EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEMS

EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEMS

ELV is the terminology used in the construction world in an attempt to
electrically define all the systems in a building which need electricity to run but
are not part of the building's main electrical system.

Extra-low voltage (ELV) is an electricity supply voltage in a range which carries

a low risk of dangerous electrical shock.

The International Electrotechnical Commission member organizations and

define an ELV device or circuit as one in which the electrical potential between
conductor or electrical conductor and earth (ground) does not exceed 50V AC
or 120V DC

Lower numbers apply in wet conditions, or when large contact areas are
exposed to contact with the human body.
EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEMS
Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Extra Low Voltage System deployed in residential
and commercial buildings for the purposes of better control and security.
Usually it comprises a variety of sub-systems like:
• Video Intercom
• CCTV
• Sensors & Alarm
• Vehicle Access Control
• Door Access Control
• Lift Access Control
• Lighting Control
• HVAC Control
• Public Address Broadcasting
• Tour Guard Patrol
• Parking Management
EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEMS

ELV covers all the new modern technologies that are increasingly becoming must-have systems
in every building such as data network, CCTV, fire alarm systems, public address systems,
audio/video solutions, access control and intrusion detection systems, home automation, etc.

AC RMS
IEC voltage range DC voltage (V) Defining risk
voltage (V)

High voltage > 1 000 > 1 500 Electrical arcing

Low voltage 50 to 1 000 120 to 1 500 Electrical shock

Extra-low voltage < 50 < 120 Low risk

Benefits of ELV include:

• Significant reductions in CO² emissions due to lower power requirements.
• reductions in raw material usage due to need for fewer street cables.
• Lower costs – improved technology – more efficient LED lights.
• Improved electrical safety – real environmental bebefits.
EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEMS - TYPES

The IEC defines three types of extra-low-voltage systems (FELV, PELV,

and SELV), which are distinguished by their successively more
restrictive safety properties.

These can be supplied using sources including motor / fossil fuel

generator sets, transformers, switched PSU's or rechargeable battery.

SELV, PELV, FELV, are distinguished by various safety properties, supply

characteristics and design voltages.
SEPARATED OR SAFETY EXTRA-LOW VOLTAGE (SELV)
• The low-voltage output is electrically separated from earth and other systems. A single fault
cannot create a risk of an electric shock.
• There should be no provision for earthing of an SELV circuit – no earth pin for sockets
• A SELV circuit should have protective-separation (double insulation, reinforced insulation or
protective screening) from all circuits that might carry higher voltages – conduits provided
exclusively for them
• The safety of a SELV circuit is provided by:
 Extra-low voltage,
 Low risk of accidental contact with a higher voltage;
 Lack of a return path through earth (ground) that electric current could take in case of
contact with a human body
• The SELV circuit plugs and sockets must be special, so that inadvertent connection to a different
voltage level is not possible.
• In certain locations, e.g. swimming pools or for medical apparatus it is the only measure permitted.
However, because there is always a risk of electric shock then the requirements can be even more
stringent, e.g. nominal voltage limited to 12 V AC or 30 V DC.
• Examples: Decorative out-door lighting, Class III battery charger, fed from a Class II power supply,
modern cordless hand tools
PROTECTED EXTRA-LOW VOLTAGE (PELV)
IEC 61140 defines a PELV system as "an electrical system in which the voltage cannot exceed ELV under
normal conditions, and under single-fault conditions, except earth faults in other circuits".

• A PELV circuit only requires protective-separation from all circuits that might carry higher voltages, but it
may have connections to other PELV systems and earth (ground).
• In contrast to a SELV circuit, a PELV circuit can have a protective earth (ground) connection.
• A PELV circuit, just as with SELV, requires a design that guarantees a low risk of accidental contact with a
higher voltage.

Basic protection is generally necessary, except:

• When the equipment is in the zone of equipotential bonding
• The nominal voltage does not exceed 25 V rms
• The equipment is used in normally dry locations only
• Large-area contact with the human body is not expected

In all other cases, 12V is the maximum permitted voltage, where no basic protection is provided.

