Comelit PAC GDX Vandal Resistant RFID Reader, LF, Surface Mount RDRRF-022

Overview

This is the part of an access control system that a user presents a fob to at the door. It belongs to the GDX vandal range, made for the most demanding operating environments.

It is the surface version, so it fixes straight onto the wall with no recess cut. Its range is for doors without an audio entry panel.

How it works

• Low frequency: RFID means radio frequency identification. This reader works at 153.6kHz and reads a fob held within 10 mm of the face.
• Credentials: a credential is the fob or token a person carries. This reader uses the PAC format.
• Feedback: a long bleep means the fob was accepted and a short bleep means it was refused, with the Red/Green LED lit in both cases.

Where to use it

The stainless steel housing and wide temperature range suit exposed outdoor entrances as well as indoor doors.

Where a flush finish is wanted, the RDRRF-021 is the flush version and needs a 45 mm wall recess.

What the figures mean in practice

• 10 mm read range: users hold the fob almost against the face of the reader to be read.
• 1,000 users: the limit per reader, so count staff, contractors and spare fobs before choosing.
• <100mA @ 12V DC: a small load, which helps when sizing a supply shared with the lock.

Installing it

Pull the recommended alarm cable to the reader position before the housing goes up. Fix the 101 x 158 mm surface housing where users can reach it easily.

In most installations the tamper output is wired to whatever monitors the system, so an attack on the reader is reported.

Planning your system

A controlled door also needs a lock, a power supply and a way out. In most installations that means a maglock or an electric strike, plus an exit button on the inside.

Check how the reader joins the rest of the system before choosing those parts. The access control guide covers fail safe and fail secure locks and the escape route rules.

Standards and ratings explained

• EN 50131-1 and EN 50131-3: standards for intruder and hold-up alarm systems. Here they apply to the tamper output.
• CE and UKCA: conformity markings, with UKCA used for the UK.