Hochiki ekho User manual


Wireless Fire Alarm System
Installation Guide
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Contents
WirelessDevices:aGeneralDescription.........................................................................................................3
SystemStructure............................................................................................................................................3
TechnicalSpecifications..................................................................................................................................4
UsingExpanders.............................................................................................................................................5
GeneralInstallationGuidelines.......................................................................................................................6
FrequencyChannelsandTraffic......................................................................................................................7
ConnectingtheTranslator..............................................................................................................................7
Addressing......................................................................................................................................................8
ProgrammingandServicinginTranslatorMenu.............................................................................................9
EKHOConfigurator:GettingStarted.............................................................................................................11
ProgrammingDevices...................................................................................................................................12
Configuration................................................................................................................................................13
Servicing.......................................................................................................................................................14
WirelessConnections...................................................................................................................................16
OtherLanguages...........................................................................................................................................18
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TheEKHOwirelessfiresystemcanbecomposedofa
combinationofthefollowingwirelessdevices:
EK‐WL8‐TRHWirelesstranslator:thisdeviceisthe
core of the wireless system; it communicates
continuouslywithwirelessdevices,suchassensors,
callpoints,sounders,etc.Thetranslatorconnectsto
awiredcontrolpanelviaasignalingloop.
Thewholesystemiscontrolledbythecontrolpanel
similartoanyotherfirealarmsystem.Thetranslator
isthegatewaybetweenthecontrolpanelandthe
radiodevices.
EK‐WL8‐EXP Wireless expanders: The translator
communicates with other wireless devices only if
they are in its communication range. Wireless
expandersareusedwhennetworkcoverageneeds
to be expanded and/or the environment poses
difficulties to radio communication. These devices
actasrepeatingdevicesforcommunicationbetween
wirelessdevicesandthetranslator.
Sensors (EK‐WL8‐O, EK‐WL8‐H, EK‐WL8‐OH, EK‐
WL8‐OV)aredesignedtodetectsmokeand/orheat
intheenvironment.Ifheatand/orsmokeispresent
and exceeds a defined limit, the wireless system
triggersanalarmcondition.
EK‐WL8‐SND Sounders play an audible warning
whenthewirelessfirealarmsystemisactivated.
EK‐WL8‐CPCallpointsprovideamanualmethodfor
initiatingafirealarmcondition.
EK‐WL8‐IN Input modulesreceiveasignalfrom
wired conventional (non‐addressable) sensors and
devicesandtransmitthemtothetranslator
EK‐WL8‐OUT Output modules receive control
commands from the translator to open/close the
connectedcircuit.Designedtocontroltheoperation
/ state of external devices or plant such as air
conditioning/doorrelease/emergencyshutdown.
Thefirealarmpanelcontrolsthealarmsandevents
of the entire system. The EK‐WL8‐TRH wireless
translatorisconnecteddirectlytothefirealarm
panelviatheHochikiESPEnhancedSystemProtocol
andcommunicateswiththewirelessdevicesandthe
wirelessexpanders.
Thefirealarmpanelreceivesallwireless
communicationsthroughthewirelesstranslatorand
transmits back the alarms and events through the
wirelesstranslatortothewirelessdevices.
The wireless system is based on a mesh network,
whichoperatesbasedonthefollowingrules:
 eachdeviceautomaticallychoosesitsparent
expander;
 expandersautomaticallyformanetworkfor
delivering information to the main control
panel.
Wirelessdevicesdonotneedtobeassignedtoa
specificexpandernordotheexpandersneedtobe
specifiedhowtocommunicatewitheachother.The
wireless devices are simply initialized to the
translatorandthenprogrammedtothefirecontrol
panel.
WirelessDevices:aGeneralDescription
SystemStructure
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Maximumnumberofdevicessupportedbyasingletranslator 126
Maximumnumberofexpanderssupportedbythetranslator 126
Communicationrangebetweenatranslatorandanexpanderorbetween
twoexpanders 2000m
Communicationrangebetweenatranslatororexpanderandawireless
device 1200m
Maximumnumberofexpandersconnectedsequentiallyoneafter
another 10
Maximumnumberofexpandersconnectedtoanothersingleexpander 31
Maximumnumberofdevicesconnectedtoasingleexpander 126
TechnicalSpecifications
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Before installing the system the following points
needtobeconsidered.
Thecommunicationrangebetweenthetranslator,
expanders, and all wireless devices is specified in
‘freeair’.Therangewillvaryandgenerallydecrease
wheninstalledwithinbuildingstructures.
Itisrecommendedthatpreliminarysystemdesignis
madeonpaper.Optimumdevicepositioningcanbe
verifiedduringinstallationandadditionalexpanders
canbeaddedifrequired.
The number of translators / expanders required is
determined by the number of wireless devices
connected to the control panel and the
communicationrangebetweenthetranslators/
expandersandwirelessdevices.
EK‐WL8‐EXPexpandersshouldbeusedwhen
 some wireless devices are too far from the
translator
 the translator’s communication range does not
coverthenecessaryterritory(e.g.thewhole
buildingoroneofthefloors)
