Popp keypad to control gate - what else do I need?

Hi,

I want add a pedestrian side gate to my home in the UK. The Popp keypad look promising but I don’t fully understand what it does. Does it just ‘tell’ Smartthings when the gate should be unlocked or can it actually open the gate (ie release a magnetic lock)?

My requirements in full are:

  • Keypad
  • Some form of lock or magnetic lock that can be controlled by Smartthings
  • A external wall mounted button behind the gate that can be pressed to unlock the gate for x seconds
  • Extra points if this can be controlled with Google assistant/Alexa

Any ideas?

Martin

Looks like the keypad is just a z-wave enabled keypad. So it does just ‘tell’ Smartthings something should happen.

They also sell this lock control which looks like it’s designed to be paired with a standard ‘strike-lock’ that’s part of a standard electronic entry system like this one.

Thanks jymbob,

So where would the Popp lock control physically go?

Martin

The following active discussion thread shows how some community members have used it, including some pictures of wiring set ups. Several people are using it on battery power and some people have it mains powered. But basically you need to already have a “electric strike” device on the gate. Then that device will have its own control button. Then you connect the POPP lock control to The wiring for the control button.

If you don’t know anything about electric strikes, this next thread discusses a project where someone added one to an existing door.

Again, it’s the same steps: first you add the physical electric strike device to the entranceway. Then you add some radio device that can communicate with smartthings into the wiring that controls the physical electric strike.

In the project you were discussing, the radio device would be the popp lock control. So you would be using the popp device Instead of the Intermatic device that the person posting the project report used To communicate with SmartThings.

Also, the popp device is just a control device, while the Intermatic plugs in between The power supply and the electric strike device, so The wiring will be somewhat different. But it should give you some ideas of which parts are doing what.

So all in all, there are three separate devices:

One) something that will physically move a bolt to unlock the door/gate. This is often an “electric door strike.” Although this is electric, it does not have a radio, so it cannot communicate with smartthings.

Two) something that will give a command to the device in 1) above To tell it when to open. In what we’ve been discussing in this thread, that is the popp electronic door control. Because the first device doesn’t have a radio, the second device is usually directly wired to it.

Note That it is not moving the bolt itself. It’s just telling the previous device to do so. So usually you wire into whatever existing control, like a button on the wall, that the previous device already has.

  1. finally, you need something that will send a signal to the device in two above to tell it to tell the device in one above that it is time to move the bolt but that can also communicate with SmartThings. This could just be an app on your phone. It could be an automated rule setup in SmartThings. Or it could be a separate physical device like a keypad, In this case the popp keypad.

Note that the keypad will send a message wirelessly to the smartthings hub, the SmartThings Hub will send a message wirelessly to the control device in two above, and that control device will communicate with the bolt mover in one above, usually by being directly wired to it.

This third device, the keypad, is optional. It’s just used for convenience.

The second device, the lock controller, is necessary so that smartthings can communicate with the first device (which is the device Which Physically unlocks the gate).

Smart keypad lock vs the electric strike approach

When you use a smart keypad door lock, these three devices are all combined into one: something which Physically moves the bolt, A radio device to communicate with SmartThings, and a physical keypad for use by people entering the home.

When you use an electric strike as we have been discussing this thread, it is three separate devices.

First, any standard electric strike that you want to use. Obviously you will need to select one which will work with your gate. These come in many different types and designs.

image!

Second, Popp Lock Control. This will be physically wired to the electric strike. It has a zwave radio which can communicate with SmartThings.

image

Third, Popp Keypad. This is just a convenience device. It can be put anywhere within range. It will communicate wirelessly with the smartthings hub which will then communicate wirelessly with the popp lock control.

image

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Thanks @JDRoberts

You detailed response has been invaluable. I’ve started to understand and piece all this together.

Martin

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