CIE-A-200 Control Panel Engineering and Commissioning Manual
7
The CIE-A-200 System
The CIE-A-200 system is an addressable intelligent detector system, with many advantages over traditional
addressable analogue sensor systems. In order to understand the benefits, let us look more closely at the
terms
Fire Detector
and
Fire Sensor
. These terms are often used interchangeably but actually have quite
different meanings. A fire detector is the device (component as defined in EN54) which automatically detects
a fire. In the majority of addressable fire detection systems, the fire devices are in fact fire sensors which only
transfer data relating to smoke and heat levels to the control panel, and the fire decision is made by the panel.
Nearly all current addressable systems are
Addressable Analogue Detector Systems
where the control
panel continually scans the fire sensors, processes the returned data, and makes decisions about fires and
faults.
The CIE-A-200 system is defined as an
Addressable Intelligent Detector System
or an
Addressable Fire
Detection and Alarm System with Independent Distributed Intelligence.
Distributed intelligence signifies
that the signal processing is spread throughout the system, in order that the decisions about fires and faults
are taken within the detector itself. The detector is capable of being remotely programmed for different modes
of detection.
Thus the CIE-A-200 system is an analogue addressable system, but with the processing power distributed
across the entire system. This dramatically reduces the complexity of the control panel and the data traffic,
and improves the efficiency of the system.
The system addressing is carried out automatically upon initialisation from the control panel, and does not
need to be programmed manually at each device.
Each device has a built in isolator. When the loop is initialising the panel addresses each device on the loop
starting with the first device connected to Loop End 1, when the first device has been addressed it will close
its isolator and allow the second device to be addressed. This process will carry on and finish with the last
device connected to Loop End 2. When the last device is addressed and closes its isolator power is applied
to Loop End 2, the panel detects this and reports Loop Complete.
The panel will then check for addressable spurs on each device. Addressable spurs are no longer used; this
operation is only to allow for backward compatibility where this panel may be used to replace an old system
which is using addressable spurs.
Advantages of Addressable Systems
The nature of a microprocessor control system with individually identified devices means that the precise
location of fires and faults may be indicated, more complex actions may be implemented, system flexibility is
improved and installation and cabling costs are reduced.
In the CIE-A-200 system, very efficient communications mean that very low quiescent power consumption
maximises the standby capacity, high power transfer capabilities allow more sounders to be connected to the
loop, and a very fast response to events is achieved as the control panel does not have to poll every device
for status data.