SenseNET Software User

Guide

P/N 10-6113-501-SNET-01 • ISS 27JUL15

 Copyright © 2015 UTC Fire & Security. All rights reserved.
Manufacturer UTC CCS Manufacturing Polska Sp. Z o.o.
Ul. Kolejowa 24. 39-100 Ropczyce, Poland
Authorized EU manufacturing representative:
UTC Fire & Security B.V. Kelvinstraat 7, 6003 DH Weert,
Netherlands
Contact information For contact information, see www.airsensetechnology.com.
Content

Important information iii

Chapter 1 General information 1

Introduction 2
Features 2
PC requirements 2
SenseNET architecture 3
Connecting a SenseNET communication network loop 4
Connecting to third-party systems 5
Remote display units 6
Power supplies 8

Chapter 2 Installation and configuration 9

Installing SenseNET on the PC 10
Passwords 11
Connecting the detector or command module to an RS-232
serial port 14
Setting up the communication 15
Sample network configuration 17

Chapter 3 Site configuration 23

Introduction 24
Configuring a basic network 24
Remote Control Software 26
Managing your site configuration 26

Chapter 4 Status and information displays 37

SenseNET toolbar 38
The File menu 40
The View menu 41
Detector bar graph display 62

Chapter 5 Configuring SenseNET options 71

Introduction 72
Device settings 72
PC command module 94
Site Configuration 96
Communication settings 96
E-mail settings 97
Pager settings 97
Passwords 99
Lock 99
Global Reset 100
Log to Printer 100

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 Map View 101
Language 103
Alarm and fault actions 104
Alert sounds for more than one event 106

Appendix A SenseNET initialization file 107

SENSENET.INI 108

Appendix B Device address 111

Device address 112

Appendix C List of configurable options 115

Introduction 116

Appendix D The ClassiFire system 123

About ClassiFire 124
Detector levels 124
Sensitivity levels 126
ClassiFire operation 126
Setting the detector 138
Other options 139

Glossary 141

Index 143

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Important information

Limitation of liability
This manual is to be used by qualified and factory-trained personnel,
knowledgeable of NFPA standards and all applicable codes in effect.
This publication describes the operation of the SenseNET software.
UTCFS assumes no responsibility for the application of any systems other than
those addressed in this manual. The technical data contained herein is limited
strictly for informational purposes only. UTCFS believes this data to be accurate,
but it is published and presented without any guarantee or warranty whatsoever,
and is subject to changes without notice. UTCFS disclaims any liability for any
use that may be made of the data and information contained herein by any and
all other parties. UTCFS is not responsible for any installation, design,
commissioning or service of the equipment or system.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event will UTCFS be
liable for any lost profits or business opportunities, loss of use, business
interruption, loss of data, or any other indirect, special, incidental, or
consequential damages under any theory of liability, whether based in contract,
tort, negligence, product liability, or otherwise. Because some jurisdictions do not
allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental
damages the preceding limitation may not apply to you. In any event the total
liability of UTCFS shall not exceed the purchase price of the product. The
foregoing limitation will apply to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law,
regardless of whether UTCFS has been advised of the possibility of such
damages and regardless of whether any remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Installation in accordance with this manual, applicable codes, and the instructions
of the authority having jurisdiction is mandatory.
While every precaution has been taken during the preparation of this manual to
ensure the accuracy of its contents, UTCFS assumes no responsibility for errors
or omissions.

SenseNET Software User Guide iii

Advisory messages
Advisory messages alert you to conditions or practices that can cause unwanted
results. The advisory messages used in this document are shown and described
below.

WARNING: Warning messages advise you of hazards that could result in injury
or loss of life. They tell you which actions to take or to avoid in order to prevent
the injury or loss of life.

Caution: Caution messages advise you of possible equipment damage. They tell
you which actions to take or to avoid in order to prevent the damage.

Note: Note messages advise you of the possible loss of time or effort. They
describe how to avoid the loss. Notes are also used to point out important
information that you should read.

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Chapter 1
General information

Summary
This section introduces you to the SenseNET product and its features.

Content
Introduction 2
Features 2
PC requirements 2
Additional hardware requirements 3
SenseNET architecture 3
Connecting a SenseNET communication network loop 4
Connecting to third-party systems 5
Monitoring third-party detectors through SenseNET 6
Remote display units 6
The Remote display unit relay board 7
Using a remote display unit to show common detector status 7
Power supplies 8

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Chapter 1: General information

Introduction
SenseNET is a Windows-based program that provides central management and
monitoring of up to 127 aspirating smoke detectors on a fault-tolerant
communications loop with extensive error checking and correction.
SenseNET is scalable, allowing expansion for larger sites using multiple loops
(with up to 127 detectors on each loop).
Maps and warning sounds, including spoken messages, may be set for each
detector. Detectors may be grouped together in zones with an associated zone
map, allowing Alarms or Faults to be quickly and easily located.

Features
SenseNET features include:
• ClassiFire artificial intelligence (which dynamically adjusts detector sensitivity
to match changes in the normal environmental smoke density)
• Centralized configuration and management of a large detector network, with a
simple, streamlined interactive graphical user interface
• Device mapping to a graphical user interface
• Real-time alarms with spoken instructions and definable sound files
• Event logging of events to disk in real time
• Automatic detection of all attached devices for rapid site configuration
• Extensive error checking and correction
• Real-time pager or e-mail alerts to compatible GSM mobile phones
• Real-time displays and printing of system status and historical information
• Real-time diagnostics of all networked devices
• Contact monitors that interface to other manufacturers’ equipment
• Four password-protected levels of security access to system settings

PC requirements
The minimum computer requirements for SenseNET are listed below. System
requirements vary between operating systems. Refer to the appropriate section.
For computers with Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 7 installed:
• PC with 300 MHz or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233 MHz
minimum required (single or dual processor system)
• 128 MB of memory (RAM) or higher recommended (64 MB minimum
supported; may limit performance and some features)
For computers with Microsoft Windows 2000 installed:
• 133 MHz or higher Pentium-compatible CPU
• A minimum of 64 MB of RAM

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 Chapter 1: General information

Additional hardware requirements

• The PC running the SenseNET software needs to be connected to the
command module on the detector loop or through a PC interface (as shown in
Figure 1 below and Figure 2 on page 4).
• A Hayes-compatible modem and dedicated line is required for sending
messages to a pager. Refer to “Pager settings” on page 97 for setup
information.
• The HASP security device must be connected to the PC's USB port.

SenseNET architecture
The SenseNET system uses multiple hardware and software layers and
installation is greatly simplified by installing one layer at a time from the bottom
layer up. The architecture layers of a SenseNET system are shown in Figure 1
below.

Figure 1: SenseNET architecture

Lower layer – detector and command module

The detector must first be installed according to the provided installation
instructions. Next, the detector address must be set and there must be no faults
indicated before proceeding to the next layer of system setup. Faults at this
stage, especially detector faults through invalid addressing, may stop the higher
layers from working correctly.

Top layer - remote display units and SenseNET PC interface

Remote display units must have their address switches set to the same value as
the detector whose display you wish to repeat. A PC running SenseNET software
must be set up and connected for use in monitoring the system. Refer to
“Installing SenseNET on the PC” on page 10 for instructions on how to install
SenseNET software.

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Chapter 1: General information

Connecting a SenseNET communication

network loop
Detector devices are connected to one another via an RS-485 cable. The
SenseNET data cable should be 120 Ω, shielded (screened) twisted-pair such as
Belden 9841 24 AWG. The total length of cable interconnecting a SenseNET
system should not exceed 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers).
If a longer cable run is unavoidable, the detectors can be configured using a
built-in repeater. This repeater uses an innovative design that adds negligible
delay to the RS-485 signal, unlike conventional RS-485 repeaters which often
delay the signal by one byte (character) time at each repeater and limit the
number of times the signal may be boosted.
Connect a PC running SenseNET to the detectors through a standard RS-232 to
RS-485 PC Interface Converter. A sample configuration is shown in Figure 2
below.

Figure 2: Sample PC configuration running SenseNET

(1)

(2)

(3) (4) (5)

(1) Personal computer (4) Detector

(2) Personal computer interface (5) Detector
(3) Detector

If full fault tolerance is required, you must connect through a device known as a
command module. The command module monitors the looped communication
bus and signals any loop short or break. A sample configuration is shown in
Figure 3 on page 5.

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Figure 3: Sample fault tolerant configuration running SenseNET with a command module

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4) (5) (6)

(1) Personal computer (4) Detector

(2) Command module (5) Detector
(3) To BMS (6) Detector

Any fault on the loop can be isolated by the command module to the loop
segment that the problem actually occurs on and displayed in SenseNET.
The command module also gives common Alarm and Fault notification for all
detectors on the loop so that relay outputs on the command module can be
connected directly to the Fire Panel.

Connecting to third-party systems

Other monitoring devices, such as a building management system (BMS),
connect to a second RS-232 port on the command module. Current BMS
protocols supported are BACnet ptp and ASCII output (as shown in Figure 3
above).

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Chapter 1: General information

Monitoring third-party detectors through SenseNET

You can monitor third-party detectors through SenseNET using the Contact
Monitor. The Contact Monitor interface allows four alarm levels, fault, and two
additional inputs.
This feature is used to monitor older or incompatible aspirating detectors when
adding new detectors to an existing system.

Remote display units

Remote display units (RDUs) can be connected at any point on the bus, set to
the same address as the AIR-Intelligence detector whose display is to be
repeated or displayed. Alarm, fault, and bar graph levels are shown on the front
panel of the RDU.
An RDU is a 19-inch rack-mounting unit which may be stacked into rows of eight
at a time on a rack to display a large number of detectors in a control room.
In normal operation, all connected bus devices are monitored by SenseNET.
When a device fails, the Alarm/Fault viewer automatically displays, indicating the
device address and the nature of the failure.
If the PC on which SenseNET is running stops receiving data from the bus, which
can happen if the RS-232 cable breaks or becomes disconnected, the message
“Comms fail” (communications failure) is displayed automatically after a period of
time (which is set at the factory).

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Figure 4: Remote display unit front panel

The address switch on the RDU card should be set to the same address as the
aspirating detector whose display is to be repeated. (See Appendix B for a list of
valid addresses.)
If no bus master or PC is to be used on the system, then set switch 8 to the ON
position to get the RDU to poll the detector. If multiple RDUs are used, only one
RDU must be set to poll.
The RDU requires a 24 VDC power supply and is designed to be fitted into a
19-inch rack frame.

The Remote display unit relay board

The optional relay board provides separate relay outputs for all alarm levels from
each detector driving a particular RDU.
Once the relay board is connected to the RDU (which must be powered off first),
operation is completely automatic.
Relay contacts are provided for each alarm level, plus a normally energized
common fault relay.

Using a remote display unit to show common detector

status
Setting an RDU to address 0 will configure it to display the common alarm and
fault status for all detectors when a command module is used in the network. No
bar graph indication will be shown when the RDU is set to the common address.

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Chapter 1: General information

If a relay board is fitted to an RDU set to address 0, then the relays will indicate
common alarm and fault relays for all detectors.
This signal is sent from the command module, and is only available when a
hardware command module is used.

Power supplies
The PC interface has its own internal power supply, which provides 24 VDC for
the unit. If complete uninterruptable operation is required, the PC and SenseNET
PC Interface should be powered from an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).
The power requirement for the RDU is 40 mA max at 24 V.

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Chapter 2
Installation and
configuration

Summary
This chapter provides instructions on how to install SenseNET software onto a
PC and how to set up local and remote communication.

Content
Installing SenseNET on the PC 10
Passwords 11
Connecting the detector or command module to an RS-232 serial port 14
Setting up the communication 15
Setting up local and remote communication using multiple PCs 16
Setting up local and remote communication to monitor a VESDAnet
network 17
Sample network configuration 17
Computer PC1 18
Computer PC2 20
Computer PC3 21

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Chapter 2: Installation and configuration

Installing SenseNET on the PC

To install SenseNET on a PC:
1. Attach the HASP security device to the PC's USB port.
2. Using the Windows Explorer, browse to the file “setup.exe,” and then double-
click to open it.

3. Choose which SenseNet components you want to install.

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4. Confirm that the path displayed is the desired destination location for the
software.
You can specify a different location using the Browse button, or by typing the
path directly into the box.
5. Enter the user’s name in the Name box. Enter the company name in the
Company box.
6. When the details are correct, click Install to continue. If SenseNET is already
installed, then a prompt will be displayed asking to overwrite the directory.
Clicking Yes will upgrade SenseNET to the version on the install disk.
7. When installation is complete, the following form displays. Click OK to
continue.
SenseNET will be added to the Windows Start > All Programs > SenseNet.

Passwords
Use the Passwords command on the Options menu to set the four different levels
of password access to SenseNET.
The four levels of access listed in order of most restricted to least restricted are:
• Read only
• Operator
• Engineer
• Administrator
The access levels work so that a higher access level has all the privileges of the
levels below it plus the unique access privileges for that level. For example,

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Engineer access has all of the Operator privileges plus additional Engineer
privileges.
Table 1 below shows the privileges assigned for each of the four access levels.

Table 1: Access levels and privileges

Privilege Administrator Engineer Operator Read Only
Histogram viewer X X X
Chart recorder viewer X X X
Event log viewer X X X
Reset X X X
Isolate X X X
Front panel display X X X
Diagnostics X X
Communication settings X X
Bus viewer X X
Function programmer X X
Exit program X X
Save functions to disk X
Restore functions from disk X
Site configuration editor X
File open X
New site X
Set language X
Toggle log to printer X
E-mail setup X
Pager setup X

For example, to set the Administrator password:

1. On the Options menu, click Passwords (as shown below).

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 Chapter 2: Installation and configuration

The Password dialog box displays.

2. In the Access Level list, click Administrator.

3. Enter a password consisting of up to 16 characters (alphanumeric).

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Chapter 2: Installation and configuration

4. Click OK.
Note: When SenseNET is first installed, no passwords are set. Not entering any
password allows access to all four access levels. After initial startup, you must
set access level passwords.

Connecting the detector or command

module to an RS-232 serial port
Connect the PC to a detector or command module with an RS-232 serial port
cable with two female 9-pin “D” connectors wired (see Figure 5 below).

WARNING: Start the computer before connecting the serial cable to the detector,
as otherwise it may “recognize” the detector as an added serial mouse or another
piece of peripheral equipment.

Figure 5: RS-232 serial port connections

In a network of detectors connected to a common command module, the Remote

Control Software allows centralized access to interrogate or program any
detector or the command module in the network loop from a common location.
You do not need to remove and reconnect the RS-232 cable to different
detectors.
When connecting to an individual detector in a network loop rather than to the
command module, SenseNET generates a “Comms fault” error at the command
module. This is normal because the detector’s RS-485 communications are
overridden by the RS-232 communications.

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Setting up the communication

SenseNET allows up to 16 loops to be managed simultaneously, each with 127
devices attached. These loops can be local (connected to COM ports on the PC
running SenseNET) or remote (accessed through a network connection). A
network port can connect to either a single loop of another PC running
SenseNET or a micro serial server (MSS).
SenseNET supports up to 127 detectors plus a command module on a loop. With
a maximum of 16 loops, this allows up to 2,032 detectors to be monitored.
Clicking Communication settings on the Options menu presents the
Communication settings dialog box (see Figure 6 below). A COM port (for a local
connection to detectors) or a network port (for remote connection) can be
selected in this menu.

Figure 6: Communication settings dialog box

Port: Controls in the Port group are:

• Loop: Selects the loop that is being configured.
• Com Port: Selects the communication port (COM1 or COM2). Figure 6 above
shows COM1 as the selected port which means that this loop is a local port.
COM2 should be selected when connected to the COM2 port on the PC.
Buffer Sizes: Sets the input (Receive) and output (Transmit) buffer sizes (which
are not usually used).
CTS Enabled: This check box should only be checked when connected to
command modules.
Monitor From Network: This check box should be checked if the PC on which
SenseNET resides will be monitored by a remote PC also running SenseNET.

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Chapter 2: Installation and configuration

Number of Loops: Sets the number of network loops being used. In the
example provided in Figure 6 on page 15, the detector network is composed of a
single loop.
Port Type: Sets the port type to one of the following:
• COM port: local port
• Network monitor: Lets you set up local and remote communication using
multiple PCs (See “Setting up local and remote communication using multiple
PCs” below for details).
• Network control: Lets you set up local and remote communication using
multiple PCs (See “Setting up local and remote communication using multiple
PCs” below for details).
• VESDA HLI: Allows the PC on which SenseNET software resides to monitor
or control a VESDA netTM network using the Vesda Open Protocol HLITM
(model VHX-0300). (See “Setting up local and remote communication to
monitor a VESDAnet network” on page 17 for details.)

