Secondary chip reader

Secondary chip reader is hardware that can be ordered in addition to the touch screen Time clock or to the door unlocker Dahua DA2. The secondary reader has dimensions 23×86×15 mm, features an IP66-rated enclosure for outdoor use, and supports both 125 kHz RFID and 13.56 MHz NFC technologies.

User manual available here.

What is the purpose of the secondary reader?

If you use a Time clock with a relay to open the door on one side, you can mount the secondary reader on the wall on the other side of the door. Then you connect the secondary reader to the Time clock. So one Time clock can operate one door from both sides, both outside and inside. The same applies to the door unlocker Dahua DA2, to which the secondary reader can also be connected.

You would normally place the secondary reader itself on the outside of the door. We also supply this as an outdoor version. A user attaches a chip to the secondary reader, it sends the information to the Time clock, which, for example, insert Clock-in and unlock the door, or maybe just unlock the door or insert another set activity. The user then goes inside, where he can select and enter another activity on the touch screen Time clock.

Connection of secondary reader:

The secondary reader is connected to a 12V power supply. We supply an adapter to the secondary reader. It is also connected to the Time clock via RS485 double line. This double line between the secondary reader and the Time clock can be tens of meters long. If the RS485 line is longer than 1 meter, add a 110 Ω resistor between the RS485 lines.

  1. On the Time clock, go to Menu - Settings - Multiple readers and door unlocking and enable Multiple readers mode option. Then go back to the main screen.
  2. Disconnect the Time clock from the power supply to turn it off.
    1. Time clock should be turned off while connecting cables in case you accidentally connect the wrong wires and the turned-on device could be damaged.
  3. Connect the secondary reader cables as shown below.
    1. Red cable to “12V” of a supplied adapter.
    2. Black cable to GND of a supplied adapter.
    3. Purple cable to RS485-A

    4. Yellow cable to RS485-B

  4. Plug-in power supply to the Time clock and Secondary reader.
    1. In a moment it should turn on and the secondary chip reader beeps and lights up.
  5. Beep a chip on the secondary reader that is already assigned to someone.
    1. The user’s name should appear on the Time clock.

Configure the secondary chip reader

On the Time clock, you can set what should happen when you beep on the secondary reader. For example, always enter Clock-in only, regardless of what is selected on display. 

  • You set this on the Time clock in Menu - Settings - Multiple readers and door unlocking, whereby at the bottom of the “BuiltIn-RS485-card-reader” section you can adjust the “Activity” items to “Work” and “Start/End” to the play icon. In this setting, Clock-in is always inserted when beeped on the secondary reader.
  • Alternatively, you can activate the “Unlock doors using” and choose “GPIO”. With this setting, the Time clock will unclock the door with a relay after a beep on the outdoor reader or it will insert a preset activity.

What if the secondary reader isn't working properly?

1) When a chip is placed on the secondary reader, it beeps several times in quick succession; nothing appears on the time clock to which it is connected.

There are two most common reasons:

  • The secondary reader is likely not sending information about the scanned chip to the time clock. Check to see if the reader’s purple and yellow wires are properly connected to the time clock’s RS485 contacts, and make sure the purple and yellow wires are not swapped. The reader’s purple wire should be connected to the time clock’s RS485-A contact, and the yellow wire to RS485-B.
  • “Multi-Reader Mode” is not enabled on the time clocks. This mode must be enabled on time clocks with a 7-inch display and the Android operating system sold through 2025. On the time clock, go to Menu > Settings > Multiple Readers and Door Unlocking, and enable “Multi-Reader Mode.”

2) When a chip is placed against the secondary reader, it beeps several times in quick succession; although the chip number appears on the time clock to which it is connected, the user is not recognized

This can happen when using 13.56 MHz NFC chips (i.e., not 125 kHz RFID) in combination with an older model of secondary reader sold prior to 2025 that is not multi-format (a black plastic reader measuring approximately 9.5 x 4 x 1.8 cm). With this combination, you need to go to the Time Clock’s Menu - Settings - Multiple Readers and Door Unlocking, in the section for the relevant secondary reader (usually labeled “Integrated RS485” or “USB RS485 Converter”), set the “Transformation of Read Code” option to “Swap Byte Order.”

3) The secondary reader does not beep when a chip is placed on it

Check to see if a 12V DC power supply is connected to the secondary reader, specifically to the reader’s red and black wires.

If you are using an older model of secondary reader sold prior to 2025 that is not multi-format (a black plastic reader measuring approximately 9.5 x 4 x 1.8 cm), check to make sure you are using the same type of chips for which that specific reader is designed. Since the readers were manufactured in two versions—one for 13.56 MHz NFC chips and the other for 125 kHz RFID chips—the reader will not respond if you place the wrong type of chip on it.