Alarms and Events Window Popup Wonderware Intouch:-https://youtu.be/fHKgPYI8agA
The Distributed Alarm Object
Introduce and Configure the Distributed Alarm control
The Distributed Alarm object displays both locally and remotely generated alarms. These display object features include built-in scroll bars, resizeable display columns, multiple selections of alarms, an update status bar, a query status bar, a context-sensitive right-click menu, and alarm display colors based on alarm priority.
InTouch allows you to modify the appearance of the alarm display (including the information that is displayed), the colors used for various alarm conditions, and the Alarm Group and alarm priority levels displayed.
Creating a Distributed Alarm Display
Click the Wizard tool in the Wizard/ActiveX Toolbar icon.
The Wizard Selection dialog box appears.
Select Alarm Displays.
Select the Dist. Alarm Display Control.
Click OK. The Wizard Selection dialog box closes and your window reappears with the cursor in the “paste” mode.
Click anywhere in an active window to paste the Alarm Display control.
You are now ready to configure the display.
Alarm Viewer Features
Scroll Bars
The distributed alarm display has built-in horizontal and vertical scroll bars that allow you to move through listed alarms. You can configure the display of these scroll bars.
Sizable Display Columns
The distributed alarm display uses a grid to hold the alarm messages. This grid allows for dynamic sizing of the column widths simply by selecting a column and dragging it to set the column width. This functionality is available only during Runtime. You can configure whether or not the grid can be used to size the columns
Grid column changes are not saved; therefore, if you make grid column changes and close the window containing the alarm display, the grid columns will again be at their default width upon re-opening that window.
Double-click the vertical grid line to auto-size the column.
Multiple Selection: The grid supports selecting single or multiple alarms in a list box. The selected alarms can be acknowledged by using the almAckSelect() QuickScript function described later in this chapter. When you configure the distributed alarm display, you can also define the selection behavior to allow either toggle selection (item by item), or multiple selections (holding down CTRL or SHIFT in conjunction with a mouse click to select multiple alarms). You can turn off the Runtime selection.
Alarm Message Colors: Configure up to eight different colors for each displayed alarm message, based on the priority of the alarm and whether it is acknowledged or not.
Update Status Bar: The distributed alarm display includes a status bar that contains three indicators: Status message, Current Alarm Query, and Progress Bar. These indicators provide an overview of the current state of the display query and provide details about the suppression available in the Distributed Alarm Object.
The right pane of the status bar is red when a freeze is in effect and the left pane of the status bar is red when suppression is in effect. The word suppression appears in the left pane when suppression is in effect.
You can turn off the display of the status bar in Runtime.
Feature Description
Status Message The status message at the left end of the status bar provides a more
a detailed description of the current query status.
Progress Bar The updated progress bar at the right end of the status bar provides a
visual indication of the current query progress.
Alarm Query The Alarm Query provides a visual indication of the current alarm
query.
| Status Message | State/Indicator | Progress Bar |
| None | No Query | None |
| Update Incomplete | Query Incomplete | Blue/Green |
| Update Successful | Query Complete | Solid Blue |
| Suppression | Query name | Solid Blue |
| Freeze | Query name | Red |
| New Alarm | Query name | Red/Blue (depends on freeze |
| status). |
Right-Click Menu: The Distributed Alarm Display object supports right-click menus for quick access to the commands that you can apply to the display object and/or one or more selected alarms, Alarm Groups, Tags, and Priorities contained in the Runtime display.
By default, the right-click menu is disabled. It can be enabled by setting the appropriate value in the Property sheets. Also, script functions can be called to do anything you can do with the right-click menu.
To enable the Runtime right-click functionality, while in Development right-click the Distributed Alarm Display and select Properties.
The Alarm Configuration dialog box appears.
Select the General tab.
Select the Show Context Sensitive Menu option.
With the Runtime right-click functionality now enabled, several additional levels of functionality can be utilized.
Ack Selected: When the operator right-clicks the display and then points to Ack Selected during Runtime, the operator can quickly acknowledge the selected alarm.