Setting up local and remote communication using

multiple PCs
If you want to configure your site setup for local or remote communication using
multiple PCs (either a remote PC or MSS server), set the port type (using the
Port Type list) to either of the following:
• Network monitor
• Network control
When you select a remote port of either of these types, the Port group changes
to include the Computer/Address and Loop boxes, as shown in Figure 7 below.

Figure 7: Port group with Computer/Address and Loop boxes

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Computer/Address: Set to either the computer name or IP address of the

remote PC or MSS. In the example shown in Figure 7 on page 16, the address is
set to IP address 200.20.1.90.
Loop: Set to the loop to be monitored on the remote PC. In the example shown
in Figure 7 on page 16, the loop value is set to 1. If the loop to be monitored is an
MSS unit, set the Loop value to 1.

Setting up local and remote communication to monitor a

VESDAnet network
If you want to configure your site setup for local or remote communication using
VESDA Open Protocol HLI to monitor a VESDAnet network, set the port type
(using the Port Type list) to VESDA HLI. When you select VESDA HLI as the port
type, the Network ID box replaces the Loop box in the Port group (see Figure 8
below). Network ID is set to 0.

Figure 8: Port group with Network ID box

Sample network configuration

The sample SenseNET network configuration shown in Figure 9 on page 18
shows how SenseNET can use a network connection instead of a COM port for
monitoring or controlling a loop.
The sample network configuration shown in Figure 9 contains three PCs running
SenseNET. The operation of the configuration is described below.

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Chapter 2: Installation and configuration

Computer PC1
Computer PC1 is monitoring a micro serial server (MSS) which is connected via
RS-485 to a command module monitoring up to 127 detectors. This type of
connection allows monitoring only (Port Type is set to Network monitor). Loop is
set to the loop which will be monitored by the remote PC. In this case, it is set to
1 (as shown in Figure 10 on page 19). When monitoring an MSS unit, the Loop
must be set to 1. The TCP/IP address of this MSS is fixed at 200.20.1.70 (so this
is entered in the Computer/Address box.)

Figure 9: Sample SenseNET network configuration

Computer: PC1

Command
Module

RS-485
MSS
up to 127
detectors

Detector 1 Detector 2
Computer: PC2

RS-232 PC RS-485 up to 127

Interface detectors

Detector 1 Detector 2

COM 1

Computer: PC3 Command

Module

RS-232
RS-485

COM 1 Detectors

101 102 103 104 105

110 109 108 107 106

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Figure 10: Loop 1 Communication settings

Loop 2 connects to PC2 on Loop 1 using a Network control port (see Figure 11
below). This allows PC1 to control the PC2 detectors.

Figure 11: Loop 2 Communication settings

Loop 3 connects to PC3 on Loop 1 using a Network control port (see Figure 12
on page 20). This allows PC1 to control the PC3 detectors.

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Figure 12: Loop 3 Communication settings

Note: In Figure 12 above, network monitoring has been disabled (Monitor from
network has not been checked) because this function is not necessary in this
example. It is considered a good security practice to turn off unused network
services when possible.

Computer PC2
Computer PC2 is monitoring up to 127 detectors through its COM1 port using a
PC Interface to convert the RS-232 to the RS-485 format used by the SenseNET
bus. In this case, Monitor From Network is checked (see Figure 13 below) to
allow other PCs to monitor this PC from the network. (PC1 is monitoring this PC.)

Figure 13: Communication settings for PC2

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Computer PC3
PC3 is monitoring 10 detectors with addresses 101 to 110 connected to a
command module by an RS-232 cable from the command module to its COM1
port.
Monitor from network is checked (see Figure 14 below) to allow other PCs to
monitor this PC from the network. (PC1 is monitoring this PC.)
In this case, CTS enabled must be checked as the PC is monitoring a command
module.

Figure 14: Communication settings for PC3

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Chapter 3
Site configuration

Summary
This chapter discusses how to simplify the configuration, monitoring, and
management of your site.

Content
Introduction 24
Configuring a basic network 24
Remote Control Software 26
Managing your site configuration 26
The Site configuration editor 27
Simple Site configuration editor functions 28
Full Site configuration editor functions 29
Adding a new device to an existing configuration 30
Critical fault setup 30
Event responses 31
Setting device and zone maps 32
Setting a device map 33
Setting a zone map 34

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Chapter 3: Site configuration

Introduction
SenseNET has been designed to simplify configuration, monitoring, and
management of any site with two or more detectors. SenseNET is capable of
managing up to 16 loops of 127 detectors for one PC graphic system. SenseNET
uses an automatic discovery mode called SiteScan, to locate all connected bus
devices and reads their configuration settings (which includes the device
information), making the process faster and less prone to error.
The following steps will create a new site that reflects the hardware setup.
1. To set up SenseNET for a site, all detectors must be attached to the bus and
each detector must have a unique address (as explained in the pertinent
detector manual).
2. On the File menu, click New Site to create a new site and provide a
descriptive file name for the site when prompted.
3. SenseNET prompts you to ensure all detectors are powered up. Click Yes to
continue when ready.
4. The bus is scanned for all detectors and their current function settings are
saved to disk. This process may take several minutes but only has to be done
once.
Note: Detector addresses do not need to be contiguous—which means that
there can be gaps in the address range.
5. The Site Configuration editor is displayed. If no site maps or actions are
required, then the setup is complete. Proceed to step 7.
6. Use the Site Configuration editor to set up detector maps, alarm or fault
actions, and zones (see “The Site configuration editor” on page 27 for
details).
7. Close the Site configuration editor. The bar graph displays are updated to
show the new site configuration.
The new site will now automatically be loaded each time SenseNET is started.

Configuring a basic network

For a simple installation, this may be all that is required to set up a site. The Site
configuration editor has a simplified mode that allows only the functions shown,
in order to minimize complexity (see Figure 15 on page 25).

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Figure 15: Site configuration editor — simple mode

If more detailed setup is required, clicking the More button will display the
advanced functions (see Figure 16 below). Maps can then be set for each
device, and devices can be grouped together in zones with an associated zone
map.

Figure 16: Site configuration editor — full mode

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Chapter 3: Site configuration

Remote Control Software

SenseNET also includes features from the Remote Control Software (supplied
with every detector) that augment commissioning and maintenance. The Remote
Control Software lets you configure and monitor function and option settings for
the detectors and the command module from a desktop computer or PC.
Using Remote Control Software, a detector can be programmed directly from
within SenseNET. Typical programming settings set the time and date, change
alarm levels, and control how the detector responds to an alarm threshold being
reached.
Groups of detectors can also be simultaneously set using Remote Control
Software. A typical example would be synchronizing the time and date held in all
detectors.
Remote Control Software lets the user configure the following aspects of
detectors and command modules:
• Device settings
• Communication settings
• Global device reset
• Status displays
Remote Control Software also lets you display the following types of status
information for the networked detectors and command module:
• Communication bus
• Diagnostics
• Chart recordings
• Event logs
• ClassiFire histogram
Refer to the Remote Control Software User’s Guide for details.

Managing your site configuration

Use commands on the File menu (see Figure 17 below) to load and save files
and to exit SenseNET.

Figure 17: File menu

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The File menu commands are described in Table 2 below.

Table 2: File menu commands

Command Description
New Site Prompts for a file name. All devices on the loop are scanned
and entered into the site configuration file, along with their
current function settings.
Open Prompts for a file name. Selecting a chart recording or typing
the chart recording file name loads the file from disk. The title
bar changes to display the name of the file currently being
displayed.
Save Function settings Saves the function settings of all loop devices to disk.
Restore Function settings Restores the function settings of all loop devices from a
previously saved set on disk.
Print Prints the entire SenseNET event log to the event log printer.
Exit Exits from SenseNET. If the current chart recording has not
been saved, a dialog box asks whether the file should be saved
before exiting.

The Site configuration editor

Use the Site configuration editor to map the SenseNET system to the detector
configuration at a site.
Clicking Site configuration on the Options menu opens the Site configuration
editor dialog box, shown in Figure 18 on page 28. You can also click the Site
configuration toolbar button.

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Figure 18: Site configuration editor (simple mode)

Note: Normal alarm operation is suspended when the Site configuration editor is
active.
The Site configuration editor has two modes of operation:
• Simple (Less): Used by an administrator to set up the basic configuration
needed for SenseNET. This allows setting detector type and function
programming (if the detector supports it).
• Full (More): Allows access to the advanced features such as setting alarm
and fault actions.
You must add all detectors in the system to the site configuration list:
1. Use the Device Type list to specify the type of detector. After you close the
Site configuration editor, the bar graph display updates to show bar graphs for
all defined detectors.
2. In the Location text box, enter the detector’s location.

Simple Site configuration editor functions

The simple mode of the Site configuration editor (see Figure 18 above) displays
the functions shown in Table 3 on page 29.

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Table 3: Simple Site configuration editor functions

Command Description
Add power supply Adds the power supply that is currently displayed onto the site
map. Power supplies can only be added to the command
module, which means that the command module must be
selected in the site configuration list for the power supply to be
added.
Add detector Adds the detector that is currently displayed on the site map.
Detectors can be added to the command module directly, or
added to power supplies.
Remove Deletes the selected device in the site list.
Edit functions Displays the function programmer for the selected device.
More Opens the full Site configuration editor.
Help Shows context-sensitive Help for the full Site configuration
editor.
OK Closes the Site configuration editor dialog box and saves the
new site configuration to disk.
Cancel Closes the Site configuration editor dialog box without saving
your changes to disk.

Full Site configuration editor functions

The full Site configuration editor (see Figure 19 below) lets you set detector
maps, alarm and fault action text and sounds, zone maps, and select critical and
noncritical faults.
To view the full Site configuration editor, click the More button.

Figure 19: Full Site configuration editor

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Table 4: Full Site configuration editor functions

Command Description
Map preview Clicking the appropriate position in the Map preview can set the
detector position on the display. If no map is selected, then a
text message is displayed on a white background.
Less Opens the simple Site configuration editor.
Faults Opens the Critical Faults dialog box. (See “Critical fault setup”
below for information on the Critical Fault dialog box.)
Actions Sets up action text messages and sound files for faults and
alarm levels.
Browse Allows selection of the map for the selected detector.
Site Map Allows selection of the site map for the loop that the selected
detector is connected to.
Zone setup Allows selection of the map for the zone that this detector is in.
(See “Setting device and zone maps” on page 32 for information
on how to set zone information.)

Adding a new device to an existing configuration

You can add a new device to the SenseNET site configuration using either File >
New Site, or Options > Site Configuration.
New Site. If no site details, such as maps, have been set up, then the quickest
way to add the new device is to click File > New Site to scan all detectors and
their settings into the site configuration.
Note: Clicking File > New Site will delete any existing detector and zone bitmap
definitions and alarm and fault actions.
Site configuration editor. If an existing site has been configured, in order to
preserve existing bitmaps and actions:
1. Click Options > Site Configuration to open the Site configuration editor.
2. Add the appropriate device.
3. Click File > Save Function settings to transfer the current function settings of
the new detector to the site configuration file.

Critical fault setup

The SenseNET system allows faults to be designated as either “critical” or
“noncritical.” The Critical faults dialog box (see Figure 20 on page 31) is
displayed by clicking the Faults button in the Site configuration editor. It
determines whether individual faults on the currently selected detector are critical
or noncritical.
• Selecting (checking) a check box means that this fault is a critical fault, and
when it occurs, the critical fault action text and sound is used in the
Alarm/Fault viewer.

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• Clearing a check box means that the noncritical fault actions are used in the
Alarm/Fault viewer. When a detector is first defined, all of its faults are set to
critical by default.

Figure 20: Critical faults dialog box

Event responses
One important feature of SenseNET is that text, sound files, or a combination of
both can be displayed or played in response to specific events. Sound files can
include spoken directions. Responses can be specified for alarm and fault
events. The response for each event is specified using the Even response dialog
box shown in Figure 21 below. Responses can be unique for each detector. (See
“Map View” on page 101 for details.)

Figure 21: Event response dialog box

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The text shown when events occur can also be sent to a pager (or compatible
GSM phone using a modem) or as e-mail if the PC running SenseNET is
connected to a network. This allows site personnel to react quickly to service
requests (such as failing standby batteries).

Setting device and zone maps

The SenseNET system can store site maps of protected areas in which one or
more devices are being used. When an alarm occurs, these maps may be
viewed to show all detectors in a zone, helping to pinpoint the area of danger.
SenseNET site maps are standard Windows bitmap (BMP) files that are created
in an image editor program capable of creating BMP files. Maps are scaled to fit
the display window.
Display of 24-bit bitmaps is not supported. Individual site maps can be set for any
device in the site list (command modules, detectors, and power supplies).
Figure 22 below and Figure 23 on page 33 show sample site maps.

Figure 22: Sample site map: building

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Figure 23: Sample site map: first floor

Setting a device map

To set a site map for a detector:
1. Create a map in an image editor program capable of editing bitmap files (such
as Microsoft Paint).
2. Start SenseNET if it has not already been started.
3. Click Options > Site Configuration to open the Site configuration editor, and
then click More to display the full Site configuration editor.
Note: The SenseNET access level must be set to “Administrator” to open the
Site configuration editor.
4. In the Device Type list, click Detector. In the site configuration list, select the
correct detector.
5. Click Browse and select the map file. Click Open to return to the Site
configuration editor. The map file name and path will now be displayed in the
Map Filename box.

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Setting a zone map

Figure 24: Sample image map

To set a zone map for a detector:

1. Create a map in an image editor program capable of editing bitmap files (such
as Microsoft Paint). A sample map is shown in Figure 24 above.
2. Start SenseNET if it has not already been started.
3. Click Options > Site Configuration to open the Site configuration editor, and
then click More to display the full Site configuration editor.
Note: The SenseNET access level must be set to “Administrator” to open the
Site configuration editor.
4. In the Device Type list, click Detector. In the site configuration list, select the
correct detector.
5. In the Zone list, click the Zone number for this detector.
6. Click Zone Setup.
7. Click Browse to select the map file.
8. Click Open to return to the zone viewer window, shown below.

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9. Click on the zone map to set the detector position.

10. Click Close to return to the Site configuration editor.

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Chapter 4
Status and information
displays

Summary
This section describes the functions available in the SenseNET status and
informational displays.

Content
SenseNET toolbar 38
The File menu 40
New Site 40
Open 40
Save Function settings 41
Restore Function settings 41
Print 41
Exit 41
The View menu 41
Alarms 42
Bus viewer 43
Diagnostics 45
Chart recording 50
Event logs 54
Histogram viewer 57
Front panel 60
Detector bar graph display 62
Bar graph shortcut menu 63

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SenseNET toolbar
The SenseNET toolbar is shown in Figure 25 below. Descriptions of each button
are given in Table 5 below.

Figure 25: SenseNET toolbar

Table 5: SenseNET toolbar buttons

Item Button Name Description
(1) Open Displays the Open dialog box, which provides a list of file types
that you can load. The file types are described in Table 6 on
page 40.
(2) Chart Opens the Chart recorder viewer. Chart recording provides a
recording graphical display of detector output and either the alarm
threshold level or the flow rate depending on which option is
selected.
A chart recording from a detector which has already been saved
to disk can be loaded and viewed here without the need to
connect the detector to a PC.
(3) ClassiFire Opens the Real-Time ClassiFire viewer (also called Histogram
Histogram viewer) which shows the internal working of the detector in the
viewer form of a histogram. Unlike chart recording, the histogram
updates in real time, showing the response of the detector to
smoke tests.
(4) Event log Opens the Event log viewer, which displays the last 200
deviations from the normal state of the selected detector. Off-
normal states recorded include alarms, faults, and function
changes.
(5) Diagnostics Opens the Diagnostics viewer which provides detector
diagnostics for all detectors.

(6) Bus viewer Opens the Bus viewer which displays communication
information to and from the connected detector or the command
module. When events occur (such as alarms, faults, or function
changes), the relevant communication information appears in
the viewer.
The display also includes the Bus Error Rate and the Show Fast
Poll feature, which optionally shows the continual
communication data stream in the detector network.

