| Zn | Descriptor | Alarm inputs | Fault inputs | Control | State |
|---|
Relay states per MAN1560-4 §5.12. BATT FAIL is normally energised in the healthy state, so its contacts present an open circuit to the interface - it drops out on battery failure.
| Term. | Function | Coil | Contact to brigade |
|---|
| Ln | Speaker line | Inject | State |
|---|
Digital inputs - MAN3072-11 §5.2, primary (default) settings
Relays - §5.3. The fault relay is normally energised; it opens on fault or loss of power.
| Relay | Function | State |
|---|
Genuine manufacturer recordings, measured and embedded. A genuine sequence plays as a single looping buffer with the oscillator and speech synthesis disabled. Where no recording was supplied the output is synthesised and labelled, or silent.
This panel is an Ampac LoopSense analogue addressable fire alarm control panel with an occupant warning system. It is approved to AS 7240.2:2004 and AS 7240.4:2004, with the fire brigade panel to AS 4428.3:2010 - the legend printed on the control band. Occupant warning signals follow AS 1670.4.
| Level | Who | Active controls |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Untrained user | OVERRIDE, PREVIOUS, NEXT, SILENCE BUZZER and LAMP TEST only. |
| 2 | Authorised user | Adds SILENCE / RESOUND ALARM, RESET, EVACUATE and MENU ENTER. Reached by keyswitch to ON, or by password. All menus except PROGRAMMING and SETUP. |
| 3 | Service technician | All of the above plus PROGRAMMING, SETUP and individual sounder output disable. Default password 3333 (ID 1). |
The access level times out to the default after 5 minutes without a key press; with an alarm on the system the keypad timeout is 30 seconds. Pressing CANCEL four times at the default screen forces the panel back to its default level. Intervals between key presses while entering a password must not exceed 30 seconds.
The FIRE and ALARM ROUTING ACTIVATED indicators illuminate and FIRE OUTPUT ON lights. The buzzer sounds continuously and the fire is reported on the LCD.
| Control | Effect |
|---|---|
| SILENCE BUZZER | Silences the panel buzzer only. The alarm devices keep sounding. |
| SILENCE / RESOUND ALARM | Silences any silence-able outputs that have operated. ALARMS SILENCED lights to show resound is available. Pressing it again resounds them. Devices not configured as silence-able are unaffected and continue to sound. |
| PREVIOUS / NEXT | Scrolls the LCD through the zones in fire. SEVERAL ALARMS lights when more than one zone is in fire. |
| DISABLE | Disables the zone or device currently displayed. GENERAL DISABLEMENT lights. |
| RESET | Clears the fire condition, deactivates all outputs that operated in response to it, and returns the panel to normal provided nothing else is abnormal. Fault conditions that have cleared must be re-established within 20 seconds. |
When a zone, input or output is disabled, its configured outputs no longer operate and it no longer affects panel conditions. A disabled zone is out of the system: a device in alarm on it raises no fire condition, so the FIRE indicator stays dark, the fire output and alarm routing do not operate, the buzzer does not sound, and the warning system is not driven. A fault on that zone is suppressed the same way.
The device is not hidden. The zone shows on the LCD as FIRE/DISABLED, it is scrollable with PREVIOUS and NEXT, and it counts towards SEVERAL ALARMS, which lights when more than one zone is in fire or fire/disabled. GENERAL DISABLEMENT lights, and the disablement operates the brigade ISOLATE relay.
Two consequences worth practising:
There is no interlock on RESET. It does not have to be preceded by silencing the buzzer or the alarms, and this panel has no acknowledge control - the thirteen front panel controls are SILENCE BUZZER, SILENCE / RESOUND ALARM, PREVIOUS, NEXT, RESET, DISABLE, ACF DISABLE, CANCEL, MENU ENTER, the four arrows and the keypad. The only gate is access level 2.
RESET clears the panel's latched condition. It does not clear the field. A call point that is still operated, or a detector still in smoke, re-reports as soon as the panel has reset - within 1 second for a call point, 10 seconds for a detector. Reset sticks only once the cause has been dealt with, and only “providing there are no other abnormal conditions present”.
The two resets are independent. The EWCIE's RESET has no effect on the fire panel, and the fire panel's RESET does not clear the EWCIE's own state.
