Intruder/burglar alarm system is a set of interconnected devices that is aimed to protect an object, usually a facility, against intruders and to notify the owner or/and the monitoring station/center of any violation of the protected zones. Depending on the requirements and financial possibilities, it can be a simple alarm system suitable for a basic protection of a home/apartment, or a more advanced structure, which in addition to the basic functions will greatly improve the life comforts of the users. The designer of the system, usually the installation company or simply the installer, can greatly help the investor/user (customer) to choose an optimal solution, depending on the characteristics of the facility and the customer needs, also taking into account expansion options for the future

Alarm control unit/panel (switchboard). The main unit is mounted in a dedicated housing/box together with a backup/buffer battery guarantying operation of the system during power outages. The housing is equipped with an anti-tamper switch connected to the dedicated input of the panel. If the system is not put in the service mode, any attempt to open the case ends up triggering an alarm. The control panel monitors the proper operation of all the equipment installed in the system. It collects information from the sensors, keypads, anti-tamper circuits, detects any faults in the wiring, and in the event of an irregularity, switches on optical and acoustic signaling. If the control panel is equipped with a communication module, it can notify the user or a security company about the alarm action.

Keypads, touch panels. These manipulators allow the installer to setup the control panel and program all the functions of the alarm system. They also are the user interface for communication with the alarm system, which provides information on the system status and enables arming and disarming operations. An alarm system usually contains one main (master) keypad and (if needed) zone/partition manipulators. The master device has LCD display and numeric keys, or touch screen. The partition keypads have numeric keypads and a simple optical signaling in the form of LEDs. They are used to arm and disarm the partitions, while the main keypad is responsible for the complete control of the entire alarm.