The documentation states that when an alarm occurs an alarm symbol is displayed in bottom-right (sometimes top-right) of screen. There is also mention of the connected laptop buzzer sounding if an alarm is not acknowledged. However, under test, no such symbol is visible and there is no buzzer. In fact there is no indication anywhere UNLESS/UNTIL I open the alarm-log screen (Alt-A)
How can I tell if an alarm has occurred and that I need to open Alarm-Log?? I should not have to keep going into alarm log just to check is there is/isn’t an alarm currently.
AFTER I open the Alarm-log screen the Alarm icon in the ribbon starts flashing alternately red/green - and keeps doing this until ALL alarms are Acknowledged, Reset and Deleted. Then it goes back to grey.
There is a definite need for a “global alarm indication” without first checking the alarm log - indeed to prompt someone to check the alarm log.
I raised this in a post a couple of years ago - is that possible yet?? I dont care where it is on screen - top right, bottom right, or the Alarm icon in ribbon.
The simplest thing would be for the ribbon-icon to start red/green flashing when any alarm is detected.
It would be really useful for the alarms to follow what I think is a convention:
- indicator flashes (+ buzzer) until (every) alarm is acknowledged - then buzzer stops and indicator light remains steady
- indicator goes off when all alarms have been reset (whether or not deleted from log).
The Alarm LOG has a column for the alarm (trigger) time - but there are never any times shown. Is this functionality still in development? Currently all the “log” shows is a list of alarms in order of occurrence.
It has been a long time since we looked at alarm handling, I am the first to confess we need some improvements. Our team will be working on this as high priority.
I mentioned some time ago and will restate here it would be good to allow the general “some kind of alarm has occurred” indication to be connected to an output - so it can be interfaced to other systems or external indication.
I am old school and prefer strobe/horn indications for general alarm and industrial quality ACKnowledge (and RESET) buttons to mute the horn and (ideally) change flashing light to steady). The HMI is where to find the detail of which alarm(s) have triggered.
Doing some further testing - see below
200 ALARM IN17 < 25 , 2 , PARAMETER IS LOW
210 ALARM IN17 > 50 , 2 , PARAMETER IS HIGH
IN17 set up as % (0-10V). I have a pot connected which covers the range 0-100%
Mostly no alarms occur regardless of input level. Its like it is not sensing the input - although values change on Inputs table.
Sometimes I get the first one (line 200) but when I then change pot to high value (without ACK/Reset/Delete) the line 210 alarm does not indicate.
If I REM-out either alarm condition, the remaining one works, but I cannot get both going. Any advice??
ALARM STATEMENTS: Lijun will check and report back asap.
ALARM ANNUNCIATOR: Its a good idea,
10 IF ALARM_EXISTS THEN START OUT1 ELSE STOP OUT1
Something like that I imagine, we will implement something soon.
I just saw an existing function that appears to achieve my request for a global (external) alarm indicator. As described, ON-ALARM activates when any alarm occurs, so this could be used to turn on a warning lamp/buzzer. I will run some tests.
Remaining ALARM-LOG issues are therefore:
a) indication on T3000 home screen that an alarm has activated
b) unacknowledged alarms, after delay, result in PC buzzer sounding
c) record time of alarm activation (as per Alarm Log screen)
d) I suggest adding another column to the alarm log showing the 8ch label of the parameter (IN, OUT, VAR) which caused the ALARM or DALARM.
e) problems with multiple ALARMs not appearing to work reliably.
a), b) and c) are reinstating functionality described in the software manual which appears no longer available. What time frame will this require? Will it be available in 2 months?
Further points…
I also found the UNACK function to indicate if any Alarms remain unacknowledged.
This raises questions about interaction between the Alarm Log screen and the ON-ALARM and UNACK functions. Please confirm whether the following sequence is correct or not
- If ALARM or DALARM events occur these are registered on Alarm Log
- Also, the ON-ALARM function becomes True.
- Also, (before any acknowledgment) the UNACK function immediately becomes True
- If there is no acknowledgement, but conditions change so that ALARM and DALARM are no longer true, does ON-ALARM turn false without intervention?? (ie ON-ALARM does not latch) I expect the UNACK function remains true in this situation?
- Within T3, the only way to Acknowledge any alarm is by clicking on Alarm Log screen (there is no ACK function).
- After any/all “live” alarms are Acknowledged on Alarm Log screen the UNACK function turns False.
As previously described, I plan to use an external alarm lamp & buzzer to provide a more emphatic warning than a small icon on the T3000 screen. These external devices can be triggered from the ON-ALARM function (using additional logic), but my “external” Acknowledge panel button cannot connect to the T3 internal alarm handling.
However the additional logic can check if the screen ACK has occurred by monitoring if/when UNACK becomes false. So, for example, my external buzzer should be silenced by the NOT-UNACK function. (I could turn off my buzzer with an external ACK button but the alarm(s) would not really be acknowledged.)
Please confirm my understanding - or provide a correct explanation.
Lijun was out today but he will be spending time on all this to make sure its all working as expected and add features if necessary.
I have now conducted some simple tests using the following code (compiles & transfers successfully):
10 REM ALARM TESTS
20 ALARM IN1 > 35 , 2 , CHANNEL 1 IS HOT
30 ALARM IN2 > 35 , 2 , CHANNEL 2 IS HOT
40 DALARM IN9 , 10 , SWITCH 9 IS ON
50 DALARM IN10 , 20 , SWITCH 10 IS ON
60 ON-ALARM 70
70 START OUT3
80 IF UNACK THEN START OUT4 ELSE STOP OUT4
90 WAIT 00:00:03
100 STOP OUT3
IN1 & IN2 are temperature sensors (Pt1000 -200 to +300degC)
IN9 & IN10 are switches.
Nothing connected to OUTs - I just monitor the blue LEDs.
- Operating IN9 and IN10 switches does not cause any alarm to be logged
- Placing both temp sensors in warm water causes only IN1 to alarm (appears on Alarm Log), but IN2 does not. Both sensors indicate high temperatures on Inputs screen
- There is no activation of ON-ALARM - OUT3 remains off
- There is no activation of UNACK - OUT4 remains off
I seems that only 1 alarm condition can occur at any time??.
Further note - the Alarm Log screen has rows with alternating white/blue background. If a cell has content, the blue background disappears when alarm is deleted.
What should I do differently to achieve the alarm functionality described in documentation??