To make a link between ALERT 3.6 and WinCC, it is recommanded to use the m_wincc.dll mediator.
1. Pre-requirement
In WinCC, the "Alarm Logging" option must be licensed, installed and enabled on the same station wich host ALERT 3.6 (directly on WinCC serveur or on a WinCC client).
2. m_wincc.dll mediator setup:
Open the "Options" window by cliquing on "Configuration" then "Options", and navigate to "Supervision" Tab.
In the section “Mediator module used”, selects the module m_wincc.dll:
3. m_wincc.dll mediator configuration:
To configure the mediator, you have to click on the button “Setup” into the "Supervision" Tab.
The “WinCC mediator options” window appears :
Options:
Alarm Acknowledge broadcast:
These 2 options define how the transmission of alarm acknowledgements should be made between ALERT 3.6 and WinCC.
Connection from a WinCC Client:
This option allows ALERT 3.6 to be installed on a WinCC client instead of a WinCC Server.
In this case, you should write in the “Server Name” field, the name of your WinCC server project as the WinCC Client sees it.
4. Alarms Import:
4.1. Import for WinnCC 6.0 or prior versions :
When you have configured the mediator option, you have to import alarms that you want to supervise from WinCC to ALERT 3.6.
In the tree view, right-click on “Tags” or “Supervision” and select the menu “import” and the sub menu “m_wincc.dll”.
The “WinCC Mediator : File selection for importation” window appears :
The files for "text Library exported file name" can be generated from the “Text library” module of WinCC by performing an export.
The “Alarm logging exported file name” can be generated from the “Alarm logging” module of WinCC by performing an export too.
When the both files are configured, validate with the button "OK" to display "Importation from WinCC to ALERT" window:
Uses the buttons ">", "<", ">>" and "<<" to add or remove the alarms you want to supervise in the list of alarms to be imported for a same On-call group.
Then click on the button « Import » to import the alarms in ALERT 3.6.
If the buttons are disabled, you first have to click on the button “Apply” to enable them.
4.2. Import for WinCC 7.0 or later versions:
The format of exported files has changed in version WinCC 7.0. Due to this change, the standard importation of tag as for WinCC 6.0 does not work anymore.
To import tags, the best solution is to use the “Importation of a text file” module.
For that you have to export the alarms from the “alarm logging” module of WinCC:
Note:
You may need to edit the file that has been exported by WinCC in order to use it properly when using text import in ALERT 3.6.
Example of a file created by WinCC export:
Select all the unnecessary header for import into ALERT 3.6:
Delete it and save the file to generate this kind of file which coud be use into ALERT 3.6:
Into ALERT 3.6 tree-view, perform a right clic on "Tags" or "Supervision" and choose "import" then "Text file".
The “Importation of text file” windows is displayed.
First browse your exported files by clicking on the button “...” on the right of “File to import” or directly put the name of your file in this field:
Then create the mapping for your importation, the default mapping with WinCC 7.0 is :
- Identifier = “WCC” + C1
- Long message = C15
- Condition = “0 Invalid”
- Condition value = “”
- DataServer”s Name = “WinCC”
For more information about the mapping and the text file importation, read the document “Text importation : Tags importation in Alert (version 3.6)” in our website FAQs.
5. Troubleshooting:
With ALERT 3.6 rev 1 Build 5, after 20 minutes no alarms come in Alert. This issue can be solved by changing an entry in the "alert.ini" file.
Proceed as follows:
- Close ALERT 3.6
- Open the "alert.ini" file
- Search the line "SessionTimeOut" and put 0 instead of 120
- Save the "alert.ini" file.