Standalone Access Control Keypad Programming: Master Code, Users and Reset

Most standalone access control keypads are programmed from their own keys: press *, the master code and # to enter programming mode, choose a function with a single digit, confirm with #, and press * to exit. This guide walks through that pattern for the master code, card and PIN users, access mode, relay time, Wiegand modes and factory reset, then adds a wiring diagram and a printable quick-reference card. Menu numbers differ between models, so check each sequence against the manual for your unit.

Enter programming mode and change the master code

The master code is the administrator password of a standalone keypad. Anyone who knows it can add users, change settings or open the door, so change it before the keypad goes on the wall. Many generic keypads ship with a simple default such as 123456, which is exactly why it can’t stay in service.

A typical sequence:

1. Power the keypad. On many models the LED glows or slowly flashes red in standby.
2. Enter programming mode: * + master code + #. The LED usually changes color or flashes to show you’re in the menu.
3. Change the master code: 0 + new code + # + new code again + #. Master codes are usually 6 digits.
4. Exit: press * to return to standby.

On many models a single long beep confirms a step and three short beeps signal an error. If you hear the error tone, you’re probably still in programming mode; press * and start again.

Good practice for installers:

• Use a unique master code per site and store it in the handover pack or a password manager, never on a sticker inside the enclosure.
• Don’t reuse any user’s PIN as the master code.
• Some keypads also support a master add card and a master delete card, which enroll or remove users without typing the master code. Treat them like the master code: locked away, not on a key ring.

Add and delete PIN users and card users

Standalone keypads store users in numbered slots called user IDs. Capacity depends on the model, from about 1,000 users to several thousand. Assigning known IDs lets you delete a lost card without having the card in hand.

Typical sequences, entered while in programming mode:

• Add card users: 1 + present card + (present further cards) + #. The keypad assigns the next free IDs.
• Add a card to a chosen ID: 1 + user ID + # + present card + #.
• Add a PIN user: 1 + user ID + # + PIN + #. Some models ask for the PIN twice.
• Delete by card: 2 + present card + #.
• Delete by user ID: 2 + user ID + #.
• Delete all users: model-specific. Some keypads use 2 followed by the master code and #; others use a fixed code. Treat it as irreversible.

Some keypads can also enroll a card by typing the number printed on it, which is useful for enrolling a batch of fobs before they’re handed out.

Keep a user register with user ID, name, credential number and issue date. Without it, you can’t remove a departed employee whose card was never returned. For PINs, use 4–6 digits and block obvious choices such as 1234, 0000 or birth years.

Card frequency matters. Keypads read 125 kHz EM-type cards, 13.56 MHz MIFARE-type cards, or both. A card of the wrong frequency is simply ignored, which is the usual reason a new batch of fobs “doesn’t work.” When choosing hardware, compare user capacity, card frequency, Wiegand support and IP rating across standalone keypads. Also note that most standalone keypads identify a card by its UID (serial number) alone, and UID-only cards can be copied with inexpensive tools. That’s one reason to use card + PIN on sensitive doors.

Set the access mode: card, PIN or card plus PIN

The access mode decides which credentials open the door. On many keypads it’s 3 + a mode digit + #, but the digit assigned to each mode varies by model.

Mode	User presents	Security	Speed at the door	Good fit
Card only	Card or fob	Low: a lost or copied card opens the door	Fastest	Interior doors, high traffic
PIN only	4–6 digit PIN	Low to medium: PINs get shared and observed	Medium	Small teams, no cards to manage
Card or PIN	Either credential	Lowest: either one alone opens the door	Fast	Mixed users during a rollout
Card + PIN	Card, then PIN	Highest built-in option: two factors	Slowest	Server, stock and records rooms

Some keypads add modes such as multi-user entry (two valid credentials in a row), but these aren’t universal. After changing the mode, test with one card-only user and one PIN user so you know exactly what the door now accepts.

Set relay time and door-open alarm

The relay time is how long the lock stays released after a valid credential or exit request. A typical sequence is 4 + seconds + #, and some models use 0 to select toggle (latch) mode, where each valid credential alternately releases and relocks the door.

A maglock only holds once the door is closed against it, so a relay time that ends while the door is still open does no harm; the lock grips when the door closes. Drop bolts are different. If the bolt fires before the door is fully closed, it can miss the strike or jam, so set the relay time long enough for the door to close, or use a bolt with its own relock delay.

Door-open alarms need a door status sensor (door contact) wired to the keypad’s sensor input; without one, the keypad can’t tell whether the door is open. With a contact fitted, many keypads offer a door-open-too-long warning and a forced-open alarm on the built-in buzzer, plus an alarm output for an external siren where fitted.

Setting	What it controls	Typical adjustment range	Suggested starting point
Relay (unlock) time	How long the lock stays released	1–99 s	5 s for a door with a closer
Toggle / latch mode	Lock stays released until the next valid credential	On / off	Off, except for doors held open during business hours
Door-open-too-long warning	Alert when the door is held open	Model-specific delay (s or min)	About 1 min on controlled doors
Forced-open alarm	Alarm if the door opens without a credential or exit request	On / off	On, once a door contact is fitted
Alarm output time	How long the buzzer or siren sounds	Model-specific (s to min)	Short enough to meet local noise rules
Failed-attempt lockout	Keypad ignores input after repeated invalid attempts	On / off	On for outdoor keypads

Use Wiegand input and output modes

Many standalone keypads have Wiegand terminals (D0 and D1) that work in one of two roles. Some models switch roles in the menu, others with a DIP switch.

