Lifesafety Power FPO250-B100D8E2 250W Dual Voltage Power System
The Lifesafety Power FPO250-B100D8E2 is a UL-listed backup power system designed for distributed access control, door locks, intercoms, and life-safety equipment in mid-to-large deployments. The dual-voltage (12V/24V) architecture supports mixed-load environments without separate power rails, while integrated fire alarm disconnect logic automatically unlocks doors during alarm events—a hard compliance requirement in many jurisdictions. Built-in battery charging, surge immunity, and network-ready monitoring reduce operational overhead and extend battery lifecycle. Integrators deploying 50+ devices across a facility find this system's ability to zone outputs by voltage and monitor remotely a substantial time-saver.
Key Features
- Dual Voltage Output (12V/24V): 250W total capacity with per-zone voltage selection. Eliminates the need for separate power shelves in mixed-load access control installations.
- Fire Alarm Disconnect: Automatically unlocks doors on fire alarm signal (Form C contacts). Meets life-safety code requirements (ADA/IBC) without additional relay logic.
- 8 Auxiliary Outputs: Each 3A fused, individually selectable to 12V or 24V. Supports up to 8 independent devices (door locks, card readers, intercoms, sensors).
- Integrated Battery Charger: Fast-charge profile with low-battery cutoff to prevent deep discharge and battery degradation. Extends battery runtime and lifecycle.
- AC/System Fault Contacts: Form C relay outputs for power supply failure, low/no battery, ground faults, or blown fuse. Integrates with NVR/access control alerting without external monitoring boards.
- OutSmart Dual-Color LED Status: Green (12V) / Blue (24V) indicators per output zone. Visual feedback eliminates voltage confirmation guesswork during installation and troubleshooting.
- Surge & Input Protection: Enhanced immunity to AC line transients and output shorts. Protects downstream devices from power supply damage.
- Network-Ready (Netlink Module Optional): Remote battery monitoring, system test, and status dashboard via web interface. Enables predictive battery replacement and reduces site visits.
The FPO250-B100D8E2 enclosure (20″H × 16″W × 4.5″D, 15.85 lbs) mounts in a standard equipment rack or wall-mounted cabinet. The 120 VAC input accepts standard facility power without special conditioning. Dual-voltage architecture means a single chassis replaces two single-voltage units on many projects, cutting cabinet real estate and installation labor. The per-output fusing and voltage selection prevent cascading failures—a blown fuse on one door lock doesn't starve power to the card readers on the same device group.
Life-safety compliance is embedded: the fire alarm disconnect logic fires independent of system state, ensuring egress doors unlock even if the main power board has failed or entered a fault condition. The Form C contacts (AC Fault, System Fault) wire directly to access control panels, NVRs, and building management systems without additional relays. On a 100-door deployment, this eliminates 4-6 external monitoring relays and simplifies wiring.
Battery monitoring integrates with the optional Netlink module, which streams real-time voltage and charge state to a web dashboard. Facility managers can test batteries remotely, receive low-battery alerts before an outage, and schedule replacements during planned maintenance windows rather than emergency callouts. Lifetime warranty on the chassis reflects Lifesafety Power's confidence in the design—in practice, mean time between failures in access-control deployments exceeds 10 years when batteries are replaced on schedule.
The FPO250 is ONVIF-ready (Netlink module required) and integrates seamlessly with Genetec Security Center, Milestone Xprotect, and other major access control and VMS platforms that support standard relay and network health monitoring. Pair this with a cloud-hosted access control platform, and you have centralized monitoring across multiple buildings from a single dashboard—no per-site polling required.
Marty AllisonPerspective based on aggregated IP Security Depot and affiliated engineering team experience.
We've installed the FPO250 across a range of facilities—from mid-size office parks to medical campuses—and it consistently outperforms single-voltage systems in operational simplicity. The real win is the dual-voltage architecture. On a typical project, you'll have a mix of 12V mag locks (legacy door hardware) and 24V readers/intercoms (modern spec). Rather than deploying two separate power shelves and managing separate battery backup for each, the FPO250 handles both from one chassis with one set of batteries. That's one fewer piece of equipment to monitor, one fewer set of batteries to replace annually, and one fewer point of failure in the power chain. The fire alarm disconnect logic is hardwired and independent of the microcontroller, which means even if the system firmware hangs or enters a fault state, doors still unlock on alarm—a critical safety feature that separates this unit from commodity generic power boards. In our experience, the Form C fault contacts are equally valuable: they route directly to an access control panel or NVR, so you get immediate alerting if the power supply fails or a fuse blows without needing an external monitoring relay. On a 50-door campus, that eliminates 4-6 extra relays from the electrical design.
Technical Highlights:
- 250W Total Output: Sufficient for 8 door locks + 4 card readers + 2 intercoms running simultaneously. Verify worst-case load (mag lock inrush + reader draw) against spec before final wire gauge and breaker selection, but the chassis rarely becomes the constraint on capacity-driven deployments.
- Dual Voltage with Per-Output Zoning: Each of the 8 outputs selectable to 12V or 24V independently. Eliminates cross-talk between voltage domains and allows gradual migration from legacy 12V hardware to modern 24V without forklift replacement.
- 3A Fused Outputs: Fast-blow fusing on each auxiliary output prevents a single shorted lock from collapsing voltage to the entire board. On a retrofit, this granular fusing is often the difference between a 15-minute single-lock replacement and a 4-hour full-system troubleshoot.
- Integrated Fast Charger: Battery charge curve is optimized to top off lead-acid or lithium batteries quickly without overcharge damage. Paired with the low-battery cutoff, this extends useful battery life by 18-24 months versus trickle-charge boards.
- Fire Alarm Disconnect (Hardwired): Independent of main microcontroller. Even if the power board firmware crashes, doors unlock on fire alarm signal. Non-negotiable for life-safety compliance in commercial buildings.
- AC/System Fault Form C Contacts: Dry relay outputs for AC loss, battery fault, ground fault, or fuse blow. Wire these directly into your NVR or access control alerting stream for real-time status without polling.
Deployment Considerations:
- Peak inrush current on mag locks can spike to 2-3× steady-state draw for 50-200ms. Verify that your battery discharge curve (amp-hours) supports simultaneous lock actuation. A 7Ah battery is adequate for sequential door openings; parallel actuation on a single power zone may require a 17Ah unit or larger.
- Fire alarm disconnect wiring must be routed to a normally-energized (not normally-open) fire alarm relay. If your building management system uses a dry contact alarm output, confirm polarity and contact type (Form A vs. Form C) before installation. Reversed polarity locks doors on alarm instead of unlocking them.
- The 120 VAC input expects utility power with <10% total harmonic distortion (THD). If your facility has significant motor or lighting loads on the same panel, consider a dedicated 20A breaker for the FPO250. Poor input conditioning can trigger nuisance "AC Fault" alerts.
- Netlink module is optional but strongly recommended for any multi-building deployment. Without it, you cannot remotely test batteries or receive low-charge alerts—you're relying on site-level manual checks or waiting for an outage to discover a failed battery.
- Enclosure depth is 4.5″—verify that your cabinet has sufficient clearance behind the mounting rail and that cable glands align with your building's internal raceway runs. On some retrofit installs, the compact footprint is the deciding factor versus larger competitive units.
The FPO250 is ideal for integrators and facility managers building reliable, code-compliant access control infrastructure at scale. If you're deploying 8+ doors across a building or campus, the dual-voltage feature and integrated fire alarm logic make this a better operational choice than piecing together single-voltage boards. See the Lifesafety Power catalog for compatible battery expansions and Netlink integration modules.
