What are Zone Types and how do they work?

In the S02 alarm system, any and all sensors and motion detectors are placed into 2-digit numbered Zones. New systems are pre-programmed before they are shipped to you.

 

Zone Type Summary
All the sensors in a single Zone will behave a certain way according to the Zone Type.

NOTE: Be careful not to confuse the 2-digit Zone Number with the 1-digit Zone Type Number.
The S02 system has a total of 32 available Zones.

If your S02 panel has an external antenna on top, then only Zones 01-08 can have their zone type changed (and Zones 09-32 are set to Zone Type 1 - Instant) . Otherwise, if your S02 panel has no antenna on top (internal antenna), then all 32 Zones can have their Zone Type changed.

Below is a listing of all the available Zone Types and their behavior. For each Zone Type, we can see whether the sensors would be active or inactive when the alarm system is in different states.

Zone Type Behavior
1 - "Immediate"
Armed in Away Arm - Active
Armed in Home Arm - Active
Disarmed - Inactive

2 - "Delay"
Armed in Away Arm - Active
Armed in Home Arm - Active
Disarmed - Inactive

After the alarm is triggered,
there is a delay before the alarm goes off.

3 - "Emergency"


Armed in Away Arm - Active
Armed in Home Arm - Active
Disarmed - Active

4 - "Disable"
Armed in Away Arm - Inactive
Armed in Home Arm - Inactive
Disarmed - Inactive

5 - "Away Armed"
Armed in Away Arm - Active
Armed in Home Arm - Inactive
Disarmed - Inactive

 

Pre-programmed Settings
When you purchase a new system, Fortress Security Store pre-programs all of the Zone Types for you. Any accessories purchased separately later would need to be programmed to the panel when they arrive.
Also note that performing a factory reset would remove any pre-programming that had already been done.
For example, here is how our largest S02 kit, the S02-F kit, would be pre-programmed (your kit may vary):

 

Device  Zone Number  Zone Type Number 
Motion Detector 1  01  5 - Away Armed
Motion Detector 2  02  5 - Away Armed
Motion Detector 3  03  5 - Away Armed
Motion Detector 4  04  5 - Away Armed
Panic Button  05  3 - Emergency
Smoke Alarm 06  3 - Emergency
Glass Break Sensor 07  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 1 08  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 2  09  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 3  10  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 4  11  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 5  12  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 6  13  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 7  14  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 8  15  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 9  16  1 - Immediate
Door/Window Sensor 10  17  1 - Immediate
Key Fob Remote 1  30  1 - Immediate
Key Fob Remote 2  31  1 - Immediate
Key Fob Remote 3  32  1 - Immediate



Best Practices / Recommendations
We recommend placing Motion Detectors into a Zone with Zone Type 5 - "Away Armed". This way, they will be active when you're out of the house and the system is armed in Out mode, but they will be inactive when you're at home, and the system is either armed in Home mode, or disarmed altogether.
We recommend placing Door/Window Contact Sensors into a Zone with either Zone Type 1 - "Immediate", or Zone Type 2 - "Delay".
We recommend placing any Panic Buttons, Smoke Alarms, Gas Leak Detectors, or Water Level Sensors into a Zone with Zone Type 3 - "Emergency".


Instructions For Changing Zone Type
(Remember not to confuse the Zone Number with the Zone Type Number. Also, only Zones 01-08 can have their Zone Type modified.)
To set a certain Zone to a specific Zone Type, enter the following on the main panel:
<your 4-digit password>, #

*, <2-digit Zone Number>, 2, <1-digit Zone Type Number>, #

Return

Example - To change Zone 03 to Zone Type 1 - "Immediate", the commands would be as follows:

<your 4-digit password>, #

*, 03, 2, 1, #

Return