DormaKaba CA8500 8 Reader/Door...
IN STOCK (leaves warehouse same day if ordered before 3pm ET)
$5,822.00
$3,529.81
DormaKaba CA8500 8 Reader/Door Control Unit

DormaKaba CA8500 8 Reader/Door Control Unit

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Model: CA8500

In Stock (leaves warehouse same day if ordered before 3pm ET)

$5,822.00
$3,529.81
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Features

  • 8 readers on one panel results in a lower cost-per-door
  • The complete family of Keyscan access control units includes a 1, 2, 4, 8 and Elevator Floor Access Control panels tha can be mixed and matched to optimize system design and installation
  • Uses network appliance-based architecture
  • Easily configurable reader settings supporting Wiegand protocols
  • Dual multi-threaded on-board processors ensure full panel operation even during system downloads
  • System status LEDs for diagnostics and troubleshootingÔommunication options: TCP/IP, LAN/WAN, Internet, RS485
  • Comes with 1 - CA8500B PC109X ACU Main Board, 2 - OCB8 (PC110X) Relay Boards, 1 DPS-15 Power Supply and Black Metal Enclosure
  • Requires 2 - 16 V AC 37 or 40 V A Transformers and 1 - 12 V 7Ah Battery
  • Card Capacity 32,000 Cards, 8 Card Readers and/or Keypads, 8 Auxiliary Outputs and 16 Auxiliary Inputs

Includes: Ca8500B Acu Board, 2- Ocb8 Relay Boards, 1 - Dps-15 Power Supply, 1 - Black Metal Enclosure With Lock And Tamper Switch

Manufacturer Resources

Product Specs

Product Group:
Electronic Access Controls
Product Subgroup:
Controllers, Power Supplies and Transformers
Number of Outputs:
(8) Auxiliary Output Relays; (8) Expansion Auxiliary Output Relays; (64) I/O Outputs; (8) Door Output Relays
Number of Credential Holders:
45000
Number of Reader Ports:
2
Product Type:
Power Supplies
Department:
Door Hardware

