Pertronic

New Zealand fire alarm panel manufacturer with a strong Australian footprint and a reputation for serviceability.

Platform overview

Pertronic Industries is a New Zealand manufacturer of fire detection and alarm systems with a strong presence across Australia and New Zealand (and a US operation). Its platform spans intelligent analogue-addressable control panels (the flagship F220 and the compact F100A), a conventional panel (F16e), the intelligent-addressable detector and module range, a panel-integrated occupant-warning system, extinguishing agent release, the Net2 network, and the FireMap graphics and FireUtils configuration software. The range is engineered first for AS/NZS codes and is ActivFire-listed.

Two ideas define the platform. First, scale and capability concentrated in the panel: the F220 carries up to 20 loops and several thousand devices in one cabinet, with a 7-inch colour display, rich cause-and-effect logic and a panel-integrated occupant-warning amplifier — features that, on some competing platforms, require separate equipment. Second, AS/NZS-native, locally-supported design: Pertronic designs, builds and supports its products in the region, with short support lines, region-specific engineering, and tight alignment with Australian and New Zealand standards (AS 7240, AS 4428.16) including a straightforward upgrade path from the large installed base of legacy F120A systems.

Heritage note: Pertronic Industries is a New Zealand fire-systems manufacturer (Wellington) with a strong presence across Australia and NZ. The F220 is the current flagship and the direct successor to the long-serving F120A; a UL-listed F220 variant serves the US market.

Range at a glance

Control panels

Pertronic’s panels share a common detector loop, device range and configuration philosophy, scaling from a conventional small-building panel to a 20-loop networked flagship.

The F220 is the flagship: a modular, expandable, networkable intelligent fire panel and the direct successor to the F120A. It is built on a 32-bit RISC processor running Linux, with a 7-inch 800×480 colour LCD that uses colour-coded screens (alarm, fault, pre-alarm, disablement) and large 5 mm alarm text to make panel status unmistakable. It carries 2 to 20 IA loops (in two-loop increments) and concentrates very high capacity in a single cabinet.

The F100A is the compact analogue-addressable panel for smaller buildings, sharing the IA loop, detector range and FireUtils toolset with the F220 — a cost-effective option where the F220’s capacity is not required. The F16e is Pertronic’s conventional fire alarm control panel for small conventional-zone installations. Both are compatible with the ARC2-AAN annunciator and the extinguishing agent release controller, and the F100A networks alongside F220 panels, so a site can mix panel sizes on one platform. The legacy F120A (predecessor to the F220) and earlier conventional panels remain widely installed, with the F220 providing a direct upgrade path.

The intelligent-addressable (IA) loop

Pertronic panels use an intelligent-addressable detector loop — a two-wire circuit carrying intelligent detectors, modules, manual call points and addressable alarm devices, with short-circuit isolation to keep the rest of the loop operational under a fault.

The spur capability and CLIP-protocol support are particularly useful for retrofits: existing conventional or legacy cabling and devices can often be reused when converting a site to the F220, reducing upgrade cost and disruption. Each addressable device is supervised and individually identified, so the panel pinpoints the location of an alarm or fault to the device.

Detection — sensors & algorithms

The F220 and F100A use intelligent analogue-addressable detectors: each sensor reports its measured value to the panel, which applies the alarm decision with environmental compensation and configurable sensitivity. Pertronic’s intelligent detector range covers the common sensing types:

Detection behaviour is highly configurable per point: multi-level alarm thresholds, day/night sensitivity, pre-alarm/early-warning sensing, drift compensation and maintenance (“dirty detector”) alerts, plus AS 1670.1-compliant alarm acknowledgement, delay and verification facilities. Addressable bases provide the interface and add functions — standard, short-circuit isolator, relay and sounder bases — so notification or control can be distributed at the detector position. (Pertronic also publishes device-compatibility tables listing all loop-compatible alarm devices for each panel.)

Loop modules, call points & isolators

The IA loop carries a full range of addressable input/output and interface devices for monitoring plant, interfacing conventional devices and driving control functions. Each module is supervised and individually addressed, and cause-and-effect logic links inputs to outputs across the panel and network.

Integrated occupant warning system (OWS)

A defining feature of the F220 in the AS/NZS market is that occupant warning is built into the fire panel rather than provided as separate equipment. The panel can host EA60 and EA120 amplifiers delivering up to 360 W of supervised 100 V-line audio per panel, with a built-in signal generator, emergency microphone facilities and a text-to-speech tool for creating custom voice messages. This integrated occupant-warning capability is ActivFire-listed to AS 4428.16:2020 grade 3 (afp-3779).

Building occupant warning into the fire panel simplifies design, wiring and compliance for typical Australian and New Zealand buildings — there is no separate occupant-warning cabinet to specify, power and interface — while supervised speaker lines and the text-to-speech message tool support clear, building-specific evacuation messaging. For larger or intercom-heavy projects, the F220 integrates with broader emergency-warning equipment as required.

