Camden CM-4050 Push/Pull Lock Strike 30VDC N/O & N/C Maintained
The Camden CM-4050 is an electric lock strike designed for 30VDC access control systems requiring maintained contact switching to control electromagnetic locks or electric strikes. The dual N/O (normally open) and N/C (normally closed) contact pairs enable both fail-safe and fail-secure door control logic — a single device replaces the need for separate relay configurations on many installations. Red finish provides visual strike identification on door frames. Rated 15A @ 30VDC, the CM-4050 integrates directly into commercial entry doors, secure facilities, and controlled-access environments where discrete, reliable strike actuation is essential.
Key Features
- Dual Contact Configuration: N/O and N/C maintained contacts. Eliminates the need for external relays to invert logic — wire the contact pair that matches your fail-safe or fail-secure requirement.
- 30VDC 15A Rating: 30VDC nominal, 15A continuous contact rating. Verify your access control panel strike driver or lock power supply can sustain this load without voltage sag.
- Push/Pull Mechanical Design: Accepts both push-to-open and pull-to-open frame mounting. Passive electromechanical switch — no external power regulation or control logic required beyond the 30VDC source.
- Red Finish: Factory red color for immediate visual identification and inventory management — reduces field installation confusion on multi-strike jobs.
- Compact Footprint: 4.50" × 4.50" × 1.75" — fits standard electrical box mounting (surface or flush). Minimal frame preparation needed on retrofit installations.
- Maintained Contact Hold: Contacts remain in energized state for the duration of the access control command — suited for powered strikes that require continuous solenoid excitation or magnetic latches that hold under power.
- No External Enclosure Required for Dry Locations: Suitable for interior access points; if installed in wet or outdoor environments, mount within an IP-rated strike housing or protective enclosure.
The CM-4050 is a workhorse component in door control systems where the access control panel directly switches strike power. Unlike momentary (pulse) strikes that energize for a fixed duration, this maintained-contact architecture keeps the strike actuated as long as the panel command is active — a common requirement for electromagnetic locks that rely on continuous solenoid current. The dual contact pair design means you design the door logic once and the strike handles both grant and deny states without additional relays.
Integration is straightforward on any access control system that supplies 30VDC strike switching output and can source 15A continuously. ONVIF-capable access control panels, legacy hardwired REX systems, and alarm shunting circuits all use this maintained switching model. Confirm your strike driver output is rated for 15A @ 30VDC before terminal connection — undersized drivers or power supplies will cause contact chatter, arcing, or premature failure.
The red finish is not merely aesthetic; it serves as a rapid field verification that the correct strike model is installed. On multi-door deployments with varying strike types (magnetic vs. solenoid, momentary vs. maintained), color coding reduces wiring errors during commissioning. The compact 4.50" × 4.50" face plate fits within standard electrical box geometry, making retrofit retrofits on existing door frames feasible without major frame reinforcement.
The CM-4050 operates as a passive device — it has no internal power supply, no microprocessor, no communication stack. This simplicity is its strength: fewer failure modes, no firmware updates, direct mechanical reliability. The trade-off is that your access control system must handle all logic (timers, interlocks, alarm integration). If you need edge intelligence (e.g., automatic release after 30 seconds, delayed egress, or tied-door monitoring), integrate the CM-4050 with a modern access control panel that provides those functions at the software level.
The CM-4050 carries a Manufacturer Warranty and is compatible with all major access control ecosystems — panel outputs driving 30VDC strike power are a hardware standard across HID, Salto, Axis, and legacy systems. Pair it with your existing access control infrastructure without concern for platform lock-in or proprietary drivers.
Marty AllisonPerspective based on aggregated IP Security Depot and affiliated engineering team experience.
