# Alarm Calling Process

When any input channel value violates that channel's configured alarm violation criteria for a time interval longer than the alarm trip delay for that channel, the channel goes into an unacknowledged alarm state.

Note: The finite time required completing each scan of the network affect how quickly each channel's value would be updated.

- Whenever there is an Unacknowledged Alarm the corresponding channel alarm LED on the front panel will begin flashing.
- The unit will then start to call programmed destinations, beginning with the lowest numbered destination that is linked to that channel (See See "Destination / Channels Grouping").
- If call progress monitoring is turned on each calling attempt will be terminated if no answer occurs within a programmable time limit (corresponding to a given number of rings to the called number) or if a busy signal is detected.
- The report only includes information about channels in the destination's group. As soon as connection is established the notification report begins immediately.

The report of a channel's status will generally include a Channel Status Message reflecting the current value status of the channel, followed by Tag Words, which reflect the state of the channel. Please refer to See "Tag Words and Channel States" .

The impacts on Catalyst operations are as follows:

- Acknowledged channels will re-enter the alarm state whenever a new violation trips.
- The time of alarm transition (used to sort reports) is set only by the initial violation.
- Once a violation is acknowledged, it cannot re-trip until the channel is reset (via reset timer).
- The reset timer is restarted when any violation is acknowledged. (Therefore is may take up to 4 times the alarm reset time to actually reset.