SSI Spotlights 2020 Security Solutions Awards Winners

When a large higher education facility was constructing a new residence hall for housing undergraduate students, campus security personnel needed to overcome the challenge of a dense, high door count footprint coupled with the need for real-time visibility into system status and other operational parameters.

With approximately 200 access-controlled openings utilizing contactless readers and a limited access control installation area, campus security personnel looked to LifeSafety Power’s new NLX network management module to maximize system management while minimizing the required wall space. The unique challenge of remotely managing multiple doors in a university residence hall was solved by integrating as many monitored outputs into each access control closet as possible.

In this case, campus security was able to place 48 monitored outputs into compact 24 x 20 enclosures, along with dual power supplies. The NLX network management module in each enclosure monitors all 48 outputs, as well as power supply status, battery condition and other critical features — all from a single network drop. Traditionally and without NLX, this scenario would have required six power supply boards within three enclosures, each requiring a network drop and only managing 16 doors per enclosure, dramatically increasing the space needed to cover all the access control openings.

In addition to the overall system design benefits afforded by the NLX-based managed power systems and network configuration, the installing technicians at the campus cited these other benefits:

• Significant space savings in the data room by providing both 12V and 24V monitored outputs in the same enclosure.
• Elimination of potential future service calls and down time with predictive failure and cycle count functions, allowing lock hardware replacement before failure.
• Remote management capabilities for after-hours calls, specifically the ability to reset devices remotely.
• Prevention of costly card reader damage from power outages with the preinstalled Battery Disconnect Module (BDM), which safely disengages power to readers before low voltage causes damage.
• The ability to remotely control and configure which inputs interface with the fire alarm control using the browser-accessible interface.
• Components installed and prewired present substantial labor savings. Technicians simply provide direction on where the cabinet should be located on a particular wall, then the wiring for the access control modules and locking hardware is routed in and landed appropriately from predetermined areas.
• Dual-color output LEDs representing 12 or 24 VDC keep setup simple and visually aid installation.