Ack Others: When the operator right-clicks the display and then points to Ack Others, a sub-menu appears that contains acknowledgment commands. During Runtime, the operator can quickly acknowledge all alarms in the display, or only visible alarms, selected groups, selected tag names and selected priorities by using right-click functionality.
Suppress Selected: When the operator right-clicks the display and then points to Suppress Selected during Runtime, the operator can quickly Suppress the selected alarm.
Suppress Others: When the operator right-clicks the display and then points to Suppress Others, a sub-menu appears that contains suppression commands. During Runtime, the operator can quickly suppress all alarms in the display, or only visible alarms, selected groups, selected tag names and selected priorities by using this functionality.
Query Favorites: When you right-click the display and then point to Query Favorites, the Alarm Query dialog box appears.
Stats: Brings up the alarm statistics dialog box.
Suppression: Brings up the Alarm Suppression dialog box.
Freeze: Freezes the current display.
Alarm Viewer Control Display Guidelines
The Alarm Viewer control uses the same mechanism as the Window Control wizards. This mechanism requires that the following guidelines be observed when using objects such as the Distributed Alarm Display.
Use the following guidelines:
Each display must have an identifier so that any associated QuickScript functions know which display to modify. This identifier, entered as Display Name in the Alarm Configuration dialog box, must be unique for each display.
Displays should not overlap other InTouch objects such as window controls or graphic objects. You can easily verify this by clicking on the distributed alarm display in WindowMaker, and checking the display’s “handles.” The handles should not touch other graphic objects on the screen.
Displays should be used sparingly. Placing numerous displays on one screen can result in reduced system performance.
When possible, limit the number of displays on your screen and call further screens containing additional displays.
Note: Additional alarm displays are available as ActiveX Alarm Objects.
Alarm Display Configuration Options
The Alarm Configuration dialog box has three tab fields that contain the options for General, Message, and Color configuration.
Note: The configuration dialog box behaves like any standard Windows dialog box in that no settings are recorded until you click OK. The options are verified for proper entries, however, when you change from one property sheet (tab) to another, if an entry verification fails, the property sheet containing the failed entry is brought back into focus, and a message box appears indicating the error. If you click Cancel, all input is ignored and the dialog box closes.
Double-click the distributed alarm display.
The Alarm Configuration dialog box appears with the General tag selected:
Configuration Options
Display Name: Enter the name for the alarm display. This name must be unique for each alarm display used.
Note: The name you type here will be used throughout the system for referring to this object for execution of tasks such as alarm acknowledgment and queries.
New Alarms Appear At: Where you want new alarms to open within the control.
Top of List: Displays the most recent alarm at the top of the list.
Bottom of List: Displays most recent alarm at the bottom of the list.
Property Settings
| Property | Description | ||
| Show Titles | Displays alarm message title bar | ||
| Allow Runtime Grid Changes | Allows the user to change column settings in Runtime | ||
| Perform Query on Startup | Automatically begins updating the display using default query | ||
| properties, if selected. If not selected, you need to perform an | |||
| almDefQuery or almQuery before the display will update. | |||
| Use Default Ack Comment | If checked and a string is entered, when a user ACKs an alarm | ||
| without entering a comment, the associated message string will be | |||
| used as a default comment | |||
| Show Message | Displays the message entered in the checkbox when selected. This | ||
| is the message which is displayed inside the DAO when there are | |||
| no alarms to be displayed. | |||
| Show Status Bar | Displays status bar | ||
| Allow Runtime Alarm Selection | Allows user to select alarms at Runtime | ||
| Show Context Sensitive Menu | Enables the activation of the right-click popup menu and use of | ||
| default Ack command | |||
| Auto-Scroll to New Alarms | If the user scrolls the list from the beginning, this automatically | ||
| jumps to the new alarm | |||
| Use Extended Alarm Selection | Allows multiple alarms to be selected by holding down Ctrl or Shift | ||
| in conjunction with a mouse | |||
| Show Vert Scrollbar | Displays the vertical scrollbar on the alarm display object | ||
| Show Horz Scrollbar | Displays the horizontal scrollbar on the alarm display object |
Default Query Properties
Note: The Default Query Properties are active if you select the Perform Query on Startup
option or, if the almDefQuery QuickScript function is executed.
