Accessing Alarm Help from DeltaV Operate

Accessing Alarm Help from the Alarm Banner

The button in the alarm banner enables and disables direct access to Alarm Help from the information buttons () in the alarm banner. When direct access is enabled, clicking an information button updates the alarm information line and opens Alarm Help for the alarm. When direct access is disabled, clicking an information button only updates the alarm information line.

Accessing Alarm Help from the DeltaV Alarm Summary Object

Note

This discussion applies only to the DeltaV Alarm Summary Object that can be added to pictures from the DeltaV Toolbar. This control is in the following main pictures: AlarmList, AlarmSum, AlmSup, HWAlarmSum, and SISAlarmList. This control is also used in many faceplates. In addition, this control can be included in custom pictures.

This discussion does not apply to the IFix Alarm Summary that can be added to pictures from the Insert menu in DeltaV Operate Configure mode. Alarm Help cannot be accessed from the IFix Alarm Summary.

If the Alarm Summary Object contains a Help column its contents indicate the availability of alarm help for listed alarms:

Table: Table 1: Alarm Help icon descriptions
Icon	Description
	Alarm Help information is available for the alarm. Alarm Help for the alarm can be viewed by the current user. Alarm Help can be modified by users who have the necessary security keys.
	Alarm Help information is not available for the alarm. Alarm Help for the alarm can be added by the current user.
No icon	Alarm Help information is not available for the alarm. An Alarm Help license is not present on this workstation. OR The current user does not have the necessary security keys to view or add Alarm Help information.

The Alarm Help View and Edit application can be opened from Alarm Summary Objects in a number of ways, depending on the configuration of the Alarm Summary Object:

If the alarm summary object includes the help column, the context menu of an alarm can include the item Open Alarm Help. This context menu item is visible when:
- the Alarm Summary Object's properties have been configured to include a Help column
- the right-click actions configured include Open Alarm Help
- Alarm Help is enabled for the alarm or the current user has the privilege to edit Alarm Help for the alarm.
By default, the alarm summary object toolbar includes an Alarm Help button. (You can configure the toolbar to remove the button.) The button appearance and behavior is similar to that of the Help column contents (see Table 1).
If the Help cell for a selected alarm contains an icon, clicking the toolbar Alarm Help button opens the Alarm Help application.

The following table summarizes the conditions and keys that affect the alarm help icon that appears.

Condition	Condition State
Alarm Help License on workstation?	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alarm Help configured?	*	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Is this an SIS alarm?	*	*	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Key for ALARM_HELP_EDIT_COI?	*	*	Yes	*	No	*	*	*
Key for ALARM_HELP_EDIT_TTR?	*	*	Yes	*	No	*	*	*
Key for ALARM_HELP_EDIT_TEXT1?	*	*	Yes	*	No	*	*	*
Key for ALARM_HELP_EDIT_TEXT2?	*	*	Yes	*	No	*	*	*
Key for ALARM_HELP_EDIT_TEXT3?	*	*	Yes	*	No	*	*	*
Key for CHANGE_CONFIG_DB?	*	*	*	Yes	No	*	*	*
Key for SIS_ALARM_HELP_EDIT_COI?	*	*	*	*	*	Yes	*	No
Key for SIS_ALARM_HELP_EDIT_TTR?	*	*	*	*	*	Yes	*	No
Key for SIS_ALARM_HELP_EDIT_TEXT1?	*	*	*	*	*	Yes	*	No
Key for SIS_ALARM_HELP_EDIT_TEXT2?	*	*	*	*	*	Yes	*	No
Key for SIS_ALARM_HELP_EDIT_TEXT3?	*	*	*	*	*	Yes	*	No
Key for SIS_CHANGE_CONFIG_DB?	*	*	*	*	*	*	Yes	No
Icon that appears	---				---			---
* This condition is ignored

Note

If you open a display in DeltaV Operate Configure mode that contains an Alarm Summary Object you may see a message that says:

The Alarm Summary Object information is from an earlier version. Please save this picture to upgrade to the current version.

Saving the picture upgrades the Alarm Summary Object to the latest version.

Accessing Alarm Help from a script

You can apply scripts to picture objects that open Alarm Help. The command to use is in the form:

frsruntask "alarmhelp <optional arguments>"

Argument	Meaning
alarm path	The path to the alarm in the form alarm_container/alarm_parameter_name.
/x:nn	The distance from the left edge of the monitor to the left edge of the Alarm Help Application in pixels.
/y:nn	The distance from the top edge of the monitor to the top edge of the Alarm Help Application in pixels.
/nohelp	Suppress display of the help dialog for the Alarm Help View and Edit application.
/w:nn	The width of the Alarm Help Application, in pixels.
/h:nn	The height of the Alarm Help Application, in pixels.

For example, to open the help for the COMM alarm on logic solver SLS2 from a button and have it appear 100 pixels from the left and top edge of the monitor, the script for the picture object would be:

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
   frsruntask "alarmhelp sls2/comm_alm /x:100 /y:100 /nohelp"
End Sub