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Create alarm groups and items, configure alarm conditions

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Tutorials → Alarms| Tutorial 

| How-to Guide | Reference

1. Configure

Alarm Groups

1. Navigate to Alarms → Groups
2. Add Verify pre-defined groups exist:

Critical Alarms:

• Name: Critical
• Priority: 1
• Acknowledgment: Required
• Sound: Critical.wav
• Color: Red

Warnings:

• Name: Warnings
• Priority: 3
• Acknowledgment: Optional
• Color: Yellow

Modify Critical group:

• • Open the ComboBox Sound field
  • Select Exclamation
  • Press Enter

2. Create

Alarm Items

1. Go to Alarms → Items
2. Create Add high temperature alarm:

High Temperature:

• Name: Tank1_HighTemp
• Group: Critical
• Tag: Tank1_Temperature
• Condition: Greater than
• Limit: 85
• Message: "Tank 1 temperature exceeds limit"
• Deadband: 2

Low Level:

• Name: Tank1_LowLevel
• Group: Warnings
• Tag: Tank1_Level
• Condition: Less than
• Limit: 10
• Message: "Tank 1 level low"

Step 3: Configure Deviation Alarms

For rate-of-change monitoring:

• Name: Pressure_Deviation
• Type: Deviation
• Tag: Line_Pressure
• Setpoint Tag: Pressure_Setpoint
• Deviation: ±10
• Time: 60 seconds

Step 4: Set Up Email Notifications

1. Navigate to Alarms → Groups
2. Select group → Email settings:
   • SMTP Server: mail.company.com
   • Port: 587
   • From: scada@company.com
   • To: operators@company.com
   • Subject: "Critical Alarm: {AlarmName}"

1. Add low level alarm:

3. Configure Alarm Areas

1. Navigate to Alarms → Areas
2. Create hierarchy:

• Plant
  • Production
    • Tank1
    • Tank2
  • Utilities

Assign alarms to areas:

• • Return to Alarms → Items
  • Set Area = Plant_Production_Tank1 for both alarms
  • Right click the columns to enable visibility for the Area column

4. Enable

Audit Trail

1. Go to Alarms → Global Settings
2. In Audit Trail section:
   • Check Enable
   logging
   • Audit Trail
   • Enable options:
     Login/Logout: Yes
     • User Logon/Logoff
     • Tag Changes
     : Yes
     • Alarm Acknowledgments: Yes
     • Configuration Changes: Yes
   • Set storage:
     • Database: SQL Server
     • Table: AuditTrail
     • Retention: 365 days

Step 6: Create Alarm Areas

For plant organization:

1. Alarms → Areas
2. Create hierarchy:

Plant/
  ??? Production/
  ?   ??? Line1/
  ?   ??? Line2/
  ??? Utilities/
      ??? Boilers/
      ??? Compressors/

1. Assign alarms to areas

Step 7: Test Alarms

1. Start Runtime
2. Open Alarms → Online
3. Force tag values to trigger alarms
4. Verify:
   • Alarm appears in list
   • Color coding correct
   • Sound plays
   • Email sent

Step 8: Alarm Summary Display

Create operator display:

1. Displays → New
2. Add AlarmViewer control
3. Configure:
   • Show: Active alarms
   • Columns: Time, Area, Message, Value
   • Filter: By area or priority
   • Allow: Acknowledge, silence

FDA 21 CFR Part 11 Setup

For compliance:

• Electronic signatures on acknowledgments
• Audit trail cannot be disabled
• User authentication required
• Time synchronization enabled
• Data integrity checksums

Best Practices

• Use consistent naming conventions
• Set appropriate priorities (1-5)
• Include clear messages
• Test all alarm conditions
• Document alarm philosophy
• Regular alarm rationalization

Next Steps

1. • • Operator Actions
     • Custom Messages
2. Configure database retention:
   • Life Time: 2555 days (7 years for FDA compliance)

5. Create Alarm Display

1. Navigate to Displays → New
2. Name: AlarmMonitor
3. Add AlarmViewer control from toolbox
4. Double Click the button and go to Settings
5. Configure:
   • List: OnlineAlarms
   • Columns: Time, TagName, Message, Value, Group
6. Add AlarmArea control for navigation
7. Save display

6. Test Alarms

1. Start Runtime (Runtime → Startup)
2. Open Alarms→ Alarms Monitor
3. Simulate alarm conditions by changing tag values
4. Verify the alarms showing in the alarm viewer

7. Verify Audit Trail

1. Change AlarmViewer List to AuditTrail
2. Verify logged events:
   • User login
   • Alarm triggers
   • Acknowledgments
   • Tag changes

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