Defining Alarm Actions


The DataWise® software suite comes with a rich set of alarm detection and alarm response and delivery functions. The types of alarms that can be detected are:

  • Above a maximum value

  • Below a minimum value

  • Rainfall rates (amount per time period)

  • Positive rates of change

  • Negative rates of change

  • Sensors whose data values are not reporting as frequently as specified.


    • When an alarm condition is defined, some type of action is also required to be specified that will be performed when the alarm condition is met.

  • Alarm actions are numbered and range from 0-31.
  • Alarm actions are associated with programs that are executed with the cause of the alarm and other pertinent information passed to them.
  • The DataWise® software suite comes with at least the following alarm programs:


    • Alarm Program Alarm Function
    warning_console.exe Causes an audible alarm on the computer running the DataWise® software. Not very useful but included for completeness.
    warning_dummy.exe Essentially a no-op. Used for temporarily disabling alarms to be generated.
    warning_email.exe Delivers alarm notifications via email, SMS, and MMS.
    warning_control.exe Issues a control output to remote sites for protocols supported by DataWise®.
    warning_web.exe Brings up a small browser window and plays an alarm sound on alarm generation when a browser is logged into DataWise®.
    warning_voice_twilio.exe Delivers alarm notifications via voice / phone call.
    warning_file.exe Places generated alarms in text files in user-specified directories.


    Additional alarm notification applications can be added on request.

    It should be noted that users can write their own alarm notification applications. Documentation for doing this is in Appendix E.