How to Identify Your Access Card Format (AWID, HID, Indala)

If you need to replace access cards or key fobs but have no idea what format your system uses, you are in the right place. Identifying your card format before placing an order is the single most important step — ordering the wrong format means cards that simply will not read. For most standard 125 kHz proximity systems (HID, AWID, Indala, Kantech, Keri, DoorKing), American Key Cards supplies compatible replacements programmed to your facility code and card number. For encrypted smart card formats like HID iCLASS SE, Seos, or MIFARE DESFire with AES, those credentials cannot be reproduced by any third party, and we will tell you that clearly.

Why Format Identification Matters

Not all 125 kHz cards are interchangeable. Two cards can operate at the same radio frequency — 125 kHz — yet be completely incompatible because the signal encoding between card and reader differs. HID Prox uses ASK/FSK modulation. Indala FlexPass uses PSK (Phase Shift Keying). AWID uses its own proprietary air-interface protocol. Kantech ioProx uses XSF dual-encoding. A card designed for one protocol is invisible to a reader expecting another.

The 26-bit Wiegand number you hear about in access control describes the data format sent from the reader to the access panel — not the card-to-reader communication layer. Two formats can both output standard 26-bit Wiegand H10301 data to your panel and still require completely different cards.

This is why identifying your format precisely — not just the frequency — is essential before ordering.

Step 1: Look at the Card You Already Have

The fastest way to identify your format is to examine an existing working card. Look for:

• Printed brand name or logo — HID, Kantech, Indala, AWID, Keri, DoorKing, Farpointe, Honeywell, DSX
• Part number printed on the card body — Common examples:
  • HID: 1386LGGMN, 1326LGG, 1346LGG
  • Kantech: P10SHL (clamshell), P40KEY (key fob), P20WLM
  • DoorKing: 1508-120, 1508-121
  • Farpointe: PSC-1, PSI-4, PSK-3
  • Keri MS: KC-10X, MT-10X
• Printed facility code and card number — Many cards print these on a label, often formatted as “FC: 123 / CN: 4567” or just a barcode with the numbers below

If you have a card in hand but cannot read the numbers, bring it to your property manager or building security office. They will have the original installer documentation with the format specified.

Step 2: Check the Reader on the Wall

If you have no working card, look at the reader — the device mounted beside the door where you present the card. The reader housing almost always carries the manufacturer name or logo.

Reader appearance or logo	Format to look for
HID logo (often “HID” or “HID Global”)	HID Prox H10301 26-bit, iCLASS, Seos, Corporate 1000
Kantech or EntraPass logo	Kantech ioProx XSF — see P225, P325, P600 model numbers
AWID logo or DoorKing gray wedge readers	AWID 26-bit or AWID 37-bit — see SP-6820, SR-2400; DoorKing uses 1815-300, 1815-301
Indala or HID Indala logo	Indala FlexPass 26-bit PSK — see 603, 610, FP4511A reader models
Keri Systems logo	Keri MS format (PXL-500 Tiger) or Keri NXT (NetXtreme) — see MS-3000, MS-5000 for MS format
Farpointe Data logo	Farpointe Pyramid 26-bit — see P-300, P-400, P-500 reader models
Honeywell / Northern logo	N10002 34-bit or standard 26-bit HID-compatible
DSX logo	DSX D10202 33-bit proprietary format

Look for a model number sticker on the back or bottom of the reader housing. That model number is often enough to definitively identify the format.

Step 3: Check Your Access Control Panel or Software

If you have access to the access control software or panel, it will often display the format name or bit length in the reader configuration screen. Common software platforms and what they show:

• Kantech EntraPass — Reader type set to “ioProx XSF” or “ioProx 26-bit Wiegand”
• DoorKing 1835 / 1830 — Reader type set to “DKProx” or “AWID”
• Keri Systems PXL-500 — Reader type listed as “MS Format” or “MicroStar”
• WinDSX — Format set to “D10202” (33-bit) or standard 26-bit

Your installer or the service company that manages the system can retrieve this information without physically accessing the panel — it is a standard configuration question.

Step 4: Contact Your Property Manager or Installer

If you manage a property or work in a building you do not own, the property manager or building security team will have the original installer documentation on file. This document lists:

• Reader make and model
• Card format and facility code
• Card number ranges in use

Ask specifically for the “credential format” and “facility code.” With those two pieces of information, you can place an order with American Key Cards for compatible programmed replacement cards.

