Applicable Systems
PanelView Plus 7
Symptoms
Alarm log entries are truncated; oldest records disappear before retention limit.
Possible Causes
- Internal storage fragmented due to frequent small file writes.
- Alarm buffer size set lower than required by plant retention policy.
- CompactFlash or SD card approaching end-of-life with bad sectors.
Troubleshooting Steps
- Step 1: Check disk free space and fragmentation level in the storage utility.
Free space >20% and fragmentation <10%. - Step 2: Increase the alarm buffer size in FactoryTalk View ME alarm setup.
Buffer capacity holds 30 days of alarms without rollover. - Step 3: Run a full-format (not quick) on the SD/CF card and restore from backup.
Card passes write-read-verify test and SMART-equivalent status is healthy.
How to Reset
Back up the alarm CSV files, reformat the storage media, restore data, and expand the alarm buffer size.
Source: Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 7 User Manual
Category: HMI