From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Keycard lock
Keycard lock
Types
Mechanical keycard locks employ detainers which must
be arranged in pre-selected positions by the key before
the bolt will move. This principle was the base for the
first known mechanical holecard operated lock, the
VingCard, invented by Tor Sørnes. This was a mechanical
type of lock operated by a plastic key card with a pattern
of holes. There were 32 positions for possible hole loca-
tions, giving up to different keys.
The key could easily be changed for each new guest by in-
serting a new key template in the lock that matched the
new key.[1]
In the early 1980s the key card lock was electrified
A hotel entry card and keycard lock
with LEDs that detected the holes.
Magnetic strip (sometimes "stripe") based keycard
keycard,
A keycard lock is a lock operated by a keycard a flat,
locks function by running the magnetic strip over a sen-
rectangular plastic card with identical dimensions to that
sor that reads the contents of the strip. The strip’s con-
of a credit card or American driver’s license which stores
tents are compared to those either stored locally in the
a physical or digital signature which the door mechanism
lock or those of a central system. Some centralized sys-
accepts before disengaging the lock.
tems operate using hardwired connections to central
There are several popular type of keycards in use
controllers while others use various frequencies of radio
including the mechanical holecard, bar code, magnetic
waves to communicate with the central controllers.
stripe, Wiegand wire embedded cards, smart card (em-
Some have the feature of a mechanical (traditional key)
bedded with a read/write electronic microchip), and
bypass in case of loss of power.
RFID proximity cards.
Keycards are frequently used in hotels as an alterna-
tive to mechanical keys. Privacy
Computerized authentication systems, such as key cards,
Overview raise privacy concerns, since they enable computer sur-
veillance of each entry. Currently RFID cards and key fobs
Keycard systems operate by physically moving detainers
are becoming more and more popular due to its ease of
in the locking mechanism with the insertion of the card,
use. Many modern households have installed digital locks
by shining LEDs through a pattern of holes in the card
that make use of key cards, in combination with biomet-
and detecting the result, by swiping or inserting a mag
ric fingerprint and keypad PIN options.
stripe card, or in the case of RFID cards, merely being
Bar code technology is not a secure form of a key, as
brought into close proximity to a sensor. Keycards may
the bar code can be copied in a photocopier and often
also serve as ID cards.
read by the optical reader.
Many electronic access control locks use a Wiegand
interface to connect the card swipe mechanism to the
rest of the electronic entry system. References
[1] US patent 4,149,394
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Categories:
• Locksmithing
• Locks
• Doors
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Keycard lock
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