Overview
The alarm process starts when a monitored tag or expression violates a set condition. It triggers an alarm event and sends notifications (visual, audible, email, etc.) based on the alarm group's settings. Operators acknowledge the alarm and begin troubleshooting the root cause. Once addressed, the alarm condition clears, and the system may automatically clear or require manual alarm clearing. Optionally, an auto-acknowledgment timeout may be in place. All alarm events, state changes, and user actions can be logged within the system, providing a robust audit trail for analysis, troubleshooting, and compliance
Introduction to Alarms Module
The Alarms module is a powerful tool designed to monitor and manage alarm events within your solutions, providing alerts for critical events, and storing data for future analysis.
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Alarms Events Cycle
Triggering
An alarm workflow begins when a monitored tag or expression meets a defined alarm condition. This condition might signal a value exceeding a limit, a rapid rate of change, or another system event. The system detects the condition and generates an alarm event.
Notification
The system sends out notifications based on the configuration of the associated AlarmGroup. These notifications can include visual alerts on operator screens, audible alarms, emails, text messages, or integration with external systems. Notifications target the appropriate personnel based on alarm priority and area.
Acknowledgment
Operators acknowledge alarms, indicating awareness of the issue. The AlarmGroup might require acknowledgment before certain actions occur or to silence audible notifications. Acknowledgment status is tracked within the system.
Resolution
Operators investigate and address the root cause of the alarm. This might involve corrective action, system adjustments, or equipment maintenance. Once the underlying issue is resolved, the alarm condition clears.
Clearing and Auto-Acknowledgment
When the alarm condition no longer exists, the alarm clears. Some alarms might clear automatically, while others might require manual clearing by an operator. The Alarms Module can also employ auto-acknowledgment timeouts, where an alarm automatically transitions to an acknowledged state after a set period if the operator has not taken action.
Logging and Audit Trails
The Alarms Module logs alarm events, acknowledgments, state changes, and any associated user actions. This log creates a comprehensive audit trail. It assists in troubleshooting, analyzing system performance, and ensuring compliance with any required standards or regulations.
Runtime Execution
Once the AlarmGroup and items have been configured, the Alarms Module can be executed to start monitoring the specified tags and conditions. During Runtime, the Alarms Module continuously evaluates the conditions of the AlarmItem and generates alarms when the conditions are met. The alarms are then added to the alarm database and can be visualized and acknowledged by the operators. The runtime behavior of the Alarms Module can be controlled through runtime attributes such as alarm logging level, acknowledge timeout, and alarm retention time
Configuring the Alarms Module
Configuring an alarm involves creating an AlarmsItem object. Creating an AlarmsItem involves selecting a system Tag and associating a condition to generate an alarm event. Once done, it is necessary to specify which alarm group this item belongs to. The alarm item will inherit properties and attributes defined in the alarm groups. Finally, based on your process hierarchy defined on AlarmsAreas, you can specify which place the alarm item belongs to. So, to create and manage alarm items, go to Alarms/Items; to customize and fine-tune the groups of alarms, go to Alarms/Groups; and to define the process hierarchy and organize your alarm systems, go to Alarms/Areas.
Device Module Configuration Workflow
Action
Where
Comments
Create Channels
Devices → Channels
Identify the required field devices and protocols the project requires, create channels accordingly. Learn more at Device Channels.
Create Nodes
Devices → Nodes
Identify the Network addresses and relevant information to all stations and devices that need connectivity. Learn more at Devices Nodes.
Map Tags to Point addresses
Devices → Points
Optionally, you can Copy Tags from Excel/CSV from Excel or execute Import Wizards. Learn more at Device Points.
Create or Customize AccessTypes
Devices → AccessTypes
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