A: LifeSafety Power has many online resources to help with most toubleshooting scenarios:
A: LSP does not currently offer any outdoor rated products, but check back soon!
A: LifeSafety Power's Unified Power Solutions® line of power supplies combines system power, lock power, and the access control modules in a single enclosure. Backplates for all major access brands are available either directly or through our many OEM partners.
A: ProWire® is a service that builds on a Unified Power system by adding the access control panel wiring. Panel power, lock control wiring, communications (RS485, etc), power supply fault, and tamper switch wiring are all completed in the LifeSafety Power factory, resulting in fast, consistent installations across all areas of an enterprise. Wire management options include nylon tie wraps, Panduit, or Velcro.
A: Helix technology provides redundant power for mission critical applications. UL listed Helix is available for DC power (redundant DC power supplies), AC power (dual AC inputs to allow two AC branch circuits to power the system), or both combined into one system.
A: The FlexIO connector provides for connection of the fire alarm interface (fire alarm disconnect) and a fault buss to all accessory modules in a FlexPower system. An FAI activation received on the host FPO power supply in a FlexPower system will be distributed to all accessory boards capable of reacting to it. A fault generated on an accessory board will cause the fault circuits on the host FPO power supply to be activated in response.
A: B100 is a DC to DC converter used to generate a secondary or multiple voltages, such as 5V, 9V, 15V, etc., from the voltage output of an FPO power supply. The advantage is that the B100 is linked to the output of the FPO and is thus backed up by the standby battery set associated with the FPO. These secondary voltages are typically used to power equipment not usually found in the security industry such as modems, network switches, routers, when battery standby is required.
The B100 is jumper selectable for either a fixed 12V output or an adjustable voltage from 5 to 18V. The input voltage must be a minimum of 3V above the intended output of the B100 for proper operation under all conditions. With a 24V system, and a battery end voltage of 20.4V at battery discharge, 18V is the maximum voltage to which the B100 should be set.
See Application Note AN07 for more information.
A: Yes, all LifeSafety Power products have been tested to meet RoHS 3 requirements.
A: There are three major types of power supplies used in the Life Safety industry – Offline Switching, "Switch Mode", and Linear.
Linear power supplies are an older technology and are inherently inefficient. A large step-down transformer is required and the regulator operates by "burning off" extra voltage as heat. Efficiency levels for linear power supplies are typically in the 65% range and are generally limited to a single preconfigured output voltage dependant on the input transformer. Linear power supplies are generally being phased out, driven by state and federal regulations.
"Switch Mode" power supplies also utilize a large step down transformer similar to a linear power supply, but make slight improvements in efficiency through a different regulation technique. Rather than converting the extra voltage to pure heat, a Switch Mode power supply switches on and off internally to keep an electrical "tank" at the desired voltage. However, due to the requirement for a step down transformer and high power dissipation within the power supply circuitry, Switch Mode power supplies still operate at higher temperatures and lower efficiency than an OLS power supply.
An OLS power supply operates on the same principles as a switch mode power supply, but eliminates the need for a step down transformer, improving efficiency, while reducing weight and heat output. The AC line voltage is connected directly to the input of an OLS power supply, which then switches internally to keep an electrical "tank" at the desired voltage - just as a Switch Mode power supply does - but with the lower internal power dissipation and the elimination of the large step down transformer, an OLS power supply is able to achieve nearly 90% efficiency and far lower operating temperatures than either a Linear or Switch Mode power supply.
A: FAI stands for Fire Alarm Interface. A Fire Alarm Interface allows for the control of selected outputs when an input, usually from a Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP), is received. The selected outputs can be enabled or disabled upon of the receipt of the FAI signal to control power to devices such as locks, door holders, and smoke dampers.
The most common application for FAI is for removing power from maglocks when a fire alarm occurs to allow for faster egress. An FAI input is not limited to being connected to an FACP – devices such as a keypad can be connected to an FAI input for controlling a single door’s lock in small systems or it may be used for other simple control applications.
FAI input types vary by manufacturer. All LifeSafety Power FAI inputs allow for the use of a failsafe or fail-secure dry contact, voltage input, polarity reversal, or open collector for activation. All of LifeSafety Power’s FAI inputs also feature an optional latching feature often required for Canadian installations.
A: The board size of the Generation 2 iStar ACM boards from Software House increased slightly from the G1 layout, causing fit issues in the older E8S enclosures. LifeSafety Power has changed the layout of the E8S to accommodate the new G2 ACM boards. Contact Technical Support for more information.
A: The FPO power supply is able to be set for a 12VDC or 24VDC output (12.5V and 25V measured). There is no adjustment to bring this voltage up or down. If a non-standard voltage is needed, a B100 secondary power supply may be added to an FPO and set for an adjustable output of 5-18VDC.
In dual voltage systems, accessory board output voltage can be selected per output by moving the yellow jumper for each output. Accessory board output voltage can be changed while the system is powered if care is taken. See the manual for the accessory board being used for more details.
A: LifeSafety power supplies are designed with the TruWatt feature because 12V devices draw approximately twice the current as 24V devices, maglocks and fire signaling devices being a good example.
A: A PTC is a semiconductor circuit breaker used to protect electronic circuits from overload conditions. A PTC does not need to be replaced after operation as a fuse would. To restore a PTC to operating condition, remove the load from that circuit for a few seconds and the PTC will restore. A PTC is also used in a circuit rated for Class 2 power limited operation, as a fuse is not acceptable for class 2 power limited operation by the listing agencies.
All LifeSafety Power distribution boards come either fuse rated at 3A per output (ie D8) or with Class II PTC rating of 2.5A per outputs (ie D8P).
A: The DC1 output on an FPO power supply is a continuous, non-controllable output, while the DC2 output can be controlled with the FAI input. If FAI is not used in an installation, the DC2 output can be used as a continuous output as well.
A: The FPO manual shows how to configure the wiring for the Fire Alarm Input for various activation methods. Also see Application Note AN-27 for more information.
A: Most likely, this fault is being caused by a missing battery set. By default, all LSP power supplies have battery detection enabled. To clear the fault, you either need to connect a battery set of the appropriate voltage, or move the BAT DET jumper to position 2.
A: The C4/C8 manual contains a chart of jumper settings for every common configuration. Also, pages 2 and 3 of the manual contain descriptions for each jumper to allow for less common configurations. Also, the Excel-based C4/C8 Configuration Tool allows quick and easy determination of jumper settings based on information entered. See Application Note AN-29 for more information