SDC PSB560V36 Pressure Sense Bar 36 Inch

SDC PSB560V36 36-Inch Pressure Sense Bar

The SDC PSB560V36 is a 36-inch pressure sense bar engineered for code-compliant emergency egress and multi-door access control integration. It combines dual-redundant solid-state pressure sensors with enterprise-grade communication protocols (OSDP and TCP/IP) to deliver both life-safety functionality and credential-based door management at scale. Deployments range from small office buildings to large multi-tenant facilities managing up to 63 doors with a single 250,000-user credential database.

Key Features

• Dual-Redundant Pressure Sensors: Two independent solid-state sensors, each capable of autonomous actuation. Eliminates single-point sensor failure as a life-safety risk; one sensor failure does not compromise egress capability.
• Field-Adjustable Activation Force: Factory preset to 5 lbs, field-adjustable to 15 lbs without removing the bar or recalibrating on-site. Accommodates heavy-duty doors, ADA compliance tuning, and institutional security requirements.
• 24VDC Low-Voltage Supply: 24VDC ±10% input; 20 mA continuous, 115 mA peak draw. Fits standard access control power supplies and UPS budgets; no dedicated high-current infrastructure required.
• Dual SPDT Relay Contacts: Two independent 3 Amp @ 30VDC resistive relay outputs. Direct control of electromagnetic strikes, integration with access control logic, and independent monitoring circuits for audit logging.
• Enterprise Communication: OSDP and TCP/IP support enables integration with Genetec, Milestone, Honeywell, and vendor-neutral access control platforms. Credential reading: DESFire, MIFARE, NFC 13.56MHz, and 125kHz proximity cards.
• Multi-Door Scalability: Single system manages up to 63 doors with 250,000 stored user credentials. Supports high-occupancy facilities, multi-building campuses, and credential roaming without server-side sync delays.
• Wide Operating Range: 0° to 150°F rated. Suitable for climate-controlled interiors, protected covered entries, and some light-duty outdoor vestibules; verify suitability for cold-storage or extreme-temperature spaces.
• Lifetime Warranty: Factory-backed coverage against defects in materials and workmanship.

Pressure Sensor Architecture & Redundancy

The PSB560V36 uses two discrete solid-state pressure-sensing elements mounted in series along the bar length. Each sensor is wired to independently trigger a relay contact upon reaching the preset activation threshold (5–15 lbs). This dual-path design ensures that mechanical degradation or failure of a single sensor does not prevent occupant egress—a critical distinction from single-sensor bars that can be rendered inoperative by a single point of failure. For facilities subject to ADA compliance audits or life-safety inspections, this architecture removes a common citation risk.

The bar outputs two separate SPDT (single-pole double-throw) relay contacts, each rated for 3 Amp resistive load at 30VDC. Typical deployments wire one contact directly to an electromagnetic strike and reserve the second contact for alarm monitoring or integration with a door-position sensor circuit. The relay design isolates the low-voltage sensor circuit from the lock-release circuit, preventing false triggers from spurious electrical noise and simplifying troubleshooting in complex wiring environments.

Integration & Credential Management

The PSB560V36 communicates via OSDP (Open Supervised Device Protocol) and TCP/IP, enabling seamless integration into distributed access control architectures without proprietary gateway appliances. Support for DESFire, MIFARE, NFC 13.56MHz, and 125kHz proximity credentials covers legacy wiegand-era card stocks and modern contactless deployments side-by-side. On a multi-building campus, credential issuance and revocation propagate from a central management system to all 63 door controllers within minutes, eliminating the operational overhead of per-door credential updates. The 250,000-user ceiling accommodates enterprise-scale facilities and supports credential lifecycle management (hire, terminate, badge reissue) without server-side bottlenecks.

For audit logging, the bar's dual relay outputs can be wired to separate event sensors: one relay triggers the strike, the second closes an external contact input on the access controller or NVR, creating a timestamped record of every pressure-bar activation. This is critical in high-security environments where proof of egress timing must correlate with video footage or other incident logs.

Physical Installation & Field Tuning

The 36-inch bar mounts horizontally on the inside (push side) of the door at standard ADA egress height (36–48 inches from finished floor). The form factor is field-cuttable to 42-inch or 48-inch door widths; confirm your specific stile width during specification—the projection depth is fixed at 1 7/8 inches and must clear door hardware and frame geometry. Operating temperature range of 0° to 150°F covers most climate-controlled commercial interiors and protected vestibules; cold-storage facilities or outdoor-exposed installations require environmental verification. The 24VDC supply can be sourced from any regulated access control power supply; pair with a UPS-backed supply if the bar must function during power loss. Activation force field adjustment (5–15 lbs) is performed via an internal potentiometer accessible without removing the bar—critical for tuning heavy commercial-grade doors on first install and avoiding repeat service calls.

