Syncro & Syncro AS Panels - Pre-alarm events in cause and effects

The Syncro & Syncro AS control panels include comprehensive cause and effect programming options, to accommodate customers site-specific requirements.
However, there are some rules that should be remembered when writing cause and effects:

• When “Zones” are selected in a cause and effect, they will only contribute to the "cause" when any input in that zone (detector or switched input) gives a Fire condition. The cause and effect will not be processed for pre-alarm, fault or any other event in the selected zone(s).
• Cause and effects using a switched input (panel input or loop I/O input) using the input address (not "by zone") in the “cause”, will not process the "effect" if the input is configured as a “pre-alarm” input type.
• If a cause and effect is required for an specific input that is required to be seen as a pre-alarm, then the input will need to be configured as an alternative event type (Technical Alarm for example) but with the “Pre-alarm” action message configured.
• To configure an output to operate under any pre-alarm condition, it is only necessary to configure the output as a pre-alarm output type

In addition to these rules, the overall cause and effect capacity should always be monitored, in particular on large, complex systems.
Wherever possible, cause and effects should be written using “Zones” in both the cause inputs and effect outputs. The use of zones in cause and effects reduces the cause and effect usage, simplifies the writing of cause and effects and most importantly ensures that any new devices added to the system will contribute to these cause and effects by virtue of their allocated zone references.

Download Syncro Manual:

Syncro Programming Lead (S187) Revision

All control panels in the Kentec Analogue Addressable range use a common programming lead, which comprises a 10-way IDC socket wired to a 9-way D-type socket and has the Kentec part reference S187.

This programming lead has recently been modified with an additional internal link between two of the previously unused connections to support a particular facility on a new product.

However, this revision means that the S187 lead is no longer directly compatible with the Solo and Solex control panels, which use these pins for their panel mounted printer support.

If a new programming lead is required for the Solo or Solex control panel, then the X187LS Economy Download Lead should be ordered.

The revised S187 programming lead is fully compatible with all variants of the Syncro and Syncro AS control panels.

Syncro Zone Card – Zone Fault reporting

The Syncro control panel has an RS485 communication port fitted as standard, which provides expansion capability to satisfy site-specific requirements. A family of expansion cards have been developed for this purpose, one of which is used for the monitoring of conventional detection devices and is our part reference K545.

This conventional detection module has four detection zones; two sounder outputs, a fire and fault relay and local power supply monitoring onboard. It reports zone fire and fault events to the Syncro / Syncro AS panel to which it is connected, and may be Silenced and Reset by the Syncro panel.
During the reset operation, power is removed from all four detection zones for a time defined in the Syncro panel firmware. This reset operation generates four zone faults on the Zone card, however these are suppressed for a time defined in the control panel.

It has been identified that some panel firmware versions are not allowing sufficient time between re-applying power to the zone and enabling the fault monitoring. This can result in a momentary “Zone Fault” to be reported whilst the zone circuit and detection devices are stabilising, although this does depend on the device loading of the detection zone.

The firmware versions that are most at risk of reporting momentary zone faults after a Reset are:

• Syncro V5.92 – V5.94
• Syncro AS V5.25 – V5.252

The current Version 6.1 firmware allows 4 seconds for the detection devices and zone cabling to stabilise before enabling the detection circuit monitoring, which ensures the zone fault is not reported as result of the operation of the panel Reset.

Download Syncro Conventional Detection Zone Manual: