Multi-channel aspirating

smoke detector
What, how, where, when, why ...

Transit facilities pose unique challenges. Thousands of people pass

through them every hour. Trains and buses belch smoke, create fumes,
and stir up dust. Vandals prowl, looking for mischief. It’s a nightmare for
point detection. But not so for ModuLaser.
What it is ...

ModuLaser is a scalable aspirating smoke detection solution providing flexibility in design and
installation. Compartmentalised detection and display units result in a unique modular design that
provides detection of multiple zones while overcoming many of the issues that can exist with non-
modular systems.

A ModuLaser system consists of two basic module types : ModuLaser is not just about efficient and flexible system
design it also excels with simple user controls, detailed
Display module – provides control and monitoring of
display information, connectivity and easy maintenance.
detector modules
From the designer through to the end user ModuLaser
Detector module – draws air from the risk area and provides benefits for everyone.
samples it for smoke particulate
ModuLaser embraces exciting new design aspects
Up to eight detector modules can be controlled and integrated with proven features and technologies, such
monitored via one display module with each detector module as ClassiFire and waste gate technology.
capable of serving up to 250m of combined sampling pipe.
Whether it’s providing early warning detection within a
Display and detector module combinations are known as clean room environment or providing a problem solving
a cluster with devices in the cluster communicating via solution for harsh or unusual applications, ModuLaser
RS485. This unique modular design allows for clusters to excels to provide a robust and reliable aspirating smoke
be non-distributed or distributed giving significant design detection solution.
advantages such as maximising pipework coverage and
reduced transport times.

Non-distributed cluster Distributed cluster

How it excels ... Where to use it ...
• Modular design Aspirating smoke detection is a method of smoke
Separate centrally-controllable detector modules allow detection, whereby a sample of air is drawn from the
efficient piping and discrete zones with no overlap. protected area via a sampling pipework, and analysed
at the aspirating detector (ModuLaser) for the presence
Design can be tailored to provide the required number of of smoke particles. If smoke particles are present in
detection zones to suit the application, with the ability for the sample, then based on the aspirating detector’s
future expansion. configuration one or multiple alarms will be raised.
• Simplified installation Historically aspirating smoke detection was used for very
Innovative docking station design allows detectors to early warning of a potential fire, within very well controlled
be easily connected together as a group. Sensitive environments. ClassiFire® makes it possible for Aspirating
electronics are easily removed to ensure they will not Smoke Detection to be utilised in a much wider range of
be damaged during first fix installation. Aspirating applications.
pipework and cable entries can easily be made into either Unlike traditional point detection, air sampling points do
the top or the bottom of the unit. not require electrical devices, power, wiring, or junction
boxes. In fact, servicing and testing need only be carried
• Wizards
out at the display and detector modules, and at the
Wizards provide step by step guidance for installation sampling point furthest from the detector module.
and maintenance, during installation and maintenance,
ensuring all key parameters are adjusted during installation In addition, ModuLaser modules can be installed so
and monitored during routine service. they remain within reach, regardless of how inaccessible
the sampling points are. This permits maintenance to
• Easy pipe connection be carried out and electrical connections to be made in
The quick fit pipe adaptor system locks down securely, a convenient location away from the protected space.
yet leaves plenty of room for easy pipe connection and ModuLaser is an excellent choice where spot detection
removal. and beam detection are problematic. However it is not
• Zoned aspirating smoke detection limited to these applications only, and supports a much
wider range :
Individual detector modules provide detection for
individual areas or zones, specific zone alarm information • Where very early warning detection is required
can be transmitted to the main fire alarm panel via a • Where high air flow is present
common APIC address card in the display module or • Where the environment is hostile (very cold, very hot,
through dedicated alarm relays within each detector humid or dusty, strong RF fields)
module.
• Where detection is to be concealed for aesthetic or
• Easy to use interface security purposes
The color display with the support of the navigation and • Where there are areas subject to smoke stratification
functional buttons provides an attractive, clear and efficient • Where access for maintenance is impractical or unsafe
user interface. Detailed status and diagnostic information
• Where mission critical detection is required for
is displayed in text and graphic formats.
suppression release
• Multi-lingual support
The ModuLaser TFT display supports many different
languages, the required language can easily be selected
through the configuration menus. LED indications are
identified by easily recognisable icons on the membrane.

Concealed detection – hidden in plain sight. Architectural

considerations frequently call for walls and ceilings unblemished
by point detectors and wiring conduits. In other instances, the risk
of tampering can be greatly reduced by reducing the visibility of
smoke detection equipment within the protected space.
Typical applications
Aircraft hangars Airport terminals
Anti-smoking enforcement Atria
Cable tunnels Ceiling voids, raised floors
Cleanrooms Coal conveyers
Computer cabinets Computer rooms
Corrections facilities Data processing centers
Engine rooms Escalators
Flour mills Food preparation areas
Freezer warehouses Heritage buildings
High-end residential Hospitals
Hotel lobbies Metro tunnels
Museums Paper mills
Record storage facilities Recycling centers
Semiconductor fabrication Telecommunications facilities
Textile areas Tobacco plants
Warehouses Distribution centers

Things are looking up. In locations with high ceilings,

accessibility plagues maintenance and service efforts, while
stratification poses a serious risk to life safety. ModuLaser
overcomes these difficulties because devices are installed
at ground level, while sampling ports remain high above in
optimum sensing locations.

Why it just adds up ...

