LPWAN, or lower power wide area network, has the characteristics of wide coverage, low power consumption, low data transmission & low transmission speed. It is drastically different from the commonly seen Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-wave protocols. All these are used extensively in smart home, AIoT, connected cars, Industrial IoT & other 5G applications.....

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End-of-Line Resistor (or EOL) is a resistor that completes the zone circuit in a fire alarm system. Common resistances include 1KΩ、2.2KΩ、4.7KΩ、5.6KΩ、6.8KΩ, which can vary depending on the brand.....

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To determine what type of detector is appropriate for use, we need to understand the fire that is likely to occur. Then we also need to identify how nuisance & false alarm may happen to avoid unnecessary evacuations.....

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Heat detectors are typically used in settings where smoke detectors are not applicable. For instance, in the kitchen or shower, a smoke detector may cause false alert. Rate of rise heat detectors are useful to notice potential fires in early stages.....

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Smoke detectors in the household is important for alerting occupants of fire hazards and saving lives. In order to conform and certify to EN14604 standard, smoke detectors need to pass a series of tests by third-party compliance laboratory to obtain the industry standard. Such certification is also a testament of the detector’s quality & reliability.....

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With a variety of carbon monoxide detector (also CO alarm) products on the market, the European Union has standardized how the device should function to ensure its meets the minimum life safety requirement.....

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With the proliferation of modern electronic appliances, fire safety has never been more important. Sudden short circuit or accidents could all cause fire to occur, so it is essential to have appropriate fire protection that can prevent and mitigate the associated damage. As part of a complete fire alarm system, EN54-7 Smoke detector should be used for protecting buildings & lives.....

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Beam detector, also known as optical line detector, is a smoke sensor device that is often used in high ceiling buildings, warehouse or open area for fire protection. EN54-12 standard states that all products on the market in Europe should meet the requirement listed below (not exhaustive).....

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Smoke Detectors for residential protection in European Union have the mandatory requirement of meeting EN14604 standard. After third party testing approval for CE certificate, the device then can be installed for fire safety purposes. Below we list the 6 main requirements it must meet.....

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Waterproof piezo buzzers are made of special construction to prevent the ingress of water from entering the device. Most products with IP65 are water-resistant, while IP67 or IP68 ratings are sometimes considered truly waterproof. Below are some common applications for various industries & sectors.....

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In general, there are 2 types of optical beam detectors available on the market nowadays: Reflective & Standalone.....

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Fire siren is a notification device that forms part of a larger fire alarm & security system. It can operate as audible and/or visual signals to alert the occupants nearby of impending danger.....

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The newest UL 268 7^th Edition is for smoke detector used in security system and has over 250 changes from its previous revision. This is the biggest change to smoke alarms since 1976.....

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The latest 8^th edition of UL 217 for residential smoke alarm device made many significant changes to the previous existing standard. 

One of the main requirements is to prevent false alarm resulting from cooking nuisance. Often this non-fire event will cause the user to turn off the alarm and thus disabled its true intended function.....

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Once in a while, we’ll often hear about tragic incidents of people suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, especially during winter times. This is also much more common In big metropolitan cities where high-rises and apartments are a norm. This is because high concentration of these toxic gases could often accumulate and reach dangerous levels in enclosed space.....

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Since the first standard introduction in 1988, fire injuries and deaths have reduced dramatically over the decades. However, each year there are still about cumulative 10,000 deaths and injuries in the country as a result of fire.....

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With the explosion of Internet of Things (IoT), many wireless standards are becoming available with many different applications. Here we list and compare some of the main legacy and new protocols that are shaping our technology landscape today.....

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Siren is an important part of the alarm system to warn and notify others of dangers, whether it is fire, intrusion or other accidents. Below we list some of the factors that can affect the siren sound’s loudness.....

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In fire alarm system, manual call point (MCP or pull station) is an important device that sends input to the system and notify impending danger. When implementing manual call point, it is important to consider below.....

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While smoke alarm has been around for many years, it is only in recent years has technology advancement made wireless integration possible.....