A typical example for a PELV circuit is a computer with a Class I power supply.
FUNCTIONAL EXTRA-LOW VOLTAGE (FELV)
The term functional extra-low voltage (FELV) describes any other extra-low-voltage circuit that does not fulfill
the requirements for an SELV or PELV circuit.
• Although the FELV part of a circuit uses an extra-low voltage, it is not adequately protected from
accidental contact with higher voltages in other parts of the circuit.
• Therefore the protection requirements for the higher voltage have to be applied to the entire circuit.
• Examples include those that generate an extra low voltage through a semiconductor device or a
potentiometer or a transformer.
 An electronically controlled toaster where the timer circuit runs off extra low voltage derived from a
tap on the heating element.
 The old door-bell circuit fed from a transformer.

Where, for functional reasons, a voltage of 50 V or less is used, but all the requirements relating to SELV or
PELV are NOT fulfilled, appropriate measures described in IEC 60364-4-41 must be taken to ensure both basic
and fault protection, according to the location and use of these circuits.

Note: Such conditions may, for example, be encountered when the circuit contains equipment (such as
transformers, relays, remote-control switches, contactors) insufficiently insulated with respect to circuits at
higher voltages.
STAND-ALONE POWER SYSTEMS
• Cabling for extra-low voltage systems, such as in remote-area power systems (RAPS), is
designed to minimize energy losses while maximizing safety.
• Lower voltages require a higher current for the same power.
• The higher current results in greater resistive losses in the cabling.
• Cable sizing must therefore consider maximum demand, voltage drop over the cable,
and current-carrying capacity.
• Voltage drop is usually the main factor considered, but current-carrying capacity is as
important when considering short, high-current runs such as between a battery bank
and inverter.
• Arcing is a risk in DC ELV systems, and some fuse types which can cause undesired
arcing include semi-enclosed, rewireable and automotive fuse types.
• Instead high rupturing capacity fuses and appropriately rated circuit breakers are the
recommended type for RAPS.
• Cable termination and connections must be done properly to avoid arcing also, and
soldering is not recommended.
ELV BASED TECHNOLOGY
ELV covers all the new modern technologies that are increasingly becoming must-have systems in every
building such as data network, CCTV, public address systems, audio/video solutions and access control.

Smart Buildings are becoming more and more

popular as they reduce energy costs, enhance
productivity and building operations and
support sustainability efforts.

A building is smart if it makes you feel

comfortable and secure and is economical in
terms of operational costs.

ELV systems are becoming a necessity for smart buildings to make building infrastructure more intelligent,
interconnected and efficient.
They are used for security, communication, lighting, air-conditioning and heating.
Also includes fire detection and alarms, voice evacuation, voice and data communications, cell phone and
wireless distribution, plus other such auxiliary systems.
LAN and WLAN
• LAN stands for Local Area Network – also known
as SCS (Structured Cabling System).
• It is the data cabling in the building to enable
users to network their computer devices and
possibly access to internet.
• In a small building, this can be simply CAT6
cabling from an MDF (Master Distribution Frame)
• In larger infrastructures, multiple IDFs
(Intermediate Distribution Frame) are
interconnected by fiber optic cables.
• WLAN stands for Wireless LAN which is the
network of wireless access points that provide
wireless network coverage within and outside the
building.
• As the technologies enhance, many more ELV
systems depend on LAN infrastructure of
buildings.
TELEPHONY SYSTEMS
• While up to some years ago, analog telephony
systems were still commonly used in buildings and
were setup by using multi-pair copper telephone
cables connecting the PABX (Private Automatic
Branch Exchange) to telephone sets,
• Analog systems are now almost totally replaced
with VOIP solutions that require no separate
cabling and depend on the buildings LAN
infrastructure for the interconnections.
• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology
that allows you to make voice calls using a
broadband Internet connection - including local,
long distance, mobile, and international numbers.
• Telephonic systems along with building controls
systems are interlinked through data cable such as
Cat 5 or Cat 6 unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and
coaxial cables operating at very low voltages.
• Operating voltages – 48V on hook; 3-9V off hook
CCTV
• CCTV stands for Closed Circuit TV
• These are the camera systems setup inside and
outside of buildings to provide monitoring
surveillance.
• Old analog cameras used a separate cabling of
coaxial cables connecting each camera directly to
the DVR (Digital Video Recorder).
• These are also today almost totally replaced with
IP Cameras utilizing the common LAN
infrastructure of the building.
• An Internet Protocol camera, or IP camera, is a
type of digital video camera that receives control
data and sends image data via the Internet.
• They are commonly used for surveillance.
• Unlike analog closed-circuit television (CCTV)
cameras, they require no local recording device,
but only a local area network.
Access Control System (ACS)
ACS systems give access to different building locations
(usually automatic unlocking of doors) through different
means of authentication of people by magnetic or RFID
identification cards, by finger print, IRIS or face
recognition.
Almost all new ACS solutions also rely on LAN
infrastructure, while they also include electrical cabling to
magnetic door locks, manual push buttons, and magnetic
sensors installed on the doors and entry gates.

