Glossary

Access point

Represents either one smart electronic locking device or a collection of devices capable of granting or denying access to a secured area, such as a room, office or apartment. An access point may also serve to lock/unlock secured containers like cabinets, drawers or lockers. In the real world, it can take on different forms. For example, a door equipped with an electronic escutcheon or a cylinder, a controller with an electric strike, or a padlock. An access point could also represent a turnstile or a car park barrier.

An access point frequently represents one single physical electronic lock. However, an access point could also be made up of more than one device. For example, it could be composed of an electronic lock and a contact sensor or a controller and a reader with a keypad.

The term access point in SALTO software products should not be confused with the generic term wireless access point, which is a networking hardware device that allows other WiFi devices to connect to a wired network.

Access point group

A specified collection of access points that are grouped together to make them easier to manage.

For example, an access point group could be all the doors on the first floor of an installation, or all the lockers in the gym area, or all the doors in the financial services department.

Access right

Represents a materialized view or snapshot of access permissions. Access rights simplify the management of access permissions for large sets of users with similar access profiles. For example, all staff in a department or all managerial staff. An access right can be associated with multiple access points.

Access right schedule

When creating access rights, you can set access points to be available on certain days at certain hours for any user who has that access right assigned to them. In one step, a selection of users can get the same schedule for the same set of access points.

Activity

Activity details different types of events that are taking place within an installation. For example, a user with a management role can see when an access point was created or whether an electronic lock has been unlocked. Activity is composed of two broad types of events - system events and device events.

App key

A type of digital key that resides within the SALTO Nebula and Homelok mobile apps. App keys allow you to use your Bluetooth-capable iPhone or Android phone as your key by opening the app and presenting your device to an electronic lock.

Apple Wallet key

Apple Wallet keys are digital keys that reside in the Apple Wallet on your iPhone and Apple Watch. By using near-field communication (NFC) to communicate with electronic locks, the same technology used by contactless key fobs or keycards, they offer a fast and reliable digital key experience on Apple devices.

Card key

Refers to a physical key such as a fob, wristband or keycard. Card keys can be encoded using an online access point.

Controller

Controllers are mains-wired hardware devices that can be used to control access where a standalone lock cannot be fitted. For example, on car park barriers, turnstiles or sliding doors. They allow the management of multiple accesses from a single device. For example, one single controller could control access to both the entrance and exit of a building via a turnstile.

Device

Devices are pieces of hardware such as electronic locks, gateways and encoders. They can be any item of hardware used in the SALTO system.

It's useful to consider that electronic locks are the “core” types of device in SALTO. Other devices such as gateways, encoders or repeaters could be considered more “peripheral” hardware in the access control system.

Digital key

Represents a digital credential you need to present at electronic locks to gain access. Digital keys are available in a variety of formats and can be held inside smartwatches or smartphone apps.

The SALTO Nebula and Homelok apps, which are available on Android and iOS platforms, allow users to use their smartphone as a key via an app key.

The Apple Wallet key is a key which resides in Apple Wallet on your iPhone and/or an Apple Watch.

Electronic lock

A physical electronic locking device such as an electronic escutcheon or a cylinder. It differs from an access point in that an electronic lock could be a particular model of a device such as a Neo cylinder, an XS4 escutcheon or a SALTO motorized lock, for example.

An electronic lock is a single device, whereas an access point could be made up of several devices. For example, an access point could be composed of an electronic lock plus a contact sensor or a controller and a reader with a keypad.

In general, a key (physical or digital) must be presented for an electronic lock to grant access. As with all SALTO hardware devices, electronic locks use end-to-end encryption to transfer information to and from the software.

Encoder

A hardware device used to read and encode physical keys like wristbands, fobs and keycards with access permission data.

Event

Describes an individual moment of activity which takes place within an installation. It can relate to specific access points and electronic locks. For example, an event could be the creation of an access point, the deletion of an access point, or indicate when an electronic lock was unlocked and by which user.

Firmware

A software program or set of instructions programmed directly onto a hardware device like an electronic lock or a gateway. Firmware provides the necessary instructions for how the device communicates with the rest of the system.

Gateway

A device intended to be used with access points where online connectivity is needed. Gateways connect to electronic locks enabling offline access points to become connected. This allows functionality such as auto-assigning fobs, keycards and wristbands as well as the monitoring of activity within an installation. A gateway acts as a bridge transferring information using end-to-end encryption to and from the devices behind it to the software.

Installation

An installation represents any entity (company, office, building, hotel, etc.) that uses SALTO software. As such, it represents a collection of all the access control elements (such as access points, access rights, users, etc.) that comprise the access control system.

Intercom adaptor

A device that can be connected to an existing intercom system close to the telephone handset, without affecting its proper functioning. Its main purpose is to convert the intercom system to become part of the access control system, allowing users to unlock the main entrance door of their apartment building via their phones, for example.

Office

A type of opening mode which, when applied, allows an electronic lock to be left unlocked upon a user unlocking it for the first time.

Opening mode

A type of behavior that can be applied to a specific access point or collection of access points. Opening modes can either be applied 24/7 to the access point or they can be scheduled. Opening mode schedules allow you to make a number of different opening modes switch automatically and vary across specific time periods that you define. A time period represents the days and hours in which an opening mode is valid.

Owner

A user role with full permissions to manage the system. Similar to a system or property manager, but a user with this role can also delete and transfer installations. This is the most powerful role that exists, and there can only be one user with the role of owner in an installation at any given time.

Passcode

A numeric code that can be assigned to a user, like a key, to allow the user to gain access via locks that are equipped with keypads.

SALTO Nebula

SALTO Nebula, or just Nebula, refers to the cloud-based access control platform. This includes the web application (Nebula web) as well as the mobile app available on both iOS and Android devices (Nebula app).

SALTO Nebula web

SALTO Nebula web, or just Nebula web, refers to the web application which is accessible via an internet browser. The application is part of the SALTO Nebula cloud-based access control platform.

Toggle

A type of opening mode which, when applied, allows an electronic lock to be left unlocked by any authorized user who presents a valid key. The next authorized key presented then locks the electronic lock. This continues switching (toggling) on presentation of each valid key.

UID

Unique identifier or serial number of a physical key (fob, keycard, etc.) which is used when assigning these types of keys. It is usually composed of a 14-digit hexadecimal code.

Unit

A unit is a sub-grouping within an installation. A common use case for a unit might be an apartment which is located within an apartment block. It can also often be considered a "rentable space". For example, an office located within a larger office building that contains multiple office spaces rented by different companies.

Unit manager

A user with management permissions at the unit level. The unit manager role allows granular administration of units, like apartments, within an installation (for example, an apartment building).

In general, unit managers have permissions to create users, give them access and assign keys at the unit level. However, there are two levels of unit manager: those who have permissions to create other unit managers and those who do not have permissions to create other unit managers.

Neither of these unit manager types have permissions to manage at the installation level.

User

Can refer to both a holder of keys and a user with permissions to manage other users within Nebula. Users with permission to manage other users are assigned a role. All users are eligible to access rights and may be assigned a key.