PA System Design Fundamentals (Book 1) PDF

Content Page
Introduction.................................................................................... 3
Section A
5 Stages in PA System............................................................................................ 5
Section B
5 Design Levels in PA System............................................................................... 9
Section C
5 Design Considerations in PA System................................................................ 17
Section D
5 Design Steps of a PA System............................................................................. 23
Section E
Advancement in the PA System Industry............................................................. 37
Section F
Component Selection Guide............................................................................... 45
Microphone Selection Guide................................................................................... 46
Power Amplifier Selection Guide........................................................................... 47
Line Supervisory Selection Guide......................................................................... 48
Loudspeaker Selection Guide................................................................................ 50
Product References Table
- Design Level 1 & 2................................................................................................. 54
- Design Level 3........................................................................................................ 56
- Design Level 4........................................................................................................ 58
- Design Level 5........................................................................................................ 60
Section G
Design Template..................................................................................................... 63
Design Level 1............................................................................................................... 64
Design Level 2............................................................................................................... 66
Design Level 3............................................................................................................... 68
Design Level 4............................................................................................................... 70
Design Level 5............................................................................................................... 74
Estimating Equipment Rack Space Requirement........................................... 78
1
Page
Section H
Installation Guide.................................................................................................................... 79
Cable Specification................................................................................................................................ 80
Conduit & Trunking Specification..................................................................................................... 80
Testing & Commissioning.................................................................................................................... 81
Common Challenges Faced During Installation......................................................................... 86
Maintenance.............................................................................................................................................. 88
Section I
PA System - Overall System Specifications........................................................... 89
Design Level 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 90
Mixer Amplifier PA System
Design Level 2 ....................................................................................................................................... 94

Programmable Preamplifier PA System
Design Level 3 ....................................................................................................................................... 99

Modular Mixer PA System
Design Level 4 ....................................................................................................................................... 105

Digital Matrix PA System
Design Level 5 ....................................................................................................................................... 111

Early Evacuation PA System
Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................... 119
2
Introduction
Over the recent years, Public Address System has been evolving to cater for the many new demands in
managing the audio signal paths. These new demands are mainly to facilitate the operators of different
types of buildings and complexes to perform more complex simultaneous broadcasting of different
paging, digital announcements and background music. Moreover the increase in demand of the Public
Address System to serve as a life-saving and emergency evacuation system has also spurred innova-
tions in these systems.
The purpose of this book is to simplify the complexity of the Public Address System that is now
commonly used. It also attempts to explain the easy-way on how to design Public Address System from
basic applications to the more complex ones.
Section A 5 System Stages in PA system Section F Component Selection Guide
This section will provide design engineers with an This section will enable the design engineer to select the
overview of all the 5 system stages that are required to required components from our range of products once
specify a PA System. the design engineer has defined the specifications and
quantity of the required source and output equipment.
Section B 5 Design Levels in PA System Section G System Schematic Examples
This section will define the 5 different design levels of PA This section consists of 5 different system schematic
Systems: From a simple plug-and-play mixer-amplifier examples for every of the 5 design levels explained in
system for small scale applications to the Early Evacuation Section B. These system schematics serves as an
System (EES) for commercial and industrial applica- example of how a typical Public Address System is
tions. configured & illustrated in a schematic drawing.
Section C 5 Design Considerations in PA System Section H Installation Guide
This section will provide a more in-depth look at the 5 This section will identify and provide the design engineer
system stages of a PA System. Design engineers will be with information on various installation issues that must
guided through all of the components and consider- be considered during the installation process. Issues
ations that should be taken into account when designing such as cable selection and testing procedures will be
a PA System. discussed in this section.
Section D 5 Design Steps of a PA System Section I PA System Overall Specification
This section will explain the procedures involved in This section will discuss the overall system specification
specifying a PA System. A step-by-step guide is for typical applications, along with their benefits.
provided to the design engineer to aid in defining the
specifications and quantity of the required source and
output equipment.
Section E Advancement in the PA System Industry
This section aims to provide the design engineer with an

overview of the PA System industry and its current trends.
With an understanding of the technologies available and
the general direction of the industry, a PA system can be
effectively designed to leverage on technology effectively
and not solely for the sake of being high tech.
With all the sections mentioned above, we hope that this manual provides a comprehensive guide
for design engineers in designing and specifying PA Systems. For further design assistance, please
visit our website at www.aexsystem.com or contact your nearest AEX System representative.
3
Safety and Evacuation Standards
The design and manufacturing of Public Address systems
should take into consideration various international standards
for building safety and evacuation. These standards are set
in place to ensure safety of building occupants. AEX prod-
ucts and systems are designed to ensure these buildings
achieve these standards by providing the functions and
safety features required. Below are some relevant standards
that AEX System can comply with:
AS 60849
Australian National Standards for Emergency voice Evacuation
System Equipment
BS EN 60849
British National Standard for Emergency Voice Evacuation
System
IEC 60849
International Electrical Community Standards for Emergency
Voice Evacuation System Equipment.
JGJ/T16-92
Peoples Republic of China National Standards for Commercial
building Electrical Design Standard
GB/T50314-2000
Peoples Republic of China National Standards for Intelligent
Building Design
DIN EN 60849
German National Standard for Emergency Warning System
equipment
SS CP 25
Singapore National Standard for Emergency Voice Evacuation
System Equipment
4
ASection
5 Stages in PA System
The equipment in a typical PA System can always be categorized into 5 different stages.
The understanding of the purpose and function of each stage can provide the engineer
with a basis to start building a PA System.
Introduction to
Section A The 5 stages of a PA System are:
Systemstage Input Sources
Systemstage Preamplifier & Signal Management
Systemstage Power Amplifier
Systemstage Control & Monitoring
Systemstage Loudspeakers
The 5 System Stages outline the flow of data in a Public Address System from the Input
Sources, where information is received, to the Loudspeakers where information is
Systemstage relayed to the listener.
5
Section
A
Preamplifier &
Systemstage Input Sources Systemstage Signal Management
Emergency Microphone :
Emergency Handheld
Microphone
Mixer Amplifier
eMatrix
Paging Microphone :
Matrix Remote Desktop Programmable Preamplifier

Microphone Microphone
Digital Matrix
Sound Management System
Remote Paging 20-Zone Remote

Console Microphone
Modular Mixer System

Hand-Held
Remote Paging Console Microphone
Communication Panel
1 2 3 4
Digital Source Player :

Fibre Optic Transceiver
Digital Source Player
Early Evacuation
Management System
BGM Sources :
Tuner Cassette Desk CD Player
STAGE 1: Input Sources STAGE 2 : Preamplifier & Signal Management

There are 4 main types of input sources in a PA System: At Stage 2, the audio signals are received and amplified from the input
sources to a level suitable for the power amplifiers. This stage also manages
Emergency Microphone the input signals depending on their different priority levels. The equipment
Used during emergencies for manned evacuation (Highest Priority) required varies according to the number of inputs and outputs as well as
whether simultaneous broadcast is required.
Paging Microphone
Used for general paging and announcement (2nd Highest Priority) The available types of equipment are:
Digital Source Player Mixer Amplifier
Used for the playback of a selection of prerecorded digital This unit combines both the preamplifier & power amplifier in one package.
messages upon trigger (3rd Highest Priority) Priority management is achieved by muting the other inputs when the priority
input is in use.
Background Music (BGM) Sources
Examples are Digital Source Player, CD Player, Cassette Player and Programmable Preamplifier
Radio Tuner (Lowest Priority) This unit is packaged with a fixed number of selectable inputs and outputs.
Input signals can be set at 3 different priority levels.
In a PA System, the Priority Control of the above sources are very
important. Therefore all input sources should be identified and Modular Mixer
ranked in order of priority. This is to ensure that only the most This unit is comprised of a range of function specific modules. Users are able
important information (i.e. emergency evacuation) is broadcasted to create fully customized systems depending on their needs. There is no limit
through the system when required. on the number of inputs and outputs, but a normal system would comprise of
Emergency Paging, General Paging & BGM outputs. It manages the input
Fibre Optic Transciever signals in 3 selectable choices: Top Priority, FIFO Priority and Cascade Priority.
This unit caters for the designing and implementation of long
distance solutions. eMatrix Sound Management System
This unit supports 20 inputs and 60 pure audio outputs. Users can configure
the system to route 8 inputs to 60 outputs simultaneously, providing a multi-
channel sound management system. The routing patterns can be easily
configured via a Graphic User Interface.
Digital Matrix- Sound Management System

This unit can route up to 32 input sources to any of its designated outputs
(max. 128 nos.) in any pattern, configured by the user. The ability to convert
audio signals into the digital domain enables multi-channel sound manage-
ment & Simultaneous Broadcast of all inputs. The routing patterns and priority
level of each individual input can be configured via a Graphical User Interface.
Early Evacuation Management System

Built on the Matrix Sound Management platform, this unit is capable of
conducting fully automated concerted evacuation with User Programmable
Evacuation Patterns. The system is capable of delivering various simultaneous
6 messages to inform occupants what to do based on their location relative to
the emergency.
ASection
Power Control &
Systemstage Amplifier Systemstage Monitoring Systemstage Loudspeaker
VOLUME
Mixer Amplifier Amplifier Monitoring Unit

Spring Mounted Wall Mounted
Ceiling Loudspeaker Loudspeaker
Line Monitoring Unit

60W Audio Power Amplifier
Foreground Music Foreground Music
Loudspeaker Loudspeaker
Amplifier Supervisory Module
Horn Loudspeaker Bidirectional

Surface Mounted
Line Supervisory Unit Wall Loudspeaker

Automatic Changeover Unit
Loudspeaker Line Selector

Aluminium Column Wooden Column
360W Audio Power Amplifier Loudspeaker Loudspeaker
Program Timer
Sound Reinforcement Line Array

4 X 60W Audio Power Amplifier Audio Atteunator Loudspeaker Loudspeaker
STAGE 3 : Power Amplifier STAGE 4 : Control & Monitoring STAGE 5 : Loudspeaker

During the power amplification stage, the preampli- To ensure the integrity of the PA System, control and Loudspeakers are used to transduce electrical
fier signal from stage 2 is amplified to a 100V line to monitoring devices must be incorporated to monitor and energy from the power amplifiers into sound
drive the loudspeakers. Public Address amplifiers supervise the audio path from the microphone up to the energy, reproducing the audio signal from the
differ from the ordinary amplifier as they have one last loudspeaker. input source to the listener. Various types of
additional input for the Priority signal to override loudspeakers are available for specific applica-
both Paging & BGM during emergencies. They can Amplifier Monitoring Unit tions in a Public Address System such as:
also be powered by DC battery power in the event of This component provides visual & aural monitoring of
a power failure. Power amplifiers differ from each the amplifiers output at the equipment rack. Spring Mounted Ceiling Loudspeakers
other by output power capacity and type, such as:
Line Monitoring Unit Wall Mounted Loudspeakers
Mixer Amplifier This component uses DC method to monitor the Paging Horn Loudspeakers
This unit combines both the preamplifier & power loudspeaker lines for common faults such as short and
open circuit. Column Loudspeakers
amplifier in one package.
Foreground Music Loudspeakers
Single Channel Power Amplifier Amplifier Supervisory Module
This component monitors the operation of the power Bidirectional Loudspeaker
A dedicated amplifier unit with different output
power capacities e.g. 60W, 120W, 240W & 360W. amplifier for fault. Sound Reinforcement Loudspeaker
Line Supervisory Unit Weatherproof Loudspeakers

Multichannel Power Amplifier
An amplifier unit with multiple amplifier modules in a This component uses impedance measurement to Line Array Loudspeakers
single package i.e. 4 nos. of 60W modules, housed monitor the loudspeaker lines for common faults such
in an amplifier unit. as shorts and open circuits as well as ground leak.

This component is used to switch over the operation of
a faulty amplifier to a standby unit when it receives a fault
report from the Amplifier Supervisory Module.
Loudspeaker Line Selector

This component is used for the purpose of zone On/Off
switching and selection between Paging and BGM for
dual amplifier configuration.
Program Timer
The component provides a number of user pre-
scheduled dry contact triggers to other external
equipments.
Audio Attenuator
This component attenuates the sound level at the
installed area to the preference of the user.
7
PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Section
B 5 Design Levels in PA System
5 Design Levels in PA System
This section simplifies the design of PA System into 5 different Design Levels. These
Introduction to levels range from a basic Plug & Play design (Design Level 1) to a more complex
Section B digital system which encompasses Early Emergency Evacuation System with long
distance audio transmission over fibre-optic as an option (Design Level 5). The under-
standing of these 5 Design Levels can provide the design engineer an easier task to
choose a particular design level to suit his project at hand.
The main differences of these 5 Design Levels is in the signal management of the pre-
amplifier stage.
The System Features, Technical Features and Applications will be discussed for each
level. The system levels mainly differ at the Preamplifier and Signal Management Stage.
9
Section
Design Level 1 systems are inherently standalone, desktop Public Address systems. With its combination of preamplifier and power
amplifier, the system is easy to configure and use. Applications for this systems are limited to small setups such as restaurants, small
retail outlets and small offices.
Characteristics of a Design Level 1 system are as below;

Applications :
Number of Preamplifier & Power Amplifier Control & Monitoring Number of
F & B Outlets Input Sources Signal Management Loudspeaker
Health & Fitness Clubs Fixed Analogue Signal Fixed Not Available Limited
Management - Single
Retail Outlets Audio Output
Personal Care Salons No Automated Evacuation

Capabilities
Small Offices
As shown in the table above, Design Level 1 systems have a fixed number of input sources as the preamp modules are built into the
(Any requirements of equipment, thus it is not possible to add additional sources should they be required. Design Level 1 systems are based on analogue
a Basic PA System) technology with a single audio output and fixed amplification power rating. Having a fixed amplification power rating also limits the
number of loudspeakers that can be connected to the system.
Due to the small and simple nature of the system, Control & Monitoring equipment are limited or not required altogether. The example
below depicts a typical Design Level 1 system.
Preamplifier, Signal Management

Input Sources Control & Monitoring Loudspeaker
& Power Amplifier
Desktop Microphone
Mixer Amplifier
CD Player
System Features
Simplicity Of Use
The combination of preamplifier and power amplifier gives the system
Plug & Play functionality.
Minimal Integration of Equipments

The connection of a loudspeaker line & microphone makes the PA
System ready for use.
Desktop Application
An equipment rack is not necessary for system setup.
Technical Features Applications

Microphone & Auxiliary inputs Small Offices
Bass & Treble control Health & Fitness Clubs (Any requirements of a Basic
PA System)
Master Volume Retail Outlets
30, 60 & 120W Power Output Personal Care Salons
10
Section
To compensate for the Design Level 1 systems fixed amplification power that is built as an all in one package, Design Level 2 systems are
based on a preamplifier unit separated from the power amplifiers. Design Level 2 systems are also capable of integrating with control and

monitoring equipment and are usually applied in small and medium scale offices, factories and schools among others.
Characteristics of a Design Level 2 system are shown below;

Applications : Characteristics of a Design Level 2 system are shown below;
Schools Number of Power Amplifier Control & Monitoring Number of
Preamplifier &
Input Sources Signal Management Loudspeaker
Place of Worship
Small & Medium Scale Fixed Analogue signal Variable Available Unlimited
management - Dual
Offices simultaneous audio output
Factories & Workshops No automated evacuation

capabilities
As depicted above, the system still has a fixed number of input sources and is based on an analogue technology. Utilizing analogue
technology posses a limitation on the number of simultaneous outputs the system is capable of, Design Level 2 systems are usually
confined to 2 simultaneous audio outputs at once, catering for Background Music and Paging.
However with the preamplifier separated from the Power Amplifiers, this allows for a variable amplification power rating, where power
amplifiers can be added in accordance to the requirements. This feature thus allows the number of loudspeakers connected to the system
to be unlimited as amplifiers can always be added to accommodate additional loudspeakers. The example below depicts a typical Design
Level 2 system;
Preamplifier &
Input Sources Power Amplifier Control & Monitoring Loudspeaker
Signal Management
Amplifier Monitoring Panel
Paging
Paging Microphone Paging
Paging Console BGM Line Selector

Communication Panel
Programmable Preamplifier
BGM
Emergency Microphone Power Amplifier
Amplifier Changeover Unit

Standby Power Amplifier
System Features Technical Features

Multiple number of input with selectable input levels Multiple inputs (Microphone / Auxiliary) (balanced) with muting
The system is able to receive 3 groups consisting of 8 inputs total (6 control
inputs selectable between -2dBV or -62dBV and 2 fixed auxiliary
Line level output and 1 Rec output for External Recorder
inputs)
Bass & Treble control
Uninterrupted BGM (2 Audio Output Channels) Optional Chime/Siren Module
The system can be configured in a dual amplifier configuration where
Dual mode power supply of either AC mains or DC battery supply
paging & BGM are operated by two different sets of amplifiers
independently. Thus, BGM will not be interrupted at areas where
paging is not intended.
Applications
3 Priority Levels (Emergency, Paging & BGM)
Emergency paging will take priority over normal paging. Lead paging Schools
will take priority over normal paging. Normal paging will take priority
over BGM. Places of Worship
Small & Medium scale Offices
Increased Amplification Power
Factories & Workshops
Power amplification available: 60W, 120W, 240W, 360W & 480W per
amplifier. Multiple units can be used to configure a system that
requires higher amplification.
11
Section
Design Level 3 systems are based on a modular mixer Preamplifier & Signal Management. Unlike Design Level 2 systems, this allows
the system to have a variable number of input sources which can be increased or decreased to suit an application. With its flexibility in
being a modular system, Design Level 3 systems can be configured for multichannel input sources suiting applications such as hotels
and factories.
Applications :
Characteristics of a Design Level 3 system are shown below;
Higher Learning
Institutions Number of Preamplifier & Power Amplifier Control & Monitoring Number of
Input Sources Signal Management Loudspeaker
Place of Worship
Variable based Analogue Signal Variable Available Unlimited
Office Buildings on user Management - Multiple Audio
requirements input and output
Large Scale Factory
No automated evacuation
capabilities
Government Building
As depicted above, the system has a variable number of input sources. Similar to Design Level 2 systems, a Design Level 3 system is
Supermarkets based on an analogue technology. Due to its modularity, a system with multiple inputs and outputs can be configured.
Hotels Multiple audio inputs and outputs are suitable for applications that require different background music and even announcements to be
broadcasted to different zones. The system also allows for a variable amplification power rating, where power amplifiers can be added
Public Transport in accordance to the requirements. However the Design Level 3 does not allow simultaneous paging of microphones.
Stations
The example below depicts a typical Design Level 3 system;
Shopping Mall
Preamplifier &
Input Sources Power Amplifier Control & Monitoring Loudspeaker
Museums Signal Management
Program Timer
Paging
VOLUME
Remote Paging Console Amplifier Monitoring Panel

Paging
Paging Console Line Selector

Communication Panel
BGM
Modular Mixer System
Emergency Microphone BGM Line Supervisory Unit
Digital Source Player Power Amplifier

System Features
Modular Architecture
Modularity provides the flexibility to configure the system to the needs
of the user without the extra cost of unused inputs or outputs. It also
allows for future expansion of additional inputs and outputs.
Configurable Into a Multi-Channel Preamplifier

This system provides the flexibility to add multiple input sources (more
than Design Level 2) which suit installations such as hotels and
factories.
Technical Features Applications
Modular mixer enclosure houses different function specific modules. Higher Learning Institutions Hotels
Additional modules are to be housed in another enclosure linked to the Place of Worship Public Transport Stations
main mixer enclosure.
Office Buildings Shopping Mall
Bass & Treble control
Large Scale Factory Museums
Optional Chime/Siren Module
Government Building
Dual mode power supply of either AC mains or DC battery supply
User programmable functions for priority settings and external device Supermarkets
interface
12
Section
Design Level 4 systems are based on digital signal Preamplifier & Signal Management. This allows for multiple simultaneous audio paging
& broadcast, controlled by software configuration. Running in the digital domain also allows a host of programmable functions such

automated operation with time scheduling, self-diagnostics and multi-system interfacing. Multi-system interfacing is essential in most
modern facilities as it allows all the Extra Low Voltage (ELV) systems ie; security systems, fire alarm systems, CCTV systems, etc. In a
building to be integrated providing better value to building owners. Applications for Design Level 4 systems are mixed developments,
Applications :
intelligent high-rise buildings, hotels and shopping malls.
Mixed Developments Number of Preamplifier & Power Amplifier Control & Monitoring Number of
(Shopping Mall, Hotel, Input Sources Signal Management Loudspeaker
Office)
Variable based Programmable Digital Signal Management - Variable Available with Unlimited
Intelligent High-Rise on user Multiple audio input and output with multi-system interfacing
Buildings requirements simultaneous paging capabilities.
Limited automated evacuation capabilities.

Exhibition &
Convention Centres As depicted above, a Design Level 4 system or more commonly referred to as a matrix system in the industry is based on a digital Preampli-
fier & Signal Management. The system works by converting all analogue input sources into the digital domain for management and routing
Hotels & Resorts to their appropriate zones. This allows for simultaneous paging of multiple microphones at the same time to different zones.
Theme Parks The system also allows integrating with other ELV systems such as Close Circuit Television (CCTV) systems, fire alarm panels and intrusion
alarm systems by providing control input as well as output trigger signals to externals systems.
Multi Campus
Universities
Sport Complexes Preamplifier & Control &

Input Sources Power Amplifier Loudspeaker
Signal Management Monitoring
Public Transportation
Airport
Ferry Terminal
Railway Station
MRT Matrix Remote Microphone
Internet Connectivity Panel
VOLUME
Department Stores
Zone amplifiers Amplifier Monitoring Panel
Matrix Remote Microphone

Zone amplifiers Integrated
Digital Matrix Supervisory Unit
Zone amplifiers
(or)
Zone amplifiers
Analogue Handheld eMatrix

Microphone Zone amplifiers
Power Amplifier
Addressable Fire
Alarm System Standby Power Amplifier
System Features
Simultaneous Paging & Broadcast System Surveillance & Self Diagnosis
The system allows multiple inputs with a combination of paging, BGM & The system performs constant surveillance of the audio path, starting
digitally prerecorded messages to be simultaneously broadcasted to a from the paging console right up to the last loudspeaker, ensuring
maximum of 128 zones. The audio routing patterns can be modified at continuous and uninterrupted operation. The system is also able to
any time through the use of an intuitive GUI. carry out a self-diagnosis check at fixed intervals and report the results
in its event log.
Remote Zone Paging Up to 1.2 km
The system has Remote Microphone functionality which performs Automated Operation with Time Scheduler
remote zone paging away from the equipment rack. Digital communica- Automated prescheduled message and program playback to all zones
tion reduces microphone cabling by 80%, thus reducing cabling cost. minimises the need for human intervention.
System Surveillance & Self Diagnosis Internet Connectivity Technology
The system performs constant surveillance of the audio path, starting The system can be monitored and configured via the Internet when the
from the paging console right up to the last loudspeaker, ensuring system is connected to the Internet Connectivity Panel. The system is
continuous and uninterrupted operation. The system is also able to also able to send emails to preprogrammed addresses for every reported
carry out a self-diagnosis check at fixed intervals and report the results fault found during system surveillance and self diagnosis.
in its event log.
Windows Based GUI Technical Features

A simple to use Windows based graphical user interface provides ease
of system configuration and monitoring with 2 levels of password Simultaneous multiple inputs & outputs
protection to prevent unauthorized access to the system. Remote paging function
Multi-System Interfacing Modular Architecture
The system is able to interface with other building services such as fire Expandable loudspeaker zones
alarm, security, and management systems as well as a master clock to
ensure time synchronization. Internet connectivity
Modular Architecture Applications

Modularity provides the flexibility to configure the system to the needs
of the user without extra cost in unused inputs or outputs. It also allows
Mixed Development Sport Complexes
for future expansion of additional input sources, output zones, to (Shopping Mall, Hotel, Office)
receive external triggers and provide control to other systems or Public Transportation
devices. Intelligent High-Rise Buildings Airport
Exhibition & Convention Centres Ferry Terminal
Windows Based GUI Railway Station
A simple to use Windows based graphical user interface provides ease Hotels & Resorts MRT
of system configuration and monitoring with 2 levels of password Theme Parks Department Stores 13
protection to prevent unauthorized access to the system.
Multi Campus Universities
Section
Design Level 5 systems are able to conduct fully automated evacuation procedures. Often referred to as Early Evacuation Systems (EES)
matrix in the industry, these systems are capable of providing voice instructions informing building occupants what to do during an
emergency depending on where they are relative to the threat.
Applications :
Applications for Design Level 5 systems are mixed developments, intelligent high-rise buildings, hotels, shopping malls and wide spread
Mixed Development facilities.
(Shopping Mall, Hotel,
Office) Characteristics of a Design Level 5 system are shown below;
Intelligent High-Rise Number of Power Amplifier Control & Monitoring Number of
Preamplifier &
Buildings Input Sources Loudspeaker
Signal Management
Multi Complex
Manufacturing Variable based Programmable Digital Signal Management - Variable Available Unlimited
on user Multiple audio input and output with
Facilities requirements simultaneous paging capabilities
Exhibition & Fully automated concerted evacuation

Convention Centres capabilities
Hotels & Resorts Under normal operating conditions the Design Level 5 system is very similar to a Design Level 4 in terms of its digital matrix capabilities.
Design Level 5 system also allows integration with other ELV systems such as Close Circuit Television (CCTV) systems, fire alarm panels
Theme Parks and intrusion alarm systems by providing input sensors as well as output trigger signals to externals systems. During an emergency, the
system will provide an automatic simultaneous voice assisted evacuation. These evacuation procedures are progressive in nature aimed
Multi Campus at managing the flow of human in the fire-escape.
Universities
Preamplifier & Control &

Input Sources Power Amplifier Loudspeaker
Signal Management Monitoring

Internet Connectivity Panel
VOLUME

Zone amplifiers
Line Supervisory Unit

Matrix Remote Microphone Zone amplifiers
Digital Matrix
Early Evacuation
Management System
Zone amplifiers
Analogue Handheld
Microphone
Zone amplifiers
DS 202 All Call Manual Line Selector
Zone amplifiers
DS 202
Power Amplifier
Emergency Panel
Addressable Fire
Alarm System
Automatic Changover Unit
System Features Technical Features

Phased Evacuation Digital Audio Matrix Time Scheduler
In the event of an internal hazard such as a fire, gas leak or bio-hazard, the
system is capable of conducting a phased evacuation. The evacuation Remote Paging Function Priority Mic Queuing
message will start from the source zone, and progressively be broadcast Control Input & Output for Interfacing
to adjacent zones until the whole building is evacuated.
Expandable Loudspeaker Zones
Optimum Evacuation Event-Logging Capability
In the event of an external hazard such as bomb threat or collapse of an
adjacent building, the system is capable of evacuating building Supports Dual-CPC redundancy
occupants in an optimal manner to minimize evacuation time and
minimize casualties.
Applications
Automatic Simultaneous Voice Assisted Evacuation
This system achieves optimal evacuation by broadcasting multiple Mixed Development
simultaneous messages. (Shopping Mall, Hotel, Office)
Intelligent High-Rise Buildings
Manual Voice Assists Evacuation
The system displays the areas that have been automatically evacuated Multi Complex Manufacturing Facilities
and allows Firemen to conduct a manual evacuation of remaining areas
Exhibition & Convention Centres
via microphone & line selector.
Hotels & Resorts
In Accordance of IEC 60849
Theme Parks
(Sound Systems for Emergency Purposes)
14 The Early Evacuation System complies the hardware requirements of IEC Multi Campus Universities
60849.
Section
Summary of Differences in the Design Levels & Applications