Intrusion Detection System (IDS)

IDS is the common name for a broad range of technologies
which as the name suggests, alerts on any attempt for intrusion
to a building or premises. They include long and short range
radar systems, fiber optic cable systems connected to fences, IR
motion detectors, CCTV video analyzing software, and many
other technologies.
PAS / PAGA
PAS (Public Address System) or PAGA (Public Address
and General Alarm) is the speaker system installed in
buildings for making announcements, playing
background music and broadcasting pre-recorded
alarm notifications, automatically triggered by fire
alarm systems.
PAS is still not much IP based and use twisted-pair
electrical cables for connecting the distributed
speakers to the power amplifiers.
The newer PAS systems have accessories to enable
utilizing LAN infrastructure for interconnecting the
main components for a distributed design.
FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS
Fire Alarm Systems (also abbreviated to FA or FAS),
can be divided into two main types – conventional
and addressable. Most FA systems still use 2-wire
electrical cables for interconnecting of the sensors
(smoke, heat, combined) and beacons/alerts to the
control panels. Newer fire alarm solutions also provide
LAN connectivity for integration with other systems.
SMATV / CATV / IPTV
SMATV (Satellite Master Antenna Television), CATV (Cable Television), and IPTV (IP Television) all explain
different technologies to provide a TV distribution system within a building, interconnecting multiple
television sets to a single source (usually called Head End) so each television can select the desired watching
channel from a selection list.
While SMATV and CATV have their separate cabling network based on coaxial (or sometimes fiber) cabling,
they are rapidly being replaced with IPTV solutions which rely on the same LAN infrastructure jointly used by
other systems.
HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEMS
Home automation systems include a very broad range of technologies for monitoring and controlling almost
everything in the building from lights to doors to home appliances and audio equipment and in short
whatever works with electricity in the building. Most home automation solutions are now network based and
give the option of remotely controlling and monitoring the building over the internet. While in the past, most
home automations were using some remote control device, with advance of technology the means of control
is now moved to smartphone and tablet applications or voice recognition solutions.
HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEMS
 WHAT IS A NETWORK?
A network is defined as a group of two or more computer systems linked together.

TYPES OF NETWORK
1. LOCAL-AREA NETWORKS (LANS): The computers are geographically close
together (that is, in the same building).
2. WIDE-AREA NETWORKS (WANS): The computers are farther apart and are
connected by telephone lines or radio waves.
3. CAMPUS-AREA NETWORKS (CANS): The computers are within a limited
geographic area, such as a campus or military base.
4. METROPOLITAN-AREA NETWORKS (MANS): A data network designed for
a town or city.
5. HOME-AREA NETWORKS (HANS): A network contained within a user's
home that connects a person's digital devices.
Network Characteristics
In addition to these types, the following
characteristics are also used to categorize different
types of networks:
1. TOPOLOGY : The geometric arrangement or
connectivity of a computer system. Common
topologies include a bus, star, and ring.
2. PROTOCOL : The protocol defines a common set
of rules and signals that computers on the
network use to communicate. One of the most
popular protocols for LANs is called Ethernet.
Another popular LAN protocol for PCs is the IBM
token-ring network .
3. ARCHITECTURE : Networks can be broadly
classified as using either a peer-to-peer or
client/server architecture.
Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes.
Computers and devices that allocate resources for a
network are called servers.
TYPES OF TRANSMISSION MEDIA
In data communication terminology, a transmission medium is a physical path between the transmitter and
the receiver i.e., it is the channel through which data is sent from one place to another. Transmission Media is
broadly classified into the following types:
GUIDED MEDIA
Referred to as Wired or Bounded transmission media. Signals being transmitted are directed and confined in a
narrow pathway by using physical links.
Features: High Speed, Secure, Used for comparatively shorter distances

