Indala® 27-Bit Cards: Identify the Format Before Reordering
If your records say “Indala 27-bit,” obtain the full format specification before ordering. Indala identifies a credential technology; 27-bit describes a data length. Neither description, by itself, establishes every detail a supplier needs to make a credential work in your installation.
American Key Cards is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by HID® Global or Indala. This guide explains identification and ordering checks. It does not promise a replacement for every Indala configuration.
Why the bit count is not enough
HID’s Indala FlexCard™ documentation describes 125 kHz credentials offered with different output formats and ordered with specified facility codes and identifiers. It also describes FlexSecur™ verification at the reader. A correct-looking number in the access-control database does not establish that an arbitrary 125 kHz card can communicate with that reader.
There is a separate ambiguity in the phrase “27-bit.” The Hirsch credential ordering form identifies a 27-bit entry as P3BSB27, issued by BSB Electronics, and lists other Indala format identifiers separately. Do not borrow a field layout from an unrelated 27-bit table and assume it describes your installation.
The practical distinction is between the card technology, the configured format, and the values assigned to a user. Confirm each separately in the approved reorder record.
Build a reliable reorder record
Ask your access-control administrator or original integrator to confirm:
- The credential family and complete ordering code. Include any suffixes from the previous supplier’s invoice or box label.
- The exact format identifier. “Indala” and “27-bit” are useful clues, but the approved format definition is the stronger record.
- Reader model and configuration. Record the hardware installed at the doors where the new card must work, including any site-specific settings.
- The authorized numbering specification. Have the administrator allocate unused identifiers and record any required facility or site code.
- The enrollment process. Identify who will add the new credential and confirm that its access rights are appropriate.
Keep full card numbers, configuration exports and credential data in the site’s approved private channels. For initial identification, a supplier can usually start with the reader model and a redacted order label.
Test before committing to a batch
Use a small, authorized sample order. Ask the administrator to confirm both that the reader recognizes the credential and that the controller receives the expected identity. A reader beep is not proof that the correct user record was selected. Test the relevant doors, including any with a different reader model, before approving the balance of the order.
If the exact format or site configuration cannot be established, use the original integrator or the manufacturer’s credential channel. Do not change the reader to accept a different technology merely to make an unverified card work.
When an existing card is missing
A lost credential is also an access-administration problem. Have the administrator disable it and assign the replacement according to the site’s policy. Ordering a card with a copied identity does not disable the missing original.
For Indala, the useful outcome is a verified order specification, not a guess based on the number of digits printed on the card. Keep the administrator’s confirmed details with the next purchase order.
