NFPA Journal - November/December 2017 - 89

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

REPLACE PHONE LINES WITH IP OR
CELLULAR ALARM COMMUNICATIONS

A

larm communication technology
is changing. Telecom companies are attempting to replace
damaged copper phone lines with newer
technology, and wireless and Internetbased phone services are taking the
place of traditional phone lines. These
changes can disrupt service for fire
alarm control panels using older technology for alarm communications. With
a simple upgrade, these panels can take
advantage of more modern technology.
Dialer capture devices, like the UL 864
listed B465 Universal Dual Path Communicator from Bosch, can convert a
control panel's PSTN digital dialer to an
IP signal for transmission over Ethernet
or cellular network. Upgrading to IP or
cellular communications reduces failures
caused by the aging PSTN infrastructure,
lowers costs, and enables higher security
and faster data transmissions.
LOWERED COSTS
Eliminating expenses for up to two
telephone line connections per panel
results in a lower cost of ownership for
fire alarm systems, as cellular data plans
for control panel communications are
less expensive than POTS lines.
HIGHER SECURITY
While PSTN dialers are tested for
proper operation, it can be several days
between tests, creating an opportunity

for sabotage. Systems with IP and cellular connections are supervised more
frequently. If the connection is lost,
the monitoring center knows almost
immediately.
FASTER DATA
TRANSMISSIONS
Using IP and cellular with fire systems
provides higher speed communications
compared with telephone dial up and
ensures the panel will not encounter a
busy signal from the receiver.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
When choosing a dialer capture device,
consider compatibility, supervision, and
the ability to keep pace with technology
changes.
COMPATIBILITY
Ensure the dialer capture device
supports multiple formats - such as
CONTACT ID, SIA and Pulse - to work
with a range of panels from varying
manufacturers.
SUPERVISION
Some devices will provide two acknowledgements - one by the device and
the second by the receiver. This can
cause confusion for the user who may
think an alarm signal was received by
the monitoring center at the first acknowledgement. If an error occurs, the

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device may continue to try to communicate with the receiver and eventually
create a failure notification. However, in
the meantime, the user may believe the
message has already been received.
End-to-end supervision ensures the
device will acknowledge a signal only
after it is received by the receiver. This
eliminates confusion, provides reassurance that the alarm communication
was received, and ensures faster notification when an error occurs.
FUTURE-PROOF DESIGN
Support for IPv6 will be essential when
IPv4 addresses become exhausted. Also,
cellular communication technology must
be easily upgradeable, as it changes
regularly. An interface for plug-in cellular
modules protects the users' investment,
as the module can be changed to support the latest technology.
The changing telecommunications
infrastructure has created the need and
the potential cost-savings provides a
benefit to the user. Now is the time to
upgrade to IP or cellular communications technology.

For information on the Bosch
B465 Universal Dual Path
Communicator dialer capture device,
visit www.boschsecurity.us
N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - November/December 2017
