RSView Studio ME ALARM SETUP -Efficiency?

Hello there! I believe this is my first thread on here so bare with me.

I'm using a CompactLogix L35E with a Panelview 1250+.

As I opened the Alarm Setup I realized there are over 200 alarms that I need to add and trigger. I've always just clicked till my fingers and eyes screamed of tedium; and that was with less than half of the alarms I have this time!

I found the alarm import/export wizard by right clicking the Alarm Setup. Grinning, i adventurously delved into the unfamiliar (to me) world of XML.

I exported the alarms to an XML File and then exported it to an excel file where I then modified and added alarms by referencing an old project that I'd exported in the same way.

Satisfied and with all my alarms in place, I tried to export back to XML. Optimism in my pocket I hoped for the best.

BAM. That horrid error tone that Microsoft has so well tuned to make you cringe, filled my distraught ears...

"Cannot save or export XML data. The XML maps in this workbook are not exportable"

I've tried everything that help files have attempted to show me, but i fear my lack of XML knowledge and time has kicked my a$$.

So i come for help, to ask the elite! HELP!!!

How can I efficiently import my alarms? If I need to import this XML file, how do i make it so?

I read some things about denormalized data and mapping to a single cell. How doo I do this!? I appreciate any response, sorry for the novel. Thanks.

Bump.

It is possible to open XML documents as text documents and editing them, but then you have to muck through the Syntax to get to what you want.

There are many free and open-source XML editors out there: do a quick goole search and find some simple ones, or ones such as this: http://geekswithblogs.net/.NETonMyMind/archive/2007/11/03/116569.aspx
that are chalk full of features.

It sounds to me as if Excel is somehow modifying the XML file, or locking it into the program.

The best way to trigger alarms in ME:

1. Put all of your PLC alarm bits into an DINT Array, length of 10, so you have 320 alarm bits within the array (change the array length to increase or decrease the number of alarm bits).

So alarm tags are: AlarmBit[0].0, AlarmBit[0].1, AlarmBit[0].2].............AlarmBit[9].31

2. In ME configure "Trigger Type" to "Bit"
Configure "Select Trigger" to "{[PLC]AlarmBit[0],L10} (This is the ONLY trigger you need!!!)

* L10 designation => We are telling the program to begin looking for alarm bits at AlarmBit[0].0 through AlarmBit[9].31 The entire length of the array. We could change it to L5, an it would only scan AlarmBit[0].0 - AlarmBit[4].31

3. In the Messages tab:

"Trigger" is ALWAYS {[PLC]AlarmBit[0],L10} for every alarm!

"Trigger Value" is the returned BIT POSITION of the bit within the array that is true. Bit Position starts at 1 NOT 0. Specifying "Bit" back in step two for the trigger type tells ME to return the bit position.

So if AlarmBit[0].0 were true, ME would return a "1". The Alarm Message that has a "Trigger Value" of 1 would appear.

If AlarmBit[9].31 were true, ME would return a value of "320" and the message for the trigger value of 320 will appear.

When filling our the messages table, use Excel!! Copy the trigger as many times as you need, have excel auto increment the trigger value copy and paste to the alarm table. You could then export your tags from the PLC program and just copy the program descriptions for the AlarmBits[0].X that you are using into the "Message" portion of the alarm table.

So in my excel sheet I would have three columns:
{[PLC]AlarmBit[0],L10}, 1, Alarm Message 1
{[PLC]AlarmBit[0],L10}, 2, Alarm Message 2
.
.
. *Use Excel to Generate all 320 Alarms*
.
.
{[PLC]AlarmBit[0],L10},320, Alarm Message 320

Change your alarm messages as needed, and copy into ME!

Make sense???

AH! Thank you so much! I will try it as soon as i get a chance. I appreciate the help and owe you. I'll let you know if I'm successful. Thanks again

A few other things you may want to consider:

1 - ME has the ability to show an alarm status as "Active and Unacknowledged", "Active and Acknowledged", "Inactive and Unacknowledged" or "Inactive and Acknowledged"

Active/Inactive is controlled by the PLC alarm bit, SO if you are latching those in any manner (to serve as an interlock...), the Active/Inactive status is now invalid as the conditions for the alarm may have self-corrected and technically are no longer in an alarm state.

2 - Multiple Panelviews in the system, you should try and make sure alarms acknowledged at one are automatically acknowlegded at the other....

3 - In the alarm pop box, make sure to select the option to display inactive alarms. It is possible for an alarm to occur and to self correct leaving you with a blank alarm pop up because the alarm is no longer active.

I have a similar scenario with loads of alarms. My system has 16 drives which all have the same alarms (current >150%, etc) so I used Excel to create all the alarms (both triggers and messages) for me using concatenate. I then copied and pasted them into a Word document, then tranfered table to text, then saved the document as a text file, then finally renamed the extension to xml.
This nicely imports to RSview ME (CPR7) which we use. Bit of a pain though.

"""1. Put all of your PLC alarm bits into an DINT Array, length of 10, so you have 320 alarm bits within the array (change the array length to increase or decrease the number of alarm bits)."""

Oh boy. All my alarms are in INT Array! Will this still work or must i change them all to DINT?

Yes an INT array will work as well. The disadvantage is you'll need and array length of 20 rather then 10 to get 320 alarms as in my example.

Since your title speaks of efficiency, I would suggest that you change your INTs to DINTs when 'talking' with C-Logix, since the read and write times for DINTs is actually faster than INTs...

Paul

plaise can you help me to set up th alarm in the rsview studio m a new programmer by this software , i do all but i can't set up alarm i ahve a program i run it by emulate 500 and i do a ocp by rslinx i can test my application virtuel by emulate , all its ok when i wih to programm alarm nothing is runing
plaise help me if possible by pictures
thnaks again my friends