Alarms Items Reference

Define alarm conditions and settings.

Reference → Modules → Alarms → UI → Items | Groups | Areas | Global | Monitor

Alarm Items (Reference) define individual tags or expressions monitored for alarm conditions within your FrameworX solution. Alarm Items are the fundamental alarm objects that:

Monitor tag values against configured conditions
Trigger alarm events when conditions are met
Associate with AlarmGroups for shared behaviors
Organize within AlarmAreas for hierarchical structure
Support multiple limit values for shift-based operations

Each Alarm Item represents a single monitored condition that generates alarms based on your defined thresholds and settings.

Configuration Properties

Property	Description	Required
TagName	The tag being monitored for alarm events	Yes
Condition	Trigger condition (Hi, Lo, RateOfChange, etc.)	Yes
Limit	Primary threshold value	Yes
Limit1	Secondary threshold (for shift-based limits)	No
Limit2	Tertiary threshold (for shift-based limits)	No
Group	Associated AlarmGroup for shared properties	Yes
Area	AlarmArea for hierarchical organization	No
Priority	Alarm priority level	No
Message	Text displayed when alarm triggers	No
Disable	Enable/disable the alarm	No
Deadband	Range where changes are ignored	No
Setpoint	Target value for deviation alarms	No
SetpointDeadband	Range around setpoint to ignore	No
AuxValue	Additional information field	No
AuxValue2	Secondary auxiliary value	No
AuxValue3	Tertiary auxiliary value	No
Comment	Notes about the alarm item	No

Alarm Conditions

Condition	Description	Formula
Hi	High alarm	Tag ≥ Limit
HiHi	High-high alarm (auto-acks Hi)	Tag ≥ Limit
Lo	Low alarm	Tag ≤ Limit
LoLo	Low-low alarm (auto-acks Lo)	Tag ≤ Limit
RateOfChange	Rate exceeds limit	ΔTag/Δt ≥ Limit
DeviationMinor	Minor deviation from setpoint	\|Tag - Setpoint\| > Limit
DeviationMajor	Major deviation from setpoint	\|Tag - Setpoint\| > Limit
Equal	Exact match	Tag = Limit
GreaterThan	Greater than	Tag > Limit
GreaterEqual	Greater or equal	Tag ≥ Limit
LessThan	Less than	Tag < Limit
LessEqual	Less or equal	Tag ≤ Limit
Changed	Any change	Tag value changed
ChangedUp	Value increased	Tag value increased
ChangedDown	Value decreased	Tag value decreased
NotEqual	Not equal	Tag ≠ Limit

Creating Alarm Items

Navigate to Alarms → Items
Enter TagName or select from tag list
Select Condition type
Set Limit threshold value
Choose AlarmGroup for behavior
Press Enter to save

Example configuration:

TagName: Tank1.Temperature
Condition: HiHi
Limit: 95
Group: Critical
Message: "Tank 1 Critical Temperature"
Priority: 100

Shift-Based Limits

Use multiple limit values for different operational periods:

Property	Usage
Limit	Default/primary threshold
Limit1	Secondary threshold (e.g., day shift)
Limit2	Tertiary threshold (e.g., night shift)

Enable via Alarms → Global Settings → Enable LimitsByShift

Deadband Configuration

Prevents alarm chattering:

Value Deadband:

Alarm triggers at Limit
Must drop below (Limit - Deadband) to clear
Must exceed (Limit + Deadband) to re-trigger

Setpoint Deadband:

Applied around setpoint for deviation alarms
Prevents minor fluctuations from triggering

Runtime Properties

Access alarm item state at runtime via @Alarm.Item.[ItemName]:

csharp

// Check alarm state
bool active = @Alarm.Item.HighTemp.Active;
DateTime activeTime = @Alarm.Item.HighTemp.ActiveTime;

// Get current values
double currentValue = @Alarm.Item.HighTemp.Value;
double limitValue = @Alarm.Item.HighTemp.Limit;

Best Practices Checklist

Use meaningful names - TagName should clearly identify the monitored point
Set appropriate deadbands - Prevent alarm flooding from oscillating values
Configure priority levels - Critical alarms get higher priority
Write descriptive messages - Include context and severity in alarm text
Group related alarms - Use AlarmGroups for common behaviors
Document with comments - Use Comment field for maintenance notes
Test conditions - Verify alarms trigger at expected values

Troubleshooting

Alarm not triggering:

Verify TagName is valid
Check Condition logic matches requirement
Ensure not Disabled
Confirm AlarmGroup is active

Excessive alarms:

Increase Deadband value
Review trigger Condition
Check for tag oscillation
Consider time deadband in AlarmGroup

Wrong threshold:

Verify Limit value
Check shift-based limits if enabled
Confirm Setpoint for deviation alarms

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