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| IRIS Touch display screen shows the relative strengths of different available GPRS signal paths |
Alarm engineers can avoid hours of wasted call outs and ensure more robust dual-path alarm transmission using the GPRS network scan feature incorporated in the IRIS Touch alarm signaller range from Chiron Security Communications. IRIS Touch technology delivers ‘right first time' installation and confirmation. More customers are asking for multi-path alarm signalling instead of fixed lines, because it is less expensive and more flexible, so it's really useful for engineers to be able to see at-a-glance how good GSM/GPRS signal coverage is at any given site.
"GPRS signal strength can fluctuate or be impaired by problems such as overloading, power failures or routine servicing affecting individual GPRS transmitters," explains Chiron's technical director Mike Kennedy. "When this happens alarm signallers, just like mobile phones, automatically seek out alternative transmission paths but problems can arise when the alternative paths are too weak, or intermittent, to carry the alarm signal."
More customers are asking for multi-path alarm signalling instead of fixed lines, because it is less expensive and more flexible |
Installers can minimise this problem and the risk of repeated call outs by using the IRIS Touch network scan feature. "Scanning different available path strengths (or cells) engineers can very easily choose the best SIM to use for any location. The best choice might not be the SIM which offers the strongest signal on its primary cell because this may have the worst back-up signal strength. In this situation the alarm signaller will work well until there is a problem with the primary cell."
By contrast, the best choice will probably be the one, which has the best average signal across both - the primary cell and the two back-up cells. The IRIS Touch 200 and IRIS Touch 400 signaller range now includes seven different products that make it easy for installers to scan for relative signal strengths, and to make the best choice of SIM accordingly.
"Picking the right SIM at the outset can save a lot of trouble-shooting time later on," adds Mike Kennedy. When it was first introduced in 2009 the IRIS Touch broke new ground in the alarm sector by being the only signaller to feature a touch screen, making installation and maintenance much faster. Chiron promises some important innovations to be released this year and is continuing to evolve the IRIS Touch to make it the easiest unit for engineers to install and maintain.
