Using alarm descriptions

An alarm description can be configured for process alarms in control modules, equipment modules, class-based equipment module instances and SIS modules. Alarm descriptions are particularly useful for SIS modules. Unlike most process control modules, SIS modules typically reference multiple process variables and the module description alone may not convey enough information for SIS operators to quickly locate the source of an individual alarm within the module. The alarm description replaces the module description in the Alarm List and the Event Chronicle's alarm entries and is appended to the module description in the Alarm Banner's information line and in the Alarm Help window. If the alarm description is empty, the module description is presented for the alarm. If the module description is empty, only the alarm description is presented for the alarm.

Note

Alarm descriptions are optional and introduce changes to the runtime environment. It is recommended that you carefully consider the impact of their use on SIS operators.

Configuring alarm descriptions

Alarm descriptions are configured on the Advanced tab of the Alarm Properties dialog in Control Studio, DeltaV Explorer, and the System Alarm Management application.

An alarm description cannot exceed 254 UNICODE characters. Alarm descriptions may be truncated in some DeltaV Operate displays such as the Alarm Banner. Alarm descriptions can be configured for alarms in the following alarm containers:

SIS control modules
Non-SIS control modules
Non-SIS class-based control module instances
Process alarms in the following alarm containers:
- Equipment modules
- Class-based equipment module instances

Alarm descriptions cannot be configured for alarms in the following alarm containers:

Fieldbus device alarms
HART device alarms
HART device templates
External asset device alarms
DeltaV hardware alarms
Process alarms in the following alarm containers:
- Phase alarms in class-based unit module instances
- Equipment module classes
- Equipment module templates
- Control module classes
- Control module templates
- SIS control module templates

Alarm descriptions are exported as part of the containing module's configuration or using the Module_Alarm object type.

Where are alarm description visible at runtime?

The alarm description replaces the module description in the Alarm List and the Event Chronicle's alarm entries:

Figure: Alarm description replaces the module description in the Alarm List

Figure: Alarm description replaces the module description in Event Chronicle alarm entries

The alarm description is appended to the module description in the Alarm Banner's information line and in the Alarm Help window. In the following figures, the module description is "Level indicator for tank 101" and the alarm description is "Level indicator state change". Notice that the alarm description is truncated in the following image showing the Alarm Banner's information line.

Figure: Alarm description is appended to the module description in the Alarm Banner's information line

Figure: Alarm description is appended to the module description in the Alarm Help window

Alarm descriptions do not appear in the alarm list in the System Alarm Management application however, alarm descriptions are included in the printed document when the Print To XML option is selected in System Alarm Management. If an alarm description is configured for an alarm in a module with no module description, only the alarm description is presented at runtime. If a module description is configured and an alarm description is not configured, only the module description appears at runtime.

Downloading alarm descriptions

For modules assigned to a node, modifying or adding an alarm description does not require a module or node download. The download required blue triangle () does not appear on either the module or node when an alarm description is added to or modified for an assigned module. Alarm descriptions are downloaded through the Alarm Help subsystem in the DeltaV Explorer. The download options from the Alarm Help subsystem are Total Alarm Help and Changed Alarm Help for process models and Total SIS Alarm Help and Changed SIS Alarm Help for SIS modules.

SIS Module Wide Faceplate

A SIS faceplate (SIS_MODE_WIDE_fp) shows the alarm description in its active and suppressed alarm lists.

Bulk editing alarm descriptions

Bulk editing alarm descriptions is no different from bulk editing other types of alarm information. The following format specification files that are included in the DeltaV installation include an alarm_description data field for each alarm in a module:

AnalogMonitor_Module.fmt
DiscreteMonitor_Module.fmt
Module_Alarm.fmt
Module_AlmHlp.fmt
Motor_Valve_Modules.fmt
SIS_Module_AlmHlp.fm

You can also create your own format specification file.

The general procedure to bulk edit alarm descriptions is:

Export the alarm containers using an appropriate format file.
Open the file in Excel.
Edit the file as required.
Import the edited file.