ZKTeco F18 Pro Fingerprint Access Control Terminal

ZKTeco F18 Pro Fingerprint Access Control Terminal with Video Intercom

The ZKTeco F18 Pro is a standalone biometric access control terminal that combines fingerprint authentication, RFID card reading, and a physical keypad with a 4 MP ultra-wide camera, AI-driven video analytics, and cloud-based video intercom. It operates independently — no panel controller is required — while integrating directly with ZKTeco’s ZKBio CVAccess and ZKBio Time software platforms for centralised access control and attendance management.

At its core, the F18 Pro addresses a specific gap in access control deployments. Most standalone terminals provide only entry credentials and a door relay output. The F18 Pro goes further. It adds a live camera feed, intelligent detection alerts, and two-way voice communication through the Yoosee app — all within a single wall-mounted unit. Consequently, security personnel and facility managers can see, speak, and grant access remotely, without a separate intercom or IP camera at the same doorway.

4MP Ultra-Wide Camera and Video Performance

The F18 Pro’s camera sensor is a 4 MP CMOS unit producing QHD resolution video at 2560 × 1440 pixels. Video is compressed using H.265, which delivers approximately 40–50% better compression efficiency than H.264. As a result, storage consumption and network bandwidth requirements are significantly reduced compared to equivalent-resolution H.264 streams.

The camera’s field of view is one of its most operationally important specifications:

• Diagonal FOV: 154.8°
• Horizontal FOV: 134.7°
• Vertical FOV: 77.6°

This ultra-wide angle virtually eliminates the blind spots that narrow-FOV cameras leave at the edges of doorways. In practice, it means the F18 Pro captures the full entry area — including people approaching from the sides — without requiring a second camera for supplementary coverage.

For low-light performance, a built-in IR illuminator automatically activates below 2 lux, switching the image to black-and-white IR mode. Above 6 lux, the unit switches back to full-colour mode automatically. Effective IR visibility extends to 5 metres, covering the full approach distance to a standard door installation.

Video playback, live view, and backup are handled through the Yoosee app, with footage stored in the Gwell cloud or locally on a TF card up to 256 GB — providing a hybrid storage option that suits both internet-connected and offline deployment environments.

AI-Powered Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA)

Beyond passive recording, the F18 Pro analyses its video feed in real time using onboard AI processing. The Intelligent Video Analytics engine supports four detection categories:

• Person detection — identifies human presence within the camera frame
• Motion detection — triggers on general movement within the monitored zone
• Vehicle detection — distinguishes vehicle presence from other motion events
• Flame detection — supplementary fire/flame indicator (not a substitute for code-compliant fire detection systems)

Each detection event triggers an alert within under 3 seconds. The Yoosee app delivers push notifications with a text label and a JPEG snapshot image to the user’s mobile device. This event-driven alert model means security personnel receive a contextual notification — not just a raw alarm — allowing faster, more accurate response decisions.

Detection sensitivity is adjustable, and the minimum detectable area is 50 × 50 pixels, giving sufficient resolution for reliable detection of individuals at typical doorway distances.

Biometric Authentication and Multi-Factor Access

The F18 Pro uses ZKTeco’s ZK Optical Sensor for fingerprint capture, running the ZKFingerprint V10.0 / V13.0 algorithm (V13.0 is the default). This algorithm generation delivers:

• Verification speed: < 0.3 seconds
• False Acceptance Rate (FAR): ≤ 0.0001% — meaning fewer than 1 in 1,000,000 verification attempts incorrectly grants access to an unauthorised fingerprint
• False Rejection Rate (FRR): ≤ 0.01% — meaning legitimate users are denied fewer than 1 in 10,000 attempts

These two figures represent the fundamental accuracy trade-off in biometric systems. The F18 Pro’s FAR of 0.0001% sits within the accepted range for commercial access control in high-security environments.

In addition to fingerprint, the F18 Pro supports RFID card authentication at both 125 kHz (ID cards) and 13.56 MHz (IC/Mifare cards), covering the full range of access cards currently in use across Kenyan commercial and residential properties. A physical keypad enables PIN/password entry of 6 to 8 digits, and all three methods — fingerprint, card, and PIN — can be combined for multi-factor authentication at high-security doors.