Input Source Fixed number of inputs Fixed number of inputs Expandable based on Expandable based on Expandable based on
and output and output users requirement users requirement users requirement
Preamplifier Unable to conduct Supports a fixed number Supports expandable Digitally managed with Similar to Design Level 4
simultaneous paging of multiple inputs but inputs but limited to 2 easy integration with but provides an advanced
& Signal
and BGM. unable to conduct outputs. Unable to BMS Systems. preprogrammed
Management simultaneous paging. conduct simultaneous Capable of simultaneous life-saving evacuation
paging. paging and BGM plan during emergencies.
broadcast.
Power Amplifier Limited and Expandable in Similar to Design Level 2 Each loudspeaker zone Similar to Design Level 4,
unexpandable. accordance to but allows for limited powered by individual but with added real-time
requirement. emergency override. amplifiers. amplifier diagnostic and
fault monitoring.
Control & Limited interface with Capable of interfacing Able to provide local Conducts digital System integrity is of
control devices. No with some control and control and monitoring self-diagnostics and paramount importance,
Monitoring monitoring equipment monitoring equipment. of limited system automatic response to system capable of dual
available. peripherals. system faults. redundancy and also
reports diagnostic faults
via internet.
Loudspeaker Typically cost effective Typically cost effective Loudspeakers capable Better frequency Similar to Design Level 4
loudspeakers. loudspeakers. of a minimal level of response loudspeakers but with loudspeakers
accepted clarity. with bass supplements placement designed to
for BGM. meet Speech
Transmission Index (STi)
recommendations.
Automated Not Available Capable of manually Capable of a single step Capable of simultaneous Similar to Design Level
conducted ALL CALL ALL CALL or manual digitally recorded 4, but can be digitally
Evacuation
voice evacuation. paging to individual paging. programmed to a
zones evacuation. specific evacuation plan
of a building.
Applications
Hotels
3 Stars - -
4 Stars - - -
5 Stars - - - -
Airports
Domestic/Small - - -
International - - -
Education Institution
Schools
Universities - -
Multi-campus Uni. - - -
Hospitals
Small Scale - -
Large Multi-block - - -
Sports Facilities
Indoor Stadium - - -
Outdoor Stadium - - -
Swimming Complex - - -
Veledome - - -
Apartments - -
Exhibition Centers - - -
F&B Outlets
Military Facility/Camp - - -
Shopping Complex - -
15
Section
C 5 Design Considerations in PA System
5 Design Considerations in PA System
Having understood the 5 Design Levels, the design engineer should try to understand the
building operators requirement in a Public Address System. In trying to gauge the
operators requirement, there are basically 5 design considerations the design engineer
Introduction to should address. A good understanding of these 5 design considerations will allow the
Section C design engineer to configure a PA System which is custom-designed and application
specific to the building operator.
The 5 design considerations are:
Design Signal Management

Consideration
Design System Monitoring & Integrity

Consideration
Design Integration With Other Systems

Consideration
Design Technology Involved

Consideration
Design Design User Friendliness

Consideration Consideration
17
Section
Each of the 5 design considerations would consider equipment from certain

stages in a PA System. The line drawing below shows the 5 stages of a Design
Level 4 PA System along with some sample equipment as a reference.
Preamplifier &
Power Control &

Systemstage Input Sources Systemstage Signal Management Systemstage Amplifier Systemstage Monitoring Systemstage Loudspeaker
VOLUME
PA Zone
Amplifier Monitoring Unit
iX 151
(AM 10)
PA Zone
iX 151
4 X 60W Audio Power Amplifier Integrated
Supervisory Unit
Tuner iX 101 (LA 08) PA Zone
Cassette Desk
1 2 3 4
PA Zone
DS 202 FT 811

PA Zone
+ +
PC
+ +
Battery Changer PA Zone
Fire Alarm
PA Zone
Battery
Building Management /
Information System
PA Zone
Intercom System
Security System
Types of BGM players:
Design Digital Music Player
Consideration Signal Management MD Player

CD Player
The PA Systems signal management complexity is determined by the Cassette Deck Player
following information gathered by the design engineer from the AM / FM Tuner
building owners and operators. This design consideration covers 4
main points (1.1 ~ 1.4) and affects equipment from Stage 1- Input When to broadcast the Pre-Recorded Broadcast options:
Source, Stage 2- Preamplifier & Signal Management, Stage 5- Continuous broadcasting
Loudspeaker
Automatic routine broadcast during the day
1.1 Input Sources Information Automatic routine broadcast for everyday

The input source information is needed to determine the PA Automatic routine broadcast for certain special days
System audio input channels management. The information Broadcast upon triggering of other systems or services
needed is as follow:
Types of input signal for the PA system:
1.2 PA Zone Allocation Information
Emergency paging The zone allocation information is required to determine the
General paging number of output zones to be controlled by the PA System.
Pre-recorded message Separate zones facilitate separate broadcast and control.
Background music (BGM)
Zone separation can be performed based on the following
methods:
Paging station allocation for:
Evacuation plan zoning
Emergency / Firemen paging
Floor-by-floor zoning
Control Room Operator paging
Functional areas zoning
Security Officer paging
Receptionist paging
Manager paging
Others
18
Evacuation plan zoning defines zone by evacuation group. They Early Evacuation management:
Section
are based on the following: Early Evacuation for internal hazards
Fire compartment zones for a large area, zones are defined
- Fire Hazard
to enable optimal evacuation should the need arise.
Early Evacuation for fire hazard and other building threats

Escape route / staircase zones
- Bomb Threat
Outdoor zones
- Neighbouring Building on Fire
- Bomb Threat from Neighbouring Building
Floor-by-floor zoning defines zone by floor. They are divided
based on the following:
One zone per floor 1.4 Amplifier Sizing/Calculation
Sub-zone for rooms on the same floor There are significant differences in design philosophy between Design
Staircase as a separate zone Level 1, 2 & 3 and Design Level 4 & 5.
These differences affect amplifier allocation and calculation as well as

control and monitoring equipment.
Functional area zoning defines zone by functional area.
Examples of different or special functional areas are as follow: The system limitations of Design Level 1, 2 & 3 mean that multiple zones
Back-of-house zone for hotels and resorts will share a single amplifier. Design Level 4 & 5 allow full utilisation of the
Nurse quarters and patient zones for hospitals and medical Matrix Systems capabilities by allowing each zone a dedicated
centers amplifier.
Waiting lounges zone for airports and terminals
The following diagrams illustrate the considerations needed for amplifier
Anchor tenant zone for shopping complexes and depart- sizing in a Design Level 3 and a Design Level 4 environment:
mental stores
Exhibition hall zone for convention centers
The design engineer may consider choosing one of the zoning Preamplifier &
Control &
methods to apply into the project design or integrate all three Input Sources Signal Power Amplifier Loudspeaker
Monitoring
Management
methods at the same time to apply to a project.
Zone 1
Remote Paging
Console
1.3 Signal Management Information
Paging 20 nos.
CM 361 @ 3W
CP 102 Line Selector
Signal management information is required to determine the Modular Mixer System BGM Zone 2
20 nos.
intricacy of the PA System signal handling. This information will Cassette Deck Power Amplifier CM 361 @ 3W
also provide guidelines for the design engineer on deciding the Zone 3
appropriate Design Level (please refer back to page 9 to 15 for 25 nos.

CM 361 @ 3W
the Design Levels) for the project. Zone 4
30 nos.
Priority setting for all the paging stations: CM 361 @ 3W
Top priority for the Emergency microphone

Volume control overriding during emergency paging In a level 3 environment a single 360W amplifier can be used to power
Differentiating priority all microphones having different speakers in all zones.
priority levels
First in first serve priority
Microphone queuing
Preamplifier &
Control &
Paging management: Input Sources Signal Power Amplifier
Monitoring
Loudspeaker
Management
All zones BGM are automatically muted during paging
BGM is allowed on zones that are not paged
Zone 1
More than 1 paging is allowed at the same time simultaneous Zone 1
Power Amplifier 20 nos.
paging Zone 2
CM 361 @ 3W
Zone 2
Power Amplifier 20 nos.
BGM management: Matrix Remote Zone 3
CM 361 @ 3W
Line S upervisory Unit
Microphone Digital Matrix
1 BGM across all zones Sound
Power Amplifier
Zone 3
Management System 25 nos.
CM 361 @ 3W
Different BGM for different zones Cassette Deck
Zone 4
Zone 4
Automatic BGM switching at different time of the day Power Amplifier
30 nos.
CM 361 @ 3W
Automatic BGM level at different time of the day
Communication between PA systems: In a level 4 Matrix System environment, individual amplifiers are
Paging stations from first PA system can page the second required for each audio output zone.
PA system
It is important to keep these considerations in mind when conducting
Paging stations from first PA system can select specific amplifier allocation and calculation.
zones in the second PA system
Cross paging between 2 different PA system
Shared BGM for more than 1 PA system 19
2.5 Central Processing Card Backup
Section
The Central Processing Card (CPC) serves as the brain of the

Design System Monitoring entire Matrix System. Hence an automatic changeover to a
Consideration & Integrity standby CPC for any incidence of CPC failure is required to
ensure the integrity of a Matrix System. In order to achieve this, the

The most important purpose of a PA System is to handle emergency design engineer should consider a dual-CPC option for the Matrix
broadcasts and paging in order to conduct an effective evacuation. System where both master and slave CPC operate in the system
Hence it is imperative to ensure the integrity of the entire system via concurrently.
system monitoring and automatic changeover to backups. This design
consideration covers 7 main points (2.1 ~ 2.7) and affects equipment 2.6 Power Supply Backup
from Stage 1-Source, Stage 2-Preamplifier & Signal Management, Most building fires are caused by electrical short circuits, which
Stage 4-Control & Monitoring. in turn cut power to the entire building. Hence, it is critical to
backup the AC power supply to the PA System with a DC battery
2.1 Microphone Cable Monitoring and automatic charger.
As microphones & paging equipment are often located away from the
main equipment rack, it is important to frequently monitor their line
2.7 Methods of Monitoring
condition. The design engineer should choose one of two types of
The design engineer should consider the various methods of
microphones that allow for the microphone cable monitoring function:
monitoring the overall PA System. There are a few methods to
Microprocessor-based microphones that indicate condition of its monitor the PA System status:
data communication with the main communication panel in main Integrated monitoring the PA System status (especially the
equipment rack.
power amplifier status) is fed back to the Building Management
Digital microphones that provides a self-diagnosis pilot tone System which is managed by security officers and Building
check on its line condition (used in conjunction with the Matrix Maintenance officers at all time. The officers will be notified
System). of any fault in the PA System via the Building Management-
System
2.2 Matrix Self-diagnostic Monitoring On-line monitoring used when the Matrix System
The Matrix System is the most complex of all PA System levels, hence mainframe has a dedicated monitoring PC. The Matrix
its self-diagnosing feature is crucial to allowing the user to assess how System self-diagnosis results are directly fed into the
well the system is performing. The critical items that a Matrix System monitoring software
should check in its self-diagnosis routine are:
Central Processing Card error Off-line monitoring used when the Matrix System
All matrix cards mainframe does not have a dedicated monitoring PC. The
Controller Area Network error Matrix System self-diagnosis results are manually fed into
Extension Frame error the monitoring software at fixed intervals.
Audio path condition
DC supply (5Vdc and 24 Vdc) status Remote monitoring matrix self-diagnosis results are
AC mains status transmitted via the Internet.
Memory Battery status
2.3 Power Amplifier Monitoring and Automatic Changeover

The power amplifier is one of the most critical pieces of equipment,
hence it is essential that it be monitored with a power amplifier monitor- Design Integration with
ing panel, VU meter indicator and monitoring speaker. A visual and aural Consideration other Systems
alert should be triggered upon any detection of amplifier faults.
The advancement and convergence of technologies make it
A seamless automatic changeover to standby amplifier mechanism crucial for todays building services to be integrated as well as
upon any amplifier fault is vital to ensure the integrity of the entire PA provide centralized control and monitoring solutions to the
System. building owner. The following 5 examples (3.1 ~ 3.5) are building
services a design engineer can consider to integrate with and
their applications:
2.4 Loudspeaker Line Monitoring
Loudspeaker lines travel the longest distance through a building and 3.1 Fire Alarm System
are exposed to high risk of damage. They need to have dedicated This integration will provide fire alarm trigger signals to the PA
equipment to ensure their integrity. In certain countries, line monitor- System and allow the PA System to automatically broadcast any
ing has been made compulsory through their building codes of pre-recorded messages to the fire zones. Trigger signals from
practice, and more countries are beginning to adopt this practice. the Fire Alarm System can also be treated as a pre-confirmation
There are two different ways of monitoring a loudspeaker line: signal to launch the full-fledge automated Early Evacuation
DC method System (for projects under Design Level 5).
AC method
3.2 Building Management / Building Automation
Please refer to Section F Line Supervisory Equipment Selection Guide System
(page 48) for different application for loudspeaker line monitoring. This integration allows the PA System status, especially the
power amplifier status to be monitored by the Building Manage-
ment / Building Automation System. This centralized monitoring
allows for a more cost-effective and systematic operation for the
building owner.
20
Section
3.3 Intercom System
This integration allows any intercom calls to be broadcast via the
PA System loudspeakers. This is especially useful for factory Design
application where paging staff on the factory floors using a Consideration User Friendliness
C
centralized microphone is deemed impractical.
The design engineer should consider the user friendliness of the
system design to facilitate project installation, operation and maintenance.
3.4 Security System

User friendliness can come from the following 4 areas (5.1 ~ 5.4):
This integration provides security alarm trigger signals to the PA
System and allows the PA System to automatically broadcast
any pre-recorded messages to the intrusion zones. 5.1 Installation
This section refers to hardware installation. Easy to install hardware will
3.5 Building Information System reduce unnecessary costs by minimising human error and installation
This integration makes use of the building information systems time. Below are a few examples of installation friendly features a
to provide the building occupants with aural information. This is designer should consider:
especially useful in airports and any public transport depots
where the arrival and departure of any planes, trains or buses A spring-mounted ceiling loudspeaker takes less installation time
can be broadcast over the PA System using data of the existing than a screw-mounted ceiling loudspeaker.
information system. Minimisation of remote microphone cabling decrease the
possibility of human installation error.
A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) backplane modular system that

eliminates all jumper cutting is always easier to install compared
Design Technology to a hard-wired modular system.
Consideration Involved
5.2 Configuration
The design engineer will be required to consider the technology
This section refers to the matrix software configuration. It is important
involved in the design of a PA System. The use of current
to have a user friendly Graphic User Interface (GUI) to simplify the
technology is recommended to ensure that future support is
configuration steps. An intuitive configuration wizard will enable the
available in terms of system upgrades and maintenance. More
user to configure the system with minimal coaching.
importantly, the design engineer should choose a technology
that is widely used and be aware of the trends and direction of
5.3 Operation & Monitoring
the PA System industry. Below are 3 examples (4.1 ~ 4.3) of
The operation of the PA System equipment needs to be easy to
technological considerations:
comprehend and simple to handle. Clear indications on the LED or
LCD display allow users to monitor and operate equipment with ease.
4.1 Digital audio matrix management
Digital audio management allows multiple audio signals to be
managed digitally and without loss in signal quality. Hence 5.4 Maintenance
problems like audio interference and cross-talk can be totally Design engineer should also consider future maintenance requirements
eliminated. during the design stage. Here are a few basic pointers to follow:
4.2 Fiber-Optic Audio Transmission Loudspeakers installed at a convenient height or location will
Fiber-optic transmission allows for long distance audio and allow future service to be carried out with little difficulty.
control signals transmission. This usually involves a transceiver
that converts the analogue audio to digital format and transmits Spring-mount ceiling loudspeakers are easier to service
compared to screw-mount ceiling loudspeakers.
to another transceiver.
Equipment with Internet connectivity will be able to prompt the
There is a common misconception that fiber optics are always maintenance contractors on any system irregularities through
better regardless of the application, to the extend that systems emails.
that requires inter-equipment fiber-optic cabling are preferred. Equipment with Internet connectivity will also enable maintenance
contractors to be prepared when they come for equipment mainte-
Fiber-optic transmission are usually applicable for connecting nance service. They can log on to the monitoring webpage of the
local systems between buildings, for example university equipment via the Internet to check on any special component
campuses that are spread over a wide area and where cross replacement requirements before they proceed for the mainte-
building paging is required. For high-rise applications, where all nance service.
equipment are housed in a common area, fiber-optics becomes
an unnecessary cost factor as its doesnt serve its purpose of
long distance transmission.
4.3 Internet Connectivity & Encrypted Communication

Protection
Internet-enabled PA Systems make the monitoring of projects in
remote sites and different countries a cost-effective reality.
However when considering the use of the internet one must
always take into account communication protection. In todays
digital age requires data encryption to reduce the threat of
exposure to hackers. The design engineer should ensure proper
data encryption before transmitting or receiving over the
Internet.
15
21
Section
D 5 Design Steps of a PA System
5 Design Steps of a PA System
This section introduces a step-by-step thinking procedure when designing a PA
System. These are basically 5 steps in building a PA System design.
Introduction to Applying the knowledge from Section C, the design engineer can logically follow each
Section D of these 5 step in choosing one of the 5 design levels (Section B) and identify the
suitable equipment for each of the 5 stages of the PA System (Section A).
Designstep Input Source Selection
Designstep Zone Allocation and Loudspeaker Selection
Designstep Signal Management Selection
Designstep Power Amplifier Calculation & Backups
Designstep Control & Monitoring Selection
Each step would involve identifying requirements and equipment for each stage of the
Designstep PA System (discussed in Section A).
23
The line drawing below depicts a sample PA System, all the steps from step 1 to step 5 required to form the
system will be discussed within this section.
Section
Designstep Designstep Designstep Designstep Designstep


10 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
20 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
Digital Matrix
5 nos. FG 415 @ 23W
Analogue Handheld
Microphone
Power Amplifier 10 nos. FG 415 @ 23W

4 nos. RH 103 @ 30W

Addressable Fire
Alarm System
Designstep Input Source Selection
In this step, the design engineer needs to Messaging equipment: Used to broadcast pre-
determine the types and quantity of input signals recorded messages in a system. The pre-recorded
for the system. As mentioned in the previous messages can be controlled using a Program
section, the input types can be subdivided into Timer where messages are triggered to play at a
the following: specific time or intervals. Some messaging
equipment can also be used as a background
Emergency Microphone: Used during emergencies music player.
to conduct evacuation. This microphone is
usually placed in the Fire Command Center for Background Music Players: Equipment used to
easy access to the Fire Department authorities. provide background music to a building. Cassette
Analogue Handheld
Microphone Deck Player, CD Player or AM/FM Tuner are
Paging Stations: typical examples of background music players.
Paging Station without zone selection control
this paging station is suitable for systems
where zone selection is unnecessary or the Information on the quantity and types of input
paging station is situated near the PA equip- sources would differ from project to project and
Adressable Fire
Alarm System ment rack. would typically be provided by the building owner,
developer or consulting engineers.
Paging Station with zone selection control
this paging station is commonly used for When selecting the microphones try to keep in mind
remote paging; hence it is sometimes certain selections will affect Step 3 - Signal Management
referred to as a remote microphone. The and vice versa, i.e. the Matrix Remote Microphone is
zone selection feature is built into the paging only compatible with the Matrix System.
station where all the zone selection buttons
are incorporated into the paging station. The
zone selection method can be numerical
entry or specific button assignment.
24
Designstep Zone Allocation & Loudspeaker Selection
For zone allocation, the design engineer will need to Ambient or Environmental Noise Level: A table with the
Section
10 nos. CM 361 @ 3W refer to building schematics such as floor plans and Typical Noise Levels Of Common Area can be found in
elevation drawings to decide on the number of zones the the (page 31).
PA System should consist of. As discussed in the earlier
20 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
section, the ideal PA System zoning rules are as follows:
Based on the above considerations, the design

Evacuation plan zoning. engineer will be able to select the suitable loudspeaker
5 nos. FG 415 @ 23W with their respective power tapping. Please refer to
Floor by floor zoning. Section F Loudspeaker Selection Guide (page 50) for
loudspeaker selection. After the loudspeaker selection
Functional areas zoning. Example; back-of-house
10 nos. FG 415 @ 23W process, the design engineer can then proceed to plot
zone for hotels and resorts, nurse quarters and patient
the chosen loudspeaker onto the building floor plan
zones for hospitals and medical centers, waiting
based on the required Sound Class.
lounge zones for airports and terminals, anchor tenant
4 nos. RH 103 @ 30W
zones for shopping complexes and departmental
stores, exhibition hall zone for convention centers, etc.
Please note that for all the 3 zoning rules mentioned
above, it is advisable to allocate staircases and fire
escape stairwells as independent zones.
The design engineer will be required to consider the
architectural and acoustic requirements of the building
in order to propose the right type and quantity of
loudspeakers to be used. The considerations will consist of:
Sound classification required for the area (Please refer

to page 30 for the various sound classes and their
explanation.
Ceiling height.
Room Construction: For example with or without false
ceiling, room with or without acoustics / sound absorp-
tion material, etc.
Designstep Signal Management Selection

For this step the design engineer will need to decide on the Design Level to be incorporated into
the project. The Design Level selection will be based on the system application, signal manage-
ment complexity, number of audio input and output channels and number of control inputs and
outputs. As mentioned in the previous section, there are 5 Design Levels in a PA System.
Digital Matrix
Sound Management System Mixer Amplifier PA System
Programmable Preamplifier PA System
Modular Mixer PA System
Digital Matrix PA System
Early Evacuation PA System

The design engineer shall choose one of the 5 Design Levels and implement it into the Signal Manage-
ment Step of the PA System design.
25

Section
After plotting the loudspeaker and designing the signal management section, the design
engineer can calculate the power amplifier sizing, this determines the amount of power amplifi-
ers needed for the system. It is always good practice to allow 15% to 20% headroom for all the
power amplifiers used. This headroom is to allow for any loudspeaker line loss and future
loudspeaker addition purpose.
All the power amplifiers shall be supported by a standby amplifier. Ideally, for every 5 duty
amplifiers one standby amplifier should be provided as a backup. The standby amplifier rating
shall follow the highest rating amplifier among the 5 duty amplifiers. Any faulty amplifier among
the five duty amplifiers should be switched to the standby amplifier. This can be accomplished
using the automatic amplifier changeover unit that switches both the input signal and 100V
Power Amplifier output signal.
Amplifier sizing is greatly dependant on the number of speakers and the power tapping. Once
the speakers have been selected and plotted, the amplifier sizing can be calculated based on
the speaker quantity and power tapping.
7.5W
1.5W
Office
3W
Cafeteria Common Area
Take the sample floor plan above. Assuming a functional area zoning, the following zones can
be identified;
Zone 1 - Office
Zone 2 - Common Area
Zone 3 - Cafeteria
Once the zones have been identified, depending on the design level selected (as discussed on
pg15) the amplifier sizing will be calculated. Both configurations will be discussed below
starting from the conventional method using line selectors and the matrix configuration ;
Conventional System Amplifier sizing

Step 1 : Identify the quantity and tapping of speakers in each zone and list them out as shown
below.
Zone1, Office; 18 nos. Ceiling speakers @ 1.5W

(refer to
calculation) Zone2, Common area; 6nos. Ceiling speakers @ 3W
Zone3, Cafeteria; 4nos. Foreground speaker @ 7.5W
Line Selector
Step 2 : Because the system is split by line selectors, a single amplifier is typically used to
power all the zones collectively. In this case total power required:
75W = (18ceiling speakers x 1.5W) + (6ceiling speakers x 3W)

+ (4Foreground speakers x 7.5W)
Adding a 20% headroom to allow for a power tapping increase or having additional loudspeak-
ers will equal to a requirement for 90W, thus a suitable amplifier sizing would be one capable
of catering for a 100.8W load, for example a 120W Amplifier unit.

120 W Amplifier
Zone2, Common area; 6nos. Ceiling speakers @ 3W
Line Selector
26
Section
Matrix System Amplifier Sizing
The matrix amplifier sizing is calculated based on an amplifier per zone sizing without the use
of speaker line selectors.

Step 1 : Identify the quantity and tapping of speakers in each zone and list them out as shown
below.
Step 2 : Because the system requires an individual amplifier for individual zones, the power
requirement of the individual zones will have to be calculated.
Zone 1 : 27W = (18 x 1.5W)

Zone 2 : 18W = (18 x 3W)
Zone 3 : 22.5W = (4 x 7.5W)
Adding 20% headroom to allow for a power tapping increase or having additional loudspeakers
will result in the following:
Zone 1 : 27 + 20% = 32.4W

Zone 2 : 18 + 20% = 21.6W
Zone 3 : 22.5 + 20% =27W
With the calculated power requirements, appropriate amplifiers can be allocated to the
individual zones.

60 W Amplifier
60 W Amplifier

60 W Amplifier
Designstep Control & Monitoring
After determining the power amplifiers needed, the design engineer will be required to
Amplifier Monitoring Panel provide for the visual and aural monitoring of the power amplifiers. This consists of a VU
meter (visual monitoring) and built-in speaker (aural monitoring).
Line Selector Unit
Loudspeaker line monitoring is another important aspect of control & monitoring. There are
two methods of monitoring a loudspeaker line, the DC method and the AC method. The
difference between these two methods is illustrated in Section F Line Supervisory Equipment
Selection Guide (page 48). The DC method loudspeaker line monitoring is more suitable for
small scale projects where the loudspeaker quantity per zone is less, while the AC method is
more suitable for high speaker quantity zones. Both these loudspeaker line monitoring
devices are to be placed between the amplifiers and the first loudspeaker of the zone.
For Design Level 4 or 5, the design engineer must also monitor the Matrix System which can
Amplifier Supervisory Selector be accomplished via its event log. This event log can be transmitted over the Internet when
the optional Internet Connectivity Panel is used.
Finally, the design engineer would have to calculate the total power consumption of the entire
PA System based on the quantity of equipment used and design a suitable battery backup
system complete with an automatic battery charger.
27

Section
There are 2 types of power requirement to be calculated for a PA System, namely the AC
Power Requirement and the DC Battery Supply which is used to provide the secondary
supply requirements.
AC Mains Power Requirements
It is important to determine the total system AC Mains power requirements to ensure that
adequate supply is rating are allocated.
The first step would be to identify all the equipments that require power supply from the AC
mains supply. Some equipments do not connect directly to the AC Mains but through a low
voltage DC Power Supply unit.
These information can be obtained from the equipments user manual or technical datasheet.
Technical Specifications
PB 106 PB 112 PB 124 PB 136
Frequency Response at Rated Output 20 Hz to 20 kHz 20 Hz to 20 kHz 20 Hz to 20 kHz 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Power Consumption at rated output
ASM 01B Amplifier Supervisory Module Optional Accessory
The AEX SYSTEM ASM 10B Amplifier Supervisory Module is designed Connection Diagram
for use with the PB 100 Series Audio Power Amplifiers.
The unit superimposes a 20 kHz pilot signal onto the audio signal at
the preamp stage. During normal operation, the module will
continuously monitor the presence of the pilot signal at the amplifiers
output.
Failure to detect the pilot signal will constitute as an internal fault

within the amplifier. Upon detection of a fault the module will provide
a dry contact closure which can be used to activate external devices
such as automatic changover unit, central monitoring systems or fault
display panels.
Equipment technical specs
In the example above the PB 106 60W Power Amplifier consumes 200VA. Using the formula
for Power (VA), the current required for a single unit of amplifier can be calculated.
The example below is calculated based on a 240 Vac application.
P = VI
200 = 240 x I
I = 200/240
I = 0.833 Amperes
Once all the AC current of a single unit have been calculated, this can easily be multiplied by
the total number of similar amplifiers.
Battery Backup Supply
The DC Power requirements would indicate the battery backup sizing for the system. Here it
is important to note the DC power rating that the PA System accepts. Having a single brand
of PA System helps to minimize the complication of having to provide various DC voltage to
suit the various equipments.
Technical Specifications
PB 106 PB 112 PB 124 PB 136
Frequency Response at Rated Output 20 Hz to 20 kHz 20 Hz to 20 kHz 20 Hz to 20 kHz 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Power Consumption at rated output
Power Requirement
24 Vdc
ASM 01B Amplifier Supervisory Module Optional Accessory
The AEX SYSTEM ASM 10B Amplifier Supervisory Module is designed Connection Diagram
for use with the PB 100 Series Audio Power Amplifiers.
The unit superimposes a 20 kHz pilot signal onto the audio signal at
the preamp stage. During normal operation, the module will
continuously monitor the presence of the pilot signal at the amplifiers
output.
Failure to detect the pilot signal will constitute as an internal fault

within the amplifier. Upon detection of a fault the module will provide
a dry contact closure which can be used to activate external devices
such as automatic changover unit, central monitoring systems or fault
display panels.
Equipment technical specs
28
Section
Once the equipment have been identified, determine the Power Requirement from the
technical datasheet. In the example above the PB 106 60W Power Amplifier receives 24Vdc
battery backup and has a power requirement of 200VA.

