Does anyone know of a 3rd party access controller that easily integrates with HAI OPII, with either drivers or robust RS232/485 communication?
Why you ask?
Here is why:
Lets face it, HAI's solution for access control is fairly limited.
We have two options
1. Card readers that work OK, but you have to have a card or fob.
or
2. The outdoor rated keypad that's built like a tank (that's a good thing) but it's also very expensive.
Once you get over the expense part of it, then the implementation of how it integrates into HAI is fairly poor.
It's basically sending string messages from keypad to HAI that then have to be interpreted thru programming; very different than card/fob which is handled thru user codes section.
The issues I'm faced with using outdoor keypads for access control is that I have to create 3 separate items for each user.
1. Under Messages, a unique message that HAI is going to listen for.
2. Under Messages, a separate, unique message that HAI can log events against. If you use first message for logging, anyone looking at logs will see the user's PIN, obvious security nightmare.
3. Flag that gets set to limit days/times the PIN will/won't work, unless you give user 24/7 access.
Finally, at lest 1 line of automation, but it could be as many as 4 or more if you use flags and timers and more if you want to log it or send it to 5.7e to email/SMS a message, at which point you also need to create a button, events, etc.
While this is all manageable for a small residential application with few users that rarely/never change, I can tell you that in a busy household like mine, it's becomes a hassle.
So, with all of that stated, is anyone using anything in a larger residential or commercial environment that ties in with HAI to handle security and automation part of what HAI does best?
Ideally I would like to just use HAI, but can't.
As a second option, a 3rd party device that can send RS232 to OPII that's unique to each user and each location, so that User1 at front door gets different automation response than User1 at back door, then User2 at xyz, and so on.
Thanks,
Mario
Why you ask?
Here is why:
Lets face it, HAI's solution for access control is fairly limited.
We have two options
1. Card readers that work OK, but you have to have a card or fob.
or
2. The outdoor rated keypad that's built like a tank (that's a good thing) but it's also very expensive.
Once you get over the expense part of it, then the implementation of how it integrates into HAI is fairly poor.
It's basically sending string messages from keypad to HAI that then have to be interpreted thru programming; very different than card/fob which is handled thru user codes section.
The issues I'm faced with using outdoor keypads for access control is that I have to create 3 separate items for each user.
1. Under Messages, a unique message that HAI is going to listen for.
2. Under Messages, a separate, unique message that HAI can log events against. If you use first message for logging, anyone looking at logs will see the user's PIN, obvious security nightmare.
3. Flag that gets set to limit days/times the PIN will/won't work, unless you give user 24/7 access.
Finally, at lest 1 line of automation, but it could be as many as 4 or more if you use flags and timers and more if you want to log it or send it to 5.7e to email/SMS a message, at which point you also need to create a button, events, etc.
While this is all manageable for a small residential application with few users that rarely/never change, I can tell you that in a busy household like mine, it's becomes a hassle.
So, with all of that stated, is anyone using anything in a larger residential or commercial environment that ties in with HAI to handle security and automation part of what HAI does best?
Ideally I would like to just use HAI, but can't.
As a second option, a 3rd party device that can send RS232 to OPII that's unique to each user and each location, so that User1 at front door gets different automation response than User1 at back door, then User2 at xyz, and so on.
Thanks,
Mario
