The ability to lock down all doors on a site quickly in an emergency situation is vital to the safety of staff and visitors. Protege X enables you to lock down individual doors or groups of doors in seconds based on a variety of triggers:
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Manual control from Protege X or the Protege Mobile App
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Physical inputs such as panic buttons or switches
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User input such as a card badge or keypad entry
Essentially, any Protege X function that can control an output can activate a lockdown. When the danger has passed, you can clear the lockdown and return the doors to their previous states by deactivating the same output.
It is currently possible to lock down all doors on a controller using a single trigger, but not doors on multiple controllers.
When you lock down a door, you can choose whether it will allow or deny access to authorized users, REX, and REN. The available modes are:
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Allow entry and exit
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Allow entry
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Allow exit
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Deny entry and exit
Super users such as managers, guards and emergency response personnel can always override lockdown.
Programming Summary
Manually locking down a single door is simple: hover over the door record and click on the button, then select the type of lockdown you want to apply. To lock down multiple doors, you use two programmable functions: one to activate the lockdown and another to clear it.
You will need to program the following records:
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The door or door group that will be locked down.
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The virtual output that will control the functions.
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A door control programmable function that activates lockdown when the virtual output turns on.
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A door control programmable function that clears lockdown when the virtual output turns off.
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A method to control the virtual output which controls the door lockdowns. This can be any feature that controls an output, but inputs are commonly used. To use input control, you will need:
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One or more physical inputs (e.g. panic buttons).
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An input type which controls the virtual output.
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An automation area.
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Super users (optional) who can access the door in both directions event when it is locked down. You can do this by enabling User Has Super Rights And Can Override Antipassback in the user record (Users | Options | Advanced Options).
Walkthrough
This walkthrough will demonstrate how to lock down a door group when a panic button is pressed. Before you begin, your system will need:
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The doors that will be locked down.
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Input records representing the panic buttons.
All doors and inputs must be connected to the same controller. To enable this feature on other controllers, you will need to repeat the programming.
Creating a Virtual Output
A virtual output will be used to control the lockdown programmable functions. If you do not have virtual outputs available, you must add a virtual output expander first.
- Navigate to Controller Records | Controllers in the main menu.
- Select the controller that you are using.
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Scroll down to Hardware Defaults and ensure that Create Expander Defaults is set to Yes.
If not, click Edit, toggle the setting on and click Save.
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The controller page displays all of the resources which are dependent on that controller. Select the Output Expanders tab and click Add.
- Enter a relevant Name (e.g. Virtual Output Expander).
- Enable the Virtual Module option.
- Set the Physical Address to a value above existing physical expanders (e.g. 32).
- Click Create.
- Navigate to Controller Records | Outputs and select the Location and Controller you are programming.
- Rename the new outputs so that they include the term Virtual or VO in their names.
- Select one of the new outputs and give it a relevant name (e.g. Lockdown Activation VO).
Creating a Door Group
The door group contains all of the doors that will be locked down by this function.
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Navigate to Groups | Door Groups in the main menu.
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Click Add.
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Enter a relevant Name (e.g. Lockdown Door Group).
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Click Add and select any number of doors.
Ensure that all doors are on the same controller.
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Click Select.
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Click Create.
Creating an Input Type
The input type will turn the virtual output on and off when an input is opened or closed.
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Navigate to Programming | Input Types in the main menu.
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Click Add.
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Enter a relevant Name (e.g. Lockdown Button).
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If your place uses location groups, select the Location Group that matches the controller you are configuring.
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Click on the Control Output field and select the virtual output configured above.
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Disable every option in the Options 1 tab.
To demonstrate basic lockdown programming, we will program an input type and area with no alarm reporting. You may wish to modify these same records to add alarms and reporting or use a separate input type and area, depending on how your system is set up.
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In the Options 2 tab, enable:
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Activate Control Output On Alarm
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Deactivate Control Output On Restore
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Click Create.
Creating an Automation Area
An automation or control area is needed to enable the output follows input functionality. This area does not have any alarm or reporting functionality, but monitors the inputs and enables the output control. If you already have an area used for this purpose, you do not need to create a new one.
