Eaton i-on10 Intruder Alarm Panel, 10 Zone Wired, with Keypad I-ON10-K

What this panel is for

The control panel is the brain of a wired burglar alarm. Detectors and contacts report to it on their own zones, and it decides whether to raise the alarm.

The i-on10 is Eaton's entry-level option for a house or small business. It is for simple systems, so a larger building is likely to need something with more zones.

How it works

• Zones: a zone is one monitored point, such as a door or a detector. There are 10 here, and no way of adding more.
• Part sets: these let you set some of the building and leave the rest off, such as downstairs at night. There are 3 per partition.
• Bells-only: the panel raises an audible alarm on site, using a bell box or sounder. Nothing reaches a phone or a monitoring company unless a communicator is added.
• Bus: this is the data cable that connects keypads to the panel. There is 1 bus, with up to 4 keypads allowed.

Where to use it

Eaton aims it at homes and small commercial installations. It suits a job with a known number of detectors and no plans to grow beyond the zones on board.

EN50131 Grade 2 is generally aimed at low to medium risk premises, which many homes and small shops fall into. An insurer may set its own requirement, so check before you specify.

What the figures mean in practice

• 1A power supply: this has to run the panel, keypads and detectors, so add up each device's current before choosing how many to connect.
• 1 * 7Ah battery: this is the largest battery it can hold. Standby time depends on how much current the system draws.
• 10 user codes: enough for a separate code per person, so one can be removed without changing everyone else's.

Installing it

• Position: place the panel in a protected spot, out of sight from the door, with the keypad near the main entry route.
• Programming: the menus match the wider i-on range, and zone types and names start preconfigured. Check they suit the site before handing over.
• More keypads: Eaton points to its compatibility chart for keypad choice, so check it before adding one.

Planning your system

Treat this as a panel and keypad, and plan the rest of the job around it. You will need detectors and door contacts for the zones, a bell box, a battery and cable.

If alerts must reach a phone or a monitoring company, add a communicator that suits the panel's outputs. For a bundle with detectors included, look at a burglar alarm kit instead.

Standards explained

• EN50131 and PD6662:2017: EN50131 is the European standard for intruder alarm systems, and PD6662 is the British document for applying it.
• Environmental class 2: this is usually treated as an indoor rating, so keep the panel in a dry place.