Farpointe Data’s Ranger long range read solution offers easy access for Schneider Electric employees in Finland

Ranger receiver and transmitter lets employees access their garage without having to open their car windows

Farpointe Data, a DORMA Group Company, the access control industry's trusted global partner for RFID solutions, recently announced that Schneider Electric in Espoo, Finland, is using a Ranger WRR-44 long range 433 MHz receiver and WRT-4+ transmitters to let employees drive into their underground garage on a year-round basis without having to open their windows. To avoid temperatures as low as -31°F (-35°C) with heavy rain, snow or sleet, an employee simply presses a button on the Ranger transmitter kept in their car to raise the barrier bar and drive into the garage.

Suitable for winter conditions

"Schneider Electric was involved early in designing this phase of our building," emphasises Seppo Junnonaho, Product Manager, access and intruder, Schneider Electric Fire & Security Oy (Nordic Baltic Zone). "We wanted to use all the same products that we sell to our customers in order to increase our own user experience of what we offer.  We use HID 125 kHz proximity readers at the gate but their read range is limited and positioned for normal cars. We also have company vans that need to have access. Using Ranger, it is much easier for different sized vans to get access. In addition, the Ranger read range is excellent for our winter conditions."

Versus proximity/smart card readers, the 433 MHz receivers use either 2-button or 4-button transmitters to open two or four different doors per receiver from ranges up to 200 feet (61 m). Each button outputs transmitter data over separate Wiegand outputs, yet the receiver installs just like a Farpointe Pyramid Series proximity reader for easy integration with popular card access control systems. For increased flexibility and user convenience, the transmitters also can contain a proximity or smart card module, allowing each unit to be used as a traditional presentation credential throughout the facility.

Schneider Electric Finland has been a long time partner of Farpointe and began buying and promoting the Ranger long range read solution as soon as it became available. Schneider Electric is a global partner of Farpointe Data with offices world-wide deploying Farpointe proximity, smart card and long range reading products.