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Hardware Troubleshooting

Symptom-oriented diagnostics for the physical Door & Gate Controller and its lock wiring. For software-side issues — access denials, sync problems, schedules — see Troubleshooting.

The two tests below isolate most hardware faults in minutes: the jumper test proves the lock side of the wiring, and the multimeter test proves the relay. Between them you can tell whether a problem is in the lock circuit, the controller, or the software configuration.

Test the lock wiring (before blaming the controller)

After wiring the lock, verify the lock circuit without the controller in the loop:

  1. Unplug the Output terminal block from the controller (the terminal blocks are removable).
  2. Bridge the two lock-circuit wires (the ones destined for COM1 and NO1 — or COM1 and NC1 for a maglock) with a short jumper wire or straightened paperclip.
  3. Watch the lock:
    • Fail-secure strike (COM/NO wiring): bridging the wires should release the lock; removing the jumper should re-lock it.
    • Fail-safe maglock (COM/NC wiring): the maglock should be released while the wires are apart and engage when you bridge them.

If the lock doesn't respond, the fault is in the lock circuit — check the lock power supply is on, the wiring matches the diagrams in the Relay Wiring Guide, and the snubber diode isn't fitted backwards (a reversed diode shorts the supply).

Test the relay with a multimeter

To prove the relay itself switches:

  1. Unplug the Output terminal block so you're measuring the bare relay terminals.
  2. Set the multimeter to resistance (200 Ω) or continuity mode.
  3. With the door at rest (locked):
    • COM1 to NO1 should read open circuit (no continuity).
    • COM1 to NC1 should read ~0 Ω (continuity; a few ohms is normal).
  4. Send an unlock from the dashboard (door card → Open) and measure again during the hold time — the readings should swap: COM1–NO1 closed, COM1–NC1 open.

You should also hear the relay click when the unlock fires (and the door chirp, if the Door open sound is enabled). If the readings never change while the dashboard shows the unlock as granted, the relay or controller is faulty — contact support.

Power LED is not lit

Symptom: The red Power LED is off; the controller is dead.

Resolution:

  1. PoE-powered installs: check the PoE splitter's LED is lit. If not — confirm the switch port actually supplies 802.3af PoE and has PoE budget remaining, and test the Ethernet run. Then check the splitter's DC lead is firmly seated in the controller's 12V DC socket.
  2. DC-supply installs: confirm the supply outputs 9–36V DC and the plug polarity is centre positive. Test the outlet and the DC lead.
  3. If the supply is good but the LED stays off, the lead or the controller is faulty — try a known-good 12V supply before replacing the unit.

Power LED is blinking

Symptom: The red Power LED blinks instead of staying solid.

Cause: The power supply is abnormal (out of range, undersized, or faulty).

Resolution: Disconnect power immediately. Replace or correct the supply before reconnecting — check voltage, current capacity, and polarity. Don't leave the controller running on a supply that causes this state.

Door shows Offline in the dashboard

Symptom: The door card shows Offline — the controller hasn't reported in for more than 5 minutes.

Resolution:

  1. Check the Power LED (solid red) and Status LED (blinking green = system running). Dead unit? Work through the power checks above.
  2. Ethernet: confirm the cable is in the 1000M port and the port's link lights are flickering. Swap the cable, try another switch port, and reboot the switch/router. On PoE installs remember the data path runs through the splitter — check its LAN OUT lead too.
  3. Wi-Fi models: check the antenna is fitted and the unit hasn't been moved out of range (or into a metal cabinet).
  4. 4G model: failover only helps if the SIM is seated (standard SIM, chip up), the 4G antenna is fitted, and there's cellular coverage at the install location.
  5. If several doors dropped offline at once, suspect the site network or internet connection rather than the controllers.
  6. For the dashboard-side view (last seen, IP address, uptime) and deeper diagnostics, see A door shows Offline.

Lock doesn't release on unlock

Symptom: The dashboard/app shows the unlock as granted, but the door stays locked.

Resolution:

  1. Listen at the controller. If the relay clicks (or the door chirps) the controller is doing its job — the fault is on the lock side. Run the jumper test.
  2. Check the lock power supply is on — a dry-contact relay can't release a lock whose supply is dead.
  3. Check the contact choice: a fail-secure strike on NC instead of NO (or a maglock on NO instead of NC) behaves exactly like this — inverted.
  4. If there's no click at all, run the multimeter test. No software grant = not a hardware issue — see Troubleshooting for denial reasons.

Door doesn't lock / stays released

Symptom: The door is open to anyone even though no unlock is active.

Resolution:

  1. Check the door isn't set to unlocked in the dashboard (maintenance mode, or an active auto-unlock schedule).
  2. Check the hold time — at the 30-second maximum a door can feel "always open" in busy periods.
  3. Check the contact choice (NO/NC reversed for the lock type — see above).
  4. If the wiring is right, suspect a faulty lock (jammed strike, weak maglock) — run the jumper test and watch the lock itself.

Relay fires but the door is slow to open

Symptom: You hear the relay click immediately, but the physical door takes seconds to release.

Resolution: Bridge the lock-side wires directly (jumper test). If the lock still releases slowly with the controller out of the loop, the delay is in the locking hardware itself — some strikes and gate controllers have built-in timers or delays. Check the lock's own documentation. If the lock releases instantly on the jumper but slowly via the relay, inspect the wiring run for poor connections.

Notes on power supplies

  • The controller needs a 12V DC supply (9–36V accepted) — the optional PoE splitter provides 12V 1A.
  • The lock always gets its own supply, sized for the lock's current draw and switched through the relay. Never share the controller's supply with the lock.
  • For fail-safe locks (maglocks), use a battery-backed lock supply so a power blip doesn't release the door, and consider a UPS for the controller and network gear so access keeps working through outages.

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