Advanced Go+ Addressable Fire Alarm Control Panel, 1 Loop, Apollo/Hochiki GO1+

What this panel does

A fire alarm control panel is the brain of the system. It watches every device on its loop, decides when to raise the alarm and tells people where the problem is.

This Advanced panel is the larger of the two Go performance options. It suits a job that fits on one loop and does not need linking to other panels.

How it works

• Addressable loop: every device has its own address, so the panel can name the device reporting rather than a whole area. Devices share one cable run that starts and finishes at the panel.
• Cause and effect: this is the set of rules that decides what happens when a given device operates. The programming and trace diagnostics suit small to medium systems.
• Fault monitoring: the series meets EN54-13 (2005) Clauses 5.3.4.1 and 5.3.4.2 on partial open and short circuits.

Where to use it

The enclosure is steel and rated IP30, so it is an indoor product for clean, dry spaces such as an entrance or plant office. As a rule, mount it where the fire service and the responsible person can reach it easily.

The working range runs from -5°C to 40°C, with humidity of 95% max, so avoid unheated outbuildings that can drop below that.

What the figures mean in practice

• Loop current: the 500 mA max limit is the budget for all detectors and other devices on the loop, so add up their draw before you commit to a device count.
• Sounder outputs: only 1 A in total, so split the sounder load with that total in mind.
• Standby batteries: the range is given as a minimum and a maximum Ah figure. As a rule, size them with a battery calculation for the standby time your design requires.
• Event log: a log of this size helps an engineer trace intermittent faults long after they happened.

Installing it

• Door and chassis: the door has no hinge and is removable, and the chassis is hangable, which makes installation easier.
• Cable entry: all the knockouts are at the top, so plan containment to arrive from above.
• Commissioning: use auto-learn and loop detection to find devices, then the on-board scope facility if a loop misbehaves.

Planning your system

Choose the device range first, because the loop must use one of the listed protocols throughout. Mixing makes is a question for the design stage.

For fire and fault signalling to an Alarm Receiving Centre, the option is a P-Bus adaptor and a routing card. The option codes include the GOP-001 card and the MXP-532 interface, so confirm which your job needs.

Batteries are normally a separate line on the order, so check what your job needs.

Standards explained

• EN 54-2 and EN 54-4: the European standards for fire control equipment and for its power supply.
• BS 5839: the British code of practice for fire detection and alarm systems in buildings.
• Zone LEDs: the integral 15 zone LEDs are there for compliance with BS5839. The person responsible for the design should confirm it for the whole system.