Using the formula for Power (VA), the current required for a single unit of amplifier can be
calculated as follows.
P = VI
200 = 24 x I
I = 200/24
I = 8.33 Amperes
For the total DC current, multiply the DC current requirement of a single unit with the total
number of identical units and add the current requirements for all the other equipment would
The Backup Batteries are usually specified in Ampere Hours (aH). For example if battery
backup is only required for a single 60W amplifier for an hour. The battery specification should
read;
24Vdc, 8.33AH Battery backup.
This ensures that the battery is capable of supplying 24Vdc at 8.33A for an hour.
29
Classification of Sound
Section
It is important to classify sound to ensure that building owners are able to identify, distinguish and establish the quality of
sound in which to install into their building. While certain areas in a building might require good sound quality other areas
might just require a configuration capable of producing clear speech announcements.
The Classification of Sound provides a quantitative approach to defining sound quality and aid the design engineer in speci-
fying suitable sound classes to suit the various areas in a project.
There are 4 classes of sound with each sound class consist of 4 main components, namely; Loudness, Sound Coverage,
Speech Intelligibility and Frequency Response.
CLASS A CLASS B CLASS C CLASS D
Loudness + 12 dB + 12 dB + 9 dB + 9 dB
Sound Coverage < +/- 3 dB < +/- 3 dB 3 dB ~ 6 dB 3 dB ~ 6 dB
RaSTI 0.60 ~ 0.74 0.60 ~ 0.74 0.45 ~ 0.59 0.45 ~ 0.59
Freq Response 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz 75 Hz ~ 18 kHz 85 Hz ~ 16 kHz 600 Hz ~ 10 kHz

(minimally)
Class A Sound
Class A Sound provides music and speech reproduction of the highest quality. Countless research has shown that a top
quality sound is an integral part of customers' experience, with sound quality able to affect customers' perception of a
company's product and services.
Class A sound stresses on covering the whole frequency response curve sufficiently, usually utilizing subwoofers and high
quality tweeters to ensure crisp clear sound with a full enveloping bass response.
Class A sound applications: hotel main lobby, music halls, bars, restaurants, caf.
Class B Sound
Class B sound emphasizes on providing even coverage with good speech intelligibility. Class B sound configuration is still
able to re-produce an acceptable quality of background music, however less emphasis is placed on the low-end frequency
range.
Class B sound configurations are usually deployed in hotel corridors, shopping malls and transportation hubs.
Class C Sound
A Class C sound provides a balance between cost and sound quality. Providing adequate coverage with speech clarity and
sound pressure level appropriate for acceptable background music reproduction and clear announcements during emergen-
cies.
Class C sound requires loudspeakers that are designed to reproduce the human voice spectrum and BGM. As there is less
emphasis placed on providing seamless coverage, there are cost saving benefits derived from deploying fewer speakers.
Class C sound configurations are usually deployed at areas along the path of human traffic such as stairwells, corridors,
washrooms and offices.
Class D Sound
Class D sound are suitable for areas where announcements are priority. Class D sound is not suitable for music reproduction.
Emphasis is instead placed on delivering a life saving announcement with sufficient speech clarity, intelligibility and loudness
to areas with high ambient noise.
Class D sound requires loudspeakers that are able to minimally reproduce the human voice frequency spectrum for only
announcement and evacuation. Placements of the loudspeakers minimally cover work areas such as back-of-house areas,
mechanical rooms and workshop.
30
Acoustical Design Requirements
Section
1. Loudness
In order for a public address broadcast to be audible to the listener, the SPL at the listening level should minimally
be 6 dB higher than ambient noise. For example, in an office area where the total ambient noise (incl. human noise,

air conditioning, office equipment, etc.) is 50 dB, the public address system shall be able to produce an SPL of 56
dB at listening level. The requirement for the SPL difference between ambient & produced sound signal can be 10
dB in cases where better sound quality is required ie. Conference Room, Hotel Ballroom or Lecture Theatre. Below
is a list of typical noise level found in some common public areas. The list provides only an approximate guide to the
system designer while keeping in mind that the value may be different from actual due to human and environmental
factors.
Typical Noise Level Of Common Areas

Typical Noise Level (dB)
Airport
Washroom 50 - 55
Public Area 55 - 65
Retail & F&B Outlet 60 - 70
Arrival & Departure Hall 70 - 80
Convention & Exhibition Centre

Registration Area 60 - 65
Reception Foyer 60 - 65
Exhibition Hall 65 - 75
Convention Hall (delegates at silence) 55 - 60
Convention Hall (delegates in conversation) 70 - 80
Home (Urban)
Bedroom 45
Living Room 50
Hospital
Audiometric Room 40 - 45
Operating Theatre, Single Bed Ward 50 - 55
Multi-bed Ward, Waiting Room 55
Corridor, Laboratory 55 - 60
Wash Room, Toilet, Kitchen 55 - 65
Staff Room, Recreation Room 50 - 60
Hotel & Resort

Guest Room, Suite 40 - 50
Ballroom, Banquet Hall 50 - 55
Corridor, Lobby 55 - 60
Kitchen, Laundry 60 - 75
Industrial
Warehouse, Garage 65 - 70
Workshop (Light Machineries) 65 - 75
Workshop (Heavy Machineries) 70 - 85
Learning Institution
Classroom, Lecture Theatre 45 - 55
Laboratory, Workshop 55 - 60
Corridor, Gymnasium, Cafeteria 55 - 65
Main Event Hall (Indoor Stadium)

Visitors seated at silence 60 - 65
Visitors excited 70 - 80
Main Event Area (Outdoor)

Visitors seated at silence 55 - 60
Visitors excited 65 - 75
31
Offices
Boardroom, Large Conference Room 45 - 50
Section
Small Conference Room, Executive Office 50 - 55

Open Plan Office Layout 55
Office with heavy use of typing / lettering /printer 55 - 65
Public Buildings
Court Room 45 - 50
Assembly Hall 45 - 55
Library, Bank, Museum 50 - 55
Washroom, Toilet 55 - 65
Swimming Pool, Sports Arena 60 - 70
Garage, Car Park 75
Church 45 - 50
Shopping Mall
Walkway & Corridor 55 - 60
Car Park 75 - 80
Concourse Area 75 - 90
Stadium
Guest Entrance 60 - 65
Guest Foyer 65 - 70
Theme Park & Entertainment

Reception & Ticketing 55 - 60
Amusement Park 60 - 75
Transportation Depot
Off Peak Period (no incoming transport) 50 - 55
Off Peak Period (with incoming transport) 55 - 65
Peak Period (no incoming transport) 60 - 65
Peak Period (with incoming transport) 65 - 75
32
Formulas for Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Calculation
Section
Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Losses Over Distance
As the listener moves away from the loudspeaker, the SPL will drop and the audio would be perceived as getting softer and softer.

Power to the loudspeakers must be increased to compensate for the SPL drop to maintain teh required 10dB above ambient noise
level. The table below indicates the SPL drop over distance and is derived from the formula:
D 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
dB 0 -6 -9.5 -12 -14 -15.6 -16.9
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
-18 -19.1 -20 -20.8 -21.6 -22.3 -22.9 -23.5
dB drop over
distance, D = 20 log10 D
90dB 84dB 78dB
As shown in the illustration, if the loudspeaker is

capable of producing 90dB (1W at 1m),
meaning the SPL at the listener would be 90dB
standing 1m away from the speaker. As the
1m 2m 4m listener moves away from the loudspeaker unit,
(-6dB) (-12dB) the SPL would drop accordingly.
Sound Pressure Level Increase with Power

For applications with high ambient noise or to ensure coverage to a further distance, the design engineer is to select a suitable
loudspeaker that is able to produce sufficient SPL to reach the listener. Coupling two loudspeakers of the same type could also
increase the SPL output by 3 dB.
Public Address speakers usually come with multiple power tapping of full power (100% Output), half power (50% output or -3 dB) and
quarter power (25% output or -6 dB).
The table below, indicates the SPL increase with power:
P 1 2 4 6 7.5
Speaker dB 0 +3 +6 +7.8 +8.8

at 1w
90dB 78dB
8 9 10 11 12 13
+11 +11.8 +14 +14.8 +17 +18.8
dB increase over
1m 4m
power, P = 10 log10 P
Speaker
at 4W For a loudspeaker with a sensitivity of 90 dB @
96dB 84dB
1m/1W, the SPL at the listener standing 4m
away from the loudspeaker would be 78 dB (90
dB - 12 dB).
As shown in the table above, increasing the

power to the loudspeaker to 4W will increase the
SPL by 6 dB. Thus, the SPL produced by the
1m 4m loudspeaker at the listener is now 84 dB (78 dB
+ 6 dB).
33
2. Sound Coverage
Section
A good sound system design shall have an even coverage through out the intended listening area. Thus, ideally when the listener
walks in a same direction with the loudspeaker arrangement, away from the 1st loudspeaker towards the 2nd loudspeaker, the
difference in SPL shall not audible. As the human ear is difficult to perceive two different loudness if the difference in SPL is not more
than 3 dB, ideally, the design shall only have an SPL difference of 3 dB through out the intended listening area.
To achieve this criteria, the effective coverage angle of the loudspeaker to be used must be known. The effective coverage angle
would be the angle where the SPL drops by 6 dB measured off-axis. With that, the next loudspeaker is placed where the coverage
area intersects at the listening plane. The resultant of two sources of equal loudness at the intersection will increase the SPL by 3 dB,
thus making the on-axis & off-axis SPL difference only 3 dB.
Loudspeaker Placement Guide
60 1.155 dL
65 1.274 dL
70 1.4 dL
75 1.535 dL
3. Speech Intelligibility
Speech Intelligibility is an index of measure for the ability of the listener to hear the vowels & consonants correctly in order
to identify the words and sentence structure. A sound system with sufficient SPL need not necessary be intelligible to the
listener, as occasionally we do face the scenario that it may be loud but not understandable to the listener.
Factors that affect intelligibility include:
Sound System Bandwidth (Frequency Response)

The spectrum for speech is approximately 100 Hz 8 kHz and intelligibility is mostly concentrated in the 2 kHz and 4 kHz
band. Thus, the system must be able to minimally reproduce the above frequencies. Factors which affect the frequency
response of the system includes poor source (ie. microphone or digital message player) and loudspeaker quality, boundary
effect caused by loudspeaker placed near to walls and interaction between loudspeakers.
Loudness & Signal-To-Noise Ratio

Ensure a SNR of minimum 6 dBA or higher, preferably 10 dBA.
Loudspeaker Directivity
The use of loudspeakers with high directivity is important in highly reverberant areas to provide control of the coverage area,
avoiding excessive sound from reaching the walls and ceiling to minimise multiple reflection paths.
Reverberation Time and Direct to Reverberant Levels

Sound reflections mask direct sound reaching the listener, thus affecting speech intelligibility in levels depending upon
reverberation time and the level of reverberant field.
34
Effect of Reverberation Time
Section
RT 60 Results
< 1s Excellence intelligibility should be obtained.
1.0s - 1.2s Excellent to good intelligibility should be achieved

1.2s - 1.5s Good intelligibility should be achieved though loudspeaker type and location become important.
> 1.5s Careful design required (loudspeaker selection & spacing)
1.7s Limit for good intelligibility in large spaces (distributed systems) eg. shopping malls, airport terminals.
> 1.7s Directional loudspeaker required. (Churches, multipurpose auditoriums and highly reflective spaces).
> 2s Very careful design required. High quality directional loudspeaker required. Intelligibility may have
limitations. (Concert halls, churches, treated sports halls / arenas).
> 2.5s Intelligibility will have limitations. Highly directional loudspeaker required. (Large churches, sports
halls, arenas, atriums, enclosed railway stations and transportation terminals).
> 4s Highly directional loudspeakers required and located as close to the listener as possible. (Very large
churches, cathedrals, mosques, large and untreated atria, aircraft hangars, untreated enclosed ice
sports arenas / stadiums).
Distance Between Listener & Loudspeaker

Reducing the distance between listener and loudspeaker reduces the sound energy that arrives at the unintended reflection
surfaces, causing less reflections and lower levels of reverberation.
Volume, Size & Shape of Space

These are some useful guidelines on how to improve the intelligibility of a sound system :
Provide a line-of-sight between the loudspeaker & listener.
Minimise the distance between the loudspeaker(s) & listener.
Ensure adequate system bandwidth (at least 250 Hz ~ 10 kHz).
Avoid frequency response anomalies and correct unavoidable peaks with appropriate equalization.
Avoid mounting loudspeakers at corners.
Avoid long path delays (> 45 ms)
Use directional loudspeakers in reverberant spaces.
Ensure that speech SNR is at least 6 dB (preferably > 10 dB)
Ensure a conducive place for microphone placement, away from noise & reflection paths, mounted vibration-free.
Below is a list of objective measures techniques for speech intelligibility:

Articulation Index (AI)
One of the first assessment method developed to measure intelligibility in telephone communications, AI rates the effects of
noise on speech with range of 0 (no intelligibility) to 1 (100% intelligibility) by methods of calculation based on measurements
of the spectrum of the interfering noise and desired speech signal with the use of a real time spectrum analyzer.
Articulation Loss of Consonants (%Alcons)

This measurement technique, developed in the 1970s, is based on the calculation of the D/R (Direct to Reverberant) ratio. A
high D/R ratio represents good intelligibility. A %Alcons measurement begins with an impulse response, normally displayed
as a log-squared response or ETC (Energy Time Curve), and examines the ratio between early energy, late energy & noise.
A major limitation of this method is that it only uses the 2 kHz band where majority of loudspeaker systems directivity vary
with frequency, thus unable to determine the overall response of the system.
Direct to Reverberant Ratio (Early to Late Ratio)

The most common measure is C50 which takes as its ratio the total energy occurring within the first 50 ms to the total sound
energy of the impulse response. A well defined scale has not been developed but a value of around +4 dB C50 would be
recommended for good intelligibility in an auditorium or a similarly large acoustic space. Limitations of this method includes
the lack of a defined scale, frequency limitations and does not take account of background noise.
Speech Transmission Index (STI) & RASTI

STI was developed as a measurement method (in contrast of %Alcons developed primarily as a predictive technique) which
considers the source/room/listener as a transmission channel and measures the reduction in modulation depth of a special
test signal as it traverses the channel. STI takes account of both reverberation and noise effects when assessing intelligibility.
With the availability of signal processing equipments, it is possible to directly measure the modulation reduction from obtain-
ing the impulse responses at various test signals and even amplitude modulation that occurs in natural speech, hence
compute the STI for speech or music.
35
Frequency Response
Section
The frequency response of the system is the ability of the system to reproduce the entire audible frequency spectrum of 20
Hz to 20 kHz without any signal discolouration. A wider frequency response with good linearity would result in a better sound-
ing system, important for foreground music applications such as music playback or vocal performances.
The frequency response of the system depends on every equipment in the entire audio chain: the input sources, signal
management equipments, power amplifiers and loudspeakers. Other factors that affect the frequency response of the system
includes the program material, boundary effect caused by loudspeaker placed near to walls and interaction between
loudspeakers.
The spectrum for speech is approximately 100 Hz to 8 kHz and intelligibility is mostly concentrated in the 2 kHz to 4 kHz
band. Thus, the system must be able to minimally reproduce the above frequencies for speech intelligibility.
The frequency response of the loudspeakers selected for an application should also be taken into consideration. When
designing a system, the steps that should be followed are;
1.) Identify the application of the sound system for the area (Paging, BGM, FGM etc.)
2.) Check the Frequency Response requirements for the specific Sound Class (see Sound Classification).
3.) Select the loudspeaker that is able to achieve the desired Frequency Response.
For example if an area has been identified for a Class A sound which requires a Frequency Response of 20Hz to 20kHz, as
shown in the example below, solely using ceiling speakers would not provide an overall frequency response of 20Hz to
20kHz. In order to reinforce the lower frequencies, a subwoofer unit is to be specified into the design to complement the
ceiling speakers.
Ceiling loudspeaker Subwoofer Overall System Response
65Hz 20kHz 20Hz 285Hz 20Hz 20kHz
Ceiling speakers alone are Sub-woofers are designed Coupled together, both
unable to cover the lower to supplement the ceiling types of speaker provide a
end frequency response speakers and cover the full frequency response
required for a Class A lower end frequencies suitable for a Class A
sound. namely; 20Hz - 285Hz. sound application.
At best, evenly plotted

ceiling speakers are
capable of producing a
Class B sound require-
ments.
36
Section
E
Advancement in the PA System Industry
This section aims to provide the design engineer with an overview of the PA System
industry and its current trends. With an understanding of the technologies available and
Introduction to the general direction of the industry, a PA system can be effectively designed to
Section E leverage on technology effectively and not solely for the sake of being high tech.
37
Advancement In The PA System Industry
The chart below aims to provide an overview of the Public address system design levels and the medium of transmissions that are
applicable to it. The chart depicts the 2 main Signal Management domain available which is the analogue or digital domain. This has
been discuss in detail in Section B and generally depending on the Design Level, it can be identified whether the signals are managed
using traditional analogue technology or digital technology.
Section
Medium of Transmission identifies the various methods of transmission of audio and data between the components of a system.
There are 3 main Medium of Transmission Categories which are Copper, Network Audio and Fibre Optics.
E
Signal Management Medium of Transmission

Network Audio Fibre Optic

Analogue Digital Copper
TCP/IP Proprietary Multimode Single
Networks Mode
Analogue and Digital Systems via Copper Cable Transmission

Public Address systems using copper cables as its mode of transmission can be divided into 2 main categories namely,
systems running in the analogue domain and systems running in the digital domain. Systems running on copper cable are
widely used in most applications till today and will continue to serve the industry for the years to come as it is readily
available and easy to install.
Analogue Systems
These systems are based on an analogue signal management to conduct the priority switching and pre-amplification of all
the input sources. The Design Level 2 system below is an example of such a system.
analogue signal management

Paging
Paging Microphone Paging
Paging Console BGM

Communication Panel
BGM
Emergency Microphone Power Amplifier
As shown above, the system receives audio signals from the input sources and based on an analogue switching mechanism
routes the signal to the audio amplifiers. Analogue systems have a huge disadvantage when simultaneous audio output are
required to the various zones in a building as cabling tremendously increases and audio routing becomes more compli-
cated.
Advantages
- Ease of operation for small to medium scale projects.
- Cost effective.
Limitations
- Limited simultaneous broadcast capability.
38
Digital Systems
Similar to analogue systems, digital systems are connected via copper cables as well, however all the audio signals are converted into
the digital domain for signal management. The diagram below depicts a Design Level 4 digital system. As shown in the diagram the
Section
digital signal manager is capable of routing various audio signals to different zones in the application simultaneously. This is accom-
plished with a digital audio matrix bus, allowing for simultaneous paging as well as differing background music to various zones.
E
digital signal management

Zone amplifiers
1000 0101
0010 1001
1010 0101
1000 0111
Zone amplifiers
Integrated
Matrix Remote Microphone Supervisory Unit
Digital Matrix
Sound Management System Zone amplifiers

Zone amplifiers
Zone amplifiers
Analogue Handheld
Microphone
Power Amplifier
The digital matrix is suitable for projects such as office towers, stadiums, hotels, shopping malls and all forms of commercial projects
that requires a centralize system within a building that complies with building fire regulations and safety standard.
Advantages
- Capable of simultaneous broadcast allowing to cater to most commercial projects and high-rise buildings.
- Digital signal management allows for flexibility in configuring various applications
- Complies to building safety standards and regulations for safety and evacuation sound systems such as; EN 60849, IEC 60849,
CP 25, SANS 60849, etc.
Limitations
- Systems spread over a wide area requiring multiple simultaneous background music broadcast incurs a high cabling cost.
39
Digital Systems via Network Audio Transmission

Network Audio is a method of transporting audio and data in the digital domain from either one point to another point (Unicast) or
from one point to many points (Multicast). These systems are mainly connected to the network via CAT5e cable as its main physical
medium of transport. A Network system is particularly useful for applications where a large number of input sources are required to
Section
be transmitted to multiple locations simultaneously.
Network PA Systems are divided into 2 main groups of systems based on the protocol they utilize.
E
As shown in the chart, systems either run on TCP/IP Protocol or proprietary Network Audio protocols.
TCP/IP Protocol
TCP/IP is a standard protocol utilized by the Internet and Local Area Networks (LAN). A Network PA System running on
TCP/IP protocol would be able to route digital audio through a standard Ethernet-switched LAN accordingly. A typical
TCP/IP Network PA would generally consist of the following components;
Modem Modem Network Power Amplifier

INTERNET Zone1
Matrix Remote Ethernet switch

Microphone
Network Signal Manager
Network Power Amplifier
Zone2
Zone3
Digital Source Player Source selector

& volume control panel
Ethernet switch PC Station

- PC Paging
- Configuration
& Monitoring
Network Microphone
@ remote location
Office Workstation
Legend:
CAT5e Cable running TCP/IP Protocol
Copper cable with analogue signals
As shown in the diagram above, a Network PA System works by converting the analogue audio signals into the digital
domain and routing it to the individual amplifiers located throughout the project via the LAN. These routing is based on the
IP address assigned to the packets. Utilizing the TCP/IP packet protocol also allows the audio data signals to be routed via
the internet. In order to reuse the existing infrastructure of data network, Virtual LAN (VLAN) technology is recommended to
categorize appropriate collision domain in separating current data network from the newly attached audio network.
Once the digital audio signals are received by the network amplifiers, they are then converted back to analogue and ampli-
fied to cater for the 100V line analogue speakers attached to it. The system can also feature remote source selectors and
volume controls enabling the end user to change the music sources to the zones when needed.
While there are cost saving advantages for applications spread out over a wide area, however sharing the LAN resources
for transferring audio data for the PA System as well as data from the PC terminals on the LAN exposes the Network PA
System to lag due to network latency especially during peak usage.
These latencies and lags due to high network traffic are a huge disadvantage, especially during an emergency where critical
announcements are to be made. Also during an emergency, a network failure could prove more disastrous than a mere
failure to retrieve ones email.
Advantages
- Cost effective solution for applications spread over a wide area.
- Multiple audio broadcast solution
- Flexible for re-configuring
- Ease of monitoring online
Disadvantage
- Does not comply with any building safety regulations
- System integrity greatly depends on the LAN and the IT Server that it is connected to,
40
- Subjected to lag and network latency due to heavy network traffic, which may not be tolerable during emergencies
Proprietary Networks
An alternative to the TCP/IP protocol are the proprietary network systems. These are systems that consist of a combination of software,
hardware and proprietary protocols for delivery of the digital audio packets. These systems are designed for better efficiency and low-
Section
latency digital audio over a standard Ethernet network. These system usually require a dedicated LAN network separated from the data
and computer LAN infrastructure.
Example of some of the proprietary Audio Network protocols available in the market are Cobranet and EtherSound. Without running
E
TCP/IP protocol, these Audio Networks are unable to travel through routers and are therefore limited to use on a LAN.

Matrix Remote Microphone Ethernet switch
Network Signal Manager
with Proprietary network
encoder module Proprietary network
decoder
Digital Source Player Network Power Amplifier
Digital Source Player Proprietary network Source selector

decoder & volume control panel
Ethernet switch PC Station

- PC Paging
- Configuration
& Monitoring
Network Microphone Proprietary network

@ remote location encoder
Legend:
CAT5e Cable running proprietary Protocol
Copper cable with analogue signals
While being flexible and easy to deploy, Audio Networks often have very high hardware cost for the devices that encode and decode the
proprietary protocols. Also even with running a dedicated LAN for the PA system, audio networks are still prone to latency during
transmission which may cause a decrease in audio quality due to the lost of discarded data. Further delays are also introduce when
converting back and forth from analogue to digital over the LAN, for a live saving announcements where real-time announcements are
imperative, these delays can be unacceptable.
Advantages
- Multiple non-emergency audio broadcast solution for decentralized solutions (ie: Audio Visual projects).
- Flexible for re-configuring.
- Ease of monitoring online.
- Cost savings on laying copper cabling although minimal.
Disadvantage
- Limited by a networks distribution constrain, ie; CobraNet and most proprietary audio networks are limited to a maximum
length of 700m through 6 network switcher hops.
- High cost of procuring the proprietary network protocol encoder and decoders.
- The installation maybe be subjected to very costly proprietary cable requirements.
- Not comply with any building safety regulations.
- System integrity greatly depends on the LAN and the IT Server that it is connected to.
- Subjected to lag and network latency due to heavy network traffic.
- Not suitable for building PA system applications.
41
Analogue and Digital Systems via Fibre-optic Transmission

Fiber-optic transmission allows for long distance audio and control signals transmission. This usually involves a transceiver that
converts the analogue audio to digital format and transmits to another transceiver. There is a common misconception that fiber optics
are always better regardless of the application, to the extend that systems that requires inter-equipment fiber-optic cabling are
Section
preferred. It is even possible to connect analogue systems via fibre-optics utilizing transceivers that accept analogue audio inputs.
Fiber-optic transmission are usually applicable for connecting local systems between buildings, Mixed Developments that are
spread over a wide area and where cross building paging is required.
E
For high-rise applications, where all equipment are housed in a common area, fiber-optics becomes an unnecessary cost factor as
its doesnt serve its purpose of long distance transmission. There are 2 main categories of fibre optics namely Multimode and Single
mode fibre-optics.
Multimode fiber is best designed for shorter transmission distances and is suited for use in LAN systems and connecting local
systems between buildings with a distance between 2-4km apart. Single-mode fiber is best designed for longer transmission
distances, making it suitable for long-distance integration of up to 20km.
Multimode
Fibre-optic
2 ~ 4km
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Matrix Remote Multimode

Microphone Multimode
Fibre-optic Transceiver Fibre-optic Transceiver Digital Signal Manager
Digital Signal Manager

Matrix Remote
Microphone
Main Campus Sub-campus
The example depicts a multi-campus university application, whereby a Multimode fibre-optic solution can be used to
integrate the campuses together for cross paging during an emergency.
Singlemode
Fibre-optic
up to 20km
1 2 3 4
Singlemode
Fibre-optic Transceiver
1 2 3 4

Matrix Remote Singlemode
Microphone Fibre-optic transceiver
Matrix Remote
Microphone
Sub-station 1
1 2 3 4
Singlemode Singlemode
Fibre-optic Fibre-optic transceiver
Main Terminal up to 20km
Matrix Remote
Microphone
Sub-station 2
The example depicts a railway transport application. With the all the substation being a significant distance away from each
other, a Singlemode Fibre-optic solution would be able to integrate the systems together. This form of integration allows the
main terminal to provide paging and automatic messages to the sub-stations.
Advantages
- No loss at fibre-optic transmission over long distance.
- Solution for long distance system integration only.
Disadvantage
- High cost of laying fibre-optic cable.
- Some may require proprietary fibre-optic cable with special connectors that is costly.
- For Multimode fibre-optic the furthers distances maybe limited to 4km before costly boosters are required.
42 - Equipment and cable for Singlemode fibre-optic applications are very costly.
- Not suitable for highrise building applications where equipments are to be centralized in a main control room.
PAGE INTENTIONALLY RIGHT BLANK
Section
F
Component Selection Guide
This section provides an easy overview of the various components required for each of
the design levels.
Introduction to
Section F Having decided and designed the PA System in accordance to any one of the design
levels, the design engineer can refer to this section to start selecting the appropriate
equipment and components. The various equipments are listed in an overall guide at
the end of the section. This guide would serve to ensure that all components from
source equipment to output equipment are compatible with one another for each of the
design level.
45
35
Microphone Selection Guide
Max Cable
Distance Priority Activation Remote Zone
(with recommended (via Pin 5 at Selection / Built-In Chime /
Sensitivity Signal Type cable size) Output Terminal) Nos. of Zones Type of Chime
Section
ME 1 - 72 dB Unbalanced 20 m Yes No No
F
MH 1a - 76 dB Unbalanced 20 m No No No
MH 2a - 73 dB Unbalanced 20 m No No No
MP 1 - 55 dB Balanced 80 m Yes No No
MC 1 - 50 dB Balanced 80 m Yes No Yes / 4-tone Ascending

& Decending
On / Off Switch
MC 2 0 dB Balanced 1.2 km Yes No Yes / 4-tone Ascending

& Decending
On / Off Switch
MR 102 0 dB Balanced 1.2 km Yes Yes / 20 Yes / 4-tone Ascending

On / Off Switch
Yes / 4-types
(4-tone / 2-tone /
MS 201 0 dB Balanced 1.2 km Yes Yes / 10 Gong / Siren)
On / Off Switch
Yes / 4-types
(4-tone / 2-tone /
On / Off Switch
Yes / 4-types
(4-tone / 2-tone /
On / Off Switch
Yes / 4-types
MS 210 0 dB Balanced 1.2 km Yes Yes / 100 (4-tone / 2-tone /
Gong / Siren)
On / Off Switch
46
Power Amplifier Selection Guide
(1) Power (W) required

rated at 100V line 1 ~ 24W 25 ~ 48W 49 ~ 96W 96 ~ 192W 193 ~ 288W 289 ~ 384W
(2) Line Impedence () 10k ~ 417 416 ~ 208 207 ~ 104 103 ~ 52 51 ~ 35 34 ~ 26
Model
Section
MA 103
MA 106
F
MA 112

PB 106
PB 112
PB 124
PB 136
PA 406
PA 412
PA 224
PA 148
Priority Input Automatic Changeover Fault Detection Method

(for Emergency (to Stanby
Overriding) Amplifier) ASM 01 LA 08 AC 08
(Amplifier (Integrated (Amplifier
Yes No Yes No Not Applicable Supervisory Supervisory Changeover
Unit) Unit) Unit)
Model
MA 103
MA 106
MA 112
PB 106
PB 112
PB 124
PB 136
PA 406
PA 412
PA 224
PA 148
47
Line Super visory Selection Guide
DM 10 SL 04 SL 08 LA 08
Line Monitoring Unit Line Supervisory Unit Line Supervisory Unit Integrated Supervisory
Unit
Section
Nos. of Zones Monitored per Unit 10 Zones 4 Zones 8 Zones 8 Zones
Method of Monitoring DC Monitoring Impedance Impedance Impedance

Measurement Measurement Measurement
F
Requires a DC Filter Capacitor at

Every Loudspeaker Yes No No No
The capacitor functions as a DC filter to block
the DC monitoring signal to the line matching

transformer of the loudspeaker unit
Requires an End of Line Resistor at

Every Zone Yes No No No
The end-of-line resistor is part of the voltage
divider circuit required by the DC monitoring
method to monitor the loudspeaker lines
Possibility of Installation Errors

High Low Low Low
Installation errors identified includes
loudspeaker installation that by-passes the
DC filter capacitor, not placing the resistor at
the end of the lines or none at all, difficulty of
tracing the loudspeaker which does not have
a DC filter capacitor and not observing a
single trunk line wiring topology for DC
monitoring method
Ability to Detect Faults at Branched

Loudspeaker Lines No Yes Yes Yes
Loudspeaker Lines Fault monitoring of the

entire loudspeaker circuit is important that all
areas covered by the PA system is ready for
emergency broadcast
Ability ot Detect Faults Beyond

Audio Attenuator No Yes Yes Yes
Fault detection beyond the audio attenuator is

imperative for a fail-safe system that ensures
that the integrity of the loudspeaker lines at all
times
Provides Individual Signal for

every Type of Fault to Central No Yes Yes Yes
Monitoring System
Modular Architecture
Modular Architecture enables the user to No Yes Yes Yes
change only the faulty modules without affect-
ing the others
Reduces Installation Time

Shorter Installation Time enables the installer to No Yes Yes Yes
reduce errors due to fatigue and more time to
ensure the integrity of the system
Built-In Power Supply

A built-in power supply does not require an No Yes Yes Yes
additional power supply unit for operation
Built-In Amplifier Changeover

Both Line Supervisory and Amplifier No No No Yes
Changeover is integrated into a single unit to
reduce interconnection and cabling.
48
DC Monitoring
The DC Method of monitoring is a
conventional and cost effective method of
Power Amplifier monitoring the speaker line using a DC
Pre voltage referencing technique.
Amplifier
Section
DM 10 However this conventional method has
Line Monitoring Unit numerous limitations as listed below;
1.) DC blocking capacitors are required to
F
be installed on every individual speaker.
Failure to do so would result in the
Ceiling Loudspeaker speaker being damaged.

