Kentec Electronics, a manufacturer of life-critical control systems, has added Building Automation and Control Network (BACnet) protocol support to its Vizulinx alarm management solution, to facilitate smart, coordinated and efficient responses to fire incidents
The protocol provides integration between Kentec fire systems and other BACnet protocol systems, supporting the smart building functionality.
Kentec fire alarm systems send real-time status messages to other devices on the BACnet network, these status messages can be monitored by a central control and monitoring system, which can then generate automatic responses ( e.g., to automatically close winds, dampers, shutdowns of equipment, etc., which can help reduce fire spread and support evacuation procedures).
Kevin Swann, managing director of Kentec Electronics, said the BACnet protocol upgrade to the Vizulinx alarm management solution provides building management teams and installers with an easily configurable solution.
Swann added, “As a compact module, Vizulinx is easy to retrofit into existing systems and the BACnet upgrade has been designed with efficiency in mind. For example, the object IDs that identify detectors, panels and zones are automatically generated, saving installers considerable time in having to manually ascribe object IDs.
“End users have centralised control of a highly intelligent fire safety system. It reduces the need for manual intervention, and provides end users with complete visibility of all fire alarm events.
“System integration is becoming increasingly important within the management of larger buildings and sites and this upgrade supports our overall business goal to develop systems that make the lives of installers and end-users easier.”
