Product Overview

Revision 1.1

Revision History

Revision 1.0

Revision 1.1

Initial release.

HS changed to CP - page 7& 8

Table Of Contents

Overview

Feature Summary

System Architecture

Reader Network

Controller/PC Network

Overview of ProxnetPro Connectivity

Software

Host Computer (Server)

Client Computers

System Access (Log-in)

New Features

Card Holders

Permissions (Access Levels)

Time Zones

Holiday Groups

Tenants

Anti-Pass-Back (APB)

Keypad support

Biometrics

Visitor Cards

Validation & Card Expiry

Triggers and Variables

Modem (Future Release)

New Products

GSC HS Card Technology

800-10 Controller

810-10 Mini-Reader

811-10 Reader

812-10 Active Readhead

822-10 Door Interface

823-10 PIN Interface

820-10 I/O Module

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ProxnetPro

Overview

ProxnetPro is an advanced version of the original ProxNet system and supports up to

10,000 Controllers (practical limit 250 - see page 6), 25000 Readers and 20000 Card

Holders.

The computers and controllers are networked using industry standard ethernet and may be interconnected by using the site’s existing computer network or with an independent dedicated network. Readers are connected to a controller using a multi-drop RS-485 network identical to the original ProxNet system.

A major departure from the previous system is that ProxnetPro is a web based product. All programming, viewing of data and reports are available on the network using a standard web browser such as Firefox (recommended) or Internet Explorer.

No special software is required at the user’s PC, just a web browser. For security, every user is required to log-in with a user name and password and each user’s access to data is fully configurable.

All data is stored in a well proven open source database that is platform independent and so can run on Linux, Windows etc. (the initial release is for Windows).

The ProxnetPro controller uses an embedded version of Linux as its operating system. Linux is a mature system with well proven networking capabilities.

A new range of readers and interfaces have been introduced to take advantage of new features of ProxnetPro.

System data security is ensured by using Secure HTTP (HTTPS), SSL and other encryption methodologies.

ProxnetPro works with the new HS range of tags offering better security.

Most existing ProxNet installations may be upgraded to take advantage of many of the features offered by ProxnetPro by simply replacing the controller and doing a reader firmware upgrade.

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Feature Summary

10,000 Controllers (see 6 for details)

Maximum of 100 readers per controller - 25000 Readers 20000 Card Holders

20000 Permissions (Access Levels) each with unlimited timezones

Timezones definable to apply to Days of Week and Holiday - MTWTFSSH

Unlimited Holiday Groups - each holder is assigned a Holiday Group

Permissions (Access Levels) can relate to Areas, Area Groups, Readers and/or

Reader Groups

Access Type - Card only, Card + PIN or PIN Record # + PIN

Multi-Tenant feature allows partitioning of the system which gives individual tenants exclusive control and access to data pertaining to that tenant

Support for PIN keypads with 3 - 8 digit PIN (PIN length is set per Reader)

Support for biometric readers (requires vendor software to manage templates)

Card Expiry by time and date

Support for visitor cards - history kept in database

Visitor Host linking

Anti-Pass-Back (APB) now based on user defined Zones

Three APB modes: Full APB, Timed APB & Timed Access

PC/Controller backbone - TCP/IP 10/100BaseT. (Static IP address)

Use the site’s existing computer network or install a dedicated network

Controller has RS-485 port for ProxNet reader network

Controller has dedicated RS-232 port for diagnostics

Existing ProxNet readers can be bootloaded with new firmware so as to be compatible with ProxnetPro (limited features)

Controller I/O: 2 relays (or open collector outputs) and 4 inputs - all user configurable

New I/O module - 4 relay outputs & 4 inputs with analog and digital capabilities

User defined System and Card variables used by trigger functions

Trigger function - a powerful set of controls that provide comprehensive control of events and building management functions based on a wide range of inputs.

Some examples are detailed in the section on page 11.

New readers have enhanced door timing settings to overcome problems with magnetic locks

Additional Features scheduled for release 2

Controller provides support for dial-up or GSM modems

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System Architecture

The installation consists of two parts:

Reader Network

The reader network is based on RS-485 and is identical to that of the existing ProxNet system. Each controller can have a network of readers and I/O units and the number per controller will depend on the client’s requirements.

A controller can support a maximum of 100 readers but this will require the use of a repeater for every 32 (possibly up to 50 readers depending on site conditions).

The poll time for 100 readers may result in a response time of about 1 second. If a client expects very fast reader response and near real-time display of transactions at the PC, the number of readers should be limited to 32 per controller.

Although the RS-485 specification allows for cable lengths of 1000 metres, practical experience shows that a repeater should be used for every 500 to 600 metres.

In sites not requiring full APB the maximum number of readers is 25,000.

Controller/PC Network

The controllers and computers are networked using standard computer topology.

The controller address structure allows the use of 10,000 controllers but there are practical limitations on using this number of controllers.

In practice, sites should be limited to a maximum of 250 controllers unless there are a large number of remote sites that do not require system wide APB , Triggers or other functions requiring inter-controller communications. These functions require intensive network activity and should only be used where reliable and fast network connectivity is guaranteed.

