Lesson 1Door/window contact types (reed, surface, recessed) and placement best practicesCovers reed, surface, and recessed door and window contacts, including wiring methods, gap allowances, and magnet positioning. Stresses optimal placement to prevent false alarms, tampering risks, and damage from everyday door and window use.
Reed switch operation and ratingsSurface vs recessed contact selectionGap spacing, alignment, and tolerancesWiring methods and EOL resistor usePlacement to reduce damage and tamperingTesting contacts during door operationLesson 2Siren/strobe types, decibel ratings, indoor vs outdoor placementReviews siren and strobe device varieties, decibel levels, and sound patterns. Explains indoor versus outdoor positioning, wiring setups, power allocation, plus regulations and neighbour concerns for noise levels and duration.
Piezo vs mechanical siren designsDecibel ratings and tone frequencyIndoor siren placement strategiesOutdoor siren and strobe positioningCurrent draw and power calculationsCode limits on sound level and durationLesson 3Keypad and mobile app interfaces, indicators, and user feedbackDescribes keypad and mobile app interfaces, covering display options, indicator lights, and sound alerts. Includes user codes, arming options, and how interface layout aids ease of use, training, and fewer errors.
Fixed vs alphanumeric keypad displaysLED indicators and status meaningsAudible beeps, chimes, and voice promptsMobile app control and notificationsUser codes, authority levels, and duressDesigning simple user flows and promptsLesson 4Glass-break sensors: acoustic vs shock, mounting and sensitivity settingsDetails acoustic and shock glass-break technologies, detection ranges, and installation guidelines. Covers sensitivity adjustments, site limitations, and testing approaches to minimise missed detections and unnecessary alarms.
Acoustic sensor principles and rangesShock sensor operation and mountingSelecting locations by glass typeSensitivity levels and dip switch setupEnvironmental noise and false alarm controlFunctional testing with glass-break testersLesson 5Environmental sensors and optional devices (smoke, CO, freeze, garage, panic)Covers smoke, CO, heat, freeze, water, garage, and panic devices integrated with alarm systems. Explains positioning, wiring or pairing, reporting modes, plus links to life safety standards and insurance needs.
Smoke and heat detector integrationCarbon monoxide detector placementFreeze and water leak sensor usesGarage door and tilt sensor optionsPanic, medical, and hold-up devicesLabeling and priority of life-safety zonesLesson 6Control panel features and processor/firmware basicsIntroduces control panel hardware, processors, and firmware functions in system control. Covers storage, zone limits, communication lines, and firmware upgrades, focusing on reliability, protection, and feature selection.
Main board layout and terminal functionsProcessor, memory, and speed basicsZone capacity and expansion modulesKeypad and device bus architecturesFirmware versions and change logsSafe firmware update proceduresLesson 7Wiring vs wireless tradeoffs, zones per loop, supervised vs non‑supervised devicesCompares wired and wireless devices, weighing reliability, effort, and cost factors. Explains zones per loop, addressing methods, and supervised versus non-supervised circuits, with advice on suitable applications.
Advantages of wired device circuitsWireless sensors, batteries, and rangeZones per loop and point identificationSeries, parallel, and EOL supervisionNon-supervised circuits and risksChoosing wiring vs wireless by projectLesson 8Power architecture: AC power, backup battery sizing, battery chemistry and maintenanceDetails AC power supplies, transformer capacities, and wiring standards. Explains backup battery types, size requirements, and care routines, including checks, replacement timelines, and site conditions impacting durability.
AC source, transformer, and voltage dropAuxiliary power outputs and limitsBattery chemistry types and pros/consBattery capacity, load, and deratingRoutine battery testing proceduresStorage temperature and lifespan effectsLesson 9Motion detectors: PIR, dual-tech, pet immunity, mounting heights and coverageExplores PIR and dual-tech motion detectors, detection areas, and installation heights. Discusses pet tolerance, site influences, and walk tests to optimise detection while cutting false triggers.
PIR sensing principles and opticsDual-tech PIR and microwave operationMounting heights and angle selectionPet immunity ratings and limitationsAvoiding HVAC and sunlight interferenceWalk testing and coverage verificationLesson 10Communication modules: cellular, IP (Ethernet/Wi‑Fi), dual-path and supervisionExplores cellular, IP, and dual-path communicators, including path priorities, security, and check intervals. Focuses on dependability, provider choices, and fulfilling monitoring and regulatory needs.
Cellular communicator types and bandsIP over Ethernet and Wi‑Fi modulesDual-path routing and failover logicSupervision intervals and test signalsEncryption, APN, and firewall settingsCarrier selection and signal strength testsLesson 11Backup power configurations: tamper and low‑battery reportingExplains backup power setups, including battery sizing, charger capacities, and operation time estimates. Details tamper mechanisms, enclosure safeguards, and low-battery alerts to keep systems secure in power failures.
Battery capacity and runtime estimatesCharger current and load calculationsPanel and enclosure tamper switchesLow-battery thresholds and reportingTesting under AC fail conditionsService intervals and battery replacement