Dormakaba CA8500 – Frequently Asked Questions

1) How many doors will one Keyscan CA8500 control unit run?
The CA8500 handles 8 card readers and/or keypads on a single panel, which is what brings the cost per door down compared to running several small panels. It also carries 8 door output relays. If you need fewer openings, the Keyscan family runs 1, 2, 4 and 8 reader units plus an elevator floor panel, and they can be mixed on one system, so a building with a 2 door back entry and an 8 door main core can be built from the units that fit each area instead of oversizing everywhere.
2) What comes in the box with the CA8500, and what do I still have to buy?
Shipped as a built unit: the CA8500B ACU main board, two OCB8 relay boards, a DPS-15 power supply, and a black metal enclosure with lock and tamper switch. What is not in the box and has to be ordered alongside it is two 16 VAC transformers (37 or 40 VA) and one 12 V 7Ah battery for standby. Budget those into the job before the install date, because the panel will not come up without the transformers.
3) Will the CA8500 work with the card readers I already have?
Reader settings on the CA8500 are configurable and support Wiegand protocols, so readers with a standard Wiegand output are what this panel is built to take. If your existing heads are Wiegand, they are the right starting point; proprietary non-Wiegand readers are not.
4) Is a Keyscan CA8500 the same thing as an access control power supply like a Von Duprin PS902 or Altronix AL1024?
Different jobs, and buying one for the other is a common mistake. The CA8500 is a control unit: it makes the access decision, holds the cardholder database, reads Wiegand credentials and switches door relays. A unit like the Von Duprin PS902 base power supply, rated 2A at 12/24 VDC field selectable, or the Altronix AL1024ULACMCB access power controller with 8 PTC outputs at 24VDC 10A, supplies and distributes the power that actually pulls the strikes and mag locks. Most jobs use both. Note the CA8500 itself needs two 16 VAC transformers and a 12 V 7Ah battery that ship separately.
5) What is the difference between the DormaKaba CA8500 control unit and a power supply like the Von Duprin PS902?
They do different jobs in an access control system. The DormaKaba CA8500 is an 8 reader/door control unit that decides who gets in - it holds the credential database, supports 8 card readers and/or keypads, and drives door output relays, auxiliary output relays and auxiliary inputs over TCP/IP, LAN/WAN, Internet or RS485. The Von Duprin PS902 is a base power supply rated 2A at 12/24 VDC field selectable for access control, which supplies the DC power that locks and readers run on. A CA8500 job typically needs both: the CA8500 kit ships with a DPS-15 power supply, a CA8500B ACU main board, two OCB8 relay boards and a black metal enclosure with lock and tamper switch, and it also calls for two 16 V AC 37 or 40 V A transformers and a 12 V 7Ah battery.
6) I need power for one electrified door, not a whole access control panel. What should I use instead of a DormaKaba CA8500?
For a single electrified opening with no credential management, a small regulated supply does the job. The Command Access PS1 is a 24VDC linear power supply with 1 amp output, and the SDC 620 Series is a 1 amp regulated and filtered low voltage supply with dual voltage selection. The Securitron AQD1 is a switching supply at 12/24 VDC, 1 amp. The DormaKaba CA8500 is a different class of product - it is a control unit that manages 8 card readers and/or keypads and a 32,000 card capacity, so it only makes sense where credentials are being read and decisions made at the door.
7) Which product is closest to the DormaKaba CA8500 if I want power distribution to multiple doors under access control?
The Altronix AL1024ULACMCB is the nearest thing in that direction: it is a power supply and access power controller with 8 PTC outputs, 24VDC at 10A, taking 115VAC 60Hz input at 4.2A in a grey enclosure. The RCI DKPS-2A is a similar idea at a smaller rating, with 8 outputs at 12/24VDC and 2A for access control systems. Both distribute switched power to multiple openings. The DormaKaba CA8500 goes further up the chain - it is the control unit itself, with dual multi-threaded on-board processors, reader settings supporting Wiegand protocols, and 8 door output relays plus 8 auxiliary output relays. A common design pairs a CA8500 for the decisions with a multi-output controller for the lock power.
8) What do I use for motorized latch retraction exit devices instead of a DormaKaba CA8500?
Motorized latch retraction draws a high inrush current and needs a supply built for it. The BEST RPSMLR2 Series is a power supply made for motorized latch retraction exit devices, and the BEST ELR150 Series is a power supply control module for electronic access control. For delayed egress exit devices, the BEST PS161-6 runs 120V input with 12/24V output at 6A capacity. The DormaKaba CA8500 does not fill that role - it is the reader and door control unit, shipping with a DPS-15 power supply for the panel itself and calling for two 16 V AC 37 or 40 V A transformers and a 12 V 7Ah battery, so exit device power is a separate supply on the same job.
9) How many cardholders can a Keyscan CA8500 panel hold?
Card capacity is 32,000 cards on the panel itself, with credential holder capacity listed at 45,000. For a multi tenant building or a campus, that is enough headroom to issue a credential to every resident, staff member and contractor without purging old records every year.
10) How does the CA8500 connect back to the head end, and does it need a dedicated line?
Communication options are TCP/IP, LAN/WAN, Internet and RS485, so the panel drops onto the building network you already have rather than needing a dedicated home run to a PC. The architecture is network appliance based. For a remote site, the Internet path means one system can supervise buildings that are not on the same LAN.
11) What can I tie into the CA8500 besides the door strikes, like alarms, gates or lighting?
Beyond the 8 door output relays, the CA8500 carries 8 auxiliary output relays, 8 expansion auxiliary output relays and 64 I/O outputs, plus 16 auxiliary inputs. That is what you wire request to exit devices, door position switches, tamper contacts and alarm points into on the input side, and what drives gate operators, lighting contactors or alarm shunts on the output side. The enclosure itself has a lock and a tamper switch, so the cabinet can report being opened.
12) Do doors stop working while the access control system is downloading a database update?