DC Blocking 2.) Requires an End-of-line resistor
Capacitor
installed.
3.) Does not allow branching of the

speaker lines. As such the wiring process
would have to be carefully monitored to
ensure that no wiring branch-off are
created.
End-of-line
Resistor 4.) Does not allow monitoring beyond
audio attenuators.
Impedance Measurement
Power Amplifier Power Amplifier

Pre Pre
Amplifier Amplifier
LA 08
SL 04 / SL 08
Integrated
Line Supervisory
Supervisory
unit
Unit
Audio
Attenuator
The impedance method of monitoring the speaker lines are technologically superior to the DC Method. The
impedance method allows for branching of the speakers and does not require DC blocking capacitors or the
End-of-Line resistor to be installed. The units are also capable of monitoring beyond audio attenuators.
As for the Integrated Supervisory Unit, it goes beyond line monitoring and incorporates amplifier monitoring and
changeover facilities. This provides a total monitoring solution that is easily configured and setup.
49
Loudspeaker Selection Guide
Applications Ambient Noise Ceiling Height From Coverage Area Loudspeaker
(dB) Floor (m) per Loudspeaker Spacing
30~45 46~60 61~75 2.5~3.0 3.0~3.5
Ceiling Loudspeaker Areas with low ceiling and

low ambient noise
(Office Area, Washroom, Corridor)
CE 531 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Screw Mounted Ceiling
4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
Section
Loudspeaker 3W
CE 531M 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Loudspeaker with Mesh 3W 4m ~8m
2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
F
CE 532 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Spring Mounted Ceiling
3W 4m ~8m
2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
Loudspeaker
CE 532M 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
CE 561 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Loudspeaker 3W 4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
8 m2 ~ 11 m2 2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
Not Recommended For Distance > 4.5m

6W
CE 561M 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Loudspeaker with Mesh 3W 4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m ~ 11 m
2 2
2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
CE 562 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

6W 8 m ~ 11 m
2 2
2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
CE 562M 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m2 ~ 11 m2 2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
CS 562 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Splashproof Ceiling
6W 8 m2 ~ 11 m2 2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
CS 562E 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Splashproof Ceiling
Loudspeaker with Enclosure 3W 4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m ~ 11 m
2 2
2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
CS 562M 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Splashproof Ceiling
2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m2 ~ 11 m2 2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
CS 562ME 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Splashproof Ceiling
Loudspeaker with Mesh 3W 4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
and Enclosure
6W 8 m ~ 11 m
2 2
2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
CM 361 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

105mm Metal Grille Spring
Mounted Ceiling Loudspeaker 3W 4m ~8m
2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m2 ~ 11 m2 2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
CM 461 1.5W 4 m2 ~ 11 m2 2 m ~ 3.4 m

Mounted Ceiling Loudspeaker 3W 4m ~8m
2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m2 ~ 11 m2 2.8 m ~ 3.4 m
50
30~45 46~60 61~75 2.5~3.0 3.0~4.5 4.5~5.5
CM 611 2.5W 4 m2 ~ 31 m2 2 m ~ 5.6 m

Mounted Ceiling Loudspeaker 5W 4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
10W 8 m ~ 31 m
2 2
2.8 m ~ 5.6 m
CM 811 2.5W 4 m2 ~ 31 m2 2 m ~ 5.6 m
Section
Mounted Ceiling Loudspeaker 5W 4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
10W 8 m ~ 31 m
2 2
2.8 m ~ 5.6 m
F
30~45 46~60 61~75 2.5~4.0 4.0~5.5 5.5~7.5
CX 811 Areas with high ceiling
265mm Metal Grille Spring (Lobby, Foyer, Reception)

Mounted Coaxial Ceiling Areas which requires
Loudspeaker better speech & music
clarity (Conference & Meeting
Room, Ballroom)
2.5W 4 m2 ~ 48 m2 2 m ~ 6.9 m
5W 18 m ~ 31 m
2 2
4.2 m ~ 5.6 m
10W 31 m2 ~ 48 m2 5.6 m ~ 6.9 m
Applications Ambient Noise Distance from Coverage Area Loudspeaker
(dB) Listener (m) per Loudspeaker Spacing
30~45 46~60 61~75 1.0~2.0 2.0~3.0
Wall Areas where no ceiling board is
Mounted Loudspeaker available for ceiling loudspeaker
mounting.(Staircases & Corridors)
Not Recommended For Distance > 4.5m

WM 561 1W 4 m2 ~ 12 m2 2 m ~ 3.5 m
Surface Mounted Wall
4W 4m ~8m
2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m2 ~ 12 m2 2.8 m ~ 3.5 m
WM 562 1W 4 m2 ~ 12 m2 2 m ~ 3.5 m
Wooden Wall Mounted
Loudspeaker 2W 4 m ~ 12 m
2 2
2 m ~ 3.5 m
4W 4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m ~ 12 m
2 2
2.8 m ~ 3.5 m
WM 662 1W 4 m ~ 12 m
2 2
2 m ~ 3.5 m
Wooden Wall Mounted
4W 4m ~8m
2 2
2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m2 ~ 12 m2 2.8 m ~ 3.5 m
WM 862 1W 4 m2 ~ 12 m2 2 m ~ 3.5 m
Surface Mounted Wall
Loudspeaker 2W 4 m ~ 12 m
2 2
2 m ~ 3.5 m
4W 4 m2 ~ 8 m2 2 m ~ 2.8 m
6W 8 m ~ 12 m
2 2
2.8 m ~ 3.5 m
30~50 51~70 71~90 3~5 5.5~10 10.5~15
Paging Open areas where subjected to
Horn Loudspeaker heat & moisture.
(car park, assembly ground, field, outdoor
theme park)
RH 061 1.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

10W Aluminium Paging Horn
Loudspeaker 2.5W 21 m2 ~ 41 m2 4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
5W 49 m ~ 133 m
2 2
7 m ~ 11.5 m
10W 147 m ~ 300 m
2 2
12.1 m ~ 17.3 m
RH 085 5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
10W 147 m ~ 300 m
2 2
12.1 m ~ 17.3 m
15W 21 m2 ~ 41 m2 4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
RH 103 5W 21 m ~ 300 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
15W 21 m ~ 41 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
30W 49 m2 ~ 133 m2 7 m ~ 11.5 m
51
Loudspeaker Selection Guide

30~45 46~60 61~75 3~5 5.5~10 10.5~15
Aluminium Column Areas which require sound

Loudspeaker projection
(Conference Room, Large Hall,
Warehouse)
Section
Walled areas with elevated

ambient noise
(Canteen, Assembly Hall)
VA 450
VA 415 3.8W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
F
15W Aluminium Column

Loudspeaker 7.8W 21 m ~ 300 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
VA 430
15W 21 m2 ~ 41 m2 4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
VA 430 7.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

VA 415 Loudspeaker 15W 21 m ~ 41 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
30W 49 m2 ~ 133 m2 7 m ~ 11.5 m
VA 450 12.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

Loudspeaker 25W 21 m2 ~ 133 m2 4.6 m ~ 11.5 m
50W 147 m2 ~ 300 m2 12.1 m ~ 17.3 m

30~45 46~60 61~75 3~5 5.5~10 10.5~15
Wooden Column
Areas which require sound
Loudspeaker
projection
(Conference Room, Large Hall,
Warehouse)

ambient noise
VW 650 (Canteen, Assembly Hall)
VW 530 VW 515 3.8W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

15W Wooden Column
2 2
4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
15W 21 m2 ~ 41 m2 4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
VW 515
VW 530 7.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

30W Wooden Column
Loudspeaker 15W 21 m2 ~ 41 m2 4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
30W 49 m ~ 133 m
2 2
7 m ~ 11.5 m
VW 650 12.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

50W Wooden Column
2 2
4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
25W 49 m2 ~ 133 m2 7 m ~ 11.5 m
50W 147 m2 ~ 300 m2 12.1 m ~ 17.3 m

30~45 46~60 61~75 3~5 5.5~10 10.5~15
Line Array
Loudspeaker Areas which require sound
projection
LR 126 (Conference Room, Large Hall,
Warehouse)

ambient noise
(Canteen, Assembly Hall)
LR 063
LR 063 7.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
30W Passive Line Array
15W 21 m2 ~ 41 m2 4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
30W 49 m ~ 133 m
2 2
7 m ~ 11.5 m
LR 126 15W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

60W Passive Line Array
30W 21 m2 ~ 133 m2 4.6 m ~ 11.5 m
60W 147 m ~ 300 m
2 2
12.1 m ~ 17.3 m
52
30~45 46~60 61~75 3~5 5.5~10 10.5~15
2-Way Foreground
Loudspeaker Areas which require high
speech & music clarity.
(meeting room, foyer, lounge)
FG 415 3.8W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
Section
2-Way Foreground
Loudspeker 7.5W 21 m ~ 300 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
15W 21 m2 ~ 41 m2 4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
FG 530 7.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
F
2-Way Foreground
Loudspeker 15W 21 m ~ 41 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
30W 49 m2 ~ 133 m2 7 m ~ 11.5 m

30~50 51~70 71~90 3~5 5.5~10 10.5~15
Sound Reinforcement Areas which require high SPL,

Loudspeaker accurate sound projection and
clarity for speech & music
application.
(Ballroom, Assembly Hall, Entertainment
Outlets, Places of Worship)
F8 12.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

2-Way Full Range
SR Loudspeaker 12.5W 21 m2 ~ 41 m2 4.6 m ~ 6.4 m
25W 49 m ~ 133 m
2 2
7 m ~ 11.5 m
50W 147 m2 ~ 300 m2 12.1 m ~ 17.3 m
F 10 12.5W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

2-Way Full Range
SR Loudspeaker 25W 21 m ~ 133 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 11.5 m
50W 147 m2 ~ 300 m2 12.1 m ~ 17.3 m
F 12 25W 21 m2 ~ 300 m2 4.6 m ~ 17.3 m

2-Way Full Range
SR Loudspeaker 50W 21 m ~ 300 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 17.3 m
75W 21 m ~ 133 m
2 2
4.6 m ~ 11.5 m
53
Product References Table - &
Preamplifier &
Systemstage Input Sources Systemstage Signal Management Systemstage Power Amplifiers
MC 1
Chime
Microphone
Section
MH 1a
Hand-held Microphone
MP 1 MA 103
Paging
Microphone
F
MA 106
MH 2a
MA 112
Hand-held Microphone
MC 2
Desktop Mixer Amplifier
Microphone
ME 1
Emergency Microphone
MC 1 MC 2
Chime Desktop
Microphone Microphone
MP 1
Paging
Microphone
PB 106
MS 201 MS 202 PB 112

10-Zone Remote 20-Zone Remote
Paging Console Paging Console PB 124
XP 138
Programmable Amplifier
PB 136
MS 204 PB Series
MS 210 XP 138CM
40-Zone Remote Audio Power Amplifier
100-Zone Remote Chime Module
Paging Console Paging Console
MR 102
20-Zone Remote Microphone
MX 102 PA 406
Extension Unit PA 412
PA 224
PA 148
CP 102
Communication Panel
CP 102EM PA Series
Communication Panel 4 X 60W Audio Power Amplifier
Extension Module
DS 201
Single-Channel Digital Player
DS 201R
Single-Channel Digital Recorder
DS 202
Dual-Channel Digital Player
54
24 DS 202R
Dual-Channel Digital Recorder
Systemstage Contol & Monitoring Systemstage Loudspeaker
CE 531 CE 532 CE 531M

Screw Mounted Spring Mounted Screw Mounted
LS 10A Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker
Speaker Line Selector With All Call Function with Mesh
Section
CE 532M CE 561 CE 562
Spring Mounted Screw Mounted Spring Mounted
Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker
LS 10 with Mesh
Speaker Line Selector
CE 561M CE 562M CM 361
F
AT 05 AT 30 Screw Mounted Spring Mounted Metal Grille Ceiling
5 W Audio 30 W Audio Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Loudspeaker
Attenuator Attenuator with Mesh with Mesh
CM 461 CM 461E

CM 611
AT 75 AT 120
120 W Audio Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling
75 W Audio
Attenuator Attenuator Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with Loudspeaker
Back Enclosure
CM 611E CM 811 CM 811E

Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling
Loudspeaker with Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with
Back Enclosure Back Enclosure
LS 10A
Speaker Line Selector With All Call Function CS 562 CS 562M CS 562E
Splashproof Ceiling Splashproof Splashproof Ceiling
Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with
with Mesh Enclosure
LS 10 CS 562ME CX 811 CX 811E
Speaker Line Selector Splashproof Ceiling Metal Grille 2-Way Metal Grille 2-Way
Loudspeaker with Coaxial Ceiling Coaxial Ceiling
AT 05 AT 30 Mesh and Enclosure Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with
5 W Audio 30 W Audio Back Enclosure
Attenuator Attenuator
WB 661 WM 561W WM 561B
AT 120 Bidirectional Wall ABS Wall Mount ABS Wall Mount
AT 75
75 W Audio 120 W Audio Mount Loudspeaker Loudspeaker (White) Loudspeaker (Black)
Attenuator Attenuator
WM 562 WM 662 WM 862

Wooden Wall Mount Wooden Wall Mount Wooden Wall Mount
SA 05 Loudspeaker Loudspeaker Loudspeaker
ASM 01B
Amplifier Supervisory Module
AM 10
VA 415 VW 515
VA 430 VW 530 LR 063
PT 085
8-Channel Program Timer VA 450 VW 650 LR 126
VA Series VW Series LR Series

Aluminium Column Loudspeaker Wooden Loudspeaker Column Line Array Loudspeaker
PT 165
16-Channel Program Timer RH 061 RH 085 RH 103
10W Aluminium Paging 15W Aluminium Paging 30W Aluminium Paging
Horn Loudspeaker Horn Loudspeaker Horn Loudspeaker
DM 10
FG 415 FG 530W FG 530B
2 way Foreground 2 way Foreground 2 way Foreground
Loudspeaker Loudspeaker (White) Loudspeaker (Black)
LA 08
F 8 / F 8W F 10 / F 10W
2 way Full Range 2 way Full Range
SR Loudspeaker SR Loudspeaker
SU 650
Subwoofer System
SL 08
8-Zone Line Supervisory Unit Recommended
Spring-Mounted
Ceiling Loudspeaker
F 12 / F 12W CE 532 / CE 532M
2 way Full Range
F 12s CE 562 / CE 562M
SL 04 SR Loudspeaker 55
2 way Full Range CM Series
4-Zone Line Supervisory Unit
Stage Monitor CX 811 / CX 811E
Product References Table -
Preamplifier &
Systemstage Input Sources Systemstage Signal Management Systemstage Power Amplifiers
ME 1
Emergency Microphone
Section
MC 1 XM 10A
Chime Microphone Modular Mixer Enclosure
XM 92A
F
Power Supply Module 240Vac
MP 1 XM 11A
Paging Microphone Single Space Blank Panel
XM 12A
Double Space Blak Panel
XM 31A XM 51A
MC 2 ME 1 Receptacle Source Selector
Desktop Microphone Module Module
XM 32A XM 52A
Microphone Parallel Source
Preamplifier Module Selector Module
MS 201 (-60 dBV)
10-Zone Remote Paging Console
XM 33A
XM 61A PB 106
Microphone
Emergency Tone
Preamplifier Module
Generator Module
(0 dBV) PB 112
MS 202
20-Zone Remote Paging Console XM 34A
XM 62A PB 124
Mono Preamplifier
Chime Generator
Module
Module
PB 136
XM 35A
MS 204 XM 71A
Stereo Combining
40-Zone Remote Paging Console Line Amplifier PB Series
Preamplifier Module
Module Audio Power Amplifier
XM 41A
Extension Module
MS 210
100-Zone Remote Paging Console
MR 102 PA 406
PA 412
MX 102
20-Zone Remote Microphone FT 810T FT 810R
Single Channel Fibre Single Channel Fibre PA 224
Extension Unit
Optic Transmitter Optic Receiver
PA 148
PA Series
CP 102 FT 811T FT 811R 4 X 60W Audio Power Amplifier
Communication Panel Single Channel Fibre Optic Single Channel Fibre Optic
Transmitter (with RS 485) Receiver (with RS 485)
CP 102EM
Communication Panel
Extension Module
FT 820T FT 820R
2 Channel Fibre Optic 2 Channel Fibre Optic
Transmitter Receiver
DS 201
Single-Channel Digital Player
FT 821T FT 821R
DS 201R
FT 840T FT 840R
DS 202 Transmitter Receiver
FT 841T FT 841R
DS 202R
56
24 Transmitter (with RS 485) Receiver (with RS 485)
CE 531 CE 532 CE 531M

SA 05 Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker
Automatic Changeover Unit with Mesh
Section
CE 532M CE 561 CE 562
ASM 01B Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker
Amplifier Supervisory Module with Mesh
CE 561M CE 562M CM 361
F
Screw Mounted Spring Mounted Metal Grille Ceiling
Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Loudspeaker
with Mesh with Mesh

CM 461 CM 461E CM 611
AM 10 Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling
Amplifier Monitoring Unit Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with Loudspeaker
Back Enclosure
CM 611E CM 811 CM 811E

LS 10A Loudspeaker with Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with
Speaker Line Selector With All Call Function Back Enclosure Back Enclosure
CS 562 CS 562M CS 562E

LS 10
Speaker Line Selector with Mesh Enclosure
CS 562ME CX 811 CX 811E

Splashproof Ceiling Metal Grille 2-Way Metal Grille 2-Way
Mesh and Enclosure Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with
PT 085
8-Channel Program Timer Back Enclosure
WB 661 WM 561W WM 561B

Bidirectional Wall ABS Wall Mount ABS Wall Mount
Mount Loudspeaker Loudspeaker (White) Loudspeaker (Black)
PT 165
16-Channel Program Timer
WM 562 WM 662 WM 862

Loudspeaker Loudspeaker Loudspeaker
DM 10
LA 08
VA 415 VW 515
SL 08 VA 430 VW 530 LR 063
8-Zone Line Supervisory Unit VA 450 VW 650 LR 126

RH 061 RH 085 RH 103

SL 04 Horn Loudspeaker Horn Loudspeaker
4-Zone Line Supervisory Unit Horn Loudspeaker
FG 415 FG 530W FG 530B

2 way Foreground 2 way Foreground
AT 05 2 way Foreground
Loudspeaker Loudspeaker (White)
5 W Audio Attenuator Loudspeaker (Black)
AT 30 F 8 / F 8W F 10 / F 10W
30 W Audio Attenuator 2 way Full Range 2 way Full Range
SU 650
Subwoofer System
AT 75 Recommended
75 W Audio Attenuator Spring-Mounted
Ceiling Loudspeaker
F 12 / F 12W CE 532 / CE 532M
2 way Full Range
AT 120 CE 562 / CE 562M
SR Loudspeaker F 12s
120 W Audio Attenuator 2 way Full Range CM Series 57
Input Preamplifier & Power
Systemstage Sources Systemstage Signal Management Systemstage Amplifiers
iX 133 iX 143
PA Matrix Remote PA Matrix
Microphone Input Multipurpose
Section
Card (RIC) Relay Card (MRC)
iX 101 iX 136 iX 193

PA Matrix Main Frame PA Matrix Audio Blank Facial
with Single CPC Output Card (AOC)
F
iX 194 iX 122
Analogue Handheld iX 142
PA Matrix Central
Microphone PA Matrix Control
Processing Card 2
Sensor Card (CSC)
(CPC II)
iX 121
iX 102 iX 123
PA Matrix Central
PA Matrix Main Frame Extension Card
Processing Card I
with Dual CPC (CPC I)
iX 151
Emergency Microphone iX 132
iX 182 Audio Input
240 Vac Power Card (AIC)
Supply
iX 103
PA Matrix Extension PB 106
Frame
FT 810T FT 810R PB 112
Single Channel Fibre Single Channel Fibre
DS 201 iX 153 Optic Transmitter Optic Receiver
Single-Channel Digital Player PB 124
PA Matrix Remote Control
Sensor Panel (RCSP)
FT 811T FT 811R PB 136
Single Channel Fibre Single Channel Fibre
iX 154
DS 201R Optic Transmitter Optic Receiver
PA Matrix Remote
Single-Channel Digital Recorder (with RS 485) (with RS 485) PB Series
Multipurpose Relay
Audio Power Amplifier
Panel (RMRP)
FT 820T FT 820R
iX 155 2 Channel Fibre Optic 2 Channel Fibre
DS 202 Transmitter Optic Receiver PA 406
PA Matrix Internet
Connectivity Panel PA 412
(ICP)
FT 821T FT 821R PA 224
DS 202R Transmitter (with RS 485) Receiver (with RS 485) PA 148
eX 801 FT 840R PA Series

FT 840T
Single CPC Main Frame 4 Channel Fibre Optic 4 X 60W Audio Power Amplifier
4 Channel Fibre Optic
Transmitter Receiver
FT 841T FT 841R
eX 803 4 Channel Fibre Optic
4 Channel Fibre Optic
Extension Frame
eX 861
10-Zone Emergency
Microphone
eX 842
eX 862 eX 823
Control Output
20-Zone Emergency Main Frame
Card
Microphone Extension Card
eX 863 eX 881
40-Zone Emergency eX 824
Power Supply
Microphone Extension Frame
Inlet Card
Extension Card
eX 864 iX 111
120-Zone Emergency PA Matrix Control eX 831 eX 833
Microphone Manager Auxiliary Input Internal BGM
Card Source and
Message Card
eX 865
10-Zone Remote Microphone iX 112 eX 832 eX 834
Matrix Control Auxiliary Input Microphone
eX 866 Manager with Internet and Input Card
20-Zone Remote Microphone Connectivity Features Message Card
eX 867
eX 821B
eX 841 Central
Control Input Processing
Card Card
eX 868
120-Zone Remote eX 811
58 Control Manager
Microphone
Systemstage Control Monitoring Systemstage Loudspeaker
CE 531 CE 532 CE 531M

Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker
SA 05
with Mesh
CE 532M CE 561 CE 562
Section
ASM 01B Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker
Amplifier Supervisory Module with Mesh
CE 561M CE 562M CM 361
Metal Grille Ceiling
F
Screw Mounted Spring Mounted
with Mesh with Mesh
CM 461 CM 461E

CM 611
AM 10
Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with Loudspeaker
Back Enclosure
CM 611E CM 811 CM 811E

LS 10A Loudspeaker with Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with
Speaker Line Selector With All Call Function Back Enclosure Back Enclosure
CS 562 CS 562M CS 562E

LS 10 with Mesh Enclosure
Speaker Line Selector
CS 562ME CX 811 CX 811E
PT 085 Back Enclosure
WB 661 WM 561W WM 561B
PT 165
16-Channel Program Timer WM 562 WM 662 WM 862
DM 10
LA 08
LR 063
SL 08 LR 126
RH 061 RH 085 RH 103

SL 04 Horn Loudspeaker Horn Loudspeaker Horn Loudspeaker
FG 415 FG 530W
2 way Foreground FG 530B
Loudspeaker 2 way Foreground 2 way Foreground
AT 05 Loudspeaker (White) Loudspeaker (Black)
5 W Audio Attenuator
AT 30 F 8 / F 8W F 10 / F 10W
SU 65
Subwoofer System
AT 75 Recommended
Spring-Mounted
Ceiling Loudspeaker
F 12 / F 12W
2 way Full Range CE 532 / CE 532M
AT 120 SR Loudspeaker F 12s CE 562 / CE 562M
120 W Audio Attenuator 2 way Full Range 59
CM Series
Input Preamplifier & Power
Systemstage Sources Systemstage Signal Management Systemstage Amplifiers
iX 111E
EES Matrix
iX 101 Control Manager
PA Matrix Main Frame
Section
with Single CPC iX 112E

