星空传媒

It includes a 'door open' alarm output, a 'request to exit' function and a fire alarm input. Programming is affected by addressing the reader with the correct tag, plus some button pressing at the separate controller unit.

The kit (designated 'KT' whereas the components have the prefix 'AC') comprises the reader with a pre-connected multi-core lead, the controller and a pack of ten access cards plus one master-programming card. Installers will need to supply everything else, including a PSU, warning device and door locking device.

   The reader is made from a hard grey ABS plastic and is said to be environmentally rated to IP54. The head, though not vandal-proof, is small and unobtrusive, and supplied with a self-adhesive fixing screw cover to finish off, once installed and tested. The rear of the reader is almost completely sealed (the on-board piezo sounder remains exposed to possible water ingress) with a tough potting compound to protect the electronics from water and mechanical shock, so there are no user serviceable parts to adjust.

   The pre-connected feed wire is a flat six-core lead of approximately 2m. The wiring is colour coded for ease of connection to the controller, and the overall length can be increased if required, preferably using screened cable to avoid data corruption.

The controller circuit board is well designed, using self-clamping terminals along the bottom edge. Housed in a matching grey plastic box with a face-fixed screw cover, the system has flexible power requirements, operating correctly within a voltage range between 12v and 24v, using either an AC or DC supply.

The limited information available to users comes via a three-digit LED display, together with two membrane-type buttons on the face of the con-troller. These latter buttons are provided to programme the system parameters, including the electric lock release time and door switch trigger time. Not an enormous amount of thought has gone into the design of the controller housing: it is unattractive and vulnerable to unwanted reprogramming by simply touching the buttons and worst of all, these programming switches can be activated by applying pressure to the lower face of the cover. Installers should hide the controller away to avoid spurious button pressing, while still bearing in mind that users will need access to the programming buttons when deleting missing access tags.

The tags provided are small and sealed in a hard plastic moulding with provision to hang on a normal key ring. They can be purchased additionally, reference number AC-7101, at around 拢 2.90 + VAT per tag. Each contains an embedded coil and chip assembly with passive technology (probably Wiegand type) to receive the emitted energy and transmit back the handshake to the reader. The tags contain no batteries to replace and can be reprogrammed repeatedly if necessary. The system will allow for up to 999 numbered users plus one master tag for programming purposes.

Installers can add a second reader AC-3211, wired in parallel to the PCB interface, giving controlled door access in both directions. The KT-3210 is not a high security product. It does not feature anti-passback, PC interfacing, print out facilities or any kind of time frame control. The tags are fairly tough and resistant to extremes of temperature and mechanical shock, though not to bending nor fracturing of the internal coil. The team felt the tags are a little too expensive for what is a 'budget' system, though it could be argued that 拢 2.90 + VAT is more or less the same cost as cutting a key for a standard mortise lock.

We found the tags were best presented to the reader in a face-to-face manner for the most consistent operation. On acknowledgement, the reader enunciated a tone from the piezo while the on-board orange coloured LED changed to green.

For the duration of the test, the reader operated consistently at a distance of approximately 15mm. The current consumption was found to be 60mA quiescent, rising to 90mA during reading and relay change-over, and though this was rather higher than the manufacturer's specification it is still nothing to write home about when considering a suitable PSU.

The proximity reader relay output is contained within the controller housing, and is a NO/NC change-over type to accommodate any type of electric locking device. The output relay has only limited duration adjustment from one to nine seconds, and cannot be made to latch in the open or closed position. It is thus unsuitable for interfacing with intruder alarm control panels, something of an oversight given the most recent DD243 changes.

The fire alarm input worked as expected by energising the output relay for the duration of a normally closed trigger, but (disappointingly) the door state input required a normally open contact device to give the correct status to the controller for a 'door left ajar' message.

   The design allows users easily to programme tags into and out of the system. It is achieved by presenting a master tag to the reader to enter programming mode, followed by the individual tags in sequence. The system then leaves programming mode by itself: very simple and straightforward.

   If the master tag is misplaced, the system usefully allows any tag to be made into master status, though all the programmed information is not so usefully erased during the process. The remaining programming, such as lock release time, is affected by pressing the controller buttons in a particular sequence.

Tags do not need to be presented to the reader in order to delete them from the system. Lost or stolen tags therefore, must be numbered to allow them to be voided from the system if necessary.

   There is no support telephone number provided with the packaging or literature. We were able to find one on-line at www.controlsoft.com This site provides sales as well as technical information, and all manuals are available free for downloading and printing.

   We telephoned Controlsoft and asked for technical support. The line was busy at that time, but to his credit a technician soon returned the call and adequately answered a few questions.

The technical literature supplied for testing was probably an interim copy, being several pages of A4 stapled together. Although rough, it contained everything we needed to know with colour diagrams and explanations in a logical sequence.

What the manufacturer says ...
The AC-3210 one-door controller provides intelligent standalone access control in an economical easy-to-use package. What sets this unit apart from many of its competitors is that there is no need to keep "shadow cards" in case users lose their cards or they have to be deleted from the system. The master tag holder can void individual user tags or clear the entire tag memory. The AC-3210 supports up to 999 cardholders and one master tag. It is also possible to change master tags. All programming is done directly on the AC-3210 by means of two buttons. The three-character display provides system status information during programming. During normal operation the unit also displays the memory location of the last tag that was presented. Operators can set the time it takes for the "door open" alarm to trigger. The controller's "lock open" and "free exit" time intervals can also be adjusted easily. Automatic software exit ensures that the controller is returned to a secure state after programming. The AC-3210 is equipped with two digital inputs and two relay outputs. One input point is for a door sensor and request-to-exit button, while the second input can be used to monitor a fire alarm and activate the emergency unlock function. When the fire alarm input triggers, the door is unlocked immediately. The second relay output can control a siren or other alarm device. Each AC-3210 controller is supplied with one AC-3211 proximity reader head. A second reader head can be installed to provide proximity card entry and egress.