CTU Additional Inputs

Last Week

We shared some handy tips to make CTU installations smoother — plus how to avoid and fix the top five issues our support team encounters. If you missed it, you can catch up here: CTU Installation Tips and Tricks.

This Week: CTU Additional Inputs

We’d planned to look at messaging options this week — but after last week’s article, we had so many requests about CTU Additional Inputs that we’ve bumped it up the list. Messaging will now feature next week.

Additional Inputs Overview

Each CTU supports up to four additional inputs (depending on installation type) that can monitor a wide range of devices. If it can drive a relay, it can be monitored.

​We’ve seen these inputs used for:

• Freezer alarms
• Door alarms
• Temperature sensors
• Water and jockey pumps
• Local smoke detectors
• Generators and fuel supplies
• Gas detectors
• Vape detectors (especially in schools)
• Beam detection systems
• Penguin enclosures — okay, not really, but you could!

Cost to Monitor Additional Inputs

How much does it cost to monitor additional inputs? Practically nothing. Actually, it’s completely free.

If you already have a CTU installed, you can use the additional inputs — and all related messaging — at no extra charge. We actively encourage you to take advantage of this feature.

Messaging for Additional Inputs

You can set up custom messaging to alert specific people when a monitored device:

• Activates (e.g. a pump starts running)
• Deactivates (e.g. the pump stops)
• Is isolated (e.g. for maintenance)

Message text is fully customisable and can be sent by SMS, email, or via the AFAM AlarmTech App. These alerts follow your normal messaging strategies — which we’ll explore in detail next week.

Isolating Additional Inputs

Need to work on a monitored device without triggering alerts? You can easily isolate an input for a set period. There are a few ways to do this, depending on your setup — just contact our support team, and they’ll walk you through it.

Can I Monitor This Device?

If you’re unsure whether a specific device or system can be monitored, get in touch with our support team.

Chances are, we’ve seen it (or something very close to it) before — penguin enclosures aside.

Penguin Picture

Enjoyed the penguin photo above? Check out the animated version on our LinkedIn page — or simply click the image to head there. While you’re at it, follow us for more updates and behind-the-scenes insights.

Coming Next Week

Next week, we’ll really dive into CTU messaging options, including:

• The different message formats and strategies
• How to temporarily pause messaging
• How to subscribe to all messages for a site