Time Attendance Networking

Author: Yosef Lima, Automated-Machines.Com

In many cases, companies need to install several time-attendance machines in their building. The most often reason is to reduce employee queue in morning and afternoon. This is why the networking aspect is important consideration when you buy new time-attendance system.

If your company only need to install one TA-machine, RS-232 is enough for communication to computer. But, consider the future need, someday your company grows, you will need to install other time-attendance machines. Naturally, RS-232 is a point-to-point protocol and not a network protocol. The networking capability also implement in machine hardware and firmware. A time-attendance machine which was designed to be point-to-point, might or might not have networking capability.

To establish networking, your machine must, at least support RS-485 or RS-422 network protocol. RS-485 is broadly used in automated time and attendance network because it is relatively cheap. It use simple 2 wire multi-drop cabling. Besides the cabling and plumbing, you will also need RS-485 PCI Card in your PC or RS-232 to RS-485 Converter.

The better technology is Ethernet. Yes, it is exactly same technology with your PC Ethernet LAN. Ethernet 10/100Base-T is very popular, can be found in almost all modern PC. For average time and attendance networking, 10Base-T (10 Mbps) is more than enough.

More robust and friendly networking technology is WiFi (Wireless Fidelity). Some new time and attendance vendors has put this technology on their machine. I think the advantage is already clear to see, WiFi does not need cabling, easy to install and easy to move. WiFi is relatively new technology if we compared to RS-485 and wired Ethernet, so the price is still a little bit high. Other hot issue of WiFi is its weak security. If your chosen machine has Ethernet facility, you can easily convert it to be wireless by using inexpensive Ethernet to WiFi Bridge

Some time-attendance system  has facility to collect data from remote office via modem or internet. Collecting, processing and report creation can be manage from one place. This feature is very efficient  for companies which have warehouse, workshop and outlets in separate places.

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