What is an IP Based Fire Alarm and How Does it Work?

Your idea of what constitutes an ‘IP Based’ system may not be ours. You may not realize it, but whenever you talk about IP Based fire protection, you can only be talking about AsBuilt.

Why?

Because NO other fire alarm manufacturer, other than AsBuilt, can provide it.

Other than with our IPF Series, no fire alarm manufacturer can provide IP/Ethernet-based connectivity between the internal system components of the fire alarm system.

The NAC’s, SLC’s and Display’s on an AsBuilt IPF system all maintain their own IP address and communicate with each other over an Ethernet connection.

Some companies try to claim IP connectivity simply because they can network their ‘control panels’ on an Ethernet connection.

We don’t have to worry about that – because our system IS an IP network.

Our modules (regardless of where they are located) represent themselves as one (very large) ‘control panel’.

What does all this mean? Well, if you had a 20 story hi-rise to protect, it would mean that you could run a simple Ethernet loop for a riser. Then you could connect a NAC circuit to the riser on every floor (because our NAC circuits are IP addressable), then you could connect an SLC circuit to the riser on every other floor (because our SLC’s are also IP addressable), finally, you can connect a Display to it in the lobby and at all the entrances (you got it… because they’re also IP addressable) - and you’d be done.

That’s as complicated as our system gets. It’s also as advanced as our system gets. Add an SLC, add a NAC, add a Display. You can add them anywhere you like… anywhere.

If that were all the benefit that true ‘IP connectivity’ provided in a fire alarm system, it would be a LOT. But, there are so many more advantages that this technology provides:

speed  (100Mb),

survivability (the network regenerates itself into smaller sub-networks on a communication loss, and  our SLC’s/NAC’s combination modules are capable of operating independently),

scalability (just add modules as you need them),

ease of maintenance (when working on a module ALL of the other modules are still active and protecting AND all of our modules are hot pluggable - so the system is NEVER down),

distributed intelligence (each module performs all of its own processing, so it doesn’t matter how big the system gets: there is NO central processor to overload or slow down),

advanced functionality (the added processing power with distributed intelligence and the speed of Ethernet communications allows us to do so much more – and do it much more quickly)

We like to acknowledge that we’re the ‘First Name in IP/Ethernet Based Fire Alarm”.

The truth is, we’re The ONLY name.

An Invitation from the Director of Business Development

AsBuilt Engineered Systems would like to invite you to explore the latest fire alarm technology at our booth at the NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas June 7-10, 2010, Booth #713.

AsBuilt systems are based on the latest technology; many other panels are using traditional fire alarm components and are facing obsolescence. The AsBuilt IPF Series communicates via TCP/IP technology; this means our panels are native to networking, which allows expansion of the system without having to use special equipment.  The system is expandable up to 49 SLC circuits (6,174 devices), 98 NAC circuits (294 Amps of signaling power), all on a single fire alarm system.

AsBuilt is U.L. 864 9^th Edition listed, and has been approved nationwide in several different occupancies.  Applications include commercial office space, military, residential complexes, and industrial occupancies.  AsBuilt products are manufactured in the U.S.A., our facility is located in Framingham, MA.  Our products are RoHS compliant; this means the products are designed with the environment in mind.

Some of the unique features include:

• Hot Pluggable Modules - No need to power down the remainder of the system to service or add individual modules
• Smoke Clear^TM – Detectors let you know when smoke has entered the chamber and when the smoke has cleared
• USB programmable – Our system can be backed up and programmed through a standard USB thumb drive
• QWERTY keyboard – the system can be supplied with a QWERTY keyboard or use a standard USB wired or wireless keyboard.  No need for programming cables, or balancing your laptop on a ladder while programming the system
• Boolean Logic – Complex Boolean logic made simple with the intuitive programming software and the use of group logic
• 3 year warranty on its products
• Privately owned and operated out of our Framingham, MA manufacturing facility

If you are planning on attending the show please stop by our booth and see a demonstration of our equipment and learn about distribution opportunities in your area.   If you cannot attend and are interested in exploring distribution opportunities, please contact us to arrange a demonstration.

