Kentec adds BACnet protocol to its Vizulinx Alarm Management Solution to simplify installation and afford centralised control to end users

Kentec Electronics, a leading manufacturer of life-critical control systems, has added BACnet (Building Automation and Control Network) protocol support to its Vizulinx alarm management solution, to facilitate smart, coordinated and efficient responses to fire incidents.

Supporting Smart Building functionality, the protocol provides integration between Kentec fire systems and other BACnet protocol systems. Kentec fire alarm systems send real time status messages to other devices on the BACnet network, these status messages can be monitored by a central control and monitoring system which can then generate automatic responses (for example, to automatically close extract vents, dampers, initiate equipment shutdowns etc. which can help to reduce the spread of fire and support evacuation procedures).

Kevin Swann, Managing Director of Kentec Electronics, says the BACnet protocol upgrade to the Vizulinx alarm management solution provides building management teams and installers with an easily configurable solution:

“As a compact module, Vizulinx is easy to retrofit into existing systems and the BACnet upgrade has been designed with efficiency in mind. For example, the object IDs that identify detectors, panels and zones are automatically generated, saving installers considerable time in having to manually ascribe object IDs.”

End users, Kevin says, have centralised control of a highly intelligent fire safety system: “It reduces the need for manual intervention, and provides end users with complete visibility of all fire alarm events,” he adds.

“System integration is becoming increasingly important within the management of larger buildings and sites and this upgrade supports our overall business goal to develop systems that make the lives of installers and end-users easier.”