An access decision is only the beginning of a door event. Door-position switches, request-to-exit devices, lock monitoring, and properly tuned software help the system determine what happened after a credential was accepted or denied.
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Door-position switches
A door-position switch reports open and closed state. Concealed, surface-mounted, armored, overhead, and gate-rated forms are available for different openings. Location and alignment matter: a switch should indicate the operational state consistently without being damaged by door movement or weather.
Held-open and forced-open events
A held-open event generally occurs when an authorized opening remains open beyond its permitted time. A forced-open event generally occurs when the door opens without a recognized access or exit sequence. Names and logic vary by platform. Set realistic unlock and held times based on traffic, accessibility, delivery, and door-closing performance.
Request to exit
Request-to-exit, often abbreviated REX, tells the access system that someone is leaving. Sources can include a motion sensor, push button, lockset switch, panic-device switch, pressure device, or another listed arrangement. A REX input may suppress a forced-door alarm, release a lock, or both. Those functions must not be confused.
Egress and release
Electronic monitoring must never substitute for required egress. Door release, fire-alarm interface, emergency unlocking, delayed-egress features, and controlled-egress arrangements depend on the opening, occupancy, hardware listing, and adopted code. Document the complete sequence and confirm it with the authority having jurisdiction.
Lock and latch monitoring
A closed door is not always latched, and an energized lock is not always secure. Where the risk justifies it, monitor latchbolt position, deadbolt state, electric-strike keeper, maglock bond, exit-device status, or lock power. Use each point to answer a specific operational question and avoid alarm floods that staff will ignore.
Alarm response
Every configured event should have an owner, priority, notification path, expected action, and closure record. A loading-dock held-open alarm may require a different delay and response from a pharmacy, data room, school perimeter, or public entrance. Video association can help verify context when privacy and retention rules permit.
Common failure patterns
- Door closer cannot overcome latch resistance or pressure
- Contact magnet is misaligned or mounted too far apart
- REX sensor detects hallway traffic through glass
- REX suppresses alarms longer than intended
- Door schedule and physical key use create unexplained openings
- Lock status is inferred from relay state rather than measured
- Delivery or accessibility needs were not included in timing
- Staff receive alarms but have no response procedure
Commissioning sequence
- Verify normal mechanical closing and latching.
- Present a valid credential and confirm unlock, opening, closing, and event sequence.
- Test denied access without opening the door.
- Exit by every normal egress method and confirm the intended REX behavior.
- Create held-open and forced-open conditions and verify timing and notification.
- Test lock, latch, tamper, communication, and power monitoring where provided.
- Test scheduled unlock, relock, emergency release, and restoration.
- Repeat under representative traffic and environmental conditions.
Documentation checklist
Record switch type and location, normal circuit state, resistor values where used, input names, software timers, REX function, alarm routing, operator response, release sequence, fire-alarm interface, accessibility accommodation, test results, and any approved exception.
Continue with door planning, locking systems, and controllers and I/O.
Information only. Egress, release, accessibility, alarm, and fire-rating requirements must be verified for each opening.
Publisher’s related applied reference: access-control credential security and operation.