Best Practice

Digital inputs work with factory settings, but alarm texts, timing, and counter behaviour should always be reviewed for the installation.

• Add alarm texts before expecting the input to send meaningful messages.
• Configure the input logic before enabling counter functions.
• Alarm texts, timing, and counter settings only define channel behavior. If a digital input or counter alarm must be sent to someone, configure the recipient groups separately on Shared Runtime Recipients and Notifications.

Digital Input Alarm Texts

High Alarm Text

Create the text that should be sent when the input becomes active or high.

Low Alarm Text

Create the text that should be sent when the input returns low or inactive.

Input Timing and Logic

Input Timer

Use the input timer to delay registration of a signal change. If the timer is set to 2 seconds, the input must keep the same state for at least 2 seconds before the change is accepted.

• Use this when a signal is unstable or where contact bounce should be ignored.

Input Type

Use DRCONTACT# to define whether each digital input should be interpreted as NO or NC.

• 0 = NO
• 1 = NC

Use this when the field contact or relay works opposite to the default logic.

Delay After First Detection

DRTV# adds an extra delay after the first detection of an active alarm. The range is 0..127 seconds.

• Use it when a signal may be detected immediately, but should remain active for a longer confirmation period before being accepted as a real event.

Delay Before Sending

DRTH# delays the actual sending of a registered alarm. The range is 0..127 seconds.

• Use it when the alarm should be registered internally at once, but the message to recipients should wait.
• This is useful where short service or transition states should not create unnecessary alarm messages.

Counter Enablement and Start Values

Counters use the underlying digital input signals. Configure the input logic first, then enable the counter behaviour where needed.

Enable Counter

Enable the counter for the relevant digital input channel.

• The actual counter behaviour depends on the hardware and input function selected for the channel.
• For DataGuard counter/timer reporting, TIN# must be greater than 0 on the same channel as the DataGuard reporting parameters.

Set Hour Counter Value

Set a starting value or reset the hour counter. Use this when runtime should continue from a known operating-hour value.

Set Total Counter Value

Set a starting value or reset the total counter. Use this when runtime should continue from an existing pulse or totalized value.

Counter Scaling

TINS# scales the counter value. The range is 1..32767.

• Use scaling when one pulse does not correspond directly to one physical unit.
• Example: if 10 pulses correspond to 1 kWh or 1 litre, use scaling so the reported value matches the wanted engineering unit.

Report Through DataGuard

This page owns the digital input, counter, and timer source setup. If a configured counter or operating-hours timer must be logged in DataGuard or exported onward to Emiko, continue on DataGuard via Counters and Timers.

• Use the same channel number in the source setup and the DataGuard reporting setup.
• Keep TIN# greater than 0 for that channel. DataGuard does not report VRC/CN data from a disabled TIN# channel.
• Configure input logic, counter enablement, start values, and scaling here before adding DataGuard reporting.
• Enable DataGuard reporting only when the counter or timer should produce history or data forwarding.

Counter Surveillance

Runtime can monitor whether a counter changes too little or too much within a defined period.

Monitoring Type

Use monitoring type to define whether runtime should monitor minimum change, maximum change, or both.

Monitoring Period

Use monitoring period to define the evaluation window for the selected counter monitoring type.

Minimum Allowed Change

Use minimum allowed change only when the channel must alarm if the counter changes too little during the monitoring period.

Maximum Allowed Change

Use maximum allowed change only when the channel must alarm if the counter changes too much during the monitoring period.

Alarm Text for Counter Surveillance

Use a clear alarm text so the recipient can identify which counter is outside the expected range.

Recommended Order

1. Define the input logic with DRCONTACT#.
2. Add the high and low alarm texts.
3. Set DRT# if debounce filtering is needed.
4. Enable the counter with TIN# greater than 0 if the channel should count or be reported through DataGuard.
5. Set start values with TINH# and TINP# if existing values must be continued.
6. Apply TINS# if the displayed unit should differ from raw pulses.
7. Configure DataGuard reporting only after the counter or timer value is correct, when the value must be logged or exported onward to Emiko.
8. Use the TINMON# family only when counter development must be monitored actively.