The S3 Series is a small addressable fire alarm control panel from Gamewell-FCI (a Honeywell brand) designed for small to mid-sized commercial buildings, schools, and campus applications. It combines a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen display with five user-programmable physical pushbuttons, providing both modern touch-based navigation and tactile controls for high-priority firefighter operations. Note: This product has been discontinued by the manufacturer.

What device protocols and capacities does the S3 support?

Each S3 panel accommodates up to two Signaling Line Circuit (SLC) loops via interchangeable personality modules. The SLC-PM module supports System Sensor Velociti and CLIP protocols with up to 318 devices per loop (159 detectors + 159 modules) — yielding a maximum of 636 devices per panel. The SLC95-PM module supports Apollo XP95 protocol with up to 126 devices per loop. Both Class A (Style 6/7) and Class B (Style 4) wiring topologies are supported.

How does the touchscreen interface improve firefighter and service operations?

The removable 4.3-inch touchscreen operates in three modes: System Status provides at-a-glance overview of all points and zones; Event Details prioritises active alarms, troubles, and supervisory events; and Service Mode provides technician access to programming, diagnostics, and maintenance logs. The display can be removed from the panel and installed up to 3,000 feet away as a remote annunciator via RS-485. Up to 32 serial annunciators and 15 additional touchscreen displays can be connected on the same bus.

What networking and connectivity options are available?

A high-speed 625K baud ARCNET network bus connects up to 122 S3 and E3 Series panels across a campus via twisted-pair or fibre-optic cabling. The built-in Ethernet port supports remote programming, system event reporting, and connection to the Honeywell FocalPoint Graphic Workstation for centralised monitoring. Two fully programmable Form-C relays provide Fire, Trouble, and Supervisory output contacts rated at 2 A at 24 VDC.