No. The CA8500 runs dual multi threaded on board processors specifically so full panel operation continues during system downloads. Cards still read and doors still release while a cardholder database is pushing. On a large site where a full download takes real time, that is the difference between a routine update and a lobby full of people who cannot badge in. System status LEDs on the board give you diagnostics if something does go wrong.
13) I only need to control one or two doors with a keypad, do I need a panel like the CA8500?
For a single opening or a small back of house entry, an 8 reader unit is more panel than the job needs. The Keyscan family includes 1, 2 and 4 reader control units that share the same system, so you can scale down and still be on one platform. If the opening is a standalone electrified door with no cardholder database behind it, a smaller controller such as the Detex 10-800 Series universal logic controller with 120VAC/24VDC power supply and battery backup, or an Aiphone AC-PS1250 power supply for AC Series access control kits, covers that kind of work instead.
14) Can I add elevator floor control to a Keyscan system built on CA8500 panels?
Yes. The Keyscan line includes an elevator floor access control panel alongside the 1, 2, 4 and 8 reader units, and the panels are meant to be mixed and matched on one system. So a tower can run door control on CA8500 units and cab floor control on the elevator panel under the same head end, rather than standing up a second system for the elevators.
15) What keeps the doors alive on a CA8500 during a power outage?
Standby is battery based: the unit calls for one 12 V 7Ah battery, which is not included and gets ordered with the panel. The DPS-15 power supply in the enclosure and two 16 VAC transformers (37 or 40 VA each, also ordered separately) feed it under normal power. If the strikes and mag locks themselves need backed up power at the door, that comes from a separate supply, such as the Command Access PS204/204B linear supply with 2A at 24VDC and battery backup or the Adams Rite PS-1 regulated 1 Amp 12/24 VDC supply with battery backup.
16) Can a Detex 10-800 controller be used in place of a DormaKaba CA8500?
They solve different control problems. The Detex 10-800 Series is a universal logic controller with a 120VAC/24VDC power supply and battery backup - it sequences and interlocks devices at an opening. The DormaKaba CA8500 is a networked credential-based unit: 8 card readers and/or keypads, 32,000 card capacity, 8 auxiliary outputs and 16 auxiliary inputs, communicating over TCP/IP, LAN/WAN, Internet or RS485. If the opening needs card or keypad access with a cardholder database and network head-end, the CA8500 is the one that does that; if it needs relay logic and timing without credentials, the 10-800 covers it.
17) Is a Securitron AQS1210 a substitute for a DormaKaba CA8500 on an 8 door system?
No - it substitutes for the power side only. The Securitron AQS1210 is a switching power supply, 12 VDC at 10 amps, which can carry the lock load for a bank of doors. The DormaKaba CA8500 is the control unit that reads credentials and makes the release decision, with 8 reader ports' worth of readers and/or keypads, 8 door output relays, and a card capacity of 32,000. On an 8 door system you would still need a CA8500 or equivalent panel for the access decisions, with a supply like the AQS1210 or the Securitron AQL4 at 12/24VDC 4/3 amp handling the locks.
18) What looks like an alternative to the DormaKaba CA8500 but will not work for a networked card access system?
A few products in the same aisle are not panels at all. The ROFU 9126T is a plug-in mini power supply, 12 VDC at 1.5A with time delay, and the ROFU 10305-LA is a power transfer hinge rated 1.5A at 42V, which carries wiring from frame to door rather than controlling anything. The Command Access CAT Field Tester is a portable 12-24VDC supply that runs off DeWalt, Makita and Milwaukee batteries, meant for bench and field testing. None of these read credentials. The DormaKaba CA8500 handles the credential side, with reader settings supporting Wiegand protocols, 32,000 card capacity, and system status LEDs for diagnostics and troubleshooting.
19) Does the DormaKaba CA8500 replace the need for a UL listed power supply on an access control kit?
No. The CA8500 arrives with a DPS-15 power supply and a black metal enclosure with lock and tamper switch, and it also calls for two 16 V AC 37 or 40 V A transformers and a 12 V 7Ah battery for standby. Field power for readers, locks and peripherals is generally taken from a separate supply - the Aiphone AC-PS1250 is a UL Listed 12V DC 5A supply for AC Series access control kits, and the Command Access PS210 is a UL 6E/CSA linear supply with 1.5A at 24VDC output and boost circuitry. Spec the supply against the total lock and reader load on the panel.
20) What options give battery backup if I am specifying around a DormaKaba CA8500?
The CA8500 itself calls for a 12 V 7Ah battery alongside its two 16 V AC 37 or 40 V A transformers. For the field devices, the Adams Rite PS-1 is a regulated 1 amp supply at 12/24 volts DC with battery backup, the Command Access PS204/204B is a linear supply with 2A at 24VDC and battery backup, and the Detex 10-800 Series includes a 120VAC/24VDC supply with battery backup. Match the backup supply to the standby load of the locks and readers it is feeding, not to the panel.
21) I need a higher amperage supply to sit alongside a DormaKaba CA8500 for a bank of maglocks. What are the choices?
Size the supply to the total holding current of the maglocks. The SDC 634 Series is a 4 amp regulated and filtered low voltage supply with dual voltage selection, the SDC 632 Series is the 2 amp version and the SDC 631 Series is a 1.5 amp regulated and filtered DC power controller, all with dual voltage selection. Larger still, the Altronix AL1024ULACMCB delivers 24VDC at 10A across 8 PTC outputs. The DormaKaba CA8500 provides the door output relays that switch those locks, with 8 door output relays on the unit.
22) If a relay board fails on a CA8500, do I replace the whole cabinet?
No. The CA8500 is built from separate boards inside the enclosure: one CA8500B PC109X ACU main board, two OCB8 (PC110X) relay boards, and a DPS-15 power supply. Door relays live on the OCB8 boards, so a failed output is a board level swap, not a panel replacement. On board status LEDs are there to point you at which section is the problem before you start pulling hardware.
How fast can I get the Dormakaba CA8500 delivered?
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Can I return it if it doesn’t work for me?
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Does the Dormakaba CA8500 come with a warranty?
Absolutely. The Dormakaba CA8500 is backed by a manufacturer’s warranty. For full warranty terms, check the product documentation or Contact Us.
How do I get technical support or installation help for the Dormakaba CA8500?
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