ProxnetPro may be installed in a number of ways ranging from a simple installation where there is no existing computer network, to complex installations spanning local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN).

The drawings below show typical installation architectures.

Simple System - No Installed Network

In the simplest installation where there isn’t a network, the controller is connected directly to the PC network port using a network crossover cable. The PC is used both as the database host and for access to data via a web browser.

Up to 1000 metres

800-10

Controller

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Simple System - Existing Network

A simple installation can save cabling cost by using a company’s existing network.

The controller is connected to a port on a network hub and any PC connected to the network can then be used as the database host. The same PC or others on the network can access data via a web browser.

Network Hub

LAN or WAN

Network Hub

800-10

Controller

To other

ProxNet readers

Multi-Controller Installations

In larger installations requiring multiple controllers and PC networking, each controller and PC is connected to a network hub. This also allows for controllers to be at remote sites provided they are accessible over a wide area network without firewall restrictions. In large installations, the PC hosting the database should be dedicated to this function and not used for other applications.

LAN or WAN

Network Hub

800-10

Controller

To other

ProxNet readers

800-10

Controller

To other

ProxNet readers

Small networks are easy to setup and should not present a problem to installers.

Larger networks may require implementation in conjunction with the IT manager of the site.

It is recommended that larger installations would be serviced by a number of controllers each with about 30 - 60 readers depending on system requirements.

A logical approach for multi-storey buildings would be that each floor has a controller wired to the readers for that floor.

Modem Linked Controllers (Future Release)

The controller has support for dial-up and GSM/GPRS modems. Connections are made to a dedicated RS-232 port on the controller.

800-10

Controller

Modem

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Overview of ProxnetPro Connectivity

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Software

Host Computer (Server)

One computer is required to act as the system server and host the application software.

The latter consists of the Postgres database engine, Apache Web server and the

GSC application program.

The host computer specification is: x

Pentium 2 Ghz or better x

1 Gbyte RAM x

120 Gbyte Hard Drive x

Operating System Windows XP

Although Vista is supported it is not recommended at present as there are a number of performance issues which are expected to be fixed when

Service Pack 1 is released.

Client Computers

Any computer that has network access to the Host computer can be used to access the system data for editing, reporting etc.. This includes the host computer itself although in large installations it is recommended that the host computer be dedicated to the server functions.

No special software is required on the client computer, only a standard web browser such as Firefox (recommended) or Internet Explorer.

To ensure data security when web browsing, the system can be configured to use

Secure HTTP (HTTPS).

System Access (Log-in)

Each person needing access to the system data for programming, viewing or printing requires a “User Name” and “Password” to be able to log-in to the program.

A user can be assigned different rights to every function on an individual basis. The functions are individually named and the access rights to each function are typically divided into three categories: x

View - may only view the allowed data x

Modify - may modify the allowed data x

Delete - may delete the allowed data

When Tenants are defined, users may be selected to be global (able to view all

Tenants) or Tenant specific (able only to see data and entities related to the selected

Tenant).

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New Features

Card Holders

The controller memory will support 20000 card holders with PINs.

Note that some advanced features may reduce the maximum number of card holders.

Due to the potential large number of card holders, card data is not stored in the reader. Readers in an off-line state will deny access.

Permissions (Access Levels)

Permissions determine when, where and under what conditions a person is granted access at a reader.

Permissions are determined by a matrix of allowed Areas, Area Groups, Readers

Reader Groups and Time Zones.

The practical application of this is where a number of readers give access to the same

Area. In the current ProxNet system, anybody allowed into that area can use any of these readers. Linking the person to a specific group of readers will still give access to that area but restricting them to specific readers.

In addition an optional further test can be done against a defined variable and only if that condition is met, is access allowed. As an example, access to a squash court may be based on a Card variable called SQUASH and access only allowed if the value is greater than 0. When access is allowed an action can be initiated. In this case to decrement the variable SQUASH by 1.

The system allows for 20,000 Permissions (Access Level) which means that each card holder can have a unique Permission .

Time Zones

Each Permission (Access Level) has its own set of Time Zones (these are not global time zones as in the original ProxNet) and, other than memory constraints, there is no limit to the number of Time Zones per Permissions (Access Level).

The Time Zones also make provision for holiday access control.

Holiday Groups

A Holiday Group is a set of dates on which holiday access rules apply (see Time

Zones above). An unlimited number of Holiday Groups can be defined.

Each card holder is assigned a Holiday Group in their setup screen.

Tenants

The Tenants function allows a building or site to be divided into multiple sectors such that each tenant has exclusive control of functions relating to it’s part of the site and it’s staff.

Some parts of a site may be common to all tenants and reports that include the common area will only reflect the movements of staff belonging to the tenant viewing the data.

Some users, such as the system supervisor or installer, can be configured to have access to all the data.

Anti-Pass-Back (APB)

APB is expanded to have three modes of operation:

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x

Full APB - access is denied into the zone if the system deems the card to already be in the zone to which access is requested.

x

Timed APB - the same as Full APB but the APB test is ignored if a user defined time period has elapsed since the last access into the Zone.

x

Timed Access - Access into the Zone is only allowed once per user defined time period.

