Add Equipment Context to PCS 7 EventTS and Counter Alarms

The PCS 7 APL placeholder $$BlockComment$$ inserts the instance-specific comment of the block that generates a message; it does not automatically concatenate the comment of a connected Motor block. For EventTS, Siemens documents editing the message text while retaining $$BlockComment$$ and adding fixed alarm wording. To show a motor identifier on another block's alarm, configure the message-producing block's comment or use a validated project design such as the CMT-based shared-comment pattern reported in the discussion.

How PCS 7 inserts a block comment into an alarm

In PCS 7, the APL message placeholder $$BlockComment$$ inserts the instance-specific comment of the block that generates the message. It does not look up or concatenate the comment of a different CFC block. Therefore, an EventTS or hours-counter message will not automatically include the Motor block's comment merely because the blocks are connected in the same chart.

For a message from EventTS, its message text can be customized to retain the placeholder and append the event-specific wording. Siemens' high-precision time-stamping manual gives the example of replacing the default EventTS text with a project-specific text while preserving $$BlockComment$$. If the motor identifier must appear on the alarm, configure the relevant instance comment or message text on the message-producing block using the supported project method.

Customize an EventTS message

For the documented PCS 7 V9.1 high-precision time-stamping procedure:

In SIMATIC Manager, open the project in Component View and navigate to the S7 program's chart folder.
Open Chart Reference Data, choose View > Block Types, locate EventTS, and open the listed messaging block type to jump to the CFC containing the instance.
Select the block and open Edit > Object Properties, then open Messages in Special Properties.
Select the message class and edit the text in the Event column. Keep $$BlockComment$$ if the message should include that EventTS instance's comment, and add the specific message wording after it.
Save the configuration and compile/download according to the site's approved change procedure. Verify the resulting alarm text in the OS with the intended block instance.

The manual describes editing the EventTS message itself; it does not provide a variable substitution that reads the comment from a separate Motor block.

Set a message-producing block comment

Where the installed block's message text contains $$BlockComment$$, its own instance comment supplies the inserted context. PCS 7 Operator Station V9.1 SP1 documentation describes setting the comment in the block's Object Properties and notes a 16-character maximum if the full event text must remain visible in process mode. The Process Object View offers a bulk-edit path for block comments.

If a Motor comment must also identify an EventTS or hours-counter alarm, the same descriptive text must be made available to the message-producing block through a supported project design. The ticket reply reports using a Control Module Type (CMT) to maintain a shared comment across multiple blocks, while still placing the alarm-specific wording after $$BlockComment$$. Treat this as a source-reported engineering pattern: confirm which CMT attribute and comment fields are synchronized in the installed PCS 7/CMT version, then check the generated message text. Do not assume a direct cross-block reference exists.

Expected result and practical limits

With $$BlockComment$$ retained in a configured message, the OS can display the comment belonging to that message block followed by the configured event text. For example, a comment such as “Pump 1” on the EventTS instance can precede a fixed event description. To identify the associated motor, use an appropriate motor identifier as the comment on the message-producing block or propagate a shared value using a project-specific CMT design that has been validated.

The placeholder supports an instance-specific comment, not arbitrary concatenation between blocks. The original question combines an APL Motor, an hours counter, and EventTS; no block types, APL version, message configuration, or CMT design are provided, so exact configuration for the hours-counter block cannot be stated.

Verification

Trigger each configured message in a test project or approved test condition and inspect the displayed event text. Confirm that the comment belongs to the intended block, the fixed message wording follows it, and the full text is visible in the alarm list. If using a CMT to keep a shared description, change the CMT instance value in a test instance and verify that all intended message-producing blocks receive the same value after synchronization and compilation. Verify independently for the hours-counter block because its message implementation may differ from EventTS.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The source does not identify the PCS 7/APL release, the specific hours-counter block, or the CMT property mapping. The Siemens EventTS procedure cited here applies to the documented version and message configuration. The CMT propagation approach is reported by the discussion participant rather than established by the cited EventTS manual.

Alarm text changes affect operator interpretation. Preserve the original message texts and project configuration, review message classes and associated values, then test alarm identification and truncation in the OS before deploying. Do not use comment changes to obscure the origin or meaning of alarms.

Engineer FAQ

Does $$BlockComment$$ read the Motor block comment from another block? No. It represents the instance-specific comment for the block whose message contains the placeholder.

Can EventTS include its own comment and fixed alarm wording? Yes. The documented EventTS message-editing workflow preserves $$BlockComment$$ in the Event text and appends project-specific wording.

How do I add the same equipment description to messages from several blocks? The ticket reports using a CMT to maintain shared comment text across selected blocks. Confirm the attribute mapping and synchronization behavior in the installed CMT implementation.

How long can a block comment be? PCS 7 Operator Station V9.1 SP1 documentation advises a maximum of 16 characters when the complete event text must be visible in process mode.

Does the EventTS editing procedure also configure the hours counter? Not necessarily. The ticket does not identify the counter block or its message implementation; inspect that block's version-specific message configuration separately.

Technical References

Siemens, High-precision time stamping (V9.1) Function Manual, 02/2021, section 6.7.1. It gives the EventTS message configuration procedure and an example that preserves $$BlockComment$$ while adding project-specific wording: PDF.
Siemens, SIMATIC PCS 7 Operator Station (V9.1 SP1) Configuration Manual, 11/2021, section 6.4.10.2. It describes adding block comments and notes a 16-character maximum where the full event text must be visible in process mode: PDF.

Related Tags

PCS 7 APL, EventTS, Alarm text, CMT

Add Equipment Context to PCS 7 EventTS and Counter Alarms