Electronic signatures can be applied when individual alarms or all alarms on pictures are acknowledged and when individual or all alarms on Alarm Summary and Alarm Filter pictures are acknowledged. In addition, electronic signatures can be applied when alarms on pictures such as faceplates that use ActiveX controls are acknowledged. There are three ways to configure electronic signatures for alarm acknowledgement.
Signature policy defaults apply to the module parameters and fields not otherwise listed in the signature policy. To use policy defaults only, configure the default entry to the signing level needed for alarm acknowledgement. Do not configure the policy with any alarm parameters (ALARMS, HI_ALM) or alarm fields (NALM, MACK). When an alarm is acknowledged on a module with this policy assigned, the policy default becomes the signature requirement on all of the picture types (Alarm List, Alarm Filter, faceplates using ActiveX Controls, pictures that use individual parameters and the ALARMS parameter in datalinks).
Parameter-level signature requirements for acknowledging alarms can be used for Alarm List pictures, Alarm Filter pictures, and ActiveX Controls on faceplates as well as for pictures that use individual parameters in datalinks and the ALARMS parameter in datalinks. For Alarm List and Alarm Filter pictures and faceplates using ActiveX Controls, configure the policy to include the desired module alarm parameters such as HI_ALM or LO_LO_ALM. Refer to the Alarms and Events Reference topic for information on module alarm parameters. If you are not configuring a default-level signing requirement in the policy, you must include the ALARMS parameter. Configure ALARMS to the signing requirement that you desire for default alarm acknowledgement on the module. For pictures (other than Alarm List, Alarm Filter, and faceplates using ActiveX Controls) that use datalinks such as FIC-100/HI_ALM.F_CUALM to display data as numbers or text, configure the policy to include the parameters used in the datalinks on the picture. For pictures that use the ALARMS parameter, datalinks with ALARMS[1] such as FIC-100/ALARMS[1].A_ATTR are required on the picture. Refer to the Alarms and Events Reference topic for information on how to use this parameter. Configure the policy to include the ALARMS parameter when datalinks with the ALARMS parameter are used in pictures.
Field-level signature requirements for acknowledging alarms can be used for all of the picture types discussed in this topic: Alarm List, Alarm Filter, faceplates using ActiveX Controls, as well as pictures that use individual parameters and the ALARMS parameter in datalinks. To use a field-level signature requirement, configure the policy to include the NALM field. Remember that field requirements take precedence over parameter requirements even if the field requirement is less stringent than the parameter requirement. Refer to the Alarms and Events Reference topic for information on how to use the NALM field.