Atrino’s controller is not a lock. It is a small relay that switches the power to the lock on or off. So the door needs a lock driven by power: an electric strike or a magnetic lock. Both work with Atrino.
Electric strike
An electric strike replaces the metal plate in the door frame that the lock’s latch goes into. When it gets power, it releases the latch and the door opens with a push, without turning the handle.
- The door’s lock stays. It goes into the frame, and the ordinary key keeps working.
- In a power cut it stays locked with the most common models (fail-secure). There are also models that unlock without power (fail-safe); for an apartment’s front door the first kind is usually chosen.
- It works on the latch only. If someone also locks the deadbolt with a key, the strike cannot open the door. For self check-in the door is left on the latch only.
- Suits: apartment front doors, room doors, yard doors and gates.
Magnetic lock
An electromagnet on the frame holds a metal plate on the door. While it has power, the door is locked; when the power stops, the door is released.
- Strong and simple. No moving parts; it holds with great force, depending on the model.
- In a power cut it unlocks (fail-safe). So on front doors it goes with backup power (a UPS or a battery).
- It needs an exit button inside, to leave without a phone. Atrino’s controller supports one.
- Suits: building entrances, glass and office doors, inner doors.
Which to choose
| Electric strike | Magnetic lock | |
|---|---|---|
| Fitting | In the frame, the lock stays | On the frame and the door |
| Power cut | Usually stays locked | Unlocks, needs backup power |
| Ordinary key | Keeps working | None |
| Leaving | With the handle, as before | With an exit button |
| Most common on | An apartment’s front door | A building’s entrance, glass doors |
For most short-term rentals the easiest way is an electric strike: a small job, no new door, and the ordinary key stays just in case. A magnetic lock is a good choice for a shared building entrance or where a strike cannot be fitted.
How it connects to Atrino
The controller sits hidden by the door, powered from the mains, and connects to the place’s Wi-Fi. In the app you choose the kind of lock and how it unlocks:
- For a few seconds: the door unlocks for as many seconds as you choose, then locks again by itself. The usual choice for a strike.
- Until locked: the door stays unlocked until you lock it from the app. If the controller is without Wi-Fi or without its connection for more than 30 seconds, it locks the door by itself.
Optionally, a door sensor is connected to the controller, so you see whether the door is closed, or an exit button.
Fitting the lock and its power is a job for an electrician. If you are not sure what suits your door, write to us and we will help.