GE MKVI Alarm Printer Configuring Problems

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Thread Starter

NGdave

Im having issues with the Alarm printer (OKI 590 dot matrix) that is used with Cimplicity HMI program. The alarm printer is currently configured in Cimplicity to print "Generated Alarms" only - does this no problem! What I'm trying to do is to configure it to print EVERYTHING whether it be an event such as the mouse clicking the alarm Acknowledge button or a High Vibration alarm from the MK6 itself. I have ensured i have followed the Cimplicity manual properly and ensured all alarm types have been selected within Workbench. I have then saved the HMI file (.gef if i remember correctly?) and rebooted the the HMI PC ensuring the newly modified HMI file is selected. When the Cimplicity is back up and running it still only prints what appears in the Alarm dialogue box (same as before i made the change in Workbench) and not every single event.

I'm wondering if this change to Cimplicity file has to somehow be complied in the MKVI CPU? Or Cimplicity simply does not support Alarm/Event logging/printing down that level?

Can the Alarm printer be set up to print alarm/events from Toolbox or a program other than Cimplicity to be able to capture as much info as possible?

Thanks in Advance!
 
TCI handles the Alarm Printer for Speedtronic HMIs using CIMPLICITY.

Although the alarms (Process and Diagnostic) are displayed in a CIMPLICITY window, it's a special AMV object that gets them from TCI.

CIMPLICITY should not be used for driving the Alarm Printer. You should remove the printer from the CIMPLICITY configuration. (It will still print $SYSTEM (CIMPLICITY) alarms.)

You have to go to Printers and create a printer called 'Alarm Printer' (without the quotes), choose the OKI driver, and make it the default printer. I don't know if the OKI driver can be used to set the font and lines per inch, but if it can that would be the easy way to set it for 10 CPI and 8 LPI. Choosing a draft font will save a little ribbon and also print a little faster.

If you can't use the printer driver to set the printer properly, you will have to get the manual and do it from the front panel of the printer (not impossible, but not hard and takes patience).

I believe all of this is described in the Speedtronic HMI Manual; sorry I can't recall the publication number, but it should be in the Documentation folder on the HMI.

Hope this helps!
 
NGdave,

>You have to go to Printers and create a printer called
>'Alarm Printer' (without the quotes), choose the OKI driver,
>and make it the default printer.

By "Printers" it is meant the MS-Windows Control Panel Printers applet where one adds and/or configures printers for MS-Windows applications/programs to use. TCI will know to use the Alarm Printer, and so will CIMPLICITY.

Please write back to let us know how you fare!
 
ge7fa alarms,

The unit-specific alarm list is rarely in the Manuals. It resides in files on the HMI used to program and configure the Speedtronic turbine control panel. If you will tell the type of Mark control used to control and protect the turbine and auxiliaries we can tell you how to obtain the unit-specific alarm list.

As for responses to alarms--there are some generic lists floating around but extremely few unit-specific lists. Alarm Management--the art of responding to Process- and Diagnostic Alarms--can really only be done with a thorough understanding of the unit (turbine, generator, auxiliaries) and the control system, as well as a good understanding of how the unit is supposed to operate to be able to determine whether it's operating correctly or not. And a thorough familiarization with the unit P&IDs is critical to troubleshooting alarms.

So, tell us which Mark Speedtronic the unit has and we can tell you how to find the unit-specific alarm list. And if you have questions about specific alarms--ask them here and we'll do our best to help.
 
P
we are using mark vi controller

> So, tell us which Mark Speedtronic the unit has and we can
> tell you how to find the unit-specific alarm list. And if
> you have questions about specific alarms--ask them here and
> we'll do our best to help.
 
pjkbalaji85,

Open Toolbox; click on View | Reports | Alarm List. This will bring up a new window, the "Alarm List Report" window.

There will be a new Menu Bar in this new window, click on File | Export to CSV... and choose a folder location to save the comma-separated file to--and remember where it was saved to.

Close the Alarm List Report window, and navigate to the folder where the .csv file was stored. You can then open the .csv file with MS-Excel and format it and delete or hide columns and then print it.

Hope this helps!
 
CSA,

Thanks for the help. Will be at the site sometime this month to carry out some work along with your suggestions. I'll be sure to reply back to let you all know how I get on.

Thanks again!
 
Alarm printer was already set up correctly. As it turns out, the diagnostic alarms were never configured in toolbox to send to the HMI along with some process alarms (putting this down to poor commissioning by the Main works contractor as this site is riddled with issues like this). Once configured we are now receiving alarms/trips and diagnostics required to fault find.

On another note - we are currently experiencing many trips associated with "Virtual Memory Full". I assume this is the HMI PC RAM causing the problem (its an old Windows NT machine, probably 16-18 years old).

<b>Moderator's Note:</b> He has posted a separate thread about this issue.

I have suggested we migrate to the MKVIE, and im confident this will happen Q2/Q3 of next year. However is there any quick fix that can reduce/prevent until the upgrade project kicks off?

Many thanks in advance.
 
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