Technology Breakthroughs Expand System Welfare
The E3 Series’ emergency voice/alarm communication (EVAC) capabilities delivered on one of the project’s m
ost important specifications. Its ability to provide custom announcements on a zone-by-zone, floor-by-floor basis assured hospital personnel of a more organized and safe evacuation during any number of emergency situations.
“We can sync audio messages from multiple sources being outputted by multiple amps and still maintain sync across the network,” says Aldrich. “We have messages stored in nodes near each area they protect so if one or two areas go into alarm, the messages that those occupants hear come from the nearest network node.”
Another breakthrough in the design of today’s fire alarm systems is survivability. A distributed architecture design allows the E3 Series to continue operating when portions of the network are severed from the head-end during a fire or other disaster.
“I call this a self-correcting, fault-tolerant system because if part of the network is severed in one or more places, each fragment will still perform according to information contained in a node within that area,” says Aldrich. “And then, once the problem is corrected and the network restored, the system will synchronize within as little as four seconds.”
The use of network technology to transport signals from fire alarm control center to each network graphic annunciator (NGA) was another important feature to hospital officials.
The E3 Series’ NGA offers better command and control due to its intuitive touch-screen human interface, which is as easy to use as a common ATM. In instances where the operator may not be familiar with system operation, the NGA provides immediate communications and easy-to-follow instructions through the use of layered menu screens.
Fire Solution Will Survive During Disasters
The E3 Series system features a high-speed data network called ARCnettm over which control and sensor data and audio communication travels. With ARCnettm, each pair of wires can be isolated on a node-to-node basis, facilitating system survivability during catastrophic events.
Behind the St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center’s E3 Series’ ARCnettm data connection are intelligent signaling line circuit (SLC) controller boards, containing a 32-bit “reduced instruction set computer” processor. The processors boost overall reliability during day-to-day use.
Each intelligent interface board provides two SLCs. Each SLC has a potential capacity of 159 addressable detectors and 159 addressable modules. In addition, each dual-SLC processor board contains two NACs, a local energy city box output, auxiliary relay functions and an auxiliary power supply output.
To ensure the system continues operating in a code-compliant manner, the same intelligent dual-SLC/NAC processor board offers a number of relay outputs, such as alarm, supervisory and system trouble.
The E3 Series offers complete integration using twisted-pair metallic wires or one dual fiber-optic cable. By minimizing the number of wires installed by ST&A, the new system reduced the overall cost of on-site labor. Moreover, the installation’s impact on the physical appearance of buildings throughout the complex was minimal.
“There was extensive work involved with the selection of this system,” says Auwae. “And if we had to do it all over again, we’d pick the same company and the same system.”
Beth Welch is a manager at Honeywell Fire Systems and she can be reached at [email protected].
