Abstract: An industrial field device comprises an alarm generator component that creates an alarm relating to the industrial field device and a buffering component that selectively caches the alarm within a data repository. The field device can be an industrial controller or a network infrastructure device. The alarm created by the alarm generator component can be customized according to user information, including user preferences.

Abstract: An alarm configuration system comprises a receiver component that receives parameters relating to an industrial process. An alarm generator component automatically configures an alarm during run-time based at least in part upon an analysis of the received parameters. Thus, the alarm generator component can alter alarm instructions during run-time within an industrial environment.

Abstract: A system that facilitates automatic discovery of alarms/events in an industrial environment comprises an analyzer component that receives a subscription to an alarm/event and analyzes the subscription. An interrogator component interrogates a field device to determine whether the field device generates alarms/events that conform to the subscription.

Abstract: An alarm generation system within an industrial automation environment comprises a packaging component that packages contextual data together with an alarm. A provision component relays the packaged contextual data and the alarm to an appropriate device. Thus, customized alarms can be provided for certain recipients given particular situations.

Abstract: Systems and methods that can enhance protection of alarms and events within an industrial control environment are provided. An alarm security component employs cryptographic mechanisms and techniques to encrypt alarms and/or events related to field devices of an industrial controller system. The specification also discloses two-way mutual authentication using cryptography, thereby ensuring that an alarm is a valid alarm and that the clients using the alarms are authorized alarm clients. Effectively, the innovation can regulate access to alarms and events by unauthorized external entities (e.g., monitors and/or users) by employing cryptographic mechanisms.

Abstract: A field device in an industrial environment comprises a clock that is synchronized with a clock of at least one other field device. A timestamp generator component creates a timestamp for at least one of an alarm and an event created within the field device, the timestamp accords to the synchronized time. An alarm generator component analyzes data produced and/or consumed by the field device and generates an alarm and/or event based at least in part upon the analysis.

Abstract: Data is exchanged between two modules of a programmable controller by originator module writing the information in an interface memory in one of the modules and the recipient module reading the information from the memory. An initialization procedure is performed before any information is exchanged in that manner. The module containing the memory writes the size of the memory for reading by the other module. Sets of test data are stored in the memory by each module and checked by the other module to determine if data can be passed accurately between the modules in both directions. Then data identifying the type of one of the modules is exchanged to insure that the other module knows the type of module with which it is dealing.