Message

The function block triggers a message, builds its text and escalates it as long as it is not acknowledged. The message is distributed by the Message Centre: it defines who receives the message by which route. The deciding factor is the priority of the message – the message centre holds one separate assignment to the recipients per priority.

The block is created as often as required, usually once per event that is to be reported. No wiring to the message centre is needed; the block finds it by itself.

Sequence of a message:

Input AU triggers. If a delay is set, the block waits for that time; if the trigger disappears during that time the message is still sent.
Level 1 is delivered to the recipients entered in the message centre for this priority.
If an acknowledgement is required and escalation levels are entered, the next level is sent to the recipient group entered there once its waiting time has elapsed.
Input QU ends the chain: output UQ drops and no further escalation takes place.

Restart of the controller: The escalation works with time stamps and stores them permanently. After a restart an unacknowledged chain continues at the point where it was interrupted. A message that was still in its delay at the time of the restart is not sent afterwards.

Placeholders: The placeholders %1, %2 and so on can be used in the subject and in the text. They are replaced by the values of the value inputs, %1 by the first value input, %2 by the second and so on. "Temperature %1 degrees" therefore becomes "Temperature 50 degrees". The formatting follows the data type of the linked address (integer, floating point number or string); if no address is linked, floating point number is used. %% gives a single percent sign.

Inputs
AU	Trigger	Triggers the message. Exactly when is defined by the parameter Trigger. A message that is already running and not yet acknowledged is not reset by triggering again. No address is generated for this input on purpose: the trigger comes from the program or from an address that already exists.
QU	Acknowledge	A rising edge acknowledges the message: the escalation stops, AK and UQ drop and the level is set to 0.
SP	Block	While this input is 1 the message does not trigger. A chain that is already running is ended.
W1..W8	Value	Optional values for the placeholders %1 to %8 in the subject and in the text. The number is set with the parameter Number of value inputs.
Outputs
AK	Message active	1 while the message is running, that is from triggering until acknowledgement. If no acknowledgement is required the output is set briefly after sending and drops again.
UQ	Unacknowledged	1 if the message has been sent and not yet acknowledged. All unacknowledged messages are counted at output AN of the message centre.
ST	Level	Escalation level sent last. 0 means that nothing has been sent yet, 1 is the normal delivery.
TX	Message text	The message text created, with the placeholders filled in.
Parameters
	Trigger	Rising edge: the message is triggered at 0-1. Falling edge: the message is triggered at 1-0. Value change: the message is triggered at every change of the input value. While the controller starts up the initial values are taken over without creating a message. Telegram: the message is triggered by every telegram to the linked address, even if the value does not change. Telegram 1: the message is triggered by a telegram with a value other than 0. Telegram 0: the message is triggered by a telegram with the value 0. The three telegram-based types require an address at input AU. If the input is wired to another block there is no telegram and the message does not trigger; the two edges and the value change are meant for that case.
	Priority	Information, warning, alarm or critical. The priority decides who receives the message: the row of this priority in the assignment of the message centre applies. Only the priority Critical can break through quiet hours and mute. The priority is also passed on to the services, with Pushover for example as an emergency message requiring confirmation.
	Subject	Subject of the message. It is used as the subject of the e-mail and as the title of the push message. If the field is left empty, uni-PRO is used.
	Text	Text of the message, with the placeholders %1 to %8 for the value inputs.
	Delay	Waiting time in seconds between triggering and sending. This suppresses short faults that clear by themselves.
	Acknowledgement required	If the parameter is set, output UQ stays on until the message is acknowledged and the escalation levels are worked through. Without acknowledgement the message is sent once and is finished afterwards.
	Escalation levels	Opens the table of levels. Level 1 is always the normal delivery according to the assignment in the message centre; the table describes the levels after that. Per level the waiting time in seconds, the recipient groups and optionally a different priority are entered. The groups are picked with a button; it shows the names given in the message centre.
	Number of value inputs	Number of value inputs (0 to 8) for the placeholders %1 to %8.

Example: A fault message of the heating system is to go to the building technician first and, if it is not acknowledged after ten minutes, additionally to the standby service. To do so, the building technician is assigned to group 1 and the standby service to group 2 in the message centre. In the assignment the building technician is ticked at the priority alarm, and the message itself is given the priority alarm. One escalation level with a waiting time of 600 seconds and group 2 is entered.

Message

Inputs

Outputs

Parameters