Step 4.6. Set Alarm Options

You can determine how, when, and for what time period alarms will be displayed and reset on the Alarm Options tab.

1	Deletion requirements
2	Printer repeat
3	Auto acknowledge
4	Auto reset
5	Manual reset allowed
6	Maximum stacked

1	Deletion requirements

Deletion Requirements are the conditions that must exist in order for an alarm to be deleted (removed from the system) as follows.

Check:	The alarm:
Acknowledge	Must be acknowledged to be deleted.
Reset	Must be reset to be deleted.
Both check boxes	Must be acknowledged and reset to be deleted.
Neither check box	Can be deleted without being acknowledged or reset.

2	Printer repeat

Printer repeat is the time that the Alarm Manager waits before repeating the alarm to all Alarm Line Printer (AMLP) processes. Setting a repeat time out will cause the point's alarm to be reprinted on the Alarm Line Printer until it is acknowledged, reset or deleted.

Printer repeat options are:

Printer Repeat	Description
None	The alarm will not be repeated.
	Example
Timed	Number of minutes that the Alarm Manager should wait before repeating the alarm to all AMLP processes. Minutes are entered in a Minutes field that displays when Timed is selected.
	Example

Note: The actual number of minutes that the Alarm Manager will wait before repeating the alarm may be greater than this number. The maximum time will be the number you enter in this field plus the number of minutes configured for the timer for processing automatic alarms in the Alarm Manager configuration file (alarm_mgr.dat). The default for this timer is 5 minutes.

You have the ability in CIMPLICITY to enter your specifications for each stage in the sequence.

3	Auto acknowledge

Auto acknowledge specifies if and how an alarm can be automatically acknowledged.

Auto Acknowledge	Description
None	A user must manually acknowledge the alarm.
Immediate	The Alarm Manager immediately automatically acknowledges the alarm.
Timed	Number of minutes that the Alarm Manager should wait before automatically acknowledging the alarm. Minutes are entered in a Minutes field that displays when Timed is selected.

Note: The actual number of minutes that the Alarm Manager will wait before acknowledging the alarm may be greater than this number. The maximum time will be the number you enter in this field plus the number of minutes configured for the timer for processing automatic alarms in the Alarm Manager configuration file (alarm_mgr.dat). The default for this timer is 5 minutes.

4	Auto reset

Auto reset if and when an alarm can be automatically reset.

An alarm can be reset:

Manually.

Automatically.

Because the condition causing the alarm no longer exists, and the process that detected the alarm condition automatically reset the alarm.

Auto Reset	Description
None	The Alarm Manager cannot automatically reset the alarm. However, the alarm can be: Manually reset (if manual reset is allowed) or Reset by the process that detected the condition that generated the alarm.
	Example
Immediate	The Alarm Manager immediately resets the alarm. The alarm will not repeat.
	Example
Timed	Number of minutes that the Alarm Manager should wait before automatically resetting the alarm. Minutes are entered in a Minutes field that displays when Timed is selected.
	Example

5	Manual reset allowed

Manual reset allowed specifies if a user can reset an alarm.

Manual Reset	Description
Check	A user can manually reset the associated alarm.
Clear	A user cannot manually reset the associated alarm.

6	Maximum stacked

The states it passes through, once it is generated, can be kept or stacked until the alarm is deleted.

Enter a number between 0 and 20 in the Maximum Stack field.

Stack Value	Description
0	Alarm will not be stacked.
20	The maximum number of alarms that can be stacked will be stacked.

During runtime

Alarm Viewer users can display the alarm stack.

As occurrences are generated for the alarm, occurrences fill the stack. When the Maximum Stack value is reached, the oldest alarm occurrence is deleted from the stack as each new occurrence is generated.

When the alarm is deleted, all occurrences of the stacked alarm are deleted.

Example

An alarm, POINTALARM, has been acknowledged and reset, but has not been deleted.

1	View Stack is clicked for a selected alarm.

2	Messages that have been generated since the alarm was last deleted display in the Stacked Alarm Messages window.

The alarm is deleted.
The alarm displays again.

3	The message generated since the alarm was deleted is the only message in the stack.

Note: You can also configure alarm options in the point alarm's Alarm Definition dialog box in the Alarms folder. The configuration displays in both dialog boxes.

More information

Step 4. Configure point alarms.