APB is based on Zones and not Areas. Zones are regions to which access and egress are controlled by defined entrance and exit readers.

As an example a site has a Car Park Zone which is defined by readers at the entry and exit booms to the car park, a Building Zone which is defined by readers giving entry to and exit from the building and a Computer Zone defined by readers giving entry to and exit from the computer room.

The APB status of the Car Park Zone, the Building Zone and Computer Zone are recorded and monitored independently for each card. Thus when a card is used to gain access to the car park a test is done on that card’s Car Park Zone APB status.

Likewise access to and from the building is only determined by the Card’s Building

Zone APB status and for the computer room, the Computer Zone APB status.

Each card can record the state of 32 APB zones resulting in much greater control of access.

Keypad support

The holders database is expanded to support PIN codes. Access can be set to require a Card only, Card + PIN or PIN only. The last option will require the user to enter their record number followed by their secret PIN - the PIN is encrypted in the database.

Biometrics

The system supports third party biometric readers.

The management of the biometric reader is be done by a the vendor’s program.

Visitor Cards

There is a special screen for enrolling visitors which has user defined fields. Visitor data is stored in the database along with the card number allocated to them. On departure the card can be collected in a Visitor Card Collector and the card will automatically be invalidated. These cards can then be issued to new visitors.

The transaction database stores the visitor card number and other details so as to provide a permanent visitor record and a report can be produced showing which visitor used a particular card at a given time.

Validation & Card Expiry

Cards can now be set to expire at a given date and time. The expiry function is implemented using Triggers.

Triggers and Variables

Triggers are a powerful set of new features in ProxnetPro that allow for output actions to be performed based on input events.

The user can define a practically unlimited number of System variables and up to 8

Card variables. These variables can be incremented, decremented or set to a value as a result of some system activity. The variables can be tested to determine if they meet a defined condition and then initiate an action.

Inputs that start a trigger event can come from many sources such as transactions, alarms, inputs from l/O units, variable, time schedule etc..

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Outputs resulting from a trigger event may be one or more relays on an I/O module or controller, the decrement or increment of a user defined counter (e.g. Area Counter) etc..

The following are some practical examples of Triggers:

Schedules for locking and unlocking doors based on time and other conditions

Bell ringing patterns for T&A

Car park control - by defining a system variable (e.g. PARK) to keep track of the number of cars in a parking area and allow or deny access based on the value of the variable

Arm and disarm an alarm based on an area count (variable), a designated card or access at specified reader

Switch air conditioner or lights on and off based on time or access transaction.

CCTV trigger based on reader transactions

Parking expiry features - card expires at set time after clocking at designated validation reader

Card variable to record holder’s current IN/OUT status - can then prevent exit if have not clocked OUT

Modem (Future Release)

The controllers have support for modem (including GSM) communication. A session can be initiated by the host PC to allow programming.

In addition the remote controller can dial the host to seek authorisation before allowing a person access to the site or to report an alarm condition.

These features will be implemented in a future release of the software.

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New Products

GSC CP Card Technology

With ProxnetPro, GSC introduces it’s new range of CP cards offering improved system security. The 800 series readers require the new CP card and are not compatible with standard 125KHz cards.

The CP range of cards and tags are backward compatible with earlier GSC products..

800-10 Controller

The heart of the ProxnetPro system. This controller does not have a keyboard or display as all programming is done from a PC. The controller has 2 Relays and 4

Inputs whose functions are configurable and can be assigned to alarm events, CCTV trigger etc.

The controller has 4 ports:

10/100BaseT for network connection to PCs and other controllers

RS-485 for reader network connection

RS-232 for modem connection

RS-232 for PC connection for diagnostics

810-10 Mini-Reader

A complete reader including RS-485 comms, microprocessor, memory and circuitry to drive a door strike . The mini reader has a 10-way cable protruding from the rear that provides all the interface to the reader. The unit is fully potted and weatherproof.

811-10 Reader

This is a fully featured ProxnetPro reader in the original GSC reader housing.

812-10 Active Readhead

The Active Readhead contains all the electronics to power and read a RFID tag or card but does not make access decisions or operate a relay directly.

The reader is used in conjunction with the 822-10 Door interface to provide a waterproof secure access point.

822-10 Door Interface

This unit provides the complete interface for a single door with one or two 812-10

Active readheads.

The 822-10 can be mounted up to 50 metres away from the readers and, as all the decision making and relay control is remote from the readers, ensures a very secure reader installation.

Although each reader is assigned a unique reader address by the ProxnetPro system, the readers are linked in the software and share common settings such as strike time, alarm settings etc..

823-10 PIN Interface

This unit provides the interface for a 180-30 PIN Keypad to allow PIN access. Adding an optional Wiegand reader (684-10) allows for tag plus PIN access control.

820-10 I/O Module

A 4-channel I/O module unit with 4 relays each with voltage free change over contacts.

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Inputs can be configured as supervised inputs (detection of open circuit and short circuit faults), logic level switch inputs and analog inputs.

The use of the Trigger functions allows the input from one module to operate the outputs of one or more relays on any I/O module in the system or any of the controllers relays.

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