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Version: v4 (Stable)

Alarm Options

To access the configuration of the alarm management options, select the "Options..." command from the "Configuration" menu and select the "Alarms" tab on the displayed dialog box.

Acknowledgment​

This group defines the options related to the acknowledgment of an alarm.

Automatic alarm acknowledgment on alarm reset​

This option allows automatic acknowledgment of alarms by solving the problem that is causing the alarm. This option can be redefined at level of each alarm.

Automatic alarm acknowledgment on reset before delayed call​

This option allows automatic acknowledgment of alarms when they return to the normal state before the delayed call is triggered. It can be used to force the explicit manual acknowledgment of an alarm if this alarm lasts more than a defined time (the call delay). It is particularly useful for dealing with alarms that require intervention if they last longer than a certain time (open door of a cold room for example). This option can be redefined at level of each alarm.

Automatic alarm acknowledgment on group warned​

This option allows automatic acknowledgment of alarms after completion of the call cycle. This option can be redefined at level of each alarm.

When this option is validated, the option "As soon as one group has been warned" indicates, when it is selected, that when several groups are to be called, the concerned alarms will be automatically acknowledged as soon as the call of one group is successfully completed (warned group). If this option is not checked, the automatic acknowledgment of the concerned alarms is done only when the call of all groups has been successful.

Anonymous acknowledgments assigned to local user

This option allows the identification of the anonymous acknowledgments (coming from SCADA for example) by assigning the name of the locally logged user.

Alarm​

This group defines the options for processing alarms.

Default alarm delay in seconds​

This option sets the default delay (in seconds) to enable an alarm when its condition is set. It allows to filter alarms that must only be processed if their duration is greater than a certain time (door opening, power failure, ...).

When this time is non-zero, triggering of the event is reported in the log as a simple event event. Alarm processing will only be triggered after this delay, provided that the variable is not returned to the normal state in the meantime. If the variable returns to the normal state before the timeout expires, the alarm processing will not be triggered.

If this time is null (default value), triggering the event causes the immediate alarm to be processed.

Maximum alarm duration​

This option defines the default maximum duration of the alarm in the active state (in minutes). When the duration of the alarm in the active state exceeds the specified time, whether the alarm is acknowledged or not, the alarm call cycle is retriggered. The alarm message transmitted and notified in the event log can be formatted according to the format specified at the level of the alarm to indicate an exceeded duration.

The default global option "Alarm.MaxTimeRepeat" (redefinable at the level of each alarm) allows, when it is validated (default value), to repeat the call cycle as long as the alarm remains active, at the period defined by this maximum duration.

When the specified duration is zero (default value), there is no maximum duration for the alarm.

Priority​

This group defines the management options for the alarm priority.

Reverse priority order​

When this option is not checked, priority 0 is the lowest priority. When this option is checked, priority 0 is the highest priority.

Period for automatic priority increment​

Default value of the cycle for the the automatic increment of the priority of alarms awaiting transmission. This feature makes it possible to make the priority of a pending alarm depending on its age.

A value of 0 (default) invalidates the automatic increment of pending alarms.

This parameter can be redefined at the level of each data server and alarm.

Alarm Table​

This group defines the management options of the alarm table.

Automatic deletion of inactive and acknowledged alarms​

Option to automatically remove an alarm from the alarm table when it is inactive and acknowledged.

Local Alarm​

This group defines the local sound processing of alarms.

Play group tone​

When this option is checked, the sound file associated with the call group attached to an alarm will be played on the local station when this alarm is detected. If several groups are attached to an alarm, the sound file played will be the file of the first group defined in the list of attached groups.

Note: This option is enabled for all defined alarms attached to a call group with a configured sound file. It is also possible to play a sound file for a specific alarm by defining in the scenario attached to this alarm a "Play Tone" action.

Play vocal message​

When this option is checked, the audio message attached to an alarm will be played on the local station when this alarm is detected. If the "Play group tone" option is also checked, the sound file of the attached group will be played before. If the "(Repeated)" option is checked, the message will be played repeatedly until the alarm is acknowledged.

Note: This option is enabled for all the defined alarms. It is also possible to play the alarm message on the local station for a specific alarm by defining in the scenario attached to this alarm a "Play Vocal Message" action.

Default format of alarm messages​

This group defines the format to use for alarm, reset or acknowledgment messages that do not have an associated specific format. It also defines the default format of alarm messages when the maximum alarm duration is exceeded.

The default message format is multilingual. The format displayed is that defined for the language currently selected in the user interface.

Format​

The format can contain fixed parts, reproduced as they are, and variable parts, which refer to alarm parameters, using the following syntax:

  • &M: This field will be replaced by the alarm message (long message) defined for the tag.

  • &N: This field will be replaced by the name of the tag.

  • &R: This field will be replaced by the data path of the external variable (DDE/OPC reference or other).

  • &C: This field will be replaced by the alarm code (short message) defined for the tag.

  • &S: This field will be replaced by the name of the station attached to the tag.

  • &L: This field will be replaced by the name of the station attached to the tag only if the station is not the local station.

  • &J: This field will be replaced by the name of the data server of the tag.

  • &A: This field will be replaced by the name of the first call group associated with the tag.

  • &X: This field will be replaced by the location associated with the tag.

  • &O: This field will be replaced by the unique numeric identifier of the tag (Oid).

  • &G: This field will be replaced by the name of the base tag group associated with the tag.

  • &P: This field will be replaced by the value of the priority set for the tag.

  • &U: This field will be replaced by the name of the user who acknowledged the alarm (valid only for acknowledgment processes).

  • &D: This field will be replaced by the date and time of the alarm in the format "DD/MM/YY HH:MM:SS".

  • &V: This field will be replaced by the value of the tag when the alarm was triggered.

  • &V*: This field will be replaced by the current value of the tag at the time of sending the message.

  • &Z: This field will be replaced by the maximum duration of the alarm (multiplied by the number of times this duration is exceeded in case of an active alarm), in the format: "X minutes" if the duration is less than 1 hour, "X hours" if the duration is a multiple of 60, "X hours Y minutes" in the other cases.

If no default format is set, the equivalent format will be "&M" to display the alarm (reset or acknowledgment) message if it is set.

Default Ack and Reset call​

This group defines the default call options on return to normal and acknowledgment of alarms. These options can be redefined at the level of each variable.

Call on alarm reset​

If this option is checked, the reset of alarms for which this option has not been specifically redefined causes a call (user message) to call groups that have been notified beforehand for the alarm.

Call on alarm acknowledgment​

Similarly, if this option is checked, the acknowledgment of alarms for which this option has not been specifically redefined causes a call (user message) to call groups that have been notified beforehand for the alarm.

In both cases only the users with the corresponding call option enabled are called.