Introduction
Page 4
Each device on the bus has a unique address. A device obtains its address from the
control unit either during the commissioning stage of a new installation, or when the
installer adds the device from the Installer menu. Each device stores its address in non-
volatile memory.
Part-setting and partitioned modes
An i-on control unit offers part-setting and partitioned modes:
Part-setting mode
In part-setting mode, the control unit can set in one of four ways: either full set or one of
three part sets (part set B, C or D). Each zone can belong to one or more part sets (using
the Part Set attribute; see page 49). When the system is full set, the control unit sets all
zones, irrespective of the part set they belong to. When part set, the control unit sets only
those zones that belong to the part set that you are setting.
In a part-setting system, the control unit responds to just one keypad at a time.
Partitioned mode
In partition mode, the control unit provides the equivalent of a set of smaller, independent
alarm systems known as
“partitions”. You can allocate any set of zones to each partition.
Each partition can have a full-set level and one part-set level. During system configuration,
you can allocate keypads, sirens, sounders or outputs to any of the partitions.
The fact that each zone can belong to more than one partition may produce un-expected
results for users of the system. When designing a system, note that a zone will only be
armed when ALL of the partitions that it belongs to are set. If a user unsets any of the
partitions that a zone belongs to, the control unit will disarm the zone.
Table 1 specifies the number of partitions supported by each control unit.
For partitioned systems, users can use more than one keypad at the same time, provided
that they are in separate partitions. Within each partition, the control unit responds to just
one keypad at a time. The number of simultaneous keypad sessions each control unit can
handle at any one time is shown in Table 1.
Keypads
Keypads connect to the bus and are used by installers to configure the system, and by
users to set or unset the system. Table 1 specifies the number of keypads supported by
each control unit.
There are three main types of keypad:
Wired keypads
– These connect to the bus. There are several different models of
wired keypads that offer different styling and features.
Two-way radio keypads
– These communicate over a radio link to a base station,
which is connected to the bus and acts as a communications bridge between the
keypad and the control unit. You can use two-way radio keypads in the same way
as a wired keypad to configure the system, set or unset the system, etc.
One-way radio keypads
– These can be used to set or unset the system and can
communicate directly to a control unit that has built-in radio communications, or to a
radio expander.
