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A fire alarm control panel is an active fire protection item. It is a central control device for detecting, reporting and acting on fires within a building. There are two types of control panels: conventional panels, and analogue addressable panels.
In a conventional panel, fire detection devices including, but not necessarily limited to smoke detectors, heat detectors and manual pull stations are matched with a number connected to each circuit. When a device is activated, the panel recognizes an alarm on that circuit and the panel can be set to react to the alarm in several ways, including directly calling the fire department, setting off audible alarms etc.
An addressable panel is a more modern type of panel than the conventional panels and has greater amount of flexibility. Addressable panels usually have between 2 and 20 loops. Currently, 4 and 6 loop panels are the most common. Multiple devices with unique addresses can be connected to each loop. There is not a standard protocol for the number of loops that may be attached to the addressable panel, nor for the order in which they are attached. Traditionally most addressable panels can have up to 100 devices per loop attached, but more recent models can allow up to 256 per loop.
Common addressable input (initiating) devices include:
* Smoke detectors
*Heat detectors
* Manual call points or Manual pull stations
* Responders
* Fire sprinkler inputs
* Switches
*Flow control
* Pressure
* Isolate
* Standard switches
Addressable output devices (relays) include:
* Warning System/Bell Relays
* Door Holder Relays
* Auxiliary Control Function Relays
Relays can control a variety of functions such as:
* Switching fans on or off
* Closing/opening doors
* Activating Fire suppression systems
* Activating notification appliances
* Shutting down industrial equipment
The process of activating outputs (alarms) depending on which inputs (devices) have been activated is known as mapping. This can also be referred to as Cause and Effect Programming. Typically, when an input device is activated, a certain output device (or relay) is activated.
Fire panels can be programmed to implement fairly complex inputs. For example, they can be programmed to notify the fire department only if multiple devices have been activated within a particular zone in a building.
In the event that one panel is not large enough, or in multiple building situations, several panels may be networked together to form a system. The way that this works is that the inputs (devices) on one panel can activate outputs on another.
Although there are some standards that exist to allow panels from different manufacturers to be networked, many companies prefer not to integrate their panels with others. The benefit of this is that they can create their own proprietary protocols, that allow them to structure the systems pretty much any way that they like. The down side to this is that it can complicate the upgrading, or changing out of parts in a system. The most common manufacturer that can be used for various types of industrial networks is BACnet.
Another advantage to networking is that it can allow a number of different panels to be monitored by one graphical monitoring system.
In nearly every state in the USA, the International Building Code requires fire alarm and sprinkler systems to be monitored by an approved supervising station.
A fire alarm system consists of a computer-based control connected to a central station. The majority of fire alarm systems installed in the USA are monitored by a UL(r) listed or FM Global(r) approved supervising station. These systems generally have a top level map of the entire site, with various building levels displayed.
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