Ajax SpaceControl, Button & Tags: The UK Installer's Guide

Every Ajax system needs a way for people to arm it, disarm it and raise the alarm without opening an app. This guide is for installers choosing between the Ajax SpaceControl key fob, the Ajax Button and the contactless Tag and Pass devices — what each one does, what the published limits are, which customer gets which device, and how to commission them so they do not generate false alarms. Every figure below comes from Ajax Systems’ own manuals and is cited next to the claim.

Ajax SpaceControl key fob, Button and Tag arming devices installer guide — Four small Ajax devices, four different jobs — arm, panic, automate and tap-to-arm — all on the same Jeweller radio.

What this guide covers

SpaceControl: a four-button key fob — arm, disarm, night mode and panic — with up to 1,300 m of open-space range and up to five years on its battery.
Button: one device, three modes — panic, automation control or mute fire alarm — with long-press and double-press protection against accidental activation.
Tag and Pass: DESFire contactless fobs and cards for keypads — 50 per Hub 2, 200 per Hub 2 Plus.
The decision: which device suits a family home, a lone worker, a shared office and a gate or garage door.
The commissioning list: how to set protection against accidental presses and prove every device before handover.

What are the Ajax SpaceControl, Button and Tag devices, and how do they differ?

They are the three ways a user can control an Ajax system by hand without a phone or a code: a pocket key fob (SpaceControl), a single-purpose press button (Button) and a contactless fob or card that is tapped on a keypad (Tag and Pass). The first two talk straight to the hub over the encrypted two-way Jeweller radio; the third is read by a keypad, which is why it needs a KeyPad Plus, TouchScreen or Outdoor keypad in the system.

Device	What it does	Needs a keypad?	Published range / limit
SpaceControl key fob	Arm, disarm, night mode and panic from four buttons	No — talks to the hub	Up to 1,300 m open space; up to 5 years on battery
Button	Panic alarm, automation control (short / long press) or mute fire alarm	No — talks to the hub	Up to 1,300 m open space; CR2032, up to 5 years
Tag (key fob form)	Tap to arm or disarm at a keypad	Yes	DESFire, 128-bit encryption; hub-dependent capacity
Pass (card form)	Same as Tag, in a wallet-sized card	Yes	DESFire, 128-bit encryption; hub-dependent capacity

Figures are from the Ajax SpaceControl user manual, the Ajax Button user manual and the Ajax Tag and Pass user manual. Ajax also make a DoubleButton, which needs both buttons pressed together to raise an alarm (Ajax DoubleButton product page); we do not currently list it, so this guide concentrates on the devices we hold in stock.

What does the Ajax SpaceControl key fob do?

SpaceControl is a pocket key fob with four buttons — system arming, system disarming, night mode and a panic button that triggers an alarm — and it reports back to the user with a coloured LED flash when the hub has executed the command (Ajax SpaceControl user manual). Because the communication is two-way, the user knows the system actually armed, which is the difference between a fob that works and a fob that merely transmits.

The manual gives a maximum fob-to-hub distance of 1,300 m in open space and up to five years of battery life under normal use, calculated on one arm and one disarm per day. The battery is user-replaceable, and Ajax warn that the pre-installed cell is sensitive to low temperatures, so a fob left in a freezing van can briefly show a wrong battery level in the app. We stock it as the Ajax SpaceControl Jeweller key fob in white and the Ajax SpaceControl key fob in black. It also works through a range extender, and Ajax note it can control a third-party panel through their uartBridge or ocBridge Plus integration modules (Ajax SpaceControl product page).

How do you stop accidental alarms from a key fob or button?

Turn on the accidental-press protection in the Ajax app so that a panic press has to be deliberate. For SpaceControl the manual describes a long press or a double click as the protection options (supported from firmware 5.54.1.0 onwards), and the Button has equivalent long-press and double-press settings (Ajax SpaceControl user manual; Ajax Button user manual).

