Fire Alarm Panel Library

Field reference for fire alarm and life safety technicians. 11 entries, taken from the LoopWatt app.

These notes come from LoopWatt

Reference notes from LoopWatt, the offline field toolkit for fire alarm and life safety technicians. It works with no cell signal, because the sites do not have any.

Get LoopWatt on the App Store

Notifier

Trouble notes

Device troubles report by loop and address with a point label

Invalid reply usually means a device answered incorrectly: check for duplicate addresses or a swapped device type

Charger and ground fault troubles are panel level events on the system trouble list

Menu concepts

Read status to view points without changing anything

History buffer holds events; walk test enabled per loop or zone

Program changes need the panel password and often VeriFire Tools on a laptop

Families

NFS and NFW series addressable panels; ONYX line. FlashScan and CLIP polling protocols.

Simplex

Trouble notes

TrueAlarm sensors report almost dirty and dirty service conditions before nuisance level

Card level troubles (loop card, NAC card) list separately from point troubles

Ground faults isolate per power supply or loop card on larger systems, which helps localization

Menu concepts

Front panel access levels gate functions; level 3 and up changes state

System reports menu prints sensitivity reports that satisfy the sensitivity test requirement

Walk test by group with or without notification

Families

4007ES, 4010ES, 4100ES addressable platforms; IDNet and MAPNET device protocols; TrueAlarm analog sensing.

EST and Edwards

Trouble notes

Signature devices self diagnose; dirty and internal fault states report per device

Map faults occur when the wired layout no longer matches the learned circuit map: look for added, removed, or rewired devices

Riser and audio troubles separate from point troubles on voice systems

Menu concepts

Program and status via the SDU or panel front; mapping is a distinctive EST concept

Test fire groups support walk test

History and status accessible without password; changes gated

Families

EST3, EST4, iO series; Signature series intelligent devices.

Silent Knight

Trouble notes

Loop troubles report by SLC and point; JumpStart auto programming can mask address mistakes, verify point labels

Ground fault indicated at the main board; isolate by unplugging field circuits

Menu concepts

Front panel programming possible on many models without a laptop

Walk test and fire drill from the test menu

History under the event menu

Families

6000 and IFP series addressable; SK and SD device protocols; part of Honeywell.

Fire Lite

Trouble notes

Addressable troubles list address and type mismatch separately: type mismatch means the wrong device model answered at that address

NAC troubles per circuit; check the EOL value first (4.7k typical)

Menu concepts

Front panel programming on most models

Read status shows detector chamber values on addressable heads

Walk test silent or audible from the test menu

Families

MS series conventional, ES and MS addressable (LiteSpeed protocol); Honeywell family, shares concepts with Notifier.

Honeywell

Trouble notes

Identify the actual sub brand and model first; concepts follow the sub brand's line

Shared device protocols exist across sub brands but devices are usually brand locked

Menu concepts

See the specific sub brand entry

Families

Parent of Notifier, Silent Knight, Fire Lite, Gamewell FCI; also Vista and commercial combo panels.

Siemens

Trouble notes

Device events carry a detailed fault reason (no answer, wrong type, contamination level)

ASA detectors report application specific sensitivity states; contamination reporting is built in

Menu concepts

Person machine interface with access levels; commissioning via Zeus or Cerberus tools

Walk test per zone; event memory extensive

Families

Cerberus PRO and Desigo Fire (FC and FV series), legacy MXL and XLS; FDnet and HNET device buses.

Potter

Trouble notes

EOL 5.1k on many circuits, different from the 4.7k many techs assume

SLC troubles report per point; check polarity on retrofits, some devices are polarity sensitive

Menu concepts

Front panel menus with USB programming on newer models

Walk test and one person test modes

Families

PFC and IPA addressable series; AFC conventional; also known for sprinkler supervision products.

Gamewell FCI

Trouble notes

E3 networks distribute intelligence; a network trouble can mimic many point troubles, check network nodes first

Velociti devices share behavior with Notifier FlashScan generation

Menu concepts

Network configuration via CAMWorks; local read status at each node

History per node and network wide

Families

E3 Series, 7100 legacy; S3 Series; Honeywell family, Velociti and CLIP protocols.

Mircom

Trouble notes

Dual language displays common; troubles list per loop and address

EOL 3.9k typical; verify per model

Menu concepts

Front panel walk test; configurator software for programming

Verify Canadian vs US listing differences on retrofit jobs

Families

FX series addressable, FA conventional; common in Canada, uses AP and CLIP compatible protocols on some lines.

Bosch

Trouble notes

LSN bus faults report per segment; loop topology matters (T taps limited)

EOL values differ across product generations; check the manual before condemning a circuit

Menu concepts

Programming via RPS or FSP software; limited front panel changes

History and diagnostics from the keypad menus

Families

FPD and Avenar panels; D7024 and FPD 7024 legacy; LSN device bus on newer lines.

These notes come from LoopWatt

Reference notes from LoopWatt, the offline field toolkit for fire alarm and life safety technicians. It works with no cell signal, because the sites do not have any.

Get LoopWatt on the App Store

These notes are a field aid, not a substitute for the governing codes, the stamped drawings, the authority having jurisdiction, or manufacturer manuals. Verify against the current documentation for your installed equipment.