Overview of InTouch Alarm Controls

Available Options:

Alarm Displays:

1. Distributed Alarm Manager
2. AlarmViewerCtrl
3. AlmDBViewCtrl
4. Alarm Client (ArchestrA)

Helper Controls:

1. AlarmPareto
2. AlarmTreeViewerCtrl

Details:

1. Distributed Alarm Manager:
   Summary: This is the original alarm control that InTouch has had. Largely used, especially in older versions of software.
   Pros - Quick and easy to setup. InTouch has script functions for this control, with good documentation.
   Cons - Very few options for customization
   
   Identifying Characteristics:
   - Title Bar: Alarm Configuration
   - Default Display Name: ALMOBJ_#
   - Three Tabs: General, Message, Color
   
   Commonly used script functions:
   - almAckAll – Acknowledge all visible alarms
   
   Appearance:
   
    
2. AlarmViewerCtrl (Alarm Viewer Control)
   Summary: An ActiveX version of the InTouch Alarm Control. Largely used in newer versions of software, often replacing the Distributed Alarm Manager.
   Pros – All of the functionality of Distributed Alarm Manager. Ability to trigger scripts by event (ex: NewAlarm event is often used with the PlaySound() function). Ability to use Query Favorites File to specify multiple alarm queries.
   Cons – Options are not neatly laid out, and not intuitively named. All ActiveX controls have ControlName and Properies tabs which can confuse users. ActiveX script functions are not directly available in the list of InTouch functions.
   
   Identifying Characteristics:
   - Title Bar: CONTROLNAME Properties
   - Default Control Name: AlarmViewerCtrl#
   - ActiveX style properties display when in WindowMaker
   
   Commonly used script functions:
   - #CONTROLNAME.AckAll() – Acknowledge all visible alarms
   - #CONTROLNAME.AlarmQuery – To change the alarm query at runtime
   
   Appearance:
   
    
3. AlarmDBViewCtrl - (Alarm DB Viewer Control)
   Summary: An ActiveX version of the InTouch Alarm Control. Does not display live alarms, instead reads them from a SQL alarm database. (Requires the use of Alarm DB Logger manager to store alarms to the database).
   
   Pros – Able to view historical alarms from the alarm database, which other alarm clients cannot do.
   Cons – Requires an alarm database, which requires SQL Server to be installed. Doesn’t directly use an alarm query, instead uses query filters, which can be confusing for users.
   
   Identifying Characteristics:
   - Title Bar: CONTROLNAME Properties
   - Default Control Name: AlmDBViewCtrl#
   - ActiveX style properties display when in WindowMaker
   - Arrows on right side
   - Status bar displays status of connection to database.
    
   Commonly used script functions:
   - #CONTROLNAME.StartTime, #CONTROLNAME.EndTime – Sets time range to query
   - #CONTROLNAME.FilterName – Set which alarm filter to use
   - #CONTROLNAME.Refresh() – Requery the database
   
   Appearance:
   
    
4. Alarm Client - (Archestra Alarm Client)
   
   Summary: An ArchestrA client control that can be embedded in an ArchestrA Symbol. Capable of showing both realtime alarms, and historical alarms stored in an alarm database. Available with ArchestrA IDE 3.1 and higher.
   Pros – Uses ArchestrA style graphics. Able to read from an alarm database, or display realtime alarms.
   Cons – Little documentation within the software (pdf documentation available). Very new. Requires the use of ArchestrA graphics, and therefore unavailable in classic InTouch.
   
   Identifying Characteristics:
   - Title Bar: N/A
   - Default Control Name: AlarmClient#
   - ArchestrA graphic style colors and shading
   
   Appearance:
   

Helper Controls:

1. AlarmPareto - (Alarm Pareto Controls)
   
   Summary: Displays a pareto chart (sorted histogram) of most common alarms, using the alarm database as the data source. This control is used very infrequently.
   Pros – Very basic setup.
   Cons – Infrequently used. Requires an alarm database.
   
   Identifying Characteristics:
   - Title Bar: AlarmPareto# Properties
   - Default Control Name: AlarmPareto#
   - Looks like a bar chart
   
    
2. AlarmTreeViewerCtrl - (Alarm Tree Viewer Control)
   
   Summary: Displays the alarm groups. Using scripting allows you to select an alarm group and have it update the alarm query of an alarm display
   Pros – Very basic initial setup.
   Cons – Infrequently used. Purpose is not obvious, as it requires scripting to be useful.
   
   Identifying Characteristics:
   
   - Title Bar: AlarmTreeViewerCtrl# Properties
   - Default Control Name: AlarmTreeViewerCtrl#
   - Looks like a tree control. This is the only control in InTouch with this style.
   
   Commonly used script functions:
   
   - #CONTROLNAME.GetAlarmQueryFromSelection() – Used to get the alarm query for the selected branch in tree. You would then update the alarm display control to use this query.
   
   Appearance: