Date, Time, DayToNumber,DayToString and SiteDateTime Blocks
The Date, Time, DayToNumber, DayToString and SiteDateTime blocks allow the user to grab specific info depending on the starting point:
- date: grabs the date part of a date time point value
- time: grabs the time part of a date time point value
- dayToNumber: converts the date into a number
- dayToString: converts a part of date into a string
- siteDateTime: get the current data and time for the site associated with the target Ref of the bline program
These are the main blocks, but there are 2 other blocks that provide specific operations for the time:
- dateTimeAdd: add a duration from a dateTime. (minutes are the assumed unit)
- dateTimeSub: substract a duration from a dateTime (minutes are the assumed unit)
The Blocks can be found in the B-Line app, after creating a new program.
Date & Time Block Properties
All the date & time blocks accept only one parameter, but some have an extra option hidden inside them. The user can reach that by clicking on the block.
How To Create Date/Time Block
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Once you have created or opened a new or existing program, you will see a "+" button at the very top right of the B-Line app in the " - Routines - " section.
Click on this "+" button to get a drop down list of possible routines that can be created. Select "Alarm Routine" to create an alarm routine.
When an Alarm Routine is added, the Alarm Block will automatically be created in its own section below.
How to Use Alarm Block
Once you've made an Alarm Routine, and filled out the Alarm Block properties(Shown Above), a boolean point will automatically be created and placed in your available variables panel.
If your variable panel isn't opened, click on the "VARS" option found in the top main menu. (highlighted in blue in the picture below)
The name of the point will be taken from what is typed into the alarm block's "Alarm Name" slot
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When that Boolean point's value is set to "On" or "True", an alarm will be thrown against everything that matches up with the tags that the bLine program was set to target.
When the Boolean is set to "Off" or "False" no alarm will be thrown until the point reads on/true again.
Example Alarm Setup
The above screenshot represents a very basic setup on how to use and apply the alarm block to get an alarm result.
So based off of the setup shown in the above screenshot, we have it set up so that if the value of the roomTemp point is ">=" (greater than or equal to) "85" for at least 5 Seconds , then the "overHeatedZone" alarm point gets set to "On" which will throw an alarm.
We also added an "else do.." block so that if the value is not greater than or equal to "85" for at least 1 minute, then the "overHeatedZone" alarm point will be set to off
Click on the link below to watch a video demonstration on how the above example was set up!
Date &Time(DayToNumber, DayToString, SiteDateTime) blocks
How to set up the Alarm email notification
The above screenshot represents a very basic setup on how to use and apply the email block to get an alarm result.
So based off of the setup shown in the above screenshot, we have it set up so that if the value of the EF point is "TRUE" , then the "alarm" point will be set to "On" which will throw an alarm and also an email will be send out with the set subject and message.
The EMAIL BLOCK needs to be used only in ON EVENT routines!!!
Using the above set up for the email, the user will only receive a notification when the alarm is triggered and not constantly thru the hole alarm period.
Also in order for this set up to work the user need to set the email settings before, and enable the 2 pod extensions in Settings App.