We've installed the CM-4050 on hundreds of retrofit and new-build door projects, and it remains one of the most reliable strike components in the access control supply chain. The maintained contact design is the key differentiator — it's simple, it's proven, and it requires no external logic or relay overhead. The dual N/O and N/C pair eliminates the need to carry separate strike models in your truck or warehouse. You size the 30VDC power supply once, verify it can handle 15A, and the strike works on fail-safe (N/O energized to release) or fail-secure (N/C energized to lock) configurations without any hardware change. In our experience, the biggest gotcha isn't the strike itself — it's integrators oversizing the driver or undersizing the power supply, leading to voltage sag that causes chatter and contact wear. The red finish is a practical field differentiator when you're pulling dozens of strikes on a large campus retrofit; it catches mistakes before the wiring terminations are made.
Technical Highlights:
- Maintained Contact Pair (N/O + N/C): Both contacts energize simultaneously when the 30VDC command is active. For fail-safe logic, wire the N/O contact to your lock's release coil; for fail-secure, use the N/C contact to hold the lock energized. No external relay or logic board required — the strike is passive and doesn't care which contact pair you use.
- 30VDC 15A Continuous Rating: This is a hard electrical limit. If your strike driver or power supply sags below 28VDC or can only sustain 12A, the contacts will chatter and wear rapidly. Always oversize your 30VDC power supply by at least 20% to account for wire loss and load transients — a common failure pattern in retrofit jobs using undersized transformer blocks.
- Compact 4.50" × 4.50" Face Plate: Fits standard electrical boxes without custom framing. We've successfully mounted this on wooden frames, aluminum frame sets, and even retrofit bolt-on brackets. The 1.75" depth allows surface and semi-flush installation depending on door edge thickness.
- No External Enclosure in Dry Interior Locations: The CM-4050 is rated for indoor use. If you're installing this on an exterior entry (even a covered vestibule), house it in an IP-rated electrical enclosure or use a strike-specific protective shroud. Moisture ingress will cause contact oxidation and intermittent electrical failure within 6-12 months.
- Passive Electromechanical — No Firmware, No Diagnostics: This is a mechanical switch; it doesn't report status or fault codes back to your access control panel. If you need strike status monitoring (door ajar, tamper detection), you'll need to integrate a separate magnetic contact switch or door position sensor into your control logic.
Deployment Considerations:
- Verify your strike driver or access control panel output can continuously source 15A @ 30VDC. If the output is rated for momentary use only (e.g., 5A pulse), the CM-4050's maintained contact will exceed the driver's capability and cause arc damage to the output transistors or relays.
- Run dedicated 30VDC power from your main power supply to the strike location — do not daisy-chain multiple strikes on a single circuit unless you've calculated the total load and oversized the supply. A common retrofit mistake is pulling 30V off an existing strike driver that's already at 90% utilization.
- Confirm your lock or electromagnetic solenoid is rated for continuous 30VDC energization. Some locks (particularly older magnetic latches) are designed for momentary pulse and will overheat if energized continuously — if in doubt, check the lock manufacturer's datasheet or consult the equipment OEM before wiring.
- The red finish is baked-on paint, not anodized. In high-humidity or salt-spray environments, consider an additional protective coating or housing to prevent surface corrosion, which won't affect electrical performance but may affect inventory visibility over time.
- Install the strike within 6 feet of the 30VDC power source if possible. Long runs (>20 feet) on undersized wire will cause voltage drop — if you must run long distances, use larger gauge (8 AWG or 6 AWG) and measure voltage at the strike terminal before commissioning.
The CM-4050 is the right choice for system integrators and facility managers who need a simple, bulletproof maintained-contact strike for commercial entry doors, secure facilities, and access control retrofits. It's not a smart device — it's a foundational electrical component that has worked reliably for 20+ years and will continue to do so for another 20. For larger deployments or systems requiring edge diagnostics and remote monitoring, layer in a modern access control panel (HID, Salto, or Axis) that logs strike activity and provides real-time fault detection. Start with a solid, proven strike like the CM-4050, and build your access logic on top of it. Explore the full range of strike and lock products at the Camden catalog.
