Readers

The type of technology required to register / authenticate one attempting to enter a door protected by access control. Many reader types exist.

The most common are:  c) biometric: facial, iris, vein or fingerprint enrolment units map the features of the visitor and verify them against a database; d) smart card: multi-technology (combined swipe, proximity, RFID, asset tracking) and multi-faceted cards; e) RFID: high frequency radio frequency technology; Contact: A connection needs to be made in order to complete the circuit to allow entry; Bar Code: Standard bar codes are used to verify visitors; Wiegand: Trade name for a technology used in card readers and sensors, particularly for access control applications. Wiegand devices were originally developed by HID Corporation; Infrared: Uses IR technology. All readers need to be controlled - sometimes the controller is enclosed in the reader but mostly are external and it is the controller which defines whether the system is standalone, netwroked or PC-based.