Fire Alarm and ELV Worked Examples

Worked examples for fire alarm batteries, loop loads, DIP switches, CCTV storage, UPS, and access control planning.

Fire Alarm Battery Backup Calculator

Sample inputs: standbyCurrent: 1.8; alarmCurrent: 5.5; standbyHours: 24; alarmMinutes: 30; derating: 80; spare: 20

  • Standby battery demand: 43.20 Ah
  • Alarm battery demand: 2.75 Ah
  • Raw required capacity: 45.95 Ah
  • Adjusted required capacity: 68.93 Ah

Use at least 75 Ah battery capacity based on the entered standby, alarm, derating, and spare values.

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Fire Alarm Loop Load Calculator

Sample inputs: detectors: 82; modules: 18; sounders: 12; detectorMa: 0.35; moduleMa: 0.6; sounderMa: 4.5

  • Total addressable devices: 112 devices
  • Estimated loop current: 93.50 mA
  • Loop current usage: 18.7 %
  • Address usage: 44.8 %

The loop is at 18.7 % current usage and 44.8 % address usage under the entered assumptions.

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Fire Alarm DIP Switch Calculator

Sample inputs: fireSystem: zeta; address: 37

  • Selected system profile: ZETA
  • Device address shown: 37
  • Switch count: 8 switches
  • Binary value: 00100101

For ZETA, set S1 ON (1), S3 ON (4), S6 ON (32) for address 37. Verify the device manual before site programming or commissioning.

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CCTV Storage Calculator

Sample inputs: cameras: 64; bitrate: 4; days: 30; hours: 24; raid: 15; spare: 20

  • Raw recording storage: 82.94 TB
  • RAID/formatting allowance: 12.44 TB
  • Spare storage allowance: 16.59 TB
  • Recommended usable storage: 111.97 TB

Plan approximately 111.97 TB usable storage for the entered retention period.

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Data Rack Power & UPS Calculator

Sample inputs: equipment: 1800; poe: 950; network: 350; spare: 25; runtime: 60; upsPf: 0.9

  • Total rack load with spare: 3,875 W
  • Required UPS capacity: 4.31 kVA
  • Recommended UPS size: 5 kVA
  • Estimated heat output: 13,222 BTU/h

Use around 5 kVA UPS capacity before selecting actual battery configuration and runtime package.

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Access Control Door Hardware Planner

Sample inputs: doors: 11; readersPerDoor: 2; controllerCapacity: 4; lockWatt: 6; voltage: 12; backup: 4

  • Controllers required: 3 controllers
  • Readers required: 22 readers
  • REX devices: 11 devices
  • Door contacts: 11 contacts

Plan 3 controller(s), 22 reader(s), and at least 6.60 A PSU capacity for the entered door hardware.

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