Time Devices

1Purpose #

• Several devices can be registered — one per gate, per branch, per site — local on the LAN or remote behind a port-forward or VPN. Each has its own address, port, communication key and branch.
• The SDK in use is shown in the header ( ). It runs on the API server: the server needs the SDK installed and network reach to the device; your browser needs neither.
• The page stores configuration only. No punch is read here except by Test Connection , which reads the device's identity and counters and changes nothing on it.

2Preparing the server (once) #

• Copy the standard SDK's DLLs (zkemkeeper.dll and the files shipped with it) to a folder on the API server, and register them once as administrator: regsvr32 zkemkeeper.dll .
• Match the bitness: the 32-bit SDK with a 32-bit application pool, the 64-bit SDK with a 64-bit one. A mismatch is reported by Test Connection as "registered for the other bitness".
• Make sure the server can reach the device: ping the address and open the port (4370 by default) on any firewall or router between them. A remote device needs a port-forward to it, or a VPN.
• Set a Comm Key on the device if its network is shared, and enter the same key here.
• Enrol the employees on the device under the number you record in the Employee master's Device ID field — that is how a punch finds its employee.

3Your first device, step by step #

1. The page opens in Add . Type the Reader name — "Main gate".
2. Press Enter through Model and Serial (Test Connection fills the serial later) and pick the Branch the device stands in (ERP edition only; otherwise the login branch is used).
3. Type the IP address from the device's communication menu, leave Port 4370 and Machine no. 1 unless the device says otherwise, type the Communication key if one is set.
4. Switch on Auto read so the daily download includes it; leave Clear after save off until the first downloads have been checked.
5. Press F5 and confirm. The device is saved.
6. Press F7 — Test Connection. A green panel shows the serial number, firmware, the device's clock, how many users are enrolled and how many log records it holds. A red panel names the problem (unreachable, wrong key, SDK not registered …).
7. Go to Device Log Processing, tick the device, press Read.

4How to use it #

1. Find (F2) lists the devices; pick one to load it. Add (F3) , Modify (F4) , Delete — each asks first.
2. Save (F5) commits and stays in View mode.
3. Test Connection (F7) works on the loaded (saved) device. It connects, reads identity and counters, records a blank serial number, and disconnects. Nothing on the device is read or cleared.
4. Enter moves from field to field and lands on Save.

5Field details #

• Reader name — required, unique; the record's key.
• Model / Serial number / Description — reference text; the serial is stamped on downloaded punches.
• Branch (ERP edition only) — the branch of every punch from this device; blank = the downloading user's login branch.
• IP address / host — required; IPv4, IPv6 or a host name. Port — 1–65535, 4370 by default. Machine no. — 1 or more.
• Communication key — the device's numeric Comm Key; stored as entered.
• Protocol — TCP/IP or UDP. Timeout — at least 1000 ms.
• Licence key — for per-device-licensed SDKs only.
• Auto read / Clear device log after a successful save — the defaults Device Log Processing starts from.

6Shortcut keys #

• F2 Find · F3 Add · F4 Modify · F5 Save · F7 Test Connection · Esc Cancel.
• Enter moves to the next field; from the last one it lands on Save.

7Why is a pick-list empty? #

• Branch (ERP edition only) lists the branches your user may see (the company-scoped branch list). An empty list means no branch is allocated to your user — ask the administrator.
• Protocol is fixed.
• Find (F2) empty — no device has been registered yet.

8Rules and integrity #

• Unique name; unique address + port. Two devices can not share a name (the table's key) or one address and port.
• The server connects, not the browser. Every connection — test, read, clear — runs on the API server through the registered SDK. Firewalls, routes and the SDK installation are the server's.
• No triggers, no permission object on this table; saving is open to any signed-in user of the payroll module.
• Deleting a device does not touch the punches already downloaded from it.