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If any of the alarms specified has the state In Alarm and Acknowledged, the
expression result is an integer, from 1 to 1000. If none of the alarms has the
state In Alarm and Acknowledged, the expression result is 0.
Highest severity value of unacknowledged alarms
The following expression returns the highest severity value associated with
the specified alarms, for alarms that are unacknowledged:
AE_HighSeverityUnAcked("Filter")
where Filter is an absolute or relative path to one or more FactoryTalk
alarms. For information about specifying the alarm source, see Specifying
the FactoryTalk alarm source in an expression on page 316.
If any of the alarms specified has the state In Alarm and Unacknowledged,
the expression result is an integer from 1 to 1000. If none of the alarms is In
Alarm and Unacknowledged, the expression result is 0.
Retrieving information about the number of alarms
FactoryTalk View SE provides alarm functions you can use in expressions,
to retrieve the number of specified alarms that are acknowledged,
unacknowledged, or acknowledged and returned to normal.
Use the alarm count functions, for example, to alert operators when a number
of alarms are waiting to be acknowledged.
Each alarm condition for an alarm is counted. For example, if both the High
and High High alarm conditions are active for a level alarm the In Alarm
count will be 2.
Number of acknowledged alarms
The following expression returns the number of specified alarms that have
been acknowledged:
AE_InAlmAckedCount("Filter")
where Filter is an absolute or relative path to one or more FactoryTalk
alarms. For information about specifying the alarm source, see Specifying
the FactoryTalk alarm source in an expression on page 316.
If any of the alarms has the state In Alarm and Acknowledged, the
expression result is an integer, from 1 to the total number of alarms specified.
If none of the alarms is In Alarm and Acknowledged, the expression result is
0.
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Number of unacknowledged alarms
The following expression returns the number of specified alarms that are
unacknowledged:
AE_InAlmUnackedCount("Filter")
where Filter is an absolute or relative path to one or more FactoryTalk
alarms. For information about specifying the alarm source, see Specifying
the FactoryTalk alarm source in an expression on page 316.
If any of the alarms has the state In Alarm and Unacknowledged, the
expression result is an integer from 1 to the total number alarms specified. If
none of the alarms is In Alarm and Unacknowledged, the expression result is
0.
Number of unacknowledged alarms returned to normal
The following expression returns the number of specified alarms that are
unacknowledged, but have returned to normal:
AE_NormalUnackedCount("Filter")
where Filter is an absolute or relative path to one or more FactoryTalk
alarms. For information about specifying the alarm source, see Specifying
the FactoryTalk alarm source in an expression on page 316.
If any of the alarms specified has the state Normal and Unacknowledged, the
expression result is an integer from 1 to the total number of FactoryTalk
alarms in the system. If none of the alarms is Normal and Unacknowledged,
the expression result is 0.
Specifying the FactoryTalk alarm source in an
expression
When you use a FactoryTalk alarm function in an expression, you must
specify the alarm source, in double quotes.
In the Expression editor, you can type the path to the alarm source, or click
Alarm to open to find and select alarms. For details about using the Alarm
Source Browser, see the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Help.
Using absolute and relative references to alarms
In a FactoryTalk alarm function, you can specify an absolute or a relative
path to one or more alarms.
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Absolute path format
The format for the absolute path to an alarm is:
/<AreaPath>::<Filter>
/<GroupPath>::<Filter>
where
AreaPath includes the application and area path, but not the application
name.
GroupPath includes the application, area path, group path, but not
application name.
Filter specifies a single alarm name, or uses the wildcard characters ?
and * (question mark and asterisk) to specify multiple alarms.
For example, /MixerArea/MixerLine1::[CLX1]Line1MixingTank1, is a valid
absolute reference to an alarm named [CLX]Line1MixingTank1.
Relative path format
The format for the relative path is:
[::]<Filter>
where
Filter indicates the name of the alarm.
In a relative reference, the colons (:) preceding the alarm name are optional.
For example, MixingTank1 is a valid relative reference to an alarm named
MixingTank1.
For more information about using absolute and relative references in
FactoryTalk View SE applications, see Absolute and relative referencese on
page 131.
Using wildcards to specify multiple alarms
In a FactoryTalk alarm function, you can use wildcard characters in the alarm
name portion of the path to the alarm source, to retrieve information about
multiple tags at once.