| Property | Description | ||||
| From Priority | Default minimum alarm priority. | ||||
| To Priority | Default maximum alarm priority. For more information on alarm priorities, see the | ||||
| “Alarm Priorities” section of this chapter. | |||||
| Alarm State | Default alarm state to query (All, UnAck, Ack). | ||||
| Query Type | Sets display type as either Summary or Historical. | ||||
| Alarm Query | Sets the initial Alarm query. This field accepts text only; it does not accept tags. The | ||||
| valid syntax for these lists include: | |||||
| \NodeInTouch!Group | |||||
| Full path to Alarm Group | |||||
| InTouch!Group | |||||
| Full path to local Alarm Group | |||||
| InTouch!Group!Tag | |||||
| Full path to local Alarm Group and Tag | |||||
| GroupList | |||||
| Entry from Distributed Name Manager |
Note: To perform multiple queries, separate each query with a space. Multiple Alarm Providers are configured as part of the InTouch Advanced Application Development course.
Distributed Alarm Message Format
The information displayed in a distributed alarm display object is configurable.
Select the Message Tab.
Note: If you right-click a text box in any alarm configuration dialog box, a menu will open displaying the commands that you can apply to the selected text.
The preview area (at the bottom of the dialog box) displays an example of the alarm message as currently configured.
This example will show the message using the font selected, but not color.
Configuration Options
Date Format: The available formats include the following.
| Selection | Display | Selection | Display | |
| DD MMM | 28 | Feb | MM/DD | 02/28 |
| DD MMM YYYY | 28 | Feb 2002 | MM/DD/YY | 02/28/02 |
| DD/MM | 28/02 | MMM DD | Feb 28 | |
| DD/MM/YY | 28/02/02 | MMM DD YYYY | Feb 28 2002 | |
| YY/MM/DD | 02/02/28 | YYYY/MM/DD | 2002/02/28 |
Time Format: The values in this field are used as a template to specify the format of the time. For example, to specify the time as 10:24:30 AM, use HH:MM:SS AP.
The template characters include the following:
| AP | Selects the AM/PM format. For example, three o’clock in the afternoon |
| is displayed as 3:00 PM. A time without this designation defaults to 24 | |
| hour military time format. For example, three o’clock in the afternoon is | |
| displayed as 15:00. |
Displays the hour the alarm/event occurred.
Displays the minute the alarm/event occurred.
Displays the second the alarm/event occurred.
Displays the millisecond the alarm/event occurred.
Displayed Time: Type of display based upon the alarm status. The available formats include the following:
| LCT | Last Changed Time – that is, the date/time stamp of the most |
| recent change of status for the instance of the alarm: onset of | |
| the alarm, change of sub-state, return to normal, or | |
| acknowledgment. | |
| LCT But OAT on ACK | Last Changed Time, but Original Alarm Time on ACK – that |
| is, LCT will be used while the alarm is UNACKed, then OAT | |
| will be used after the alarm has been ACKed. | |
| OAT | Original Alarm Time – that is, the date/time stamp of the onset |
| of the alarm. |
Sort Order: area: Order in which you want the alarms to be sorted in the alarm object (LCT and OAT).
Select Display Font: Change the font, style and size used in the alarm display.
Column Management: Customize the column order and respective column widths. Displays the Column Details dialog box.
Check the Column Names for the one you wish to display. Use the Up and Down arrows to change the order in which they are displayed.
Click the Edit button to display the dialog box where the name and size of the highlighted column can be customized.
Date: Display the date.
Time: Display the time.
State (UnAck,Ack): Display the state of the alarm.
Class (VALUE.DEV. ROC..): Display the category of the alarm.
Type (HIHI,LO,MAJDEV,…): Display the alarm type.
