Control Module Operation Simulator — Fire Door Holder Release Interactive

Interactive simulator of an addressable control module operating a separately powered magnetic fire-door holder and spring closer, with a cutaway workbench (output board, relay coil, normally-closed contact and armature, external 24 V supply, magnetic door holder, door and closer, position-proof switch), a release-door command, a welded-contact fault injection, external-holder-power and door-position-feedback availability toggles, a manual door-reopen action, time-stepped playback, armature/door and command/holder/proof charts, four guided experiments, a built-in model verification suite, an event log with report export, and a knowledge-check quiz.

← Fire Alarm Systems Labs
About this tool — how it works & FAQOpen ▾Close ▴

About the Control Module Operation Simulator

This simulator models an addressable output (control) module operating a separately powered magnetic fire-door holder and spring closer: an addressable output board drives a low-energy relay coil, a normally-closed contact and armature control power to an external 24 V supply feeding the holder, and a door position-proof switch confirms whether the door actually reached its closed position. Issue a release-door command, inject a welded-contact fault, or remove the external holder power to see how the command path and the physical door response can diverge.

What the simulator shows

• Equipment laboratory tab: a real-time cutaway workbench of the addressable output board, the electromagnetic relay coil, the normally-closed contact and armature, the external 24 V supply, the magnetic door holder, the door and spring closer, and the door position-proof switch, with Home view, Focus selected part, Show full enclosure / cutaway, Exploded view, Auto rotate and Expand camera controls, a numbered clickable component list with callouts, and a labels toggle. • Experiment controls: a release-door-command checkbox, a welded-normally-closed-contact fault-injection checkbox, an external-holder-power-available checkbox and a door-position-feedback-available checkbox, plus Start trial, Stop equipment and Manually reopen door to holder actions, a Pause/Advance 0.1 s/Advance 1 s time control with four playback speeds, a live sequence readout, and live metrics (panel command, relay armature travel %, holder energized state, door opening in degrees, closed-feedback proof with a −1 unknown state, and position-mismatch elapsed time). • Curves & measurements tab: a primary-measurements chart plotting relay armature travel against door angle, a response chart plotting panel command, holder energization and position proof together, the underlying model equations, a snapshot-measurements readout and written model-scope notes. • Experiments tab: four guided trials (normal held door, release sequence, welded contact, and auxiliary supply lost), a "Run model checks" built-in verification suite using independent fresh model instances, and a timestamped event log with a trial-report export. • Learn & assess tab: lesson cards on receiving a command, transferring the contact, releasing stored mechanical energy, and proving completion with independent feedback, a knowledge-check quiz with reset, and a scope/references panel linking to a control-module installation-guide technical reference document.

How the control module and door holder work together

The addressable output board converts a programmed panel command into relay coil excitation, which moves the armature and is meant to transfer a normally-closed contact from closed to open on a release command. That contact sits in series with a separately powered external 24 V supply feeding the magnetic door holder — the holder circuit's power comes from that external supply, not from the SLC communication circuit itself, so the module's job is only to interrupt or restore that power path.

When the holder loses power, it releases stored mechanical energy in the door's spring closer, which swings the door closed over several seconds — restoring holder power afterward does not reopen the door, since the closer already released; the fixture requires the explicit Manually reopen door to holder action to reset it. The Welded contact experiment shows why proving contact transfer at the relay isn't enough: the armature can indicate it moved to the commanded position while a welded contact still keeps the holder energized, leaving the door open despite an apparently successful command.

Reading the armature, door and proof charts and verification results

The primary-measurements chart pairs relay armature travel against door angle, which normally track a release command closely — the Welded contact experiment produces armature travel with no corresponding door movement, since the holder never actually de-energizes. The response chart lines up panel command, holder energization and position proof, letting you see a position mismatch develop and time out exactly when the proof feedback disagrees with what the command alone would suggest.

The Run model checks button in the Experiments tab exercises the command-to-relay, holder-power-path and position-proof logic against independent fresh model instances. This is a generic dry-contact fire-door interface model only: it does not include contact ratings, wiring supervision, actual door forces, or a listed releasing arrangement design — the linked installation-guide reference is for background only.

Frequently asked questions

Does the control module supply power to the door holder directly?

No. The module's relay only opens or closes a normally-closed contact in series with a separately powered external 24 V supply that actually energizes the magnetic door holder — the module interrupts or restores that power path rather than sourcing holder power itself.

Why doesn't restoring power reopen a released door?

The door closes because its spring closer releases stored mechanical energy once the holder de-energizes — that energy is spent, not stored electrically. Restoring holder power afterward doesn't reopen the door; the fixture requires the explicit Manually reopen door to holder action.

What does the welded-contact fault demonstrate?

It shows that a commanded relay armature transfer doesn't guarantee the physical outcome: with a welded normally-closed contact injected, the armature still indicates movement toward the commanded position, but the holder remains energized and the door never closes, producing a timed-out position mismatch — exactly why independent door-position feedback matters.

What does the built-in verification suite check?

The Run model checks button in the Experiments tab runs the command-to-relay, holder power-path and position-proof logic against independent, freshly created model instances, confirming the teaching model behaves consistently without altering your current trial.

Related tools & guides