How to Connect SeQent to Velotic Proficy iFIX (AlarmCast)

Velotic Proficy iFIX is a leading supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) platform in process industries, chemical manufacturing, and utilities. SeQent's AlarmCast gateway — technology we've refined over 20+ years of OEM partnership with GE — captures iFIX alarm events and routes them through SeQent's intelligent escalation engine, ensuring critical alarms reach the right teams instantly.

The AlarmCast Advantage

AlarmCast is not a third-party adapter; it is SeQent proprietary technology co-developed with GE Automation (now Velotic) to provide deep integration with iFIX alarm infrastructure. Unlike generic OPC gateways, AlarmCast reads the iFIX alarm queue at the database level, guaranteeing zero alarm loss and sub-second latency.

Prerequisites

Verify your Velotic Proficy iFIX installation includes:

• iFIX 5.9 or later (legacy versions require manual adapter configuration)
• Alarm and Event Manager component installed and running
• SeQent gateway server with network access to iFIX alarm database
• SQL Server connectivity (TCP 1433) from gateway to iFIX database server
• Database read permissions for the SeQent service account

Installation and Configuration

1. Install the iFIX Gateway

Download the SeQent AlarmCast iFIX gateway from your admin portal. Run the installer on a server with direct network access to your iFIX environment. During setup, provide the iFIX database server hostname, database name (typically iFIXAlarmDB), and the SQL credentials the SeQent service account will use to read alarm tables. The installer registers the AlarmCast service in Windows Services.

2. Verify the SeQent Service Account

Confirm the FPAM service account has read access to the iFIX alarm database. If the database is on a separate SQL server, grant the account db_datareader on the iFIX alarm tables.

3. Configure the Alarm Source

In FPAM Administrator, add a new iFIX Agent. Provide the AlarmCast gateway host name and port (default 8027). Verify connection succeeds and that alarm records begin populating.

4. Map Alarm Fields

Define how iFIX alarm attributes map to SeQent fields:

• Tag Name → Asset
• Alarm Type → Event Type
• Priority → Severity
• Timestamp → Event Time

5. Configure Routing Rules

Create rules that route iFIX alarms based on area, priority, or tag pattern.

6. Test End-to-End

Trigger a test alarm in iFIX and verify it is captured by SeQent within seconds. Confirm notifications reach the intended endpoints.

Advanced Configuration

Use AlarmCast filter tables to suppress low-priority or housekeeping alarms before they reach the FPAM routing engine. This reduces alarm load and prevents fatigue for operators on high-volume iFIX sites.

Common Issues

If alarms are missing, verify the FPAM iFIX Agent connection on the Connections tab points at the AlarmCast host and port. Check the SQL service account has not lost permission to the alarm tables (a common cause after database server upgrades).