By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

Two ASP Keypads, One Door, and a Rating That Matters

A property manager calls about a keypad on a side gate that "quit working." You get there and the faceplate is fogged on the inside. Somebody bought a keypad for a hallway and hung it on a wall that gets hit by a sprinkler every morning. The electronics were fine. The rating on the box was wrong for the spot.

ASP Alarm Control sells three standalone digital keypads that get mixed up on order forms: the KP-200, the KP-300 and the KP-400. The KP-200 and KP-400 are the pair that sit closest together. Here is what the catalog says separates them.

ASP KP-200: The Flush-Mount Keypad on a Single-Gang Box

The KP-200 mounts on a standard single-gang electrical box, which is the whole appeal. If the wire is already stubbed into a gang box for an old keyswitch or a pushbutton, this drops into the same hole. It has a heavy die-cast flush-mount housing and a brushed stainless faceplate. The keys are backlit, and the backlight level is adjustable.

Its capacity is modest and plain. Output 1 holds 100 multi-user codes, four to eight digits. Output 2 holds 10 codes. Output 1 is a programmable SPDT relay rated 5 amps. Output 2 is a programmable NPN transistor output, not a second relay, so it is a signal, not a contact you can hang a lock on directly. There is a request-to-exit input with a relay timer from 1 to 999 seconds, a tamper switch and a buzzer. It runs on 12 or 24 volts, AC or DC.

ASP KP-400: More Housing, More Outputs, an Ingress Rating

The KP-400 comes in a black powder-coated die-cast aluminum back box with a 302 stainless faceplate held on by tamper-proof screws. The listing says it conforms to IP66: dust-proof, and protected from powerful direct water spray from any direction. It is the one of the three with the strongest rating on the page.

Inside, it gives you two programmable SPDT relays, each with 100 user codes at four to eight digits, and it auto-senses 12 or 24 volts AC or DC. It adds features the KP-200 does not list: an anti-tailgating feature, a duress output and a door prop-open alarm. Keys are die-cast metal with audible and visual feedback, and they are backlit.

Where the Catalog Copy Contradicts Itself

A straight read of the listings turns up something you should know before you order. The KP-200 heading calls it "flush mount weather-proof and vandal-proof," but the paragraph under it, which is stock text shared by all three keypads, says the unit is "designed for indoor use." The KP-400 carries the same stock line and also lists IP66. I am not going to settle that for you off the page. The KP-200 listing gives no ingress rating, only the word. The KP-400 gives a number.

So the practical rule is this. If the keypad sits where water can reach it, an exterior gate, a wash bay, an open loading dock, buy against a published rating, and the KP-400 is the one that has one. If it sits inside a lobby or a corridor, the KP-200 has everything a single door needs.

The Third Option: KP-300 With a Card Reader

If the door needs cards as well as codes, look at the KP-300. It mounts on a mullion, in a die-cast zinc alloy housing listed to IP65. It has two SPDT relays, holds 1,000 users on Output 1 and 100 on Output 2, and adds 50 visitor codes that can be set for one-time use or a time limit. It ships with two EM cards, and it runs on 12 volts DC, not 24. Operating range is minus 20 to plus 70 Celsius. Mullion mount is the deciding factor: it is for the narrow frame on a storefront pair where a gang box will not fit.

Which One I Would Put on the Door

• Interior door, one lock, a small crew of users: KP-200. Gang box, backlit keys, 100 codes.
• Exterior or wet location, or a door that needs duress or prop alarms: KP-400.
• Narrow mullion, cards plus codes, a big user list: KP-300, on a 12-volt supply.

Whatever you pick, size the supply and the lock first. A 600-pound maglock like the ASP 600SDURO pulls 400 mA at 12 volts and 200 mA at 24, so a KP-400 auto-sensing on the same 24-volt supply is a clean pairing. A KP-300 on that supply is not, because it is listed at 12 volts DC only.

Common questions

Can the ASP KP-200 be mounted outdoors?

The listing calls it weather-proof but also says indoor use, and it publishes no ingress rating. For a wet or exposed location, use the KP-400, which is listed to IP66.

How many codes does each keypad hold?

The KP-200 holds 100 on Output 1 and 10 on Output 2. The KP-400 holds 100 on each of two outputs. The KP-300 holds 1,000 on Output 1 and 100 on Output 2.

Does the KP-200 have a second relay?

No. Its second output is an NPN transistor output. The KP-400 and KP-300 both have two SPDT relays.

What voltage do these keypads need?

The KP-200 runs on 12 or 24 volts AC or DC. The KP-400 auto-senses 12 or 24 volts AC or DC. The KP-300 is listed at 12 volts DC nominal.

Does the KP-400 have a duress code?

The listing shows a duress output, along with an anti-tailgating feature and a door prop-open alarm. The KP-200 lists none of the three.

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Browse the full ASP Alarm Control line for keypads, timers and maglocks. If you are still weighing keypad brands for a wet spot, compare how Securitron splits indoor and weatherproof keypads, or read about a ruggedized keypad for a gate.