PanelView Plus 600 - Alarms print to file

[R_C]

Is it possible to log alarms on a USB drive from a PV600?
Like trigger time and acknowledge time.

 

[Doylen]

Try this link.
http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=38871

 

[Ken Roach]

First, let's be sure we're talking about a PanelView Plus 600, not an obsolete (it hurts to write that) PanelView 600 Standard terminal.

The PanelView Standard terminals had a handy serial line printer function, which the Plus terminals don't have. I even have a brilliant little data logger that I can plug in to capture that serial stream instead of sending it physically to a printer.

In FactoryTalk View ME, the Alarm subsystem (unlike the Data Log system or the ActiveX data logger features) cannot natively write to removable media. It will always write to internal flash memory.

However, you can extract the Alarm files from the terminal, then convert them to a readable format (CSV) with the RSView Enterprise Log File Viewer.

I have some recent detailed experience with doing this, so I can provide some detail that will supplement the RA Knowledgebase document that describes this method and process, AID # 33924 RSView Enterprise File Viewer Utility (Access Level: Everyone).

 

[R_C]

First, let's be sure we're talking about a PanelView Plus 600, not an obsolete (it hurts to write that) PanelView 600 Standard terminal.

The PanelView Standard terminals had a handy serial line printer function, which the Plus terminals don't have. I even have a brilliant little data logger that I can plug in to capture that serial stream instead of sending it physically to a printer.

In FactoryTalk View ME, the Alarm subsystem (unlike the Data Log system or the ActiveX data logger features) cannot natively write to removable media. It will always write to internal flash memory.

However, you can extract the Alarm files from the terminal, then convert them to a readable format (CSV) with the RSView Enterprise Log File Viewer.

I have some recent detailed experience with doing this, so I can provide some detail that will supplement the RA Knowledgebase document that describes this method and process, AID # 33924 RSView Enterprise File Viewer Utility (Access Level: Everyone).

Yes it is a Panelview Plus.
So, from what I am reading you cannot plug a USB drive into the USB port and log data(Alarms) to the device. Is that correct?

 

[Ken Roach]

I'm going to be specific because it's important:

You cannot plug a USB memory device into the PanelView Plus and log Alarms directly into that USB memory device.

Instead, you allow the PanelView Plus to log alarms to its internal memory, then use a USB memory device and a simple batch command file to copy the Alarm Log files from the internal memory to the removable device.

The USB memory device can then be removed, and the Alarm Log files can be processed manually using the RSView Enterprise File Viewer utility.

That's the method I use, and I find it's very reliable once you figure out the exact process with the File Viewer utility.

I have the Alarm Log size at 2048 entries, and on the machines I'm focusing on now, that ends up being about 5 months of data, in a file that's under 50 kB. This allows me to tell the operators about things that happened weeks ago, in the middle of the night, long after they've punched the 'Acknowledge' button and forgotten the alarm message.

 

[maxketcham]

you can also print out the alarm, whole alarm history or screens to a USB or Ethernet printer. using the right macros triggered upon a value change you can set it up to print it every time you get an alarm and / or the alarm is acknowledged