Wiegand output (reader mode). The keypad becomes a reader for an access controller. Cards are sent as Wiegand 26-bit or 34-bit data, and PINs are commonly sent as a 4-bit or 8-bit burst per key press or as a 26-bit “virtual card” after #. Set the controller to the same PIN format. The controller then makes the access decision and drives the lock, and the keypad’s own relay usually goes unused.

Wiegand input. An external reader connects to the keypad’s D0 and D1, and the keypad makes the decision. Typical uses are an inside exit reader for in/out logging, or a vandal-resistant reader outside while the keypad and its relay stay on the secure side. The reader’s output format must be one the keypad accepts, and a card must produce the same number on the external reader as it did when enrolled. Our Wiegand reader wiring guide has a diagram for exactly this layout, and the Wiegand 26-bit format guide explains facility codes and card numbers if the numbers don’t match.

Factory reset procedure

Reset a keypad when the master code is lost, when you inherit a site with unknown settings, or before redeploying a unit. A typical procedure:

1. Disconnect power.
2. Hold the reset trigger. On many keypads that’s the exit button (or a short between the exit-button input and GND); others use a reset jumper on the circuit board or a specific key.
3. Reconnect power while still holding the trigger.
4. Release after the confirmation, often two beeps or an LED color change.
5. On models with management cards, cards presented in the next few seconds may become the master add and master delete cards. Have them ready or let the window pass.
6. Enter programming mode with the default master code and change it immediately.

What a reset clears depends on the model. On many keypads it restores the master code and settings but keeps enrolled users; on others it wipes everything. Test with one enrolled card after the reset, and use delete-all when you need an empty user list. Because a reset needs access to power and the exit-button input, mount the keypad so its rear and cable can’t be reached from the unsecured side.

Wiring with a maglock, drop bolt, exit button and power supply

A standalone keypad has power terminals, a relay output (COM, NC, NO), an exit-button input (often marked PUSH or OPEN) and, on many models, door sensor, alarm, doorbell and Wiegand terminals. A standard single-door installation looks like this:

• Power. Connect the 12 V DC supply’s positive to the keypad’s +12V and its negative to GND.
• Relay feed. Jumper supply positive to the relay COM terminal.
• Fail-safe locks. Maglocks and fail-safe drop bolts connect NC to lock + and lock − back to supply negative. The lock is powered, and holding, until a valid credential opens the NC contact.
• Fail-secure locks. Fail-secure strikes and bolts use NO instead of NC, so they receive power only while the relay is active. The fail-safe vs fail-secure guide explains which suits each door.
• Exit button. Wire a normally open button between PUSH and GND.
• Suppression. Follow the exact lock / output manufacturer’s suppression instructions. Do not automatically fit a 1N4007 or MOV; some maglocks prohibit a parallel diode because it delays release.

Add up the keypad’s rated current and the lock’s rated current, then choose one of our access control power supplies with headroom above that total. Check each lock’s current draw and fail-safe or fail-secure type when choosing magnetic locks or electric bolt locks. If you add battery backup, remember that a fail-safe maglock stays locked through a mains outage until the battery runs down.

Egress rules apply to locked exit doors. In the US, for example, NFPA 101’s sensor-release provisions for electrically locked egress doors call for a sensor on the egress side, a manual release that cuts lock power directly and independently of the access control electronics, release on loss of power, and release on fire-alarm activation. Other codes set their own requirements, so confirm the arrangement with your authority having jurisdiction.

Printable quick-reference card

Print this table and fill in the right-hand column from your model’s manual. Keep it in the handover pack, not taped inside the enclosure.

Task	Typical key sequence	Your model
Enter programming mode	* + master code + #	______
Change master code	0 + new code + # + new code + #	______
Add card user	1 + present card + #	______
Add PIN user	1 + user ID + # + PIN + #	______
Delete a user	2 + card or user ID + #	______
Set access mode	3 + mode digit + #	______
Set relay time (s)	4 + seconds + #	______
Exit programming mode	*	______
Factory reset	Power off, hold exit button, power on	______

Commissioning checklist

• Master code changed and recorded in the handover pack
• Management cards (if used) enrolled and stored securely
• User register started: ID, name, credential number, issue date
• Access mode set and tested with a card user and a PIN user
• Relay time set; door closes and relocks as expected
• Lock on the correct contact: NC for fail-safe, NO for fail-secure
• Suppression follows the exact lock / output manufacturer’s instructions; no prohibited added diode
• Exit button releases the door; egress release meets local code
• Door contact wired and alarms tested (if used)
• Wiegand role and format confirmed (if a reader or controller is connected)

Next steps

Tell us the door type, lock, card technology and number of users, and we’ll put together a matched keypad, lock, power supply and exit button set, checked for compatibility before dispatch. Request a quote for pricing or samples; we reply within 24 hours.

Suppression source

Only the suppression guidance was reviewed for this update. Securitron SAM installation manual, section 6.3 illustrates manufacturer-specific requirements; use the exact equipment manuals.