Syncro / Syncro AS Major Firmware Release – V6.1 New Features

As part of the Syncro product range enhancement, new panel firmware versions have been released and will be installed in all panels produced from March 2010.

The main reason for these revisions is to provide compliance with the updated requirements for EN54-2 (incorporating amendments A1 & AC) and EN54-4 (incorporating amendments A1 & A2).

There are four operational updates as part of these standards.

• Device address disablement revision
  • When disabling devices “by address”, the action of disabling all detection devices in a zone will replace the individual device address disablements and replace them with a zone disablement event. This is required under Clause 9.5.d of EN54-2.
• Resound silenced sounders for a fire in another zone configuration option
  • It is now possible to configure whether previously silenced sounders resound when there is a fire in a different zone to the original one, or whether the sounders remain silenced. This is required under Clause 7.8.d of EN54-2 and requires Loop Explorer V6 to configure this option. Sounders will default to resound from a fire in another zone.
• More Events – More zones in Test
  • The “More Events” screen now shows “More Zones in Test” as a menu option in place of “More Pre-alarms”. The pre-alarm events are now only seen in the “More Other” screen menu option in the More Events screen. This is required under Clause 10.3.3 of EN54-2.
• Delayed Outputs – General Disablement
  • The requirement for delayed outputs has been revised. Whilst it is still possible to switch the delays off / on at Access Level 2 (via the Disablements menu), this is no longer a disablement event and the General Disablement indicator is not illuminated – only the “Delay On” indicator is illuminated when the delays are active.
  • The “Delay On” selection is now a global command for all networked panels. It is not necessary to select this facility for each panel on the network.

In addition to the EN54-2 requirements, the following detection device improvements have been introduced

• Apollo Discovery Sounder Beacon Base (DSBB) – Tone Selection Enhancement
  • Using Loop Explorer Version 6, the tone selection configuration options have been clarified and the tone priorities defined.
  • Individual sounder and beacon control is now possible when using direct control commands to the devices
  • The output tone selection is now correct for delayed outputs.
  • There is forced priority set inside the panel, to prevent fire output tones being overridden / amended by any other event operation.
  • NOTE: Apollo DSBB devices with firmware Version 3 or later only fully support these configuration options.
• Argus Vega VMCZ100 Zone Monitor Supported
  • The VMCZ100 device is fully supported in this version. Loop Explorer Version 6 is required to add and configure the zone monitor.
• Argus Vega V200 Multi Criteria Monitor – Extended sensitivity modes
  • It is now possible to select 9 different sensitivity modes for V200 devices (firmware 1.59 or later), including heat only mode, using Loop Explorer V6 or later
• Argus Vega Auto Addressing Enhancement
  • The Auto Addressing facility has been improved and is more robust on larger, highly populated detection loops
• Hochiki input devices – non latching operation revision
  • A revision has been made to the operation of loop switch input devices configured in test mode or disablement cause and effects to ensure that the events are not cleared on a reset, only when the input is cleared.

Finally, some additional panel improvements have been implemented in this version.

• Improved Event Log operation
  • The Syncro event log has been revised to a 500 event “first in, first out” operation, regardless of the event types. Earlier firmware versions had a bias towards maintaining fire events, which became confusing when trying to analyse event sequences. An event log count bug has also been fixed
  • The “View All Events” has been revised so that these events are shown in chronological order, regardless of the event type.
  • The view order is now consistent for the fires, faults, test, disablements and all events logs.
• Syncro View improvement
  • or panels with more than one Syncro View repeater, there was the possibility that when the panel was rapidly silenced and reset from one of the Syncro View repeaters, the Syncro AS panel could re-initialise. This is resolved in Version 6.1 firmware.
• Mode Change suppression facility added
  • By configuring the “End Time” of the day to “00:00” and the “Start Time” of the next day to “00:01” the mode change is suppressed and the detection devices will stay in the Day mode for both days.

• Residual Event on networked systems
  • On systems with many cause and effects or problematic network communications, it is possible that the display of a fire event is not totally cleared. Whilst the panel is fully reset, the LCD shows a “Fire Zone 00, Loop 00, Address 00” message, which can only be cleared by restarting the loop processor. This problem has been resolved in this firmware version.
• Firmware Version Synchronisation
  • All protocols and both the Syncro and Syncro AS panels all now have the same firmware version.

Important Notes:

1) It is not possible to configure Syncro / Syncro AS panels with V6 or later firmware using V4.94 or older versions of Loop Explorer. Please ensure that you have Version 6 loop explorer installed on your computer. This was issued to registered customers in January 2010. Please contact Kentec if you require a version of Loop Explorer Version 6 update (subject to eligibility).

2) Do not mix V6 firmware panels with V5.xx or older panels on a network. The different menu options and modes of operation mean that Version 6 firmware is not compatible with older firmware versions

3) Caution is required when attempting to update older Syncro control panels. Panels with display cards older than Issue 6 hardware (or over 5 years old) should not be updated. Older display cards use an AMD processor, which can generate noise on the address and data lines when running newer firmware, which in turn can result in intermittent re-initialising of the panel and “Watchdog fault” events.

Download Syncro panel update files

Download Syncro Apollo V6.1UK:

Download Syncro Apollo V6.1UK EN Compatible (for panels without the write enable switch) :

Download Syncro Argus Vega V6.1UK:

Syncro Argus Vega V6.1UK EN Compatible is not available – these panels were not produced without the write enable switch

Download Syncro Hochiki V6.1UK:

Download Syncro Hochiki V6.1UK EN Compatible (for panels without the write enable switch) :

Download Syncro AS panel update files

DownloadSyncro AS Hochiki / Apollo V6.1UK:

Download Syncro AS Argus Vega V6.1UK: