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A05-0473-010
SOME GUIDELINES FOR USING THE AGILE™ 200 SERIES RADIO SYSTEM
Agile™ System Coverage
When designing and installing a System Sensor Agile™ radio
mesh network, consideration should be given to the following.
Agile™ RF radio devices appear as wired elements to a fire panel.
Check to ensure the maximum number of combined wired and
wireless devices on a loop has not been exceeded (198 in CLIP
or 318 in AP)
Confirm that detector types and spacing requirements, sounder
and strobe coverage and exits that need manual call points have
been identified as required by national and local regulations (for
example in the UK, the recommendations of the Code of Practice
BS5839 Part 1 should be followed).
The Agile™ radio system can have up to 8 Gateways operating in
the same area. There is also a maximum limit of 32 devices allowed
per Gateway. In the UK, ensure the radio system associated with
a gateway does not cover more than one zone as defined by
BS5839 Part 1.
Consider the best location for the gateway with respect to both its
connection to the wired loop and its need to control a group of radio
devices. See section headed
Do’s and Don’ts
.
Identify any radio device locations that may have difficulty
communicating with at least 2 other devices in the mesh. It may
be necessary to introduce additional nodes to bridge poor links
(see
RF Signal Attenuation
section). It is important to note that
RF signals will be attenuated differently depending on the type and
construction of any obstructions.
Therefore, a system design should take into account obstructions
and the level of signal attenuation caused by:
● Wall type and thickness
● Structural supporting beams
● Tall metal cabinets (such as those that are from floor to ceiling
and IT equipment in tall metal enclosures)
A system design should also consider the site operating conditions,
like:
● Strong local interferences (such as from certain types of
communications devices and RFID readers)
● Site changes, such as construction of new internal walls
● Placement of large metal objects, water storage tanks etc.
● Areas where large objects move regularly, loading bays, lift
shafts, goods storage
● Possible reflections from close-by buildings or other objects
where attenuation may vary with the environment (e.g. rain)
● Whilst Agile™ devices are designed to be omni-directional
in performance, note any significant signal strength variation
with device rotation; use the mark on the detector base as a
reference
Remember that radio signals travel in 3 dimensions, for example,
upwards or downwards as well as forward/backwards directions.
Note that the RF Link Quality may be good between devices on
adjacent floor levels as well as between devices on the same floor
level. This is dependent on the construction of floor and ceiling.
Figure 6 shows the arrangement that may be suitable where the
floor construction prevents RF signal between floor levels, while
Figure 7 may be suitable where the RF signal can be strong (good)
between floor levels.
Figure 6: Arrangement Where the Floor Construction
Prevents RF Signal Between Floor Levels
Figure 7: Arrangement Where the RF Signal
can be Strong (Good) Between Floor Levels
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