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Scada Tom

Dialer for Compact Logix Alarms

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We have a new Compact Logix PLC for controlling lights, fans, lane controls, gates in a 1000 ft vehicle tunnel. There are about 50 alarm points that are monitored by a Raco Verbatium dialer. The dialer was supposed to call an alarm monitoring company, but they won't accept voice calls, only coded alarm calls such as sent from a fire alarm panel. Its not possible to call a cell phone as there are 4 different groups that are called depending on the alarm and the on call person changes. Any suggestions for a different type of dialer?

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Dial out with the Compact Logix on a modem.

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http://www.omega.com/toc_asp/subsectionSC....k=das&all=1 http://www.twacomm.com/catalog/model_K-2000-DVA.htm

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Tom, As you've learned, if you want to use an alarm monitoring company, you'll have to have an alarm panel that they support installed and use relay outputs from the PLC to trigger it. The company will probably want direct connection for any fire or security sensors. I've used Verbatim dialers before, and it can certainly handle your requirements. The only thing that will require some management is changing the on call person. Are you familiar with the alarm call grouping feature? That lets you assign each alarm to any combination of the 16 available phone numbers. Since the numbers are always dialed in order, phone number 01 must always be used for the current on call number. How often does the on call number change - daily, weekly, weekends? This is where the Programming by Phone feature can be useful. On a supervisor's or programmer's phone, a speed dial can be programmed for each on call number that will call the dialer, enter program mode including password, change phone number 01 and hang up. The catch is that you have to program a 2-second delay after each keystroke after entering program mode. That allows the dialer time to "speak" the last key during which it will not hear any more keys. It does work - I once used that scheme to have one Verbatim call another in order to turn remote supervisory control outputs on and off, but I used all 60 digits in a phone number for each on or off call. There's one more thing you can do to make sure the on call person is available. Add another output from the PLC that's triggered at the same time every day and have the alarm message say "Station Check" or something similar. If there's no acknowledgement, the dialer will continue through the phone number list so that others know a problem exists. The Verbatim Autocall Test Function with a 24.0 hour interval can be used, but it has to be enabled at the time of day when the call will be dialed. Mike

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