Facility Code or Site Code

What is a Facility Code ?

There are many different proximity card formats, but the proximity cards that we sell are encoded with a "Standard" 26-Bit Wiegand format.  Like other proximity and RFID cards, an HID card is simply an ID card which enables proximity technology in its everyday functions. HID cards, as well as other types of RFID cards and smart cards, are popular for access control, as well as other functions like public transportation and employee ID.This format actually contains two sets of numbers:

•         A 3-digit "facility code", which can range from 1-255
•         A 5-digit "card number", which can range from 1-65,535.

Most HID proximity cards and key fobs have the 5-digit card number printed on the card.  The 3-digit facility code, however, is printed only on the box in which your cards are shipped.

Gate Keeper can be configured to interpret the Wigand data as either a 16-bit number or a 24-bit number.  The 16-bit number will contain only the 5-digit card number.  The 24-bit number will contain the facility code and card number for a total of 8 digits.  For example, if the facility code for a card is "123" and the card number is "56789" then the 24-bit (8-digit) number read from the card will be "12356789".

A Facility Code is a number encoded on access cards that is intended to represent a specific protected facility or building. Not all card formats support a Facility Code, but the most common card data format in use today does support it — the industry’s original open (i.e. non-proprietary) 26-bit format. The 26-bit format has two data fields: a Facility Code (8 bits) and a Card Number (16 bits), plus two parity bits; thus, the Facility Code number can be a number be between 0 and 255, and the Card Number can be between 0 and 65,535.

With only 65,535 card numbers available across the cards of all customers using the 26-bit card data format, duplicate card numbers are inevitable; therefore, the first purpose of the Facility Code was to enable customers in close proximity to each other to differentiate their set of cards from another customer’s cards. Ideally, each manufacturer would try to manage the facility numbers it issued to various customers in a specific area to minimize the occurrence of duplicates. A card with a Facility Code not matching those used by that specific customer would be denied access, typically generating “Access Denied – Wrong Facility Code” messages.

The 26 bit Wiegand standard format is the industry standard. Card manufacturers such as HID, Indala and AWID sell cards with this format to any dealer. This 26 bit format is recognized by all access hardware.

Over the years, formats with a higher number of bits (33, 37, 48, 50)  have been added to increase card security.

However, some of the higher bit formats are  "proprietary", and usually carry a higher price tag. One exception is the HID 37 bit proprietary format, priced similarly to a 26 bit card.

As an example, if Company A has cards numbered from 1 to 1000, with facility code 230, they would be programmed as follows:

230 - 00001

230 - 00002

230 - 00003 .......up to 230 - 01000

Company B could have the same serial numbers, but with facility code 180, and their cards would be:

180 - 00001

180 - 00002

180 - 00003........up to 180 - 01000

To grant access, an access control system validates the facility code AND the serial number.  Company A will reject Company B cards, and viceversa, even if they have the same serial number, because the facility code does not match.

The HID 37 bit Wiegand format with Facility Code is H10304.  The format consists of 2 parity bits, 16 bit Facility Code and 19 bit Cardholder ID fields.

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCP
EXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..................
..................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXO

P = Parity
O = Odd Parity
E = Even Parity
X = Parity mask
F = Facility Code, range = 0 to  65,535
C = Cardholder ID, range = 0 to 524,287

HID recently announced that the standard format for their Corporate 1000 proximity cards has changed from a 35 bit card format to a new 48 bit card format.

Originally, all Corporate 1000 format cards offered the 35 bit structure (“Corporate 1000 – 35”). The Program’s success created the need for a new format (“Corporate 1000 – 48”).  The larger 48 bit structure change allows for an increased number of individual cards numbers available, from just over 1,000,000 individual card numbers per format for Corporate 1000 – 35 to over 8,000,000 individual card numbers for the new Corporate 1000 – 48 format.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prox cards are custom programmed with the facility code and start numbers requested by you. For this reason it is important to have the correct numbers at the time an order is placed.