FAQ

Minor firmware updates may be demonstrated and agreed by providing appropriate documentation.
Major firmware updates require a repeat functional test. However, to reduce costs we will carry these out as part of other product tests or we will combine firmware updates from several manufacturers into a combined tests a few times a year

The system is tested to work with the system Dante, AES67, AES3 or analogue audio.

Accessories are tested with the product so all options are covered

Connections outside of a rack can be fibre, GPIO, AES3 or analogue audio. Copper IP connections to distributed racks are currently not supported.

Yes, there are connections for fire alarm input, voice alarm condition output and fault output

No, this entire project only relates to voice alarm electronics, not loudspeakers active or passive

Yes you can. Some manufacturers want to demonstrate that a sister product will not disrupt the critical operation of the voice alarm system. Such an item goes through simplified tests and is added to the certificate as a non-critical item

As part of the product testing process manufacturers of each product. you have to issue confidential information such as software and diagrams to the laboratory. This is usual for product testing. We ensure that none of this information is passed between manufacturers. The most sensitive information goes directly to the test laboratory so even we don’t see it

At present the certificate is for EN 54-16, we are investigating the option for ISO and Australian/New Zealand certificates as they are sister standards

No, our experience is that manufacturers have had to do almost no engineering. We handle all the programming and integration. We will need to take up time with your compliance and certification manager

Most voice alarm projects require redundancy to ensure the system is sufficiently resilient in an emergency. EN 54-16 lists redundant amplifiers as an ‘option with requirements’ (Clause 13.14). This means that the product doesn’t have to include redundant amplifiers but if it is then additional tests must be carried out by the certification laboratory.

Many voice alarm systems use a hot-swappable amplifier that must automatically replace the faulty item within 10 seconds of failure.

The PAVA Facilities Voice Alarm system is designed for high-power high performance applications and it is likely that all such installations would be redundant. The system has been tested and certified with the redundancy option.
Many of the certified amplifiers are multi-channel so it’s not practical to hot swap these. Therefore the recommended approach is to use a different amplifier for each A and B circuit.

This is usual practice on voice alarm projects using professional audio equipment. Zones are interleaved on their A and B circuits.This approach provides true redundancy for every zone. Multiple amplifiers can fail and you still have all zones operational. Since all channels are running all the time there is no (up to 10 second) gap in service whilst a hot swap amplifier cuts in.