Glossary of Perimeter Security Terms
Some of the terms used on this site and within our documents may be new to you/ have different meanings.
AC Power 110V or 220-240V input power
Balanced Alarm Inputs (BAI) Inputs to the fence controller used to connect movement detectors, door switches, glass breakage detectors etc. They are called ‘balanced’ because they can detect an alarm condition and if the wiring has been cut
Control Switch Switch input that closes to arm the system and opens to disarm it
Channel A high-voltage fence output and return. Also called a zone
Earth Reference point that all fence voltages are measured from (not AC mains power earth)
Enabled Turned on or armed
Energiser Device that generates high-voltage pulses on a fence
Fence Controller Device that generates and monitors HV pulses on a fence. Provides an interface for external devices
Ground See ‘earth’
HV High voltage. Voltage measured in the kV (thousands of volts) range
Keyswitch Switch input that closes to arm the system and opens to disarm it
LV Low voltage. Voltage in the 0-15V range
Mains Power See ‘AC Power’
Predefined Key Keypad key that has a fixed function (irrespective of the screen being used)
Soft Key Keypad key that changes function depending on which screen is being used
UPS Uninterrupted Power Supply. Devices powered through a UPS will be isolated from mains power failure. Generally, a UPS provides between 20 minutes and eight hours of backup power (depending on configured settings)
Zone See ‘Channel’