Fire Secure UK
Practical engineering resources for fire & life safety systems

DIP Switch Calculator

Convert a device address into an ON/OFF switch pattern for fire alarm, access control, security and other configurable equipment.

A preset applies its published switch count, bit order, logic and supported address range when calculated.

How DIP switch addressing works

Each switch represents a binary bit value. The combination of ON and OFF positions creates the address.

The Apollo XP95 VAD Sounder Base guide uses addresses 1-126. The Hochiki Smart-Fix chart uses addresses 1-127. Both show switch 1 as the lowest-value bit and ON as binary 1.

Manufacturers may reverse the switch order or use inverted logic, so always confirm the numbering and ON/OFF convention in the equipment manual.

See the wiki guides to addressable fire alarm system types, UK fire alarm panel and protocol selection and common fire alarm engineering terminology.