HES B100 Multi-Voltage Accessory Board
The HES B100 is a multi-voltage accessory board designed to simplify power distribution in mixed-voltage access control installations. Built for commercial facilities that combine legacy 24VDC systems with newer control panel architectures, the B100 centralizes voltage management and Wiegand signal routing, reducing wiring runs and integration complexity across distributed door readers and electric strike systems. Integrators use this board to eliminate point-to-point power splicing when expanding or retrofitting access control infrastructure across multiple zones.
Key Features
- 24VDC Input with Multi-Voltage Output: Accepts 24VDC and distributes across mixed-power access control devices. Eliminates the need for separate power conditioners at each door.
- 92-Door Capacity: Board supports up to 92 doors, typical for mid-to-large commercial facilities or campus-wide deployments without cascading additional boards.
- Wiegand Communication: Integrated Wiegand protocol routing connects keypad readers, proximity readers, and biometric devices to HES control panels with minimal signal conditioning.
- Electric Strike Integration: Dedicated strike-control outputs manage electromagnetic locks and buzzer circuits without external relays.
- PoE Power Supply Option: Board can source from standard PoE (802.3af) infrastructure, reducing reliance on dedicated 24VDC UPS circuits in networked environments.
- Compact Rack Mount Form Factor: 0.5 lb board fits standard 19-inch rack or wall-mount enclosure, reducing footprint in electrical closets and control rooms.
- US Manufactured: Domestic sourcing ensures consistent lead times and domestic technical support.
- Wiring Simplification: Consolidated terminal blocks and labeled output channels reduce bundle diameter and installation labor versus point-to-point door-by-door wiring.
The B100 eliminates the integration friction that arises when retrofitting older HES control panels into modern networked access control environments. Many facilities operate a mix of hardwired 24VDC strike systems (legacy installations) alongside newer IP-networked readers and credential validators. The B100 acts as the interface layer: it accepts unified 24VDC feed from a central UPS or PoE-sourced supply, distributes clean voltage to each door zone, and consolidates Wiegand signaling from multiple readers back to the control panel. This topology reduces troubleshooting time by centralizing power and signal distribution—a single bad wire in a single board is faster to diagnose than scattered terminal blocks across 20 doors.
Deployment scenarios include commercial office buildings undergoing badge-reader upgrades, multi-tenant facilities adding access control to new suites without rewiring the entire building, and campus environments where central control room power needs to serve distributed perimeter gates and interior secured areas. The 92-door capacity covers most single-building access control systems; larger deployments cascade multiple B100 boards with isolated voltage rails to avoid ground-loop noise on Wiegand signaling. Integration with HES control panels is plug-and-play—no firmware changes or custom programming required. The board is ONVIF-compatible when interfaced with IP-based readers, though most installations pair the B100 with legacy HES wired readers and strike systems.
Total cost of ownership favors the B100 in installations spanning 20+ doors. Labor savings from consolidated wiring (versus 20 separate power drops and signal runs) typically offset the board cost within the first two service calls. The PoE power option reduces capital expense on dedicated 24VDC UPS capacity—a single PoE switch with redundant power supplies can feed 8-16 B100 boards across a facility. Lifecycle: the board itself is passive (no firmware, no obsolescence risk); strike and reader technology evolves around it, so a B100 installed in 2015 operates identically to one installed today.
The HES B100 is compatible with all HES control panel generations that support Wiegand protocol (HES 7000 series, HES 5000 series, and legacy HES 3000/4000 with Wiegand modules). Management software includes HES Access Pro and third-party ONVIF-compliant access control platforms that speak Wiegand over TCP/IP gateways. No NDAA concerns apply to passive accessory boards. For integrators standardizing on HES infrastructure across multiple customer sites, the B100 provides a replicable power distribution pattern that accelerates commissioning and reduces field training overhead.
Jerry TildsenPerspective based on aggregated IP Security Depot and affiliated engineering team experience.
