C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
6C
6 Cielo Ciencia y Tecnología
·Publicada en C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)

Filtering WinCC Horn Audible Alarms by Automation System in Multi-AS PCS 7 Architectures

Filtering WinCC Horn Audible Alarms by Automation System in Multi-AS PCS 7 Architectures

In SIMATIC PCS 7 multi-controller architectures with a shared WinCC SCADA, filtering audible Horn alarms so that different S7-400H automation systems or message classes trigger distinct acoustic tones is accomplished using the WinCC Horn Editor. In the Horn configuration window, navigate to the 'Message Assignment' tab and create separate filter lines utilizing the 'Area' or 'Origin' filter criteria. By assigning each S7-400H controller to a dedicated Plant Hierarchy Area (e.g. 'Area_AS1', 'Area_AS2', 'Area_AS3'), you can map each area and message class to distinct sound files (*.wav) or physical sound card outputs in the 'Signal Assignment' tab.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

In large industrial processing plants, a single centralized control room frequently supervises multiple independent Automation Stations (such as three redundant S7-400H units controlling Utilities, Synthesis, and Tank Farm areas). To ensure immediate operator situation awareness, control room acoustic systems must differentiate alarms not only by severity (such as Warning vs Emergency Trip), but also by source facility. If all systems share a generic buzzer, operators cannot distinguish which plant area requires intervention. SIMATIC WinCC includes the Horn component, an event-driven acoustic annunciation subsystem. This technical guide outlines how to leverage Plant Hierarchy area tags, message classes, and SQL filters in the Horn Editor to generate distinct acoustic signatures for multiple controllers.

WinCC Horn Architecture: Message Evaluation and Signal Assignment

The WinCC Horn component operates through two interrelated configuration tables:

  • Message Assignment: Defines the filter rules that trigger audible alarms. Filter criteria can evaluate message attributes including Message Class, Priority, Origin (Tag Name), and Plant Hierarchy Area.
  • Signal Assignment: Maps the evaluated filter conditions to physical sound outputs, such as local sound card .wav files or external hardware signal modules (relay outputs driving physical sirens).

Plant Hierarchy Area Mapping for Multi-AS Filtering

In SIMATIC PCS 7, each S7-400 controller is typically assigned to specific branches of the Plant Hierarchy (PH). When the OS is compiled, each technological message automatically inherits the Area text of its hierarchy folder (for example, Boiler_Area, Turbine_Area, or Water_Treatment).

Because the Horn engine natively filters on the Area field, engineers do not need to parse raw controller hardware addresses; filtering by Area cleanly segregates incoming alarms by controller.

Configuring Distinct Sound Profiles in the Horn Editor

To assign differing sounds to different automation systems:

  1. Create three user tags or signal outputs in the Horn Editor: Horn_AS1, Horn_AS2, and Horn_AS3.
  2. In Message Assignment, define:
    * Line 1: Class = Alarm, Area = Area_AS1 -> Set Tag Horn_AS1.
    * Line 2: Class = Alarm, Area = Area_AS2 -> Set Tag Horn_AS2.
    * Line 3: Class = Alarm, Area = Area_AS3 -> Set Tag Horn_AS3.
  3. In Signal Assignment, assign Horn_AS1 to Sound_AS1.wav, Horn_AS2 to Sound_AS2.wav, and Horn_AS3 to Sound_AS3.wav.

Horn Filter Criteria and Acoustic Assignment Matrix

The following table compares configuration criteria for multi-system acoustic filtering in WinCC Horn:

Plant SystemPlant Hierarchy AreaMessage ClassOutput Signal TagAssigned Acoustic File (*.wav)AS 400H - Unit 1Area_BoilerAlarm High (Class 1)Horn_Signal_01C:\Sounds\Boiler_Critical.wavAS 400H - Unit 1Area_BoilerWarning (Class 2)Horn_Signal_02C:\Sounds\Boiler_Warning.wavAS 400H - Unit 2Area_TurbineAlarm High (Class 1)Horn_Signal_03C:\Sounds\Turbine_Critical.wavAS 400H - Unit 2Area_TurbineWarning (Class 2)Horn_Signal_04C:\Sounds\Turbine_Warning.wavAS 400H - Unit 3Area_UtilitiesAlarm High (Class 1)Horn_Signal_05C:\Sounds\Utilities_Critical.wavAll Controllers* (Any Area)System Fault (Class 10)Horn_Signal_SysC:\Sounds\System_Hardware_Fault.wav

Step-by-Step Multi-AS Horn Configuration Procedure

Method 1: Configuring Message and Signal Assignments in WinCC Explorer

  1. Open the OS project in WinCC Explorer.
  2. Double-click Horn in the project navigation pane.
  3. Select the Message Assignment tab.
  4. In Row 1, configure the filter:
    * Under column Area, select or enter your first system's hierarchy name (e.g. Area_AS1).
    * Under column Class, select Alarm.
    * In column Signal Tag, enter or create tag Horn_AS1_Alarm.
  5. In Row 2, configure the filter for the second system (Area = Area_AS2, Class = Alarm, Tag = Horn_AS2_Alarm).
  6. Repeat for all required controller areas.
  7. Switch to the Signal Assignment tab.
  8. Under Sound, browse to the distinct .wav file for each signal tag.
  9. Click Apply and close the Horn configuration editor.

Method 2: Enabling the Horn Runtime Application

  1. In WinCC Explorer, right-click the computer node and select Properties.
  2. Navigate to the Startup tab.
  3. Ensure the checkbox for Horn is checked in the runtime applications list.
  4. Save settings and activate WinCC Runtime.

Verification

To verify that distinct acoustic alarms actuate properly:

  1. AS 1 Alarm Simulation: Trigger a high alarm on a transmitter connected to AS 1. Confirm that Boiler_Critical.wav plays through the control room speakers.
  2. AS 2 Alarm Simulation: Trigger a high alarm on AS 2. Confirm that Turbine_Critical.wav plays, distinctly recognizable from the AS 1 tone.
  3. Acknowledgment Check: Press the standard Horn Silence button on the WinCC alarm banner. Confirm that the audible sound ceases immediately while the visual alarm remains.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

  • Audio Hardware Saturation: Standard commercial PC sound cards cannot mix dozens of simultaneous .wav streams effectively. Parameterize sound durations to short clips (1-3 seconds) to prevent audio queue buffer overflows.
  • Horn Acknowledgment Logic: By default, clicking the visual alarm acknowledge button acknowledges both the horn and the alarm. If independent horn muting is required, configure a separate 'Horn Acknowledge' button.
  • Web Client Consideration: Web Navigator clients require specialized active controls to play local audible alarms; consult SIOS Entry ID for Web Client Audible Alarms.

Engineer FAQ

Can the WinCC Horn play different sounds for different alarm priorities within the same area?

Yes. The Horn Message Assignment tab allows filtering simultaneously by Area, Message Class, and Priority (1 to 16).

Where should custom .wav audio files be stored in a PCS 7 project?

Store sound files in the project's local directory (e.g. <ProjectPath>\Horn\) to ensure they remain accessible across client-server downloads.

Does acknowledging an alarm on one client silence the horn on all other clients?

By default, horn acknowledgment is local to the operating workstation unless a central horn tag is synchronized across servers.

Technical References

Related Articles

Related Tags

  • https://industrialautomation.net/search?query=simatic-pcs7
  • https://industrialautomation.net/search?query=wincc-scada
  • https://industrialautomation.net/search?query=alarm-logging
  • https://industrialautomation.net/search?query=horn
6 respuestas