An adaptable technology
Understanding the structure behind the access control is highly necessary to choose the best one for your needs, and most importantly to make sure that the structure is adapted and adaptable to the infrastructure that is meant to be equipped. That said, there is nothing better than a schematized explanation to help you understand how it works ! Let’s go
The network and the structure of an access control solution are really important. Let’s begin with a simple structure that a random company may offer you. The structure that most of companies use is composed by three interconnected elements. First there are the badge readers which will be used to actually control the entrances and exits of the infrastructure. The second element is the UTL platform which is a computer that centralises the badge readers, thanks to field buses (type RS485, Wiegant…). The last element is obviously the Ethernet connection. In brief, the UTL platform is a link between the badge readers and the Ethernet.
This structure has a lot of inconveniences and one in particular: to install this kind of solution, you have to understand the UTL platform beforehand, in order to be able to install it properly. That is to say that the electrician will have to make some research on the whole structure before. It is a waste of time and the probability that the infrastructure may not be equipped by fieldbuses is to be taken into account.
What should you do then ?
Do not panic, another solution exists ! Here at Odalid, our solution allows to link the badge readers directly with the Ethernet, and thus, you can totally remove the UTL platform which is the weak link in the structure. Our solution is more interesting to the extent that it is adaptable to any infrastructure, as long as there is an access to the Ethernet. That is to say that the solution can be used with other systems. The structure of our solution is manageable at the IP level, which means supervisable.
To sum it up, the first structure is the most used, but it has a lot of inconveniences as said earlier on. Odalid offers you a whole solution structured horizontally that will make the equipment easy to install and manage.