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Navigate to Programming | Areas in the main menu.
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Select the Location that you are programming and click Ok.
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Click Add.
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Enter a relevant Name (e.g. Automation Area).
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Set the Exit Time to 0 Seconds.
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Click Create.
Programming the Inputs
You must program your panic button inputs with the new area and input type to enable them to activate the output.
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Navigate to Controller Records | Inputs in the main menu.
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Select your Location and Controller, then click Ok.
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Select each input and click Edit.
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Under Areas and Input Types, select one of the assigned area sections and set:
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Area: Automation Area
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Input Type: Lockdown Button
You can use the other assigned area sections to control other functions such as activating the alarm and reporting.
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Click Save.
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Repeat for all other inputs that need this input type.
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Navigate to Areas.
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Hover over the new area and click the arrow. Select Arm Area.
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Wait for the area to arm, then select Disarm Area.
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To validate that the input type is working, navigate to the Dashboard page.
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Open an input. You will see the event:
Output Lockdown Activation VO ON By Input Type Lockdown Button
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Close the input. You will see the event:
Output Lockdown Activation VO OFF By Input Type Lockdown Button
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Creating the Lockdown Activation Programmable Function
Now we can activate and deactivate the output, we can create a programmable function that will lock down the doors.
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In the main menu, navigate to Controller Records | Programmable Functions.
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Select your Location and Controller, then click Ok.
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Click Add.
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Enter a relevant Name (e.g. Lockdown Activation).
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Set the Type to Door Control.
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Open the Door Control tab. Enter the following settings:
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Door Function Mode: Follow Pulse On Output
Due to a known UI issue, the wrong text is displayed in the dropdown for the Door Function Mode. Until this issue is resolved, you must select Area Arms On Output Turning On.
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Door Control Mode: Door Lockdown (Deny Entry + Exit), or the lockdown mode that matches your site requirements.
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Output To Check: Lockdown Activation VO
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Door Group To Control: Lockdown Door Group
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Click Create.
Creating the Lockdown Deactivation Programmable Function
We will also need a separate programmable function to clear the lockdown. This will return the doors to their previous states (e.g. if a door was unlocked by schedule before the lockdown, it will unlock again when the lockdown ends).
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Click Add.
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Enter a relevant Name (e.g. Lockdown Deactivation).
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Set the Type to Door Control.
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Open the Door Control tab. Enter the following settings:
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Door Function Mode: Inverted Follow Pulse Off Output
Due to a known UI issue, the wrong text is displayed in the dropdown for the Door Function Mode. Until this issue is resolved, you must select Area Disarms On Output Turning Off.
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Door Control Mode: Door Lockdown (Deny Entry + Exit), or the lockdown mode that matches your site requirements.
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Output To Check: Lockdown Activation VO
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Door Group To Control: Lockdown Door Group
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Click Create.
Starting the Programmable Functions
The programmable functions will not do anything until you start them.
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Close the Lockdown Deactivation record.
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Hover over the first programmable function and click the button. Select Start Function.
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Repeat for the second programmable function.
Programming Super Users
Super users can unlock locked down doors regardless of the lockdown mode.
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In the main menu, navigate to Users.
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Select a user who will have super user rights.
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Click Edit.
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Under Options | Advanced Options, enable User Has Super Rights And Can Override Antipassback.
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Click Save.
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Repeat to program any other super users required.
Validating the Operation
To validate that lockdown is working correctly, you will need two cards: one for a regular user and one for a super user. Both users need to have access to the door.
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Navigate to the Dashboard page.
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Open one of the panic button inputs. Any doors which were unlocked will automatically lock. You will see events similar to the following (one for each door):
Function Lockdown Activation Door Door 1 Lockdown Started
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Badge the regular user's card at the reader. The door will not unlock, and the event log will display:
User Jane Valkenburg Denied Access By Door Lockdown At Door 1
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Badge the super user's card. This user will be granted access:
User Natalie Barker Entry Granted Door 1 Using Manager By Card [Card 1:6]
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Close the panic button input. Any doors which had been unlocked before will unlock again. You will see events similar to the following:
Function Lockdown Deactivation Door Door 1 Lockdown Cancelled