A conventional system only reports which zone the alarm came from; an addressable system shows the exact location and number of the device. The difference is the time lost during a fire. However, not every facility needs an addressable system; the choice depends on building size, compartmentation and the facility’s growth plans.
Detectors are connected in parallel on zone circuits. When one detector on a circuit is triggered, the panel shows only that circuit’s number. You cannot tell which detector operated.
You can divide the building into as many parts as the panel has zones. An eight-zone panel means eight separate areas.
Every detector, call point and module carries its own address. Devices are connected on one or more loops and communicate continuously with the panel.
On alarm, the panel displays the device name and location. It reports a dirty detector, a broken line or a faulty sounder individually in the same way.
| Topic | Conventional | Addressable |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm information | Zone number | Exact device location |
| Cabling | A separate circuit for each zone | Dozens of devices per loop |
| Amount of cable | Increases rapidly as the building grows | Becomes an advantage as the building grows |
| Hardware cost per device | Lower | Higher |
| Panel cost | Low | High |
| Fault finding | Per circuit, requires a site search | Shown on the panel with the device name |
| Expansion | New zone = new cable run | Adding devices to the loop is enough |
| Effect of a single fault | The whole zone is out of service | With isolators, only the faulty section |
Do not overlook cabling cost. In a conventional system, the total cost is often determined not by the panel or detectors but by the cable. As the number of zones increases, a separate circuit has to be run for each. In an addressable system, the loop runs around the building. In medium and large facilities, the total cost of an addressable system can be lower despite its higher hardware price.
This is the most overlooked detail of addressable systems. If there is a short circuit on the loop and there are no isolators, the entire loop goes silent. With isolator devices, the system separates the faulty section and the rest continues to operate.
When evaluating quotations, confirm separately whether the devices have isolators. There is a clear price difference between the two options, and it is not always stated explicitly in quotations.
The answer to “in which buildings is an addressable system mandatory?” is not where most people expect. The Turkish fire protection regulation contains no provision stating “an addressable system shall be used in this building”. The regulation guide of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change distinguishes the two systems according to how easy it is to supervise the building in terms of fire alarm.
| Criterion | Conventional | Addressable |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred for | Buildings where fire alarm supervision is simple | Complex, multi-storey buildings that are hard to supervise |
| Devices per circuit | 25–30 detectors and call points per zone circuit | 100–125 per loop detectors, call points, modules |
| Alarm indication | Per zone | Per device (address) |
According to the guide, in a conventional system each detection zone is designed as a separate circuit and supervision is per zone. In an addressable system, fire zones and detector addresses are defined at the control panel, and each device giving a warning or fault is seen individually.
In a production facility made up of many rooms, with several storeys or divided into fire compartments, the number of zone circuits and cables in a conventional system grows as the number of devices increases. In an addressable system, the same devices are gathered on a few loops and the alarm location is seen as a single point. That is why the guide presents the addressable system as the preferred solution for such buildings.
In a small, single-compartment workshop the picture is reversed. In those conditions a conventional system is both sufficient and more economical.
The obligation to install an automatic fire detection and alarm system is set out in Article 75 of the Turkish Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (Official Gazette: 19.12.2007 / 26735). The building types within scope are determined in the regulation’s Annex 7 table by building height and enclosed floor area; however, the parts of the table concerning institutional (education and healthcare), commercial, industrial and assembly buildings were annulled by the decision of the Tenth Chamber of the Council of State dated 28.12.2021, which became final on 22.02.2023. For these buildings, the relevant articles of the regulation apply.
A voice evacuation (emergency announcement) system is mandatory in the buildings listed in Article 81 of the regulation: hotels, motels and dormitories with more than 200 beds; buildings open to the public, shopping centres, supermarkets, industrial facilities and similar buildings with a construction area over 5,000 m² or more than 1,000 occupants; and all buildings taller than 51.50 metres. Outside these buildings an emergency announcement system is not mandatory; warning is given by audible and visual alarm devices.
A common misconception. Some sources on the internet claim that “an addressable system is mandatory in commercial areas above a certain floor area”. These claims are based on secondary sources, not on the text of the regulation. What is binding is the current text of the regulation, the Annex 7 table except for its annulled parts, and the TS EN 54 standards referred to by the regulation. Design decisions should not be based on secondary sources.
The performance standards that devices must meet are the TS EN 54 series. When evaluating quotations, check that detectors, call points, panels and sounders are certified to this series. Also confirm which version of the standard the design is based on.
| Topic | Expected value |
|---|---|
| Loop capacity | Typically 100–125 detectors and call points per loop in addressable systems |
| Detection cable | Type and cross-section according to the manufacturer’s specification (Fire Protection Regulation Art. 83) |
| Isolator | Isolator modules so that a short circuit on the loop does not silence the whole system |
| Fault monitoring | Open circuit, short circuit and earth fault shown separately on the panel |
| Pre-alarm | Detectors able to give a pre-alarm at a value below the threshold |
| Display | Illuminated alphanumeric display on the addressable panel |
Related services: Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
We carry out a site survey based on the number of areas and site conditions and present the cost of both options side by side.
Sources: Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings, Articles 75, 81 and Annex 7 (Official Gazette: 19.12.2007 / 26735) · Annulment in Annex 7: Council of State Tenth Chamber, Docket 2019/261, Decision 2021/5537 (upheld by the Plenary of Administrative Law Chambers on 22.02.2023; Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Fire Protection Regulation Guide, December 2024) · Buildings for which conventional and addressable systems are preferred, zone circuit and loop capacities: same Guide, explanation of Article 75 · Cable type: Fire Protection Regulation Article 83 · Isolator and pre-alarm information: TMMOB Chamber of Electrical Engineers, “Fire Detection and Alarm Systems” technical presentation · TS EN 54 standard series
İletim Mühendislik is an authorised dealer of Mavili Elektronik for fire detection and alarm systems. This article is for general information only; a site survey is required for a project-specific solution.
From 1986 to 1990 it was an organization providing design services only; since 1990 it has continued its commercial activity as a limited company providing design, contracting, consultancy and maintenance services.
Elektromekanik İş Merkezi
626. Sok. No:28B, Alaaddinbey
Nilüfer / Bursa, Türkiye
Tel: +90 224 441 64 04
Fax: +90 224 256 56 02
iletim@iletimmuhendislik.com.tr