FUNCTIONING OF INTRUDER ALARM SYSTEM   by David Hardman

Intruder alarms are systems intended to watch home as well as commercial premises. If an unauthorized person enters these premises or tries damaging it in any way, the alarm will be set off and a central alarm-receiving centre (ARC) will be alerted about the situation. The object is to identify which areas are vulnerable to access from outside and protect these areas with contacts or sensors.

The ideal intruder alarm system should give the earliest possible warning of an intruder entering the premises. The system should otherwise give no false alarms, be easy to use, discrete in appearance and provide the user with peace of mind.

The main components of an alarm security system include -

1. Control panels which is the "brainpower" of the security system. The control panel is in a metal box to protect the gadget and is usually hidden from sight.

2. Security keypads are usually placed near a door to help one operate the system. The keypads inform the user about the status of the system.

3. Magnetic contacts and glass-break sensors protect doors and windows. The magnetic contact is attached to the door and the switch to the doorframe. When the door opens, separating the two, the system is set off. Glass-break sensors hear the sound shock wave of breaking glass, and then activate the system.

4. Sirens warn about an emergency condition by sounding an alarm. During an alarm, the throbbing light attracts attention to the alarm.

5. Motion detectors - Passive Infrared (PIR) motion detectors set off an alarm by sensing changes in infrared energy levels caused when an intruder moves about the protected area.

6. Remote monitoring - many systems also have a communication transmitter, which is connected via a telephone line to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). This relays the information to the police immediately, in case of a confirmed intrusion.

How does an intruder alarm system work?

Advanced security systems include passive infrared (PIR) motion detectors. These sensors "see" the infrared energy emitted by an intruder's body heat. When an intruder walks into the field of view of the detector, the sensor detects a sharp increase in infrared energy. As there will always be gradual fluctuation of heat energy in any area, PIR detectors are designed to trigger the alarm only when infrared energy levels change very rapidly.

An intruder alarm should have three essential elements - control, detection and warning. If any one of these is absent or functions poorly, then the system is unlikely to work properly when required. It may also unnecessarily give off false alarms, and create a disturbing environment for the neighbours. The system must be controlled and operated by sanctioned people only. Detection should be instant at the point of entry to a site, ideally when the intruder is still outside. Finally, the alarm should be immediate and audible enough to scare off the intruder, and the device should be able to immediately send a remote signal to an off-site location such as a monitoring centre.

To know more about Intruder Alarms & CCTV Systems visit http://www.msialarms.co.uk/.

About the Author

David Hardman is an owner of www.msialarms.co.uk; Visit the site(http://www.msialarms.co.uk) for more information about Intruder Alarm System.

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