The Most Common Formats in North America

HID Prox H10301 (Standard 26-Bit)

The most widely deployed access format on the continent. Operates at 125 kHz, uses the H10301 bit structure: 1 even parity bit + 8-bit facility code (0–255) + 16-bit card number (0–65,535) + 1 odd parity bit. Common OEM part numbers include 1386, 1326, 1346, and 1326LGG. These cards are cloneable with standard tools since they carry no encryption. American Key Cards supplies compatible H10301 26-bit clamshell cards and key fobs programmed to your facility code. See the full HID Prox H10301 format page for reader compatibility.

AWID 26-Bit

AWID (Applied Wireless Identifications Group) cards also output 26-bit Wiegand H10301 data to the panel — but the card-to-reader encoding is a proprietary AWID air interface. A standard HID card placed on an AWID SP-6820 or SR-2400 reader will not read. DoorKing’s DKProx system uses AWID-format cards (1508-120, 1508-121) exclusively. AWID cards are cloneable at 125 kHz. American Key Cards supplies compatible AWID 26-bit cards and fobs programmed to your facility code and card number range. See the AWID 26-bit format page for the full specification.

Kantech ioProx XSF

Kantech (now Johnson Controls / Sensormatic) ioProx uses a proprietary XSF (eXtended Secure Format) dual-encoded protocol. Common card part numbers: P10SHL (clamshell), P20WLM (ISO card), P40KEY (key fob). Operates at 125 kHz. The XSF encoding provides a 64-bit codebase, but these cards remain cloneable with available RFID tools since there is no cryptographic protection. Compatible with P225, P325, and P600 ioProx readers, as well as standard Wiegand 26-bit panels via dual-encoded output. See the Kantech ioProx format page for the full guide.

Indala FlexPass 26-Bit

Indala (now HID Indala) operates at 125 kHz using PSK (Phase Shift Keying) modulation — fundamentally different from HID Prox ASK/FSK. A reader expecting HID Prox cards will not read an Indala card, and vice versa, even though both run at 125 kHz. OEM part numbers include FPCRD-SSSMW-0000 and FPISO-SSSCNA-0000. Standard Indala FlexPass 26-bit cards are cloneable. Indala ASP FlexSecur-encrypted cards are not. Compatible readers include the Indala 603, 610, and FP4511A. See the Indala FlexPass format page.

Formats That Cannot Be Reproduced (Read This Before Ordering)

Some access card formats use AES cryptographic authentication between card and reader. The credential data is bound to the specific chip with a diversified session key. No third-party supplier — American Key Cards included — can produce functional replacements for these formats. Attempting to clone them with consumer RFID tools will not produce a working card.

Cannot be reproduced:

• HID iCLASS SE (3000, 3002, 3003 series) — 13.56 MHz, AES-128, Secure Identity Object binding. Replacements require HID-authorized issuance.
• HID Seos (5005, 5006 series) — 13.56 MHz, Common Criteria EAL 5+ secure element, AES-128. No third-party supply path exists.
• MIFARE DESFire with AES application keys — 13.56 MHz; application-layer AES encryption makes card data unextractable without the operator’s key material.
• MIFARE Plus Security Level 3 — 13.56 MHz; AES-encrypted sectors inaccessible without diversified keys.
• Indala ASP FlexSecur — Site-specific encrypted Indala format; HID holds the site key.

If your reader displays an HID iCLASS SE or Seos logo, or your card shows part numbers in the 3000 or 5000 series, your cards must be ordered through an HID-authorized integrator. We will tell you this honestly rather than sell you a card that will not work.

What You Need to Place an Order

Once you have identified your format, you need two additional pieces of information to order from American Key Cards:

1. Facility code (also called site code) — a number between 0 and 255 for standard 26-bit systems, or a format-specific value for extended formats. It is usually printed on your existing cards or in your installer’s documentation.
2. Card number range — the starting and ending card numbers you want programmed. These are also on your existing cards or available from the system administrator.

With format, facility code, and card number range confirmed, ordering is straightforward. We program each card or fob to your exact specification, compatible by specification with your installed readers — not affiliated with the original equipment manufacturer.

When You Are Truly Unsure

If you have gone through the steps above and still cannot determine your format, contact American Key Cards with whatever information you have: a photo of the reader, a photo of an existing card, your city and building type, and the software platform if you know it. We identify formats for customers regularly and can usually narrow it down from a reader model number or card photo alone. Getting the format right before you order means no wasted cards and no returned shipments.

The how-it-works page also walks through the full ordering process, from format identification through programming and shipping.