Electronic Entry Control: The function of an entry control system is to ensure that only authorized personnel are permitted into or out of a controlled area. Entry can be controlled by locked fence gates, locked doors to a building or rooms within a building, or specially designed portals. These means of entry control can be applied manually by guards or automatically by using entry control devices. In a manual system, guards verify that a person is authorized to enter an area, usually by comparing the photograph and personal characteristics of the individual requesting entry. In an automated system, the entry control device verifies that a person is authorized to enter or exit. The automated system usually interfaces with locking mechanisms on doors or gates that open momentarily to permit passage. Mechanical hardware (e.g., locking mechanisms, electric door strikes, and specially designed portal hardware) and equipment used to detect contraband material (e.g., metal detectors, X-ray baggage-search systems, explosives detectors, and special nuclear-material monitors) are described in other documentation. All entry control systems control passage by using one or more of three basic techniques (e.g., something a person knows, something a person has, or something a person is or does). Automated entry control devices based on these techniques are grouped into three categories: coded, credential, and biometric devices