Two of the most widely specified intelligent analogue-addressable fire detection platforms in the Australian and New Zealand market: the Siemens Cerberus PRO modular range (FC72x panels on the C-NET bus) and the Pertronic F220 — Pertronic Industries’ flagship panel and successor to the long-serving F120A. Both are ActivFire-listed to the relevant Australian standards; they scale in different directions and differ most on detection technology and integrated occupant warning.
| Siemens Cerberus PRO | Pertronic | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Siemens (Switzerland/Germany; global) | Pertronic Industries (New Zealand; AU/NZ) |
| Platform | Cerberus PRO (FC72x modular range) | F220 analogue-addressable (successor to F120A) |
| Addresses per loop | Up to 252 C-NET elements | 159 detectors + 99 modules/MCPs/devices |
| Loops per panel | 1 to 28 (FC721 → FC726) | 2 to 20 (two-loop increments) |
| Max addresses / panel | 1,512 (FC726) | 3,180 detectors + 1,980 modules |
| Network nodes | Up to 64 (32 per cluster) | Up to 160 panels (Net2) |
| Fibre reach | Single-mode 40 km / multi-mode 4 km | Single-mode & multi-mode fibre |
| Detection tech | ASA neural multi-criteria, ASD, beam, flame, wireless | IA sensors with virtual detection; CLIP legacy support |
| Integrated EWIS | Sounders / voice-sounder beacons + EVAC modules | Built-in EA60/EA120 amplifiers, up to 360 W |
| Display | LED display groups (≤96) + Cerberus DMS | 7-inch colour LCD + FireMap |
| Core approval | EN 54-2/4 (CPR, VdS, LPCB) | AS 7240.2 (ActivFire afp-3054) |
Both are high-quality, ActivFire-listed platforms; neither is universally “better”. Choose Siemens Cerberus PRO when detection performance and false-alarm immunity are paramount, when you want dense loops and a large modular single panel, or when the project sits in an enterprise/multinational portfolio that benefits from Cerberus DMS, mobile and cloud integration — e.g. hospitals, data centres, airports and international corporate estates. Choose the Pertronic F220 when you want maximum capacity per panel and per network, tightly integrated occupant warning/EWIS designed for AS 4428.16, native AS/NZS compliance and responsive local support — e.g. large AU/NZ commercial, education and health campuses, or any F120A upgrade.
Cerberus PRO is Siemens’ mid-range intelligent fire detection platform (a sibling of the larger Sinteso range), built around C-NET — a two-wire detector bus supporting loop, stub and star (T-tap) topologies, up to 40 T-taps, up to 252 elements per loop and runs up to 3.3 km. The family scales from the single-loop FC721 (126 addresses) through the FC722 and FC724 to the modular FC723 (756) and FC726 (up to 1,512 addresses, 28 loops).
Its detection pedigree is a core selling point: ASA (Advanced Signal Analysis) neural detectors — such as the OOH740 multi-sensor and OOHC740 fire/CO detector — use environment-tuned signal analysis for high sensitivity with strong false-alarm immunity. Networking uses C-WEB: a SAFEDLINK cluster links up to 32 panels (16 with a danger-management system), and a fibre backbone connects up to 14 clusters for an EN 54 system of up to 64 panels, up to 40 km on single-mode fibre. Management is via Cerberus DMS, Cerberus-Remote/Mobile, the Connect X300 cloud gateway and tiered BACnet.
The F220 is the flagship analogue-addressable panel from Pertronic Industries, a New Zealand manufacturer with a strong AU/NZ presence. It’s a modular, expandable, networkable panel approved to AS 7240.2 and ActivFire-listed, and the direct successor to the widely installed F120A (with an easy upgrade path).
Architecturally it favours scale within a single panel: 2 to 20 intelligent-addressable loops in two-loop increments, supporting up to 3,180 detectors (159/loop) plus up to 1,980 modules/MCPs/devices (99/loop), with loops up to 2,500 m. It runs a 32-bit RISC processor on Linux with a 7-inch colour LCD and — a standout for the AS/NZS market — integrated occupant warning: built-in EA60/EA120 amplifiers delivering up to 360 W of supervised 100 V audio per panel, with text-to-speech. The F220-Net2 network connects up to 160 panels over copper or fibre, with FireMap graphics and FireUtils configuration.
