Anything that runs or starts from electricity (including hydraulics) and has a start, stop, or power switch. This includes battery powered equipment and mobile machinery.

The minimum requirements for running an AccessPack is 30mA at 5V. So some battery equipment that uses 2 x AA batteries (e.g. some small crane radios) can’t be fitted with AccessPack as there is not enough power to make a Bluetooth connection. Also, the batteries are depleted so quickly that it makes the device unusable. The good news is that in almost all circumstances, inexpensive alternatives are available that have bigger battery packs.

The device must also use some kind of electrical start.

Traditional access control hardware relies on communication between the access control point and a central management computer. AccessPack on the other hand is a standalone system with all the information required to grant/deny access contained on the user’s RFID card. Thus it also works on remote and mobile plant, equipment for which it just isn’t feasible or possible to have a permanent connection (be it wireless or wired) to a central database.

Yes, if your cards use the same technology as AccessPack (MIFARE 14443 A/B) then we will work with your vendor to integrate AccessPack. If your cards use different technology, then your existing vendor can supply you with dual technology cards that work seamlessly with both systems.

AccessPack has programmable motion sensors and some very clever programming to tell when a human is no longer moving the equipment.

Additionally, AccessPack can wire into Stop button pushes/floor pressure mats/light beams/seat switches etc... to detect when the operator has moved away from the equipment.

Yes, all access permissions can have an associated expiry date. The AccessPack hardware has a calendar chip and will reject a card if a permission has expired.

AccessPack has a standard 22mm threaded shank. It is a drop in replacement for most standard industrial switches. After that, you just give it power and connect it to whatever switch circuit you want to control.

Yes, the AccessPack puck is rated to IP65. Everything else is located internally within the equipment being protected.

No, but it helps. You can definitely order and commission units one at a time if you want to. Identifying as many potential AccessPack candidates as possible when setting up the first AccessPack can significantly reduce the time to commission future units. Identifying groups of equipment and users will make administration easier. You will need to know what type of equipment you are going to fit the AccessPack to prior to delivery.

AccessPack models vary only in the additional cable assembly or hardware board used to wire the device to the protected equipment’s power supply and control circuitry. Details of currently available models can be found on the AccessPack webpage. You can also fill in the Configuration Sheet, email it to tech@caswa.com and we’ll advise you on which model suits your equipment. If none of these current models seem to suit, contact us. We almost certainly will be able to come up with a new variant that meets your requirements.

AccessPack can be configured wirelessly using a laptop fitted with a Link-2 long range Bluetooth modem and running our FSU application. We don’t recommend using existing Bluetooth modems in your PC or smart-phone as these aren’t sufficiently reliable for configuration purposes. The good news is that we supply one free Link-2 with your first order and the latest FSU software is always available for free download from the AccessPack webpage.

AccessPack can be configured wirelessly using a laptop fitted with a Link-2 long range Bluetooth modem and running our FSU application. We don’t recommend using existing Bluetooth modems in your PC or smart-phone as these aren’t sufficiently reliable for configuration purposes. The good news is that we supply one free Link-2 with your first order and the latest FSU software is always available for free download from the AccessPack webpage.

Some information (e.g. run hours) is available by simply making a Bluetooth connection to the device from your smart-phone. To access the list of the last 200 users you currently need to connect to it with a laptop, connect to it using the Link-2 and FSU application and then download the data. Smart-phone apps for Android and Iphone will be coming soon to allow you to view and download data without a laptop.

You will need a licence of the AccessPack software manager (which comes with a card reader in your first year) and a computer connected to the internet. Programming cards is then simple, using drag and drop functionality.

Programming a new card only takes a couple of minutes. However, we recommend that you always program an expiry date for every card so that it if it is lost or stolen, the card will eventually expire. When you replace a lost card that has not yet expired, you should give it a slightly different name so you can always differentiate between the original lost/stolen card and a new one. Many customers chose to print or attach the user’s photo to the card so that it is obvious when someone is using a stolen card.

AccessPack is not currently certified for use in hazardous areas. However, it can be installed in a suitable glass fronted enclosure and card swiping will still work.

We have tried to make AccessPack as tough and reliable as possible. Check out our YouTube videos to see how we tested our prototypes.

But let’s be realistic. You will never improve reliability by adding complexity. However, the additional uptime gained by preventing access to untrained operators (and from general users taking greater care with the equipment) far outweighs any downtime due to failure of the AccessPack. The failures we have seen tend to be caused by equipment being dropped violently or when the power supply is subjected to very large voltage spikes.

The Bluetooth radio uses 2.4GHz and the RFID is at 13.5MHz (very short range).