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Alarm areas

Areas divide a plant into a tree, for example plant, plant/pumps and plant/tanks. A signal or a device belongs to one area. Alarm lists, alarm history and the command log can show a single area with its sub-areas, and YTCC counts the alarms of every area. This page builds a small tree and assigns two signals to it.

Areas are not responsibility zones: zones decide who may control what, areas only group signals.

Before you begin​

  • The signals exist and have been applied. This page uses Pump1_Running and Tank1_Level.

Steps​

1. Add areas by path​

In the configuration editor, open Areas and zones in the activity bar (Alt+7) and then Areas. Click New row, type the Path of the area and click Add. The path lists the parent areas and the area itself, separated by /. Add plant, plant/pumps and plant/tanks.

Areas grid with three new rows plant, plant/pumps and plant/tanks under New — not applied (3).

The Name is the last part of the path and the Parent is the rest. A parent must already exist or be added in the same change. Areas are saved when you apply.

2. Apply and check the tree​

Click Apply, check the changes and apply them. The Tree preview on the right shows the areas indented under their parents.

Tree preview with plant and its sub-areas pumps and tanks.

3. Mind the naming rule​

Each part of a new or renamed path may contain only lowercase letters, digits and _, with up to 64 characters. Validation rejects other names, for example Plant 2.

Validate changes window with the error Invalid name: Use lowercase letters, digits and _ only.

Click Discard all to drop the change.

4. Assign a signal to an area​

Open Signals, select the signal and choose its Area in the General group of the Properties panel. Here Pump1_Running goes to plant/pumps and Tank1_Level to plant/tanks. Apply the change.

Properties panel of Tank1_Level with Area set to plant/tanks.

A device gets its area in the Area column of Drivers → devices.

5. Delete an area​

Select the area in Areas and click Delete. The area is removed when you apply, and only when it is empty. Validation refuses to delete an area that still has signals, devices or sub-areas.

Validate changes window: plant/pumps — This area still contains signals (1) and devices (0); move them first.

Rename and move​

  • To rename an area, change its Name. The path follows. The Path of an existing area cannot be edited.
  • To move an area, select it, click Move and pick the new parent. Leave the box empty to move it to the root. An area cannot be moved under itself or one of its sub-areas.
  • Two areas under the same parent cannot have the same name.

Where areas are used​

PlaceWhat the area does
Alarm list objectAreas in the Scope group limits the list to the areas and their sub-areas; see Put alarm objects on a screen
Alarm list on the runtime screenThe Area filter shows one area with its sub-areas; the Area column is hidden by default
Alarm history and the command logFilter by area
Alarm countersEach area has the system signals Alarms.Areas.<area>; a sub-area is under .Sub.<name>, for example Alarms.Areas.plant.Sub.pumps (see Alarm classes and groups)
Group rulesA group can collect the alarms of an area with the field area

An area counts the alarms of its sub-areas too. An alarm of a signal without an area is counted only in Alarms.Summary.

Good to know​

  • Older projects may contain areas with capital or Turkish letters. They stay editable, but new names follow the naming rule. In the names of counter signals such letters are converted, for example Ü to u.