Export Alarm History from WinCC Flex HMI Screen

I have a project using 3 Siemens TP 177B HMI screens which are connected to an S7-314 plc by Profibus. The client has now asked me if it would be possible for them to plug a usb stick into the screen and periodically extract the alarm history as a log file. I have never attempted to do anything like this before and was hoping for some advice on the best method to achieve this.

I've had a look in the WinCC software and think the way to go could be to create a report of the alarm history and then add a button to print this to a connected usb printer.

Any other suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Barry

There is no "TP277B".
Is it a TP177B or a TP277 ?
What is possible depends on the type of the panel.
The TP177B cannot do any kind of archiving or scripting, whereas TP277 has both.

Sorry for my typo. The screens are TP 177B 6" colour

About the idea of logging data via a report, I think it is limited to the currently active alarms in the buffer, and can only be printed to a real printer not a file on a USB stick.

This FAQ describes what printers are available:
http://support.automation.siemens.com/WW/view/en/11376409
For TP177B and TP277 only real USB printers are possible, not print to file.

beethoven_ii said:

Sorry for my typo. The screens are TP 177B 6" colour

Click to expand...

This panel cannot log alarms, cannot have scripts, the report can only be sent to a printer not a file, and the report can only contain the currently active alarms.

If the type of panel isn't settled yet, then consider to go for a different panel.
TP277 can do all the things you need. But the panel and archiving license will make it a bit more expensive.
TP700 can do all the things you need and is a MUCH better panel. It costs approximately the same as a TP177B. But it can only be programmed with WinCC v11 or higher.

Thanks for the link which I'm currently reading through.

In the WinCC Flex software the report options allow for the selection of Alarm Events which is the same source for my Alarm History page on the screen. I'm not sure my screen supports printing just yet but at first glance it would appear that the report can contain my alarm history and not just active alarms.

Regards,

Barry

Ok, that sounds interesting. Let me know how it goes.
But think about the hassle and expense for a printer, against just swapping the panel for a better one.

From the help file it says:

You configure a report in WinCC flexible with which you can output the following alarms:
Current alarms from the alarm buffer
Alarm from an alarm log

Click to expand...

I read that as if you want a report about previous alarms it has to retrieve them from a log file.
But it is not clear at all so I might be wrong.

I have now spoken to Siemens and they have advised me that the screen does not support printing to file but it can print the alarm history to an attached usb printer. It cannot log alarms and so will only print out the history that is contained within the buffer memory of the screen.

I now have 2 options, either upgrade to a comfort panel or price up for a printer and modify the screen to generate a report of the alarm buffer and send this to the printer.

Thanks for your help Jesper.

Regards,

Barry

It makes me cringe to think of someone seriously planning to fiddle about with printers today. Takes me back to 1985.
When I think about the binder after binder of printed reports and logs that absolutely no-one cares to read through.
But of course it makes it possible to state that "we keep records of everything".