Apparently, Simplex just released a new control panel at the NFPA convention in Las Vegas: the 4007ES!!
If you want to read the whole press release, it’s on SimplexGrinnell’s website. I’ll summarize what I got from it:
Basically, it is an expandable panel that comes in two variations: addressable and HYBRID! I do not know how many points/zones the panel can support.
The panel has a 4.3 inch touch screen display, and has the same eService features as the 4100ES and the 4010ES.
Link to the press release: http://www.simplexgrinnell.com/ENUS/CorporateCommunications/PressReleases/Documents/Simplex%204007ES%20Release.pdf
LOL :lol:. I think they got the hybrid idea from Silent Knight’s IFP-1000 FCP. Lets see whats going to happen with patents this future :P.
Simplex is going head to head with the GW-FCI S3 on this one. The option of expandable hardwired zones is pretty common in upper-end addressable panels. However, what’s different about this system is that it’s being targeted at applications requiring a replacement conventional panel with the future possibility of going addressable.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this will replace the 4006, 4008, non-ES 4010, and maybe even the 4005. It sounds like this panel will be able to tackle any small to medium-size installation or retrofit job.
Here comes my Notifier biasing again. They’re my favorite company now, lol.
I’ve serviced plenty of Notifier systems with an addressable panel and transponder cards, which are essentially zone cards. These systems replaced conventional panels that went down. One example is a school I inspected last summer which originally had a System 500 with 8 zones. That panel went down from lightning but the smoke detectors survived… Now you’d expect something like an SFP-10UD (aka MS-10UD) to go in its place, but instead they installed a FireWarden-100 (aka MS-9200UDLS) and used two transponder cards to create 12 conventional zones. The price difference was minimal and the reason they did it was so that the school, pending a renovation, can be converted to addressable very easily in the future. This upgrade was done in 2012 but the products to do this upgrade have been available for much longer.
Sorry to say it but although the 4007ES looks cool, they’re not really doing anything new.
Agreed. I think where Simplex has an edge is with their addressable TrueAlert ES’s. I’m surprised System Sensor doesn’t have something similar yet.
I’m partial to Gamewell-FCI, personally. 
Anyway, it looks interesting, and I hope they will be used for retrofits. Like I’ve said before, in my area there are hardly any Simplex systems, just because of the fact that the Honeywell subsidaries get the job done just as well, and are cheaper.
It’s only a matter of time before EST and Siemens come out with their own touch-screen systems. Siemens is close with the FireFinder XLS, but it’s not touch-screen. I hope their SLC speed is faster, though! 
I would like to see system sensor come out with addressable LED audible visual notification appliances. And since I work with Notifier, I would like to see them come out with an iPad (bigger than what anyone else currently has) type touchscreen as well. The LED notification would use less current thus meaning you could put more devices on a circuit. If you use Honeywell’s 318 device per loop scheme for the NACs then you could install a single panel in a medium sized installation without having to spread out power supplies over the facility which would make installation and maintenance easier. Add flexput style (Silent Knight’s configurable I/O circuits than can do NAC, 24v constant or resettable power, door holder, or IDC input) then you have a winner.
Patrick
Was at NFPA this week and finally had time to check out the 4007ES panel. Even had engineers and marketing people walk me through it.
Its very much like a S3 Series clone. The panel shown was still a prototype thats been a year in development. Hmmmm…last year I showed the S3 Series at NFPA. Guess it caused that much industry buzz…
4.3 inch touchscreen - The GUI wasnt as nice as the S3 but had TONS of great features in the menu.
3 function keys
Mini USB for program extraction
Ethernet for program configuration
Came in two models - addressable and addressable/conventional hybrid. The addressable has one SLC w/4 NACs. The hybrid one addressable SLC with /4 conventional zones and 2 NACs
Non-Networkable - They said it might change.
Huge cabinet. Very big for a “small” panel. Much larger than a Notifier 320. But lots of space for “future” expansion modules.
Right now they are still getting UL for the panel so it might be a few more months (knowing UL 6-10 months is possible) before its out in the field.
Once I made my visit, I did get alot of the Simplex people over to our booth to talk. They pretty much acknowledged the S3 Series did impact their small addressable business and was happy the fire industry is becoming more accepting of touchscreen.
Thats the same solution ive provided to customers also. Get a addressable panel of your liking and use the conventional multi-mods for 6 zones each. Buy the 2 or 6 capacity multi-mod cabinet and your in business.
Oh and they had variable EOL on the NACs. Borrowed idea from the S3 Series but they had a very limited range, 1k-10k? Sounds like it was for retrofitting legacy Simplex systems and not competitive products.
Destin, I asked them that. Where was this going to be positioned and what products was it going to replace. Sound like it was going to replace the 4006/4008.
NOT THE 4008! ITS MY FAVIORITE! 
Wouldn’t worry just yet. If the 4007ES doenst take off, expect to see 4008 around. Internally we NEVER sunset a product line until the new product is used and adopted. Takes time.