How Access Controls for Automatic Gates work
What are Access Controls?
Access controls are devices such as hand held remote controls, digital keypads, RFID card readers or even mobile phones that can be used to open an automatic gate. They extend also to controls for providing exit and safety and Intercoms that can control a gate too.
Exit Controls
A simple press to exit button on a pole is quite often used as an exit control so any visitor can open the gate to get out although if someone jumps the fence they can too and drive a vehicle in so this isn't the best security. Using a digital keypad or RFID card is more secure but restricts exit to those that have authorised access, what if someone followed an authorised person in and then needed to get out? An ideal and secure exit control system is an in ground vehicle detector so any vehicle that drives up to the gate from inside the property will cause it to open automatically, this is called "auto-exit" or "free-exit".
Safety or Closing Controls
A gate can be made to close by itself after a time delay (auto-close) but if a car happened to be driving through just as the gate starts to close it could close on the car, which isn't all that safe. Photocells can be fitted to prevent the gate closing on a vehicle. Photocells can also control the closing of a gate so it will close immediately after a vehicle has driven through providing a higher level of security by only having the gate open for as long as necessary.
Swing Gates
Sliding Gates
Digital Keypads
A Digital Keypad, key code pad or pin pad as they are also known are a handy way for school children, the meter man, tradesman, friends and family to get in a gate. All that is needed is a personal ID number (pin), which is entered into the keypad to open the gate. Normally a weather proof press button or another digital keypad is required inside the property to let anyone out.
Read More about Digital Keypads
RFID Reader for Cards and Tags
If an automatic gate has a lot of users the cost of Remote Controls can be high and don't offer any way of keeping track of who is coming and going. An alternative is RFID Cards or Tags, where an authorised card or Tag is touched on an RFID reader to open the gate. With a digital keypad people can tell other people what their pin is making management of who has access is more difficult.
Read More about RFID Cards and Tags
Opening a Gate with a Mobile Phone using Blue Tooth
By installing a device into a gate motor (operator) any mobile phone that is registered into the device and has blue tooth can be used to open a gate using an App. Basically this device converts a mobile phone into a remote control for a gate that will work when ever in range of the gate.
Read More about using Blue Tooth for Access Control
Opening a Gate with a Mobile Phone using 4G
By installing a device into a gate motor (operator) any mobile phone that is registered into the device can be used to open a gate by making a call to the devices mobile number or a Smart Phone can have a App installed that does this with the touch of a button. Mobile phones don't need to be in range of the gate they can open a gate from anywhere. Commercial 4G access control devices can manage large numbers of users with an App on a computer. Different mobile can be added or remove individually and who comes and goes is recorded.
Read More about using 4G for Access Control
Opening a Gate with a Mobile Phone using WiFi
By installing a device into a gate motor (operator) it may be connected to a home or office Wifi so any Smart Phone or Tablet with an App installed and registered into the device can open the gate so long as they are within range of the home or offices WiFi. Smart phones can also be made to work from anywhere using the home or office Internet connection. These devices can have a sensor fitted to the gate to let you know if it is open or not or better still have a camera added so you can make sure the gate is closed or that someone like a delivery person has exited your property before closing the gate.
Read More about using WiFi for Access Control
In ground vehicle detectors for automatic visitor exit
If you have a long driveway, large rural property and can't see the gate from your house or there is a large number of users sharing a gate you can include an in ground vehicle detector in your driveway for "Auto Exit" so when a visitors vehicle approaches the gate from inside the property it will open the gate automatically, you won't need to worry about them and you don't need to worry about anyone jumping the fence and using the vehicle detector to open the gate as they don't detect pedestrians.
Read More about In Ground Vehicle Detectors
Photocells and Auto-close
Photocells provide an extra level of safety to an automatic gate by preventing it from closing if there is a vehicle in the path of a gate. Photocells are highly recommended if a gate is set to close automatically after a time delay (auto-close). If a gate is shared by more than one residence or is for a commercial property with many users then auto-close and the use of photocells is mandatory.
Gate controls with Solar Power
If a gate is solar powered then each control device added to the gate will draw power from the solar system 24/7. It may not be much power but may be enough to run the backup battery flat over night so a larger solar panel, backup battery and charge control unit would be needed. A lot of gate controls are solar friendly, which means the amount of power they use is very small keeping the cost of the solar system down.