More efficient, less costly ...
With the unique modular design of the ModuLaser, you buy exactly what you need for a particular installation.
Traditional multi-channel aspirating smoke detectors offer a fixed amount of zones or channels, which in many
installations result in a detector with more zones than is required by the installation. This in turn may result in a
higher cost price. With the ModuLaser this is no longer the case as the detection modules are sold separately,
and up to eight detection modules can be controlled and monitored by one display module. On top of this
there is no need for the detection modules to have similar sampling pipe layouts. Individual modules provide
significant advantages over non-modular systems :
– No need for balanced pipework across zones
– Unaffected by zones of differing pressures or airflow
– Each zone configured completely independently for
sensitivity, alarm thresholds etc.
– No delay in the detection of smoke from scanning
between zones.
– No cross contamination of smoke between zones.

Freezer burn. Cold storage facilities produce environments that

would damage the circuitry and clog the smoke chambers of
spot detectors. ModuLaser overcomes this problem because the
sampling points are not susceptible to cold and humidity, and the
detector can be located outside the freezer area where conditions
could harm its electronic components.
When it is important ...
Ready when you are
ModuLaser’s innovative back plane docking stations fit securely together with a
simple clip mechanism that can be repositioned time and time again, depending
on the installer’s needs. Docking stations accept all field wiring, so sensitive
components can be kept out of harm’s way during first fix installation. Once the
docking stations are attached to each other, the clips act as cable guides for
simple and uncluttered interconnection. Wiring can enter the docking station
from the top, from the bottom, and from the back. The docking stations can be
fixed to the wall by screws, or simply clip onto a DIN-rail by way of the integrated
mounting clips.

Detectors simply screw into

place and are quickly secured
and oriented to accept pipe from
either the top or the bottom.

Install it your way

Thanks to its sophisticated two-way mounting design, ModuLaser provides a
clean, efficient, and uncluttered installation. Detector modules slide into their
docking stations for top or bottom pipe entry. No jumpers or settings to change
– simply slide the detector module into the docking station, orient as desired and
snap on the front cover.
The device automatically adjusts its display to match the detector orientation.
Configuration of the completed installation can be done via the dedicated
display module or via a PC connection. For added security, four different access
levels are supported.

Computer room

A VIP pass to any location. Equipment rooms housing high

voltage machinery or sensitive computer equipment are generally secure
areas with restricted access making servicing of smoke detection difficult.
ModuLaser detector modules can be located outside of the risk area to
overcome accessibility problems.
 APIC interface
Input/outputs

Make the right connections

ModuLaser communicates as readily as it installs. Standard USB
A and B onboard connectors can be used for configuration,
troubleshooting, and maintenance. In addition, the ModuLaser
supports a range of APIC interfaces for compatibility with third-
party addressable detection loops – a particularly valuable
feature for building retrofits and system expansions.
Each docking station backplane provides two fully programmable
monitored inputs and three fully programmable volt free outputs
for integrating ASD with other systems. Inputs and outputs on
any unit in a cluster can be activated by its own module or other
modules within the cluster creating many different cause and
effect combinations.

USB connect

Add some colour to your life Easy pipe connection

Bright easy-to-see colour TFT screen The patented quick fit pipe adaptor
combined with universal navigation and is designed to easily facilitate the
control buttons take the guesswork out of connection and removal of pipework
programming and diagnostics. The high from the detector module.
resolution display adds the dimension of
Designed to seal around the
colour to data retrieval and navigation. Its
pipework by means of a threaded
clean, easy-to-follow interface colour-codes
collar, the adaptor can easily
critical information for added clarity, while
accommodate 3/4” or 25mm
navigation keys and context‑dependent
pipework.
buttons provide positive tactile feedback
with each interaction. The screen also offers The adaptor is flexible in its two part
the ability to view data in a graphical format. construction allowing the installer
the ability to twist the connector to
compensate for any minor pipework
misalignment.

System overview

* SenseNET SenseNET+
RS485 RS485

Addressable Command
loop via APIC module
display

Relay outputs
& supervised inputs

* Only supported on command module display

 Why it is the right choice ...
ModuLaser incorporates technology that extends its range of applications far
beyond those normally associated with air sampling detection. Thanks to advanced
sensing technology, it avoids the problems of oversensitivity normally associated
with aspirated smoke detection, and provides a reliable general purpose smoke
detection solution highly resistant to nuisance alarms.

• Environmental compensation opens the door to projects particulate filters. This exclusive aspiration technique
that prove impractical for other detectors. ModuLaser diverts most of the particulate matter that would normally
self-calibration and sliding alarm thresholds overcome load the detector filters, giving ModuLaser longer life
difficulties posed by applications where air handling is and more capacity per maintenance cycle than any such
strictly controlled. detector on the market today.
This makes it ideal for public commercial areas – as well • Laser dust discrimination is a sophisticated algorithm
as dust and contaminant-laden industrial settings. In that identifies and eliminates spikes in the obscuration
fact, ModuLaser technology remains highly sensitive to reading caused by particulate matter in the airstream.
incipient indicators of fire, yet reliable enough to all but This makes it possible for ModuLaser detectors to reach
eliminate nuisance alarms. higher levels of sensitivity without sacrificing reliability
• Waste gate technology is a powerful ModuLaser – a perennial trade-off among other air sampling
advantage that dramatically extends the life of detector products.

The initial 15-minute learning

process provides a starting
point for environmental
compensation. Sensitivity is maintained
During the first 24-hours, regardless of changes in Average 1
the detector operates at a ambient conditions. Laser signal shows
decreased sensitivity and steady output
adjusts to the most stable level Sensor signal
Smoke Density % obscuration / ft

due to smoke and smoke & dust

using the ClassiFire algorithm. spikes due to dust
particles

Average 2

Spikes are
electronically Sensor signal
eliminated from dust eliminated
15 minutes 1st 24 hours 1 month Year detector signal

The remaining steady output represents underlying smoke density

Time

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