EES Matrix
Control Manager
with Internet
iX 102
Connectivity
PA Matrix Main Frame
F
Features
with Dual CPC
iX 182
240 Vac Power

iX 103
Supply
PA Matrix Extension
Frame
iX 121E
EES Matrix Central iX 153
Processing Card I (CPC I) PA Matrix Remote Control
Sensor Panel (RCSP)
iX 122
PA Matrix Central Processing
iX 154
Card 2 (CPC II)
PA Matrix Remote Multipurpose
iX 194 Relay Panel (RMRP) PB 106
Analogue Handheld
iX 123
Microphone PB 112
Extension Card
iX 155
PA Matrix Internet Connectivity
PB 124
iX 132 Panel (ICP)
Audio Input Card (AIC)
iX 156E PB 136
iX 151 iX 133 Manual Mode Zone Selection
Emergency Microphone PA Matrix Remote Panel (With All Call Function)
Microphone Input Card (RIC) PB Series
Audio Power Amplifier
iX 136 iX 157E
PA Matrix Audio Output Manual Mode Zone
Card (AOC) Selection Panel PA 406
DS 201
Single-Channel Digital Player iX 142 PA 412
PA Matrix Control Sensor
Card (CSC) PA 224
iX 158E
PA 148
Emergency Alert Panel
iX 143
DS 201R
PA Matrix Multipurpose
Relay Card (MRC) PA Series
iX 159E 4 X 60W Audio Power Amplifier
iX 193 Mimic Panel Interface
Blank Facial
DS 202
FT 810T FT 810R
Single Channel Fibre Optic Transmitter Single Channel Fibre Optic Receiver
DS 202R
Dual-Channel Digital Recorder FT 811T FT 811R
Single Channel Fibre Optic Transmitter Single Channel Fibre Optic Receiver
(with RS 485) (with RS 485)
FT 820T FT 820R
2 Channel Fibre Optic Transmitter 2 Channel Fibre Optic Receiver
FT 821T FT 821R
FT 840T FT 840R
FT 841T FT 841R
60 4 Channel Fibre Optic Transmitter 4 Channel Fibre Optic Receiver
CE 531 CE 532 CE 531M

SA 05 Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker
Automatic Changeover Unit with Mesh
Section
CE 532M CE 561 CE 562
ASM 01B
Amplifier Supervisory Module Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker Ceiling Loudspeaker
with Mesh
CE 561M CE 562M CM 361
F
Screw Mounted Spring Mounted Metal Grille Ceiling
with Mesh with Mesh
AM 10 CM 461 CM 461E CM 611

Amplifier Monitoring Unit Metal Grille Ceiling
Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling
Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with Loudspeaker
Back Enclosure
CM 611E CM 811 CM 811E

LS 10A Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling Metal Grille Ceiling
Speaker Line Selector With All Call Function Loudspeaker with Loudspeaker Loudspeaker with
Back Enclosure Back Enclosure
CS 562 CS 562M CS 562E

LS 10
Speaker Line Selector with Mesh Enclosure
CS 562ME CX 811 CX 811E

PT 085 Back Enclosure
WB 661 WM 561W WM 561B
PT 165
WM 562 WM 662 WM 862
DM 10
LA 08
VA 415 VW 515
VA 430 VW 530 LR 063
SL 08 VA 450 VW 650 LR 126
RH 061 RH 085 RH 103

Horn Loudspeaker Horn Loudspeaker Horn Loudspeaker
SL 04
FG 415 FG 530W FG 530B
2 way Foreground 2 way Foreground 2 way Foreground
AT 05 Loudspeaker Loudspeaker (White) Loudspeaker (Black)
AT 30 F 8 / F 8W F 10 / F 10W
SU 650
Subwoofer System
AT 75 Recommended
75 W Audio Attenuator Spring-Mounted
Ceiling Loudspeaker
F 12 / F 12W
CE 532 / CE 532M
2 way Full Range
AT 120 SR Loudspeaker F 12s CE 562 / CE 562M
120 W Audio Attenuator 2 way Full Range CM Series 61
Section
G Design Template
Design Template
In specifying a PA System design, a properly documented schematic will help to reduce
the ambiguity of the design. This section shows the design engineer basic ways on how
Introduction to to document the schematic from design levels 1-5.
Section G These design templates together with the various schematic symbols used are also
available in the CD provided with this book.
63
Design Template -
Section
G Design Template - Design Level 1
Mic1
Desktop Paging Mic (MP 1)
Mic2
120W Mixer Amplifier

F
OF
(MA 112)
Handheld Mic (MH 1a)
Aux1
Digital Source Player (DS 201)
EQUIPMENT RACK LAYOUT:
SPEAKER LINE SELECTOR

REMOTE OVERRIDE
LS 10A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ALL CALL
Line Selector
ON 20 50 80 100% CLIP
MIC 1 MIC 2 MIC 3 AUX 1 AUX 2 AUX 3 BASS TREBLE MASTER
Mixer Amplifier
POWER
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 -10 0 -10 0 0 10
120W MIXER AMPLIFIER MA 112
Regulated Power Supply

FUSE
2A
F
US E POWER
O OFF
AC SHORT BATT IN
I
US E ON
F
FUSE
6A
POWER SUPPLY UNIT PS 05
64
Section
10 nos. CM 361 @ 3W

Speaker Line Selector with ALL CALL (LS 10A)
3 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
2 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
2 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
2 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
3 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
3 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
LEGEND:
3 nos. CM 361 @ 3W Paging Console Ceiling Speaker
Emergency Mic Coaxial Ceiling

With Push Button
Box Speaker
Handheld Mic
OFF
Horn Speaker
1 no. Regulated 24 Vdc Power Supply AM/FM
Radio Tuner
(PS 05)
Cassette Deck FGM Speaker
DISC
CD Player
Column Speaker
Digital Source
0
AMPLIFIER MONITORING UNIT AM 10

25
50
70 100
V%
141
1 2 3 4 5 6
CHANNEL SELECT
7 8 9 10
VOLUME
Amp. Monitoring Power Amplifier
Emergency Panel
NOTES: Multichannel
Amp. Changeover Power Amplifier
All loudspeakers c/w 100 V / 70 V audio line matching transformer
Audio Attenuator
All ceiling loudspeaker shall be spring mounted Regulated Power
Supply
All audio cable shall be two core screened cables
All loudspeaker cable shall be minimally 18 AWG twisted pair in SYSTEM :

uPVC conduit
MIXER AMPLIFIER PA SYSTEM
PROJECT :
Designed By
Date
Drawing No AEX-DWG-0105-DL1-1
Page No 1 of 1
65
Design Template -
70 100
50
25 141
VOLUME
0
V%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CHANNEL SELECT
1 no. Amplifier Monitoring Unit

(Monitors up to 10 amplifiers only)
(AM 10)
Priority
480W Power Amplifier

Section
Program (PA 148)

2A
Remote Paging Mic (MS 204) Paging Console

@ Reception Counter Communication Panel
& Extendsion Module
(CP 102 & CP 102EM)
XP 138
1A
Emergency Handheld Mic, ME 1
Signal from
fire alarm system 480W Power Amplifier
(PA 148)
1B

(DS 201)
3A
TAPE
Cassette Deck
(By Others)
3B
DISC
CD Player
(By Others) 480W Power Amplifier
(PA 148)

(PA 148) STANDBY
4 nos. 25A Power Supply Unit 1 no. Regulated 24 Vdc Power Supply
(PS 30) (PS 05) 1 nos. Amplifier Changeover Unit
(AC 08)
Cassette Deck
CD Player
Paging Console Communication Panel

POWER PRIORITY CHIME SIGNAL LED 1 LED 2 LED 3 LED 4 EXT 1
ERROR CHIME GAIN PC 1 PC 2 PC 3 PC 4 EXT 2
COMMUNICATION PANEL CP 102
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ALL CALL
REMOTE OVERRIDE
SPEAKER LINE SELECTOR LS 10A
REMOTE OVERRIDE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Line Selector
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
REMOTE OVERRIDE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
REMOTE OVERRIDE
FUSE
2A
F
US E
POWER
O OFF
AC SHORT BATT IN I
S E ON
FU
FUSE
6A
Amplifier Supervisory Unit

70 100
50
25 141
VOLUME
0
V%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CHANNEL SELECT
PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
Duty Power Amplifier

PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
Duty Amplifier / Standby Power Amplifier

PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
Power Supply Unit
66
46
L1
1 no. Speaker Line Selector with ALL CALL (LS 10A) + 3 nos Speaker Line Selector (LS 10)
9 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
L1A
Section
1 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
2 nos. FG 530 @ 15W

L2 - L2A
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W

5 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
L3 - L3A
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
5 nos. FG 530 @ 15W

L4 - L4A
4 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
5 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
L5
18 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
L6
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
L25
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
L26
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W LEGEND:
L32 Paging Console Ceiling Speaker

5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
L34
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W Emergency Mic Coaxial Ceiling
L36 With Push Button
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W Box Speaker
Handheld Mic
OFF
Horn Speaker
AM/FM
Radio Tuner
DISC
CD Player
Column Speaker
Digital Source
0

25
50
70 100
V%
141
1 2 3 4 5 6
CHANNEL SELECT
7 8 9 10
VOLUME
Emergency Panel
NOTES: Multichannel
Audio Attenuator
Supply

uPVC conduit
PROGRAMMABLE PREAMPLIFIER PA SYSTEM
PROJECT :
Designed By
Date
Page No 1 of 1
67
Design Template -
70 100
50
25 141
VOLUME
0
V%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CHANNEL SELECT
1 no. Amplifier Monitoring Unit

(Monitors up to 10 amplifiers only)
(AM 10)
XM 10A Modular Mixer Enclosure (c/w Power Supply Unit )

Emergency Handheld
Paging Microphone
(ME 1)
Priority
Section
ME 1 Microphone Emergency Line Output

Receptacle Pre-Amp Tone Generator Module
Panel (XM 32A) (XM 61A) (XM 71A)
(XM 31A) 2 x 240W Power Amplifier
(PA 224)
Program
20 Zone Remote Paging Console Isolated Line Output

Paging Microphone Communication Microphone Module
(MS 202) Panel Pre-Amp (XM 71A)
(CP 102) (XM 33A)

(DS 201)
DISC
CD Player Source Selector Stereo Combining

Module Pre-Amplfier Module
(By Others)
(XM 51A) (XM 35A)
AM/FM 2 x 240W Power Amplifier
(PA 224)
Tuner
(By Others)
4 nos. 25A Power Supply Unit 1 no. Regulated 24Vdc Power Supply 2 x 240W Power Amplifier
(PS 30) (PA 224)
(PS 05)
2 x 240W Power Amplifier

(PA 224)
STANDBY w. ASM 01B
1 no. Integrated Supervisory Unit

(LA 08)
70 100
50

25 141 VOLUME
0
V%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CHANNEL SELECT
XM 92A XM 31A XM 32A XM 61A XM 71A XM 51A XM 35A XM 33A XM 71A XM 12A
TREBLE TREBLE
MIC IN IN USE ALARM %
IN USE IN USE %
FUSE FUSE
GAIN
BASS 100
LEVEL MUTING BASS 100
MIC
BATT IN OUTPUT
DC 1.5A DC 1.5A
POWER
PUSH TO
TALK
ALARM
LEVEL
0
1
2
SOURCE
SELECTOR
3
4
5
0
Modular Mixer
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10
Paging Console Communication Panel

POWER PRIORITY CHIME SIGNAL LED 1 LED 2 LED 3 LED 4 EXT 1
ERROR CHIME GAIN PC 1 PC 2 PC 3 PC 4 EXT 2
COMMUNICATION PANEL CP 102
SPEAKER LINE SELECTOR

REMOTE OVERRIDE
LS 10A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ALL CALL
Line Selector
CD Player
Tuner

FUSE
2A
F
U SE
POWER
O OFF
AC SHORT BATT IN I
US
E
ON
F
FUSE
6A
Integrated Supervisory Unit
Unregulated Power Supply
68
48
20 nos. RH 5915 @ 10W
Section
20 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
1 no. 10 Zones Line Selector with All Call (LS 10A)
8 nos. FG 530 @ 15W

1 no. Integrated Supervisory Unit (LA 08)

20 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
20 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
6 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
8 nos. VW 530 @ 30W
50 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
66 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
60 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
LEGEND:
Paging Console Ceiling Speaker

With Push Button
Box Speaker
Handheld Mic
OFF
Horn Speaker
AM/FM
Radio Tuner
DISC
CD Player
Column Speaker
Digital Source
0

25
50
70 100
V%
141
1 2 3 4 5 6
CHANNEL SELECT
7 8 9 10
VOLUME
Emergency Panel
NOTES: Multichannel
Audio Attenuator
Supply

uPVC conduit
MODULAR MIXER PA SYSTEM
PROJECT :
Designed By
Date
Page No 1 of 1
69
Design Template -
70 100
50
25 141
0
VOLUME
V%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CHANNEL SELECT
4 nos. Amplifier Monitoring Unit

Internet Connectivity Panel Modem
(iX 155)
AO 1 B2
Back of House
eX 836
RI 1
Remote Microphone (eX 861)
@ FCC AO 2 B2
Section
RI 2 AO 3 B1
eX 836
Remote Microphone (eX 868)
@ Reception Counter
AO 4

(PA 412)
P1
6 Nos. eX 836
AO 5 P2
MICROPROCESSOR BASED DIGITAL MATRIX SYSTEM WITH MINIMUM 8 AUDIO BUS
(PA 224)
AO 6 P3

(PA 148)
Zone P3 to P13
11 nos. PA 148
(eX 801 + eX 803)
Build-In Dual Channel AI 1

eX 833
AO 16 P13
AI 2
(PA 148)
AO 17 P11
eX 836

(PA 148)
AI 3 AO 18 P11
AM/FM
Back of House
Tuner 480W Power Amplifier
eX 831
(By Others) (PA 148)

AO 19 L10
AI 4
DISC
eX 836
CD Player (PA 148)

(By Others)
AO 20
Back of (PA 148)
House

(PA 148)

(PA 148)
L10
(PA 148)
Control In, CS 1 to CS 29 AO 21 L11
Signal from

eX 836
fire alarm system

2 Nos. eX 841
Control In, CS 30 to CS 32 AO 22

Back of
House
(3 Spare)

(PA 412)
L11
eX 836
AO 23 L11
Mezz
(PA 224)
70
50 nos. CE 562M @ 2W
Section
23 nos. WM 561 @ 2W
5 nos. RH 061 @ 10W
10 nos. RH 061 @ 10W

6 nos. RH 061 @ 10W
24 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
35 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
12 nos. RH 061 @ 10W
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
27 nos. RH 061 @ 10W
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
27 nos. RH 061 @ 10W

Integrated Supervisory Unit (LA 08)
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
LEGEND:
24 nos. RH 061 @ 10W

With Push Button
Box Speaker
24 nos. FG 530 @ 15W Handheld Mic
OFF
Horn Speaker
AM/FM
Radio Tuner
24 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
DISC
CD Player
24 nos. FG 530 @ 15W Column Speaker
Digital Source
0
25
50
70 100
V%
141
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
VOLUME

18 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
CHANNEL SELECT
Emergency Panel
13 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W Multichannel
65 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W Amp. Changeover Power Amplifier
Audio Attenuator
7 nos. FG 530 @ 15W Regulated Power
Supply
7 nos. FG 530 @ 15W

SYSTEM :
DIGITAL MATRIX PA SYSTEM
7 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
PROJECT :
64 nos. CL 562M @ 1.5W
128 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W

Designed By
Date
88 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
Page No 1 of 2
Continued on Page 2
71
Design Template -
Connected to AM 10 (Page 1)
(PA 148)
Section
MICROPROCESSOR BASED DIGITAL MATRIX SYSTEM WITH MINIMUM 8 AUDIO BUS
eX 836
(eX 801 + eX 803) ~ Continued
eX 836
(PA 406)
eX 836
(Spare)
(PA 406)
5 nos. 480W Power Amplifier

(PA 145) STANDBY
w. ASM 01B
5 nos. Integrated Supervisory Unit

(LA 08)
PROGRAM PROTECT PROGRAM PROTECT PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY PRIORITY PRIORITY
eMatrix
System PROGRAM PROTECT PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY PRIORITY
PROGRAM PROTECT PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY PRIORITY
CD Player
PROGRAM PROTECT
Tuner
PRIORITY
PRIORITY PRIORITY
Internet PROGRAM PROTECT PROGRAM PROTECT

1
Connectivity Panel
PRIORITY PRIORITY
Power Supply Unit

FUSE
2A
F
US E
POWER
O OFF
1
AC SHORT BATT IN I
S E ON
FU
FUSE
6A
POWER SUPPLY UNIT PS 05 PRIORITY PRIORITY
Integrated
Supervisory Unit
PRIORITY PRIORITY
Duty
Power Amplifier
PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
Unregulated
Power Supply
72
25 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
Section
4 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
32 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
F
32 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
Design Template - Design Level 4

3 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
LEGEND:

30 nos. 25A Power Supply Unit
With Push Button
1 no. 5A Power Supply Unit
(PS 30) Box Speaker
Handheld Mic
Horn Speaker
Radio Tuner
CD Player
Continuation from Page 1 Column Speaker
Digital Source
Emergency Panel
NOTES: Multichannel
Audio Attenuator
Supply

uPVC conduit
DIGITAL MATRIX PA SYSTEM
PROJECT :
PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
PROGRAM
PRIORITY
PROTECT Designed By
PROGRAM PROTECT
Date
PRIORITY
Page No 2 of 2
73
Design Template -
70 100
50
25
141 VOLUME
0
V%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CHANNEL SELECT
4 nos. Amplifier Monitoring Unit

Internet Connectivity Panel Modem (Monitors up to 10 Amplifiers only)
(iX 155)
(AM 10)
AO 1 B2
Back of
RI 1 House
Remote Paging Console (iX 151)
@ FCC B2
AO 2
Section
RI 2 B1
AO 3
@ Reception Counter

RI 3
(PA 412)
AO 4 P1
@ GM Room
RI 4 AO 5 P2
(Spare)
(PA 224)
P3
1 nos Manual Zone Selector (with All Call iX 156E + 3 nos. Manual Zone Selector (iX 157E)
AO 6
Analog ALL CALL Mic (iX 194)
Zone P3 to P13
11 nos. PB 136
MICROPROCESSOR BASED DIGITAL MATRIX SYSTEM WITH EES
Digital Message for EES Auto Evacuation
P13
AO 16
AI 1
Evacuation Messages (PA 148)
AI 2
2 Ch Digital Source Player P12
(DS 202) AO 17
AI 3 480W Power Amplifier
(PA 148)
(IX 101E)
Special Messages AI 4 P12

2 Ch Digital Source Player AO 18
Back of
(DS 202) House 480W Power Amplifier
(PA 148)
L10
AO 19
AI 5 (PA 148)
2 Channel Digital Source

Player for BGM 480W Power Amplifier
(DS 202) AI 6
(PA 148)

(PA 148)
AI 7
AM/FM
Tuner 480W Power Amplifier

(By Others) (PA 148)
AO 20 L10
AI 8 Back of
(Spare) House 480W Power Amplifier
(PA 148)
Control In, CS 1 to CS 29 L11
AO 21
Control signal from
addressable fire
alarm system
Control In, CS 30 to CS 34
Emergency Panel
(iX 158E)
{
Control Out, MR 1 to MR 3
Control In, CS 35 to CS 48 (PA 412)
L11
AO 22
(14 Spare) Back of
House
(13 Spare) L11
AO 23
Mezz
Control Out, MR 4 to MR 16
74
50 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
23 nos. WM 561 @ 2W
Section
5 nos. RH 061 @ 10W
10 nos. RH 061 @ 10W

6 nos. RH 061 @ 10W
24 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
35 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
12 nos. RH 061 @ 10W
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
27 nos. RH 061 @ 10W
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
27 nos. RH 061 @ 10W

8 nos. Integrated Supervisory Unit (LA 08)
5 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
LEGEND:
24 nos. RH 061 @ 10W

With Push Button
Box Speaker
Handheld Mic
OFF
24 nos. FG 530 @ 15W

Horn Speaker
AM/FM
Radio Tuner
24 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
DISC
CD Player
Column Speaker
Digital Source
24 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
0

25
50
70 100
V%
141
1 2 3 4 5 6
CHANNEL SELECT
7 8 9 10
VOLUME

18 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
Emergency Panel
Multichannel
13 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W Power Amplifier
Amp. Changeover
65 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
Audio Attenuator
Regulated Power
Supply
7 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
SYSTEM :
7 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
EARLY EVACUATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
PROJECT :
7 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
64 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
Designed By
128 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
Date
88 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
Page No 1 of 2
Continued on Page 2
75
Design Template -
Connected to AM 10 (Page 1)
L12
AO 24
(PA 148)
1 nos Manual Zone Selector (with All Call iX 156E + 3 nos. Manual Zone Selector (iX 157E) ~ Continued.
MICROPROCESSOR BASED DIGITAL MATRIX SYSTEM WITH EES
Section
AO 25 L12 B
L13
AO 26
(IX 101E) ~ Continued.

L14
AO 27
(PA 406)
AO 28 L14 B
AO 29 L15

(PA 406)
AO 30 to AO 32 (3 Spares)
5 nos. 460W Power Amplifier

(PA 146) STANDBY
8 nos. Integrated Supervisory Unit

(LA 08)

eMatrix
System PROGRAM PROTECT PROGRAM PROTECT

PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
PRIORITY PRIORITY
PROGRAM PROTECT
PRIORITY
CD Player

PROGRAM PROTECT
Tuner
PRIORITY
Emergency Panel PROGRAM
PRIORITY
PROTECT PROGRAM
PRIORITY
PROTECT PROGRAM
PRIORITY
PROTECT
All Call
Manual Line Selector

Manual Line Selector PROGRAM PROTECT PROGRAM PROTECT PROGRAM PROTECT
PROGRAM PROTECT

PRIORITY
Internet Connectivity Panel PROGRAM
PRIORITY
PROTECT PROGRAM
PRIORITY
PROTECT
Duty
Power Supply
Integrated
Supervisory Unit
Duty
Power Amplifier
Unregulated
76 Power Supply
25 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
1 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
4 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
Section
32 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W
32 nos. CE 562M @ 1.5W

3 nos. FG 530 @ 15W
12 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
13 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
16 nos. CM 361 @ 3W
LEGEND:

30 nos. 25A Power Supply Unit 1 no. 5A Power Supply Unit
(PS 30) (PS05) Emergency Mic Coaxial Ceiling
With Push Button
Box Speaker
Handheld Mic
OFF
Horn Speaker
Continuation from Page 1 Radio Tuner
DISC
CD Player
Column Speaker
Digital Source
0

25
50
70 100
V%
141
1 2 3 4 5 6
CHANNEL SELECT
7 8 9 10
VOLUME
Emergency Panel
NOTES: Multichannel
Audio Attenuator
Supply

uPVC conduit
EARLY EVACUATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
PROJECT :
Designed By
Date
Page No 2 of 2
77
Estimating Equipment Rack Space Requirement
This section provides a guide for design engineers to estimate the space required by the Public Address equipment based
on the projects build up area.
1. Identify Typical 42U Rack Space Size 3. Estimating total power requirement
Public address system equipment would typically be rack Based on the projects build up area, it is possible to
mounted into standard 19 equipment racks. These racks estimate the required power to accommodate the
are usually standard in their width but may vary in terms of loudspeakers. This can be achieved by using the Power
rack heights. The following calculations will be based on (W) to Area (m) ratio index. Most projects will have a
a 42U equipment rack size, shown below; Power to Area ratio index of 0.12W/m.
Section
However apartments and residences buildings typically

have a lower index of 0.06W/m.
This index basically denotes the amount of amplification

G Design Template - Estimating Equipment Rack Space Requirement
power required for every 1m of floor space.

Aprox.
2100mm
Example:
A project with a build up area of 50000m
will generally require 6000W worth of speak-
ers to provide adequate SPL coverage as
shown in the calculation below;
Aprox.
Aprox.
800mm 0.12W/m x 50000m = 6000W
600mm
2. Identify floor space required 4. Rack quantity Estimation Guide
Based on the standard 42U rack, the actual floor space Once the power requirement has been estimated, the total
required in the equipment room can be estimated. This number of racks required can be calculated using the
floor space should take into account working space at the Power (W) to 42U Rack Ratio Index of 3000W/Rack.
back of the rack for future maintenance and servicing.
Example:
Minimally it is recommended that 1m working space be Continuing from the previous calculations for
allocated as shown in the diagram below; required amplification power, the total
number of racks can be obtained as shown
below;
1000 mm
6000W
Working
42U Equipment Rack = 2 nos. 42U Rack

Space
600 x 2100 x 800 (W x H x D) 3000W/Rack

1000mm
Working Apart from the racks to house the amplifiers, the following
Space
Input Battery Backup racks should also be allocated as below;
Sources Power Amplifier & Emergency
Signal Racks Power Supply
Manager Rack 1 nos. rack for the Input sources, signal management
Control &
Monitoring and control & monitoring equipment.
Rack 1 nos. rack for the Battery backup & emergency power
supply.
Thus total racks required are 4 nos. 42U Racks.
Typical control room floorplan
Summary
For quick estimates, the design engineer could also use the quick referencing factors below;
All Projects (Hotel, Shopping Mall, Office and all other commercial buildings):
Total Build-up area (m2) x 1 + 1 rack + 1 rack

25000
(Amplifiers Racks) (Source, Signal Management, (Emergency Power Supply Racks)
Control & Monitoring Racks)
Only Applicable to Condominiums & Residences Building:
Total Build-up area (m2 ) x 1 + 1 rack + 1 rack

50000
(Amplifiers Racks) (Source, Signal Management, (Emergency Power Supply Racks)
Control & Monitoring Racks)
78
Section
H Installation Guide
Installation Guide
This section discusses the various issues that should be considered during the installa-
tion process. The section provides guide on cable specifications, ensuring that cables
Introduction to with the right specifications are used as well as basic tests that should be conducted on
Section H the system upon completion.
79
Installation Guide
Conduit & Trunking
Installationguide Cable Specification Installationguide Specification
There are a few types of cable being used in a PA system. They 2.1. Rule of thumb to allow 30% to 40% free space clearance.
are: There should be 30% to 40% free space allowance in the
conduit and trunking as shown in the diagram below:
1.1. Low-level audio signal cable
Examples are microphone cables, music signal cables, digital
message cables, etc.
These cables transmit audio signals in the microwatts or milliwatts

region. 30 - 40%
3/4
These signals are prone to both electrostatics and electromag-
netic interference.
Shielding will help to reduce or eliminate electrostatics interfer-

ence while balanced signals will cancel the electromagnetic field
induced. 2
Section
Cables recommended:
Belden 8641 - 24 AWG Shielded Twisted Pair 30 - 40%
Belden 8761 - 22 AWG Shielded Twisted Pair
Belden 8762 - 20 AWG Shielded Twisted Pair 2
Belden 8760 - 18 AWG Shielded Twisted Pair
1.2. High-level audio signal cable

Example is loudspeaker cable
This cable transmits hundreds of watts of audio signal. 2.2. Guides for installation:
Signal loss along the cable due to cable resistance. The thicker From riser to loudspeaker conduit is to be used
the cable, the lesser the signal loss. From Fire control center to riser trunking is to be used
For proper cable gauge selection, refer to chart below: No electrical power lines share the same trunking or conduit with
the PA system cabling.
Maximum allowable line lengths, in metres, for 5% line loss
Size 30W 60W 120W 240W 360W
20 AWG 233 116 58 29 19
18 AWG 367 183 91 45 30
16 AWG 583 291 145 72 48
14 AWG 930 465 232 116 77
12 AWG 1485 742 371 185 123
Information extracted from National Bureau of Standards Coper Wire Tables - Handbook 100.
Maximum allowable line lengths, in metres, for 10% line loss

Size 30W 60W 120W 240W 360W
20 AWG 466 233 116 58 38
18 AWG 734 367 183 91 61
16 AWG 1167 583 291 145 97
14 AWG 1860 930 465 232 155
12 AWG 2970 1485 742 371 247
Information extracted from National Bureau of Standards Coper Wire Tables - Handbook 100.
1.3. Communication and control cable

Examples are data communication cable, control cable, etc.
These cables transmit data & control signals in the microwatts or

milliwatts region.
These signals are prone to both electrostatic and electromagnetic

interference.
Shielding will help to reduce or eliminate electrostatic interference.
It is recommended that the communication and control cables are

laid separately from the power lines and high level audio signal
cable.
80
Testing &
Installationguide Commissioning
The Testing & Commissioning guide aims to provide a systematic methodology for inspecting a PA system prior to handover. The
methodology is divided into 4 sub-categories namely;
3.1 Cable Continuity Test

3.2 Cable Impedance Check
3.3 Installation Check
3.4 Functionality Check
3.5 Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Check
These 4 tests highlight the required data to be recorded and compiled, providing a means of ensuring a successful handover.
3.1. Cable Continuity Test

