Siemens ST PCS 7 manual Function, Trends Messages and alarms

© Siemens AG 2007

Operator system

OS software

Introduction

■Function

Graphical user interface

The predefined user interface of the operator system has all the features typical of a control system. It is multilingual, clearly structured, ergonomic and easy to understand. Operators can survey the process extremely easily, and rapidly navigate be- tween different views of the plant. The system supports them in this process with hierarchical display structures that can be con- figured as required. These facilitate the direct selection of lower- level areas during process control.

Process displays and process tags can also be called up by

5name. An online language selector permits the user to change the display language during runtime.

A standard view and a server view are available for the techno- logical representation of a plant, each with variously designed area overviews. Features provided in both views include:

•Message line for display of last message, can be configured such that either the message of the highest class or with the highest priority is shown

•Date, time and name of the operator

•Area overview with up to 36/49/64 areas (depending on reso- lution of the process monitor)

•Working area for plant displays and movable windows for faceplates, trends, messages etc.

•System function keys

In a special message view it is possible to switch between con- trol message pages such as new list, old list, cleared alarm list, operator action list, control element list and message history list.

Trends

Messages and alarms

Up to 150,000 messages/alarms can be configured per OS sin- gle station/OS server.

Message priorities are issued as an additional attribute to the known signal classes in order to make it easier to assess large quantities of signals and to be better able to distinguish impor- tant messages from the less important.

By means of intelligent alarm management, alarms that are of lower importance for the safe and fault-free operation of the plant in certain plant states can be hidden and silenced. These alarms are still logged and archived as before. This saves a noticeable amount of work for the operators. Insignificant alarms can be hidden in two ways:

•Dynamically, i.e. depending on preconfigured definition for up to 32 operating states (Smart Alarm Hiding)

•Manually, with time limit

Operators can specifically disable messages (alarms) from indi- vidual process tags or from all process tags of a display/area in the event of faults in a sensor/actuator or during startup. Dis- abling and enabling are recorded in an input report.

Active messages are signaled by group displays representing preconfigured views based on message groups. The group dis- plays also indicate whether messages are disabled or not.

The last message to have arrived – or the message with the high- est priority when alarm priorities are utilized – is displayed at the top edge of the standard view. A predefined window with further messages can be called up with the "Extended message line".

The "Loop-in-alarm" and "Select display using process tag" func- tions support the quick evaluation and resolution of faults. Using "Loop-in-alarm", the operator can jump directly to the process display with the object which caused the fault, and can then call up the associated faceplate (loop display) through the process tag whose block symbol is colored (cyan). The faceplate window (loop display) can be anchored so that it remains visible even when the display is changed.

Flexible setting options for audible output and priorities which can be defined using signal variables additionally support the signaling of messages/alarms through a sound card or by con- trolling external horns via a signal module.

Trend window on the operator station

Trends can be displayed as a full-size picture or as a window in the working area, and printed directly. Some trends/trend groups are predefined during plant configuration. In particular for com- parisons, standardized curves with percentage scaling can be produced in addition to the absolute display. The standard set- tings for dimensions and limits (e.g. minimum/maximum) de- fined during configuration are automatically applied during run- time. At runtime, operators can compose their own trends, select them by process tag name, and save them for reuse.

Message window on the operator station

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Siemens ST PCS 7 · November 2007