2.3 Security and availability
2.3.4 User-friendly message view Introduction
Messages in runtime are displayed in the user-defined WinCC AlarmControl (message window), which you insert into a process picture and configure by means of a Configu- ration dialog:
● Window properties: Font, color, design ● Server selection
● System blocks and process value blocks
● Toolbar containing available buttons, for example ● Status bar showing current information
All WinCC controls supplied with WinCC V7.0 and later generally offer the following options:
● Operators can use the Configuration dialog to customize WinCC controls in runtime according to their needs. This includes filtering, selecting, or sorting the display based on individual message blocks (for example, chronologi- cally or according to message priority or fault location). Settings can be stored globally or specifically for each operator.
● Export displayed data as text files ( .csv files in runtime). ● Print displayed data in report format by means of a pre-
defined print job (see "Reporting and logging system"). ● Configure buttons with their own project-specific func-
tions on the user-defined toolbar.
● Create symbolic representations of statuses and infotext. ● Scroll up or down in the displayed lists.
● Connect/disconnect swapped archive databases online. ● Protect operator input by means of access rights.
2.3 Security and availability Process visualization with SIMATIC WinCC WinCC AlarmControl, which you are familiar with from pre-
vious versions, is still available. WinCC AlarmControl
Figure 54 Message window for displaying current and archived messages
The message window shows the following basic elements: ● Each message in a separate message line
● Message status and color scheme according to the configured message class and message type ● Selected message blocks, each in a separate column A message window contains six different lists, which are selected via the toolbar:
● Message list shows the currently queued messages ● Long-term archive list shows the archived messages
("Message is archived" option; see "Message system"). Operators can add comments to each archived mes- sage.
● Short-term archive list shows the archived and current messages
● Hit list shows statistical information
● Lock list shows locked messages (see Special features) ● List of messages to be hidden shows the hidden
messages (see Special features)
The hit list contains the archived messages each with its own filter and sort order, a limited selected of message blocks for each message, and the following statistical calculations:
● Frequency of occurrence of a given message ● Cumulative and average time between
"Incoming message" and "Outgoing message" ● Cumulative and average time between
"Incoming message" and initial acknowledgment ● Cumulative and average time between
"Incoming message" and second acknowledgment
Figure 55 Filtering messages
Additional functions:
● Filtering of messages using message blocks as the filter criterion and SQL instructions, saving of individual filters for each user, linking of filters, also in runtime
● Sorting of messages according to date, tag, device, and maintenance message, also in runtime
● Automatic generation of an operator message whenever the operator locks, unlocks, acknowledges, hides, or shows a message (see Special features)
● In the message sequence log, chronological documenta- tion of messages and output of all status changes to a printer
● Printout of selected messages by means of a predefined print job (see "Reporting and logging system")
Special features
● A message group can be expanded and customized for specific users by adding any number of individual mes- sages and additional message groups. This creates a message hierarchy, in which a collective message consists of group messages, which themselves are made up of group messages and individual messages. ● The Message System Wizard supports you in configur-
ing the message system. The Message System Wizard generates a message system in all installed languages in the Text Library with frequently used message blocks and message classes, which you can then customize as needed.
● AlarmHiding: You can hide non-essential messages such as operational messages to prevent the operator from being subjected to an information overflow in instances of high message traffic. Hidden messages are still archived in the background, but are not displayed. Outgoing messages that require acknowledgment are acknowledged by the system.
Manually hidden messages are shown again after a specified time; they can also be displayed by the opera- tor at any time. Automatically hidden messages are hid- den and shown according to the plant status by means of a "hide mask" on a tag.
● Messages can be locked and unlocked: When you lock individual messages, message types, message classes, and group messages, you suppress the display and archiving of messages, for example, relating to a known but not yet eliminated fault or a sensor that responds continually. WinCC supports active locking (in an auto- mation system, for example) and passive locking in the WinCC "Alarms" runtime database.
● You can integrate system messages from various WinCC components into the message system for addi- tional processing, for example.
● You can configure messages for complex projects quickly and easily in Microsoft Excel using the WinCC Excel ConfigurationTool.
● Configure the loop-in alarm feature any way you like: When configuring a message, add a function of your choice (for example, "OpenPicture") and pass a parame- ter of your choice (for example, the process picture to be selected). When an operator activates the loop-in alarm for a selected message in the message window, the stored function is executed; in this example, the process picture is selected.
Process visualization with SIMATIC WinCC 2.3 Security and availability ● After a power failure, the last 60 messages, for example,
can be reloaded from the message archive to the message window. Thus, when the system is restarted, the last message map prior to the power failure is recon- structed.
● With the WinCC/DataMonitor option, you can analyze current and archived messages via an intranet or the Internet.
● With the WinCC/ConnectivityPack option, you can filter current or archived messages and pass them on to the higher-level production level and corporate management level (MES/ERP) via the WinCC OPC A&E Server (Alarms & Events). There, the messages can be ana- lyzed and even acknowledged.