A modern gate entry system is made up of multiple components. It may vary depending on the mode of gate entry, and on how old the system is. New gate entry systems use cellular tech to access the gate. Certain older gate entry systems use a specific type of sensor, for example. One of the more common questions we see is regarding how gate entry system sensors work so we’ve put together this post to answer the query.
Remember, this is how they work in general as each manufacturer might use a sensor in a different way. For example, one manufacturer might use a sensor to open the electric gate, while another might use a sensor to instead look for people standing in the way while it closes, some do both.
What Kinds of Sensors Do Electric Gate Systems Use
Older style systems can use a multitude of sensors to open an electric gate. Why do we say older systems? Because new gates use cellular tech that lets you open the gate with a phone. For older electric gates the system might use any number of sensor types. Here are five of the most common.
Weight Sensors
Fairly straightforward. The sensor realizes when a certain pressure is applied and tells the gate system to open. Once the weight trigger is hit, they open. They are susceptible to security failures because thieves just have to replicate the weight and it’ll open. Some large freight terminals still use these because it’s not hard to replicate large transport trucks and industrial vehicles.
Radar Movement Sensors
A radar will detect movement in a certain location and open the gate. These are quite useful because the radar can penetrate certain objects like trees or foliage, cutting back on the need to maintain your gate entry system.. These are useful to open a gate from the inside. They’re useless if used on the outside because the gate will open for everyone and anyone, thus negating the whole purpose of an electric gate.
Optical Microwave Detector
A dish shoots a beam in front of the gate which detects movement and opens. The antenna is installed a little higher than the gate. These are useful to businesses that are open for a certain time. The motion tech can be turned off overnight, for example so no one can use the gate. In the day though, it can be turned on giving ease of access. Again, they are useful for gate users.
A downside though is that the microwave beam needs to be broken for the gate to open. If someone stands still, or a vehicle isn’t moving, the gate won’t open.
Active Infrared Sensor
These are the kind you usually see on store doors, especially the sliding kind. They’re compact and can fit alongside the sliding door. They work by using a receiver chip and a transmitter. The receiver recognizes when infrared light emitted from the transmitter is reflected by something moving in the zone in front of the door, such as an individual.
How Do Electric Entry System Protection Sensors Work
The sensors we’ve spoken about above are for older gate entry systems, but even new systems use sensors on a protective basis. Sometimes, people walk through a gate and for whatever reason, will stop halfway through. So, the gate begins to close and if there wasn’t a sensor a closing gate could hurt someone, or damage a vehicle.
Instead, the sensor realizes someone is within the gates closing arc and stops until they’ve moved clear. Any good gate entry system will have one of these in place.
They’re important for families with children who could easily run out into the arc. A gate entry system with these kinds of protection factors can also stop you having to pay out for damage to cars. Before you invest in an electric gate system it might be worth checking what kinds of protection it offers.
Modern Gate Entry Systems: Go Cellular
So, how do the most modern gate entry systems work? They tie into smartphone usage by utilizing an app with which you can press a button to open your electric gate. It’s better than having to rely on movement or positional sensors to open the gate. The gate itself of course senses the signal from your input on the cell phone and opens, but you benefit from not having to worry about the security flaws of the above mentioned sensors that a lot of old electric gate systems use.
If you’re thinking about upgrading to a better electric gate system, go cellular. Here are but a few of the key benefits of using an electric gate access system.
No Need To Be Home
You can open the gate entry system using your phone when you aren’t home. This makes letting in friends, family and even couriers a lot easier. It gives you flexibility. Even when you are at home, you can open the gate from a convenient location instead of having to run to the intercom and buzzing them in. With a cellular gate entry system you don’t need to be at home to let people in.
You Can Give Access Easily
You can easily give access to others using your gate entry system. It’s done in the app. So, if someone needed temporary access you’d just grant it and revoke it when done. This is an extremely useful perk when using a cellar system for a gated community because gate entry system managers can just add and remove access to people as they move into, and move out of the community.
No Remote Worries
Key Fobs, remotes, swipe cards etc. are all a nuisance to carry around and use all of the time. They’re often lost and sometimes quite costly to replace. When you’re using your phone, everything is in one place. A cell phone is also extremely secure due to security measures on the phone itself. A gate entry system attached to a phone is pretty easy to use and not something you might lose or leave, people are attached to their phones these days.
There are a myriad of features to a Nimibo cellular access system, and you can read about them here. You can also observe how others have fared with Nimbios future forward gate entry system by checking out our testimonials. If you want to read more articles about electric gates please visit our blog or contact us if there’s anything you’re not sure about.
