Unlocking door using the Attendance clock

The Attendance clock supplied by us can be ordered in the “including relay” variant which means that they can send a signal to an electronic door lock to unlock it. Please note that this function is available only on the Attendance clocks we supply.

Electromagnetic lock connection to relay contacts

There is a terminal block with three relay contacts on the back of the Attendance clock if you have ordered the Attendance clock in the “including relay” variant. The middle contact is the so-called “middle” which is permanently connected to one of the end contacts at rest. When a user is identified, the center (middle contact) is switched to the opposite of the end contacts for a short time and then switched back to the original one.

Thus, the electromagnetic lock can be supplied directly through the relay in the clock so that one of the supply contacts of the electromagnetic lock will be connected directly to the lock. The other of the supply contacts will then lead through the relay. The maximum load of the relay is 30V, 2A, DC or 30V, 0.5A, AC.

Diagram of Attendance clock with built-in relay:

We recommend connecting a diode (for example type 1N5399) or a MOV varistor to the DC locks, which prolongs the life of the relay and protects the Attendance Clock device from electrical interference that could otherwise cause the device to restart when the lock is opened. AC locks can only be protected with MOV Varistor as diodes cannot be used on AC locks. Connect the diode or varistor in parallel directly to the contacts of the door-lock.

How to turn on the door unlocking when entering attendance on the Attendance clock

1. Menu - Settings - Multiple readers and door unlocking.

2. Set the option Unlock doors using to Relay 1, RS485 Relay or GPIO (according to the particular device type). After saving changes, the relay closes when the Attendance is clocked-in and the user is recognized.

3. You can set the length of time In the Duration article [ms] for which the relay will be closed when a person is identified. This is the time in milliseconds.

4. Leave the Invert Pulse Instructions option ON. Disabling this setting may be desirable only in special cases of inverted door locks.

Access zones 

It is also possible to set individual access zones. E.g. you can specify that Mr. Novák has access to the warehouse but no longer to the offices.

1. Click on any user in the web application in the Human resources agenda.

2. Click in the box for the new zone (next to the green + button) in tab 6 Attendance PINs, Chips, QR codes. Enter the name of the new zone, e.g. “zone-warehouse”. Save changes. This will create a new zone which will be then for selection under the + button.

3. Assign this zone to all users who should have access to it.

4. You can set the zone that is controlled by the Attendance clock. Go to the Menu - Settings - Multiple readers and unlock door using - Entrance to Zone. The Attendance clock will open the door only to users with permission to the zone.

"Unlock only" button

You can also add an Unlock only button to the buttons on the main screen (Arrival, Departure, Pause, …) on the Attendance clock that has the door unlock function activated. This is useful if you only need to walk through the door and you are not interested in entering your attendance. Go to the Menu - Settings - Multiple readers and door unlocking - Display “Unlock only” option among attendance activities to activate the button on the Attendance clock.

You may want to move the new button to a different position on the main screen than it is set up defaultly. You can do it in the Menu - Settings - Activity order on the main screen.

You can also set which button will be preselected after someone unlocks the door. You can adjust this setting in the Menu - Settings - Automatically select default activity. You can specify whether the same button should remain preselected (e.g. only unlock the door) or another predefined button (e.g. Arrival) should be selected. Alternatively, it is possible to set whether the button should be selected according to the current time (e.g. from 07:00 - 11:00 is Arrival, then Pause and from 16:00 the Departure button).

Locking the Attendance clock

The function Application lockdown is also related to door unlocking. 

1. Select the checkboxes of those users who can lock the Attendance clock in the web application in the Human Resources agenda.

2. Type any tag down in the Tags box in the 1 Basic card. E.g. Can_lock_pins”.

3. Allow locking for people with tags to this new tag on the Attendance clock in the Menu - Settings - Application lockdown

A new Application lockdown option will be available on the Attendance clock in the menu under the + button from now on. You will be prompted to attach a chip when you select this option. If the chip is attached to a user who has the correct tag set in the Human Resources agenda, the Attendance clock will be locked and it will not be possible to enter attendance or walk through the door. This can be useful for example when a security guard needs to temporarily prohibit walking through a door. 

You can also set a text message which appears on the Attendance clock at that moment. It can be done in the Menu - Settings - Application lockdown -  Locked device message