Last update:

April 5, 2007

 

 - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Back to TOPKAPI Visiterm presentation

Remote alarm notification

terminal means and functions summary

 

 

 

TOPKAPI's Remote Alarm Notification can require various means of transmission of the information ; each country and each company has its own equipments and TOPKAPI also has to adapt to local habits and needs.

 

The aim of this document is to summarize all the various ways offered by TOPKAPI to perform the processing of the messages:

 

Messages emission to operators. The different devices to which the messages can be directed hereunder on the 'Reception of Alert messages' line.

Acknowledgement: it enables to stop the call cycle. It is either performed when receiving the message or subsequently when consulting.

Consultation: to see past and present events through different interfaces.

Control: to remotely send orders to the process.

 

AREAL' s experience proved that users wish to have a mean as standardized and widespread as possible : i.e. the mean they already use in every day's life.

 

TOPKAPI calls to operators on duty are today mainly directed to mobile phones receiving SMS or vocal messages, while personal computers, equipped with a web browser or a TOPKAPI remote client software, are used to remotely access the supervisory application.

 

 

 

  
 

 

 

MEDIA

FUNCTIONS

 SMS
to
Cellular phones

TEXT TO SPEECH Phone sets

 Phone sets (18) EMAIL FAX

PAGERS

(Radio-messages Alphapage, Operator, ...)

TOPKAPI Option required

/MIRA

/WO or
/VO (if /MIRA)

/MIRA

/MIRA

/MIRA

/MIRA

Transmission means  and modem (8)

GSM Modem + Subscription (19)

PSTN line + Vocal Modem (4)

PSTN line + Modem

Network (Intranet, Extranet, RAS, etc.) (5)

PSTN line + Fax dedicated modem

PSTN line + dedicated modem(3)

Reception of alert messages

YES

YES

YES (16)

YES

YES

YES

Acknowledgement

YES (13)

YES

NO (15)

NO (15)

NO (15)

NO (15)

Consultation

NO

YES (11)

NO

NO

NO

NO

All log files/reports

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Real time values (text)

NO

YES (11)

NO

NO

NO

NO

Real time values (Mimic displays and graph trends)

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Remote control, remote adjustment

NO

YES (11)

NO

NO

NO

NO

Advantages and drawbacks

Common and easy to use (14).

The most user friendly, but offers limited control features.

Rudimentary. Requires a callback for display and control. Convenient in addition to SMS notification.(14).

It is rarely possible to rely only on email delivery notification.

Frequently used for mere notification to additional recipients.

Simple and efficient, but limited to notification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEDIA

FUNCTIONS

 TOPKAPI Server Station

TOPKAPI Client (1)

PC with Web browser

PC including remote control management software (2)

MINITEL

(France only)

PC including Minitel emulator (17)

TOPKAPI Option required

 /MIRA

Nil (1)

WEBSERV

-

/MIRA

/MIRA

Transmission means  and modem (8)

RAS Modem or any gateway to the network(5)

RAS Modem or any gateway to the network(5)

Web, RAS Modem or any gateway to the network(5)

RAS Modem or any gateway to the network (5)  (7)

PSTN line + dedicated V23 Modem (3)

PSTN line + dedicated Modem

Reception of alert messages

YES (6)

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

Acknowledgement

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Consultation

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

All log files/reports

YES

YES

YES (10)

YES

YES (9)

YES (9)

Real time values (text)

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Real time values (Mimic displays and graph trends)

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

Remote control, remote adjustment

YES

YES

YES (12)

YES

YES

YES

Advantages and drawbacks

Used as central alarm management system (6).

 

Access from any PC equipped with an Internet browser (without any preliminary download).

Possibly slow (screen transfer). Requires a software on each client PC.

Simple but outdated.

Outdated.

All the supervision available as if you were in front of the local PC : definitely the best tool for frequent and intensive use.

 

FOREIGN COUNTRIES : Alarm notification in all countries except France

 

Operation devices must have been validated.

Pagers and SMS : messages servers must be compliant with the TAP protocol. Please contact AREAL for compliance tests.

Text To Speech : please contact ELAN SPEECH (address & phone numbers available on AREAL website at http://www.areal.fr/fournisseurs-E.htm#svocale) to check language availability and modem agreement in the related country.

 

 

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  1. The TOPKAPI client computer needs a TOPKAPI Netview client software, or a free TOPKAPI Open Client software. The 'Open Client' version installed on the TOPKAPI Server enables to use TOPKAPI Client versions with no protection key and installed on an unlimited number of PCs.
     

  2. Example : Windows Remote Desktop function, VNC (free), PC Anywhere, etc. the inconvenience of a remote control software is to prevent the local user from simultaneous control (except with Terminal Services technology. click here for details on TOPKAPI TS feature).
     

  3. Pager services and Minitel can share a common modem.
     

  4. 'ELAN SPEECH' vocal modem : PROVERB SPEECH UNIT, (see the 'devices list').
     

  5. The RAS (Remote Access Services) modems are run by Windows and can consequently be shared with other applications. Please see 'PC specifications and Operating Systems' for further details and restrictions. Access is also possible from a network gateway (intranet-internet) to which the TOPKAPI server PC is connected; in that case, this computer must have a fixed IP address, or use a dynamic DNS service.
     

  6. When receiving alarm messages from other Topkapi server stations, Topkapi behaves as a central alarm monitoring system.
     

  7. To be checked according to the characteristics of the software.
     

  8. Several PSTN modems can be connected to the same public line. Only one will be available for incoming calls. Visiterm handles simultaneous communication on several modems. Please contact us for details.
     

  9. Displays format globally parameterizable.
     

  10. Views defined in the application. Filter cannot be modified on the web client.
     

  11. Requires the list of controlled variables to be parameterized.
     

  12. If enabled by the server and by safety parameters.
     

  13. By SMS reply.
     

  14. SMS delivery is sometimes delayed, but instant notification can usually be secured by, for instance, a standard phone call. The call number (TOPKAPI) is a way to know a problem has occurred.
     

  15. Automatic acknowledgement can be performed upon message delivery.
     

  16. Without notification of the fault itself (callback required).
     

  17. Emulator enabling the 80 columns mode for the Minitel (Timtel for instance).
     

  18. A simple phone set with caller number display enables to identify a TOPKAPI call. A remote connection callback using a TOPKAPI or Web Client is required to know which fault occurred, and to perform acknowledgement.
     

  19. Or PSTN modem and provider forwarding service.