Priority: Display the alarm priority.
Name: Display the alarm/tagname.
Name: Display the Alarm Group name.
Provider: Display the name of the alarm provider.
Value: Display the value of the tagname when the alarm occurred.
Note: The value should be large enough to provide the desired level of precision (32 characters maximum).
Limit: Display the alarm limit value of the tagname.
Note: The size of this field should be large enough to provide the desired level of precision (32 characters maximum).
Operator: Display the logged-on operator’s ID associated with the alarm condition.
Comment: Display the tagname’s comments. These comments were entered in the Alarm Comment box when the tagname’s alarm was defined in the database.
Distributed Alarm Display Color Properties
Select the Color tab.
General area: Each color box opens the InTouch Palette. Select the color that you want to use in the palette for each of the following options:
| Option | Description |
| Window | Sets display background color. |
| Grid | Sets display grid color. |
| Selection Back | Sets highlighted text background color. |
| Selection Text | Sets highlighted text color. |
| Title Bar Back | Sets title bar background color (visible only if Show Titles |
| option is on). | |
| Title Bar Text | Sets title bar text color (visible only if Show Titles option is |
| on). | |
| Alarm Return | Sets color of returned alarms (alarms that have returned to |
| normal without being acknowledged). | |
| Event | Sets color of Event alarms. |
Alarm Priority: Enter the breakpoint values for the alarm display.
UnAck Alarm and Ack Alarm: Each color box opens the InTouch palette. Select the color in the palette that you want to use for each breakpoint.
Acknowledging Alarms
You can acknowledge different alarms by using the Ack function in an action or key QuickScript, or by using the context sensitive right-click menu at the Distributed Alarm Object. The Ack function monitors and/or controls the alarm acknowledgement status of all types of local alarms.
Create a 3-D button or any other object to which an action or Key QuickScript be linked.
Then, enter any of the following statements for the QuickScript Action Script.
| Statement | Description |
| Ack $System; | Acknowledges all local alarms in the system. |
| Ack Group Name; | Acknowledges all local alarms in a specific Alarm |
| Group. | |
| Ack Tagname; | Acknowledges a specific tagname’s alarms. |
| $System.Ack=1; | Acknowledges all local alarms in the system. |
| Group Name.Ack=1; | Acknowledges all local alarms in a specific Alarm |
| Group. | |
| Tagname.Ack=1; | Acknowledges a specific tagname’s alarms. |
| Tagname.AckDev=1; | Acknowledges a specific tagname’s deviation alarm. |
| Tagname.AckROC=1; | Acknowledges a specific tagname’s rate-of-change |
| alarm. | |
| Tagname.AckValue=1; | Acknowledges a specific tagname’s value alarm. |
Alarm Acknowledgment QuickScript Functions
The Distributed Alarm System is capable of acknowledging any alarms that it can query (summary display only). To provide this capability, the Distributed Alarm System includes alarm acknowledgment QuickScript functions. These functions supplement the .Ack dot field that the InTouch alarm system uses to acknowledge local alarms, and Alarm Groups.
Attaching Comments to an Alarm Ack Function
Each alarm acknowledgment function must have a comment attached to it. The operator acknowledging the alarm can use this comment to add information about the alarm. InTouch can store these alarms in the alarm database and print them.
The Distributed Alarm System uses the Alarm Comment box of the tag’s alarm definition in the database to pass these comments to the logging and printing subsystems.
Choose whether to allow the alarm system to use the tag’s Alarm Comment box for ACK comments. If you use the tag’s Alarm Comment box to hold ACK comments, any comments in that field will be overwritten during Runtime (This does not affect the Tagname Data Dictionary).
a. Click Special / Configure / Alarms.
The Alarm Properties dialog box appears:
Select the Retain ACK Comment as Alarm Comment if you want to use various almAck() functions for custom comments. Otherwise, alarm comments from the Tagname Dictionary will be used.
Click OK. Tip : If you right -click a text box in any alarm configuration dialog box, a menu will open displaying the commands that you can apply to the selected text.
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