Rather than being limited to a general zone information (see conventioanl alarm system), addressable alarm systems can identify individual alarms and can therefore pinpoint the location of the fire or of any errors much better. A wider range of devices can be deployed.
Large buildings require a central control panel to show staff and the fire brigade the location of a fire within the building if a fire is detected. Conventional alarm systems consist of the panel and a number of circuits (zones) on which fire detectors are located. The circuits are monitored and if any of the detectors trigger, the overall alarm will be raised and the particular zone will dispay on the panel.