| You do this… | …and this happens |
|---|---|
| EWCIE RESET while the fire panel is still in alarm | The broadcast stops and the EWCIE returns to AUTO - then it starts again. The warning system input is non-latching, so while the panel holds its warning system output active the EWCIE in AUTO keeps responding to it. Resetting the warning system does not get you silence; resetting the fire panel does. |
| EWCIE RESET while the fire panel is holding it silenced | It stays quiet. RESET has no effect on the remote silence function, so REMOTE SILENCE stays lit and nothing is broadcast until the panel resounds. |
| Fire panel RESET with the EWCIE in AUTO | The warning system output drops, and the EWCIE follows it - the broadcast stops. |
| Fire panel RESET with the EWCIE in MANUAL | The EWCIE keeps broadcasting. Once an operator has pressed ALERT or EVAC the warning system is under manual control and the fire panel no longer governs it. Its own RESET, or pressing the lit control again, is what stops it. |
| SILENCE / RESOUND ALARM at the fire panel | Silences the warning system and lights REMOTE SILENCE on the EWCIE. Pressing it again resounds, and the EWCIE restarts if it is in AUTO. |
A fire from a detector is reported within 10 seconds; from a manual call point, within 1 second. Alarm devices operate within 3 seconds of an MCP being operated. Only the first 10 devices in fire on each loop light their own alarm LED.
| Condition | Cadence |
|---|---|
| Fire | Continuous |
| Fault | 1 s on / 4.5 s off |
| Key press | Single beep |
| Extended key press | Double beep |
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| POWER | Mains present. Flashes when the mains has failed. |
| POWER FAULT | No mains, high charger voltage, low battery voltage, or missing / damaged battery. |
| SYSTEM FAULT | The panel cannot provide mandatory functions. Latched until cleared by RESET. |
| EARTH FAULT | An earth fault is detected on the panel. |
| ALARMS / FIRE / FAULT / ANCILLARY OUTPUT STATUS | Steady if that output has been disabled; flashes if it is in fault (open or short circuit). Disable has priority over fault. |
| TEST | The panel is in walk test mode. |
| FIRE OUTPUT ON | The designated fire output is active. Remains lit until the alarm is reset. |
| PRE-ALARM | One or more devices are in pre-alarm and not disabled. |
| DAY NIGHT ACTIVE | The day / night facility is enabled. |
| DELAY ACTIVE | Steady when zones are configured with investigation delays and delay mode is active. Flashes while an investigation delay timer is running. |
| ALARMS SILENCED | Silence-able sounders have been silenced; the resound function is active. |
| GENERAL FAULT | One or more faults on the system. |
| GENERAL DISABLEMENT | One or more zone detectors, loop devices or panel outputs are disabled. |
The warning system is an Ampac EvacU Emergency Warning Control and Indicating Equipment, front panel switch and indicator module DEC2958-T2, complying with AS 4428.16:2015 Grades 2 and 3 (factory default Grade 3). All its controls sit at access level 2 - the cabinet door needs a 003 key.
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| POWER | Steady when power is available; flashes when mains voltage is not detected. |
| GENERAL FAULT | Steady when a fault is present. Latched if there is a system fault. |
| POWER FAULT | Loss of mains, loss of backup batteries, charger fault or charger voltage out of range, or a battery fault. |
| SYSTEM FAULT | The EWCIE is prevented from functioning by a hardware fault, or communications with the amplifier have been lost. Latched. |
| ZONE FAULT | Steady when there is a fault on the speaker circuit, the strobe circuit or the amplifier. |
| MANUAL | Steady when the EWCIE is in MANUAL mode under operator control. When it is off, the EWCIE is in AUTO and will respond to an alarm from the fire panel. |
| REMOTE SILENCE | Steady when the EWCIE has been silenced from the fire alarm control panel. |
| ALARM | Steady when a fire alarm condition is present on the connected fire panel. |
| ALERT / EVAC | Flashing at ½ Hz when the signal was raised by the EWCIE responding to the fire panel; steady when raised manually from these controls. Both are extinguished while the microphone is live. In the TEST condition the signal is not broadcast. |
| MESSAGES (FALSE ALARM / SYSTEM TEST / LOCK DOWN) | Steady while the pre-recorded message is broadcasting. Pressing the control again makes it flash until the current cycle completes, then it goes out. |
| TALK | Lit while the microphone is live. |
| Control | Effect |
|---|---|
| TALK (press to talk) | While pressed the microphone is live, muting any other active audio source. It is the highest priority of all on-board controls and overrides everything being broadcast. There is no audible feedback on this control. |
| SILENCE BUZZER | Silences the EWCIE buzzer only - it does not affect the fire panel buzzer. Silencing the buzzer at the LoopSense will also silence the EWCIE. Held for 3 seconds or longer it starts a lamp test: all indicators go steady and the buzzer sounds continuously. |
| TEST | Three modes. A momentary press gives Test Mode 1 - alarm inputs and manual controls are exercised for all zones, and no audio is broadcast. Held until the buzzer sounds twice and the indicator flashes twice (about 6 s) gives Test Mode 2 - an audible test tone to all zones. Held until three beeps and three flashes (about 12 s) gives Test Mode 3 - alert, evac, speech and messages to selected zones. Clear with TEST again or RESET. The EWCIE only recognises TEST when it is not broadcasting audio. |
| MESSAGES | Latching: once activated the selected message broadcasts repeatedly. Press again and it stops at the end of the current cycle. RESET stops it immediately. Active only when the EWCIE is not broadcasting the alert signal, the evacuation signal or live speech. |
| ALERT | From AUTO, transfers the EWCIE to MANUAL and broadcasts the alert signal. In MANUAL it toggles. If the evacuate signal is broadcasting, ALERT stops it and starts the alert. |
| EVAC | The mirror of ALERT: from AUTO it transfers to MANUAL and broadcasts the evacuation signal; in MANUAL it toggles; and it takes over from a running alert signal. |
| RESET | Forces the EWCIE to its default state - stops any message, alert or evacuate broadcast, extinguishes ALERT and EVAC, returns it to AUTO, removes the TEST condition and clears the SYSTEM FAULT and GENERAL FAULT indicators. It has no effect on the remote silence function, and none on the fire panel. |
DIP switches 2 and 3 on the amplifier select the country standard, which selects the tone set. Every signal this panel produces is a genuine recording from the EA Series amplifier library, embedded and looped at its measured cycle. Nothing is synthesised.
