AMADAS

Alarm Management And Data Acquisition System

The Active Node (Acquisition)

The Active Node performs the data acquisition, creates the log file (history), and updates the point status table. Acquisition is optimized to reduce overhead (by grouping points according to their addresses) and reduce data transfer by eliminating unused ranges of addresses from acquisition. To promote performance, visual processing is minimal: acquisition list with last status and error count of acquisition blocks.

The Alarm Workstation

The alarm workstation is used to visualize the alarms. The two main pages used for this purpose are the Alarm Summary page (or Alarm History) and the Alarm Query page.

The Alarm Summary page lists incoming alarms, most recent on top. Alarms can be filtered according to their priority (or severity), plant section, or other means of classification. The display attributes are also dependant on priority, as well as acknowledge requirements.

View the Alarm Summary Page (GIF)

The Query page allows the operator to view the alarm status based on selected criteria: equipment, plant section or class, etc... Queries are user defined as entries in the initialization file.

View the Alarm Query page (GIF)

Other pages of the Alarm Workstation are the System Log page to record system errors, and the Parameters page to edit system parameters.

The Database Editor

The database editor is used not only to enter the point (tag) information, but also to specify the behavior of the alarms based on their priority.

An index page is used to help in locating the point to edit.

View the index page (GIF)

Actual editing is performed in the Details form. This form is automated to speed data entry but mainly to reduce the entry errors. Extensive use of lookup tables and data validation help in ensuring an error free database, an absolute requirement for dependable alarm management.

View Details form (GIF)

The Alarm behavior form is used to specify attributes and behavior of alarms based on their priority. Font, color, blink, bold, italic, underline and strike-through as well as background color are all attributes that can be specified, in addition to behavioral properties like acknowledge requirement, auto-acknowledge, auto-erase, automatic re-issue of uncleared alarms.

View Behavior form (GIF)

To reduce interferences from the database editing on the real-time operation, two databases are used: the real-time and the off-line database. An additional benefit of this approach is the possibility to use optimal format for each of the databases: the fully relational, high integrity model of the off-line database, and the flat, fast and easy to use model of the real-time database.

The publish form is used to create or update the real-time database from the offline database. This form allows the database manager to exclude individual points, or group of points that belong to specific equipments, PLC's or communication links. This allows the database updating prior to final equipment installation, or the exclusion of defective equipment.

View the Publish form (GIF)

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Fax: (450) 467-1982