# Notification (Alarm) Reports

Notification (Alarm) Reports have two purposes:

1. To report alarm information to personnel
2. To prompt for acknowledgment of alarms

From the prospective of the RTU, notification is the process of reporting alarm conditions to eligible destinations. The specifics of what alarms are reported to which destinations depend on many settings within the RTU. These settings include destination types, how channels are linked to destinations, plus various session and annunciator parameters.

The notification report for the destination includes information only for those channels that are in the destination's group. Thus, if there are unacknowledged alarms for channels that are not linked to a given destination (configured using Destination Channel Grouping), the person at the given destination will not hear about them unless they take special steps such as entering Program mode.

In both incoming and outgoing sessions, the notification report is the first thing to occur after establishing connection.

The Notification Report consists of the following elements:

- Unit ID: Either the default or user-configured ID message; in voice and/or text.
- PIN Entry: If any PINs are configured, the "Please Enter PIN" prompt is given. If PINs are not configured, then a "Please enter tone to start report" prompt is given. Pressing any keypad number will start Voice mode session. If no input is detected within 10 seconds, then the Catalyst will attempt to establish a DATA mode connection. If PINs are configured, the RTU will prompt a maximum of three times for a valid PIN. When a valid PIN is entered, the session proceeds, constrained only by the privileges configured for that PIN. If the RTU is configured to acknowledge alarms on PIN entry, then acknowledgment now occurs. If PIN entry is unsuccessful, a "invalid PIN" entry is logged and the session concludes.
- Preliminary Report: Provides information regarding the RTU state. This information reported includes;
  - Unreported Power Failures (PFAIL)
  - Low Battery is detection
  - If the Time of Day needs to be reentered
  - Unreported phone failures (TFAIL)
  - Reports if the unit disarmed
  - If there are no scheduled destinations
  - Log File Overflows detected
  - Information when the Scan is OFF for Configured Networks
  - Any configured network with channels in communications alarm
  - Central Station Session Failure

Alarm Report: Provides a channel status message for every channel with an unreported condition that is linked to the reporting destination. Front Panel sessions and Call-in sessions disregard channel/destination links and deliver reports for all channels.

Menu prompt: Front Panel and Over The Phone (OTP) VOICE mode sessions will give a warble tone and prompt the operator to enter one of the command keys (see table below) by offering the available menu choices. To interact with the RTU over the phone, you will use the telephone keypad buttons. These keystrokes act as commands to the RTU. If the RTU gets no response for 10 seconds, after repeating the menu choices three times, the session will be terminated.

Listening Period: If so configured, OTP sessions will remain online with the RTU microphone enabled for 15 seconds to monitor sounds at the remote site. The RTU will then terminate the session.

Report delivery terminates when:

- Operator hangs up the phone.
- Three invalid PINs are entered (if PINs are configured).
- Operator enters PROGRAM mode.
- All alarms are acknowledged.
- There is no response from operator within 10 seconds.

For additional information, refer to the topic Receiving and Acknowledging Alarm Calls.