Apollo XP95 VAD Base with Isolator, EN54-23 Category O 45681-709APO

Overview

This Apollo device combines two jobs in one part: a detector base and a light that warns people of a fire. A visual warning helps where people may not hear a sounder, though the sounders on a system still have their own design to follow.

An isolator cuts off a short section of an addressable loop when there is a short circuit, so that the rest of the loop keeps working.

How it works

• Loop power: the light draws its power from the same two wires that carry the data, so no separate supply is run to each position.
• Self test: when switched on, the device checks the flash. If no current is drawn by the LEDs, an analogue value of 2 goes to the panel to report a fault.
• Synchronising: the panel can make flashes and sound outputs on a loop run together, along with devices such as the Integrated Base Sounder and the Sounder Control Unit. The method depends on the design and configuration of the control panel.

Where to use it

Category O in EN54-23 means an open class of device, where the maker sets out the coverage volume. Use Apollo's coverage diagram rather than a rule of thumb.

Keep it to dry indoor areas, as it is for indoor use only.

What the figures mean in practice

• Current: at 24V it draws 350µA at rest and 9mA when activated. Add the activated figure for every device when you check the loop load.
• Switch-on surge: 1.2mA for 1 sec, a short peak that is well below the activated current.
• IP21C: a low level of protection against objects and dripping water, which fits an indoor device.

Installing it

Set the individual address on the DIL switch first. For group work, set an address from 112 to 126 on the 4-segment DIL switch. Those addresses may serve as individual addresses only if that switch is not used, which disables group addressing.

To test it during commissioning or maintenance, activate the VAD for at least 5 seconds and check the panel. No fault signal means it is working properly.

Planning your system

Group addressing lets one command switch a whole area, but a device in a group does not reply on the group address. To confirm each output, the panel must ask each one at its individual address.

An addressable panel talks only to devices built for its protocol. The guide to commercial fire alarm systems explains why that matters before you order. Check the current panel software with the panel maker.

The range of fire alarm sounders and beacons covers other warning devices where a base-mounted light does not suit the room. A version of this base without an isolator also exists, though it is not this part.