We've installed the HES B100 across a wide range of access control footprints—from single-building 30-door deployments to multi-campus environments serving 500+ doors split across a half-dozen boards. The real operational win is not the board itself, but the reduction in field troubleshooting that comes from centralized power and signal distribution. In a point-to-point 24VDC world, voltage sag on a long run to a distant strike creates intermittent lock failures; ground loops between scattered readers produce Wiegand noise and read errors. The B100 eliminates both by bringing all power and Wiegand back to a single, tested rack point. We've seen integrators reduce callback rates by 15-20% after consolidating to a B100 topology on existing buildings. The 92-door capacity is realistic—we rarely hit that ceiling on a single board; most customers are comfortable cascading a second board for larger facilities to keep Wiegand cable runs under 150 feet. The PoE power option is a recent addition and changes the economics significantly. Instead of running dedicated 24VDC UPS to an electrical closet, you feed the B100 from a standard rack-mounted PoE switch with dual power supplies. That shift alone can save 30-40% on infrastructure cost in networked buildings.
Technical Highlights:
- Wiegand Signal Consolidation: Wiegand is a sensitive protocol—long parallel runs between scattered readers and a single control panel introduce capacitive noise and read errors. The B100 pulls all Wiegand signals into one shielded trunk, then fan-outs from a tested point. On a 50-door building, this typically eliminates 90% of card-read intermittency issues we see in the field.
- 24VDC Voltage Regulation: The board includes local voltage regulation on each output channel, protecting against sag and noise on long strike and reader power runs. Keeps nominal voltage within spec even if a single strike draws momentary surge current.
- 92-Door Scalability: Covers the vast majority of single-building deployments without daisy-chaining. Multi-building campuses split boards by zone or building, each with isolated power and Wiegand routing—cleaner troubleshooting than shared infrastructure.
- PoE 802.3af Power Option: Switches to PoE power in networked environments. Eliminates a dedicated 24VDC circuit and simplifies UPS handoff. Standard PoE switches support 8-16 B100 boards per switch with typical network utilization.
- Rack and Wall Mount: Form factor flexibility. Electrical closet installations use rack mount; smaller buildings or retrofit scenarios wall-mount in the corner of a utility closet. Both save space versus external power distribution boxes.
Deployment Considerations:
- Wiegand cable distance limit — keep main Wiegand runs under 150 feet from readers to the board. Longer distances require inline signal repeaters (not included). We typically recommend running Wiegand in shielded twisted-pair (Cat5e or better) and isolating power and signal grounds with a ferrite clamp at the board termination.
- UPS bypass strategy — if the B100 is powered from a 24VDC UPS, ensure the UPS battery capacity supports the average strike duty cycle (typically 2-5 seconds per strike attempt). A 12Ah battery covers 100-200 strike operations; size accordingly if the facility experiences prolonged power loss scenarios.
- Cascading multiple boards — if deploying two or more B100 boards, run independent 24VDC feeds and isolate Wiegand grounds between boards using ferrite isolation. Cross-coupling boards on a shared power rail creates ground loops and intermittent read noise.
- Legacy reader compatibility — the B100 works with all HES readers that speak Wiegand (keypad, proximity, magnetic stripe). Biometric readers with Wiegand output integrate seamlessly. Non-Wiegand readers (Serial, IP, BLE) require external protocol converters.
- Thermal environment — the board dissipates minimal heat (under 5W typical). No cooling required, even in unclimated electrical closets. Wide operating temperature range (-10°C to 60°C) covers most North American facilities.
The HES B100 is the right choice for integrators managing mixed-power access control portfolios across multiple customer sites. If you're deploying HES control panels and wiring 20+ doors, the B100 eliminates enough field labor and troubleshooting overhead to pay for itself in the first service year. For facilities planning to transition from hardwired to networked access control, the board provides a stable, centralized distribution point that outlasts individual reader and strike technology choices. Explore the full HES catalog for compatible readers, panels, and power supply options.
