Alarm Pagers

We have an application in one of our plants where the operators wear pagers to be alerted to various production alarm conditions. The pagers are old vibrating Motorola PeopleFinders that have a text display. The alarm messages are generated out of a PanelView 1400E using the alarm-print function. The pager transmitter is connected very much like a serial printer, just receiving a serial text string, then broadcasting it out to the pagers.

Well, these pagers are obsolete and can't be found/serviced any more. I'm looking for something to replace them with... And I'm not finding anything.

Everything I'm finding is for a dial-out service. We don't want that - we want to keep it all "in house". And I'd really prefer to not have to do a bunch of PanelView reprogramming if I can avoid it.

Any hints???

TIA for your help!

What we use its cell modem which send Short Message to cell phone.
Its work very similar to what you describe.
Its cost SMS tariff.but its simple.Wide rage and save the message if you have low signal.
I use Siemense MC35, all the messages stored in the PLC in ASCII and send to the rigth person depend on the problem.

Have you considered using a large message display board in an area where all can see it? Or a network of smaller ones scattered around in strategic locations? In long run may be cheaper than pagers or cell phones.

Other idea is use Palm or similar device and send e-mail by WiFi.

U.C.ME-OPC from Control-See may send text messages without dialing. A fully functional evaluation version may downloaded at www.controlsee.com.
Mike

We had the same setup as you. We replaced with a comscope? comspec? unit with internal antenna.(I will check the exact name and model number when i am at work tomorrow). I cannot remember the exact protocol i used but the messages are sent in the following format

pager number in ASCII
ASCII Musical note (Decimal 13)
Message to be sent
ASCII Musical note (Decimal 13)

It works very well..get about 3 or 4 km range and if you really want to go off site you can get the unit to dial out to a paging network..thus getting your pages national

We changed our system from buttons on a panel mate to complete automation, if a problem is detected by the PLC it automatically send the correct page to the relevant people..We now have 30 in house pages..

The floor operators can still page the mechanics if need be from the screens but the automated side has been a dream for the stationary engineers in charge of the ammonia system...

I will confirm the model and specs of the unit when i return tomorrow

I am very interested in your vendor for a premises text paging system, Darren. I have received this request from quite a few users and I am just not familiar with that market.

The hostess at the Outback Steakhouse is a little humorless when you try to get at the labels underneath their premises pager base unit. I never had enough beer to go ahead and kidnap a pager and take it apart.

I guess you know something is profoundly obsolete when you get no hits for it on eBay.

Premises paging seems to still be popular on TV medical dramas... anybody out there have friends or family who still have one clipped to their scrubs ?

Ken..i looked at there web site when i was doing the project and they had all kinds of neat things..

Like flashing coasters that are used in vegas when your table is ready...i will let you know tommorow for sure...

http://www.jtech.com/healthcare/healthcare_home.htm

http://www.call-systems.com/AlarmCallintro.php

http://www.eposonline.com/lrshospital.html

http://www.commtechwireless.com/healthcare.php

Mickey hit it...commtech is the one...

We have several installations that utilize WIN911 from specter software. 1 uses alphanumeric pagers and use a paging carrier service, another has a smtp mail server that sends emails to pagers, cell phones and palm/blackberry devices as well as standard email recipients. Works pretty well and one is tied to a wonderware application, the other is teid to a kepware server. Hundreds of alarms per system each gives a good description of the alarm and has remote acknowledgement capabilitites.

http://www.specterinstruments.com/

I have no affiliation with the above mentioned other than I have used their products.

Marc

Ive used the U.C.ME-OPC produst, Win911 and ScadaAlarn from Wonderware. They will all page, SMS or email out a particular callout alarm. Theyre pretty similar in price too.


Any of them would work just fine but bear in mind you still have to buy the hardware (i.e. Modem) to make it work.

We also do a system that interfaces directly with digital Motorola radio that support text messaging. That way the company doesnt have to buy AND support both a walkie-talkie system AND as pager system.
They get their critical alarms over their radio system and can acknowledge etc.
Its something we put togther with the local Motorola distributor and customers really like it.

We have a system that utilises the company SMTP server, on one site this is done via a paging service, on the other I have done this by sending an email.

We have a service here in NZ that enables one to send sms messages via email, the mobile (cell for those from the US of A) number is specifiec as an email address [email protected].

Both these sites use the program blat, I think the site is blat.net, is quite simple to create a script in almost any application to generate the string required.

I guess the only down side, is that the PC needs access to the company email server, not always available in an industrial environment...