DD263:2010 commissioning of alarm systems

[StePugh]

Hello.. What tests are needed to be carried out on a alarm system, for it to meet the standard of DD263:2010 and how are the tests done and what measurements should you be looking for does anybody know? Thanks.

 

[accordfire]

Hello.. What tests are needed to be carried out on a alarm system, for it to meet the standard of DD263:2010 and how are the tests done and what measurements should you be looking for does anybody know? Thanks.

Well, to be clear, DD263 is a Draft Document, and concerns with Commissioning, maintenance, and remote support of Intruder and Hold Up Alarms. It's a drive on the part of the Standards Committees to modularise Intruder alarm work to some extent - recognising that installation is one thing, covered as it is by PD6662:2010, and that as things move on, commissioning and maintenance are both done differently, and are more complex than ever in some senses.

It will differ, depending on whether the maintenance (or commissioning) is done on site, or remotely - and in practice, many more companies are now "dialling in" to systems out there.

Essentially, maintenance is still broadly as was required by BS4737 (there's been no update of maintenance procedures since, really, 1978 or so).

What DD263 does is tries to set out grounds of practice for remote servicing mostly - on a day to day basis, it's something that should be designed in - both to your business, and to each system with remote capability.

 

[StePugh]

But when you are commissioning the system what measurements should you be looking for how do you test FSL systems and open closed and tamper circuits on PIR's how do you know if you've got a high resistance reading etc?

 

[accordfire]

But when you are commissioning the system what measurements should you be looking for how do you test FSL systems and open closed and tamper circuits on PIR's how do you know if you've got a high resistance reading etc?

You would be looking for the "usual" measurements still - e.g. that resistors are functioning properly in place - say in the case of the other recent post on his Scanny - you'd activate the circuit, and measure 6k9. You'd close the circuit and measure 2k2. You'd open the cover and measure open circuit.

You're looking to see that the circuit behaves as described - pretty well all manufacturers specify in their manuals the tolerance band for a circuit - e.g. over 10k is trouble, open circuit Tamper, x value circuit active, y value circuit normal.

High resistance.... well, strictly one should witness test one's cables post installation, pre commissioning - this should give known values for each cable and each pair in use. Practical site work says this is rarely done - and so we tend to rely on known values for each circuit condition possible.

Voltage and current readings remain as always.

What is clear, is that values reported by the control equipment, especially remotely, should NOT be relied upon in the absence if site measured readings - as a business, we will not remotely commission systems - yet. We may upload programming to site to prove the UDL functionality, but all resistance and voltages are taken on site, using calibrated meters. We've updated most of our paperwork to allow readings for the conditions possible on each circuit, plus voltage and current, plus text descriptor.

So overall, there's no real change to what many of us do in terms of commissioning - most UDL software can report the current device status, and the log will let you know if there's been any alarm, trouble, or tamper conditions. Of course, with SIA format signalling, most status conditions can be reported in real time to an ARC too.

 

[StePugh]

Cheers real helpful!

 

[oldtimer]

View attachment serviblank.pdf

There you go I use this for domestic systems for the past 25 years and not a lot has changed remember most system do not have inline resistors and remember to deduct the resistance of your meter leads when recording the readings

 

[StePugh]

Thanks!