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Item Button Name Description

(7) Device Opens the Function settings dialog box. In this dialog box, you
Setting can configure the following device settings:
• Front panel
• Alarm actions
• Alarm levels and delays
• Pager (command module only)
• MatrixScan (command module only)
• Bus Setup (command module only)
• Time and date
• Power monitoring
• Referencing
• Miscellaneous
• Device information
• Day/Night switching
• Flow monitoring
(8) Alarms Displays existing alarms or faults. The detector number is
displayed along with any information about each event. If
defined, the action text is displayed and the appropriate alert
sound is played.
(9) Site Opens Site configuration editor. Use the Site configuration
Configuration editor to map the SenseNET system to the detector
configuration at a site (see “The Site configuration editor” on
page 27 for details).
(10) Front panel Opens the front panel display for the selected detector (see
“Real-Time ClassiFire viewer” on page 139 for details).

(11) Map View Displays the status of a user-defined set of detectors in a site
configuration (see “Setting device and zone maps” on page 32
for details).
(12) Lock Disables all access requiring a password until a new valid
password is entered (see “Passwords” on page 11 for details).

(13) Global Rest Cancels any latched alarms or faults and resets LCD display
messages to the normal operating status on all detectors on the
network loop. If you press this button, and the fault or alarm
condition recurs, then the alarm or fault condition is still present.
(14) Help Opens the Help window, which displays the version number of
the SenseNET software and provides a Web link to the
AirSense website.

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The File menu

The File menu contains the following commands:
• New Site
• Open
• Save Function settings
• Restore Function settings
• Print
• Exit
These are described in detail below.

New Site
The New Site command prompts you for a file name. After you supply the file
name, all of the devices on the loop are then scanned and entered into the site
configuration file, along with their current function settings.

Open
The Open command prompts you for a file name. Selecting the file name loads
the file from disk. The title bar is changed to display the name of the file currently
displayed.
The file types shown in Table 6 can be opened.

Table 6: File types from main menu

Type Extension Description
Chart (*.rcw) Allows a previously-saved chart recording file to be loaded and
viewed.
DOS chart (*.rec) Retained for purposes of backwards-compatibility with chart
recording files saved by the earlier DOS version of this program
only.
Detector (*.dfs) Allows a previously-saved set of detector option settings to be
settings opened and edited as required.
PSU settings (*.pfs) Not currently supported, but is included for future expansion
purposes.
Command (*.cfs) Allows a previously-saved set of command module option
module settings to be opened and edited as required.
settings
Event log (*.evt) Lets you save all to disk for later recall or to print at any time.
Language text (*.ilt) Applies only to units with integral LCD display only, which must
be connected to the PC. Allows the language used for the menu
and programming displays to be changed, where a verified
translation file has been produced for that language.

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Type Extension Description

Logo (*.lgo) Applies only to the command module, and allows the default
graphic symbol to be replaced with a user-defined graphic such
as a company logo. Such a graphic can be created by the user
and saved as a 128 x 64 monochrome (1-bit) graphic and saved
with an “.lgo” file extension, e.g., “Graphic.lgo.”

Save Function settings

The Save Function settings command saves the function settings of all loop
devices to disk.

Restore Function settings

The Restore Function settings command restores the function settings of all loop
devices from a previously saved set on disk.

Print
The Print command prints the entire SenseNET event log to the event log printer.

Exit
The Exit command exits from SenseNET. If the current chart recording has not
been saved, a dialog box is displayed, giving you the option to save the file
before exiting.

The View menu

The View menu contains the following commands:
• Alarms
• Bus viewer
• Diagnostics
• Chart recording
• Event logs
• Histogram viewer
• Front panel
These commands are described in detail below.

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Figure 26: View menu commands

Alarms
Clicking Alarm on the View menu opens the Alarm/Fault viewer (see Figure 27
below). This is the same as clicking the Alarms toolbar button.

Figure 27: Alarm/Fault viewer

The Alarm/Fault viewer is automatically displayed when alarms or faults occur.

The detector number is displayed along with any information about this event. If
defined, the action text is displayed and the appropriate alert sound is played.
If SenseNET is being run minimized and an alarm or fault occurs, then the
Alarm/Fault viewer moves to the top of the displayed windows on the screen.

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Three devices in total can be seen in the example shown in Figure 27 on page
42. Detector 1 is in PreAlarm and Detector 3 has a detector fault. Device 000 (the
command module) is currently highlighted so the Silence, Isolate, Reset, Zone
and Map commands all apply to this detector.
The Alarm/Fault viewer contains the following buttons.

Table 7: Alarm/Fault viewer buttons

Button Description
Silence Clicking this button silences any alarm or fault sounds playing.
Alert sounds, if set, sound at approximately six-second intervals
until the alarm or fault condition has ceased. If the bus device
selected has a sounder, it is silenced.
Isolate If a detector is currently selected in the viewer window, then the
Isolate status of the detector is toggled; if it is currently isolated,
then it is connected or if it is currently online, then it is isolated.
Note: Not all devices support isolation from bus commands. For
instance, contact monitors cannot be isolated.
Reset Resets the selected detector.
Zone Displays the zone map with all detectors that are configured to
be in that zone. (See “Setting a zone map” on page 34.)
Map Displays the detector on a graphical bitmap. The detector
bitmap must have been previously set in the Site configuration
editor. (See “Setting a device map” on page 33.)
Close Closes the Alarm/Fault viewer window.
Help Displays context-sensitive help for the Alarm/Fault viewer.

Bus viewer
Clicking Bus viewer on the View menu or clicking the Bus viewer toolbar button
opens the Bus viewer window.

Figure 28 on page 44 shows the Bus viewer.

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Figure 28: Bus viewer

The Bus viewer displays communication to and from the connected detectors or
command module. When events occur (such as alarms, faults, or function
changes), the relevant communication message appears on the screen.
The Bus viewer displays the following columns of information.

Table 8: Bus viewer data

Heading Description
Destination Address The address of the device reporting the information. Addresses
are assigned by loop number and device address number.
Source Device The source device of the information.
Xor Message Xor check number. This information is used by
Technical Support personnel for troubleshooting purposes.
Message The event message sent or received. This information is used
by Technical Support personnel for troubleshooting purposes.

The Bus viewer also contains the following controls.

Table 9: Bus viewer controls

Control Description
Show Fast Poll If selected, the Bus viewer shows the continual communication
data stream in the detector network.

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Control Description
Bus Error Rate This is the only user-accessible data. The Bus Error Rate
normally reads 0%. If the figure is above 2%, there may be a
problem with cabling or wiring. The Bus Error Rate viewer is a
diagnostic viewer of the data bus of a network and can be used
to aid diagnosis of a communication problem by sending the
information to the manufacturer for analysis.
Save Saves the data in the message column to a text file, which may
be sent by e-mail.
Clear Removes all existing messages from the message window.
Print Sends the data to the system printer so it can be mailed or
faxed.
Close Closes the Bus viewer window.
Help Displays context-sensitive help for the Bus viewer.

Diagnostics
When you click Diagnostics on the View menu, SenseNET scans the network for
detectors. Once all addresses have been scanned, the Diagnostics viewer
opens. (See Figure 29 below.) This is the same as clicking the Diagnostics
toolbar button.

If you connect a PC with SenseNET installed to any detector in a network, it will

list all the detectors on the network.

Figure 29: Diagnostics viewer

If there are fewer than 127 detectors on the loop, the scan can be cancelled after
the scan display shows the address after the last detector address in the loop.

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For example, for two detectors with addresses 001 and 002, the scan could be
canceled when the display reads “Detector 003.”
The Diagnostics viewer displays columns of information about each device.

Table 10: Diagnostics viewer items

Item Description
Address The detector address as set on the detector’s internal DIP
switch.
Device The device type (detector or command module).
Version The revision number of the device’s internal software.
Status The diagnostic status of the device. In the example shown in
Figure 29 on page 45, the status of the detector units is
“Untested,” which indicates that they have not been tested.
Detector text Only applies to detectors fitted with an LCD display, and is the
text string set by the Device text option in the Device
Information tab of the Function settings dialog box. In the
example shown in Figure 29 on page 45, the detectors have
been left at the default setting.

Select the row containing a specific device to use the command buttons with that
device. Figure 30 below shows that detector address 001 has been selected.

Figure 30: Sample selected detector device

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Diagnostics viewer buttons

As shown in Figure 30 on page 46, the Diagnostics viewer window includes
several command buttons, which are discussed in this section. The buttons are:
• Scan
• Diagnostics
• Read
• Relays
• Save As
• Print
• Close
• Help

Scan
The Scan button scans the entire network for attached devices. The following
status message is presented while scanning takes place.

Figure 31: Diagnostics scan status message

If there are fewer than 127 detectors on the loop, the scan can be canceled after
the status message shows the address after the last detector address in the loop.
For example, for two detectors with addresses 001 and 002, the scan can be
canceled when the display reads “Detector 003” by clicking the Cancel button.

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Diagnostics
When the Diagnostics button is clicked, the software will begin to carry out a
series of diagnostic tests covering all aspects of the selected detector’s functions.
A status message as shown in Figure 32 below will detail the tests being carried
out. The aspirating fan of the unit may vary in speed during the tests, but this is a
normal function of the software. When the diagnostics are complete, the Status
column in the Diagnostics viewer will either change from “Untested” to “OK” if no
problems are found, or will detail any fault found.

Figure 32: Running diagnostics status message

Read
The Read button provides real-time information on the selected detector’s laser
chamber output as a percentage of full-scale output (not a direct measure of
smoke obscuration) and the flow for each aspirating pipe (see Figure 33 below).
• For a one-pipe detector, only a single flow reading would be present.
• For two-pipe detector, there would be either 1 or 2 pipes.
Flow readings are taken from a pipe only when the relevant pipe’s flow sensor is
disabled (See “Device settings” on page 72 for details on configurable options.)
In normal operation, the flow readings read between 55% and 70%. Regardless
of the pipe layout used, the flow reading is set to this level during initial power-up.
Figure 33 below shows sample results.

Figure 33: Laser chamber output

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WARNING: The detector must be isolated at the fire panel before carrying out
this test. It should not function. The manufacturer cannot take responsibility for
problems caused by running the relay test where the unit has not been isolated
from the fire panel. An unintentional output to a fire panel could activate fire
alarms and fire suppression systems, resulting in personal injury or death.
If it is necessary to check the connection through to the fire panel, ensure that
sprinklers, gas drops, automatic fire department call-outs, etc., are disabled
before running the test.

Relays
The Relays button allows the detector alarm and fault relays and LEDs to be
tested for correct functionality. This test activates any alarms or extinguishing
apparatus controlled by the fire panel to which the detector is connected.
After clicking the Relays button, the Relay Test dialog box appears (see
Figure 34 below).

Figure 34: Relay Test dialog box

Selecting any of the check boxes will activate the relevant detector relay. In the
case of some detector models, some of these relays are only available using an
add-on relay card. The relevant alarm or fault indication will be sent to a
connected command module (through an attached APIC card) to a connected
addressable fire panel. To exit the test, click Close. If latching alarms or faults are
set, the detector will need to be reset to clear the alarm or fault condition.

Save As, Print, Close, and Help

Click Save As, Print, or Close to save or print the contents of the Diagnostics
viewer window (see Figure 29 on page 45) or close the Diagnostics viewer. Click
Help to access Help.

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Chart recording
Clicking Chart recording on the View menu or clicking the Chart recording toolbar
button opens the Chart recorder viewer.

Figure 35 below shows the Chart recorder viewer.

Figure 35: Chart recorder viewer

(1)

(5)
(4)

(3)

(2)

Although it is continually updated in the detector, the chart recording on the PC

represents a snapshot of the detector’s status at the time the chart was
downloaded.

Chart recorder viewer key features

Key features of the Chart recorder viewer are called out in Figure 35 above and
explained in Table 11 on page 51.

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Table 11: Chart recorder viewer key features

Item Description
(1) Chart Summary box:
• Detector number to which the chart applies
• Time and date of the beginning and end of the recording
• Scale of each division on the chart
• A color-coded key for the information displayed
The distance between vertical lines on the chart shown in Figure 35 on page 50
represents a time interval based on the user-selected Recording rate.
The chart displays the variation over time of the detector alarm level and laser
chamber output (detector level).
(2) Chart Information box: Displays chart information for the time period at which the
mouse pointer is pointing. Moving the mouse pointer (3) to the left reads earlier
data and vice versa. At the time period indicated in Figure 35 on page 50, the alarm
level is 32% and the detector output level is 10.5%.
(3) Mouse pointer: Points to the time period for the data reported in the Chart
Information box.
(4) and (5) Detector output level and alarm level: The detector output (Figure 35, item 4) is
stable, while the alarm level (Figure 35, item 5) is rising. This indicates that the
ambient smoke level is low and steady.
The expected output level of the detector in absolutely clean air is in the range of
9% to 11%.

Caution: Readings below 9% may indicate that the detector is becoming

contaminated by dust and should be serviced. Very low readings indicate a
problem with the detector.

Readings above the “clean air” range are common in normal working
environments, and the alarm level will adjust itself to the normal ambient level of
pollution in the protected area.
The falling alarm trace coupled with a steady output indicates that the detector is
undergoing the 24-hour learning period following a FastLearn. When the detector
output level trace meets or climbs above the alarm level, a fire alarm is
generated.
The chart recording can be used to gauge the appropriateness of the ClassiFire
alarm factor for the protected area. (See Appendix D for further details.) Where
the background pollution level is steady (such as an electronics clean room), the
installer may choose a low alarm factor. If, however, the chart recording shows
large variations in background level, which often approach the alarm level, the
installer may decide to set a higher alarm factor to avoid nuisance alarms (See
“Alarm factor” on page 83 for details on how to set the alarm factor.)

Chart recorder viewer scroll bars

The scroll bars at the bottom of the Chart recorder viewer let you scroll backward
and forward through the chart recording to see areas of the chart which are off-
screen.

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The actual time duration captured in a full chart recording depends on the
recording rate chosen, a smaller time period between divisions resulting in a
more detailed chart of shorter overall time span. When the overall chart period is
exceeded, the earlier readings are discarded.
The chart recording can hold 2,000 samples with 10 samples to a division.
For example, a chart recording with a 10-second per division recording rate
would cover a maximum time period of about 5 hours, 15 minutes.
A 20-minute recording rate would capture a period of 2 days, 19 hours.

Chart recorder viewer menus

The Chart recorder viewer has a menu bar with the following menus:
• File
• Edit
• View
• Help
The commands on these menus are discussed in the following sections.

File menu
This section describes the commands on the Chart recorder viewer File menu.
These commands are shown in Figure 36 and defined in Table 12.

Figure 36: Chart recorder viewer File menu

Table 12: Chart recorder viewer File menu commands

Command Description
Open Opens a previously-saved chart recording.
Save Saves a previously-saved chart recording. Note that this chart
cannot be edited by SenseNET.
Save As Saves the current chart to disk.
Send Opens the PC’s default e-mail application and attaches the
chart recording to an e-mail file.
Print Prints the currently chart to the default printer.
Printer setup Sets the printer orientation, paper size, print margins, and
printer.

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Command Description
Exit Exits the Chart recorder viewer.

Edit menu
The Edit menu in the Chart recorder viewer is shown in Figure 37 below.

Figure 37: Chart recorder viewer Edit menu

Copy: Saves a copy of the entire chart recording to the Windows clipboard for
pasting into other applications.

View menu
The View menu in the Chart recorder viewer is shown in Figure 38 below.

Figure 38: Chart recorder viewer View menu

Refresh: Clicking Refresh or pressing the F5 function key updates the chart. Note
that the chart recording is a snapshot only, which does not automatically update.
Detectors: If the chart recording is set to record alarm level, only “Detector 1” will
be shown.
However, if connected to an aspirating detector, and the chart recording has
been set to record airflow, this will show an entry for each flow sensor of the
detector, shown as “Detector 1” to “Detector 4”.
Selecting one of these will display the individual chart recording for the selected
detector, the detector level trace being the same for all four but the airflow trace
reflecting the currently selected flow sensor.

Help menu
The Help menu in the Chart recorder viewer is shown in Figure 39 below. The
commands are defined in Table 13 on page 54.

Figure 39: Chart recorder viewer Help menu

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Table 13: Help menu commands

Command Description
Contents Opens the Help window (this is the same as clicking the Help
toolbar button in the SenseNET window).
Using Help Explains how to use or customize Help.
About Provides the SenseNET version number and a Web link to the
AirSense website.