(i) Twisted Pair Cable (ii) Coaxial Cable (iii) Optical Fibre Cable
Several pairs of separately insulated conductor wires wound about It has an outer plastic covering It uses the concept of reflection of light
each other, bundled together in a protective sheath. Most widely
used Transmission Media. containing 2 parallel conductors each through a core made up of glass or
having a separate insulated protection plastic. The core is surrounded by a less
a. Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP):
cover. Coaxial cable transmits dense glass or plastic covering called
Used for telephonic applications.
information in two modes: Baseband the cladding. It is used for transmission
Advantages:
1. Least expensive mode(dedicated cable bandwidth) and of large volumes of data.
2. Easy to install Broadband mode(cable bandwidth is
3. High speed capacity
split into separate ranges). Cable TVs Advantages:
Disadvantages: and analog television networks widely 1. Increased capacity and bandwidth
1. Susceptible to external interference
2. Lower capacity and performance in comparison to STP use Coaxial cables. 2. Light weight
3. Short distance transmission due to attenuation 3. Less signal attenuation
Advantages: 4. Immunity to electromagnetic
b. Shielded Twisted Pair (STP):
High Bandwidth interference
Used in fast-data-rate Ethernet and in voice and data channels of
telephone lines. Better noise Immunity 5. Resistance to corrosive materials
Advantages: Easy to install and expand Disadvantages:
1. Better performance at a higher data rate in comparison to UTP Inexpensive 1. Difficult to install and maintain
2. Eliminates crosstalk
3. Comparitively faster Disadvantages: 2. High cost
Single cable failure can disrupt the 3. Fragile
Disadvantages:
1. Comparitively difficult to install and manufacture entire network 4. Unidirectional - will need another
2. More expensive fibre if bidirectional communication
3. Bulky
is needed
CATEGORIES OF UTP CABLES

EIA classifies UTP cables according to the

quality:
• Category 1 ― the lowest quality, only
good for voice, mainly found in very old
buildings, not recommended now
• Category 2 ― good for voice and low
data rates (up to 4Mbps for low-speed
token ring networks)
• Category 3 ― at least 3 twists per foot,
for up to 10 Mbps (common in phone
networks in residential buildings)
• Category 4 ― up to 16 Mbps (mainly for
token rings)
• Category 5 (or 5e) ― up to 100 Mbps
(common for networks targeted for
high-speed data communications)
• Category 6 ― more twists than Cat 5, up
to 1 Gbps
COAXIAL CABLES
• In general, coaxial cables, or coax, carry signals of higher freq (100KHz–500MHz) than UTP cables
• Outer metallic wrapping serves both as a shield against noise and as the second conductor that
completes the circuit
FIBRE - OPTICS CABLE
• An optical fiber consists of a core (denser material)
and a cladding (less dense material)
• Simplest one is a multimode step-index optical
fiber
• Multimode = multiple paths, step-index = refractive
index follows a step-function profile (i.e. an abrupt
change of refractive index between the core and
the cladding)
• Light bounces back and forth along the core
• Common light sources: LEDs and lasers
UNGUIDED MEDIA
It is also referred to as Wireless or Unbounded transmission media. No physical medium is required for the
transmission of electromagnetic signals.
Features:
1. Signal is broadcasted through air
2. Less Secure
3. Used for larger distances

(i) Radiowaves
These are easy to generate and can penetrate through buildings. The sending and receiving antennas need
not be aligned. Frequency Range:3KHz – 1GHz. AM and FM radios and cordless phones use Radiowaves for
transmission.
Further Categorized as (i) Terrestrial and (ii) Satellite.

(ii) Microwaves
It is a line of sight transmission i.e. the sending and receiving antennas need to be properly aligned with each
other. The distance covered by the signal is directly proportional to the height of the antenna. Frequency
Range:1GHz – 300GHz. These are majorly used for mobile phone communication and television distribution.

(iii) Infrared
Infrared waves are used for very short distance communication. They cannot penetrate through obstacles.
This prevents interference between systems. Frequency Range:300GHz – 400THz. It is used in TV remotes,
wireless mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.