GDI Perimeter Security Systems—Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer an extended warranty program?
Does GDI offer a third party service certification program for its solutions?
What are the minimum spec requirements for a PC to be used to run the CommandCentre application?
Does the GDI solution resist false alarms/nuisance alarms caused by animals?
What is the weight of wildlife before it sets off alarm?
What is the electrical theory that allows the system to operate in a snow pack?
Will a wet plastic bag on the fence set off a false alarm?
Is an SD card included and provided with each Gen V System Controller?
How does the anti-climb feature work?
How much does a 41 wire IPB (Ingress Prevention Barrier) weigh per linear foot?
Are the insulator materials prone to failure over time because of heat/sun?
Is there system redundancy? If Controller goes out, what zones are inoperative?
Can the GDI system be powered by solar power?
What is the MTTR(Mean Time to Repair) on Gen V System Controller?
What are your integration capabilities?
What does conductor-to-conductor short mean?
Is the deterrent stun utilized by certain GDI solutions regulated by a standards body?
Is the Gen V system controller UL 94 compliant?
Are GDI solutions RoHS compliant?
What standards do GDI solutions meet/comply with?
Question: Do you offer an extended warranty program?
Answer: Yes. Customers that purchase annual maintenance programs from GDI are provided with an extended system warranty for the duration they remain participants in the maintenance program. If a client purchases a system and then buys annual maintenance for 10 straight years, the system is still covered under warranty in the 10th year. Exclusions: Software maintenance must be purchased separately for the CommandCentre application. Extended warranties on GDI-provided computer equipment are limited to 3 years from the date of purchase.
Back to Questions
Question: Does GDI offer a third party service certification program for its solutions?
Answer: GDI does not offer a third party certification program for our solutions. GDI offers operator and basic maintenance training that is open to anyone the client wants to have present at the time of system turnover. GDI provides Operations and Maintenance manuals as a reference to aid in the repair of a client’s system should they not choose to utilize GDI as their service provider. GDI offers maintenance programs and T&M maintenance on a call out basis as well as scheduled preventative maintenance plans and extentend warranties.
Question: What are the minimum spec requirements for a PC to be used to run the CommandCentre™ application?
Answer: The PC is provided by GDI as part of the turnkey solution. While the CommandCentre application can run on any PC, GDI recommends that our clients utilize a dedicated machine, as it will ensure that unforeseen software interactions do not affect the client’s ability to control the system. In other words, we can’t control what the client puts on a PC they supply, and thus GDI can’t be sure that some other piece of software they have won't cause problems with the reliable operation of the CommandCentre™ application.
Does the GDI solution resist false alarms/nuisance alarms caused by animals?
Answer: The system is resistant to FAR/NAR with respect to animals, for a variety of different reasons.
(1) Animals do not rub themselves against the system as a general manner of course. Since contact with a conductive surface is required to trigger alarms with the Aegis system, proximity of animals even at distances less than 6 inches, does not cause alarms. (2) Small animals generally have extremely acute eyesight, and jump through the wires when passing through the wire array. Thus squirrels/chipmunks/rats/etc… generally never come in contact with the array, and thus do not generate false alarms. (3) Snakes slither about on the ground, and their scales are a poor conductor of electricity. Small snakes do not come into contact with the bottom wire, and large snakes (pythons and other constrictors) that do come into contact with the bottom wire would have to move the wire up 3.5 inches to make contact with the second wire. This necessitates that the snake be 7” in diameter, which is an extremely large snake! (4) Most animals are very sensitive to the electromagnetic field generated by the Aegis system in deterrent stun mode, and stay away from the system wire array. (5) Birds can land on the top wire without affecting the system. Birds over 4-5 lbs will cause the top wire to come into contact with the second wire from the top, however, this rarely occurs, as very few species of bird that size can perch on a .0075” diameter wire–their talons cannot grip such a small surface.
Question: What is the weight of wildlife before it sets off alarm?
Answer: The conductors in the system IPB are nominally tensioned to ~30lbs of tension. The deflection force required to make two adjacent wires contact each other, and thus trigger a system alarm, is therefore ~30lbs.
