‘Access Groups’ section.
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Access Groups Section
The ‘Access Groups’ section can be used to examine how the (CardAccess)
Access Groups are assigned in the CardAccess database. You may wish to
know which badges (or how many) use a particular access group, or which
of the access groups have been created, but not yet been assigned to any of
the badge holders.
Fig. 62.31. The ‘Access Groups’ section.
Access Groups Drop Down Box
The drop down box seen in the ‘Access Groups’ section stores all of the
access groups that are created in the ‘Access Groups’ screen.
Fig. 62.32. The Access Groups drop down box.
Clicking the down arrow will provide the list of access groups. You will be
selecting a desired access group in the list, for knowing its usage in the
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Show Access Group Usage
On clicking the ‘Show Access Group Usage’ button, the left hand side of the
screen will display the list of all badge holders who are assigned the access
group selected in the Access Groups drop down box.
Fig. 62.33. The ‘Show Access Group Usage’ button.
All badges that appear in the results window have the selected access group
assigned in the ‘Access Group 1’ or ‘Access Group 2’ field (or both) in the
‘Personnel’ screen (see Personnel for more information).
H
H
The example figure below shows the list of all badge holders who are
assigned the access group ‘All the Time’.
Note that badge numbers as well as cardholder names are listed. The total
number of badges using the selected access group is also indicated (see the
highlight in the figure below).
916
Fig. 62.34. List of badge holders who are assigned the access group ‘All the Time’.
Note: In case the selected access group is not assigned to any badge holder
in CardAccess, then the result window will be empty.
In the example figure below, the result window is empty as the selected
access group is not assigned to any badge holder in our system.
917
Fig. 62.35. Result window empty as the selected access group is not assigned to any
badge holder.
Unused Access Groups
You may click on ‘Unused Access Groups’ button to know which of the
access groups (created in the ‘Access Groups’ screen) have not yet been
assigned to any badge holder, in the CardAccess software.
Fig. 62.36. The ‘Unused Access Groups’ Button
On clicking this button, the left hand side of the screen will show the list of
all unused access groups.
918
Fig. 62.37. Unused Access Group information obtained by clicking on ‘Unused Access
Groups’ button.
919
Finding Access Group Usage
Follow the steps below to obtain Access Group Usage information in
• Open ‘CardAccess Usage Utility’ screen by clicking on
• Click the down arrow of Access Groups drop down box, locate the
desired access group, and click on it.
Fig. 62.38. Selecting a desired access group to find its usage in CardAccess.
Note: The drop down list will show all access groups created in the ‘Access
Groups’ screen. If no access group is seen in the list, it means that access
groups have not been created so far. Refer the section Access Groups to
create them.
• Click on Show Access Group Usage button.
Fig. 62.39. The ‘Show Access Group Usage’ button.
On clicking, the left hand side of the screen will show the usage of the
selected access group.
All badges that appear in the results window have the selected access group
assigned in the ‘Access Group 1’ or ‘Access Group 2’ field (or both) in the
‘Personnel’ screen (see Personnel for more information).
H
H
The example figure below shows the list of all badge holders who are
assigned the access group ‘All the Time’.
920
Note that badge numbers as well as cardholder names are listed. The total
number of badges that use the selected access group is also seen (see the
highlight in the figure below).
Fig. 62.40. Access Group Usage information of a selected access group.
Note: In case the access group selected is not assigned to any badge holder,
then the result window will be empty.
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CardAccess 3000 Users Manual

Transcription

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