This matters more than any other setting in this guide. A panic fob that lives in a handbag or a trouser pocket will be pressed by accident, and one false hold-up on a monitored system is enough to make a customer ask you to remove it. The Button’s recessed design helps, and for the Control mode Ajax define a long press as more than 3 seconds, while the long-press protection for panic triggers at more than 1.5 seconds and a double-press allows a pause of no more than 0.5 seconds between presses (Ajax Button user manual). Set it, test it, and tell the customer which gesture they now need.

Choosing between Ajax SpaceControl, Button and Tag for family home, lone worker and shared office — Three typical customers, three different device choices — the right answer depends on who presses what, and where.

What are the three modes of the Ajax Button?

The Ajax Button works in one of three modes, chosen in the app: Panic, Control or Mute Fire Alarm (Ajax Button user manual). In Panic mode a press sends an alarm; in Control mode a short or long press (more than 3 seconds) runs an automation scenario; in Mute Fire Alarm mode a press silences the alarm of Ajax fire detectors. The device runs on a pre-installed CR2032 for up to five years at one press a day, reaches up to 1,300 m in open space, and confirms with a green LED that the hub received the command (Ajax Button user manual; Ajax Button product page).

The Button is compatible with Ajax hubs only. We stock it as the Ajax Panic Button in white and the Ajax Panic Button in black. The holder is sold separately: the holder for the Ajax emergency Panic Button lets you fix it under a desk or on a wall, and the black holder for Button and DoubleButton does the same in a darker finish.

How can the Ajax Button control a gate, a door or a light?

In Control mode the Button triggers an automation scenario, and the manual lists a Relay, a WallSwitch or a Socket as the devices it can switch (Ajax Button user manual). The most useful partner for a UK installer is the Ajax dry contact Relay: a short press can pulse a gate or garage-door controller, and a long press can run a second scenario such as switching a light circuit.

The pattern we see most is a disabled or elderly user who wants one big, obvious button next to a door. Fix a Button in its holder at hand height, assign a short press to open the door via a Relay, and use the long press for an assistance call to the app contacts. Keep the Relay, its wiring and the lock supply inside a tamper-protected enclosure, and keep the mains side of any switched load to a qualified electrician’s standard.

How do Ajax Tag and Pass contactless devices work?

Tag and Pass are the same encrypted identifier in two shapes: Tag is a key fob with a hole for a keyring or lanyard, and Pass is a card that fits a wallet or a phone case (Ajax Tag and Pass user manual). Both use DESFire technology, which Ajax describe as based on the ISO 14443 standard with 128-bit encryption and copy protection, so a customer cannot clone one at a market stall the way they could a cheap proximity fob.

They are read by a keypad, not by the hub, and Ajax list the compatible keypads as KeyPad Plus Jeweller, KeyPad TouchScreen Jeweller and KeyPad Outdoor Jeweller (plus the Superior wired equivalents). In our range that means the Ajax KeyPad Plus in white, the KeyPad Plus in black, the KeyPad TouchScreen or the KeyPad Outdoor. One user can have any number of Tags and Passes, within the hub’s overall limit, and a lost one can be deleted remotely from the app without needing the device in your hand.

Ajax hub	Maximum Tag / Pass devices
Hub 2 (2G / 4G) Jeweller	50
Hub 2 Plus Jeweller	200
Superior Hub G3 Jeweller	200
Superior MegaHub	1,000

Hub limits from the Ajax Tag and Pass user manual. If you are quoting a shared office or a school, check the head-count against that table before you choose the hub: fifty Tags is not many once you count staff, cleaners and contractors. The Ajax Hub 2 Plus gives you 200, against 50 on the Ajax Hub 2 (2G). Tags come in packs of one (single Tag), three (pack of 3) and ten (pack of 10), and the Ajax Pass in a 100 pack suits larger sites.

Which Ajax arming device suits which customer?

Match the device to how the person actually behaves at the door. A key fob suits someone who arms from the car or the driveway; a Tag suits someone who is already standing at the keypad; a Button suits the person who must raise an alarm in a hurry, not arm a system.

