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pyCardAccess: A Comprehensive Python Library for Access Control Systems

I've been working with Access Control for over a year, and noticed a few problems with the state of current affairs. IT was a backbone of physical security infrastructure both in Private and Public sectors. Yet, when I encounter a reader, or a problem with configuration for the door with OSDP or Wiegand, there are no sufficient libraries, or methods to troubleshoot reader's connection to the board. What if I need to send arbitrary data to the panel, or try different badge readings in short succession? Unfortunately, I've seen zero mature libraries that deal with card access control.

Therefore, today, I'm excited to announce the development of pyCardAccess, a comprehensive Python library specifically designed to address these challenges.

The Problem Space

Wiegand protocol, despite being developed decades ago, continues to dominate the access control landscape due to its simplicity and widespread adoption. However, this simplicity comes with significant limitations—particularly when troubleshooting communication issues between readers and controllers. Traditional debugging methods often require expensive specialized hardware or leave practitioners relying on basic multimeters and oscilloscopes without protocol-aware analysis capabilities.

OSDP, while more modern and feature-rich than Wiegand, introduces its own complexity through encrypted communications, secure channel establishment, and multi-drop configurations. Troubleshooting OSDP implementations requires deep protocol knowledge and appropriate tooling—resources that are often unavailable or prohibitively expensive.

Planned Roadmap

pyCardAccess addresses these challenges through several key components:

Protocol Decoding and Analysis

Comprehensive protocol analyzers for both Wiegand and OSDP communications. Wiegand analysis includes bit-level timing validation, parity checking, and format identification (26-bit, 34-bit, 37-bit). OSDP analyzer handles secure channel negotiation, command/response parsing, and cryptographic validation.

Simulation and Testing Framework

Virtual environments for testing without physical hardware. Wiegand simulator generates card reads with configurable timing parameters. OSDP simulation provides virtual reader/controller implementations supporting full specification including secure channels and biometric data transfer.

Vulnerability Assessment Tools

Automated vulnerability scanning for OSDP implementations, testing cryptographic strength and replay attack susceptibility. Wiegand security analysis includes signal integrity assessment and eavesdropping vulnerability detection.

Integration and Extensibility

Modular architecture with REST API endpoints for language-agnostic integration. Plugin system supports custom protocols and manufacturer-specific implementations. Hardware abstraction layers provide consistent interfaces across RS-485, TCP/IP, and USB connections.

Implementation

Built with async programming for efficient concurrent connections. Modern Python practices including type hints and comprehensive error handling. Cross-platform hardware support through abstraction layers.

More news to follow!