Introduction

This chapter provides information about the Hirsch Mx controller, including:

• Advantages of the Mx controller

• A summary of the different Mx controller configurations

• An overview of the Mx controller’s main components

• Design considerations, including battery capacity and power limitations

• Typical connections, such as the wiring for a door

• Setup and installation, including wiring distance limits, and configuration of the integrated SNIB2 capability and the integrated Ethernet port

• A worksheet for an Mx Controller, to help you plan your security system

• Performing periodic maintenance

Advantages of the Mx Controller

Although the Mx controller is similar to a DIGI*TRAC controller in many ways, it does provide some distinct advantages:

The Mx controller is designed to operate in a networked environment, and you can order it with either SNIB2 or SNIB3 functionality.

• SNIB2 functionality is provided by a daughterboard on the main board, as shown in Figure 2-2 in section “Mx Controller Main Board”. This frees up a slot for another optional expansion board, and saves you the time it would have taken to install a SNIB2 expansion board.

• SNIB3 functionality is provided by the SNIB3 expansion board. (SNIB3 functionality is a required component of Identiv’s FICAM Solution. For more information, see the FICAM Solution section of the Velocity help system.)

You can upgrade an Mx controller which has the SNIB2 daughterboard to use a SNIB3 expansion board; for details, see “Preparing an Mx Controller with a SNIB2 to Use a SNIB3”.

The Mx controller’s main board includes a 5-pin MATCH terminal and a 6-pin Wiegand terminal for each door. Before the Velocity 3.6 SP2.1 release and the CCM/ CCMx firmware 7.5.70.12 release:

• For basic access control applications that only need an entry reader on a door, the Wiegand terminal enables you to directly connect the Mx controller to a reader or keypad with a Wiegand interface, without a separate MATCH2 board.

• For wire runs longer than 500 feet, or more advanced access control applications that need an exit reader on a door, the MATCH terminal had to be used to connect the Mx controller to a MATCH2 interface board or ScramblePad reader.

Now on an Mx-2 or Mx-4 controller where Wiegand terminals are available from unused doors, some of those available terminals can easily be used for exit readers. For details, see “Connecting Exit Readers to Unused Wiegand Terminals on Mx-2 or Mx-4 Controllers”.

The glass fuses for the reader circuits have been replaced by resettable fuses which automatically restore circuit integrity after the overcurrent has been removed. (Only two 5 Amp glass fuses remain, which are located by the power supply connector and the standby battery connector.)

The Mx controller can be configured to control either 2, 4, or 8 doors, depending on which model of the Command and Control Module (CCMx) is installed. This enables a controller to be easily expanded in the field, by replacing the CCMx and wiring the additional doors.

Mx Controller Configurations

There are three Mx Controller configurations, which differ only in the number of supervised doors (including alarm inputs) and the capacity of the factory-equipped
standby battery.

• The Mx-2 can control up to two doors, and has a 1.3 Ah standby battery.

• The Mx-4 can control up to four doors, and has a 7.2 Ah standby battery.

• The Mx-8 can control up to eight doors, and has a 7.2 Ah standby battery.
  The configuration is determined by the model of CCMx that is installed. This enables you to easily upgrade an Mx controller after its initial installation, without affecting the existing wiring. The number of readers and ScramblePads the controller can support is determined by:

• The number of addresses available (16 maximum) for ScramblePads and MATCH2 interfaces

• The total power required by ScramblePads and MATCH2 interfaces attached to the controller. This cannot exceed the power capacity of the controller. To calculate this capacity, see Table 2-5 in section “Power Provided at the Mx Controller’s Terminal Blocks”.

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