Description of System

In the fall of 2002, NC State University purchased the CCURE 800 door access control system from Tyco Industries / Software House to implement a program of computer controlled door access for the campus. The initial installation, including the server, software, and seven doors was performed by a local dealer, Simplex Grinnell.

The central server is housed at the Hillsborough building and hosts a database of all NCSU ID card holders. Special cards, called proximity cards, are used in the door access control applications.

A typical door access installation involves the placement of a controller unit is a secure area of a building. Conduit and wiring are installed from that point to each door to be controlled. The controller unit communicates to the central server over the campus network. The central server provides the controller a list of card holders and their authorizations to unlock particular doors.

When a card is presented to the proximity reader at a door, the controller checks to see if access is allowed. If so, the door automatically unlocks momentarily to allow access and a record of the access is made in a journal. If access is denied, that activity is also recorded and if desired, an alarm condition can be activated.

There are sophisticated levels of access control, with the ability to configure individual door access privileges, time and dates of allowed entry, and various alarm condition settings.