Capacity figures are as follows:

• 5,000 users (card or user credential capacity)
• 3,000 fingerprint templates (1:N identification mode)
• 100,000 transaction logs — providing an audit trail for compliance, HR, and security review

Video Intercom via Yoosee App

The F18 Pro integrates a fully functional video intercom system through the Yoosee mobile application, available on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play). The intercom system includes:

• Live view — up to 10 minutes per session, with a maximum of 2 concurrent viewers
• Two-way audio — the built-in microphone (sensitivity: -42 dB ±3 dB) and dual 8Ω 1W speakers provide clear bidirectional voice communication
• Remote door unlock — operators can trigger the connected electric lock directly from the Yoosee app, from any location with internet access
• Account capacity — each Yoosee account supports up to 300 devices; each device can be shared with up to 10 users

This architecture is particularly well-suited to multi-site deployments, property management companies, and residential estates in Nairobi where a single security manager needs to monitor and respond across multiple access points simultaneously.

Connectivity

The F18 Pro supports a comprehensive set of communication interfaces, making it deployable across a wide range of site configurations:

• Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz — the Wi-Fi 6 standard provides improved throughput, reduced latency, and better performance in dense wireless environments compared to Wi-Fi 5
• Ethernet (TCP/IP) — wired network connection for stable, cable-based deployments
• Bluetooth 5.0 — for mobile provisioning and configuration
• Wiegand input and output — for integration with third-party access control panels
• RS485 — ZKTeco RS485 protocol for multi-drop device communication
• RS232 — printer output (optional)
• USB Host — for local data transfer and firmware updates
• Auxiliary inputs/outputs — electric lock output, door sensor input, exit button input, alarm output, doorbell input

Software Integration

The F18 Pro supports switching between two operational modes via AC PUSH and TA PUSH protocol switching:

• ZKBio CVAccess — ZKTeco’s enterprise access control platform for managing door schedules, access levels, groups, anti-passback, and event logs across multiple devices
• ZKBio Time — ZKTeco’s attendance management platform for time-and-attendance recording, shift scheduling, and payroll data export

This dual-mode capability means the same physical terminal can serve as a door controller on a security network or a clocking station on an HR system, depending on the software it is paired with — without hardware changes.

Standard access control functions include anti-passback, holiday scheduling, up to 14-digit user IDs, multiple verification methods, record query, tamper switch alarm, HTTPS and SSH backend access, and T9 keyboard input.

Physical Design and Installation

The F18 Pro is housed in ABS (black), with dimensions of 214 mm × 80 mm × 45 mm and a net weight of 0.38 kg. The slim profile and low weight make single-person wall mounting straightforward. The unit is compatible with Asian Gang-box, Single Gang-Box, and European Gang-Box mounting formats, covering the full range of standard electrical back-box installations used in Kenyan commercial construction.

Power is supplied via DC 12V 3A. The operating temperature range is -10°C to 45°C, and operating humidity is 10% to 90% RH (non-condensing) — well within the ambient conditions of Nairobi’s commercial buildings and gated residential estates year-round.

The unit includes a 2.4-inch TFT colour LCD screen at 720 × 1280 resolution, providing the on-device interface for credential entry and status display.

Who Is This Product Best Suited For?

• Commercial office buildings and corporate campuses in Nairobi — The F18 Pro’s 5,000-user capacity, anti-passback, and ZKBio CVAccess integration suit multi-door office environments where both access control and audit logging are required. The remote unlock and video intercom capability reduce the need for a dedicated receptionist at secondary entry points.
• Gated residential estates and apartment complexes — Estate security teams can use the Yoosee app to monitor, communicate with, and grant access to visitors from a central point or remotely. The 10-user sharing per device allows multiple security personnel to receive alerts and respond to intercom calls simultaneously.
• Schools and educational institutions — The attendance management integration via ZKBio Time allows the same terminal to track staff and visitor entry while also functioning as a time-and-attendance device, reducing hardware duplication.
• Retail and hospitality facilities — The AI video analytics alerts (person, vehicle, motion detection) provide passive perimeter monitoring at delivery entrances, car parks, and service access points, supplementing the primary access function without requiring a separate IP camera installation.
• Industrial and warehouse facilities — The wide operating temperature range, robust ABS housing, and multi-factor authentication support high-traffic, harsh-environment deployments where both fingerprint readers and cards need to function reliably across a large, shifting workforce.

Technical Specifications

Device Identification

Display and Processing

Camera and Video

Biometric Authentication

Credentials and Capacity

Intelligent Video Analytics

Video Intercom (Yoosee)

Connectivity and Interfaces

Software Integration

Physical and Environmental

Certifications