Question: What is the electrical theory that allows the system to operate in a snow pack?
Answer: There is no special electrical theory that allows the system to operate in snow. The real reason it works well in snow is the physical properties of the snow itself. Snow is mostly air, and is a very poor conductor of electricity, so snow surrounding the wires of the system IPB does not affect the electrical signals flowing through the wires. The tension of the wires prevents the weight of the snow from causing the wires to sag and come into contact with one another, thus creating a wire-to-wire short alarm.
IMPORTANT: The tension on the wires is only sufficient to maintain proper spacing under natural snowfall conditions. If snow is plowed into the wire array, the plow will compress the snow and the wires together, causing false alarms. Plowing services need to be instructed not to plow snow into the fence-line.
Question: Will a wet plastic bag on the fence set off a false alarm?
Answer: The bag has to be soaking wet, heavy, and be lying across at least two wires, providing a continuous path of water between the wires, in order to create a false alarm. In practice, the weight of the bag when it is wet enough causes it to fall off of the fence if placed there by a person. Bags that wet are too heavy to be blown by the wind.
Question: Is an SD card included and provided with each Gen V System Controller?
Answer: Yes, a 512MB SD card is included with each Gen V System Controller.
Question: How does the anti-climb feature work?
Answer: Anti-climb configurations are extensions of the Aegis IPB that are routed around the outside of terminal post locations in order to ensure that it is not possible for an intruder to utilize the structure of the Aegis system itself to circumvent the barrier. Anti-climbs typically consist of 4-6 wires connected in parallel to the nearest detection zone –and are an integral part of the system. Since the same detection and deterrent impulses flow over the anti-climb and the regular IPB, all other aspects of standard system operations apply.
Question: How much does a 41 wire IPB (Ingress Prevention Barrier) weigh per linear foot?
Answer: Each line post weighs ~1.2 lbs per foot of length, so a 10 foot post weighs ~12 lbs. There is no average weight, as the strain posts weigh much more in order to accept the strain of the wire tension. End strains weigh ~4 lbs per foot, so a 10 foot strain post weighs ~40 lbs. Weight however, is immaterial, as any barrier that can hold itself up can support the weight of the Aegis IPB.
Question: Are the insulator materials prone to failure over time because of heat/sun?
Answer: The insulators are formed of HDPE (High Density Poly-Ethylene) and Polycarbonate, depending on the particular application within the Aegis system. (Nearly all installations utilize both types of insulator material.) The insulators are UV stabilized and designed to last more than 10 years under normal use. Damaged insulators can be easily replaced by a facility’s maintenance staff without the use of specialty tools. Both HDPE and Polycarbonate have melting temperatures of over 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so distortion due to heat is not an issue.
Question: Is there system redundancy? If Controller goes out, what zones are inoperative?
Answer: GDI used to offer system redundancy as an option. Many of our correctional clients utilize a redundant system configuration, which allows one controller unit to “take-over” for another in the event of a unit failure.
The release of the Aegis Gen V System Controller has obviated the need for the redundant configuration, since the mean time to repair a Controller (perform a PCB swap-out) is less than 10 minutes. In the past, changing controllers was a time consuming process that required specialty training. Now, the system turnover training instructs a client on how to perform a swap out if necessary. Also, since the Gen V controller is multi-phasic, if a single phase drops out, the system continues to operate in a traditional hot/ground conductor configuration, just like our previous generation product functioned; so the Gen V controllers are actually natively redundant. In the basic configuration, each Controller controls the two zones immediately adjacent to the Controller. A Controller failure will register as a supervisory alarm in the CommandCentre Application. While Controller failure is quite rare, GDI can sell spare parts to the client so that they can store them and provide training on the swap-out of the unit.
Question: Can the GDI system be powered by solar power?
Answer: : Yes. GDI is quite “green” and requires very little power to operate, allowing all GDI detection solutions to be powered by solar energy.
Question: What is the MTTR(Mean Time to Repair) on Gen V System Controller?