 connectionwithwirelessdevicesisweakenedby
externalelectromagneticinterference
 thebuildinghasthickwalls,metallicstructuresor
other objects that significantly lower the
communication range of the translator and
wirelessdevices
 backup and alternative communication routes
needtobeprovidedinthesystem
The system designer needs to evenly disperse
expandersacrossthepremisesinordertoprovidea
stableconnectiontothenetworkineverypartofthe
building.Wirelessdeviceswillautomaticallychoose
theclosestexpanderthatwillprovidethestrongest
connection.
Whendesigningawirelessfirealarmsystem,itis
importanttokeepinmindthatthecommunication
range between different wireless devices
significantlydependsonwallsandobstaclesthatcan
block radio communication. This is why it is
recommended to check the connection strength
between different rooms in the building before
designingandinstallingthesystem.
UsingExpanders
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Expandersautomaticallyformawirelessnetworkfor
delivering information to the translator. For
example,ifanexpandercan’tcommunicatewiththe
translator directly, it will send the signal through
otherexpandersinthesystem.Thismeansthateach
expanderalsoactsasasignalrepeater.Theprimary
communicationpath tothetranslator ischosenby
the expander automatically and will always be the
shortestpossible(10expandersmaximum).
Ifoneoftheexpanderslosesconnection,thesystem
will reconfigure itself and use alternative
communication routes for delivering signals. The
wirelessdevicesthatwerepreviouslyconnectedto
this expander will also reconnect to another. The
moreexpandersareaddedtothesystemthemore
robustthecommunicationnetworkwillbe.
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Wirelessdevicesrequirestablecommunicationand
astrongconnectiontothenetwork.Toachievethis
aim the following recommendations should be
followed:
Select the best place for the wireless device to
ensurethestrongestcommunicationsignal.
Connectionstrengthcanbeviewedviathe
translator’sdisplayorthesoftware.
Selectafrequencychannelthatisfreeorrelatively
freeofinterference,andavoid,ifpossible,channels
thatarealreadyallocated.
Avoidinstallingthewirelessdevicescloseto:
 equipmentusinglargeamountsofelectrical
current
 large metal objects, structures or metal
ceilingstructures
 fluorescentlightingfixings
 computers, their cabling, and network
cabling.
Translators and expanders should be installed
perfectlyflatonthewallonalevelofatleast2–2.5
metersabovefloorlevel.
Allwirelessdevicesmustoperateinacompatible
environment:environmentalfactorslike
temperature,humidity,andsoon,mustfallinthe
device’sacceptableoperatingranges,asspecifiedin
theirinstallationinstructions.
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Communicationrangeinabuilding
Communicationrange
Max.numberofwalls
Walltype Expander–Expander Expander–Device
Wood,drywall 150m 70m 3
Brick,sandwichpanel
Thickness<250mm80m 40m 3
Brick
Thickness>250mm50m 25m 3
Reinforcedconcrete 50m 25m 2
GeneralInstallationGuidelines
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Wirelessdevicescancommunicatevia6different
frequencychannels.
During system commissioning the installer can
assess which channel has the lowest noise and
interferencelevelandprogramthewirelesssystem
to operate on that channel. This will significantly
improvecommunicationbetweendifferentwireless
devices in the system (as opposed to choosing a
random frequency channel that may not have the
idealconditionsforcommunication).
The wireless system can be characterized by the
amountoftrafficinthenetwork.Themoredevices
youhave,thehigherthetrafficwillbe.
It is recommended to keep the traffic value under
10%. One frequency channel can accommodate
around2000devices.
Atranslatorandthewirelessdevicesconnectedtoit,
make up an “independent” wireless system. If the
firecontrolpanelhasseveraltranslatorsconnected
toit,thenitwouldbepossiblethatsomeofthemwill
use the same frequency channel. Every wireless
network is assigned a unique system code, which
preventscommunicationconflictsbetweendifferent
wirelesssystemsintheabovecondition.
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Refertoandfollownationalcodesofwiringand
cablingpracticeandotherinternationallyrecognized
standards.
Loopterminalsarepolarity sensitive, so connect
them adequately according to the following
instructions.
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It's recommended not to install more than 10 EK‐
WL8‐TRVinasingleloop.
If10translatorsareconnectedtoasingleloop,the
resistanceintheloopshouldnotexceed16Ohm
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FrequencyChannelsandTraffic
ConnectingtheTranslator
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Everywirelessdevicehasauniqueaddress(number)
that is automatically assigned during the
configurationofthewirelesssystem.
The wireless protocol uses its own addressing
system, separate from the analogue intelligent
protocol of the main control panel. The translator
willassignandmanagetheaddressingautomatically.
Theaddressofthetranslatormustbespecifiedand
thisdatainserteddirectlyusingthetranslator’sbuilt‐
in display. This address is used only by the main
control panel and is indicated as the ‘starting
address’.Eachwirelessdevicewillalsohaveitsown
address in the main control panel. The numbering
willbeginwiththestartingaddressofthetranslator.
For example, if the starting address is “1”, the
following wireless devices that are added to the
systemwillbegivenaddress“2”,“3”,“4”,“5”andso
on. If another starting address is specified, for
example, “34”, the wireless devices will be
automatically readdressed with “35”, “36”, “37”,
“38”andsoon.Thesearetheaddressesinthe
analogue–intelligentprotocolusedbythecontrol
panel. Wireless protocol addresses remain
unchanged.
Informationaboutthewirelesssystemhastobe
transferredto thecontrolpanel. Thecontrolpanel
has a specific command that allows it to copy the
wireless system configuration to the panel’s
memory. For full instructions, please refer to the
controlpanelusermanual.
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Addressing
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ProgrammingandServicinginTranslatorMenu
The"Configuration"menucanbeaccessedbyenteringapassword.Defaultpassword‐"33333".Itcanbe
changedinthe"PSWChange"sub‐menu. 

