Alarm Properties
To enable alarm functionality for items, we use the concept of global attributes. If you chose the default module name, AlarmArea, the attribute name will be AlarmAreaEvtCatregory.
After adding the AlarmAreaEvtCategory attribute, it must be configured for each specific item to be monitored.
- For the "Discrete" category, set the AlmNormalState attribute.
- For the "Level" category, set the AlmH, AlmHH, AlmL and AlmLL attributes.
- For the "Watchdog" category, set the AlmWatchdogPeriods attribute. A period is the time given in the ScanPeriod property of the AlarmArea module.
- For the "Watch Quality" category, no additional attributes are necessary for proper configuration.
To enable inhibit functionality, the attributes AlmInhibitItem and AlmInhibitOffDelay can be added and set as described above in the AlmPrimaryArea. Further descriptions of the these attributes are given here.
Another way to initiate alarm monitoring is to specify the AlmPrimaryArea attribute. Type the name of the AlarmAreaBee to be used to monitor the selected items. The default name is AlarmArea.
Optional configuration
Specify severity by setting the AlmSeverity attribute.
To specify the alarm text, change the AlmHelp attribute. Different texts can be specified for each sub-condition by adding new texts to the AlmHelp attribute, separated by a semicolon. If no text is given, automatically generated text is sent to clients. If only one set of text is given, it'll be used for all sub-conditions. If more than one text is given they must be positioned in the AlmHelp string as follows:
| Event category | Sub condition | AlmHelp text position (1 based) |
|---|---|---|
| Discrete | Not normal | 2 |
| Discrete | Normal | 1 |
| Level | LoLo | 5 |
| Level | Lo | 4 |
| Level | Hi | 3 |
| Level | HiHi | 2 |
| Level | Normal | 1 |
| Watchdog | Frozen | 2 |
| Watchdog | Updating | 1 |
| WatchQuality | Good | 3 |
| WatchQuality | Uncertain | 2 |
| WatchQuality | Bad | 1 |
Events can be delayed for a certain amount of ScanPeriods by setting the AlmActiveDelayPeriods
attribute. You might need to add this attribute to your items the same way you added the
AlarmAreaEvtCatregory attribute above (in the item property page press the "Add" button – then
press the ApisAttribs button). If the conditions becomes inactive within the delay,
no event will be issued.