FactoryTalk View ME - Filter Alarms based on PB State

I have a customer who has two HMIs (we'll call them HMI1 and HMI2) which each control an area, and the two areas are right next to each other. They would like to combine both HMI program screens into one program and have the combined program run on both HMIs (each will have a different start-up screen, so technically there would still be two programs specific to each HMI). This is so that if, for example, HMI2 dies, they can press a GoTo button on HMI1 main screen which will then GoTo display for the main screen of HMI2 program, which can then access the remaining screens for HMI2 (and vise-versa). They will still operate like individual HMIs, with all of the screens only accessible from their original program's main screen.

I am wondering if there is a way to filter alarms depending on which "program" they are viewing, and/or with a PB (PB1). Say they are viewing HMI1 screens, and want to view HMI2, they press the GoTo button on the HMI1 main screen and it takes them to the main screen of the HMI2 "program" (this main screen will also contain a GoTo button to go back to the HMI1 main screen) and can then access all HMI2 screens from the HMI2 main screen. I would like to filter the alarms based on which "program" they are viewing. If they press PB1, it will display alarms for both "programs". PB1 will be available on both Main Screens.
(I am putting program in quote, because at this point, they are not separate programs, they are combined into one)

The functionality needs to allow:
- Access either HMI program from either HMI (without having to go to Config of HMI and load/run different program)
- If both HMIs are in good shape and running, and operator wants to switch back and forth between the two "programs" (say, they're too lazy to walk over, or whatever), or the operator is only viewing the "program" for that area, alarms will only be displayed for the "program" that they are viewing (PB1 = 0)
- If one of the HMI dies, the operator wants to switch back and forth between the two "programs", but display alarms for both (PB1 = 1)


I am aware that SE has this functionality, however, I would like to keep it as ME.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

The "easiest" way I can think of to do this in ME would to make your own alarm screens that have multistate indicators that only observe the alarms you want them to view in each program. If the flag for the alarm is "off", then the small indicator is green. If "on", the small indicator is flashing red. You can put the alarm descriptor next to the box. This becomes less feasible the more alarms you have though.

I'm not sure this would be possible using the native alarm tools in ME. The only other thing I can think of would be doing some PLC side programming, but that gets into the realm of auto silencing alarms and thats not a good idea.

For the Alarms, you can filter which triggers to include for each list:



This is easier if you use combined alarm trigger words, that contain multiple alarm bits each.

Not sure if you are talking about the Alarm List. (History) Or Alarm Banner (Pop-up).
If your talking about Alarm List then I would use two separate Alarm List and Filter each. The GOTO buttons could control which Alarm display is selected. If you are talking about the Alarm Banner then that's different story. To control the pop-up display would require modification of all your triggers to accommodate PB1. Each trigger would have to become an expression. IF PB1 and HMI1 Alarm then 1 else 0. or IF NOT PB1 and HMI2 Alarm then 1 else 0.

The only issue would be if your viewing HMI 1 then no alarms would be in the Alarm List (History) for HMI 2 because of PB1 position and vise versa.

Another option would be to use the INFORMATION DISPLAY. Map your alarms in the PLC to the connection word and paste all your messages into the Message file. That way you could use the PLC to control which INFORMATION DISPLAY is shown according to PB1. This would require additional logic in the PLC.

After re-reading your post I realize you want to view either one set of alarms or Both. That being said, you can use the Variable Display option on your GOTO buttons. By using the connection tab, you can write an expression to choose the Alarm Display needed according to PB1. This would require making 3 Alarm List one for each separate view and one for Both. It would also require tags or tag to identify the HMI view. In the connection tab write an expression.

IF HMI1 VIEW AND NOT PB1 THEN "Alarm_Screen1" ELSE IF HMI2 VIEW AND NOT PB1 THEN "Alarm_Screen2" Else "Alarm_Screen3"


Where as:
Alarm_Screen1 = HMI 1 alarms
Alarm_Screen2 = HMI 2 alarms
Alarm_Screen3 = Both

The quotations marks Identify the entry as a STRING and must match your display name.

cwal61 said:

This would require making 3 Alarm List one for each separate view and one for Both.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I am looking for the banner (pop-up), as the operators need to be immediately notified of an alarm fault, and one of the HMI's alarms do not use a buzzer with the faults. The Alarm List would only allow viewing alarms faults when the operator decides to open the display to view the alarm list.

Sorry, I should have clarified in my original post.

Then I think the simplest solution would be to map all your current alarms to an additional trigger based on PB1 status and HMI view. Then create duplicate sets of alarm messages to HMI USE ONLY triggers.

So the first thing is to give each screen a unique number. I would use 100's for HMI 1 section 1 and 200's for HMI 1 section 2 Then use 300's For HMI 2 section 1 and 400's for section 2 . That way in your mapping logic you can use the Replace Display Number Global connection to know what section is being viewed from each HMI. That would also require two separate Global Connection tags. I see no way to make the HMI's interchangeable as you stated in your original post. They still will be unique for each one. But using two Global connection tags would allow you to know which Display is open on each HMI and decide what alarms to display. It also will allow a single compare instruction to decide which alarm to display and where to display it.

If HMI global connection is less than 300 then HMI 1
If HMI global connection is greater than 300 then HMI 2

This along with PB1 status will dictate which alarm to display.

By monitoring the Status of PB1 and HMI view in the PLC and triggering the display alarm you should be able to control each pop-up.

The last thing I would take advantage of is you can do this with 2 alarm word triggers (one for each HMI) and set the triggers as value. Since you have to map the original alarms to a HMI Display Alarm just move a value into a display DINT.

p.s. I hope you know you can copy messages from the original alarm message files and paste into excel to create your new message file. Then paste new message file from excel.