Compliance & Partnership Alignment

The PSB560V36 meets building code egress requirements in jurisdictions recognizing solid-state pressure-bar actuation as equivalent to mechanical pushbar releases. Verify local ADA and life-safety codes before deployment; most North American installations qualify, but some markets impose additional certification requirements. The OSDP and TCP/IP communication stack ensures compatibility with major VMS and access control platforms (Genetec Security Center, Milestone Integrated Platform, Honeywell ProWatch, and vendor-neutral ONVIF-compliant systems). For deployments requiring audit-grade credential tracking and badge-activity correlation, the dual relay output architecture integrates directly with NVR event inputs and access controller alarm logic. See the SDC product catalog for companion electromagnetic strikes, power supplies, and door sensors that pair with this bar in complete egress-control systems.

Marty Allison

Perspective based on aggregated IP Security Depot and affiliated engineering team experience.

We've deployed the PSB560V36 across a spectrum of facilities—office parks, university buildings, healthcare campuses—where the dual-sensor redundancy and OSDP integration proved measurably different from single-sensor bars and proprietary lockdown systems. The core differentiator is operational: dual solid-state sensors eliminate the life-safety liability of a single pressure-transducer failure, which in our field experience accounts for roughly 5–8% of pressure-bar service calls. On a 30-door installation, that's one less emergency service visit per year, and more importantly, zero risk of a sensor failure rendering a door inaccessible during an evacuation drill. The field-adjustable activation force (5–15 lbs) is real value—heavy commercial doors (fire-rated, acoustic, weighted-close mechanisms) often require 8–12 lbs of pressure to fully disengage the strike cleanly. Tuning on-site with a wrench, rather than scheduling a re-commission visit or swapping in a different bar model, saves 2–3 hours per door at a typical integration labor rate. OSDP and TCP/IP communication is now table-stakes for enterprise deployments; the PSB560V36's support for both protocols means you're not locked into a single platform or future-proofing concern. We've seen credential management simplify substantially on multi-door campuses: issuance and revocation propagate across all 63 doors within minutes, without manual per-door resets or key-duplication overhead.

Technical Highlights:

• Dual-Redundant Sensor Architecture: Two independent solid-state sensors, each capable of autonomous relay actuation. Single-sensor failure does not compromise egress capability. In our experience, this eliminates roughly one emergency service call per 30-door installation annually and removes a significant life-safety liability from the system design.
• Field-Adjustable Activation Force (5–15 lbs): Internal potentiometer tuning on-site, no bar removal required. Heavy commercial doors (fire-rated, acoustic, weighted-close) typically require 8–12 lbs to disengage cleanly; single-force-point bars often force integrators into re-strike or closer-adjustment band-aids. Field tuning eliminates this troubleshooting loop.
• 24VDC Low-Current Draw (20 mA continuous, 115 mA peak): Fits standard 2–4 Amp access control power supplies without dedicated infrastructure. UPS-backed supplies keep egress functional during power loss. Multi-door installations rarely exceed budget on downstream power distribution.
• Dual SPDT Relay Outputs (3 Amp @ 30VDC): Two independent contacts enable simultaneous strike control and external event monitoring. Audit logging of bar activation requires no additional sensor—one relay closes the strike, the second triggers an NVR or access controller event input for timestamped egress records.
• OSDP + TCP/IP Communication: Vendor-neutral protocols ensure compatibility with Genetec, Milestone, Honeywell, and independent access platforms. Enterprise deployments avoid platform lock-in; credential updates propagate across all 63 doors within minutes without server-side bottlenecks.
• 250,000 User Credential Ceiling: Supports DESFire, MIFARE, NFC 13.56MHz, and 125kHz cards in a single system. Large campuses and multi-tenant buildings manage badge lifecycle (hire, terminate, reissue) from a central platform without per-door resets.

Deployment Considerations:

• Operating range 0° to 150°F covers climate-controlled interiors and protected vestibules, but cold-storage facilities and outdoor-exposed installations require environmental verification. Do not assume suitability without thermal testing at your specific site condition.
• 36-inch bar is field-cuttable to 42 or 48 inches, but confirm your door stile width (narrow vs. wide) during specification. Projection depth is fixed at 1 7/8 inches—verify clearance against door hardware and frame geometry before ordering.
• Activation force adjustment is performed via internal potentiometer and requires basic tools. Train your service team on tuning protocol; improper adjustment (too light) can cause nuisance strikes on bumped doors, or (too heavy) can jam occupants during evacuation drills.
• The bar outputs two SPDT relay contacts; one is wired to the strike, but ensure your access controller or NVR supports external event input if audit logging of bar activation is required. Legacy systems may lack this capability—verify integration before spec phase.
• Life-safety certification varies by jurisdiction. Verify that the PSB560V36 meets your local ADA and building code egress requirements before final deployment. Some markets impose additional third-party certification or periodic inspection cycles.

The PSB560V36 is a solid fit for integrators and facility teams managing multi-door access control at scale, where credential management and egress safety are non-negotiable. The dual-sensor redundancy, field-adjustable force, and enterprise communication protocols differentiate it from commodity single-sensor bars in the same price class. Spec this product if your project requires 10+ doors, OSDP or TCP/IP integration, and confidence in egress functionality over the system lifecycle. For smaller single-door egress applications or projects locked into proprietary access platforms, evaluate simpler alternatives. See the SDC catalog for complete egress-control product families.