Camden CX-ED2079 Electric Strike

We've installed the CX-ED2079 across retrofit projects where the existing cylindrical lock hardware had to stay in place — hospitals, office parks, and light manufacturing sites where replacing every lock would exceed budget or create operational disruption. The key operational win is the voltage flexibility combined with fail-mode selectivity. On one 24-door medical facility retrofit, the customer's legacy intercom system output 12V to door strikes; three buildings down the road, a newer access control platform used 24V. Rather than stock two strike models or re-engineer one building's power delivery, we configured the first group as 12V and the second as 24V at install time from a single SKU. When a third building migrated to a hybrid system, the 12V strikes remained in service without modification. The endurance rating of 700,000 factory cycles (500,000 UL verified) has held up reliably in continuous-duty scenarios — secure entry lobbies, badge-controlled personnel doors, and automated gates where the strike cycles 500+ times per day.

Technical Highlights:

• Dual-Voltage Architecture (12/24V AC/DC): No field rewiring or component swap needed to match different controller outputs. This is deliberately simple — the strike is voltage-agnostic by design, reducing BOM complexity and eliminating the need to stock voltage variants. In multi-site deployments, this cuts spares inventory roughly in half.
• Grade 2 ANSI A156.31 Performance (1,000 lbs static, 50 ft-lbs dynamic): These numbers are verified, not marketing estimates. They mean the strike holds against normal push-pull forces on a commercial entry door without creep or fatigue. Anything lighter is residential-grade; anything heavier enters secure-facility territory (which you'd size differently anyway). Grade 2 is the sweet spot for 90% of access-controlled commercial doors.
• Mechanical Fail-Mode Selection (No Electronics on the Strike): The ability to choose fail-safe or fail-secure without software, firmware, or controller reconfiguration is a huge operational advantage. We've responded to policy changes at 2 a.m. by adjusting a lever inside the strike housing — no downtime, no controller restart, no risk of a firmware conflict. The strike has no decision logic of its own; it just responds to power presence or absence.
• Interchangeable Faceplate System (ESP1B, ESP3B, ESP4B): Frame depths vary wildly across 40-year-old buildings. Rather than order three SKU variants, one strike body + three faceplates covers 95% of frame geometries. We typically carry one body and one backup faceplate kit on the truck — the field installation template ensures the right faceplate is selected before any fastening.
• 700,000-Cycle Endurance (Factory Rated): A 500-cycle-per-day door hits this limit in roughly 4 years continuous operation. We've replaced CX-ED2079 units that ran for 5-6 years without mechanical failure — wear is predictable and visible during preventive maintenance inspections. The solenoid and latch mechanism are robust; they show degradation gradually, not suddenly.

Deployment Considerations:

• Mount the strike body flush into the door frame rabbet using the supplied wood screws and mounting template. The 4-7/8" height and 1-7/8" width fit standard cylindrical lock frames; verify rabbet depth (1-7/32" nominal cavity depth) before ordering. Non-standard frame geometry requires custom strike or frame modification.
• The four-pin keyed connector prevents voltage reversal, but label all field wiring at the controller end anyway. We've seen integrators swap 12V/24V ground connections during maintenance — the keyed connector catches obvious mistakes, but clear labeling stops the subtle ones.
• Varistor surge protection is included in the connector assembly, but on long runs (50+ feet of power wire to a remote controller), add a secondary surge suppressor at the controller end. Electromagnetic interference from HVAC or motor loads can degrade solenoid coil life.
• Both fail-safe and fail-secure modes lock mechanically — no controller involvement. A failed controller does not leave the door unlocked in fail-secure mode or jammed closed in fail-safe mode. This is operationally bulletproof for life-safety-critical doors.
• Current draw at full energization is 300mA (12V) or 150mA (24V). For a 16-door system, the 24V configuration reduces total power draw by nearly half and simplifies power supply sizing. If your access control platform lacks 24V capacity, the 12V option works but consumes more wattage per strike.

The CX-ED2079 is best for integrators managing existing cylindrical locks that must integrate into networked access control without lock replacement. If you're installing 20+ new doors, consider a strike system paired to electronic locks (which offer audit logging and firmware-based access policies). But for retrofit work, mixed-hardware environments, and sites where simplicity and long-term reliability matter more than advanced analytics, the CX-ED2079's mechanical design and field flexibility make it the practical choice. Explore more access control hardware in the Camden catalog.