Event logs
Clicking Event logs on the View menu or clicking the Event log toolbar button
opens the Event log viewer.

The Event log viewer is shown in Figure 40 below.

Figure 40: Event log viewer

An event log is a record of detector events such as faults, alarms, and function
changes. It is stored inside an operating detector and is updated whenever an
event occurs. The event log is nonvolatile, which means that it is retained when
the detector is turned off.

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In the Event log viewer, use the Detector list to select the detector for which you
want to view the event log.
You can load and view an event log from a detector which has already been
saved to disk without the need to connect the detector to the PC. The events are
in reverse order of occurrence, with the most recent at the top. It is not necessary
to quit the Event log viewer and reselect a detector from another window.

Event log viewer buttons

The buttons at the bottom of the viewer serve the functions shown in Table 14
below.

Table 14: Event log viewer buttons

Button Description
Reload Loads a saved event log file
Open Opens a previously-saved event log. The PC does not have to
be connected to a detector to do this.
Save As Saves the event log for the selected detector to the PC hard
drive. Enter a name for the file and click Save As.
Print Prints the current event log (whether from a connected detector
or a previously saved file) to the PC’s default printer. Only
events displayed on the screen will be printed.
Filter Opens the Event filter dialog box (see Figure 41 on page 56).
Close Closes the Event log viewer window.
Help Displays context-sensitive help for the Event log viewer.

Event filter dialog box

The Event filter dialog box contains check boxes that let you limit the amount of
information displayed in the event log. The dialog box is shown in Figure 41 on
page 56 and the event filter functions are described in Table 15 on page 56.

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Figure 41: Event filter dialog box

Table 15: Event filters

Filter Description
Alarms Alarms triggered at the detector.
Faults Faults triggered at the detector.
Resets Global resets made at the detector.
Isolates Occurrences of a detector being isolated during the testing
process so that alarms are not generated during the test.
Tests Tests administered at the detector.
Demonstration Mode The detector is in demonstration mode.
Access Code Entries Access code entries entered by a user for a detector.
Function Changes Function changes made to the detector’s software configuration.
Function Downloads Function downloads that have occurred.
Between Dates A time period during which filters are enabled.
Power Ups A detector has been powered up.
FastLearn Start/End FastLearn periods have started or ended for a detector.
Flow Setups Flow limit and thresholds have been reset (such as when a
detector is powered up with Auto FastLearn enabled).
Day/Night Switches A day or night switch period has started or ended.
All Filter all categories. Choose All if only a few categories need to
be disabled.
None Do not filter any categories. A check in the None check box
clears all categories. Instead of enabling and disabling
individual categories of event, choose None and then select the
categories you want to enable.

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The following buttons are located at the bottom of the Event filter dialog box.

Table 16: Event filter dialog box buttons

Button Description
OK Confirms your selections.
Cancel Exits without applying the filter.
Help Provides context-sensitive help for the Event log function.

Note: The Event filter functions apply only to the information displayed in the
Event log viewer or sent to a printer. These filters do not affect a saved file, which
will contain all the information in the log.

Histogram viewer
Clicking Histogram viewer on the View menu or clicking the ClassiFire Histogram
viewer toolbar button opens the Histogram viewer, also referred to as the Real-
Time ClassiFire viewer.

Unlike the chart recording, a histogram updates in real time, showing the
response of the detector to smoke tests. The smoke histogram is shown to the
left of the labeled fire flags. In a relatively clean or stable area, the histogram
should be narrow, consisting of only a few bars.
The histogram is in two parts (see Figure 42 on page 58):
• A blue “fast” histogram shows the current smoke distribution. The blue
histogram covers a period of the last 15 minutes, and is responsible for
generating fire alarms.
• A yellow “slow” histogram reacts far more slowly than the blue histogram. The
yellow histogram is responsible for positioning of the fire alarm flags, based
on the long-term variation in smoke density and the chosen ClassiFire alarm
factor.
As smoke is introduced, the fast histogram, shown in blue, will begin to move to
the right of the screen, and the detector output level shown at the bottom of the
screen will begin to increase. When the histogram crosses one of the alarm flags,
the detector will generate that alarm.
The Fire 2 alarm flag is based on absolute sensitivity rather than detector output,
and is at a considerable distance from the main alarm flags.
Figure 42 on page 589 shows a sample histogram where flags are farther apart
because the alarm factor is set to 1.

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Figure 42: Sample histogram with alarm factor = 1

The information shown at the top center of the viewer is as follows.

Table 17: Histogram viewer elements

Element Description
Sensitivity This is the absolute level of smoke in % obscuration per meter
that the detector needs to see to generate the Fire 1 alarm.
Mean The arithmetic mean of the current smoke distribution histogram
in terms of detector output.
Variance The arithmetic variance (width) of the current smoke distribution
histogram in terms of detector output.
FastLearn When the detector is running in FastLearn mode, this will show
the number of minutes remaining until the end of the 15-minute
FastLearn period. At the end of this period, it will show the
legend OFF, as in the above example.

At the top right of the window is a list for selecting the detector you want to view.
This means that it is not necessary to quit the Histogram viewer and select a
different detector from the SenseNET window when connected to a detector
network.

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The figure shown for the current alarm factor is for display purposes only, and
cannot be changed using the Histogram viewer. Underneath the alarm factor
display are the detector percentage outputs that need to be reached to generate
each type of alarm. When the detector output level displayed at the bottom of the
viewer reaches one of these levels, the corresponding alarm will be generated.

Histogram viewer menus

The Histogram viewer has a menu bar with the following menus:
• File
• View
• Help
The menu commands are discussed below.

File menu
Print: Prints the current histogram on the PC’s default printer
Print Setup: Opens the setup options dialog box for the print operation, including
paper size and margins
Exit: Closes the Histogram viewer

View menu
Sensitivity: Opens a box showing the sensitivity (in %/m obscuration) that the
selected detector requires to generate the following conditions:
• Fire 1
• PreAlarm
• Aux
Alarm Timer: Clicking the Start button starts the timer. The timer stops when the
detector reaches its PreAlarm threshold. The Alarm Timer is shown in Figure 44
on page 60.

Help menu
Displays the SenseNET Help commands.

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Figure 43: Sample histogram with sensitivity box

Figure 44: Alarm Timer

Front panel
Clicking Front panel on the View menu or clicking the Front panel toolbar button
opens the Front panel display box.

A typical Front panel display is shown in Figure 45 on page 61.

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Figure 45: Typical detector Front panel display

The Fire 1, PreAlarm, and Aux levels correspond to the relatively-scaled levels
that must be reached on the detector’s bar graph display (if fitted) or on an
attached command module or Remote Display Unit’s bar graph display. The Fire
2 alarm level is in terms of absolutely-scaled %/meter obscuration from 1% to
25%.

Table 18: Relatively- and absolutely-scaled definitions

Scaling Definition
Relatively-scaled (yellow The absolute value of a reading on the relatively-scaled (yellow)
portion of the scale) portion of the bar graph will depend upon the ClassiFire alarm
factor chosen and the level of ambient pollution that the detector
has accepted as a normal background level as part of the
ClassiFire learning routine. In normal conditions, the yellow bar
graph does not show any indication, so that the bar graph is an
indicator of abnormal conditions only.
Absolutely-scaled (red portion A reading on the absolutely-scaled (red) portion of the bar graph
of the scale) does not depend on the ClassiFire alarm factor. It is a direct
numerical measure of the concentration of smoke seen at the
detector in terms of %/meter obscuration. Theoretically, if the
“learned” background smoke level was very high and the
detector was set to very insensitive, the detector could display a
reading on the red Fire 2 bar graph before it showed anything
on the relatively-scaled yellow PreAlarm, Fire 1, Aux bar graph.

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The relatively-scaled alarm levels can be set to the following range of bar graph
levels.

Table 19: Relatively-scaled alarm levels

Level Description
PreAlarm 3 to 8 (default 6). PreAlarm always appears before the main
Fire 1 alarm.
Fire 1 8 to 10 (default 8). PreAlarm and Fire 1 can be set to the same
level if very early warning is not required.
Aux 2 to 10 (default 10). The Aux level may be set below PreAlarm
for very early warning or above Fire 1 for a high-level alarm
confirmation.

Any location text defined for the detector being displayed is shown beneath the
detector number (see Figure 45).
Front panel buttons perform the following functions.

Table 20: Front panel button functions

Button Description
Reset Resets the detector shown in the Front panel display.
Isolate Toggles the front panel detector’s Isolate state. The alarm
viewer will display the detector as having an Isolate fault if it is
isolated. Any detector connected to a contact monitor will not
support isolation via the bus.
Close Closes the Front panel display box.

Detector bar graph display

The bar graph display is generated using the detector information from the Site
configuration editor. Each bar graph has the detector number displayed, along
with the detector location text if this has been defined.
You can display bar graphs by clicking the Map View toolbar button.

The Map View button toggles the display between site maps and device maps.
An example bar graph display is shown in Figure 46 on page 63.

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Figure 46: Sample bar graph display

(1) This detector is in fault. The alarm viewer will show what type of fault
(2) This detector is the currently selected detector
(3) This is a type of device that has no bar graph
(4) Location text

Bar graph shortcut menu

Right-clicking on any bar graph opens the shortcut menu, as shown in Figure 47
below. Functions such as the Event log or Histogram viewers can be displayed
for the selected detector.

Figure 47: Bar graph shortcut menu

The commands on the shortcut menu are described below.

Reset
Reset resets the selected detector. A thick border shows which detector is
currently selected.

Bus Isolate
Bus Isolate isolates the detector. The Alarm/Fault viewer displays the detector as
having an isolated fault (see Figure 48 on page 64).

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Figure 48: Alarm/Fault viewer showing an isolated detector

Note: Any detector connected to a contact monitor will not support the isolation
feature via the communication bus.

Bus De-isolate
Bus De-isolate takes the detector out of the isolated condition.

Front panel
Front panel opens a Front panel display box for the detector (see Figure 49 on
page 65).

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Figure 49: Detector front panel

Diagnose
Diagnose displays the Diagnostics viewer window which runs diagnostics on any
detector on the SenseNET bus (Figure 50 on page 66).
All detectors have extensive built-in diagnostic tests to verify the correct
operation of the various sections of the unit. These tests may be performed from
within SenseNET. All detector diagnostic statuses are listed in the Diagnostics
viewer window (Figure 50 on page 66) and the results may be printed out for
reference purposes.

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Figure 50: Diagnostics viewer window

Histogram
Histogram displays a histogram for this detector (see Figure 51 below).

Figure 51: Histogram for the selected detector

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Chart recording
The Chart recording command displays a chart recording for the detector (see
Figure 52 below). (See “Chart recording” on page 50 for a detailed explanation of
chart recording.)

Figure 52: Chart recording for a detector (partial screenshot)

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Event log
Event log displays the event log for the detector (shown in Figure 54 on page
69).
Event logging on SenseNET is extremely flexible — generated events are stored
in the detectors even when the PC is powered off or SenseNET is not running.
An event log may be read from a detector or group of detectors and a filter
applied to the events displayed, for example, all alarms or a certain type of fault
only, ensuring that only relevant event information is shown.

Figure 53: Event filter dialog box

Event logs may be saved to disk for later recall or printed at any time. In addition
to the storage of events in a detector, SenseNET stores all events to a log file on
disk as they occur. The size of this log file is limited only by hard disk space. Also
stored in this log are all user inputs that change the state of SenseNET such as
changes in access levels or device resets.

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Figure 54: Event log for a detector

Device settings
Device settings opens a Function settings dialog box for the device. (See “Device
settings” on page 72 for details how to modify device settings.)

Figure 55: Function settings dialog box

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Map
Map displays the detector map for the selected detector (if previously
configured). (See “Setting a device map” on page 33 for details on how to set up
a device map for a detector).

Zone
Zone displays the zone map for the selected detector (if previously configured).
(See “Setting a zone map” on page 34 for details on how to set up a zone map).

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Configuring SenseNET
options

Summary
This chapter describes how to configure detector and command module options.

Content
Introduction 72
Device settings 72
Changing device option settings 74
Device Information tab 74
MatrixScan tab 75
Alarm Actions tab 77
Time and date tab 80
Alarm levels and delays tab 81
Flow monitoring tab 86
Power monitoring tab 87
Front panel tab 88
Day/Night Switching tab 89
Referencing tab 91
Miscellaneous tab 93
PC command module 94
Site Configuration 96
Communication settings 96
E-mail settings 97
Pager settings 97
Passwords 99
Lock 99
Global Reset 100
Log to Printer 100
Printer configuration 101
Map View 101
Language 103
Alarm and fault actions 104
Alert sounds for more than one event 106

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Introduction
This chapter describes how to configure the following types of option for
detectors and for the command module using commands on the SenseNET
Options menu:
• Device settings
• PC command module
• Site Configuration
• Communication settings
• E-mail settings
• Pager settings
• Passwords
• Lock
• Global Reset
• Log to printer
• Map view
• Language
• Alarm and fault actions
• Alert sounds
You can access these options via the Options menu (as shown in Figure 56
below).

Figure 56: Accessing configurable options via the Options menu

Device settings
Clicking Device settings on the Options menu or clicking the Device settings
toolbar button opens the Function settings dialog box.

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The Function settings dialog box is shown in Figure 57 and Figure 58.

Figure 57: Function settings dialog box for a command module

Figure 58: Function settings dialog box for a detector

The dialog box is divided into several tabs. The tabs vary according to whether a
control module or a detector is selected. However, the controls at the bottom of
the dialog box are always visible, no matter which tab is selected. See Figure 59
on page 74.

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Figure 59: Function settings controls

The list on the left allows selection of the unit to be configured. The very top of
the list reads “Command Module,” and the rest of the list runs from “Detector
001” to “Detector 127” to allow you to configure the options for any detector in the
network.
Use the other controls at the bottom of the dialog box to perform various
functions as shown in Table 21 below.

Table 21: Function settings

Control Description
OK Sends all modified option settings to the selected detector and
closes the Function settings dialog box. Click this when you
have completed changing settings. See the description of the
Save All check box below.
Save All If Save All is selected, clicking OK sends all modified option
settings to all detectors, where that function is applicable to the
detector.
Modified If you select the Modified check box, it means that only settings
which have been modified will be sent to the detectors. Clearing
the check box sends all option settings applicable to the current
detector to all other detectors on the loop. If you wish to set up
all detectors on the loop to have identical settings (regardless of
their current settings), change any settings that you wish to
apply, select Save All, clear the Modified check box and then
click OK. All detectors will then be set to identical parameters.
Cancel Exits the Function settings dialog box without saving any
changes.

Changing device option settings

You can modify the options presented for any device. Note that not all options
are applicable to each device. For example, options on the Pager tab only apply
to the command module, and not to the other detectors.
The following sections describe the options you can modify using the different
tabs in the Function settings dialog box.

Device Information tab

The first tab in the Function settings dialog box is the Device Information tab
shown in Figure 57 and Figure 58, and described in Table 22 on page 75.

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Table 22: Device Information tab options

Option Description
Device type The type of detector or command module.
Firmware version Revision number of the main software chip within the device.
Watchdog count Each unit contains a “watchdog,” which detects momentary
interruptions to the power supply to the unit. If this is above 0, it
may indicate a problem in the power supply or wiring. A
watchdog trip generates a fault condition, so the times and
dates of watchdog faults can be seen in the detector’s event
log.
Run-time hours The length of time in hours that the unit has been running since
initial power-up. It is not reset by powering down the unit, but
may be reset by removing and replacing a detector’s memory
reset link.
Device text Can be edited to any alphanumeric text of 16 characters or less.
In the case of a unit with an LCD display, it is the default legend
displayed on the LCD panel when the unit is operating normally.
It is also displayed on a connected command module in the
case of alarm or fault.

It is probably most useful to set the device text for a detector to the name of the
area being protected, e.g., “Computer room,” “Stores,” etc. When this text string
appears on the Device Information tab, SenseNET software is communicating
properly with the detector.

MatrixScan tab
The MatrixScan device options apply only to command modules.
MatrixScan lets you set up “virtual detectors.” If the sampling pipework of two
detectors shares a common location (for example, two detectors have sampling
holes in the same area), these detectors can be assigned a “virtual” detector
number.
This virtual detector generates an alarm at the command module when both
“real” detectors pick up smoke at the same time. Therefore, with only two
detectors, zone localization is available from a large number of protected areas.
The “virtual” detectors are assigned on the MatrixScan tab (see Figure 60 on
page 76).

