The SmartArx Icon Advance is a 128-zone alarm panel designed for properties that need more than a basic system. The Icon Advance handles large residential estates, commercial buildings, sites with multiple access areas and sites that mix wired and wireless devices, all from a single panel, with 4G GSM and Ethernet communication built in.
How many zones does it support?
Up to 128. The panel supports up to 64 wired zones via the onboard inputs and up to four SmartArx 16-Zone Wired Expanders on the Comms Bus, each adding another 16 wired zones. Wireless capacity runs to 64 zones via the 868 MHz Transceiver and compatible SmartArx peripherals. The onboard 433 MHz receiver detects legacy wireless devices at sites with older hardware.
If you have sensors on 60 doors, 30 windows, and a bank of motion detectors, this panel can integrate them into a single system.
How does communication work?
The panel has two communication module slots, so it can support 4G GSM and Ethernet simultaneously. If your internet connection goes down, the GSM takes over. Both modules are sold separately and snap onto the panel.
Messages can be sent to up to six cell phone recipients via the SmartArx app or SMS. Each recipient is configured individually: you choose which partitions they receive messages for, and which event types (alarm triggers, zone activity, mains and battery status, tamper alerts, or any combination).
What are partitions?
The panel supports four independent partitions. Each partition arms and disarms on its own, so one site can have the house on partition 1, the outbuilding on partition 2, and the perimeter on partition 3, all running independently. Users are assigned to specific partitions only, so someone with access to partition 1 has no visibility of partition 3.
The panel supports 30 user profiles. Each one has a 4- or 6-digit password, a configurable name, and day-and-time access restrictions. You can limit a user to weekday business hours, grant monitor-only access, or give a technician programming rights without arming and disarming permissions.
What wireless devices work with it?
The 868 MHz range is the main one, running through the SmartArx 868 MHz Transceiver on the Comms Bus:
- SmartArx 868 MHz Wireless Passive (PIR): 12-metre detection, 108-degree field of view, two-way communication, supervision reporting every 15 minutes
- SmartArx 868 MHz Wireless Door Contact (Door Guard): always-on monitoring, panic button, input and output terminals for connecting third-party devices such as beams or gate motors, controllable via the SmartArx app
- SmartArx 6-Button Keyring Remote: two-way, fully programmable, released 2024/2025
All 868 MHz devices report their supervision status to the panel every 15 minutes. If a device stops reporting, the panel flags it within an hour, which is useful for detecting devices that have been tampered with or physically removed.
Legacy 433 MHz devices are also supported via the onboard receiver, including SmartArx, Sherlotronics, Sentry remotes, and older E6/E45 passives and door contacts.
What can the outputs do?
Four onboard auxiliary outputs are each independently programmable. Trigger options include alarm events, zone triggers, partition status changes, mains failure, battery low, panic events, or custom app commands. There are also ten wireless auxiliary outputs for controlling 868 MHz Door Guard devices from the SmartArx app. Gates, garage doors, and automated locks can be opened or closed directly from your phone.
Is there an event log?
The panel keeps a 1,000-event log covering alarm modes, zone triggers, mains and battery events, and tamper alerts. When connected to the SmartArx Configuration Software via USB, you get a live status dashboard: partition status, output states, auxiliary input levels, wireless zone signal strength and battery voltage, and communication module status. Walk test mode lets you trigger each device individually and confirm it’s registering before the system goes live.
The SmartArx 16-Zone Wired Expander
The Wired Expander connects to the Comms Bus and adds 16 fully programmable wired zones to the Icon Advance. Up to four expanders can run on a single panel, giving you up to 64 additional wired zones. Each expander has its own tamper switch, status LED, two auxiliary inputs, and two auxiliary outputs. Expanders are addressed via a 4-way DIP switch so the panel identifies each one individually.
How is it programmed?
Installers configure the Icon Advance using the SmartArx Configuration Software, connected via USB. Programming is live: changes take effect immediately rather than uploading at the end of a session. The software auto-detects which panel it’s connected to and downloads all current settings on connection. Once programming is complete, the file can be saved for future restoration.