The two scale in different directions. Siemens packs more addresses onto each loop (252 C-NET elements) and offers a genuinely large single modular panel in the FC726 (up to 1,512 addresses across 28 loops). Pertronic instead lets one F220 grow very large in total device count — up to 3,180 detectors and 1,980 modules across 20 loops — but caps each loop at 159 detectors plus 99 modules. Siemens suits fewer, denser loops with clustered networking; Pertronic suits a lot of capacity concentrated in one panel.
On networking, Pertronic’s Net2 has the higher node ceiling — up to 160 panels, independently certified — versus Cerberus PRO’s 64-panel EN 54 system (32 per SAFEDLINK cluster). For very large multi-building estates Pertronic’s node count is an advantage; Siemens counters with a structured cluster-plus-backbone architecture and very long single-mode fibre reach (40 km between clusters).
Detection is Siemens’ strongest differentiator: its ASA neural detectors apply environment-specific signal analysis to separate real fire signatures from steam, dust and cooking aerosols, with a deep specialist range (aspirating, beam, flame, fire/CO, wireless) all on C-NET. Pertronic uses analogue-addressable sensors with multi-level thresholds, day/night sensitivity and “virtual detection” logic — capable and tightly aligned with AS/NZS alarm-management practice, though the raw signal-processing edge generally goes to Siemens.
Occupant warning is Pertronic’s home-ground advantage in the AS/NZS market. The F220 builds EWIS into the fire panel — EA60/EA120 amplifiers (up to 360 W), supervised 100 V speaker lines, signal generator, emergency microphone and text-to-speech, ActivFire-listed to AS 4428.16:2020. Cerberus PRO handles notification with sounders and voice-sounder beacons on C-NET and integrates with dedicated voice-evacuation equipment, but the integrated single-cabinet EWIS story is less central in this market.
On management and supply chain, Siemens offers the broader building-integration and cloud ecosystem (Cerberus DMS, Mobile, Connect X300, tiered BACnet) suited to enterprise multi-site portfolios; Pertronic answers with FireMap, FireUtils, bidirectional Modbus and read-only BACnet. Pertronic is a local NZ/AU manufacturer with short support lines and AS/NZS-first design, while Siemens brings global engineering depth and a multinational service network.
Both are high-quality, ActivFire-listed platforms capable of protecting demanding buildings — the better fit depends on detection environment, capacity and networking needs, how central integrated EWIS is, and the support relationship. Always confirm against current datasheets and a licensed fire designer’s engineered drawings.
Whichever panel is installed, a technically capable system is only as good as the inspection, testing and maintenance records behind it. In traqR, fire contractors can manage both platforms with structured asset registers, QR-coded devices, service history, defect tracking and client-facing reporting:
Siemens’ modular fire detection line, known for ASA multi-criteria detection and a global engineered-systems footprint.
Full deep-diveNew Zealand fire alarm panel manufacturer with a strong Australian footprint and a reputation for serviceability.
Full deep-diveThe Pertronic F220 — it carries up to 3,180 detectors plus 1,980 modules across 20 loops in one panel. The largest single Siemens Cerberus PRO panel, the FC726, supports up to 1,512 addresses across 28 loops. Siemens packs more addresses onto each individual loop (252 vs 159 detectors + 99 modules).
The Pertronic F220 over F220-Net2 connects up to 160 panels (independently certified). Siemens Cerberus PRO forms an EN 54 system of up to 64 panels (32 per SAFEDLINK cluster), but offers very long single-mode fibre reach of up to 40 km between clusters.
Siemens generally has the edge. Its ASA (Advanced Signal Analysis) neural detectors apply environment-specific signal analysis to distinguish real fire from steam, dust and cooking aerosols. Pertronic uses analogue-addressable sensors with multi-level thresholds, day/night sensitivity and “virtual detection” logic that aligns tightly with AS/NZS alarm-management practice.
The Pertronic F220 builds occupant warning into the panel — EA60/EA120 amplifiers up to 360 W, supervised 100 V speaker lines and text-to-speech, ActivFire-listed to AS 4428.16:2020. Cerberus PRO handles notification with sounders and voice-sounder beacons and integrates with dedicated voice-evacuation equipment for larger systems.
Yes. The Pertronic F220 is approved to AS 7240.2 and ActivFire-listed (afp-3054), with Net2 networking listed to AS 7240.13 and EWIS to AS 4428.16. Siemens Cerberus PRO is certified to EN 54-2/4 (CPR, VdS, LPCB) and ActivFire-listed for the Australian market — confirm the current listing and firmware for your region.
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