Appendix B: Worksheets 
Vigilant VS1 and VS2 Technical Reference Manual  199 
Notification appliance circuit calculations 
worksheet 
Introduction 
This topic shows you how to determine the maximum cable length of a notification 
appliance circuit (NAC) for a given number of appliances. 
Two methods are presented: worksheet and equation. The worksheet method is 
simpler, but your installation must meet the criteria listed on the worksheet. If your 
installation does not meet these criteria, you need to use the equation method. 
The methods given here determine cable lengths that work under all operating 
conditions. The calculations ensure that the required operating voltage and current 
will be supplied to all notification appliances. To do this, we assume these two worst-
case conditions: 
•  The voltage at the NAC terminals is the minimum provided by the power supply 
•  The notification appliances are clustered at the end of the NAC cable 
Other, more detailed methods that distribute the appliance load along the NAC cable 
may indicate that longer cable runs are possible. 
What you’ll need 
Appliance and cable values 
Whether you use the worksheet method or the equation method, you’ll need to know: 
•  The minimum operating voltage required for the appliances 
•  The maximum operating current drawn by each appliance 
•  The resistance per unit length of the wire used (Ω/ft.) 
This information can be found on the appliance installation sheets and on the cable 
specification sheet. 
Power supply values 
For either method, you’ll need some fixed or calculated operating values for your 
specific power supply. The fixed values are: 
•  Source voltage = 20.4 V 
•  Load factor for VS1 panel = 0.20 V/A 
•  Load factor for VS2 panel = 0.24 V/A 
•  Power type = FWR