A Euchner EKS alternative with a central qualification database and audit trail

ChipLogin checks whether an employee is authorised to operate a machine based on centrally managed qualifications, then records the result. Employees use MIFARE DESFire cards; shared use for computers and doors is assessed for your installation.

Discuss our requirements See the comparison
An operator tapping a card against a reader on a CNC machine's control panel, replacing a physical key with a card

The difference in one sentence

ChipLogin uses centrally managed qualifications to check operator permissions and records the result. It supports MIFARE DESFire cards; existing card compatibility is assessed before deployment.

Euchner EKS vs. ChipLogin, feature by feature

Where they differ — and where EKS still has the edge.

FeatureEuchner EKSChipLogin
Central qualification databaseNo — the logic lives in your PLCYes
Audit trail (who, when, which machine)NoYes
Employee cardDedicated Euchner keyMIFARE DESFire; shared use for computers and doors assessed before deployment
Decision passed to the PLCRaw key dataA single clean "authorized" bit
Offline operationYesYes — stored, signed policy
PLC-brand independenceYesYes — any fieldbus

Which solution fits your operation?

It depends on how you want to determine operator permissions and which records you need.

Consider Euchner EKS if:

  • You need a replacement for a physical electronic key / mode selector on a machine
  • You'll build the "is this operator qualified?" logic yourself, in the PLC or elsewhere
  • You need a safety-certified mode selection (EKS FSA)

Consider ChipLogin if:

  • The decision needs to come from a central qualification matrix ("only trained operators, valid until date X")
  • You need a real audit record ("who operated press #4 at 2:32 PM")
  • You want one identity/card across PC login, doors, and machines
  • You want that decision passed to the PLC as a single clean bit

How it works technically

A few bytes in the process image. Nothing for the PLC to parse.

1

Tap the card

The employee taps their MIFARE DESFire card on the reader at the machine.

2

Local decision from a stored policy

The reader verifies the card against a signed, locally stored qualification matrix — no network communication required.

3

One bit for the PLC

"Authorized" appears in the standard cyclic process image over PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, IO-Link, or Modbus. No database, no TLS, no parsing in the PLC.

What ChipLogin is — and isn't

ChipLogin for Machines handles authorization, not functional safety. It isn't certified under IEC 61508 or ISO 13849 and doesn't replace a safety relay, an emergency stop, or a safety-certified mode selector. That area is covered by Euchner's certified safety variant, EKS FSA — for functionally safe mode selection, EKS FSA remains the right tool, and ChipLogin doesn't compete with it there.

ChipLogin checks permissions against centrally managed qualification records and logs the verification result. These records can support internal reviews and audit preparation.

Let's discuss how you manage machine access today

Tell us what you want to simplify or control more closely in machine operation. If you have technical documentation, have it ready. If not, we will work through the details with you.

Contact directly

Jakub Skoumal · Sales

jakub.skoumal@netajo.cz

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