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LED Incapacitator, or light emitting diode Incapacitator, is a device that emits intermittent colors of various wavelengths that temporarily stuns the target visually and psychologically, causing sensory overload and mental fatigue.....

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Carbon Monoxide alarm detector, or CO Alarm, is an essential detection device for all households. It is enforced by many law agencies around the world as a mandatory device.....

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Manual call point is a small square plastic enclosure that you see in every building, but paid very little attention to it. Manual call point (or referred to as MCP, call point or fire point) is an activation device that triggers the fire alarm by sending out signal to sirens for alert.....

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While technologies continue to improve and new solutions come out every year to safeguard our family and assets, significant amount of burglary still occurs. According to FBI uniform crime reporting statistics, although there has been decline in theft and burglary in the recent years, there are still millions of homes being broken into, resulting in aggregated losses valued at over $3 billion.....

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Residential burglar alarm systems are often smaller in coverage and number of devices than commercial ones. The main objective of an effective burglar alarm system is to detect environmental or physical changes, determine whether the event poses immediate threat and respond accordingly by sending out signals to designated parties.....

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Fire is a serious matter, and it is very important that the false alarm can be reduced. On average, about 10% to 33% of the cases of fire reporting are false alarm. These false alarm end up draining public resources and it is the taxpayers that end up footing the bill.....

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Fire alarms are considered and proven from time to time as one of the most important device you can have for a building. Not only are they required by law for commercial buildings, they are also very beneficial for private residences.....

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Fire protection differs in approaches, depending on the type of fire. Thus, it is essential to first classify the fire by determining the scenario. In general, fire could be classified into the following.....

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With many smoke detector alarms available on the market, the most traditional type is the hard-wire smoke alarms. They are the most basic type and runs on your home’s main power supply (110V or 220V).....

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While 3 types of smoke detectors are most commonly use, there are more varieties available in the market, each suited for different purposes.

The 6 smoke detector types can be broken down by its functions: optical, ionization, aspiration, beam, video and combination. Below we explain the main differences between each of them.....

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A smoke detector (or smoke alarm) is an electronic device for sensing smoke from fire in commercial or residential settings. When presence of smoke is detected, the smoke detector sends signal via wire or radio signal to main control panel (in commercial building) and generates audible alert itself to warn surrounding occupants of impending danger.

Smoke alarms come in a variety of sizes and shapes but are generally categorized into 3 types: photoelectric, ionization, combination.....

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Fire Alarm system is a system of devices connected by wire or wirelessly to detect and indicate individuals of fire hazards in the area. Here we will discuss the two main types of alarm system available on the market.....

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Sound pressure level (SPL) is a regularly used for measuring the sound intensity of an electrical signal. Audible sound is pressure in air that can be detected by human ear, in the range of 20Hz to 20kHz. However, human hearing is most attuned to sound frequency between 1kHz to 4kHz.

The unit for defining sound pressure level is decibels (dB) and it is measured in logarithmic scale. Each unit of increase in decibel will increase exponentially

Thus, a device with 80dB will be 10 times more powerful than 70dB device, and a device with 90 dB will be 100 times (10 x 10) powerful than a 70dB device.

Below are examples of sound pressure levels in various settings:

Our siren products range from 80dB to 120dB. Smaller decibels are suitable for notifying pedestrians or warning patrons in office, while louder decibels are suitable for fire and industrial settings.

Although decibels are measured in logarithmic scales, the loudness perceived by the human ear can vary depending on a multitude of factors.  Proximity from the source, ear sensitivity, humidity, placement of sound device with regards to environmental setting, temperature, and sound frequency can all play a role in the loudness perceived by our ear and brain.

For more information, please consult our audible and visual signaling specialists.

IP rating, also known as International Protection Marketing or Ingress Protection Marking, is an internationally recognized standard to define protection from foreign objects.

The rating is defined by IP followed by 2 numerical digits, for example:

IPXX

• The first numerical digit defines the level of protection against solid objects such as hands, conductors, rocks, etc.

• The second digit defines the level of protection against water

Most of our signaling products are time tested and able to achieve a high IP rating. We can offer siren and alarm products with specialized construction to meet your requirement.

For more information, please consult our audible and visual signaling specialists.