The current Openpath Jira and Confluence instances will be migrated to the MSI On-Premise solution from August 9th-11th, the current platform will be set to read-only and all future usage will be in the Avigilon Instance. Please ensure access to MSI Jira & MSI Confluence, both are accessible through OKTA. For additional information and details please refer to the Atlassian migration page

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For fire safety and building code compliance in many areas, a Request to Exit (REX) device is required to ensure unrestricted egress. It is essential to consult the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for all relevant building code requirements, including those related to REX devices and their integration with access control systems like Avigilon Alta.

While it's possible to wire a REX directly to the Avigilon Alta (formerly Openpath) ACU, as with most access control systems, the recommended best practice is to wire the REX in series with a maglock or other fail-safe hardware. This approach ensures there are no points of failure in the egress path.

If the REX device is connected directly to the REX input on the ACU, Avigilon Alta can either shunt forced-open alarms or both shunt alarms and trigger the relay to unlock. In the event of a complete power loss, the lock hardware specified by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) will determine whether the system defaults to a Fail-Safe or Fail-Secure state.

  • Fail-Safe - When power is lost, the door will result in an unsecured position (unlocked). 

  • Fail-Secure - When power is lost, the door will result in a secured position (locked). 

REX with Video Reader Pro and Video Intercom Reader Pro

Since these devices do not contain a REX input you can use a remote ACU to manage door peripherals, such as a door lock relay, door contact, and a REX device. A LAN connection to the remote ACU is required to control all door peripherals that have been assigned to the Video Reader Pro or Video Intercom Reader Pro entry. We have found in some cases the Video Reader Pro and the Video Intercom Reader Pro go offline, and if the REX is not wired in a series with the lock hardware, the REX on the entry does not engage the remote relay. It is important to follow the best practices outlined in this article and the diagrams below in order to ensure a reliable experience when the Video Reader Pro or Video Intercom Reader Pro is inaccessible due to a network interruption, maintenance, or firmware update.

Note: To wire the REX in series with the lock hardware refer to the examples below.

Note: These are example wiring diagrams. Make sure you always follow the installation instructions of third-party hardware for cable type, power requirements, and manufacturer-specific configurations (e.g., dipswitch config).

Example 1: Remote REX on SDC with Video Reader Pro / Video Intercom Reader Pro

Example 2: Remote REX on OP-EX-4E with Video Reader Pro / Video Intercom Reader Pro

To further improve reliability, Avigilon Alta will be implementing changes that will engage the remote relay for the entry when the REX is triggered even if the associated video device is unavailable. The controller for this relay should have a battery backup or be wired in a fail-safe configuration for maximum reliability.

Note that in the reporting, a REX event on Video Reader Pro and Video Intercom Reader Pro entries will appear twice due to these changes. This duplicate can be safely ignored.

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