Step 1: From Control Room To Riser
This is a test to check for any breaks on the loudspeaker line.
Section
Equipment used to perform this test is the Multimeter In order to conduct the test, the system should be shorted at the riser
and measured at the amplifier, as shown below.
Riser
The Continuity Test is carried out in 2 steps. Step 2: From Riser to 1st Loudspeaker Point
Step 1: From Control Room to Riser
Step 2: From Riser to 1st loudspeaker point In order to conduct this test. Disconnect the amplifiers at the riser and
probe the loudspeaker line as shown below.
Continuity Test
Step 1 Step 2
Riser
PA 2 Riser
ZONE 1
* Please refer to the diagrams opposite for a more detailed description.
The contractor will fill in a Continuity Test Table as shown on

Chart 3.1
Chart 3.1 Cable Continuity Test Table
Circuit From To Cable Continuity Reading Short to Remarks

Ref. Type Pass / Fail Ohms Earth
1.1 PA2 RISER Speaker Cable PASS 3.2 No OK
1st Speaker
1.2 RISER ZONE 1 Speaker Cable PASS 4.0 No OK
Checked by, Verified by,
81
Installation Guide
Testing &
Installationguide Commisioning
3.2. Cable Impedance Test

This is a test to ensure that the load connected to the
amplifier is appropriate, as any load larger than the
specified amplifiers maximum output would damage it.
Step 1: From Power Amplifier to Riser
Equipment used to perform this test is the Impedance Meter
To conduct this test, disconnect the speakers at the rise and short the
Impedance Test is carried out in 2 steps. amplifiers output there.
Step 1: Check line impedance from power amplifier output to
riser
Step 2: After installation of all loudspeaker, check loudspeaker
load impedance from the riser Riser
Continuity Test
Step 1 Step 2
Section
Step 2: Loudspeaker Load to Riser
To conduct this test: with the speaker line disconnected from the
amplifier at the riser probe the points shown.
Riser
PA 2
ZONE 1
* Please refer to the diagrams opposite for a more detailed description.
Riser
The contractor will fill in a Impedance Test Table as shown on

Chart 3.2
Chart 3.2 Fill in a Cable Impedance Test Table
Project T&C
Speaker Theoretical Acceptable Measured Diff. Pass Remarks

Zone tolerance % Impedence % / Fail
Total Loudspeaker Cable Total (Ohms)
Power (W) Impedance Impedance Impedance
(Ohms) Step 1 + Step 2
(Ohms) (Ohms)
Z-3 198 50.5 3 53.5 5 55.5 3.9 PASS OK
82
Testing &
3.3. Installation Check

This is a check to ensure that the installed equipment and loudspeakers are visually checked for proper installation
practices. The following are some of the check points that should be taken into consideration when performing the
installation check.
Chart 3.3 Fill in a Installation Check Table
Item Check Pass/Fail Remarks
1.1 The interconnection wires at the equipment racks are properly terminated Pass OK
with suitable connectors and clearly labeled.
Section
1.2 The incoming loudspeaker lines are properly terminated with suitable terminal
Pass OK
blocks, cable lugs and clearly labeled.
1.3 The cabling at the equipment racks do not obstruct troubleshooting &
Pass OK
maintenance of the system.
1.4 Perforated panels are installed in between powers amplifiers and power supply Pass OK
units at the front of the equipment rack for heat ventilation.
1.5 There is no obstruction at the ventilation holes and at the ventilation fans of the Pass OK
equipment and the equipment racks.
1.6 There are no objects placed on top of the equipments or equipment racks that Pass OK
may drop into the equipment.
1.7 The ambient temperature is maintained during the operation of the equipment Pass OK
as recommended by the manufacturer and sufficient ventilation of the area is
provided where the equipment racks are located.
1.8 Equipment tray / rack runner are used to support the weight of heavy equipments Pass OK
on the racks.
1.9 Voltage regulators, surge arrestors and lightning protectors are installed Pass OK
(if deemed necessary).
1.10 The loudspeakers are safely and correctly installed and terminated.
Pass OK
1.11 The loudspeakers are correctly positioned (location, firing direction & angle Pass OK
of tilt) as per construction drawing.
83
Installation Guide
Testing &
3.4. Functionality Check

This is a check to ensure Individual equipment and loudspeakers are inspected for its functionality during normal operation,
during emergency operation and during mains power failure. The functionality tests are designed to check all stages of the PA
system from Input sources all the way to the loudspeakers. Below is a sample of some of the main test that should be conducted
on the system.
Chart 3.4 Fill in a Functionality Check Table
Item Check Pass/Fail Remarks
1.1 Input Source - Microphone Unit Pass

Section
- Testing of the zone selection of every individual zone and grouped zones. There
shall be visual indicators to display the selected zones.
- Testing of the ALL CALL & RESET function. Upon triggering of ALL CALL, all PA
Zones shall be selected. Upon triggering of RESET, all selected zones shall be Pass
deselected. OK
- Testing of the preannouncement chime. Pass
- Testing of the paging function and clarity of announcement. Pass
- Testing of the analogue ALL CALL microphone Pass

1.2 Preamplifier & Signal Management
- Testing of the priority function (Emergency announcement overrides normal aging. Pass
Paging overrides background music).
- Testing of SIREN function prior to emergency announcement (if applicable). Pass
OK
- Testing of emergency prerecorded messages playback upon receiving the trigger
Pass
signal during emergency (if applicable).
- Checking of the output level of the equipment to achieve 0 dB (1V). Pass
1.3 Power Amplifier
- Checking of the output level of the unit to obtain the desired SPL using the Pass
Amplifier Monitoring Unit (AM 10).
- Checking of the audio output for any audible distortion via the monitor speaker at OK
Pass
the Amplifier Monitoring Unit.
- Checking of the operation of the power amplifiers during switchover to emergency Pass
supply (24Vdc battery bank, Uninterruptible Power Supply etc.).
1.4 Amplifier Changeover Unit
- Simulation of amplifier fault by switching off the amplifier and monitoring the
Pass
changeover of the amplifier to the standby amplifier. An audible warning shall be
emitted by the unit and visual indication shall display the changeover status.
OK
- Simulation of fault to the standby amplifier by switching off the power to the
standby amplifier. An audible warning shall be emitted by the unit and visual
Pass
indication shall display the status of the standby amplifier. (Only if the standby
amplifier is monitored).
1.5 Audio Attenuator
- Aural inspection of the attenuation function at the audio attenuator by switching Pass
the unit to various level position while monitoring the output from the loudspeaker(s). OK
- The Emergency Overriding function is checked by providing a 24Vdc activation
signal to the unit while the level selector is set to OFF. The sound output shall switch Pass
to maximum level during emergency override.
1.6 Loudspeakers
- All the loudspeakers installed are checked for functionality and producing the Pass OK
sufficient sound pressure level. The system should be checked if there is any
presence of audible distortion.
1.7 Secondary Power Supply
- The system is tested for functionality of the system in event of an emergency during
mains power failure. Mains power failure shall be simulated by turning off the mains Pass OK
power to the equipment rack. The system shall immediately be ready for use after
the switchover to the secondary power supply.
84
Testing &
3.5. Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Test

SPL refers to the loudness of the loudspeaker plotted.
SPL check is carried out using a calibrated SPL Meter set at the suitable test range of 50 ~ 100 dB. Sound weighing is set at A-
Weighted to simulate the human listening characteristics. A windscreen is used to prevent pickup of wind noise. During measure-
ment, the microphone of the SPL meter is placed at the hearing level at arm length with the microphone at upright position. An
average SPL value is recorded when the reading at the meter stabilizes. SPL readings are recorded at multiple positions at the
intended listening area and an average value taken.
SPL refers to the loudness of loudspeaker plotted.
Section
SPL Meter SPL Test Method
Installation
H Installation
SPL Meter Listening
Level
Guide
SPL Test Table as shown on Chart 3.3
Guide
Chart 3.5 SPL Test Table
No. Listening Level Public Area Corridor Room with V. Control Remarks
1 1.5m 87dB 88dB 87dB OK
85
Installation Guide
Common Challenges
Installationguide faced during installation
Below are a few common problems a contractor will face during

installation if they did not pay extra attention onto the matters:
4.1. No sound 4.4 Interference

After connecting and terminating every single connector on Ground Loops
the system, and the contractor still find there is no audio Ground loops are formed when more than one earth connection to
signal output from the system, or the output audio signal is a system is available resulting in a potential difference between
intermittently disrupted with silent, this could be due to one grounding points. If for example both mixer and power amplifiers
are earthed at different points, an earth loop can be formed via the
of the following:
cable shielding as shown in the diagram below. This can be
Wrong Termination avoided by lifting the cable shield at one end.
Wrong termination can be caused by wrong labeling on the
cables.
Section
Poor Termination
Poor termination was mainly due to the following two reasons: Diagram 1 : Earth loop caused by multiple Earth points
Cold solder
Loose connection Mixer Amplifier
Signal cable shield
4.2. Audio signal too soft Earthloop

When the contractor find the audio signal is far too softer
than it suppose to be, one of the following problems may be Earth Earth
the cause.
Equipment signal level and impedance mismatch
One of the most likely reasons was due to the different brands
used within a same system. Different brands of equipment Disconnecting cable shield at one
carry different signal level and impedance. Hence it is Mixer end prevents ground loop current Amplifier
from flowing
advisable to use only one brand of PA equipment for the entire
system, where these parameters for products coming from the
same manufacturer would have been matched.
Incompatibility of models chosen. Even the products are from Earthloop

the same manufacturer, the signal level and impedance
mismatch could happen when design engineer choose the Earth Earth
models from another series of products to be used in a different
series of products.
Cable Impedance Mismatch. The difference increases with physical distances between outlets
This could be due to too many cable joints in a loudspeaker line and between two outlets on different branch circuits. The use of
that cause the discrepancy between the calculated impedance ground isolators such as an audio isolation transformer breaks the
and the actual measured impedance. This will overdrive the power noise current path. Never break the ground loop by disconnecting
amplifier and put it under heavy stress loads. Eventually, the the safety ground.
amplifier will sustain damage.
An exposed loudspeaker line shorted to earth will also cause an
Partial Short to Ground earth loop, thus generating a hum in the system as shown in the
This could be due to mishandling of cables that cause the cables diagram below.
PVC jackets torn. The exposed copper may be shorted to a metal
conduit or trunking that would result in a partial short.
Diagram 2 : Earth loop caused by Earth leak via loudspeaker
4.3. Grounding
Amplifier
There are mainly two reasons for proper & adequate grounding :
Electrical Safety Earthloop
Grounding the chassis of the audio device to earth will divert any
current leakage that can be potentially hazardous to the ground.
An ELCB (Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker) may be used to discon-
nect mains supply to the power outlets when a residual current is Earth Earth
detected on the earth point.
To Reduce External Noise Pickup To test for earth loop, it is recommended to disconnect the units
To Reduce External Noise Pickup Proper grounding prevents from each other. Each of the units casing should then be tested
pickup of noise that is transmitted magnetically mainly from against a good earth source for connectivity.
motors & ac power transformers. Proper shielding prevents pickup
of noise that is transmitted capacitively (in forms of radio waves or
static from motors and lighting dimmers). Thus, the use of high Power Line Noise
quality shielded audio signal cables for line level cabling and also The power line normally consists of a broad spectrum of harmon-
housing all line level equipment in a metal equipment rack which is ics and noise in addition to the pure sine wave voltage. Noise is
properly grounded provides protection against these interfer- created by power supplies in electronics equipment, fluorescent
ences. Keeping the cables short and cables that carry the same lights, triac light dimmers and loads that creates sparking such as
signal level as close together while keeping cables of different switches, relays and brush type motors. These tiny current causes
types as far apart as possible and all audio cables away from the hum, buzz, pops and other symptoms when it couples into the
ac power cables will help reduce noise pickup. audio signal path. To reduce pickup of this noise, filters are
installed on the dimmer circuit and is best loaded to the rated
output for the filter circuit to work properly. Ensuring the lighting
circuits are properly grounded and using a different ac circuit will
also help.
86
Radio Breakthrough Interference 4.6 Surge Protection
Public address system maybe affected by radio transmission, in Surges in power are due to a transient rise in voltage from the
the case of radio stations or CB transmitter broadcasting over the power supply above the designated level. Surge arrestors or
legal output power. The result of this radio interference is a pickup
surge suppressors offer protection to any electronic system.
of occasional music and speech. An area prone to this type of
interference is the microphone cables which often acts as an aerial
to these unwanted radio frequencies which are then passed into Common causes of surge voltage in buildings are sudden
the preamplifier of the system. simultaneous operation of high power electrical equipment
such as air-conditioning, elevators and escalators. A sharp
The simplest remedy is an input by-pass capacitor of around demand for electricity will evidently cause a voltage spike or
0.015uF connected across each microphone socket. Ensuring that surge. Thus it is recommended that Public Address Systems
long microphone cables are balanced and shielded by electrical
be fitted with surge arrestors as a means of protection.
steel conduit greatly reduces the risk of this interference. It must
be ensured that these metal conduits are well earthed for optimal
Section
protection. However some public address system equipment The basic surge arrestors work by diverting the extra voltage
comes ready with built-in radio rejection circuitry which eliminates to Ground or Earth via a metal oxide variable resistor or MOV.
the problem altogether. However it is important to note that a strong surge is capable
Installation
of burning-out most MOVs, thus it is equally important to
install surge arrestors with light (LED) indicators of their
H Installation
Hum and Noise functionality.
One of the most baffling problems faced in a Public Address
System is the reproduction of electrical humming or high frequen-
cies noise in the system.
There are a few areas one should look into solving this problem:
4.7 Lightning Protection
The poor quality and incompatibility of the equipment used within a For Public Address systems, even if surge protectors were
Guide
system. The output of the sub-quality equipment may generate this employed at all mains power outlets, the system may still be
unwanted hum due to its poor isolation of its electrical signal and its
prone to damaging surges from other sources.
audio signal.
Poor source/microphone cable termination. The most common source is the 100V speaker line that runs
throughout the building. These lines can also conduct high
Guide
Poor system grounding and shielding protection. voltage especially if the building is struck by lightning. Thus
for full protection to the PA System the should be coupled with
Positioning of input equipment near mains transformers. lightning arrestors which are identical and work on the same
concept to surge arrestors.
An important point to note when connecting lightning

arrestors are, some lightning arrestors comes with built-in
high frequency filters. Meaning high frequencies in the range
4.5 Signal Distortion of 20 kHz and above are sunk to earth. This may affect the
The source of distortion in the audio path can be from the public address system, if a 20 kHz pilot tone signal is used to
following locations: monitor the loudspeaker lines.
Pre-recorded Material
Poor quality material will, in the end, be reproduced poorly as it is,
no matter how good the system is. Ensuring a good source of
material would be the primary step of obtaining a good sound
reproduction.
Preamplifier
Impedance mismatch of the source and preamplifier input may
cause signal clipping which results in a distorted signal, ready to
be further amplified and reproduced by the loudspeaker. Ensure
that the input sensitivity of the preamplifier is switched to match
the output level of the source.
Power amplifier
Again, ensure that the output level of the preamplifier matches the
input of the power amplifier to ensure optimum performance of the
power amplifiers. A signal too low will result in the power amplifier
not being able to drive its loads to the maximum capacity while a
signal too high will either constantly or during program peaks, clip.
Loudspeaker
High impedance loudspeakers do have a certain protection from
being overdriven due to its audio matching transformer which is
designed to deliver a fixed power to the transducer. Ensure that
the output voltage of the power amplifiers do not exceed the rated
voltage. It is important that during design stage, the correct type of
loudspeaker and power rating is selected as there is a tendency to
increase the output voltage of the power amplifiers to compensate
for the low SPL levels during operation. Driving a high impedance
loudspeaker exceeding its rated voltage will cause over excursion
of the transducer and operate out of its normal operating region,
and not forgetting, overloading the power amplifier that too causes
distortion.
87
Installation Guide
Installationguide Maintenance
Purpose for maintenance is to prolong equipment life-span. The

following are a few steps involved during a yearly or half-yearly
maintenance routine check:
5.1. Emergency Performance Test
This test is to ensure the integrity of the emergency evacuation
equipment
Microphone Check
To perform the functionality test on the microphone that includes
zone selection, zone group selection, function keys activation, etc.
Dual CPC Check (for iX 102 and iX 102E ONLY)

To simulate the Master CPC fault and verify on the Slave CPC
automatic switch over.
Section
Power Amplifier Changeover Check

To simulate fault on the one of the duty amplifier (by switching
OFF), and confirm on the automatic changeover to the standby
amplifier.
Loudspeaker Line Condition Check

To simulate a loudspeaker line faults (Open, Short or Ground Leak),
and verify on status display on the line monitoring units.
Internet Connectivity Check (for use with iX 155 ONLY)

To simulate a fault on the matrix system and check on emails sent
via the iX 155.
5.2. Connectivity Check

The connectivity check is to be carried out because:
On-going renovation may have removed some loudspeakers and
from the speaker cables and the speaker cable may have not been
connected back. This check is to make sure all the speaker cables
are in good condition.
Any circuit or zoning modification may have altered the speaker

cabling connection. Hence connectivity check is crucial to ensure
all cables are connected well to the main system.
5.3. Impedance Check

Due to the above two reason, the impedance of the entire
speaker cable need to be re-confirmed again.
5.4. Equipment Cleaning

Having the equipment locked inside a rack will not keep the
equipment from dust. A routine yearly or half-yearly equipment
cleaning is important. This is because the dust accumulated
inside the equipment will trap moisture. This trapped moisture
will eventually oxidized the electronic components on the
equipment circuit board. This will cause the performance of the
component to deteriorate and hence may start to give intermit-
tent problems to the system.
88
Section
I PA System - Overall System Specifications
PA System Overall System Specifications
Introduction to
Section I Mixer Amplifier PA System 90
Programmable Preamplifier PA System 94
Modular Mixer PA System 99
Digital Matrix PA System 105
Early Evacuation PA System 111
89
Applicable to - Mixer Amplifier PA System

Technical Specifications Specifications Benefits
1.0 General 1.0 General
This section specifies the minimum acceptable standard The PA system is being used as a tool for performing public
of quality and the minimum acceptable function to be announcements and providing background music.
performed for the Public Address (PA) System. The PA
System shall be able to conduct general paging and
background Music (BGM) broadcast at different priority
level. The work covered in this section shall include the
design, supply, delivery, installation, wiring, connect-
ing, final testing and commissioning with a 12 months
warranty against manufacturers defect. (BGM) Paging
Section
The Public Address (PA) System equipment shall be of The single brand requirement will ease the project coordination,
one single brand, except the music source equipment. commissioning and after sales and maintenance service. It
will also avoid any problems arise from equipment signal
I PA System Overall System Specification - Design Level 1
levels and impedance mismatch in the case of different

brands.
The Public Address (PA) System manufacturer shall be The ISO9001:2000 Certification will guarantee the product
of ISO9001:2000 certified. All PA System equipment quality with consistency.
shall be designed to withstand a tropical, high humidity
climate.
2.0 Signal Management and Amplifier Mixer Amplifier 2.0 Signal Management and Amplifier Mixer Amplifier
The PA system shall be a 6-input mixer amplifier with The 6-input mixer amplifier is the typical PA system mixer
sufficient power to drive the entire speaker load. amplifier requirement. The 6 inputs consist of inputs for
different microphones (for receptionist, manager, etc.) and
BGM sources.
Input 1
Input 2
Mixer Amplifier
Input 3
Input 4
2 more spare inputs
90
The mixer amplifier shall have 3 microphone level inputs The voice activated muting function allows the first microphone
(-55dB) and 3 line level inputs (-20dB). The unit shall to automatically mute other signals in the mixer amplifier,
have voice activated muting function which enable which are deemed lower in priority.
microphone input 1 to override other inputs. The unit
shall have individual gain controls for every input and a Top
master volume control with Treble and Bass control. Priority
Activated
2nd
Priority
Muted
3rd
Priority
Muted
The Treble and Bass tone control for the unit allow better
Section
control of the audio frequency adjustment and an overall
volume control allows an overall adjustment in volume of the
system.

adjustable
The unit shall be powered by mains supply of 240Vac, The DC backup is important in any case of power outages,
50 Hz or 110 Vac, 60 Hz or a DC backup supply of Regulated the system will be required to conduct paging especially
24 Vdc. during emergency.
3.0 Zone Separation 3.0 Zone Separation
Zone Separation shall be done using the zone selec- Zone separation will facilitate the paging signal management.
tors. Zone selection shall be done through the zone Paging need not have to be broadcast to all zones if it is
selector buttons. If remote microphones were used, the unnecessary.
remote microphone zone selection shall override the
zone selection done on the panel buttons.
4.0 Loudspeakers Selection and Monitoring 4.0 Loudspeakers Selection and Monitoring
The loudspeakers shall be wired in zones as required by The loudspeaker zones are dependent on the fire evacuation
the building management. zoning management.
The position of the loudspeakers is such that sound Evenly distributed loudspeaker layout will provide an even
pressure level (SPL) in each zone shall be evenly SPL to the system. +10dB above Ambient Noise means the
distributed. The total SPL shall be +10dB above the system will be loud enough to be heard by the occupants. Less
Ambient Noise. The SPL variation shall not be more than 3dB SPL variation means the occupants will experience
than 3dB difference. no variation in loudness when standing below or he strand
away from the speaker.
Ambient Noise
Ambient Noise + 10dB
91
Speech intelligibility shall have a Speech Transmission The STI refers to the clarity of the system announcement. The
Index (STI) of greater than 0.5. greater the index, the better the system intelligibility.The greater
the better. A system can be loud but not intelligible. It is very much
dependent on the type of speaker chosen and quantity of speaker
allocated in the provided acoustic environment. Hence, this is one
important index one should monitor.
Noisy Clear
Section
The ceiling loudspeakers used shall be spring mounted. A spring mounted design ceiling loudspeaker ease the instal-
lation procedure. And it doesnt involve any screw, we dont
have to worry about the rusty screws problem due to a
prolonged exposure time to moisture environment. Besides, it
also facilitates the future maintenance job where spring-

mounted ceiling loudspeaker simplifies the loudspeaker
cabling check and etc.
Spring Mount
All staircases shall have a box loudspeaker for each level. Grouping all the box loudspeakers in a staircase as one
All these box loudspeakers in the staircase shall be independent zone is necessary as these speakers belong to a
grouped as an independent zone. common open area. Confusion will arise to a person who is
travelling in a staircase if these box loudspeakers were to
grouped according to their floors where different floors might
have different BGM or announcement concurrently. This
single grouping of staircases speakers also meets the
requirement for the emergency evacuation method, where a
single message will be played throughout the entire stairway
to guide the evacuating occupants accordingly.
For background music reproduction, the loudspeakers
chosen shall cover the entire music frequency spectrum.
For foreground music reproduction, the loudspeakers
chosen shall be 2-way full-range high impedance
foreground music loudspeakers.
For outdoor application, the loudspeakers chosen shall Weatherproof treated loudspeakers are essential for outdoor
be weatherproof aluminium column loudspeakers or installation,as they should be able to withstand prolonged
weatherproof-treated ABS foreground music loudspeakers. exposure to rain, heat and UV.
Audio attenuators shall be place strategically in the building. The continuous rotary switch design ease the volume adjustment
The audio attenuators chosen shall be equipped with built-in for users whenever they need to switch from the maximum to the
relay emergency overriding feature. The audio attenuators minimum (or vice versa) of the attenuation level in one rotary
shall be controlled by a 6 level continuous rotary switch, direction only.
with attenuation in steps of 6dB. It shall be able to be both
flush and surface mounted to the wall (with optional back
box) without any visible mounting screws.
92
Loudspeaker line supervisory feature shall be incorpo- Incorporation of both features of amplifier monitoring and
rated in the amplifier monitoring device as one unit speaker line supervisory into one device solution will lower
solution. the entire system cost eventually and minimize rack space
required during installation.
The supervisory feature shall utilize line impedance The Line Impedance Measurement method of monitoring will
measurement method to monitor the loudspeaker lines. do away with the DC blocking capacitors installed on every
speakers and End-of-Line (EOL) resistor, hence eliminating
the filtering of the lower frequencies by the DC blocking
capacitors and improving the frequency response of the
loudspeaker unit. It allows loudspeaker lines branching,
monitoring loudspeakers installed beyond audio attenuators
and will isolate faulty loudspeaker line from the power ampli-
fier in the event of a loudspeaker line short.
Section
DC Blocking EOL
Capacitor Resistor
DC

Monitoring
AC
Monitoring
5.0 Power Supplies and Racks 5.0 Power Supplies and Racks
All primary power supplies for the system shall be mains In the event of power failure or a fire, when the mains supply
240Vac; 50Hz, and connected to the building essential is disrupted, there will be no supply to the equipment. The
power lines in the event of mains power shut down. It standby battery backup supply will provide a source of
shall automatically switch over to 24 Vdc in case of secondary power supply.
mains power failure before the essential power lines
generator starts to supply power. The standby battery
supply shall provide sufficient power and enable the
fully loaded system, announcement at the maximum
level, to continue operating without interruption for a
minimum duration of 1/2 hour should mains power fail.
All equipment shall be mounted into a 19 EIA Standard

equipment rack except microphone console, volume
controls and loudspeaker. All equipment, switchers, etc.
shall be clearly labeled for easy identification. All equip-
ment supplied shall be maintenance free, high quality,
up-to-date and elegant in design. The design concept
and layout shall be such that the operation be failsafe
and easy to operate.
93
Applicable to - Programmable Preamplifier PA System

This section specifies the minimum acceptable standard PA System is being used as a tool for performing public
of quality and the minimum acceptable function to be announcements and providing background music.
performed for the Public Address (PA) System. The PA
System shall be able to conduct general paging and
background Music (BGM) broadcast at different priority
level. The work covered in this section shall include the
design, supply, delivery, installation, wiring, connecting,
final testing and commissioning with a 12 months
(BGM) Paging
warranty against manufacturers defect.
Section
The Public Address (PA) System equipment shall be of The single brand requirement will ease the project coordination,
one single brand, except the music source equipment. commissioning and after sales and maintenance service. It
will also avoid any problems arise from equipment signal
levels and impedance mismatch in the case of different brand
equipment.
The Public Address (PA) System manufacturer shall be The ISO9001:2000 Certification will guarantee the product
of ISO9001:2000 certified. All PA System equipment quality with consistency.
shall be tropicalised to withstand tropical, high humidity
climate.
2.0 Signal Management Programmable Preamplifier 2.0 Signal Management Programmable Preamplifier
The PA system shall consist of a programmable preamplifier. The 8-input preamplifier is the typical PA System preamplifier
The programmable preamplifier shall be able to accept requirement. The 8 inputs consist of inputs for different
up to a total of 8 audio signal inputs. microphones (for receptionist, manager, supervisor,
telephone operator, etc.) and BGM sources.
Input 1
Input 2 Power Amp.
Programmable
Input 3 Preamplifier
Input 4
4 more spare inputs
94
The inputs of the preamplifier shall be grouped into 3 Inputs with user selectable input level allow user to use a wide
different groups. Group 1 shall accept up to 3 Balanced range of microphones, be it a short distance handheld micro-
inputs with selectable input level between 2dBV and phone or a long distance desktop paging console. Input grouping
62dBV; Group 2 shall accept up to 3 Balanced inputs will allow a better management of all the input signals with
with selectable input level between 2dBV and 62dBV different priority levels.
and Group 3 shall accept up to 2 Unbalanced inputs at Group 1 usually used for top priority microphones and signals
selectable input level between 2dBV and 22dBV. like firemen microphones, pre-recorded emergency messages,
Individual inputs shall have an independent gain control etc.
located at the front facial panel. The unit shall include Group 2 usually used for general paging microphones and
priority control with Group 1 having the highest priority general signals like reception microphone, operator microphone,
followed by Group 2 and Group 3 being the lowest in pre-recorded greeting messages for shopping complexes, etc.
priority. Group 3 usually used for the BGM.
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
priority decreases
Section
The unit shall feature a master Treble and Bass control The Treble and Bass tone control for the unit allow better control
before the audio signals are being output. of the audio frequency adjustment during commissioning.

