Test Benches are a must

I had my system up and running for over two years before I recognized the value of creating a test lab in my office. I had heard a colleague talk several times at conferences about his test equipment, but didn’t really think it applied to me because he did access control full-time and it’s only part of my responsibilities. He beta tests new products and has a much larger campus so he’s got many more unique locations and functional needs than I think I ever will.

However, when a colleague on the other side of town told me last year that he made a test bench, then I thought harder about the topic. I’ve got many more locations setup on my campus and more aggressive expansion plans to boot. What did he know that I didn’t?

I realized that every time I wanted to create a new situation or test a protocol I’ve never used before, I was walking halfway across campus for a tw0-minute test. Then I’d walk back to my office and see how the system recorded the transaction. While I enjoyed the walk, it occurred to me that I could do these tests in a fraction of the time if I didn’t have to leave the office.

So I gave some of my spare parts inventory to my electrical contractor and described the board I wanted him to make and waited for a couple of weeks for the finished product. The board simulates a master controller installation in a non-existent building and is equipped with two door configurations. One of the doors is controlled by an  HID  iClass prox reader for testing user privileges and the other is a virtual door that has door contacts, a request to exit and a small light to act as an indicator of an alarm condition.

I can create simulated conditions for every type of alarm that I routinely use throughout the system. I can use the equipment for training sessions with other staff. I have a router on my desk that I can use to test new devices on either the access VLAN or the separate VLAN that my video surveillance cameras ride on.

The benefits of this equipment so close at hand prove themselves to me quite often. I can troubleshoot problems and test new scenarios much more quickly and of course, in a pinch,  I can grab one of the panels off the board and use it for a replacement part in an emergency on campus. I love my test board!