What is the main difference between addressable and conventional fire alarm systems?

• A. Conventional systems can pinpoint the exact device location.
• B. Conventional systems use a single shared address for all devices.
• C. Addressable systems assign a unique address to each device, enabling reporting of exact device location/status to the panel.
• D. Addressable systems require no power backup.

Answer: (C)

The main distinction is how devices are identified and reported to the control panel. In addressable systems, each device has a unique address on a digital network, so the panel can tell exactly which device activated and its location, along with its current status. In conventional systems, devices are grouped into zones and the panel only shows which zone triggered an alarm, not the precise device within that zone. That’s why the statement about assigning a unique address to each device and reporting the exact device location and status to the panel best captures the difference. The other options don’t fit: conventional systems don’t pinpoint individual devices, they don’t use a single shared address for all devices, and power backups are required for both types.