stages® Documentation - Home
Area & Open/Close
Stages allows for schedule entry and records a history of opens, closes and alarms for each device. All open and close events are logged into history. Additional alarm events can be generated for events that occur outside the normal schedule. Schedules are entered in the Area and Open/Close tab of the Site Data Entry window. Schedules can also be added to a Site Group.
Alarm Panels can be divided into multiple areas, each relating to a different schedule and unscheduled disarm rules.
Area & Open/Close
Areas are entered and configured for Open/Close Events and linked to a Schedule. 
Signals with a Status of 'O' that report with the Area will be logged as the Open Event and signals with a Status of 'C' that report with the area will be logged as the Close Event. If signals with statuses other than 'O' or 'C' are set up to trigger the arm/disarm, they must be entered into the Device Configuration.
The Schedule can be either a Site Schedule or Site Group Schedule. Site Group Schedules are selected from the drop down. The Schedule number will default to '1' if it is not entered. If Schedule 1 exists on both the Site Group and the Site, the Site Schedule will have priority over the Site Group.
The area can report in as an alternate Xmit# for a Multiple Location Account.
Unscheduled Disarm Rules
Each area can have unscheduled disarm rules applied to it. The rule consists of how many minutes the area is allowed to be open, how many times the rule can be in enacted during a close period, the Contact user IDs allowed for the rule, and a schedule for when the rule is in effect.
Unscheduled Disarm Rules are opened for each area.
Open and close signals matching the unscheduled disarm rules will log into history and not generate an alarm. A close signal will be expected after the Open Minutes has been expired, and will log the Fail to Close event.
Schedule
The Schedule number is used to reference this schedule in other fields such as the Area & Open/Close Rules. Enter a Description for the schedule such as “normal schedule”. When adding temporary schedules, the description will show the start and end dates.
When a Site has a schedule assigned to the same number as a Site Group, the Site Schedule takes priority over the Site Group Schedule.
Open and Close Events
The standard Open and Close Event Codes should be set as log only. Alarms are generated by separate events codes that can drive Action Plans. Fail Open/Close Event can be set to generate a specific event code when an open or close does not occur as scheduled. Alternatively, Early Open, Late Open, Early Close, and Late Close Events will occur when an open or close comes in outside the normal schedule.
Early Open, Late Open, Early Close, and Late Close Windows allow for a time frame in which the alarm should be armed or disarmed. For example, if an open is scheduled at 8:00 and there is an Early Open Window of 30, then disarming the alarm between 7:30 and 8:00 will not generate an Early Open Event. The Fail Open Event will not occur until after the Late Open Window has expired.
Fail Open/Close Events can be set up with an Abort Group to cancel the alarm if an open/close signal comes in before the Alarm is accessed by an operator. The Abort Option on an Open/Close Abort Group should be 'standard'. The Event Codes for Fail Open/Close should belong to the Abort Group. The Event Codes for Open/Close should belong to the Abort Group as the Abort.
Schedule Defaults for the events and windows can be set up in Setup > Schedule Setup > Schedule Defaults, and will be defaulted in when adding a schedule.
Schedule Time Entry
- Select the Day Code (Setup > Schedule Setup > Day Codes) by using the dropdown menu or typing in the appropriate code (ex. MF for Monday through Friday).
- Select Add, Replace, or Clear All from the dropdown or enter A, R, or C.
- Enter the open time in HHMM format (800 for 8am and 1700 for 5pm).
- Specify if the close time will be the same day or another day with the dropdown. (If the close time is 2am, then the close will take place the next day.)
- Enter the close time in HHMM format.
- Save the Time Entry and it will appear in the Schedule Times pane.
Existing Schedule Entries can be modified or deleted in the Detail tab.
Schedule Exceptions
Days can be removed from a schedule by adding a Holiday (Setup > Schedule Setup > Holidays). All schedule-relevant holidays should be entered at the beginning of the year. Holidays can remove the day from the schedule (default) or be given a day/time schedule to follow instead of the regular schedule.
Temporary Schedules can be entered for a range of dates. The temporary schedule will be followed instead of the normal schedule during those dates. A temporary schedule can be entered with a calendar range for when it is in effect. For instance, a temporary schedule can be entered with an effective date of 1/1/2000 and an expire date of 12/31/2099 with a schedule of 12/1 - 12/31. This will be in effect every December from now until 2100.
The Actual Schedule window accessed from the Alarm Dispatch window displays a rolling week of the site schedule. One time schedule exceptions can be entered for a specific schedule item.
Reporting
Open / Close reports can be generated on a regular basis or accessed and printed on demand.