Addingdevices
Toaddanewdeviceinthesystem,usetheADDcommandinthe“Configuration”menu

Changingsettings
Eachdevicehasdifferentsettings,suchasthesensitivityofsmokesensorsoralarmsignaltypeof
sounders.Themajorityofthemcanbeadjustedinthe“Configuration”menu.


www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com

Servicing
The“Maintenance”menuallowsyoutocheckthestateofdevices,generateatestalarm,andsend
differentcontrolcommands.


Formoreinformationonhowtousethehardwaremenuonthetranslator,pleaserefertoitsmanual.
www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com

EKHOConfigurator:GettingStarted

Tostartusingthesoftware,connectyourPCtothetranslatorviathe
microUSBport.

Createanewconfigurationfile.Thisfilestoresallinformationonthesystem.


SelectWL8‐TRVandchooseUSBportintherightwindow

Sendthe“Program”commandtothetranslator.


Aftertheprogrammingiscomplete,press“Activateeventprotocoling”sothatthePCmaintainsaconstant
connectionwiththetranslatorandupdatesthestateofthesysteminreal‐time.
www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com




ProgrammingDevices
Usethecontextmenuof
thetranslatortoaddnew
devices.

Press“Initialize”tolink
thedevicewiththe
translator.

Afterpressingthe“Prog”
buttononthedevice,it
willappearinthepop‐up
window.Selectitand
press“Continue”to
confirm.


www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com

Configuration
Eachdevicehasanumberofdifferentpropertiesthatcanbechangedintherightwindow.Hereareafew
examples:

WL8‐TRHsettings
System code is the unique identification number of the
wireless network. Each translator must have a different
code.Itisgeneratedrandomlywhenanewconfiguration
fileiscreated.
Thewirelesssystemcanoperatein6wirelesschannels.If
the building already has some other equipment that
operatesinthe868MHzrange,itmightinterferewiththe
wirelesssystem.Inthiscase,youmayneedtochangethe
“Channelnumber”.
“Childdevicescontrolperiod”isthetimedelaybeforethe
translatorcreatesafaulteventifit’snotreceivingany
signalsfromadevice


WL8‐Osettings
If you choose the “Increased” option in “Initialization
security”, you will need to enter a password in order to
initialize the device. The password can be found on the
labelonthedevice.
“Indication” section includes parameters allowing you to
turnon/offLEDindicationinanormalstate,inthealarm
state,orincaseoflowbattery.
Options in “Control circuits” enable or disable protocol
eventsincaseoflowbatteryortampering.
The analysis channels section allows you to turn off the
smokesensorandsetitssensitivity.


WL8‐OVsettings
Ifthesoundsignalistooloud,select‐12dBintheOutput
powerattenuationparameter.
“Stop alert when removed from the base” is a useful
functionthatcanbeturnedonduringsystemtesting.
WL8‐OVcanactivateafteritdetectssmokeevenifit
doesn’t receive an activation command from the control
panel,thusactinglikeastandalonefiresensor.Thesound
signaltypecanbespecifiedinthe“Alerttypeincaseofself
alarm”parameter.
www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com

Whenyouaredoneconfiguringthesystem,pressthe“Applychanges”buttonatthetopofthewindow.
Thesoftwarewillsavetheconfigurationfileandwriteallofthesettingsintothememoryofthedevices.



Servicing
Eachdevicemakesdifferentmeasurementsthatyoucanseeinreal‐time using the Strelez‐Master
software.Forexample,allwirelessdeviceswillsendvoltagelevelsfortheirmainandbackupbattery,and
smokesensorswillsendthedustlevelinitschamber.Thisinformationcanbeveryusefulforperforming
maintenanceactivities.Toaccessthisdata,gototheServicetab.


Thetablecontainsalloftheavailableinformationforeachdevice

Someofthemoreimportantcolumnsinclude:
Actuality–timesincethelastupdate
Primary/standbysupply–voltagelevelofthemainandthebackupbattery
Fault–currentstateofthedevice
AnalogvalueandAnalogtype–willcontaindifferentvaluesbasedonthetypeofthedevice.Forexample,
smoke sensors measure the smoke (Analog value 1) and dust (Analogvalue3)levelsinthesensor
chamber.

Thenormalvoltagelevelofafullbatteryinawirelesssensoris3.2V.Thedevicewillgenerateafaultevent
ifthevoltageisintherangeof2,75±0,1V.Knowingthisinformation,youcanuseEKHOConfiguratorto
planbatteryreplacementaheadoftime.
Thesameprincipleappliestothedustlevel.Thedevicegoesintoafaultstatewhenthevalueisover127,
however,itisrecommendedtocleanthechamberwhenthedustlevelexceeds64.Byanalyzingtheanalog
valuesyoucanplanmaintenanceproceduresinadvanceandnotriskanypotentialfalsealarms.
www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com

Double‐clickanydevicetoseethehistoryof
measurementsitmade.Theyareloggedwhenthe
translatorisconnectedtoaPCandEKHO
Configuratorisrunning.

EKHOConfiguratorsoftwarehasthe“Problem
filter”featurethatcouldusefulforsystem
maintenance.Openitusingthebuttononthetop
ofthetableandselectthedesiredtimeinterval
(e.g.amonth).


The“Problems”columnwillnowdisplaythe
numberoffaultsandalarmsthatoccurredinthat
timeframeforeachofthedevices.Youcansort
thetablebythiscolumnsothatthedevicesthat
needtobeinspectedandfixedduring
maintenancewillbeattheverytopofthelist.

TheeventprotocolwindowislocatedinthebottompartoftheControltab.Hereyoucanseeallevents
thatoccurinthesystem.Thecolorshowsyouiftheeventiscommon(white),awarning(yellow),oran
alarm(red).



www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com

Abovethelistofeventsyouwillfinddifferentactionsavailabletotheuser:
–downloadfullprotocolfromthetranslator(upto4000events)
‐enable/disableautomaticscrollingwhenneweventsoccur
–clearthewindow
–exportfulllisttoanHTMLfile
‐filternecessaryeventsandexportto.txtor.csv

Youcansorttheeventlistbyoneofthecolumns,
andsetafilterforeachofthecolumns.For
example,youcansettheprotocolwindowtoonly
displayalarmmessagesoreventsfromacertain
device.


WirelessConnections
TheEKHOConfiguratorsoftwareallowsyoutoanalyzethenetworktopologyand connectionstrength
withwirelessdevicesinreal‐time.Todothat,gotothe“Wirelessconnection”tab.


Tobeginanalyzingthenetwork,turnon“Readsignalstrengthdata”


Thetableallowsyoutoseetheconnection
strengthwitheachdeviceinthesystem.The
“Evaluation”columnshowsconnectivitylevels
withthedevicesonascalefrom2to5.Itis
recommendedthatalldeviceshaveaconnection
rateofatleast4or5.The“Actuality”columntells
youhowmuchtimehaspassedsincethe
connectivitylevelshavebeenlastupdated.
www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com

Bydouble‐clickingonadeviceyoucanopena
graphofconnectionstrengthwiththisdeviceover
acertainamountoftime.Connectionstrength
historyisloggedonlywhilethetranslatoris
connectedtoacomputerandEKHOConfiguratoris
running.

Thegraphinthelower‐leftcornershowsthecurrentsignallevelandtrafficpercentageinthenetwork.
Inagoodfunctionalsystem,thebaseleveloftheSignalgraphshouldfallintherangefrom‐110to‐90
dBmandTrafficshouldnotexceed10%


Thenetworktopologywindowshowshowwireless
devicesareinterconnectedwitheachotherinthe
system. The bigger the system is, the more
complicatedthegraphwillget.
Thecolorofthelinealsorepresentstheconnection
strength(green–5,yellow–4,orange–3).
Optionsontherightallowyoutochoosehowthe
graph is displayed in the window, and toggle the
visibilityofbackupcommunicationroutes.


www.acornfiresecurity.com
www.acornfiresecurity.com