Pro software for building access control.

[fastline12]

Sort of a long shot here, but we are trying to update an access control system. 9 doors, very little traffic but we have to get better features and functionality.

I think I got my dress blown up seeing what companies are charging for the simple software to make decisions on opening a door, and log the data! It seems I might be looking for a cheap to free software solution but then I don't know how it will handshake with the I/O hardware?

Are there any budget friendly solutions out there? I was open for open source type products.

 

[Elton87]

access control system and cheap to free apps? pretty impossible to find one imo, unless your definition of cheap is 15 USD per month like in iSpy. among lifetimes i can only think of xeoma but it's 25 USD per package

 

[TonyR]

I imagine door access and control is a fairly vertical market and once the software for an automation device is developed, the manufacturer of the door automation devices (the hardware) that paid for that software development wants to recoup some of the money it paid for it.

Once you design, build and install your own solution, including your own software, you assume the liabilities that one may encounter when that system is deployed.

If the time and labor investment required to come up with your own solution still looks better than paying for a turnkey solution, consider using a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) to receive sensor and qualifying inputs, make logical decisions and effect outputs based on its ladder logic program and control the door system.

PLC's have been in use for close to 50 years in industrial-type, automation environments and are very dependable and finding someone nearby able to program and install such a system should be relatively easy.

Most of the better known PLC brands can provide data logging to an onboard SD card or to a networked PC client (preferred, IMO) and provide visual status to and allow control with a HMI (Human Machine Interface).

Some more info on Google => automatic door open close system plc ladder program