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Figure 60: MatrixScan tab

In the example shown in Figure 60 above, detector address 1 has common

sampling locations with detectors 2 and 3, and detector 2 also has a common
sampling location with detector 4.
The MatrixScan tab contains the following check boxes.

Table 23: MatrixScan check boxes

Check box Description
Enable Enables virtual detectors when the box is selected, as shown in
Figure 60 above.
Base Address The address of the lowest-numbered real detector in the loop. In
Figure 60 above, the base address is “001.” The MatrixScan
function requires that you enter a base address.
All Cells and No Cells Respectively, selects and clears all the cells.

Fifteen “real” detectors can be used in a MatrixScan network, leaving 105

possible “virtual” detectors.
The MatrixScan tab limits the choice of detector address as follows:
• Real detectors are assigned addresses in the range 001 through 015

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• Virtual detector addresses are assigned in the range 016 through 105. Real
detector addresses in this range will clash with the virtual detector addresses,
causing problems. However, unused virtual addresses may be used for other
real detectors which are not part of the MatrixScan network.
Note: Address 000 is reserved for a network’s command module, and cannot be
used for a detector.
The number of virtual detectors available for a given number of real detectors
using MatrixScan can be calculated by the following formula.

Figure 61: Number of possible virtual detectors for all available real detectors

Table 24 below shows maximum numbers of virtual detectors produced by using

the above formula with values of real detectors from 2 to 15. Fifteen is the limit of
real detectors in a system using MatrixScan, due to the fact that 105 virtual
detectors + 15 real detectors is 120 detector addresses, and the maximum
number of addresses available on a single network loop is 127.

Table 24: Maximum number of virtual detectors per real detectors

Number of real detectors Maximum number of virtual detectors
2 1
3 3
4 6
5 10
6 15
7 21
8 28
9 36
10 45
11 55
12 66
13 78
14 91
15 105

Alarm Actions tab

Options on the Alarm Actions tab apply to both detectors and command modules.
Figure 62 on page 78 shows the Alarm Actions tab options for a command
module device (“Command module 001”).

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Figure 62: Alarm Actions tab

Remote Input options

The Remote Input group of options allows for various functions to be carried out
manually by shorting the relevant remote inputs in the unit (for example, by using
a key switch or relay). No electrical power should be applied to the inputs.
Detectors with onboard inputs, detectors without onboard inputs and fitted with
an add-on card, and command modules have three dedicated remote inputs,
marked “I/P 1” to “I/P 3”.
An add-on card can also be added to the detector with onboard inputs, providing
three additional remote inputs, which are assigned as remote input numbers 4, 5,
and 6.
The Remote Input group contains check boxes which enable the functions. To
the left of the check boxes are numerical input boxes, which accept values in the
range 1 to 3 (detectors with onboard inputs or relay/input card fitted) or 1 to 6
(detectors with onboard inputs and fitted with relay/input card). This number
corresponds to the relevant input terminals on the detector unit. “1” corresponds
to input “I/P 1” on the unit, “2” corresponds to input I/P 2,” and so on.
Note: The same input number cannot be used more than once, to ensure that
the devices have unique input numbers.

Check boxes
The Alarm Actions tab contains the following check boxes.

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Table 25: Alarm Actions check boxes

Check box Description
Remote Isolate When used on a command module, Remote Isolate disables the
command module relays, but does not disable detector
communication. On a detector, the unit is effectively removed
from the communication loop.
Remote Reset Resets latching alarms and fault LEDs, relays, and LCD display
messages.
Remote Day/Night Only applies to detectors. Shorting the selected input terminal
toggles the detector between day and night setting. This is
useful, for example, when working hours in an area are
irregular. The remote day/night function could be activated
when the last person leaves the area.
Remote day/night overrides any timed day/night settings set in
the day/night switching panel of the Remote Control Software,
which means that the detector will only switch between day and
night settings when commanded on the remote input,
regardless of any preset switch-over time.
Programmed Isolate When selected, Programmed Isolate prevents the detector from
sending any alarm or fault condition to a connected fire panel.
The “Fault” LED will light on the detector front panel while it is
isolated.
You can use the Programmed Isolate function to prevent
unwanted alarms or faults during testing, maintenance or repair.
The Programmed Isolate function automatically disables itself
after 7 days if it has not been manually disabled.
WARNING: When applied to a command module, the
Programmed Isolate function disables the command module fire
and fault relays, but does not disable any APIC
communications. The function differs from the front panel isolate
in that pressing the enabled ISOL button generates a fault at the
panel, whereas Programmed Isolate does not. For this reason,
Programmed Isolate must be used carefully and disabled as
soon as possible. Failure to disable the Programmed Isolate
could impact the functionality of the unit, potentially resulting in
property damage or personal injury.
Latching Alarms When cleared (disabled), any alarm condition will clear itself
when the fire condition ends. When checked (enabled), the
alarm condition persists until the detector or command module
is reset, either from the detector front LCD panel (if fitted), from
the command module front panel, or from the remote software.
Note: A reset from the front panel requires that the RESET
button be enabled; the button is disabled by default.
In units fitted with an LCD, latching alarms are enabled by
default. In units without an LCD, latching alarms are disabled by
default.
Caution: If latching alarms are disabled at the detector but
enabled at the command module, then any alarm condition still
requires a command module reset to clear the alarm from the
fire panel.

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Check box Description

Latching Faults When cleared (disabled), any fault condition clears itself when
the fault condition ends. When selected (enabled), the fault
condition persists until the detector or command module is
reset, either from the detector front LCD panel (if available),
from the command module front panel, or from the SenseNET
software.
Caution: A reset from the front panel requires that the RESET
button be enabled; the button is disabled by default for all units.
If latching faults are disabled at the detector but enabled at the
command module, then any fault condition will still need a
command module reset to clear the fault from the fire panel.
Cascading Alarms When cleared (disabled), the detector starts to count down the
Fire 1 alarm delay once it has generated a PreAlarm and Fire 1
alarm delays are cumulative. The cascading alarms function is
enabled by default.

Time and date tab

Options on the Time and date tab apply to detectors and command modules.
Figure 63 below shows the Time and date tab for a detector device (“Detector
001”).

Figure 63: Time and date tab

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This is the time and date to be used for the unit’s internal Real-Time Clock, and
is used in event logs and chart recordings.
The time and date clock does not automatically update for daylight saving time or
other changes of local time. You must update the Real-Time Clock settings
periodically, or you must make allowances for the time difference when reviewing
data.
Note: When installing a detector, the clock may need to be set to correct local
time.
The date and time can be set by one of the following methods:
• Incrementing or decrementing each value (hours, minutes, day, month, or
year) by clicking the up or down arrows to the right of each box
• Select one of the boxes to highlight it and type in the relevant value
• Click the Set from PC button to synchronize the detector’s clock with the
current time and date set on the controlling PC.
Note: Setting the time and date on a command module automatically
synchronizes all detectors on the loop.

Alarm levels and delays tab

The Alarm levels and delays tab options apply only to detectors and not to
command modules.
Figure 64 below shows the Alarm levels and delays tab for a detector device
(“Detector 001”).

Figure 64: Alarm levels and delays tab

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For each of the detector’s fire alarm levels (PreAlarm, Fire 1, Fire 2, and Aux)
there are numerical boxes for Level and Delay.

Level
(For PreAlarm, Fire 1, and Aux) Corresponds to the relatively-scaled level that
needs to be reached on the detector’s bar graph display (if fitted) or on an
attached command module or Remote Display Unit’s bar graph display. The Fire
2 alarm level is in terms of absolutely-scaled % /m obscuration from 1% to 25%.
Figure 65 below shows a bar graph display from a detector to illustrate the
concept.

Figure 65: Bar graph display from a detector

• Relatively-scaled (yellow portion of the scale): The absolute value of a

reading on the relatively-scaled yellow portion of the bar graph will depend
upon the ClassiFire alarm factor chosen, and the level of ambient pollution
that the detector has accepted as a normal background level as part of the
ClassiFire learning routine. In normal conditions, the yellow bar graph does
not show any indication, so that the bar graph is an indicator of abnormal
conditions only.
You can set the relatively-scaled alarm levels to the following range of bar
graph levels:
• PreAlarm: 3 to 8 (default 6). PreAlarm always appears before the main
Fire 1 alarm
• Fire 1: 8 to 10 (default 8). PreAlarm and Fire 1 can be set to the same
level if particularly early warning is not required.
• Aux: 2 to 10 (default 10). The Aux level may be set below PreAlarm for
very early warning, or above Fire 1 for a high-level alarm confirmation.
• Absolutely-scaled (red portion of the scale): A reading on the red portion of
the bar graph (Fire 2 bar graph) does not depend on the ClassiFire alarm
factor. It is a direct numerical measure of the concentration of smoke seen at
the detector in terms of %/meter obscuration. Theoretically, if the “learned”
background smoke level was very high and the detector was set very
insensitive, the detector could display a reading on the red Fire 2 bar graph
before it showed anything on the relatively-scaled yellow PreAlarm/Fire 1/Aux
bar graph.

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Delay
Delay is the time in seconds that a detector needs to continuously sense a given
alarm level before an alarm warning is given. The acceptable range is 0 through
90 seconds. This is useful in an area which generates a lot of smoke “spikes” as
a part of normal working (for example, a furnace which releases smoke when the
door is opened). In very clean areas, the installer may decide that the delay can
be set to 0.

Alarm factor
The ClassiFire system statistically analyzes the background smoke level and
sets detector sensitivity to a level giving a statistical probability of nuisance
alarm. The software assesses the arithmetic mean and variance (standard
deviation) of the “normal” ambient smoke level and places the alarm flags at a
certain number of standard deviations from the mean of the distribution.
The number of standard deviations at which the alarm flag is set away from the
mean is directly proportional to the ClassiFire alarm factor chosen.
The probability of nuisance alarm and the maximum detector sensitivity are
higher when a low level of alarm factor is chosen and lower as the alarm factor is
increased. A low alarm factor, equating to very high sensitivity, may be desirable
in the case of, for example, a high-value computer center, or other application
where the cost of down-time and call-out costs may be offset by the high value of
the protected installation.
On the other hand, this will not be desirable in an environment with very variable
levels of background smoke. In this case, it may be more important to ensure
that an elevated level of smoke really does indicate an incipient fire before
alarms are raised.
In summary, a low alarm factor equates to high sensitivity and higher probability
of nuisance alarm, and a high alarm factor gives a lower maximum sensitivity and
correspondingly reduced probability of nuisance alarm.
The probability of nuisance alarm for a given environment also depends on the
“stability” of the background smoke level. For example, a semiconductor clean
room may have a strictly-controlled environment so that it is unlikely that smoke
level will vary by chance. Under these circumstances, a low alarm factor may not
imply a radically increased probability of nuisance alarm.
The detector sensitivity is set by entering a value of 0 through 18 into the Alarm
factor box. The default is set to 4. Refer to Table 26 below for suggested
settings.

Table 26: Suggested settings for ClassiFire alarm factor

Alarm Sensitivity Probability of nuisance Suggested protected area
factor alarm
0 Extremely high Once per year Semiconductor manufacturing clean
room
1 High Once per 5 years Computer room

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Alarm Sensitivity Probability of nuisance Suggested protected area

factor alarm
2 High Once per 10 years Non-smoking office
3 High Once per 50 years Clean factory
4 Medium Once per 1,000 years Warehouse
5 Medium Once per 5,000 years Warehouse with diesel trucks
operating
6 Medium Once per 10,000 years Warehouse with diesel trucks
operating
7 Low Once per 20,000 years Warehouse with diesel trucks
operating
8 Low Once per 100,000 years Warehouse with diesel trucks
operating

ClassiFire override
There may be occasions on which a sudden increase in smoke does not
necessarily indicate a fire condition. Examples are the release of incense during
a church mass and the opening of a furnace door in a factory. Under these kinds
of circumstance it is not desirable for the detector to generate a fire alarm.
ClassiFire override will desensitize the detector by a specified amount when a
pair of remote contacts are shorted. In the case of a furnace door being opened,
this could be performed automatically by an interlock switch on the door, or it
could be achieved with a simple on/off switch. Where the smoke-generating
event has a definite length and time of occurrence, the event could be on a time
switch. All that is required is that the relevant input terminals on the detector are
shorted together.
The figure entered into the ClassiFire override box is the percentage of full-scale
detector output by which the alarm flags will be shifted when the contacts are
shorted. For example, if set to a value of 35%, a detector with an alarm level of
20% would have this changed to 55% when the function was activated.
ClassiFire override may only be used when the detector is fitted with an optional
relay/input card, and the function is reserved for Input 3 on the card.
Detectors with onboard inputs, the default ClassiFire override contacts are the
“I/P 3” terminals inside the detector.
As a special case, however, when the detector with onboard inputs is fitted with
an APIC card which includes remote input terminals, ClassiFire override can be
set to use one of the remote terminals on the APIC card by entering a value into
the ClassiFire override box of over 100%. ClassiFire override values of 001%
through 099% act on the default input terminal 3, but a value of 120% would give
an override percentage of 20% on APIC card input 1 (if resent), 227% would give
an override percentage of 27% on APIC card input 2, and so on.

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LDD enable
LDD stands for “laser dust discrimination.” This function is enabled by default and
it causes the detector to ignore brief, isolated increases in detector output such
as spurious readings from ambient dust particles. In very clean areas, such as
semiconductor clean rooms, it may be disabled to gain a small improvement in
response time.

FastLearn enable
If the detector is in FastLearn mode when the tab is selected, the FastLearn
enable check box will be selected (enabled). If cleared (disabled), then selecting
this box will start a FastLearn. In a similar manner, clearing the box stops a
FastLearn that is currently in progress.
Note: Stopping a FastLearn operation will prevent the detector from reaching its
optimum sensitivity. The detector must be put through another FastLearn cycle
and left for 24 hours to regain full sensitivity.

Auto FastLearn enable

When selected (enabled), the Auto FastLearn enable option starts a new
FastLearn sequence each time the detector is powered down and restarted. This
is the default setting, and it ensures that the detector is set to the optimum
sensitivity if it is moved to another location. However, if the detector is left in the
same location and powered down, (for example, for maintenance purposes) the
function can be cleared so that the detector sensitivity is unchanged when the
detector is powered up again.

ClassiFire 3D
When selected, the ClassiFire 3D option assesses the rate of increase of smoke
in the protected area. When the level of smoke rises too quickly, ClassiFire will
ignore any time delays before generating alarms. This means that fire damage is
minimized if a fire starts when long alarm delays are set.

Demo mode
In normal use, the detector carries out a 15-minute FastLearn operation, during
which time it cannot signal a fire alarm. It then takes a further 24 hours to reach
full operational sensitivity.
Demonstration (demo) mode causes the detector to estimate its final sensitivity
as soon as FastLearn is finished (omitting the 24-hour learning period), so that
smoke response testing may be carried out as part of detector commissioning.
Checking the Demo mode check box only starts demo mode if the unit is in
FastLearn. It has no effect at any other time.
Note: The detector sensitivity will not be set to its optimum level in demo mode.
The detector must be put through another FastLearn cycle and left for 24 hours
to regain full sensitivity after testing in demo mode.

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Flow monitoring tab

Options on the Flow monitoring tab apply only to detectors.
Figure 66 below shows the flow monitoring options for a detector device
(“Detector 001”).

Figure 66: Flow monitoring tab for four- and two-pipe detectors

You can modify the following flow monitoring options as shown in Table 27
below.

Table 27: Flow monitoring tab options

Option Description
Flow Rate The current airflow rate for each sampling pipe.
Note: The flow figure is not an absolute measure of airflow. It is
automatically set up on initial power-up of the unit so that it can
take account of the “normal” flow present in the sampling pipe
network. This “normal” airflow is then set to read in the region of
55% to 75% to give adequate “headroom” for the flow sensors
to register blocked or broken sampling pipes, regardless of the
flow restriction in the pipe network.
Enable Sensor This feature is only available on the four-pipe detector. Clearing
the check box disables the relevant flow sensor. On a system
utilizing less than four pipes, it is recommended that the flow
sensors be disabled for the unused pipes.
Aspirator Speed Fan speed. This feature is only available on the four-pipe
detector. This may be reduced to lessen fan noise and power
consumption, or increased to improve smoke response time.
Note: Care should be taken that any reduction in fan speed
does not increase detector response time outside the limits
imposed by NFPA standards or other applicable codes or
standards.
For example, NFPA requires a worst case smoke response time
of 120 seconds. Aspirator speed should not be set outside the
limits required by relevant legislation.

