Alarm monitor records sequence of events

Web-based recorder from Ametek captures critical alarms with millisecond precision.

By Peter Welander January 30, 2010

Sernet alarm event recorder

Ametek Power Instruments has introduced an advanced web-based alarm management system that captures critical alarms with one millisecond precision.

The Sernet Sequence of Events Recorder is a distributed, network-enabled alarm manager that captures critical alarms in the sequence they occur for quick determination of the root cause. The alarms are displayed on a web browser hosted by the device for easy analysis and include real-time outputs via serial and Ethernet ports for connection to DCS, PLC and other plant monitoring HMI software systems.

Ametek says it partnered with Eaton Corporation in developing the Sernet using Eaton’s established communication platform for the web interface, NTP technology. It directly interfaces with Eaton Powerware using Modbus and BACnet protocols.

Each Sernet unit can operate as a stand-alone system monitoring up to 48 digital inputs, or multiple units can be networked together to form a larger system with all events consolidated into a single chronological list as they occur. This distributed architecture saves on installation as a number of units can be located throughout a plant in close proximity to the alarms eliminating long wire runs.

The advanced Web browser displays alarms from multiple units providing a system view of all alarms within a single plant or multiple sites all with the same time synchronization. This supports real-time analysis of the plant conditions.

Sernet is configured via the web browser and includes various filtering and contact de-bounce tools to screen out nuisance alarms. Each unit can store 40,000 events for long-term data retention, and events can be downloaded in CSV and ASCII formats. The graphical display allows a list of events to be sorted and filtered to make it easy to view alarms for determining the root cause.

Sernet provides e-mail notification of alarms and includes SNMP for network management and can be synchronized to real time through GPS clocks using IRIG-B and NTP time inputs. NTP helps reduce cost for distributed applications as a single clock can synchronize all units connected to the LAN.

 

-Edited by Peter Welander, process industries editor, PWelander@cfemedia.com
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