First time ever setting up FactoryTalk Alarms and Events-Need help!

[DKelly19]

Hi everyone!
First time posting to this, so should give you a bit of background info on myself to explain the situation i'm in.
I am a beginner programmer, and got a new job about 6 weeks ago as an automation engineer where i would learn on-site training as well as studying an Automation & Instrumentation college course online a few nights a week.
I've been working and learning from home mostly due to COVID-19 and have an AB PLC with an AB panelview plus 7 HMI to practice on, alongside a simple box with 3 output lights and 3 input switches to control.

There is 3 phases to this training rig;
Phase 1 was create a traffic light program with set times.
Phase 2 was create a HMI display with login access, screen to control lights and show when they are active, as well as a settings menu to change the timers from the HMI.

Phase 3 is to be able to (a) log data into SQL database whenever someone logs on to the HMI programand when they change a timer, and (b) log everytime the sequence is started using transaction manager.

Phase 3 is what i am currently on and am finding it hard to get the information i am looking for, finding databases a bit confusing, i've managed all the rest by myself no problem.

What software exactly do i need to complete this?
Is there a step-by-step tutorial that anyone would recommend?

I have been using Studio 5000 and Factorytalk view studio to date.

Apologies for the long post, but thank you in advance!

 

[drforsythe]

I am not an expert on this, so the info I give you may not be the best or most efficient. Have you checked out Youtube? There are some tutorials on setting up and using FT Alarms and Events. I would start there if I were you. Best of luck on your training.

 

[DKelly19]

I've tried youtube but finding it a bit hard to understand some of them, may just need a bit more digging! cheers!

 

[janner_10]

That’s a tough gig for a Panelview, SE would be easy but ME, not so much.

No offence, but have you read it right, you can create a data log on the panelview, and log just about anything from tag values to who changed what and when, but the panelview writing to an sql server is going to be nigh on impossible without picking up the data in a pc and doing it that way.

 

[PreLC]

Do you have assetcentre? If you do, you can go into factorytalk diagnostics and add that server to the HMI(I'm talking Panelview plus models)

If you add this server address in, any manually performed changes to the tag/logons would be logged onto assetcentre .

It's actually to an extent, that whenever the HMI changes a PLC tag, it gets recorded.