adjustable
The unit shall also feature an emergency line out with The emergency line out is the highest priority signal. It will
dry contact activation for priority channel activation. provide a dry contact activation for any external activation like
The unit shall provide 2 other line outputs for better volume control overriding, etc. The other 2 line outputs separates
signal management. The output level shall be set at 0 the microphone paging signals from the BGM signals from Group
dBV for audio amplification through an external power 3. This will allow the user to configure an uninterrupted BGM and
amplifier. The unit shall feature a REC output for external paging system using only a single preamplifier. The REC output
audio recording. is useful for external recording equipment.
The unit shall be able to accommodate a Chime The optional chime module is used to compensate microphones
module. The chime module shall be able to generate 5 without a built-in chime.
different chime tones (user selectable) and one emergency
tone.
The unit shall be powered by mains supply of 240Vac, The DC backup is important in the case of any power outages,
50 Hz or 110 Vac, 60 Hz or a DC backup supply of Regulated the system will be required to conduct paging especially during
24 Vdc. emergencies.
3.0 Power Amplifiers 3.0 Power Amplifiers
Sufficient numbers of power amplifiers with 20% headroom The power amplifier headroom allows any fluctuation in line
shall be provided to drive all the loudspeakers to the impedance that may draw more power than the actual
maximum level without overloading. The power amplifiers loudspeaker load from the power amplifier. This headroom will
shall be powered by mains 240Vac, 50Hz or by external DC also allow room for any future expansion. To be able to connect
power supply supplying at 28Vdc. They shall accept a to backup battery array is to ensure uninterrupted operation even
secondary power supply of 24Vdc backup battery array. in the event of mains power failure.
A failsafe system for these power amplifiers shall To have greater than 12% backup capacity means at least 8
perform continuous fault monitoring on each power duty amplifiers to be backup by 1 backup amplifier. The
amplifier unit. The power amplifiers shall have greater continuous fault monitoring and automatic changeover
than 12% backup capability. It shall instantly route the within 1s in the event of amplifier fault is imperative to
input and output signals of a faulty amplifier (of similar warrant a fail-safe system. With the amplifier faulty buzzer
or higher power) into the signal lines of the standby going on in the control room, the faulty amplifier should be
power amplifier automatically within 1s without any attended immediately.
human intervention. At the same time, the automatic
amplifier changeover unit shall sound a buzzer to alert
maintenance personnel to attend to the situation. The
amplifier monitoring device shall incorporate line super-
visory function to monitor loudspeaker lines for SHORT,
OPEN and GND Leak. The unit shall isolate the loud-
speaker line from the power amplifier if a SHORT is
detected.
95
Section
A Monitor Panel shall be incorporated in the main equipment For monitoring purpose, one need not have to go to every floor
rack with a selector switch, a volume control, a loudspeaker, to listen to the amplifier level. Amplifiers levels can be
and a VU meter to monitor the output of the power monitored audibly and visually via the Monitor Panel installed
amplifiers. into the amplifier rack.
Zone Separation shall be done using the zone selectors. Zone separation will facilitate the paging signal management.
Zone selection shall be done through the zone selector Paging need not have to broadcast to all zones if it is
buttons. If remote microphones were used, the remote unnecessary.
microphone zone selection shall override the zone selec-
tion done on the panel buttons.
The position of the loudspeakers is such that the sound Evenly distributed loudspeaker layout will provide an even SPL
pressure level (SPL) in each zone shall be evenly distributed. to the system. +10dB above Ambient Noise means the system will
The total SPL shall be +10dB above the Ambient Noise. The be loud enough to be heard by the occupants. Less than 3dB SPL
SPL variation shall not be more than 3dB difference. variation means the occupants will experience no variation in
loudness when he stand below the speaker or he stand away from
the speaker.
Ambient Noise
The STI refers to the clarity of the system announcement. The

The speech intelligibility shall have a Speech Transmission greater the index, the better the system intelligibility. A system
Index (STI) of greater than 0.5. can be loud but not intelligible. It is very much dependent on the
type of speaker chosen and quantity of speaker allocated in the
provided acoustic environment. Hence, this is one important
index one should monitor.
96
Noisy Clear
The ceiling loudspeakers used shall be spring mounted. A spring mounted design ceiling loudspeaker ease the installation
procedure. And it doesnt involve any screw, we dont have to
worry about the rusty screws problem due to a prolonged exposure
time to moisture environment. Besides, it also facilitates the future
maintenance job where spring-mounted ceiling loudspeaker
simplifies the loudspeaker cabling check and etc.
Section
Spring Mount
All staircases shall have a box loudspeaker for each level. Grouping all the box loudspeakers in a staircase as one independent
All these box loudspeakers in the staircase shall be zone is necessary as these speakers belong to a common open area.
grouped as an independent zone. Confusion will arise to a person who is travelling in a staircase if
these box loudspeakers were to grouped according to their floors
where different floors might have different BGM or announcement
For background music reproduction, the loudspeakers concurrently. This single grouping of staircases speakers also meets
chosen shall cover the entire music frequency spectrum. the requirement for the emergency evacuation method, where a
For foreground music reproduction, the loudspeakers single message will be played throughout the entire stairway to guide
chosen shall be 2-way full-range high impedance the evacuating occupants accordingly.
For outdoor applications, the loudspeakers chosen shall be Weatherproof treated loudspeaker is essential for outdoor instal-
weatherproof aluminium column loudspeakers or lation, as they should be able to withstand prolonged exposure to
weatherproof-treated ABS foreground music loudspeakers. rain, heat and UV.
Audio attenuators shall be placed strategically in the building. The continuous rotary switch design ease the volume adjustment
The audio attenuators chosen shall be equipped with a for users whenever they need to switch from the maximum to the
built-in relay emergency overriding feature. The audio minimum (or vice versa) of the attenuation level in one rotary
attenuators shall be controlled by a 6 level continuous direction only.
rotary switch, with attenuation in steps of 6dB. It shall be
able to be both flush and surface mounted to the wall (with
optional back box) without any visible mounting screws.
Loudspeaker line supervisory feature shall be incorporated Incorporation of both features of amplifier monitoring and
in the amplifier monitoring device as one unit solution. speaker line supervisory into one device solution will lower the
entire system cost eventually and minimize rack space required
during installation.
The supervisory feature shall utilize line impedance The Line Impedance Measurement method of monitoring will do
measurement method to monitor the loudspeaker lines. away with the DC blocking capacitors installed on every speak-
ers and End-of-Line (EOL) resistor, hence eliminating the
filtering of the lower frequencies by the DC blocking capacitors
and improving the frequency response of the loudspeaker unit. It
allows loudspeaker lines branching, monitoring loudspeakers
installed beyond audio attenuators and will isolate faulty
loudspeaker line from the power amplifier in the event of a
loudspeaker line short.
97
DC Blocking EOL
Capacitor Resistor
DC
Monitoring
AC
Monitoring
Section
240Vac; 50Hz, and connected to the building essential power is disrupted, there will be no supply to the equipment. The
lines in the event of mains power shut down. It shall automati- standby battery backup supply will provide a source of
cally switch over to 24 Vdc in case of mains power failure secondary power supply.
before the essential power lines generator starts to supply
power. The standby battery supply shall provide sufficient
power and enable the fully loaded system, announcement at
the maximum level, to continue operating without interruption
for a minimum duration of 1/2 hour should mains power fail.

98
Applicable to - Modular Mixer PA System

This section specifies the minimum acceptable standard of The PA System is used as a tool for broadcasting public
quality and the minimum acceptable function to be performed announcements and providing background music.
for the Public Address (PA) System. The PA System shall be
able to conduct general paging and background Music
(BGM) broadcast at different priority level. The work
covered in this section shall include the design, supply,
delivery, installation, wiring, connecting, final testing and
(BGM) Paging
commissioning with a 12 months warranty against
manufacturers defect.
The Public Address (PA) System equipment shall be of one The single brand requirement will ease the project coordination,
Section
single brand, except the music source equipment. commissioning and after sales and maintenance service. It will
also avoid any problems arise from equipment signal levels and
impedance mismatch in the case of different brand equipment.

The Public Address (PA) System manufacturer shall be of The ISO9001:2000 Certification will guarantee the product
ISO9001:2000 certified. All the PA system equipment shall quality with consistency.
be tropicalised to withstand tropical, high humidity climate.
2.0 Signal Management Modular Mixer 2.0 Signal Management Modular Mixer
The PA System shall be a modular mixer design. All Modular system allows flexibility in system design. Users are
electronic boards shall be inserted from the front for easy required to install the modules of their needs only. The front
servicing. The modular mixer system shall be backed by a access module cards allow maintenance personnel to remove and
backplane PCB inside the modular frame. There shall be install module cards from the front without going to the back of
no jumper cutting required in order to configure the the rack, hence simplify the servicing efforts. The backplane PCB
system. allows users to remove and install module cards as and when
they want without worrying on any jumpers being cut on the
frame. Hence this facilitates any system re-configuration.
The system shall include the following programming These programming functions are for the reasons stated below:
functions:
1. TOP Priority A module set to TOP priority will cut-off all
1. TOP Priority signals generated from modules placed to its left. Hence it is
2. First-In-First-Out (FIFO) Priority required for top priority microphone or firemen microphone
3. CASCADE Priority preamplifier module setting.
4. Speech Filter
5. Chime Activation
6. Chime Selection
7. Priority Channel Trigger block signal from mic 1 & 2
8. Mic Enable
9. Automatic Mute Mic 3
Mic 1 Mic 2 Mic 3

(Top Priority)
99
2. FIFO Priority Modules set to this priority will adhere to the
FIFO rule, thus it is suitable to be used for microphones of same
priority.
Mic 1
(FIFO set)
Come 1st
Mic 2 Mic 1
(FIFO set)
Come 2nd
Mic 3
(FIFO set)
Come 3rd
3. CASCADE Priority Modules set to this priority will cause

modules of the same priority setting on the left to mute. This is
commonly configured for establishments that requires different
priority microphones like factories and hotels.
Section
left center right
Mic 3
Mic 1 Mic 2 Mic 3

(Cascade set) on Paging on Paging
(Cascade set) (Cascade set)
4. Speech Filter This setting will improve speech articulation

by filtering lower frequency components in the speech spectrum.
This is usually set for microphones dedicated for a male paging.
5. Chime Activation - This provides triggering signal to an

external chime device. This is commonly used when the system
required triggering any melody player and etc.
6. Chime Selection There are different chimes built into the

Chime Generator Module, this setting allows users to choose
different chimes for different microphones in the system.
7. Priority Channel Trigger This signal will be sent through the

Line Amplifier Module for external priority trigger. This is
required to trigger the priority channel of the power amplifiers.
8. Mic Enable This setting allows microphones without activation

switch to be used with the system.
9. Automatic Mute This function is required for the BGM

preamplifier modules where higher priority module will mute the
lower priority modules signal.
These programming functions shall be user settable This is the option for user to choose which are the functions user
through switch setting on the module cards. requires.
The system shall have a frequency response of 20Hz to A 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response guarantees a full audio
20kHz. spectrum to be amplified by the modular mixer system.
The system shall comprise of module as follow: These module choices allow users to select the right module for
1. Emergency microphone receptacle module the right application.
2. Microphone level preamplifier module
3. Line level preamplifier module
4. Mono preamplifier module
5. Stereo combining preamplifier module
6. Source selector module
7. Parallel source selector module
8. Emergency tone generator module
9. Chime generator module
10. Line amplifier module
11. Extension module
All the modules are user selectable and shall be compatible

with each other.
100
Depending on the module selected the system shall be There are different types of microphone with different mic level.
able to accept both microphone level as well as line level Microphones for short distance application and long distance
microphone inputs. The system shall have no limit to the application have different microphone output levels and imped-
number of microphone to be connected to the system. ance. Hence it is imperative to have different microphone pream-
Individual microphone shall be pre-amplified by an plifier modules to cater for these different levels and impedance.
individual preamplifier module. Individual microphone
module shall have a gain adjust knob locate at the front of
the module. The microphone modules shall accept a
Balanced audio signal. Each microphone preamplifier
module shall be able to be activated by an external trigger.
For Background Music broadcast, the system shall accept BGM sources (AM / FM Tuner, CD Player and Cassette Player)
either MONO or STEREO music input depending on the are commonly equipped with L&R output channels. It is important
modules selected. The music preamplifier modules shall to properly combine both the L&R channels electronically in
have user selectable multiple input levels depending on order to get the full music component for BGM broadcast.
the music source used. The modular mixer shall have both
Section
the individual or parallel source selector options for the
user to select Background Music source to be broadcast R Channel rich music
through the system.
Stereo
Combine

L Channel
The modular mixer shall have emergency tone generator The emergency tone of 4s to 10s preceeding an announcement is
for siren, yelp or buzzer. The tone duration and level shall in compliance with the IEC 60849 International Standard for
be adjustable by the user. User shall be able to choose one Sound System for Emergency.
of these emergency tones to preceed an emergency
announcement to comply with the International Standard
IEC 60849.
Siren
The modular mixer system shall have a chime module that The chime module is required when using together with a micro-
generates 6 different chimes depending on the user phone without a built-in chime. This chime module allows user to
choice. This chime module shall be programmed to sound assign different chime to different microphone installed onto the
a chime before and after an announcement. system.
The modular system shall have a line amplifier module that The line amplifier module is the one that gather all signals within
combines all signals in the system and pre-amplify them to the modular mixer frame before output it to the power amplifiers.
a level that is compatible to the power amplifiers and The line amplifier VU meter and tone controls allow user to
match the impedance of the power amplifier. This module commission the system more effectively.
shall have both Treble and Bass tone control knobs
located on the front facial of the panel. The module shall
have a calibrated VU meter consists of LEDs indicating
signal level and signal clip.
Should the system need more card slots than one frame, Extension module is to ease the transfer of all signals within the
the system shall have an Extension Module to transfer all frame to the second frame.
signals on the backplane PCB to the second frame.
The unused module slots shall be covered by blank It is important to cover all the unused module slots with the blank
panels. panels for both protection and aesthetic reason.
The system shall be able to be powered by a power supply The DC backup is important in any case of power outage, the
module that accepting mains supply of 240Vac, 50 Hz or system will be required to conduct paging especially during
110 Vac, 60 Hz or a DC backup supply of Regulated emergency.
24 Vdc.
101
A failsafe system for these power amplifiers shall perform To have greater than 12% backup capacity means at least 8 duty
continuous fault monitoring on each power amplifier unit. amplifiers to be backup by 1 backup amplifier. The continuous
The power amplifiers shall have greater than 12% backup fault monitoring and automatic changeover within 1s in the event
capability. It shall instantly route the input and output of amplifier fault is imperative to warrant a fail-safe system.
signals of a faulty amplifier (of similar or higher power) into With the amplifier faulty buzzer going on in the control room, the
the signal lines of the standby power amplifier automati- faulty amplifier should be attended immediately.
cally within 1s without any human intervention. At the same
Section
time, the automatic amplifier changeover unit shall sound Duty Amp.
a buzzer to alert maintenance personnel to attend to the
Duty Amp.
situation. The amplifier monitoring device shall incorporate
line supervisory function to monitor loudspeaker lines for
Duty Amp.
SHORT, OPEN and GND Leak. The unit shall isolate the
loudspeaker line from the power amplifier if a SHORT is Duty Amp. Backup Amp.
detected.
Duty Amp.
20% Backup
Duty Amp.
Duty Amp.
Duty Amp.
rack along with a selector switch, a volume control, a to listen to the amplifier level. Amplifiers levels can be
loudspeaker, and a VU meter to monitor the output of all monitored audibly and visually via the Monitor Panel installed
power amplifiers. into the amplifier rack.
Zone Separation shall be done using the zone selectors. Zone separation will facilitate the paging signal management.
Zone selection shall be done through the zone selector Paging need not have to broadcast to all zones if it is
buttons. If remote microphones were used, the remote unnecessary.
microphone zone selection shall override the zone selec-
tion done on the panel buttons.
The position of the loudspeakers is such that sound Evenly distributed loudspeaker layout will provide an even SPL
pressure level (SPL) in each zone shall be evenly distrib- to the system. +10dB above Ambient Noise means the system will
uted. The total SPL shall be +10dB above the Ambient be loud enough to be heard by the occupants. Less than 3dB SPL
Noise. The SPL variation shall not be more than 3dB variation means the occupants will experience no variation in
difference. loudness when he stand below the speaker or he stand away from
the speaker.
Ambient Noise
102
Index (STI) of greater than 0.5. greater the index, the better the system intelligibility. A system
can be loud but not intelligible. It is very much dependent on the
Noise Clear
Section

Spring Mount
concurrently. This single grouping of staircases speakers also meets
the requirement for the emergency evacuation method, where a
single message will be played throughout the entire stairway to
guide the evacuating occupants accordingly.
For background music reproduction, the loudspeakers

chosen shall cover the entire music frequency spectrum.
For foreground music reproduction, the loudspeakers
chosen shall be 2-way full-range high impedance
For outdoor applications, the loudspeakers chosen shall be Weatherproof treated loudspeaker is essential for outdoor instal-
The audio attenuators chosen shall be equipped with a for users whenever they need to switch from the maximum to the
built-in relay emergency overriding feature. The audio minimum (or vice versa) of the attenuation level in one rotary
attenuators shall be controlled by a 6 level continuous direction only.
rotary switch, with attenuation in steps of 6dB. It shall be
able to be both flush and surface mounted to the wall (with
optional back box) without any visible mounting screws.
103
Loudspeaker line supervisory feature shall be incorpo- Incorporation of both features of amplifier monitoring and
rated in the amplifier monitoring device as one unit speaker line supervisory into one device solution will lower
solution. the entire system cost eventually and minimize rack space
required during installation.
The supervisory feature shall utilize line impedance The Line Impedance Measurement method of monitoring will
measurement method to monitor the loudspeaker lines. do away with the DC blocking capacitors installed on every
speakers and End-of-Line (EOL) resistor, hence eliminating
the filtering of the lower frequencies by the DC blocking
capacitors and improving the frequency response of the
loudspeaker unit. It allows loudspeaker lines branching,
monitoring loudspeakers installed beyond audio attenuators
and will isolate faulty loudspeaker line from the power ampli-
fier in the event of a loudspeaker line short.
DC Blocking EOL
Capacitor
Section
Resistor
DC
Monitoring
AC
Monitoring
240Vac; 50Hz, and connected to the building essential is disrupted, there will be no supply to the equipment. The
power lines in the event of mains power shut down. It standby battery backup supply will provide a source of
shall automatically switch over to 24 Vdc in case of secondary power supply.
mains power failure before the essential power lines
generator starts to supply power. The standby battery
supply shall provide sufficient power and enable the
fully loaded system, announcement at the maximum
level, to continue operating without interruption for a
minimum duration of 1/2 hour should mains power fail.

104
Applicable to - Digital Matrix PA System

This section specifies the minimum acceptable standard of PA system is being used as a tool for performing public
quality and the minimum acceptable function to be announcement and providing background music. At a small
performed for the Public Address (PA) System. The PA premium over the cost of a conventional PA system, the
system shall be able to conduct general paging and back- additional early evacuation feature is easily justified.
ground Music (BGM) broadcast at different priority level.
The work covered in this section shall include the design,
supply, delivery, installation, wiring, connecting, final
testing and commissioning with a 12 months warranty
against manufacturers defect. (BGM) Paging
Section

be designed to withstand a tropical, high humidity climate.
2.0 Signal Management Digital Matrix 2.0 Signal Management Digital Matrix
The PA System shall be of PA Digital Matrix System to PA digital matrix system is the only system that allows multiple
conduct simultaneous multiple paging to designated messages broadcast simultaneously. A digital matrix will allow
zones. This Digital Matrix System shall operate in at least multiple audio signals to be managed digitally and hence
16 bit, 48kHz sampling, CD quality, Analog to Digital (ADC) losslessly. A CD quality sound system is of utmost important in
and Digital to Analog (DAC) conversion rate. high class establishment like Hotels and Exhibition Centers,
where the occupants enjoy its superb BGM quality.
The PA digital matrix system shall be able to handle at least 8 x 8 full audio matrix means that all the 8 audio inputs can be
8 x 8 full audio matrix with minimum 8 audio buses, and broadcast to any of the 8 audio output channels simultaneously.
expandable up to a maximum of 20 x 60 full audio matrix 8 audio buses means allowing 8 audio sources to be broadcast at
for a medium scale matrix system, and a 32 x 128 full audio the same time. The matrix shall have room for future expansion
matrix for a full scale matrix system. and be able to be extended to a 20 x 60 full audio matrix for a
medium scale matrix and 32 x 128 full audio matrix for a large
scale matrix system.
The PA digital matrix shall be able to operate as a normal This is important for big establishment like hotel or shopping
PA system that broadcast different Background Music complexes where different BGM is required at different zones at
(BGM) to different designated zones simultaneously. This the same time to provide different psycho-acoustic experience to
system shall provide at least 4 different BGM signals the customers. Different BGM to be broadcast to different areas of
broadcast to different speaker zones simultaneously. The 4 the building relaxes the customers as they enter and some cases
simultaneous BGM shall have room for future BGM system enhance the productivity of the employees within the building.
expansion.
The PA digital matrix system shall be able to manage at The 4 remote microphones independent paging means all 4
least 4 remote microphones and expandable up to 8 microphones paging can be in use at the same time. In fact,
remote microphones inputs (for medium scale matrix microphones are the most common signal source in most PA
system) or 32 remote microphone inputs (for large scale system especially in high occupancy establishment like hotels,
matrix system) with programmable priority. The remote shopping complexes, airports etc. to make announcement as well
microphone shall be able to page independently to any as to conduct manned evacuation.
zones in the entire building individually or collectively.
105
The PA digital matrix shall be able to handle different This is important for buildings like airports, factories, offices,
microphone paging broadcast to different designated and any other establishment that requires multiple microphones
zones simultaneously. This PA matrix shall be able to paging. . Hence it is imperative to have a matrix that can handle
handle up to 4 simultaneous paging (for medium scale all microphone at its full input capacity and all microphones
matrix) and 32 simultaneous paging (for large scale matrix) shall be able to do independent paging at all time.
at any one time.
Mic 4
Mic 1
Mic 2 Mic 3
Concurrent
Mic 3 Mic 1
Mic 4
Mic 2
The higher priority microphones shall be able to override When microphone of higher priority selected a zone that is
the signals and microphones of lower priority automatically already occupied by a lower priority signals (be it BGM or lower
Section
upon activation. The BGM shall be muted when paging priority microphone), the higher priority microphone paging will
and resume automatically after paging. be able to override it, because the priority microphone paging is
deemed to have more important paging than the others. After the
microphone paging, the selected zones will resume the BGM
broadcast automatically.
In the case of zones clash, a Microphone Queue Management Microphone Queue Management feature allows microphones of
system shall be apply to handle the system queuing opera- same priority level to go on queue based on fist-come-first-serve
tion. This Microphone Queue Management System shall basis. The microphone operators will be notified via the micro-
incorporate an audio and visual notification to the operators phone LCD and a buzzer upon the availability of the zones
upon availability of the zones selected. selected. The operator need not have to re-enter the zones again
when comes his turn to page.
Mic Queue
(Applies Only to Medium Scale Matrix System)
The matrix system remote microphone should be incorpo- The microphone password protection feature would minimize the
rated with optional features of password protection, possibility of misuse of the device, such as paging broadcast by
volume control over zones and change of BGM routing unauthorized personnel. Allowing the function keys of the micro-
patterns. phone to be programmed to control zones volume as well as
changing the routing patterns would ease the operation and
control over the system as the authorized personnel need not to
be in the control rooms to perform such adjustment. It allows
immediate response to be carried out when required.
It shall have a top priority Firemen Microphone that This top priority will override all microphones in the building.
overrides all microphones in the building. Its announce- This microphone should only be used by the firemen. The
ment shall precede with an attention-drawing siren for 4s attention-drawing siren precede an announcement is the IEC
to 10s to comply with IEC 60849. It shall be located at the 60849 Standards for Sound System for Emergency Purpose.
Fire Control Room.
It shall accept up to a maximum of 128 control sensor The control sensor input channels allow external control signal
inputs and 188 multipurpose relay outputs (for medium to control the matrix system, e.g. Addressable Fire Alarm System.
scale matrix system), and of 128 control sensor inputs and Any fire alarm triggered from the any fire alarm zone/s or floor/s
256 multipurpose relay outputs (for large scale matrix will be feedback to matrix and an automatic digital message will
system). be broadcast to the respective zone/s or floor/s (if the matrix was
programmed to do such). The multipurpose relay outputs
channels allow matrix system to control any external equipment
or system, like evacuation strobe lights etc.
This system shall have a built-in Time Scheduler that When come to operation on routine programs, the built-in Time
will automatically trigger events as programmed. The Scheduler is the timetable that one can program into the matrix
time scheduler shall have up to at least 560 time and let it perform those routine programs automatically without
blocks/programs per week. any human intervention.
106
Auto Route
Section
Auto Route
The Matrix System shall be modular in design and all The modularity of matrix design allows greater flexibility in
electronic boards shall be inserted from the rear. terms of future upgrading and expansion. Should any card fail,

modular system allows the faulty card to be unplugged from the
frame and replace with a new one. This will keep the system
running and minimize the system down time.
The system shall be able to be configured and monitored The PC configuration is friendlier in terms of configuration and
through a PC. The configuration software shall be user- monitoring. It operates on a common Window platform that most of
friendly Windows-based and incorporated with a Configu- the user familiar with. Its Configuration Wizard is most useful for
ration Wizard to guide the user throughout the system beginner when he first configure the system. By following through
configuration procedure. The software shall allow configu- the steps guided by the wizard, one can configure the entire matrix
ration and monitoring of the system. system in no time.
Let me
help ..
It shall be equipped with at least 2-Level password First level password allows users to monitor and view the
protection. 10 user-definable passwords shall be available system operation status. The second level password allows users
in each level. to change system configuration. Each level of password allows
10 different users to define their personal password. Besides
protecting the system from unauthorized tempering, it is also
for management to monitor who has entered the system and
who did the last system configuration modification.
The matrix system shall be able to support Dual CPU Any frequently used system will require certain degree of fail-safe
redundancy option and shall be able to perform system redundancy. A highly used PA system in establishment like
diagnosis automatically. airports, exhibition halls, etc. will need a dual redundancy
requirement. The Dual CPU redundancy is an option for this
purpose. System self-diagnosis allows the system to monitor its
own operating condition.
Speaks the
same ..
107
The system shall have a simulation function to facilitate the The simulation function is to simplify the T&C chore by having
Testing & Commissioning (T&C) procedure. the system run its full Time Scheduler function at one go.
The system shall be able to connect to the Internet via an Internet connectivity will allows building owners to monitor the
optional Internet Connectivity Panel. This is to enable the condition of its PA system operation. This will also allow authorized
user to monitor the status of the matrix system and upload contractors to monitor and change configuration remotely. Any
new configuration settings from a remote online PC. faults detected upon system diagnosis can be sent through emails to
Besides, the system shall be able to send emails up to 5 5 different parties for action. The 5 different parties could be:
designated addresses upon any fault detected. a. Service Department Head
b. Building owner
c. Consultants
d. System Integrator
e. Contract Maintenance companies
The PA digital matrix system shall be able to upgrade to By having the PA digital matrix to upgrade to EES, is to allow the
Early Evacuation System (EES) to conduct concerted building owners and the fire authority to program the people
evacuation during emergency by changing the Central evacuation steps as it was planned and confirmed based on the
Section
Processing Card with the EES software. building evacuation plan discussed even before the Certificate of
Fitness was issued.
The system shall be able to be powered by mains supply Besides the AC mains, the system needs to be in operation
of 240Vac, 50 Hz or 110 Vac, 60 Hz or a UPS backup especially in the event of emergency. Hence, any failure of power
supply of 24 Vdc. supply to the system should be prevented.
The power amplifiers shall have greater than 12% backup fault monitoring and automatic changeover within 1s in the event
capability. It shall instantly route the input and output of amplifier fault is imperative to warrant a fail-safe system.
signals of a faulty amplifier (of similar or higher power) into With the amplifier faulty buzzer going on in the control room, the
the signal lines of the standby power amplifier automati- faulty amplifier should be attended immediately.
situation. The amplifier monitoring device shall incorporate Duty Amp.
line supervisory function to monitor loudspeaker lines for

Duty Amp.
detected.
Duty Amp.
20% Backup
Duty Amp.
Duty Amp.
Duty Amp.
The status of the automatic changeover unit shall feedback This is for total system monitoring.
to the Matrix System for fault reporting.
and a VU meter to monitor the output of the power monitored audibly and visually via the Monitor Panel installed
amplifiers. into the amplifier rack.
108
The loudspeakers shall be wired in zones as required by the The loudspeaker zones are dependent on the fire evacuation
building management. zoning management.
The position of the loudspeakers is such that the sound Evenly distributed loudspeaker layout will provide an even SPL
pressure level (SPL) in each zone shall be evenly distributed. to the system. +10dB above Ambient Noise means the system will
The total SPL shall be +10dB above the Ambient Noise. The be loud enough to be heard by the occupants. Less than 3dB SPL
SPL variation shall not be more than 3dB difference. variation means the occupants will experience no variation in
loudness when he stand below the speaker or he stand away from
the speaker.
Ambient Noise
Section
Speech intelligibility shall have a Speech Transmission Index The STI refers to the clarity of the system announcement. The
(STI) of greater than 0.5. greater the index, the better the system intelligibility. A system

