Physical security systems run on state-of-the-art hardware and software infrastructure. Increasingly the industry is turning to cloud application solutions, and identity databases are being hosted on virtualized servers. With all of this technological momentum, it makes little sense that for communication between readers and panels we are largely still reliant on an interface that hit mainstream application in the 1980s. The Wiegand access control standard has served the industry well, and for simple access control demands it still may be the most cost-effective solution; but as the industry moves forward, communications between peripheral devices and the security controller must be modernized. With OSDP, SIA’s Access Control & Identity Standards Subcommittee has taken the first step toward ensuring that we’re not using a pay phone in a mobile world.
On October 1, SIA released the Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP). The specification, which is available through the SIA website, is a communication protocol for interfacing peripheral devices, such as card readers, to control panels or other access management systems. OSDP provides the industry with a sophisticated solution that adds security and value with features such as bi-directional communication.