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Power monitoring tab

The Power monitoring tab options apply only to detectors.
Figure 67 below shows the Power monitoring tab for a detector device (“Detector
001”).

Figure 67: Power monitoring tab

You can modify the following power monitoring options as described in Table 28
below.

Table 28: Power monitoring options

Option Description
Auto Power Save When selected (enabled), the detector reduces fan speed to a
minimum, regardless of preset aspirator speed, when an
attached power supply fails. This reduces current draw, in order
to increase battery life. Any increase of smoke above three bar
graph segments on the detector will disable the feature.
Note: The function may need to be disabled if minimum fan
speed causes the detector to exceed smoke response time
requirements set by relevant national and international
approvals bodies.
Mains Check Use the mains check function when the detector is connected to
a power supply with integral fault relay. The power supply fault
relay is connected to one of the detector’s remote inputs and
the relevant input number is entered into the numerical box next
to the function (reading “0” in Figure 67 above).
When the Mains Check check box is selected, the detector will
generate a fault condition when the power supply indicates a
fault. The function is disabled by default.

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Option Description
Battery Check Use the battery check function when the detector is connected
to a power supply with backup batteries and an integral battery
fault relay. The power supply battery fault relay is connected to
one of the detector’s remote inputs and the relevant input
number is entered into the numerical box next to the function
(reading “1” in Figure 67 on page 87, indicating input “I/P 1”).
When Battery Check is selected, the detector will generate a
fault condition when the power supply indicates a battery fault.
The function is enabled on “I/P 1” by default, as shown in
Figure 67 on page 87.
If backup batteries are not to be used, the function should be
disabled to prevent the detector generating a battery fault.

Front panel tab

The front panel device settings apply only to units with an integral LCD front
panel.
Figure 68 below shows the Front panel tab for a detector device (“Detector 001”).

Figure 68: Front panel tab

You can modify the following Front panel tab options as shown in Table 29 on
page 89.

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Table 29: Front panel tab options

Option Description
Reset Button Enable When selected (enabled), pressing the RESET button on the
front of the detector resets any latched faults or alarms on the
detector. The function is disabled by default.
Notes
• You may be violating national or international safety
regulations by leaving the RESET button permanently
enabled.
• If the fault or alarm reappears after pressing an enabled
RESET button, then the fault or alarm condition still exists.
Test Button Enable When selected (enabled), pressing the TEST button on the front
of the detector starts a test of all LEDs on the front of the unit
and displays the current detector sensitivity. The function is
enabled by default.
Isolate Button Enable When selected (enabled), pressing the ISOL button on the front
of the detector prevents the unit from signaling alarms. Use the
ISOL button to prevent fire alarms at the fire panel while
carrying out smoke sensitivity tests (for example, during
commissioning). The unit will generate a fault.
The Isolate button enable function is disabled by default.
Note: You may be violating national or international safety
regulations by leaving the ISOL button permanently enabled.

Day/Night Switching tab

Options on the Day/Night Switching tab apply only to detector units and not the
command module.
Figure 69 on page 90 shows the Day/Night Switching tab for a detector device
(“Detector 001”).

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Figure 69: Day/Night Switching tab

The ClassiFire software allows for two separate sensitivity histograms, one for
“active” and one for “inactive” periods. For convenience, these are referred to as
“day” and “night” settings. At times specified in this function, the detector will
switch between the two histograms. This will make the detector more sensitive
during inactive (night) periods, when the ambient smoke density is less, and less
sensitive during the active periods (day) when smoke density is higher.
Both histograms are optimized to the working environment, and they are
automatically set up during the initial 24-hour learning period.
For this function to work correctly, the detector’s internal clock must be set to
local time.
The software automatically compensates for one-hour changes in local time (for
example, the start of daylight Saving time).
You can modify the following Day/Night Switching tab options as described in
Table 30 below.

Table 30: Day/Night Switching options

Option Description
Day Start Makes the detector less sensitive during active periods (day)
when smoke density is higher.
Night Start Makes the detector more sensitive during inactive periods
(night) when smoke density is lower.

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Option Description
Disable Day/Night Switching Where there is no distinction between “active” and “inactive”
periods (such as a factory operating on a 24-hour basis or in a
climate-controlled microelectronics clean room), select (enable)
the Disable Day/Night Switching check box to stop the switch-
over function.
Day/night switching may be carried out manually by assigning
one of the remote terminals in the detector or on an input/relay
card. (See Section 1-9.1 for details.)

Referencing tab
The Referencing tab options only apply to detector units and not the command
module.
Figure 70 below shows the Referencing tab for a detector device (“Detector
003”).

Figure 70: Referencing tab

There may be occasions when external pollution enters a protected area and it is
undesirable to generate a fire alarm, such as smoke from an external furnace
entering the open doors of a factory. A reference detector can be used to “back-
off” such a spurious external smoke reading to prevent detectors inside the
protected area from generating unwanted alarm signals. Any detector in a
network may be set as a reference detector.
You can modify the following Referencing tab settings as described in Table 31
on page 92.

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Table 31: Referencing options

Option Description
Reference Detector This is the address (as set on the detector’s internal DIP switch)
of the detector to be used as a reference.
Reference Level This is the percentage of the reference detector’s output signal
to be subtracted from the detector. The default value is 0.
The Reference Level function reflects the fact that smoke seen
at a reference detector may be diluted by the time it reaches the
smoke detector.
For example, smoke might be diluted by 75% by the time it
reaches a smoke detector. Under these circumstances, you
should subtract 25% of the reference signal from the detector.
Therefore, if the “nuisance” smoke causes an increase in signal
at the reference of 10% full-scale output, setting the reference
level to 25% will subtract 2.5% detector output from the smoke
detector. This means that any rise in smoke over and above this
2.5% level is probably due to a genuine fire condition in the
protected area.
Reference Back-Off This is the time delay in minutes before smoke seen at the
reference detector is seen at the detector. The default setting is
15 minutes.
The Reference Back-off value reflects the fact that it may take
time for smoke seen at the reference detector to reach the
smoke detector.
Reference Enable Selecting this box enables the reference detector. The box is
cleared by default.

To implement the referencing function:

1. Select the smoke detector to use as a reference detector.
2. Perform a smoke test.
3. Using the histogram viewer, note the maximum output level reached by the
reference detector.
4. Note the address of the smoke detector in the histogram viewer.
5. Note the time interval before the detector output level begins to rise and the
maximum smoke detector output level is reached.
6. Divide the increase in output level at the detector by the increase seen at the
reference detector.
7. Enter this fraction as a percentage into the Reference Level box.
8. Enter the time delay into the Reference Back-off box.
9. Enter the address of the reference detector in the Reference Detector box
and select (check) the Reference Enable check box.
The reference system is now enabled. The unit will then begin a FastLearn,
followed by a 24-hour learning period in order to optimize the system.

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Miscellaneous tab
Device options on the Miscellaneous tab apply only to detector units and not the
command module.
Figure 71 below shows the Miscellaneous tab for a detector device (“Detector
001”).

Figure 71: Miscellaneous tab

You can modify the following Miscellaneous tab options as described in Table 32
below.

Table 32: Miscellaneous options

Option Description
Access Code Set by default to 0102. You can change the access code
function to any 4-digit number to prevent unauthorized
modifications to detector functions. Once the code is set, the
new 4-digit code is required for a user to access the SenseNET
function settings page or to program the detector from a
command module or the detector’s front panel (if fitted
appropriately).

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Option Description
Chart recording Rate Sets the resolution of the detector’s chart recording. The shorter
the interval selected, the greater the resolution, but the shorter
the period covered by a full chart.
The chart recording can capture 2000 samples before it begins
to overwrite the older entries.
A variety of preset recording intervals is available from the drop-
down list, from 10 seconds/division to 500 minutes/division,
recording detector level and alarm level. The same set of preset
values is available with the suffix “air flow.” In these cases, the
chart recording captures the flow rate instead of the alarm level.
Changing the chart recording period clears the current chart
recording, as does powering down and removing and replacing
the memory backup link. However, normal power-downs will not
clear the current chart recording.
Separator Condition The detector continuously monitors the condition of the dust
separator (filter cartridge). You cannot edit the value displayed
in this box. After a period of time, the separator begins to fill with
dust and reduces the amount of smoke reaching the detector.
The ClassiFire system compensates for such dust loading,
reducing the figure in the Separator Condition box as it does so.
A new filter will read 99 and the software will automatically
generate a separator renew fault when the separator condition
figure reaches 80.
Separator Change Date On a site with many detectors, it may be more convenient to
change all the dust separator filters at a planned interval (for
example, during site maintenance). Entering a date in the
Separator Change Date field generates a separator renew fault
on this date, regardless of the actual condition of the dust
separator. However, if the filter becomes clogged before this
date, a separator renew fault will still be generated.
Factory Default Selecting (enabling) the Factory Default check box and clicking
OK resets all options to their default settings.

PC command module
Clicking PC command module on the Options menu opens the Command
Module settings dialog box (see Figure 72 on page 95).

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Figure 72: Command Module settings dialog box

The SenseNET system uses a command module to interrogate all the devices on
the bus and determine their status. This can be either a hardware command
module or a software module in the PC running SenseNET.
Note: SenseNET software has the ability to be a command module, enabling
SenseNET to run without a hardware command module, although this is not a
fault tolerant configuration and is not recommended for large systems or systems
where reliability is of a high importance.
The following options in the Command Module settings dialog box can be
modified as described in Table 33 below.

Table 33: Command module settings options

Option Description
PC Command Module Selecting this box means that the PC is the master device on
the bus. This must only be checked if there is no hardware
command module, otherwise intermittent communication errors
may occur.
FastPoll This item has no effect unless the PC is the command module.
FastPoll may need to be unchecked if running on older, slower
PC systems. If the SenseNET software is displaying intermittent
communication failures or is not updating the screen properly,
then clear FastPoll.
Echo responses When using Micro Serial Server (MSS) units to transmit RS-485
data over Cat 5 wiring, this box will need to be selected if a
remote MSS unit (one not connected to the PC) needs to
receive data from another remote MSS, e.g., if an RDU on
remote MSS 1 needs to receive data from a detector on remote
MSS 2.
Poll Timeout The time, in milliseconds, which a device has to respond to a
poll from the command module. If no response is received for
this time then a “Comms Failure” message is shown for this
device on the Alarm/Fault viewer.
Help Displays context-sensitive help for the command module

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Site Configuration
Clicking Site Configuration on the Options menu or clicking the Site Configuration
toolbar button starts the Site configuration editor.

After supplying a password, the Site configuration editor opens.

Figure 73: Site configuration editor

Use the Site configuration editor to map the SenseNET system to the detector
configuration at a site. (See “Managing your site configuration” on page 26 for
details on how to create and modify a site configuration.)

Communication settings
If you click Communication settings on the Options menu, it opens the same
Communications settings dialog box that opens when the SenseNET is started.
(See “Setting up the communication” on page 15 for details on how to configure
SenseNET communication settings.)

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E-mail settings
You can configure SenseNET to automatically send an e-mail message when an
alarm or fault occurs. If an e-mail facility is not available (for example, the e-mail
subsystem is not installed), the E-mail drop-down menu entry is unavailable.

Figure 74: Configuring e-mail settings

You can modify the following e-mail option settings, as described in Table 34
below.

Table 34: E-mail options

Option Description
Send E-mail to (Account Sends an e-mail message to the specified account.
Name)
Enable E-mail Notification Enables the e-mail feature. The account name can be a group
of addresses.

The E-mail settings dialog box contains the following buttons, as described in
Table 35 below.

Table 35: E-mail settings dialog box buttons

Button Description
OK Applies the e-mail settings to your site configuration and exits
the E-mail settings dialog box.
Cancel Cancels the changes to the pager settings and exits the E-mail
settings dialog box.

Pager settings
You can configure SenseNET to automatically send a pager message when an
alarm or fault occurs. To use this function, a modem must be connected to a
second serial port or an internal modem must be fitted to the PC.

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When the command module is fitted with a modem connected to its internal
RS-232 terminals, it can send an alert to a pager or GSM-capable telephone in
the case of an alarm or a fault.
This is done by the modem dialing a central call center and instructing the call
center to send a message to the pager using the Telelocator Alphanumeric
Protocol (TAP).
Some GSM phone service providers also provide the facility to send SMS
messages using the TAP protocol.
To use paging, a Hayes compatible modem must be permanently connected to a
COM port on the PC. This COM port is in addition to the one required for
communication to the bus.
When an even occurs that needs signaling, the paging subsystem will try to send
the message until it is either sent successfully or it is canceled.
Note: Sending messages to a pager is not fully fault tolerant and must not be
used as the primary method of signaling alarms or faults.

Figure 75: Pager settings dialog box

You can modify the following pager option settings, as described in Table 36
below.

Table 36: Pager option settings

Option Description
Call Center Number The number of the pager’s call center. This can be obtained
from the local telecom provider.
Enable Paging Enables paging when alarms and faults occur.
Password In most cases, a password is not required, in which case this
field can be left blank.

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Option Description
COM Port The communications port on the PC that will transmit paging
data. Note: This COM port cannot be the same as the port set in
the Communications settings dialog box.
Pager/GSM Phone Number The number of the actual pager or phone.
Baud Rate Use this list to select the transmission baud rate recommended
by the local telecom provider.
Format The default is “0” stop bit. “1” can be set when required by the
local telecom provider. (“0” = 7 bit even parity, “1” = 8 bit no
parity.)

The Pager settings dialog box contains the following buttons, as described in
Table 37 below.

Table 37: Pager settings dialog box buttons

Button Description
Test Sends a test message to the pager to show that it is configured
properly.
OK Applies the pager settings to your site configuration and exits
the Pager settings dialog box.
Cancel Cancels the changes to the pager settings and exits the Pager
settings dialog box.
Help Displays context-sensitive help information for the Pager
settings dialog box.

Passwords
The passwords for the four different levels of password access are set here. The
four levels of access listed from most restricted to least restricted are Read only,
Operator, Engineer, and Administrator. See “Passwords” on page 11, for more
information on the facilities allowed at each level of access.
Note: When SenseNET is first installed, passwords are not set, so typing in a
blank password will allow access. All of the passwords must be set once
SenseNET is installed.

Lock
Clicking the Lock command on the Options menu disables all access requiring a
password until a new, valid password is entered.

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Global Reset
If you click Global Reset on the Options menu, it has the same effect as clicking
the Global Reset toolbar button. It cancels any latching alarms or faults and
resets LCD display messages to the normal operating status on all detectors on
the loop. If, after you press the Global Reset button, the fault or alarm condition
recurs, then the alarm or fault condition is still present.

Log to Printer
If you click Log to Printer on the Options menu, SenseNET sends all events to
the printer as they occur. The events are printed in a similar format to the
Alarm/Fault viewer window.
You can obtain a hard copy of the entire event log by clicking Print on the
SenseNET File menu. The Print option prints the entire event log (oldest event
first) that is stored on disk in the SenseNET directory in the file EVENT.LOG.
An example of a stored event log follows:
Wed Jun 02 14:09:37 1999
INFORMATION: **** SenseNET startup ****
Wed Jun 02 14:09:37 1999
FAULT: Detector 002 Comms failure
Thu Jun 03 09:30:50 1999
FAULT: Detector 001 Faults: Battery
Thu Jun 03 09:32:25 1999
SECURITY: Access level change. New access level
'Administrator'
Thu Jun 03 09:34:27 1999
INFORMATION: Isolate off detector 2 by user 'Administrator'
Thu Jun 03 09:35:45 1999
FAULT: Isolate on detector 3 by user 'Administrator'
Thu Jun 03 09:32:45 1999
INFORMATION: Reset detector 1 by user 'Administrator'
Thu Jun 03 09:42:25 1999
SECURITY: Access level change. New access level
'Administrator'
Tue Jun 15 11:58:22 1999
ALARM: Detector 002 Alarms: PreAlarm Detector 2 PreAlarm
action text
Tue Jun 15 11:58:27 1999
ALARM: Detector 002 Alarms: Aux PreAlarm Detector 2
PreAlarm action text
Tue Jun 15 11:58:30 1999
ALARM: Detector 002 Alarms: PreAlarm Fire 1 Detector 2 Fire
1 action text

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Tue Jun 15 11:58:47 1999

SECURITY: Access level change. New access level
'Administrator'.
Tue Jun 15 11:58:49 1999
INFORMATION: Reset detector 0 by user 'Administrator'
Tue Jun 15 12:03:41 1999
INFORMATION: **** SenseNET shutdown ****

Printer configuration
SenseNET prints directly to the printer on the parallel port by default, because it
needs line printer capability (the ability to print single lines and for them to be
displayed at once).

