U-Prox readers (SL, SE, BLE series) – parameter programming

Programming is carried out from the mobile U-Prox Config application via the Bluetooth channel.

You can download the U-Prox Config application from the PlayMarket or AppStore, as well as via the specified QR code:

When you connect to the reader, your smartphone must have Bluetooth and GPS (geolocation) enabled and the app must have all necessary permissions. If this is the first time you’re connecting to a factory-fresh reader or you don’t yet know the engineer code, power the reader down, twist the white and green wires (D1 and D0) together and leave them disconnected (“in the air”), then apply power. Connect via U-Prox Config, set and save a new engineer code for all future connections, and only then mount the reader.

If you don’t follow the above, you’ll see this message when trying to connect:
“To access the reader’s settings, short the green and white wires and reboot the reader” — i.e., switch it off and then power it on again.

To connect to the reader, the green and white wires must be left “floating” in mid-air. Below is how to connect to the reader using the U-Prox SL maxi v2 and the engineer code:

After connecting to the reader, you’ll see a window with the following options:

• Settings
• Template
• Update Firmware
• Factory Defaults

By selecting the “SETTINGS” menu, the following will be available:

The “Device” section contains:

• Reader serial number (GID)
• Current firmware version
• Presence () or absence of Engineer Code

The “Access” section contains the following blocks:

The “Reader” block displays:

The “Reader” field specifies the types of identifiers the reader will handle:

• ASK – 125 kHz, amplitude modulation, Em-Marin–type cards
• FSK – 125 kHz, frequency modulation, HID ProxCard II–type cards
• Mifare – 13.56 MHz, Mifare Classic/Plus/DESFire/Ultralight or chip-enabled bank cards
• Bluetooth – 2.5 GHz, U-Prox ID mobile identifier; used for connecting to and programming the reader via U-Prox Config
• NFC – 13.56 MHz, U-Prox ID mobile identifier; can read PayPass/PayWave (“PAN” of a bank card or virtual PAN in Google Pay/Apple Pay) if Pay Card is enabled under the Mifare profiles
• TAG – 2.5 GHz (Bluetooth), reads active U-Prox TAG or U-Prox AutoTAG Bluetooth tags (provided Bluetooth is enabled)
• Inner Range – 125 kHz, proprietary Inner Range card format

The “Output Interface” block displays:

List of all output interfaces supported by the reader (this firmware):

• Wiegand (bit length)
• RS Interface – ITV RS232
• Touch Memory (bit length)

The “Keyboard Mode” block displays:

The “Keyboard Mode” field specifies the keyboard operation formats:

Per-character transmission of code digits (the code of each pressed key is sent immediately to the receiver)

• Wiegand 4 – 4 bits per character
• Wiegand 6 – 6 bits per character
• Wiegand 8 – 8 bits per character

Packet code transmission

• Wiegand 26 – Automatically transmits the entered 6 characters; if fewer than 6 are entered, transmission is triggered by pressing #.
• Packet mode – Transmits the entire entered packet when # is pressed. If more than 10 characters are entered, only the last 10 will be sent.

An entered but untransmitted code can be canceled with the * key to start over.

If a code is entered but # is not pressed, the entered code will be cleared and the buffer reset after 5 seconds.

The “Facility code” block displays:

The “facility code” is used for compatibility with older systems.

Works ONLY with Wiegand 26 format.

Replaces the third byte of the identifier with the value specified in the field—from 00 to FF (for a 26-bit identifier, this is the first byte).

Readers with a facility code of FF, when connected to a U-Prox IP400, will output the code ABCD123456 as 0000FF3456, which in 26-bit form appears as FF3456.

Block “Encrypt Mobile ID (BLE)”:

If a code is entered in this field, the reader will operate with the so-called “encrypted” U-Prox ID mobile identifiers.

It will NOT respond to the regular “persistent/network” U-Prox ID mobile identifiers.

This may be required when building closed access networks.

The “Mifare Profiles” block displays:

In this menu there are five profiles that can be used to configure the reading of personalized Mifare Classic/Plus/DESFire identifiers, as well as to enable the PAN-code reading mode for chip-based bank cards and PayPass/PayWave (the virtual PAN-code from Apple Pay or Google Pay) – the “Pay Card” mode.

For Mifare Classic – the standard personalization setting “SL1 6 bytes” is available, plus an additional “SL1 diversification” option (which uses the identifier code and an encryption key via a specific algorithm for extra protection);

For Mifare Plus – the standard personalization setting “SL3 16 bytes” is available, plus an additional “SL3 diversification” option (which uses the identifier code and an encryption key via a specific algorithm for extra protection);

There is a separate, extensive text on the personalization of Mifare Classic/Plus/DESFire identifiers.

The “Advanced Settings” section contains the following:

Code buffer inversion block:

Enables global inversion of the code read by the reader. For example:

• For a 64-bit code 1b2b3b4b5b6b7b8b, the inverted code becomes 8b7b6b5b4b3b2b1b.
• For a 5-byte code 1b2b3b4b5b, the inverted code becomes 5b4b3b2b1b.
• For the 26-bit format 00001b2b3b, the inverted code becomes 00003b2b1b.

