Alarms Module Tutorial
Create alarm groups and items, configure alarm conditions.
Tutorials → Alarms | Tutorial | How-to Guide | Reference
1. Configure Alarm Groups
- Navigate to Alarms → Groups
- Verify pre-defined groups exist:
Group | AckRequired | LogEvents |
Critical | Yes | ActiveAck |
Warning | No | Active |
AuditTrail | No | Active |
Modify Critical group:
- Open the ComboBox Sound field
- Select Exclamation
- Press Enter
2. Create Alarm Items
- Go to Alarms → Items
- Add high temperature alarm:
| TagName | TankFarm/Tank1/Temp |
| Condition | HiHi |
| Limit | 85 |
| Group | Critical |
| Message | Tank 1 Critical Temperature: {Tag.TankFarm/Tank1/Temp}°C |
| Priority | 100 |
- Add low level alarm:
| TagName | Tag.ankFarm/Tank1/Level |
| Condition | Lo |
| Limit | 20 |
| Group | Warning |
| Message | Tank 1 Low Level Warning |
| Priority | 50 |
3. Configure Alarm Areas
- Navigate to Alarms → Areas
- Create hierarchy:
- Plant
- Production
- Tank1
- Tank2
- Utilities
- Production
Assign alarms to areas:
- Return to Alarms → Items
- Set Area =
Plant_Production_Tank1for both alarms - Right click the columns to enable visibility for the Area column
4. Enable Audit Trail
- Go to Alarms → Global Settings
- In Audit Trail section:
- Check Enable Audit Trail
- Enable options:
- User Logon/Logoff
- Tag Changes
- Operator Actions
- Custom Messages
- Configure database retention:
- Life Time: 2555 days (7 years for FDA compliance)
5. Create Alarm Display
- Navigate to Displays → New
- Name:
AlarmMonitor - Add AlarmViewer control from toolbox
- Double Click the button and go to Settings
- Configure:
- List: OnlineAlarms
- Columns: Time, TagName, Message, Value, Group
- Add AlarmArea control for navigation
- Save display
6. Test Alarms
- Start Runtime (Runtime → Startup)
- Open Alarms→ Alarms Monitor
- Simulate alarm conditions by changing tag values
- Verify the alarms showing in the alarm viewer
7. Verify Audit Trail
- Change AlarmViewer List to
AuditTrail - Verify logged events:
- User login
- Alarm triggers
- Acknowledgments
- Tag changes
Alarms Module Links
Explanation - to understand concepts
→ Modules / Industrial Operations / Alarms Module
Tutorials - to learn by doing
→ Tutorials / Industrial Operations / Alarms Module Tutorial
How-to Guides - to accomplish specific tasks
→ How-to Guides / Industrial Operations / Alarms Module How-to Guide
→ How-to Guides / Standard Compliance / FDA-21 CFR 11 Compliance
Reference - technical details
→ Technical Reference / Platform Modules / Alarms Module Reference