To set up a specific printer to be configured for LPT1:

1. From the Start button, click Printers.
2. Right-click on the printer to be used.
3. Click Properties.
4. When the Properties dialog box is displayed, click the Details tab
5. Click Capture Printer Port.
6. Click LPT1.
Note: The printer set to LPT1 can be a printer on the network and does not need
to be connected directly to the PC running the SenseNET application.

Map View
The Map View command toggles between the detector display (shown in
Figure 76 on page 102) and the site map view (shown in Figure 77 on page 103).
The Map View command works the same as the Map View toolbar button.

The Detector Display shows that status of a user-defined set of detectors in a site
configuration.
The Site Map view shows the map for the loop that the selected detector is
connected to.

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Figure 76: Detector display (partial screenshot)

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Figure 77: Site map (partial screenshot)

Language
You can change the language used in the SenseNET menus and titles by
selecting the Language command on the Options menu when a translation in that
language has been prepared.

Figure 78: Set language dialog box

Note: Changing the language using the Language command does not change
the language displayed on the detector LCD displays.

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Alarm and fault actions

To open the Alarm and Fault Actions dialog box (see Figure 80 on page 105)
click the Actions button (top right) in the Site configuration editor (Options > Site
Configuration, see Figure 79 below).

Figure 79: Clicking the Actions button from the Site configuration editor

The alarm and fault actions dialog box (see Figure 80 on page 105) lets you
select the text message that is displayed and the alert sound that is played when
inputs, faults, or alarms occur on the selected detector.

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Figure 80: Alarm and Fault Actions dialog box

The Alarm and Fault Actions dialog box contains the following tabs:
• Critical fault
• Noncritical fault
• Fire 2
• Fire 1
• PreAlarm
• Aux
Click the appropriate tab for the event you want to configure sound and text
output.
The Alarm and Fault Actions dialog box contains the following text boxes and
buttons, as described in Table 38 below.

Table 38: Alarm and fault actions dialog box elements

Element Description
Sound File Contains the file name set for each alarm level and fault type.
Browse Lets you select a sound file from disk.
Play Previews the alert sound.
Action/Hazard Text Contains the text displayed in the alarm viewer window when
the alarm or fault occurs.
Bus Reset When selected, Input 1 or Input 2 activation will send a general
bus reset to all detectors.
Save All Saves the values displayed and applies them to all devices of
the same type. For example, if a detector is currently being
edited, then all detectors will have these sound files and action
text set.

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Alert sounds for more than one event

The alert sound that is played when more than one event is active is determined
by the following rules:
1. If the sound is defined, events occurring on a device will play the appropriate
event sound once, as the event occurs.
2. The highest priority event sound will be played at regular intervals on the
highest-numbered device with this event until the event ends (for example,
the fault clears).
3. An event clearing on the currently-sounding device will play the next highest
priority event sound still active. If more than one event of this type is active,
the highest-numbered device event will sound.
4. High priority events will always take precedence in sounding over lower
priority events. If an event sound is not set, then it is ignored. Event priorities
are as follows listed from high priority (Fire 2) to lowest priority (Input 1).
• Fire 2
• Fire 1
• PreAlarm
• Aux
• Fault
• Input 2
• Input 1

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Appendix A
SenseNET initialization file

Summary
This section explains the initialization file for SenseNET.

Content
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SENSENET.INI
The following text describes the initialization file for SenseNET named
SENSENET.INI. This file is stored in your SenseNET directory (usually
C:\sensenet) and contains all of the information stored by SenseNET between
sessions. The following text describes each of the entries in this file, along with
its purpose.
This information provided is for reference only, entries in SENSENET.INI should
not be edited directly, as this may cause incorrect operation of SenseNET.
Any entries in SENSENET.INI not shown here are unsupported and may change
or be removed in future versions.
All entries are shown here with their default settings.

[Comm]
Port=1: Communications port to use. In this case COM1.
RxBuff=2000: Size of receive buffer in bytes.
TxBuff=5000: Size of transmit buffer in bytes.
CTSflow=1: Setting this entry to zero disables CTS flow control. CTS flow control
must be used with a hardware command module.

[Log]
DiskLogging=1: This entry is set to 0 if disk logging has been disabled or 1 if
logging has been enabled.
File=EVENT.LOG: Specifies the file name of the event log file.
PrinterLogging=0: This entry is set to 0 if event logging to the system printer has
been disabled or 1 if logging has been enabled.

[Product]
Language=0: This is where the selected language is stored.

[Security]
Timeout=30000: The security inactivity timeout in milliseconds.

[Site]
Site=DEFAULT.CFG: The file name of the site configuration file currently being
used. The detector settings are stored in the .dfs file, the power supply settings in
the .pfs file and the command module settings in the .cfs file of the same name
as the site configuration file.
SenseNET Initialization File

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[BusMaster]
BusMaster=0: Setting this entry to 1 sets SenseNET into command module
emulation mode.
No command module is needed.
Note: This setting is not fault tolerant as if the PC stops transmitting to the
devices on the loop for any reason (for instance due to power outage), this will
stop all bus communication.
For fault tolerance, a standalone command module must be used.
FastPoll=0: When this setting is set to 1, the next device poll is immediately sent
on reception of the response from the preceding poll. This results in the fastest
possible scanning, but may cause communications timeouts on slower PC's.
Timeout=140: The time, in milliseconds, that the PC will wait for a response to a
Fast Poll.

[DetectorNames]
Name1= Stratos-HSSD: Modify the text value after the equals sign to set the
detector default names.

[Product]
Language=0: Refer to Table 39 to determine the number of the desired language
and enter it after the equal sign.

Table 39: Supported SenseNET languages and their number codes

Number code Language
0 English
1 Estonian
2 Dutch
3 French
4 German
5 Hungarian
6 Italian
7 Norwegian
8 Portuguese
9 Spanish
10 Swedish
11 English US (Non-Metric Units)
12 Finnish
13 Korean

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Appendix A: SenseNET initialization file

Number code Language

14 Simplified Chinese
15 Traditional Chinese
16 Polish
17 Russian

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Appendix B
Device address

Summary
This section discusses the SenseNET device address table.

Content
Device address 112

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Appendix B: Device address

Device address
In order to identify itself to the command module or fire panel, each detector
needs to have a unique address ranging from 1 to 127. The detector address is
simply set on the DIP switch SW1 at the bottom left of the opened detector on
the main circuit board. The switch settings are UP position for “1” and DOWN
position for “0”. The detector address is set as a 7-bit binary code (switch 8
equates to a value of 128 and so is outside the usable address range).
Figure 81 below shows a sample DIP switch setting for address 99.
The address equates to 01100011 in binary, or:
(1 x 1) + (1 x 2) + (0 x 4) + (0 x 8) + (0 x 16) + (1 x 32) + (1 x 64) + (0 x 128) = 99

Figure 81: Sample DIP switch setting

Table 39 below contains a list of valid SenseNET device addresses. Addresses

chosen for detectors do not have to be consecutive or in any special order as
long as they are unique.

Table 39: Device address table

Address 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 65 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 66 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 67 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 68 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 69 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 70 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
6 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 71 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
7 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 72 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
8 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 73 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
9 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 74 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0
10 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 75 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0
11 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 76 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
12 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 77 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
13 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 78 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
14 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 79 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
15 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 80 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
16 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 81 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
17 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 82 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
18 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 83 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
19 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 84 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
20 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 85 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
21 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 86 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
22 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 87 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
23 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 88 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0

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24 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 89 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0
25 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 90 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0
26 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 91 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0
27 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 92 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0
28 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 93 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0
29 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 94 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0
30 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 95 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0
31 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 96 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
32 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 97 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
33 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 98 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0
34 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 99 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0
35 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 100 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0
36 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 101 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0
37 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 102 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0
38 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 103 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0
39 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 104 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
40 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 105 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
41 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 106 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
42 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 107 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
43 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 108 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0
44 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 109 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0
45 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 110 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0
46 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 111 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0
47 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 112 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
48 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 113 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
49 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 114 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0
50 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 115 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0
51 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 116 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0
52 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 117 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0
53 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 118 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0
54 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 119 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0
55 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 120 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0
56 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 121 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0
57 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 122 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0
58 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 123 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0
59 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 124 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
60 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 125 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
61 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 126 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
62 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 127 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
63 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0

64 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

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Appendix B: Device address

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Appendix C
List of configurable options

Summary
This section provides a reference for detector configurable options.

Content
Introduction 116

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Appendix C: List of configurable options

Introduction
This appendix provides a reference for detector configurable options.
Configurable options are accessed via the Options > Device command as shown
in Figure 82 below.

Figure 82: Accessing configurable options

The key for the “Applies To” column of Table 40 through Table 51 is as follows:
H: 4 inlet pipe detector only
C: Command module only
L: Units with LCD/programming module only
D: Detectors only (does not apply to the command module)
A: All units
B: 4 inlet pipe detector/command module only

Table 40: Device information

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Device type A N/A Unit type For information only - cannot
be edited
Firmware A N/A Firmware revision Automatically obtained from
revision level firmware chip - cannot be
edited
Watchdog A N/A N/A Count incremented when
count power interrupted - cannot be
edited
Run-time A N/A 0 Reset by removing and
hours replacing memory link -
cannot be edited
Device text A Alphanumeric - Unit type
16 characters
maximum

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 Appendix C: List of configurable options

Table 41: Pager

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Call center C N/A Blank Numeric - 20 digits maximum
number
Password C N/A Blank Alphanumeric - 20 characters
maximum
Pager/GSM C N/A N/A Numeric - 20 digits maximum
phone
number
Page on C Enabled/Disabled Disabled
Fault
Page on C Enabled/Disabled Disabled
Alarm
Baud rate C 1200/2400/4800/ 2400 Select preset value from
9600 drop-down menu
Format C 0/1 0

Table 42: MatrixScan

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Virtual C Enabled/Disabled Disabled 105 individually assignable
detector check boxes
assign
Enable C Enabled/Disabled Disabled
Base address C 001 through 014 N/A Lowest real detector address
Minimum of 2 detectors in a
network loop All addresses in
the range: 001 through 015
All cells C Enabled/Disabled Disabled Assigns all possible virtual
detectors
No cells C Enabled/Disabled Disabled Unassigns all possible virtual
detectors

Table 43: Alarm actions

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Remote A Enabled/Disabled Disabled
isolate
enable

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Appendix C: List of configurable options

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments

settings
Remote A 1 through 3 Blank 1 to 3: On detectors with
isolate input 1 through 6 onboard inputs or detectors
without onboard inputs and
with an add-on card fitted.
1 to 6: On detectors with
onboard inputs and with an
add-on card fitted.
Remote reset A Enabled/Disabled Disabled
enable
Remote reset A 1 through 3 Blank 1 to 3: On detectors with
input 1 through 6 onboard inputs or detectors
without onboard inputs and
with an add-on card fitted.
1 to 6: On detectors with
onboard inputs and with an
add-on card fitted.
Remote A Enabled/Disabled Disabled When enabled, the detector
day/night will only switch between day
enable and night when a remote
input is received.
Remote A 1 through 3 Blank 1 to 3: On detectors with
day/night 1 through 6 onboard inputs or detectors
input without onboard inputs and
with an add-on card fitted.
1 to 6: On detectors with
onboard inputs and with an
add-on card fitted.
Latching A Enabled/Disabled Enabled Disabled
alarms
Latching A Enabled/Disabled Disabled
faults
Programmed A Enabled/Disabled Disabled
isolate
Cascading A Enabled/Disabled Disabled
alarms

Table 44: Time and date

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Hours A 00 through 23 12
Minutes A 00 through 59 00
Day A 01 through 31 01
Month A 01 through 12 01
Year A 1970 through 2000
2069

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 Appendix C: List of configurable options

Table 45: Alarm levels and delays

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Fire 2 level D 1 through 25 20 Absolute level in % obs/m
Fire 2 delay D 0 through 99 5 seconds
seconds
Fire 1 level D 8 through 10 8 Relative ClassiFire bar graph
level
Fire 1 delay D 0 through 99 5 seconds
seconds
PreAlarm D 3 through 8 6 Relative ClassiFire bar graph
level level
PreAlarm D 0 through 99 5 seconds
delay seconds
Aux level D 2 through 10 10 Relative ClassiFire bar graph
level
Aux delay D 0 through 99 5 seconds
seconds
Alarm factor D 0 through 8 4
ClassiFire D 0 through 99% 0% First digit indicates APIC card
override remote input number (for
example, 105% for override
of 5% from APIC input 1)
LDD enable D Enabled/Disabled Enabled
FastLearn D Enabled/Disabled See comments FastLearn is enabled on first
enable power-up, and on subsequent
power-up when Auto
FastLearn is enabled
Auto D Enabled/Disabled Enabled When enabled, starts new
FastLearn FastLearn whenever unit is
enable powered down and then
powered up
ClassiFire 3D D Enabled/Disabled Disabled
Demo mode D Enabled/Disabled Disabled Must be enabled during
FastLearn period

Table 46: Flow monitoring

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Pipe 1 flow D 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
power-up/ Cannot be edited
Pipe 1 flow D 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
high limit power-up
Pipe 1 flow D 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
low limit power-up

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Appendix C: List of configurable options

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments

settings
Pipe 2 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
power-up/ Cannot be edited
Pipe 2 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
high limit power-up
Pipe 2 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
low limit power-up
Pipe 3 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
power-up/ Cannot be edited
Pipe 3 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
high limit power-up
Pipe 3 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
low limit power-up
Pipe 4 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
power-up/ Cannot be edited
Pipe 4 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
high limit power-up
Pipe 4 flow H 00 through 99 See comments Automatically set on initial
low limit power-up
Flow sensor H Enabled/Disabled Enabled Disable if sampling pipe 1 is
1 enable not installed
Flow sensor H Enabled/Disabled Enabled Disable if sampling pipe 2 is
2 enable not installed
Flow sensor H Enabled/Disabled Enabled Disable if sampling pipe 3 is
3 enable not installed
Flow sensor H Enabled/Disabled Enabled Disable if sampling pipe 4 is
4 enable not installed
Aspirator H 1 through 16 8
speed

Table 47: Power monitoring

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Auto power H Enabled/Disabled Enabled
save
Mains check B Enabled/Disabled Disabled
enable
Mains check B 0 through 3 0 Units without relay/input card
remote input 0 through 6 0 Units without relay/input card
Battery check B Enabled/Disabled Enabled
enable
Battery check B 0 through 3 0 Units without relay/input card
remote input 0 through 6 0 Units without relay/input card

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 Appendix C: List of configurable options

Table 48: Front panel

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Reset button L Enabled/Disabled Disabled Legislation may require
button to be disabled in
normal use
Test button L Enabled/Disabled Enabled
enable
Isolate button L Enabled/Disabled Disabled Legislation may require
enable button to be disabled in
normal use

Table 49: Day/night switching

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Day start D 00 through 23 08
Night start D 00 through 23 19
Disable D Enabled/Disabled Disabled
day/night
switching

Table 50: Referencing

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Reference D Enabled/Disabled Disabled
enable
Reference D 1 through 127 1
detector
Reference D 0 through 99% 0%
level
Reference D 0 through 99 15 minutes
back-off minutes

Table 51: Miscellaneous

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments
settings
Access code D 0000 through 0102
9999
Chart D 1 second through 20 minutes alarm Discrete preset values from
recording 50 minutes air level drop-down list. Multiply value
rate flow or 1 second by 10 for time period per
through 50 major chart division.
minutes alarm
level

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Appendix C: List of configurable options

Option Applies to Range of Default setting Comments

settings
Separator D 0 through 99 99 Clean dust separator filter is
condition 99/“Filter change” fault
generated when figure drops
to 80/Cannot be edited
Factory D Enabled/Disabled Enabled Selecting this function and
default clicking OK resets detector to
factory default settings
Separator D 01 through 12 01
change
month
Separator D 1970 through 2069
change year 2069

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Appendix D
The ClassiFire system

Summary
This section discusses the ClassiFire artificial intelligence system.