| Setting | Evacuate | Alert |
|---|---|---|
| AS 1670.1:2015 (default) | EA1 with message / EA2 tone only - 520 Hz, T3 envelope, three groups then the voice message | AA1 with message / AA2 tone only - 520 Hz, one pulse every 4.02 s, three pulses then the message |
| NZS 4512:2010 | EN1 with message / EN2 tone only - sweep 500 → 1200 Hz over 3.75 s with a 0.25 s gap, four times, then two voice messages | A1 with message / A2 tone only - 420 Hz, 0.63 s on at 1.256 s, twelve pulses then the message |
| AS 2220.1 (via EvacUwiz) | EA6 tone only - the 3.77 s sweep repeating at 4.02 s | A1 / A2 as above |
The A1 alert opens with the volume run-up described in MAN3072-11 Fig 5 - measured in the recording at −39.9, −30.0, −20.1, −10.0 and 0 dB, six 10 dB steps. It happens once at activation; later cycles run at full level.
The library also carries EA5 and EA7 (ISO 8201 T3, with and without message) for a custom configuration, and the notification sequences N1/N2 (tsunami), N7 (bomb alert) and N8 (Type 5 apartment alert). Any of them can be assigned to a control from the trainer console.
Each control is latching: once activated the message broadcasts repeatedly until the control is pressed again, which lets the current cycle finish, or until RESET stops it immediately. They are active only when the EWCIE is not broadcasting the alert signal, the evacuation signal or live speech.
| Control | Plays | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| FALSE ALARM | N5 - two-note chime, then “May I have your attention please there has been a false alarm please disregard all visual and audible alarms and do not evacuate the building”. N6 is the all-clear that follows - “you may return to your normal activity” - and can be assigned instead. | 12.187 s |
| SYSTEM TEST | TE1 - attention chime, then “May I have your attention please we will be testing the fire alarm system. Please disregard all visual and audible alarms and do not evacuate the building”. TE2, the test-complete announcement, can be assigned instead. | 12.487 s |
| LOCK DOWN | N3 - three warbling pulses, then “Lock down stay inside buildings and await further instructions”. N4 is the alternative and can be assigned instead. | 8.910 s |
Which false alarm message. N5 stops an evacuation in progress; N6 is the all-clear afterwards. Neither manual says which one a FALSE ALARM key defaults to, so the panel uses N5 because that is what the control is for. It is a commissioning choice - swap it in the console if your site does it the other way.
Note on wording. MAN3072-11 §5.9 tabulates a different set of standard messages for the EWCIE, with a 3 s tone-only lockdown. The EA Series amplifier library supplied for this panel carries the wording above, and the library is what is actually stored in the amplifier, so that is what the panel plays.
DIP switches 5, 6 and 7 on the amplifier set how the EWCIE responds to the alarm signal: 000 no timeout, evacuate signal only; 001 60 s alert then evacuate; 010 90 s; 011 120 s; 100 180 s; 101 300 s; 110 alert signal only; 111 custom input configuration set with the EvacUwiz tool.
Relay 1 follows the emergency warning condition and Relay 2 the test mode; both close when enabled. The fault relay is normally energised and opens on a fault or a loss of power. The four digital inputs default to Bell/Trigger (FIB), Reset, Silence and External Fault; input 1 is active high, the rest are active low, and all are non-latching.
Five voltage-free 1 A relays drive the monitoring service: TB1 ALARM, TB2 FAULT, TB3 ISOLATE, TB4 BATT FAIL, TB5 ALARM 2. The BATT FAIL relay is normally energised during healthy operation, so its contacts present an open circuit to the interface; it releases on battery failure.
Press and hold the 1 key for a lamp test - every front panel LED lights and all LCD pixels are driven. The test will not start if a genuine alarm is present, and is aborted if a fire occurs during it. Walk test and silent walk test are reached through Menu > Control > Zone; the TEST indicator stays lit for the duration. A fire detected in a zone under test auto-resets after 5 seconds, is logged as WALK TEST FIRE, and does not operate the fire output.