Block “align card code”:

This applies to identifiers whose code is shorter than the bit-length of the configured reader output interface. Padding zeros to match the interface’s bit-length will be added either to the left or to the right of the code.

For example, a 4-byte identifier code for Mifare Classic with a Wiegand-42 interface:

• Left-aligned:
  1b2b3b4b 00
• Right-aligned (default):
  00 1b2b3b4b

Block “FSK card format”:

Applies only to reading HID identifiers.

Sets the reading mode – “With information bits” or “Without information bits”.

Wiegand pulse duration block:

Sets the total transmission time for the read ID code in the Wiegand interface, range: 50-250 μs, default: 100 μs.

Block “Allow Mifare zero cards”:

Allows reading of recorded “drafts” under Mifare Classic identifiers.

The “Card Reading Templates” block displays:

In this menu you’ll find a list of Mifare card–reading templates:

U-PROX reverse 7 – reverse order only for 7-byte codes when using the U-Prox direct template

U-PROX standard – the default template for reading Mifare identifiers with U-Prox readers

U-PROX standard reverse – the reverse of the U-Prox standard template

U-PROX direct – a direct read template that outputs the identifier “as is”

U-PROX reverse all – the reverse of the U-Prox direct template (all bytes inverted order)

U-PROX reverse 4 – reverse order only for 4-byte codes when using the U-Prox direct template

The “Indication” section contains the following:

Block “While waiting”:

Allows you to configure the basic logic of the reader for red, green, and sound indication.

Only works for Wiegand and Touch Memory output interfaces.

Possible modes:

• External – indication is controlled by pulling the corresponding LED line to GND on the reader.
• Inverted – the opposite of “External”; the LED is on while the corresponding reader line is not pulled to GND.
• Always – the LED is on regardless of the reader’s indication line state.
• Disabled – the LED is off regardless of the reader’s indication line state.

Block “While reading the card”:

Allows you to configure the display when reading the identifier.

Basic setting – sound when reading the identifier.

The “Display duration” block displays:

Allows you to set the duration of the indication within the range of 20 to 400 ms when reading the identifier.

The “Mobile ID” section contains the following:

Passage Point Block:

Allows you to configure the reader’s Bluetooth operating modes for reading mobile identifiers:

• “Doors” – basic mode; medium read range of 0.5 m
• “Doors Proximity” – Bluetooth is off by default and is activated by a sensor (magnetic/optical); read range up to 0.2 m (20 cm)
• “Gates | Barrier” – mode with manually adjustable Bluetooth read range; range from 1 m to 15 m

“Features” section:

It becomes active only when the “Gate | Barrier” mode is selected, and has one permission – whether or not the “U-Prox ID” application option will work in this mode – “When the screen is lit”.

Block “Operate at a distance”:

It becomes active only when the “Gate | Barrier” mode is selected, and allows you to set the range (empirically, slider more or less) of operation for the “U-Prox ID” or U-Prox TAG / U-Prox Auto TAG application key.

“Reader interoperability” block:

By default set to Yes.

If a mobile identifier enters the detection field of multiple readers that all have this setting enabled, the readers will exchange information about signal strength and the one with the stronger signal will perform the read—therefore the identifier is closer to that reader.

Applies to operation with the U-Prox ID app or U-Prox TAG / U-Prox Auto TAG.

After selecting the “Template” menu, the following will be available:

Configuration templates are compatible only on identical devices of the same generation (v.2.xx or v.30.xx).

For example:

• Firmware for SL mini V2 versions 30.xx and 2.xx use incompatible templates.
• Templates from U-Prox Desktop are not compatible with other readers.

Template transfer is possible between:

SE mini, SE slim, SE maxi, SE keypad, SE steel versions 30.xx

SL mini/mini V2, SL maxi, SL keypad, SL steel versions 2.xx

SL mini/mini V2, SL maxi/maxi V2, SL keypad/keypad V2, SL steel versions 30.xx

Save Template menu:

It allows you to save the reader’s current settings, but this does not include the encryption key in the Mifare profiles.

A template that includes saved encryption keys for Mifare profiles can be stored only in the same session in which those keys were entered. The configurator will automatically prompt you to save that template when you save the configuration to the reader.

By default, templates are named according to the reader’s internal type and the last six characters of its GID, but you can assign your own name and choose the folder in which to save them.

On Apple devices—and on Android 15 (where the app cannot access the file system, similar to iOS)—templates are saved to the app’s internal storage.

“Restore Template” menu:

This restores the reader’s settings from a previously saved template—or from one exported from another reader.

To recover Mifare profile encryption keys, the template must have been saved during the same session in which those keys were originally entered.

Manage Templates menu:

Applies to Apple devices and Android 15, where, like on Apple, the app cannot access the file system and only its own internal “storage” (where templates reside) is available.

Enables actions on template files.

On earlier Android versions this becomes irrelevant, since you can manage templates with any file manager and save them to arbitrary folders.