Content
About ClassiFire 124
Detector levels 124
Sensitivity levels 126
ClassiFire operation 126
Building a distribution plot 126
Building a ClassiFire histogram distribution curve of smoke density 128
FastLearn mode 133
Intermediate learn mode 134
Setting the detector 138
Other options 139
Auto FastLearn enable 139
Remote day/night 139
Real-Time ClassiFire viewer 139

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Appendix D: The ClassiFire system

About ClassiFire
ClassiFire is the patented artificial intelligence system for this line of aspirating
smoke detectors that continually monitors the environment and internal
contamination and automatically adjusts sensitivity to the optimum level.
ClassiFire automatically adjusts sensitivity to suit day vs. night or operational vs.
nonoperational levels with no need for external input.
ClassiFire automatically sets up the detector to the normal working environment
so the detector sensitivity is optimized for its surroundings.
AIR-Intelligence detectors are fully automatic and do not need manual
adjustment.

Detector levels
The FIRE level always appears at level 8 on the display bar graph, as shown in
Figure 83 below.

Figure 83: ClassiFire alarm indicator

An additional user-definable Aux level can be set to any position on the bar graph
from Level 1 to Level 10 as shown in Figure 84 on page 125.

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Figure 84: Aux alarm level

A user-defined PreAlarm level can also be used when early warning is required
(as shown below).

When the predetermined level of smoke is reached, the Fire Alarm is activated
(as shown in Figure 85 below).

Figure 85: Fire alarm activation

A second Fire alarm level, Fire 2 Alarm, is provided. This level may be pre-
programmed to provide an indication when it is required for a higher smoke
density. This is typically used for the operation of automatic fire extinguishing
systems.

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Sensitivity levels
The alarm factor allows detectors to adapt to the working environment more or
less closely, depending on the degree of protection required or the type of facility
you want to protect.
The following Alarm factor settings give a starting point for the protection of a
wide range of environments:
• Alarm factor 0: clean rooms (highest sensitivity)
• Alarm factor 1: computer rooms
• Alarm factor 2: non-smoking offices
• Alarm factor 3: clean factory
• Alarm factor 4: warehouses
• Alarm factor 5: warehouses with diesel trucks (lowest sensitivity)

ClassiFire operation
ClassiFire considers the likelihood of a “nuisance” alarm being generated by
normal operating conditions. Each of the six Alarm factors balances the degree
of protection required against the probability of a nuisance alarm.
The calculated probability of nuisance alarm ranges from an average of one
nuisance alarm per year (for Level 0) to one per 5000 years (for Level 5).
The detector samples air once per second and passes information on the smoke
density of each sample to ClassiFire.
In a working environment, the density of smoke in the atmosphere continually
varies. The detector needs to be able to discriminate between normal pollution
caused by working activities and pollution caused by early signs of fire.
ClassiFire sets and maintains sensitivity by continual statistical analysis of the
data received.

Building a distribution plot

ClassiFire builds a continually varying distribution plot of how the smoke density
varies with time. For each sample taken, ClassiFire records the particle density,
assigning each density recorded against a sample class and logs the number of
samples in each class.
Low and high values are rare. Most samples tend to cluster around the average
level or the mean. Graphs which group samples into pre-defined classes are
called histograms.

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ClassiFire divides the range of sampled smoke densities into 32 classes and
counts the number of samples which fit into each category. The most recent data
is considered most significant while older data has proportionately less
significance.
ClassiFire models the smoke densities against the normal distribution. For
example, the normal distribution can be found in all continuously variable
functions, such as the heights of a large group of men. However, if you drew a
graph showing the number of men at each height (a histogram), after a while you
would begin to see the histogram fill out until it begins to approximate a normal
distribution.

Figure 86: A normal distribution of men’s heights

Figure 86 above shows the normal distribution curve of men’s height.

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Figure 87: A normal distribution curve

Building a ClassiFire histogram distribution curve of

smoke density
Figure 88 below demonstrates how ClassiFire builds a smoke density distribution
curve by collecting data on smoke density.

Figure 88: Building a ClassiFire smoke density distribution curve (histogram)

Figure 89 on page 129 below shows a distribution curve fully populated with
smoke density data.

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Figure 89: Fully populated distribution curve

Two basic concepts of statistical analysis of a normal distribution curve are:

• Mean of the distribution: The center of the distribution and the base around
which probabilities are determined.
• Variance or spread of the distribution: Indicates the amount of spread in the
distribution.
If the mean changes but the variance remains constant, the shape of the plot
remains the same (as shown in Figure 90 below).

Figure 90: Mean changes/variance remains constant

But the distribution curve moves along the axis as the level of smoke increases
(as shown in Figure 91 on page 130).

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Figure 91: Distribution curve moving along its axis as smoke level increases

If the variance changes, but the mean remains constant, the center of the curve
stays in the same position but the width of the plot changes (as shown in
Figure 92 below).

Figure 92: Low variance/mean constant

Figure 93 on page 131 shows a moderate variance.

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 Appendix D: The ClassiFire system

Figure 93: Moderate variance

Figure 94 below shows a high variance.

Figure 94: High variance

The plot can be broken down into blocks (classes) of equal width on either side
of the mean.
These blocks are called Standard Deviations (SD). The probability of a random
event falling outside this area of the graph is the same for all normal distributions.
The actual width of one SD depends on the variance, but one SD has the same
statistical significance for any normal distribution.
Most of the events within a normal distribution are within 3 SDs either side of the
mean (+ 3 SD). Readings outside this range are likely to be non-random factors,
such as the start of a fire.
Figure 95 on page 132 shows one SD.

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Figure 95: One standard deviation

Figure 96 below shows two SDs.

Figure 96: Two standard deviations

Figure 97 on page 133 shows three SDs.

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 Appendix D: The ClassiFire system

Figure 97: Three standard deviations

The probability of nuisance alarms caused by random events outside the zone of
distribution shown in Figure 97 above is very small (since low readings can be
ignored). Thus, ClassiFire can statistically base the sensitivity of the detector on
the actual working environment.
ClassiFire maintains the alarm levels at the appropriate number of SDs above
the mean smoke level to provide the optimum level of protection required while
maintaining nuisance alarms at a low and defined level.
If the environment changes (such as day to night, air filtration or use of area
varies), distribution, mean, and variance also change. ClassiFire continually
updates the alarm levels to maintain the same position from the mean. This
provides an unchanging level of protection by continuously varying the alarm
parameters.

FastLearn mode
When a detector is first powered up, it automatically enters FastLearn mode for
15 minutes. This permits rapid approximation of normal smoke density.
During the FastLearn period, there is insufficient data to set an accurately
defined alarm level.
After the 15-minute period, the detector has collected an approximation of the
smoke distribution. This data is placed into a “slow” histogram to set up the initial
alarm settings.
ClassiFire initially places the alarm level several SDs from the mean reading to
take into account the fact that the histogram is still being sparsely populated and
narrow.

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Appendix D: The ClassiFire system

Intermediate learn mode

Over the next 24 hours, ClassiFire develops a histogram to represent the
standard range of smoke pollutants in the normal operating environment. As
more data is collected to cover nonworking periods, ClassiFire incorporates two
types of histograms:
• Fast: Monitors short-term variation in smoke density
• Slow: Builds up over 24 hours to for a complete picture of the smoke density
distribution for day and night (or active and inactive) periods.
The Alarm level position is initially set well away from the mean to take into
account the sparseness of the data (as shown in Figure 98 below).

Figure 98: Initial alarm level position

When FastLearn has finished, the data on the smoke density becomes the basis
for a long-term histogram. The slowly updating histogram now takes over to form
the basis for future settings.
As the histogram only has 15 minutes of data, ClassiFire begins to perform a
more refined and detailed analysis.
After 24 hours, the detector has enough data about the working environment and
sets the alarm flag based on the level of protection required based on the
distribution of data (as shown in Figure 99 on page 135).

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Figure 99: Alarm flag after 24 hours

Sensitivity levels
Smoke levels will usually increase during the day. When the protected area is
unoccupied, there may be lower levels than in working periods. If the detector
sensitivity were set to a fixed figure, there may be unwanted alarms or delayed
alarms at night.
• High sensitivity: Means maximum protection but a higher risk of nuisance
alarms during working hours.
• Lower sensitivity: Protects against unwanted alarms during the day, but is not
as effective at detecting the earliest signs of a fire.
An ideal detector needs to be able to be pre-set to at least two different
sensitivity levels to provide the optimum coverage. The ClassiFire Artificial
Intelligence process does this automatically.
ClassiFire uses two sets of histograms:
• Day: Reduces sensitivity for normal working practices and minimizes the risk
of nuisance alarms.
• Night: Increases sensitivity of lower smoke density during night or holiday
shutdown periods, maximizing protection when the protected area is
unoccupied.
These two types of histograms are dynamically and continuously updated to
ensure that alarm levels are optimally set.
During the day, ClassiFire keeps the fire alarm flag out of the nuisance zone, a
set number of standard deviations from the active histogram mean, based on the
alarm factor chosen (as shown in Figure 100 on page 136).
The fast histogram updates continually in the background and is shown dotted in
blue for reference. The previous “inactive” histogram is maintained in the
background and is shown in Figure 100 on page 136 dotted in yellow.

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Figure 100: The Fast histogram

When work stops in the protected area and people leave, the smoke level starts
to drop (as shown in Figure 101 below). The fast histogram mean tracks the
smoke level and begins to diverge from the active histogram mean, taking on
new data at a sampling rate of once per second.
The alarm setting remains based on the active histogram mean.

Figure 101: Dropping smoke level after work stops in the protected area

As the active histogram reduces, it approaches the previous night’s histogram

mean. When the histogram mean has reached 2/3 of the distance towards the
previous night’s mean, ClassiFire checks to see if the time is within +70 minutes
of the programmed switch-over time (as shown in Figure 102 on page 137).

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Figure 102: Histogram reaches 2/3 of the distance from the previous night’s mean

If so, the inactive histogram immediately takes over and the alarm flag is
repositioned based on this latest data. The previous active histogram is saved in
the background to await the next changeover time, when the “search” process is
repeated (as shown in Figure 103 below).

Figure 103: Inactive histogram takes over and alarm flag repositioned

If there is no smoke reduction measured within +70 minutes of the programmed

time, ClassiFire stays with the currently selected slow histogram. That means
that during weekends or holiday periods, the inactive histogram remains in force.
The currently selected slow histogram is updated over the remainder of its active
period so that the mean is always based on the most recent environment.
In addition to detecting the change from active to inactive periods, ClassiFire also
takes into account the time in which the change occurred.

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For example, if there is a change in working hours so that people leave at 6PM
instead of 5PM, ClassiFire adjusts the changeover time by an amount
proportional to the difference from the preset time. After a few days, the system
switches over according to the new working times.
Note: The larger the time difference, the larger the change.

Setting the detector

To set detector operating values, click Device settings from the SenseNET
Options dropdown menu.

Figure 104: Clicking Device settings from the Option menu

The following detector values relate to ClassiFire operation:

• Detector’s clock and calendar. (See “Time and date” on page 80 for details.)
• PreAlarm and Aux alert levels (if required).
PreAlarm defaults to 6 on the bar graph (adjustable from 3 to 8)
Aux defaults to 10 (adjustable from 2 to 10)
• Day and night changeover times (if required). The preset times when day and
night histograms activate can be set the nearest hour on a 24-hour clock.
Day defaults to 08 (8AM)
Night defaults to 19 (7PM)
If no changeover is required (for example, a 24-hour working day), you can
set the Day and Night times to “00”. (See “Day/Night Switching” on page 89
for details.)

138 SenseNET Software User Guide

 Appendix D: The ClassiFire system

• ClassiFire alarm function. The alarm delays prevent the detector from
reacting to alarm conditions caused by a one-off peak waiting to see if the
condition persists. The alarm delay can be set between 0 and 60 seconds.
The default setting is 5 seconds. ClassiFire does the rest automatically.

Other options

Auto FastLearn enable

From time to time the detector needs to be powered down for routine
maintenance. Setting the Auto FastLearn function to “n” prevents the detector
from going into FastLearn mode when powered up, reducing down time. The
default setting is “y”.

Remote day/night
Where a remote switch is fitted, enabling the Remote Day/Night by setting it to
“y” prevents the changeover between night and day setting to occur (except
manually via the remote switch). The default setting is “n”.

Real-Time ClassiFire viewer

Nuisance alarms, alarms being signaled because the detector is over-sensitive
for its environment, can often occur with high sensitivity aspirating detectors that
have fixed, absolutely-scaled alarm thresholds. ClassiFire is a patented feature,
unique to AIR-Intelligence detectors, that enables the detector to continually
learn and adjust to its environment, setting its alarm levels appropriately to get
the optimum level of protection without nuisance alarms.
SenseNET has a Real-Time ClassiFire viewer (shown in Figure 105 on page
140) that demonstrates how the detector is continuously setting its alarm levels
and scaling its smoke density bar graph. We also refer to this as the Histogram
viewer.

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Appendix D: The ClassiFire system

Figure 105: Real-Time ClassiFire viewer

The histogram (shown in Figure 105 above) shows a detector working in a stable
environment, resulting in a narrow distribution of histogram classes. The
numerals on the bar graph are not displayed on the viewer due to the small size
of the bar graph segments (shown above the vertical histogram bars).

140 SenseNET Software User Guide

Glossary

Term Definition
°C Degrees Celsius

°F Degrees Fahrenheit

A Ampere

AC Alternating current

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

Ah Ampere-hour

AHJ Authority having jurisdiction

ARCt Automatic release circuit

AWG American wire gauge

CSFM California State Fire Marshal

DACT Digital alarm communicator transmitter

DC Direct current

DET Detector

DIOM Design, installation, operation, and maintenance

RAM Random access memory

EOLD End of line device

EOLR End of line resistor

FM Factory Mutual

ft. Feet

HSSD High sensitivity smoke detector

Hz Hertz (frequency)

in. Inches

IRI Industrial Risk Insurers

LCD Liquid crystal display

LED Light emitting diode

MEA Materials and Equipment Acceptance Division of the City of New York

NAC Notification appliance circuit

NC Normally closed

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Glossary

Term Definition
NEC National Electrical Code

NFPA National Fire Protection Association

NO Normally open

NYC New York City

PCB Printed circuit board

pF Pico farads

P/N Part number

PSU Power supply unit

SLC Signaling line circuit

TB Terminal block

UL/ULI Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

V Volts

VAC Volts AC

VDC Volts DC

VRMS Volts root mean square

142 SenseNET Software User Guide

Index

detector operating values, 138

A device address, 112
device address table, 112
access code
default value, 93
E
address ranges
real detectors, 76 e-mail settings, 97
Virtual detector, 76
address reserved for command module, 77 F
Alarm and Fault Actions dialog box, 104
alarm factor, 51, 82 FastLearn mode, 133
alarm thresholds, 139 flow monitoring, 86
alert sounds front panel, 88
for more than one event at a time, 106 function settings, 88
ambient smoke density, 90
APIC card, 119 G
aspirator (fan), 86 global reset, 100
auto FastLearn enable, 139
Aux alarm, 125
H
B hardware requirements, 3
Histogram Viewer
building management system blue, 57
supported protocols, 5 yellow, 57
Histogram Viewer menus, 59
C
ClassiFire, 26, 51, 57, 82, 94, 119, 124, 126, I
139, 140 installation, 9
ClassiFire alarm factor, 82, 83, 126
ClassiFire Histogram Viewer, 57
L
ClassiFire operation, 126
ClassiFire override, 84 language
ClassiFire system, 123 set language, 103
command module, 14, 29, 74, 75, 77, 93, 95, laser dust discrimination, 85
109 log to printer, 100
reserved address, 77
command module settings dialog box, 95 M
Comms fault message, 14
communicating to a network of detectors, 15 Map view, 101
communication settings, 96 miscellaneous, 93
configurable options, 116 function settings, 93
configuration, 9
P
D pager settings, 97
Demo mode, 85 passwords, 11, 99
detector levels, 124 PC command module, 94

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Index

PC requirements, 2
power monitoring, 87
printer configuration, 101

R
real-time ClassiFire viewer, 139
Real-Time ClassiFire Viewer menus, 59
referencing, 91
function settings, 91
Remote Configuration Software, 14, 26
remote day/night, 139
Remote Display Unit relay board, 7
remote display units, 6
RS-232 cable, 14

S
SenseNET
installation and configuration, 9
installing on a PC, 10
overview, 2
SenseNET initialization file, 108
SENSENET.INI, 108
sensitivity levels, 126
site configuration, 24, 96

144 SenseNET Software User Guide