Best regards,

Bill Witecki

Director of Business Development

AsBuilt Engineered Systems

508-788-8333 Office

508-788-8334 Fax

860-685-1869 Mobile

Bill.Witecki@AsBuiltES.com

Success at NFPA 2009 Chicago

What an exciting time in Chicago at this year’s annual NFPA show!

There is no doubt that we are beginning to gain worldwide interest. We not only entertained distributors, end-users and specifiers from around the country – but had many visitors from around the world. In addition to the States and Puerto Rico, we’re in the middle of signing up distributors in India, South Africa and throughout countries in the Middle East and South America.

Given current economic conditions, attendance at the annual conference was more than we had expected and was actually up over previous years. Our booth was packed from the minute the doors were opened on Monday.

Why wouldn’t it be? We’re the only company in the industry offering a new, robust generation of fire protection equipment that provides a technologically advanced approach to life safety.

We’ve eliminated the ‘fire control panel’ and the limitations inherent to that technology – and replaced it with a modular, distributable IP/Ethernet based fire control system.

Think of the IP/Ethernet connection as being the central bus of our IP Fire Series^TM control system – because it is. This allows system design configurations to be virtually unlimited. Lay out your Cat5 cables any way you like (or use the existing Ethernet infrastructure of the building), attach modules wherever you need them - and you instantly have a highly survivable, high speed, distributed fire control system.

It’s that easy, that fast and that good.

If a module goes down, the remaining modules continue to operate. If there’s a break in communication, the system automatically forms sub-networks. If communication is restored, the modules automatically synchronize their data. If you need to expand, you can do it one module at a time. You can even wire it up to exceed Class A requirements by using our MESH networking switches. A single IP Fire Series^TM control can expand up to 50 modules of any type in any combination.

You are no longer locked into a single pc board, a single cabinet or a single location.

What do you gain by approaching fire protection this way? Actually, quite a bit.

The IP Fire Series^TM distributed technology offers real scalability, maximum survivability, 100 Mb speed, communication redundancy and absolute design flexibility.

Other companies may tout IP or Ethernet capabilities simply because they can report over it or connect more control panels with an Ethernet connection, but only AsBuilt^TM can offer IP/Ethernet communication between fire control functions offering you the most flexible, reliable and survivable fire protection system available anywhere.

Check out our website or write to Info@AsBuiltES.com for more information and to explore the highly advanced feature set of the IP Fire Series^TM.

Smoke Free

All fire protection systems will let you know when a detector gets filled with smoke.

So will ours.

But the IP Fire Series^TM will ALSO let you know when the smoke has cleared the chamber.

Why? When emergency responders arrive on the scene it’s important for them to know the exact status of every device.

Was a detector momentarily tripped? Is the device clear now? Has the smoke drifted? Did the smoke control system pressurize the stairwell and clear out the smoke? Is it OK to reset the system?

These are questions we can help answer.

Only the IP Fire Series^TM from AsBuilt^TM will let you know whether a detector has had smoke in its chamber for one minute, one hour or if it’s still present.

The advanced architecture of The IP Fire Series ^TM fire control allows us to incorporate some pretty powerful features for you.

When it comes to life safety, every little advantage helps.

Specify The IP Fire Series^TM from AsBuilt^TM on your next job and stay informed.

To find out more, please write to us Info@AsBuiltES.com.

Breathe Easy!

High performance, full featured and GREEN!

In addition to the advanced architecture and reliability of the of The IP Fire Series^TM, all of the system modules, intelligent detectors and addressable control devices that we build and use are RoHS compliant (the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive).

What does that mean?

Simply, that The IP Fire Series^TM is free of Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated Biphenyls and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether - some of the worst toxins normally used in or created by the electronic manufacturing process.

We eliminated the heavy metals associated with biological toxicity because our job is life safety - and we take our responsibilities seriously.

If you have a green building or just want to let everyone breathe easy, specify the IP Fire Series^TM from AsBuilt^TM on your next job.

For more information, download our GREEN brochure, or write to us at Info@AsBuiltES.com.