Access Control Door Lock and Unlock Schedules

In this article, we will cover the following:

• Door Lock and Unlock Schedule
  • Door Schedules and Grants 
  • Creating a Lock/Unlock Schedule
  • Creating a Lock/Unlock Exception
• Helpful Links
• Contact Support or Sales

Door Lock and Unlock Schedule

A door schedule allows you to determine when a door will be locked or unlocked and for how long it will remain in the designated state. The schedule is used to determine what state the door will be in during a set schedule. The door state will revert to its default setting if no schedule is defined.

• Unlocked State: The door is unlocked, and user credentials are not required to enter the building. Designated by a green line. 
• Locked State: The door is under access control and is locked unless valid credentials are authenticated. The door remains locked, and user credentials are needed to unlock it during these times. These are the times that an Access Grant will be needed to determine which users have access to this door and at what times the users have access to it. Designated by a grey line. 
  • Please Note: Even though the door is locked, users with valid credentials
    will be able to badge in as long as an access grant provides them access.

Door Schedules and Grants

User Grants and Door Schedules work in tandem to determine who has access to a specific location and at what times.

The user access grant schedule dictates who has permission to enter a particular space and when. This schedule can be tailored to individual users or groups, specifying days and times of access.

The door schedule determines when the door is physically locked or unlocked and, thus, the time periods for which a credential would be required. 

It is good to note that an Access Grant may be more restrictive than the door schedule depending on when the specified group of users should have permission to enter a space. For instance, if a grant is scheduled for users to have access only on Monday, and the door is scheduled to be locked Monday through Friday, the door will only accept these valid user credentials on Monday. They will not have access Tuesday - Friday. 

Creating a Lock/Unlock Schedule

1. Navigate to the "Devices" page, select "Doors" and then click the Access Control door you wish to create a schedule for.

2. Scroll down, select "Settings," and then select the "Locked Schedule" box. This will be highlighted when you hover over it.

3. When the modal comes up, select the door's default state, locked or unlocked.  A default state of "Locked" means that the door will be locked unless otherwise specified by a schedule. The schedule will indicate when a door is unlocked, thus not requiring authentication.  A default state of "Unlocked" means that the door will be unlocked unless otherwise specified by a schedule. In this case, the schedule will indicate what days and times the door is locked and thus requires authentication.  Please keep in mind that if you change the default state without adjusting the schedule, the schedule will automatically flip to match the new default state when you hit save. For instance, if you change the default state to unlocked, the schedule will switch which timeframes are now unlocked.

4a. If you would like to use a schedule that already exists, select "Existing" and select the schedule from the dropdown menu.

4b. If you would like to create a schedule from scratch, select "New." This will bring you to a page where you can name your schedule and create sections by dragging timeframes on the specified days. You can also copy and paste a time frame from one day to another or delete a timeframe that you wish to change.

5. Click "Save" to apply the updated or new lock schedule to the door.

Even though the door is locked, users with unexpired credentials

Creating a Lock/Unlock Exception

A door lock/unlock exception is a one-time rule used to change a door's locked/unlocked state. A door's locked/unlocked state is controlled by a recurring weekly schedule. However, in the case of special events such as holidays, you may want to alter the schedule. Scheduling exceptions is the tool that allows this to be possible by defining a custom schedule that is only active for the specified date/times.

1a. Navigate to the "Settings" page and select "Door Schedule Exceptions."

1b. You can also create an exception on the "Devices" page, then scroll down and select "Settings."

2. With either method, click the "Create Lock/Unlock Exception" button. The following modal will appear, where you can fill in the details for your temporary exception.  Name the exception and click "Next." Select a date or a range of dates to include for the exception and if the door is default "Locked" or "Unlocked." Select the time frames for the schedule and click "Next." Select the Location for the exception and select "Next." Select the specific door(s) the exception will apply to and click "Next." Review the exception, then select "Finish." If you want to delete the exception, click the "X" and confirm deletion.

Helpful Links

• Door Access Conditions (Grants)

Contact Support or Sales

Have more questions? Contact Rhombus Support at +1 (877) 746-6797 option 2 or support@rhombus.com.

Interested in learning more? Contact Rhombus Sales at +1 (877) 746-6797 option 1 or sales@rhombus.com.