Management of the Configuration of Software‐Based Fire and Gas Detection Systems

Fire and gas detection systems involve the processing of signals from gas, temperature, smoke and ultra‐violet instruments. There is a trend towards the use of micro‐processor controlled programmable equipment and this article reviews some of the advantages and disadvantages. The effects of duplication and triplication are explained and it is suggested that the use of redundancy does not always enhance reliability. The particular quality assurance requirements which arise from the existence of software‐related failures are also discussed.