Noise Clear
Spring Mount
All staircases shall have a box loudspeaker for each level. All Grouping all the box loudspeakers in a staircase as one independent
these box loudspeakers in the staircase shall be grouped as zone is necessary as these speakers belong to a common open area.
an independent zone. Confusion will arise to a person who is travelling in a staircase if
For background music reproduction, the loudspeakers where different floors might have different BGM or announcement
chosen shall cover the entire music frequency spectrum. For concurrently. This single grouping of staircases speakers also meets
foreground music reproduction, the loudspeakers chosen the requirement for the emergency evacuation method, where a
shall be 2-way full-range high impedance foreground music single message will be played throughout the entire stairway to
loudspeakers. guide the evacuating occupants accordingly.
For outdoor application, the loudspeakers chosen shall be Weatherproof treated loudspeaker is essential for outdoor installa-
weatherproof aluminium column loudspeakers or tion, as they should be able to withstand prolonged exposure to rain,
weatherproof-treated ABS foreground music loudspeakers. heat and UV.
109
shall be controlled by a 6 levels continuous rotary switch, direction only.
Loudspeaker line supervisory feature shall be Incorporation of both features of amplifier monitoring and
incorporated in the amplifier monitoring device as one speaker line supervisory into one device solution will lower the
unit solution. entire system cost eventually and minimize rack space required
Section

DC Blocking EOL
Capacitor Resistor
DC
Monitoring
AC
Monitoring
The status of the loudspeaker line supervisory unit shall be This is for total system monitoring.
feedback to the Matrix System for fault reporting.
All primary power supplies for the system shall be mains In the event of power failure or a fire, when the mains supply is
240Vac; 50Hz, and connected to the building essential disrupted, there will be no supply to the equipment. The standby
power lines in the event of mains power shut down. It shall battery backup supply will provide a source of secondary power
automatically switch over to 24 Vdc in case of mains power supply.
failure before the essential power lines generator starts to
supply power. The standby battery supply shall provide
sufficient power and enable the fully loaded system,
announcement at the maximum level, to continue operat-
ing without interruption for a minimum duration of 1/2 hour
should mains power fail.

ment supplied shall be maintenance free, high quality, up-
to-date and elegant in design. The design concept and
layout shall be such that the operation be failsafe and easy
to operate.
110
Applicable to - Early Evacuation PA System

This section specifies the minimum acceptable standard of PA system is increasingly being taken advantage of as a tool for
quality and the minimum acceptable function to be providing concerted early evacuation in the event of an
performed for the Public Address (PA) System. The PA emergency besides its traditional roles in performing public
system shall be able to conduct voice evacuation, general announcement and providing background music. At a small
paging and background Music (BGM) broadcast at differ- premium over the cost of a conventional PA system, the
ent priority level. The work covered in this section shall additional early evacuation feature is easily justified.
include the design, supply, delivery, installation, wiring,
connecting, final testing and commissioning with a 12
months warranty against manufacturers defect.
(BGM) Paging EES
Section

be tropicalised to withstand tropical, high humidity climate.
2.0 Signal Management Digital Matrix 2.0 Signal Management Digital Matrix
The PA system shall be of PA digital matrix system to PA digital matrix system is the only system that allows multiple
conduct simultaneous multiple paging to designated messages broadcast simultaneously. A digital matrix will allow
zones. This digital matrix system shall operate in at least multiple audio signals to be managed digitally and hence
16 bit, 48kHz sampling, CD quality, Analog to Digital (ADC) losslessly. A CD quality sound system is of utmost important in
and Digital to Analog (DAC) conversion rate. high class establishment like Hotels and Exhibition Centers,
where the occupants enjoy its superb BGM quality.
The PA digital matrix system shall be able to handle at least 8 x 8 full audio matrix means that all the 8 audio inputs can be
8 x 8 full audio matrix with minimum 8 audio buses, and broadcast to any of the 8 audio output channels simultaneously.
expandable up to a maximum of 20 x 60 full audio matrix 8 audio buses means allowing 8 audio sources to be broadcast at
for a medium scale matrix system, and a 32 x 128 full audio the same time. The matrix shall have room for future expansion
matrix for a full scale matrix system. and be able to be extended to a 20 x 60 full audio matrix for a
medium scale matrix and 32 x 128 full audio matrix for a large
scale matrix system.
The PA digital matrix shall be able to operate as a normal This is important for big establishment like hotel or shopping
PA system that broadcast different Background Music complexes where different BGM is required at different zones at
(BGM) to different designated zones simultaneously. This the same time to provide different psycho-acoustic experience to
system shall provide at least 4 different BGM signals the customers. Different BGM to be broadcast to different areas of
broadcast to different speaker zones simultaneously. The 4 the building relaxes the customers as they enter and some cases
simultaneous BGM shall have room for future BGM system enhance the productivity of the employees within the building.
expansion.
The PA digital matrix system shall be able to manage at The 4 remote microphones independent paging means all 4
least 4 remote microphones and expandable up to 8 microphones paging can be in use at the same time. In fact,
remote microphones inputs (for medium scale matrix microphones are the most common signal source in most PA
system) or 32 remote microphone inputs (for large scale system especially in high occupancy establishment like hotels,
matrix system) with programmable priority. The remote shopping complexes, airports etc. to make announcement as well
microphone shall be able to page independently to any as to conduct manned evacuation.
zones in the entire building individually or collectively.
111
The PA digital matrix shall be able to handle different This is important for buildings like airports, factories, offices,
microphone paging broadcast to different designated and any other establishment that requires multiple microphones
zones simultaneously. This PA matrix shall be able to paging. Hence it is imperative to have a matrix that can handle
handle up to 4 simultaneous paging (for medium scale all microphone at its full input capacity and all microphones
matrix) and 32 simultaneous paging (for large scale matrix) shall be able to do independent paging at all time.
at any one time.
Mic 1 Mic 4
Mic 2 Mic 3
Concurrent
Mic 3
Mic 1
Mic 4
Mic 2
The higher priority microphones shall be able to override When microphone of higher priority selected a zone that is
the signals and microphones of lower priority already occupied by a lower priority signals (be it BGM or lower
Section
automatically upon activation. The BGM shall be muted priority microphone), the higher priority microphone paging will
when paging and resume automatically after paging. be able to override it, because the priority microphone paging is
deemed to have more important paging than the others. After the
microphone paging, the selected zones will resume the BGM
broadcast automatically.
In the case of zones clash, a Microphone Queue Management Microphone Queue Management feature allows microphones of
system shall be apply to handle the system queuing same priority level to go on queue based on fist-come-first-serve
operation. This Microphone Queue Management System basis. The microphone operators will be notified via the micro-
shall incorporate an audio and visual notification to the opera- phone LCD and a buzzer upon the availability of the zones
tors upon availability of the zones selected. selected. The operator need not have to re-enter the zones again
when comes his turn to page.
Mic Queue
(Applies Only to Medium Scale Matrix System)
The matrix system remote microphone should be The microphone password protection feature would minimize the
incorporated with optional features of password possibility of misuse of the device, such as paging broadcast by
protection, volume control over zones and change of BGM unauthorized personnel. Allowing the function keys of the micro-
routing patterns. phone to be programmed to control zones volume as well as
changing the routing patterns would ease the operation and
control over the system as the authorized personnel need not to
be in the control rooms to perform such adjustment. It allows
immediate response to be carried out when required.
It shall have a top priority Firemen Microphone that This top priority will override all microphones in the building.
overrides all microphones in the building. Its This microphone should only be used by the firemen. The
announcement shall precede with an attention-drawing attention-drawing siren precede an announcement is the IEC
siren for 4s to 10s to comply with IEC 60849. It shall be 60849 Standards for Sound System for Emergency Purpose.
located at the Fire Control Room.
It shall accept up to a maximum of 128 control sensor The control sensor input channels allow external control signal
inputs and 188 multipurpose relay outputs (for medium to control the matrix system, e.g. Addressable Fire Alarm System.
scale matrix system), and of 128 control sensor inputs and Any fire alarm triggered from the any fire alarm zone/s or floor/s
256 multipurpose relay outputs (for large scale matrix will be feedback to matrix and an automatic digital message will
system). be broadcast to the respective zone/s or floor/s (if the matrix was
programmed to do such). The multipurpose relay outputs
channels allow matrix system to control any external equipment
or system, like evacuation strobe lights etc.
This system shall have a built-in Time Scheduler that will When come to operation on routine programs, the built-in Time
automatically trigger events as programmed. The time Scheduler is the timetable that one can program into the matrix
scheduler shall have up to at least 560 time and let it perform those routine programs automatically without
blocks/programs per week. any human intervention.
112
Auto Route
Section
Auto Route
The Matrix System shall be modular in design and all The modularity of matrix design allows greater flexibility in
electronic boards shall be inserted from the rear. terms of future upgrading and expansion. Should any card fail,
modular system allows the faulty card to be unplugged from the

frame and replace with a new one. This will keep the system
running and minimize the system down time.
The system shall be able to be configured and monitored The PC configuration is friendlier in terms of configuration and
through a PC. The configuration software shall be user- monitoring. It operates on a common Window platform that most of
friendly Windows-based and incorporated with a Configu- the user familiar with. Its Configuration Wizard is most useful for
ration Wizard to guide the user throughout the system beginner when he first configure the system. By following through
configuration procedure. The software shall allow configu- the steps guided by the wizard, one can configure the entire matrix
ration and monitoring of the system. system in no time.
Let me
help ..
It shall be equipped with at least 2-Level password protec- First level password allows users to monitor and view the system
tion. 10 user-definable passwords shall be available in operation status. The second level password allows users to
each level. change system configuration. Each level of password allows 10
different users to define their personal password. Besides
protecting the system from unauthorized tempering, it is also for
management to monitor who has entered the system and who did
the last system configuration modification.
The Matrix System shall be able to support Dual CPU Any frequently used system will require certain degree of fail-safe
redundancy option and shall be able to perform system redundancy. A highly used PA system in establishment like
diagnosis automatically. airports, exhibition halls, etc. will need a dual redundancy
requirement. The Dual CPU redundancy is the only efficient
option for this purpose. System self-diagnosis allows the system
to monitor its own operating condition.
Speaks the
same ..
113
The system shall have a simulation function to facilitate the The simulation function is to simplify the T&C chore by having
Testing & Commissioning (T&C) procedure. the system run its full Time Scheduler function at one go.
The system shall be able to connect to the Internet via an Internet connectivity will allow building owners to monitor the
optional Internet Connectivity Panel. This is to enable the condition of its PA system operation. This will also allow autho-
user to monitor the status of the matrix system and upload rized contractors to monitor and change configuration remotely.
new configuration settings from a remote online PC. Any faults detected upon system diagnosis can be sent through
Besides, the system shall be able to send emails up to 5 emails to 5 different parties for action. The 5 different parties
designated addresses upon any fault detected. could be:
a. Service Department Head

b. Building owner
c. Consultants
d. System Integrator
e. Contract Maintenance companies
Section
4
The PA digital matrix system shall be also an Early Evacuation By having the PA digital matrix to perform EES, is to allow the
System (EES) to conduct concerted evacuation during emer- building owners and the fire authority to program the people
gency. The EES matrix system shall be able to be evacuation steps as it was planned and confirmed based on the
programmed to perform the Early Evacuation Steps during building evacuation plan discussed even before the Certificate of
I PA System Overall
evacuation. The EES evacuation shall have a minimum of 6 Fitness was issued. The EES conducts evacuation systematically
different pre-recorded evacuation messages to be broadcast and automatically before the arrival of the firemen by having
to different evacuation zones simultaneously, namely Evacua- several pre-recorded evacuations messages to be broadcast to
tion Message 1, Evacuation Message 2, Warning Message, different evacuating zone simultaneously. The 6 different types of
Staircase Message, Outdoor Message and Special Message. messages are:
The messages shall be expandable up to at least 8 different
messages. Once programmed, the EES matrix shall be able a. Evacuation Message 1 to inform the hazardous floor on the
to perform those evacuation patterns and steps nature of the threat and the evacuation routes.
automatically.
b. Evacuation Message 2 to inform the adjacent floors on the
alternative evacuation routes to avoid any congestion with the
hazardous floor/s.
c. Warning Message to put the building occupants in other

System Specification - Design Level 5
floors on alert and to standby for further instruction.
d. Staircase Message to calm the evacuating occupants on the

staircase / escape routes not to push and rush to the exit.
e. Outdoor Message to make announcement to the assembling

crowd at the refuge area.
f. Special Message to make announcement to the pedestrians

and anyone that crowd around the building to give way to the
evacuating occupants
Special
Message
Evacuation
Message 1
Evacuation
Message 2
Warning
Message
114
This EES Matrix System shall be able to carry out both Phased Evacuation is the evacuation steps carried out originate
Phased Evacuation and Optimal Evacuation in response to from certain evacuating zone/s, e.g. fire. Optimal Evacuation is
different types of threats generated within the building or evacuation steps to evacuate the most people within the shortest
outside the building that is going to impose any kind of possible time. Both these evacuation steps can be programmed in
danger to the building occupants. Besides the Fire Hazard response to any internal or external threats that may put the life
within the building, it shall be able to have another 10 differ- of the building occupants in peril. Fire Hazard will be one hazard
ent triggering to carry out different evacuation steps in that should be programmed into all building PA system. Besides
response to different types of threat / hazard accordingly. this, theyre another 10 different types of threat to be able to
The Phased Evacuation of EES shall be able to integrate program into the EES. The examples are:
with the Addressable Fire Alarm system. a. Bomb Threat Evacuation
b. Earthquake Evacuation
c. Air Raid Evacuation
d. Tsunami Evacuation.
e. Evacuation Drill.
f. Etc.
Section
Phased Evacuation
Optimal Evacuation
The EES Matrix System shall be able to run in two modes: The Automatic Evacuation Mode allows the EES to launch the
Automatic Evacuation Mode & Manual Evacuation Mode. concerted evacuation steps automatically before the firemen
arrival. The Manual Evacuation Mode allows firemen to take over
the evacuation procedures and make announcement manually.
During the automatic evacuation mode, all the BGM and This is in compliance with the IEC 60849 standards on Sound
remote microphones are barred from broadcasting and Systems for Emergency Purpose.
paging except remote microphones with highest priority.
The EES Matrix System shall have its independent confir- This independent confirmation mechanism is to avoid any false
mation procedure to confirm on the real emergency from alarm triggered by the Fire Alarm panel. The time-out mechanism
any false alarm. Besides the confirmation mechanism, it is to ensure the safety of the building occupant by directly launch-
shall have an alternative option of time-out mechanism to ing the evacuation steps without taking any chance.
launch the evacuation steps if no one confirms the fire
alarm trigger signal.
The evacuation steps shall be floor-by-floor or group-by- This flexibility will accommodate all types of evacuation plan and
group depending on the building requirement. scheme, in all types of building.
The evacuation shall be carried out in minimally 5 different The different evacuation steps and patterns allow more flexibility
patterns and 5 different steps. The evacuation patterns and more concerted way of evacuation.
steps and intervals shall be user programmable.
As for the Manual Evacuation Mode, the system shall be Both these panels are typical fire command panel that is familiar
able to link to the Fireman Emergency Panel and to the to all firemen. The firemen need not have to learn and operate the
mimic panel to facilitate the fireman manual evacuation. The matrix system in order to conduct manual evacuation. The red
Firemen Emergency Panel shall be in Red in color with a Firemen Emergency Panel is coupled with a handheld firemen
Firemen handheld microphone. This microphone activation paging microphone, a big Firemen Mode button, a red emergency
shall precede with a Siren. The mimic panel shall depict the light for visual indication, an All-call button, etc. A pre-
zones that the Evacuation Messages have been broadcast announcement Siren requirement is in compliance with the IEC
and the zones that are still listening to the Warning 60849 Standards.
Message.
115
The EES Matrix System shall have manual zone selector In the event where firemen found paging to all zones at once is
panels to allow firemen to perform selective announce- impractical, zone selector panels here are for firemen to select the
ment. These zone selector panels shall show visually the zone that he wants to page to. The visual indication on the zone
zones that have listened to the Evacuation Message and selector panel will facilitate the firemen evacuation procedures by
zones that are still listening to the Warning Message. telling the firemen which zones have already been evacuated
automatically and which zones have not.
The EES shall be able to store an extra 500 evacuation This evacuation event logging is useful when carrying out any
logs. post mortem analysis on the event. Records like when did the fire
alarm send signal to the EES, when did firemen take over the
evacuation from automatic mode, etc.
The EES Matrix System shall be able to be powered by Besides the AC mains, the system needs to be in operation
mains supply of 240 Vac, 50 Hz or 110 Vac, 60 Hz or a UPS especially in the event of emergency. Hence, any failure of power
backup supply of 24 Vdc. supply to the system should be prevented.
Section
shall be provided to drive all the loudspeakers to the impedance that may draw more power than the actual loudspeaker
maximum level without overloading. The power amplifiers load from the power amplifier. This headroom will also allow room
shall be powered by mains 240Vac, 50Hz or by external DC for any future expansion. To be able to connect to backup battery
power supply supplying at 28Vdc. They shall accept a array is to ensure uninterrupted operation even in the event of
secondary power supply of 24Vdc backup battery array. mains power failure.
The power amplifiers shall have greater than 12% backup fault monitoring and automatic changeover within 1s in the
capability. It shall instantly route the input and output event of amplifier fault is imperative to warrant a fail-safe
signals of a faulty amplifier (of similar or higher power) into system. With the amplifier faulty buzzer going on in the control
the signal lines of the standby power amplifier automati- room, the faulty amplifier should be attended immediately.
situation. The amplifier monitoring device shall incorporate Duty Amp.
line supervisory function to monitor loudspeaker lines for Duty Amp.

detected. Duty Amp.

20% Backup
Duty Amp.
Duty Amp.
Duty Amp.
The status of the automatic changeover unit shall be This is for total system monitoring.
feedback to the EES matrix system for fault reporting.
and a VU meter to monitor the output of the power amplifi- monitored audibly and visually via the Monitor Panel installed
ers. into the amplifier rack.
The position of the loudspeakers is such that sound Evenly distributed loudspeaker layout will provide an even SPL
pressure level (SPL) in each zone shall be evenly distrib- to the system. +10dB above Ambient Noise means the system will
uted. The total SPL shall be +10dB above the Ambient be loud enough to be heard by the occupants. Less than 3dB SPL
Noise. The SPL variation shall not be more than 3dB variation means the occupants will experience no variation in
difference. loudness when he stand below the speaker or he stand away from
the speaker.
116
Ambient Noise
Index (STI) of greater than 0.5. greater the index, the better the system intelligibility. A system
Section
Noisy Clear

Spring Mount
For background music reproduction, the loudspeakers concurrently. This single grouping of staircases speakers also meets
chosen shall cover the entire music frequency spectrum. the requirement for the emergency evacuation method, where a
For foreground music reproduction, the loudspeakers single message will be played throughout the entire stairway to
chosen shall be 2-way full-range high impedance guide the evacuating occupants accordingly.
For outdoor application, the loudspeakers chosen shall be Weatherproof treated loudspeaker is essential for outdoor instal-
Audio attenuators shall be place strategically in the building. The continuous rotary switch design eases the volume adjustment
shall be controlled by a 6 levels continuous rotary switch, direction only.
117
Loudspeaker line supervisory feature shall be incorporated Incorporation of both features of amplifier monitoring and
in the amplifier monitoring device as one unit solution. speaker line supervisory into one device solution will lower the
entire system cost eventually and minimize rack space required
DC Blocking EOL
Capacitor Resistor
Section
DC
Monitoring
I
PA System Overall System Specification - Design Level 5
AC
Monitoring
The status of the loudspeaker line supervisory unit shall be This is for total system monitoring.
feedback to the EES matrix system for fault reporting.
All primary power supplies for the system shall be mains In the event of power failure or a fire, when the mains supply is
240Vac; 50Hz, and connected to the building essential disrupted, there will be no supply to the equipment. The standby
power lines in the event of mains power shut down. It shall battery backup supply will provide a source of secondary power
automatically switch over to 24 Vdc in case of mains power supply.
failure before the essential power lines generator starts to
supply power. The standby battery supply shall provide
sufficient power and enable the fully loaded system,
announcement at the maximum level, to continue operat-
ing without interruption for a minimum duration of 1/2 hour
should mains power fail.

ment supplied shall be maintenance free, high quality, up-
to-date and elegant in design. The design concept and
layout shall be such that the operation be failsafe and easy
to operate.
118
PA System - Glossary
Acoustic: Having to do with sound; Frequency response: The range from Public address system: Refers to a
principally used for buildings. The overall the lowest to the highest frequency a system that provides communication in
sound properties of something. system is capable of reproducing with public areas. Typical applications include
equal amplification. making announcements, summoning
Amplifier: An electrical circuit in which a personnel or declaring states of
signal is modified to make it more Gain: The relationship between the input emergency.
suitable to drive following equipment. signal and the output signal of an ampli-
fier or system, measured in power. volts Preamplifier: An amplifier which normal-
Balanced lines: A three wire system or amps. izes different input signals and allows
used with mono signals to help cut down tonal changes, etc., to be made to them.
on the external interference from electri- Graphical User Interface: Commonly
cal equipment when using long cable referred to by the abbreviation "GUI", a Programmable preamplifier: An ampli-
runs. graphical user interface is a method of fier which normalizes different input
interacting with a computer or program signals as well as providing some form of
Bass: The lower end of the audio through visual perception and manipula- priority management between all the
spectrum. tion of images on a screen. inputs.
Cabinet: The enclosure in which a Hum: Spurious signal injected into, or Sensitivity: The input voltage required to
loudspeaker is mounted. picked up by, electronic equipment from drive an amplifier to maximum output.
the local mains supply.
Coaxial cable: A cable consisting of two Short circuit: Zero resistance.
conductors, one as a wire and one as a Input sources: Refers to equipment that
tube, both sharing the same axis. The provides audio input into the public Signal management: Equipment that
tube is usually used as an electrical address system. Common input source manages all the various audio input
Glossary
screen for the wire within it. equipment are microphones, CD Players signals, for example routing background
and Digital Source Players. music to user designated zones and
Compatibility: The ability of one particu- routing announcements only to required
lar system of signal processing to be Loudspeaker: The apparatus that turns zones.
used with apparatus designed from electrical signals back into audible ones.
another system. Signal-to-noise ratio: The ratio of the
Matrix system: A system is classified as normal output signal to the noise output
PA System - Glossary
Decibel(dB): Logarithmic measurement a matrix system if it is able to route with zero signal. These ratios are
of sound pressure. multiple inputs to multiple outputs normally measured in decibels.
simultaneously. This includes simultane-
Distortion: Any alterations to a signal ous paging to different zones as well as Speakers: Abbreviation for loudspeak-
other than in amplitude or frequency differing background music to various ers.
response introduced by equipment. zones. Yet a matrix system would not be
These alterations normally consist of the physically confined to a particular Tone controls: The controls on a pream-
addition of harmonics of the original pattern and users should be able to plifier that adjust its frequency response.
signal not intended to be there and change the routing patterns easily.
frequently not musically related to it. Transformer: A piece of apparatus that
Muting: Simply the turning off of a changes the voltage and current ampli-
Driver: A term for the electromechanical signal. tudes of a signal without altering its
element in a loud-speaker. power. Transformers are used among
Noise: Random electrical signals that other things to produce low voltage from
Echo: Fast repetition of an audio signal exist in all circuits. Noise usually sounds mains efficiently, in order to provide
either once or several times, but with an like a quiet hiss. It cannot be removed power supplies suited to transistors. A
audible gap between each repetition. entirely since it is produced by anything transformer will operate only with a/c.
electrical, but its effects can be
EES (Early Evacuation System): Early minimized by good engineering design. Unbalanced lines: A two wire system of
evacuation systems are designed to The signal-to-noise ratio of an amplifier is audio connection. Not recommended for
conduct fully automated concerted a mark of how well this has been done microphones or for long cable runs.
evacuations prior to the arrival of the and should be a large figure in decibels.
emergency response team. EES should VU meter: Volume unit meter. A cheaper
provide adequate messages with the Open circuit: A break in a circuit so that form of meter for showing audio signal
following key elements; there is no complete path for the current amplitudes. It is not logarithmic and so
Inform the occupants what has happened. to take. does not really indicate how loud a signal
is; it also has a slow response so that fast
Inform the occupants what they should do. Pilot tone: Oscillation of known transient signals are ignored.
This should be specific to zones and areas frequency and amplitude used to test or
relative to the emergency. set up audio equipment. Volume: The overall perceived ampli-
tude of a sound.
Inform the occupants why they should do it. Polar response: The sensitivity of a
microphone to sounds coming to it from Watt: The unit of power in electricity, it is
Efficiency: Usually of loudspeakers. The different directions. the product of voltage and current.
acoustical power output compared to the
electrical power input expressed as a Power amplifier: An amplifier which
percentage. takes a low-level signal and increases it
to a suitable level that it is able to drive a
Enclosure: The box, and its detail loud-speaker.
design, in which a loudspeaker is
mounted.
119
An accompanying CD is also available with this book to aid in the public address
system design steps. The CD contains;
Product technical specifications.

Accompanying
Book 1 CD Standard Public Address System tender documents.
Standard Design Templates.
AEX System Design Aid - a calculator tool for the estimation of:
(i) Cable requirements
(ii) Speaker placement
(iii) Equipment rack space requirements
www.aexsystem.com
ES - 06 - 011 Technical Alterations Reserved

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Content Page

Design Level 2 ....................................................................................................................................... 94

Design Level 3 ....................................................................................................................................... 99

Design Level 4 ....................................................................................................................................... 105

Design Level 5 ....................................................................................................................................... 111

Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................... 119

Section A 5 System Stages in PA system Section F Component Selection Guide

Section B 5 Design Levels in PA System Section G System Schematic Examples

Section C 5 Design Considerations in PA System Section H Installation Guide

Section D 5 Design Steps of a PA System Section I PA System Overall Specification

Section E Advancement in the PA System Industry

This section aims to provide the design engineer with an

Systemstage Input Sources

Systemstage Preamplifier & Signal Management

Systemstage Power Amplifier

Systemstage Control & Monitoring

Systemstage Input Sources Systemstage Signal Management

Matrix Remote Desktop Programmable Preamplifier

Remote Paging 20-Zone Remote

Modular Mixer System

Digital Source Player :

Digital Source Player

Tuner Cassette Desk CD Player

STAGE 1: Input Sources STAGE 2 : Preamplifier & Signal Management

Digital Matrix- Sound Management System

Early Evacuation Management System

Mixer Amplifier Amplifier Monitoring Unit

Line Monitoring Unit

Amplifier Supervisory Module

120W Audio Power Amplifier

Horn Loudspeaker Bidirectional

240W Audio Power Amplifier

Loudspeaker Line Selector

Sound Reinforcement Line Array

STAGE 3 : Power Amplifier STAGE 4 : Control & Monitoring STAGE 5 : Loudspeaker

Line Supervisory Unit Weatherproof Loudspeakers

Automatic Changeover Unit

Loudspeaker Line Selector

retail outlets and small offices.

Characteristics of a Design Level 1 system are as below;

Personal Care Salons No Automated Evacuation

Preamplifier, Signal Management

Minimal Integration of Equipments

Technical Features Applications

B 5 Design Levels in PA System

Characteristics of a Design Level 2 system are shown below;

Factories & Workshops No automated evacuation

Amplifier Monitoring Panel

Paging Microphone Paging

Paging Console BGM Line Selector

Emergency Microphone Power Amplifier

Amplifier Changeover Unit

Standby Power Amplifier

System Features Technical Features

Remote Paging Console Amplifier Monitoring Panel

Paging Console Line Selector

Modular Mixer System

Emergency Microphone BGM Line Supervisory Unit

Digital Source Player Power Amplifier

Automatic Changeover Unit

Standby Power Amplifier

Configurable Into a Multi-Channel Preamplifier

Technical Features Applications