Answer: The mean time to repair a Controller (perform a PCB swap-out) is less than 10 minutes.
Question: What are your integration capabilities?
Answer: GDI can integrate the Aegis system with an existing CCTV system. This is a large topic, and is dependent upon many variables as to the particular way we would go about it and what functionality we can provide. The basic goal of CCTV integration is to allow an operator to view an alarm incident in real-time by configuring the Aegis system to provide alarm contact closures to a CCTV matrix switch or DVR (Digital Video Recorder). The CCTV system is then programmed to (1) position PTZ cameras to provide a view of the Aegis detection zone in alarm and/or (2) display such images on a monitor in a control room. GDI is capable of performing this type of integration with a variety of CCTV platforms.
Question: What does conductor-to-conductor short mean?
Answer: A conductor is any material capable of transmitting electricity. In the Aegis system, the wires of the IPB are conductors. Since the Aegis system is multi-phasic (meaning that each detection channel has a positive and negative waveform phase), bringing two adjacent wires into contact with one another causes a negation of the electrical impulses and creates a short circuit.
Question:Is the deterrent stun utilized by certain GDI solutions regulated by a standards body?
Answer: Yes. The Aegis System Controller complies with the international safety standard (IEC 60335-2-76) that regulates capacitance discharge.
Question: Is the Gen V System Controller UL 94 compliant?
Answer: UL 94 is a flame-resistance standard that all quality PCB units should meet. This ensures that overheating on the PCB unit will not cause a fire inside the equipment enclosure. The Aegis system controller complies with this standard.
Question: Are GDI solutions RoHS compliant?
Answer: Yes. GDI is a responsible corporate citizen and actively takes measures in keeping with the responsible stewardship of the planet.
Question: What standards do GDI solutions meet/comply with?
Answer: Please see below.
Applicable Codes and Regulations
The primary code which regulates the Aegis p.c. System worldwide is IEC 60335-2-76. It is important to note that this standard is a safety standard which sets forth precise directives regarding the energy levels and pulse interval levels which form the boundary of safety.
While it has not been officially adopted by the United States, ASN25 3014 provides a substantial body of excellent guidance on the proper installation of electric fence systems, including directives for the prevention of mantraps. GDI adopted this standard corporately 6 years ago with respect to GDI solutions which utilize deterrent impulse technology and manufactures and installs all such devices according to the dictates of the standard.
All GDI manufactured electronics modules conform to IEC 60335-1 and IEC 60335-2-76
NEC and NBC – We will adhere to the National Electric Code (NEC) as it applies to the design and installation, e.g., transmission of power, etc., and to the National Building Code (NBC) as it applies to the system.
Other Important Codes with which GDI complies when applicable:
• EIA/TIA-607 Commercial Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications.
• IEEE Standard 142 "Grounding of Industrial and Commercial Power Systems."
• IEEE Standard 1100 "Power and Grounding Sensitive Electronic Equipment."
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Publications
• No 70 National Electric Code (NEC)
• No. 780 Lightning Protection Code
• EIA/TIA – 568A: Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard
• EIA/TIA – 569: Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard
• EIA/TIA – 606: Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings
The Gen V System Controller enclosures meet the following standards:
• UL 508A, 508, File No. E61997:Type 4, Type 12, and Type 13
• NEMA/EEMAC Type 3, Type 4, Type 12, and Type 13
• JIC standard EGP-1-1967
• CSA, File No. LR42186, Type 4 and Type 12
• IEC 60529, IP66
Equipment Power Supplies meet the following standards:
• UL 1950
• CSA 1402C
• EN 60950
Safety switching relays and associated circuitry meet the following standards:
• UL 913
• UL 1604
Aegis System IPB Line Posts and Strain Posts meet the following standards:
• ASTM 1083
• ASTM F 567
• ASTM A 370
• ASTM 824
All Aegis System PCB (Printed Circuit Board Components) meet the following standards:
• UL 94
• RoHS
Other important codes with which GDI complies when applicable:
• ASTM A121-99
• ASTM F 900-03
• RR-F-191
