Alarm signalling questions
The questions installers and alarm receiving centres ask most often about Signal Dynamic, each answered briefly.
The service
What is Signal Dynamic?
Signal Dynamic is a managed alarm signalling platform for intruder and fire systems, part of Netavo Global Data Services. A Supervisor unit at the protected premises sends signals over a private network to the alarm receiving centre.
Is Signal Dynamic a replacement for Redcare?
Yes. Signal Dynamic does not depend on a copper telephone line and is designed as a replacement for Redcare and similar services, using up to four paths: Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two 4G mobile connections.
Where is Signal Dynamic available?
Signal Dynamic is available across the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
How do installers buy Signal Dynamic?
Signal Dynamic is supplied to installers by accredited partner alarm receiving centres, usually with their monitoring service. It is not sold to installers directly, but installers receive technical support directly from Signal Dynamic.
The Supervisor
What models of the Supervisor are there?
There are three. The Supervisor Core IP has Ethernet and Wi-Fi. The Supervisor Core adds one 4G mobile path. The Supervisor Duo has two 4G mobile paths as well as Ethernet and Wi-Fi.
Will the Supervisor work with my existing alarm panel?
The Supervisor connects to a panel by dial capture in Fast Format, Contact ID or SIA, by RS232 or RS485 serial, or through its twelve digital inputs, so most panels can be connected without being replaced.
How often are the signalling paths checked?
The Supervisor checks every path about every 30 seconds. A path that stops answering is reported to the installer and the alarm receiving centre.
Which mobile networks does the Supervisor use?
The mobile paths use multi-network SIMs, which can move to another mobile network if the first is unavailable. The Supervisor Duo has two such paths.
How is the Supervisor powered?
The Supervisor runs from a 9 to 36 volt DC supply.
What warranty does the Supervisor carry?
The Signal Dynamic Supervisor carries a 10-year hardware warranty.
Standards
Which standards does Signal Dynamic comply with?
The Signal Dynamic Supervisor is designed to EN 50136-1, EN 50136-2, EN 50136-3, EN 50131-10 and EN 54-21, and to PD 6662 in the United Kingdom.
Is Signal Dynamic independently certified?
Netavo declares the Supervisor compliant with the standards it is designed to. Independent third-party certification is in progress.
Which signalling categories does it support?
The Supervisor range is designed for single-path categories up to SP5 and dual-path categories up to DP4. The category at a site depends on the model fitted and the paths in use.
How are signals protected?
Signals are encrypted with AES-256, and the Supervisor and the Signal Dynamic network authenticate each other.
Alarm receiving centres
How does an alarm receiving centre connect to Signal Dynamic?
An alarm receiving centre connects to the private Signal Dynamic network over an IPSec tunnel or dedicated private fibre. A centre receiving dual-path signalling maintains two separate connections.
Which alarm management systems does Signal Dynamic work with?
Signal Dynamic supports the leading alarm management systems, including Sentinel and Gemini, using standard line drivers. Events are delivered using SIA DC-09 over IP.
What has to be installed at the alarm receiving centre?
The Signal Dynamic gateway, supplied as a virtual machine image for VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V or Xen and managed remotely by Signal Dynamic. A centre receiving dual-path signalling runs two.
Can the portal carry our own branding?
Yes. The portal in which a centre and its installers see the state of every path can be presented under the centre's or the installer's own name.
A question we have not answered?
Ask us directly, and an engineer who works on Signal Dynamic will reply.
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