Addressable Fire Alarm Systems
Addressable fire alarm systems use “loop” wiring, which terminates at the panel and allows for more advanced communication between devices. Each device, such as fire detector, manual break point, sounder or beacon fitted in a loop is given an address and a descriptive text, which can be displayed on a screen on the fire alarm control panel. The devices can be grouped into zones via programming or configuration in order to satisfy the requirements of BS 5839-1, but an addressable fire alarm system also offers powerful features such as cause-and-effect rules which are not available on Conventional systems. In terms of networking, remote display and remote control panels are available while main control panels can also be connected to create very large systems, and often there are options for Internet connectivity for remote management. Addressable systems are also often capable of manipulating configurable options of loop devices directly from the control panel, such as the sensitivity of a sensor or the tone used by a sounder. These fire alarm systems are more expensive than Conventional fire alarm systems due to their more advanced features but provide much more flexibility and control.
Analogue Addressable Fire Alarm Systems
This term describes standard Addressable fire alarm systems but highlights one of the key differences to a Conventional fire alarm system. While the control panels and all communication are digital, the sensors within the analogue fire detection devices create an analogue signal proportional to the amount of smoke or heat the sensors are detecting. While Conventional fire detectors have a threshold after which they tell the panel that a fire is occurring, Analogue Addressable detectors transmit the analogue values of their sensors (via a digital protocol) so that the panel can make the fire decision centrally – which allows engineers to control the fire decision by altering sensitivity levels, fire thresholds, etc.
