Prison automation with 816 doors, Web Services integration, and 25-year platform longevity.
Industry: Building Automation / Public Safety
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Customer | RENIFER Systems and Automation |
| Project | First private prison with public participation (Brazil) |
| Capacity | 3,200 prisoners |
| Doors | 816 automated doors and cells |
| Clients | 190+ computers facility-wide |
| Development | 2 months |
| Contract | 25-year management agreement |
The Challenge
Challenge: Develop a prison monitoring system for Brazil's first private prison with public participation, requiring a platform that would remain viable for a 25-year management contract.
Specific pain points:
- Legacy proprietary software (Visual Basic) could not scale to large distributed systems
- Required multi-threaded task execution for performance
- Needed modern scripting languages (VB.NET, C#)
- Required redundancy at project server level
- Must support proprietary protocol drivers for special security hardware
- Web Service interfaces needed for Prison Management System integration
- Legacy software products would take too long to update for new technologies
Impact: Without a modern platform, RENIFER could not deliver a system that would last the 25-year contract period while meeting security and scalability requirements.
The Solution
Architecture
| Tier | Component | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Field | Micro-controllers with proprietary protocol | Door state monitoring and alarming |
| Control | FactoryStudio Server | Multi-threaded execution, redundancy |
| Integration | Web Services | Prison Management System commands |
| Visualization | WPF dynamic displays | Real-time cell status and warnings |
| Clients | 190+ computers | Facility-wide access |
| Cameras | Video integration | Visual verification of door events |
Prison Management System Integration
- Manages prisoner schedules (visits, activities)
- Lawyer ID verification (fingerprint)
- Securely sends commands via Web Services interface
- Controls door open/close for cells and secured areas
Development Efficiency Features
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Reference Tags | Aliases/placeholders for runtime tag resolution |
| Tag Templates | One set of tags configured for hundreds of doors |
| Template Displays | Minimum displays manage entire system |
| Cell Number Selection | Show any cell's datapoints by entering cell number |
Technical Requirements Met
- Multi-threaded task execution
- VB.NET and C# scripting
- Project server redundancy
- WPF graphic development
- Remote access
- Proprietary protocol driver development
- Web Service interfaces
Key Enablers
FrameworX capabilities that made this solution possible:
| Capability | Application |
|---|---|
| Multi-threaded Execution | Performance for large distributed door control |
| Reference Tags & Templates | One configuration for 816 doors instead of hundreds |
| Web Services Interface | Secure integration with Prison Management System |
| WPF Graphics | Dynamic real-time cell status displays |
| Proprietary Protocol Support | Custom drivers for security micro-controllers |
| Project Server Redundancy | High availability for critical security system |
| Modern .NET Platform | 25-year longevity on current technologies |
The Results
Safer Environment — Reduced opportunities for prisoner contact with jailers through automated door control
Reduced Contraband — Helped reduce illegal objects entering prisons
Reduced Corruption — Tighter controls and audit trails throughout facility
Improved Reliability — Better cell door data reliability for security operations
Rapid Development — 816-door system developed in 2 months using templates
Scalable Platform — Supports 190+ client computers across facility
25-Year Viability — Modern .NET platform ensures longevity for contract duration
Customer Testimonials:
"We find that FactoryStudio is built to face the challenges of prison and public safety applications today, and are confident Tatsoft will be able to resolve any unknown challenges we come across."
— Antonio Jacomini, Owner, RENIFER Systems
"One of the main reasons we decided to work with Tatsoft is they have decades of experience in developing software products and understand the need to have a flexible, reliable platform on which to build applications that will last a long time."
— Antonio Jacomini, Owner, RENIFER Systems
Resources:
Download case study: CaseStudy_SecurityFacility.pdf
This case demonstrates large-scale security facility automation with template-based development for 816 doors and Web Services integration.
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