Both platforms have essentially the same panels, with one being offered in house by Siemens direct distribution (eg Simplex) and the other being sold through authorized dealers. Aesthetically, they are sort of confusing and though distinct blocks and banks of buttons exist, they don’t have any labels in most of the pictures and literature making it hard to figure out the layout scheme of the control functions. The display appears to be dot matrix LCD type. Functionally they appear to be the same as their other addressable panels, without voice functionality. Don’t know if they are going to be cost effective or popular, but they seem to be aiming for a middle market. FWIW siemens has an office in the city I live in, but there are not many of their systems installed here. Notifier, Simplex, and Edwards have the market share here.
Now if they’d bring back their own signals, it’d be perfect. Sorry, that was the obsessed side of me, don’t see that too often anymore
Still a bit interesting that they’d make two lines of identical panels with different markets. Bit interesting that they brought back the “Cerberus” name though…
And if they wouldn’t use more cheaper devices like the RSG T-bars and Wheelock ZNSs (they must still have many in new-old-stock), the systems wouldn’t seem so generic and boring (like the new Siemens systems popping up around Stonehill College.)
I don’t see ANY alarm signals listed on Siemens’ website anymore, actually. I think maybe since the ZNS was discontinued two years ago (along with the AS), they might just use unbranded Wheelock and System Sensor signals now (next thing you know, Siemens might start rebranding the BG-12s as well!)
I’m surprised Faraday hasn’t shut down operation yet, and just handed all their products to Siemens so they could re-brand the panels as their own (the Siemens Pyrotronics MPC-7000, anyone?) I’m actually not too fond of Faraday nowadays as well, partly because of how Massasoit College is going around replacing all their Faraday stuff with new Notifier systems (usually rebranded by Johnson Controls.)
And, I found some catalogs for signals at the Building technology - Siemens Global download center, under Fire Safety > Peripheral Devices > Alarm Signaling Devices, although I don’t know how up to date it is since they have ASs and NSs listed, and everything seems to be from the '08 series… :?
Unless they are new-old stock, they still install Z-series signals. There’s a 2012-dated system in the progress of installation at a nearby hospital, and that’s what they have.