This wildcard character
Does this
?
Matches any single character.
*
Matches any number of characters, including the backslash ( \ ) character.
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For example, the following expression will return the total number of In
Alarm and Acknowledged alarms, for all alarms in the Logix5000 device
referenced by the shortcut MixerController, in the subarea named
MixerLine1, in the area named MixerArea:
AE_InAlmAckedCount ("/MixerArea/MixerLine1::[MixerController]*")
Tip:
You cannot use wildcard characters in the area portion of
an alarm source path. For example, you cannot specify
/MixerArea/Mixer*:: for the area path, in the previous
example.
Using tag placeholders to specify the alarm name
In a FactoryTalk alarm function, you can use tag placeholders in the alarm
name portion of the path to the alarm source.
A tag placeholder is the cross-hatch character ( # ) followed by a number
from 1 to 500. The tag definition in the following example contains the
placeholder #1:
AE_InAlmAckedCount
("/MixerArea/MixerLine1::[CLX]Line1.Mixer_#1")
At run time, tag placeholders in a graphic display are replaced with the
values of tags specified in parameter files or parameter lists, which are
loaded with the display.
For more information, see Using placeholders to specify tag values on page
426.
What happens if the alarm source becomes
unavailable
When a FactoryTalk alarm function in an expression is first initialized, only
alarms from connected alarm servers are counted in the evaluation.
At run time, if a FactoryTalk alarm function refers to an alarm source that
becomes unavailable, the function is evaluated but returns nothing to the
expression evaluation.
For example, a device-based alarm function is not counted, if the
corresponding alarm is deleted from the Logix5000 controller, or if the
RSLinx Enterprise alarm server:
Loses its connection to the Logix5000 controller that is detecting
alarms.
Begins or is in the process of downloading a program.
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Switches from run to test program mode.
Experiences a major or non-recoverable program fault.
Cannot subscribe to all of the alarms at the Logix5000 controller.
If the condition causing the disconnection is resolved, the expression can be
reevaluated, with the restored alarm function included.
About controller status system alarms
When an alarm source becomes unavailable, the system generates a special
type of alarm, called a controller status alarm, in alarm and event displays
and logs.
Controller status alarms provide information about the condition behind an
alarm source disconnection.
Tip: An expression that contains a FactoryTalk alarm function
will return 0, if the alarm function references an alarm
from a disconnected controller. Provide a way for
operators to monitor for controller status alarms, so that
they can confirm whether 0 is a valid expression value.
Following is an illustration of a controller status alarm in an alarm and event
summary.
For details about controller status alarms and the conditions that cause them,
see the RSLinx Enterprise Help.
Tag-based alarms and alarm messages can be exported from and imported
into a Tag Alarm and Event Server.
For example, you might export and import alarms and messages to:
Move or copy alarms from one Tag Alarm and Event Server to
another.
Create alarms using programming tools such as Microsoft Visual Basic
or C++, and then import the program’s output file.
Importing and
exporting alarms
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Add alarms to an exported alarm file, using Microsoft Excel. You can
then import the file, with the new alarms.
Modify alarms in an exported file, by searching for one set of tags, and
then replacing the tags with another set. You can then import the file,
with the modified alarms.
Translate alarm messages into other languages.
Generate reports about alarms.
Convert alarms from one alarm and events system to another, using
conversion programs.
For details about importing and exporting alarms and messages, see the
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Help.
To export alarms and messages:
1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click the
Tag Alarm and Event Server containing the alarms you want to export,
and then select Import and Export.
2. In the Alarm Import and Export Wizard, click the export operation that
uses the desired format, and then click Next.
3. To complete the export operation, follow the instructions on the screen.
For details about options in the Alarm Import and Export Wizard, click
Help.
To import alarms and messages:
1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click the
Tag Alarm and Event Server, into which you want to import tags, and
then select Import and Export.
2. In the Alarm Import and Export Wizard, click the import operation that
uses the desired format, and then click Next.
3. To complete the import operation, follow the instructions on the
screen.
For details about options in the Alarm Import and Export Wizard, click
Help.
About import and export formats
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events supports Microsoft Excel Workbook (.xls)
and XML (.xml) import and export formats.
Documents you may be interested
Documents you may be interested