Extinguishing agent release

Pertronic provides an Extinguishing Agent Release Controller (ARC) for gaseous and other suppression systems, designed for installation with the F220, F100A, F16e or third-party fire panels. The ARC monitors the fire panel for alarm signals and manages the release sequence:

• Configurable release logic — in the default “Double-Knock Auto” mode the controller requires two separate alarm signals before activating, reducing the risk of inadvertent discharge; single-knock and other modes are selectable.
• Programmable timing — Alarm Input, Auto Discharge Delay, Manual Discharge Delay and Release Output Hold Time are all programmable.
• Control stations — an RS-485 bus connects an Agent Control Station and up to nine Local Control Stations for status indication and manual release/hold/abort at the protected area.

Net2 networking

For large or distributed sites, F220 (and F100A) panels connect over Net2 — Pertronic’s fast, fault-tolerant fire network. Net2 supports up to 160 panels (independently certified), with each network segment able to use copper (RS-485) or single-mode or multi-mode fibre to suit distance and resilience requirements. The network is fault-tolerant, so a single cable fault does not bring down communications, and panels share point status and panel condition across the system for coordinated, building-wide response. Net2 is listed to AS 7240.13 for networked fire systems.

The high node count makes Net2 well-suited to large multi-building estates — campuses, hospitals, education and large commercial sites — built from many networked panels, while smaller sites run a single standalone panel.

Operator interface, mimics & FireMap

The F220’s 7-inch 800×480 colour LCD uses colour-coded screens and large alarm text so operators can read system status at a glance during an event, and a deep history log (10,000 all-event entries plus dedicated logs) supports investigation and maintenance. Remote indication and control are extended through up to 8 full-function mimic panels and up to 32 LCD remote displays per system, and the ARC2-AAN annunciator provides remote alarm/auxiliary annunciation compatible with the F220, F100A, F16e and F120A.

Above the panels, FireMap is Pertronic’s graphic monitoring and control software — a map/site-plan-based head-end presenting zones and devices for building-wide visualisation and control. Together the colour panel display, mimics and FireMap give clear operator information from the individual point up to the whole estate.

Cause-and-effect control & plant interface

The F220 includes powerful programmable control for fire-mode plant operation: up to 999 logic blocks, 200 timers, 400 fan (fire-fan) controls and 400 deluge controls. This lets the panel coordinate smoke-control fans and dampers (AS 1668.1 / AS 1670.1), sprinkler/deluge interfaces, lift homing, door release and other ancillary functions through the loop modules and panel relays, with cause-and-effect logic linking initiating points to control outputs across the panel and Net2 network. Combined with the integrated occupant warning and extinguishing control, this allows a single F220 to manage detection, evacuation, suppression and fire-mode building control in a coordinated sequence.

Configuration software & integration

Panel configuration is performed with FireUtils, Pertronic’s Windows configuration suite, which builds and downloads the site-specific program, supports loop diagnostics and device management, and streamlines commissioning. For building-management integration, the F220 provides bidirectional Modbus (allowing a BMS both to read status and, where permitted, issue commands) and read-only BACnet for supervision by third-party head-ends. FireMap provides Pertronic’s own graphical monitoring layer. These interfaces let the F220 sit within a larger managed building or campus while keeping fire functions under the certified fire panel’s control.

Power, cabinets & environment

The F220 is offered with 5 A, 11 A or 22 A power supplies to suit load (loops, occupant-warning amplifiers and ancillary outputs), with internal battery capacity up to 55 Ah depending on cabinet. Cabinets range from 10U to 40U, including weatherproof IP65 versions for external or harsh locations, allowing the panel, loop cards, amplifiers and batteries to be housed to suit the installation. The F100A and F16e use smaller enclosures appropriate to their capacity.

Approvals & standards

Pertronic’s products are independently tested and ActivFire-listed for the AS/NZS market:

• F220 control & indicating equipment — AS 7240.2 (and AS 7240.4 power supply); CSIRO ActivFire listed (afp-3054).
• Integrated occupant warning — AS 4428.16:2020 grade 3; ActivFire listed (afp-3779).
• Net2 networking — AS 7240.13 (networked fire alarm systems).
• Other panels — F100A (analogue-addressable) and F16e (conventional) carry their respective AS listings; a UL-listed F220 variant serves the US market. Confirm the current listing for each component and configuration.

Applications & summary

Pertronic’s range covers the AS/NZS building spectrum: the F16e for small conventional installations, the F100A for smaller addressable sites, and the F220 for medium-to-large buildings and multi-building estates networked over Net2 — commercial and retail, education and health campuses, aged care and residential, industrial sites, and any project upgrading from a legacy F120A. The integrated occupant warning and extinguishing control, the high single-panel capacity, and the weatherproof cabinet options make it adaptable across building types and environments.

Its defining strengths are very high single-panel capacity (up to 3,180 detectors and 1,980 modules across 20 loops); the largest network node count in its class (up to 160 panels on Net2); occupant warning integrated into the fire panel (EA60/EA120, up to 360 W, AS 4428.16); a modern 7-inch colour operator interface backed by FireMap graphics; rich cause-and-effect logic for fire-mode plant control; an IA loop that supports spurs and legacy CLIP devices for cost-effective upgrades; and responsive, NZ-based local support with a direct F120A upgrade path. Together they make Pertronic a complete, locally-engineered fire-and-evacuation platform rather than a single panel.

Further reading

Frequently asked