When Geo SCADA Expert has been configured to make use of the functionality provided by the Pager Driver, you can use Geo SCADA Expert to manually send messages to pager devices and mobile telephones.
There are two ways of sending a message manually:
- You can use the Send Message or Send Pager Message action for the User account of the system user that is to receive the message (the 'owner' of the pager device or mobile telephone).
- You can use the Send Message or Send Pager Message action for the Pager Service item that represents the appropriate protocol (the protocol supported by the pager device or mobile telephone that is to receive the message).
The only difference between the two methods of sending messages is that when you use the Send Message or Send Pager Message action for a Pager Service, you need to specify which user is to receive the message.
You can configure alternative ways of sending a message, for example, you can create a Mimic button that, when selected, triggers the Send Message or Send Pager Message action. For more information on alternative ways of triggering the Send Message and Send Pager Message actions, please refer to the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Mimics and the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Logic.
To send a message manually:
- Log on to Geo SCADA Expert via a User account that has the Control permission for either or both of the following:
- The User account of the user that is to receive the message. The User account has to be configured so that it is associated with a Pager Service.
- The Pager Service item that represents the protocol for the message.
If you only have the Control permission for a User account, you will only be able to use the Send Message or Send Pager Message action for the User account. Similarly, if you only have the Control permission for a Pager Service, you will only be able to access the Send Message or Send Pager Message action for the Pager Service.
- In the Database Bar, right-click on either:
- The User account of the user that is to receive the message
- The Pager Service item that represents the protocol for the message.
This displays a context sensitive menu.
When you right-click on the relevant database item, the context sensitive menu displays the Send Message and/or the Send Pager Message as appropriate.
- Select the Send Message or Send Pager Message option.
If you are sending a message using an SMS Pager Service, UCP Pager Service, or a TAP Pager Service that has Beep Code support disabled, select the Send Message option.
If you are sending a message using a Multitone or TAP Pager Service with Beep Code support enabled, you should select the Send Pager Message option.
Depending on your choice, the Send Message window or the Send Pager Message window is displayed.
If the Send Message window is displayed, proceed to Step 4.
If the Send Pager Message window is displayed, proceed to Step 5.
- Use the Send Message window to define the Recipient (To), Pager Number and Message:
- To—Choose the User account that is used by the system user that is to receive the message (see Define the Recipient of the Message (To)).
You only have to define the To property if you have selected the Send Pager Message action for a Pager Service database item.
- Pager Number—Choose the Pager Contact that represents the pager device or mobile telephone that is to receive the message (see Choose the Pager Number for the Device that is to Receive the Message).
Message—Enter the characters that comprise your message (see Define the Content of a Pager Message).
When you have defined the To, Pager Number and Message properties, proceed to Step 6.
- To—Choose the User account that is used by the system user that is to receive the message (see Define the Recipient of the Message (To)).
- Use the Send Pager Message window to define the Recipient (To), Pager Number, Message and Beep Code:
- To—Choose the User account that is used by the system user that is to receive the message (see Define the Recipient of the Message (To)).
You only have to define the To property if you have selected the Send Pager Message action for a Pager Service database item.
- Pager Number—Choose the Pager Contact that represents the pager device or mobile telephone that is to receive the message (see Choose the Pager Number for the Device that is to Receive the Message).
- Message—Enter the characters that comprise your message (see Define the Content of a Pager Message).
- Beep Code—Use to define the Beep Code to be used by the Service Provider. The Service Provider uses the Beep Code to instruct the recipient pager device to make a specific audible sound when it receives a message.
The code you need to enter varies according to the type of Pager Service being used. For more information, see Define the Beep Code for a Message Sent using the TAP or Multitone Protocol.
The Beep Code property is only available for TAP Pager Services if the Service supports a beep code property is enabled in the Pager Services' configuration (see Enable or Disable Beep Code Support for a TAP Pager Service).
- To—Choose the User account that is used by the system user that is to receive the message (see Define the Recipient of the Message (To)).
- Select the OK button to send the message. When the message has been sent, the Event Journal logs an entry that indicates that the Service Provider has received the message.
If the initial attempt to send the message is unsuccessful, Geo SCADA Expert will make a defined number of further attempts to send the message. If these attempts are also unsuccessful, the message is deemed to have failed.
The number of times Geo SCADA Expert will attempt to resend a message is defined in the configuration of the Pager Service and Pager Channel. For more information, see: