Creating and Configuring Alarms

StruxureWare Building Operation 1.9

EcoBuilding Training Academy
SBO Alarms

Used to monitor a variable and provide notification when configured alarm conditions are true.
Alarms can be…
• Sent via email
• Sent to different users based upon time of day
• Assigned to users for fixing
• Setup to trigger only if another variable is also true
• Configured to require a user to enter cause/action information upon acknowledgement
• Filtered in customized alarm views
• Configured to flash and play sound
• Tracked in reports, event views, logs, etc.
• Customized to display in desired color and font
• Add attachments (.docs, .pdf's, graphics, etc.)
• Etc, etc, etc…
SBO Alarm States
1. Normal
• Alarm is simply monitoring the variable
• Does not appear in the Alarm View
2. Alarm
• The variable meets the configured alarm
condition(s)
3. Disable
• Can be used when the alarm is occurring
because of faulty conditions or maintenance
(toggling between alarm and reset)
• Hidden in the Alarm View
4. Reset
• The variable HAS returned to normal
condition(s)
• But the alarm has NOT been acknowledged
5. Acknowledge
• The variable has NOT returned to normal
condition(s)
• But the alarm HAS been acknowledged
6. Fault
• Result of BACnet device reporting values
that are not trustworthy
SBO Alarm Types

1. Change of State Alarms

2. Multistate Alarms
3. Matching Text String Alarms
4. Out of Range Alarms
5. Out of Reference Range Alarms
6. Sum Alarms
7. Enumeration Alarms
8. Variable Status Alarms
9. System Information Alarms
Alarm Functions

Categories Notifications
• Group alarms together in categories to simplify • Alarm information is sent to email or a text file
identification
‒ Substitution codes can be used (see manual for
Acknowledgement list)

• Indicates to users system wide that the alarm • No printer notification

has been recognized by an operator
Automatic Assignment
User Action • Triggered alarms can be automatically
• Comments, action notes, checklists, etc. assigned to a specific user or user group most
suited to correct the problem
Alarm Functions (cont.)

Shunt variable Alarm Messages

• Binary value that works as an on/off switch for • User defined message that displays in the
the alarm Alarm and Event Views when an alarm is
triggered or reset
Time delay
Priority
• Delay the alarm trigger and reset states
(defined in seconds) • Used to identify the “importance” of an alarm
• Used to prevent unintentional activation- • “grouping” of alarms – no speed of delivery
deactivation cycles difference
Deadband
• Area of the alarm range where no reset action
occurs
• Used to prevent unintentional activation-
deactivation cycles
Change of State Alarms

• Monitors state changes of a digital

variable
Multistate Alarm

• Triggers the alarm if the variable is

between the configured alarm range or
equal to a single value

• Multiple ranges and values can be

added
Multistate Alarm

• Evaluates whether the value of

the monitored variable equals the
specified trigger text
Multistate Alarm

Triggers the alarm if the variable goes lower

or higher than the specified range

The deadband is the range that the variable

has to pass within the normal range before
the alarm is reset

Upper and Lower limit “units” are inherited

from the monitored variable
• If monitored variable unit is changed to a unit
in a different category, the alarm will be
disabled and system alarm will be generated
Out of Reference Range Alarm
• Monitors variable movements compared to another “referenced” variable
• Configure how much the monitored variable can vary from the value of the referenced variable
before the alarm is triggered

> Upper deviation limit:

> monitored variable =
referenced variable + upper
deviation limit
Example
> Lower deviation limit:
HwsTempCV
> monitored variable =
referenced variable - upper HwsSP
deviation limit
Sum Alarm

• Collection of Alarms that

have one or several
common denominators
Sum Alarm

• Every variable has multiple

attributes that are labeled

• Triggers when the monitored

variables’ specified attribute is
true
Variable Status Alarm

• Triggers when the

monitored variable is
“forced” or “overridden”
System Information Alarm

Monitor system processes, such as:

• Server online status
• Field device online status
• Email success
• Etc.

• Generated by SBO, not manually created

Alarm Message Customization

Alarm messages can be written as desired

Substitution codes can be used

• @(F) – path of monitored variable
• @(O) – monitored object name
• @(V) – monitored property value
• Ex. The room temperature is too cold. The temperature is @(V) °C
= The room temperature is too cold. The temperature is 17 °C.
Acknowledgement Types

Single Acknowledgment
• Required to acknowledge the alarm once, either in alarm state or reset state
No Acknowledgement
• Alarm immediately returns to normal state when problem is remedied
Extended Acknowledgment
• Always required to acknowledge the alarm in the reset state before it will go back to normal
• Possible acknowledge the alarm in alarm state, too.
User Actions

Alarm Handling Functions

• Action notes
• Categories
• Cause notes
• Checklists

Configured from Control Panel

 Notifications
Triggering Notifications

In addition to alarms, notifications can now be triggered by:

• Schedules
• Program Output
• Digital Values

This new functionality can be used as a light-weight, simple reporting system where it is not possible
or practical to use the full Building Operation Report Server.
 Notifications
Notification Content

With this new feature, fewer new notifications will need to be created
as they include trend log and point value data from any part of the
system.
In addition, editing notifications is easier as the Notification Report
Template supports:
• Keywords and substitution code display
• Drag and Drop selection
• Keyword completion assistance
Date and time stamps can also now be freely formatted.
Notifications distribution methods

• Client – Information via system tray popup in WorkStation / Microsoft Windows

• Email - Sends email using the SMTP protocol via predefined SMTP server. You can now specify
encrypted email formats (TLS or SSL) and define the port in email settings for the Enterprise Server
or Automation Server.

• Write to file - The files are stored in a predefined folder and can be accessed in the ’Notification Files’
sub-folder in the ’System’ folder in the System tree of the WorkStation for both Enterprise Servers
and Automation Servers.

• SNMP - Suitable for IT departments collecting alarms

Confidential Property of Schneider Electric | Page 21

Example - Alarm Triggered Notification

Client
message

Text
Alarm Alarm Write to
Triggered File
Notification
Notification Report
Report HTML
Alarm (@Report) Templates
Alarm
Filter
Email
Alarm CSV

SNMP
Schedule
Triggering Notifications

• When working with Parent and Child Servers, some objects

that are created on the Parent are inherited by the Child.
• Checklists, Action Notes, Cause Notes, and Categories are
inherited.
• Automatically created on the child servers after they are created on
the parent
• When the Child Server is connected to the Parent Server, the child’s
objects will be removed (if they exist) and replaced with the Parent
objects automatically

• Copies on Child Servers are Read Only and are available

whether the Parent is online or not
• Changes to these objects must be performed at the Parent
level
Alarm View Customization

• Customize fonts and colors from Control

Panel
• Add/Remove columns from Alarm View
column heading (right-click)
• Filter alarms
• Recommend applying filters to custom Alarm
Views – NOT main alarm view
Emailing Alarms

• Requires a Notification object

• The Enterprise Server must be

configured for sending email
Event View

• Event Views display historic

information for any object or
variable in the database

• Can view historic alarm

occurrences from Event Views

• Alarm Event information:

• Trigger timestamp
• Value before/after
• User information
• Action/cause/comments
• Etc.