Customer	Best device	Why
Family home, two adults, teenagers	SpaceControl fobs plus a KeyPad Plus	Fobs for arming on the way out, keypad code for visitors, night mode on the fob for bedtime
Lone worker, shop counter or reception	Button in Panic mode with a holder	One deliberate press under the counter; long-press protection prevents accidents
Shared office or small school	KeyPad Plus or TouchScreen with Tags / Passes	Individual identifiers, remote delete when a card is lost, audit trail per user in the app
Elderly or disabled user	Button in Control mode on a Relay	One large target; short press opens the door, long press calls for help
Gate or garage-door automation	Button or SpaceControl scenario with a Relay	Dry contact pulses the existing controller without touching its logic

For a complete first system, the Ajax Hub 2 Kit 3 already includes a KeyPad, so you can add fobs, Tags and a Button on top. Our Ajax StarterKit guide explains when a pre-built kit beats a bill of materials, and the Ajax keypad comparison covers the keypad choice in depth.

How many users and devices can an Ajax hub handle?

The Tag and Pass limit is separate from the hub’s overall device count, so check both. Key fobs and Buttons are radio devices that use a standard Jeweller device slot, while Tags and Passes count against the contactless-identifier limit in the table above, which Ajax set by hub model.

Six step Ajax SpaceControl Button and Tag commissioning workflow for UK installers — Pair, protect, assign, test, brief, record — the sequence that stops the false-alarm call-back.

Ajax arming device commissioning checklist

Add each fob or Button to the hub by QR code, and name it for the person, not the number — “Sam – SpaceControl” beats “Fob 3” when a fob goes missing.
Run the Jeweller signal check from the farthest point the user will press it, such as the end of the drive; a fob that works at the door but not at the car is the commonest complaint.
Switch on long-press or double-click protection for every panic function, and test that a single casual press does nothing.
Assign Tags and Passes to named users at the keypad, and write down how many hub slots are left.
For Control mode, test the short and long press separately and confirm the Relay changes state each time.
Brief the customer in plain words: which press arms, which press panics, and what happens when a fob is lost.
Record the battery states in the handover pack; the apps warn well before a cell runs out.

Five mistakes installers make with Ajax fobs, buttons and tags

Leaving panic unprotected. A bare single-press panic fob in a pocket is a false alarm waiting to happen.
Quoting Tags for a keypad-less system. Tag and Pass are read by a keypad, so no keypad means no contactless arming.
Forgetting the hub limit. Fifty Tags on a Hub 2 runs out faster than customers expect.
Not telling the customer which gesture does what. The long-press setting is useless if nobody knows it exists.
Mounting a Button where it can be kicked or knocked. Use the holder and fix it at a deliberate height.

Frequently asked questions

How far will an Ajax SpaceControl key fob work?

Ajax quote up to 1,300 m between the fob and the hub in open space; walls, floors and interference reduce that, so check the signal at the farthest realistic position.

How long does the SpaceControl battery last?

Up to five years in normal use, calculated on one arming and one disarming a day, and the battery is user-replaceable.

Can the Ajax Button do more than raise a panic alarm?

Yes. It has three modes — Panic, Control for automation scenarios, and Mute Fire Alarm for Ajax fire detectors — and each is configured in the Ajax app.

What is the difference between Ajax Tag and Pass?

Only the shape: Tag is a key fob with a hole for a keyring, Pass is a card. Both use DESFire encryption and work only with Ajax keypads.

How many Tags and Passes can one hub hold?

Fifty on a Hub 2 (2G or 4G), 200 on a Hub 2 Plus, 200 on a Superior Hub G3 and 1,000 on a Superior MegaHub.

What happens if a customer loses a Tag or fob?

Delete it from the hub in the Ajax app; for a Tag or Pass, Ajax say it can be removed remotely without needing the device itself.

Related guides

Order Ajax key fobs, Buttons, Tags and Passes from Netview

Netview is an authorised UK Ajax stockist based in Leicester. SpaceControl in white and black, the Panic Button and its holders, Tags and Passes, the KeyPad range and the Hub 2 family are held in stock for same-day dispatch, with trade pricing for installers. Build a system to your survey with the Ajax system builder, or browse the full range at netviewcctv.co.uk.

October 2, 2026 | View: 5 | By: netviewcctv.co.uk