How Do I Set Up An Emergency Profile?

General Profile Information to be read first

Emergency profiles are modes for the controller to run where you would typically turn all lights on and have no occupancy sequences / switch configurations enabled (with the exception of the input devices responsible for transitioning to / from emergency).

Whilst we can trigger profiles directly from switches and absolute inputs, it is better to use a system variable when distributing an emergency state to multiple controllers, across a site because system variables are regularly reasserted to the network - meaning that if any controller misses the initial system variable change, it will be informed again.

Profile Setup

An emergency profile can be activated to override any scheduled profiles for as long as the emergency lasts. The usual way to exit an emergency profile is to return to the scheduled profile. Even if the controller has no schedules — for example, if it runs only a single normal profile — it's still recommended to create a schedule for that profile so the controller knows which one to return to. Alternatively, on a control system with only one profile, you can use the "Go to Profile (Ignore Priority)" action instead

First, set up a profile with an elevated profile priority.  

Select the Profiles tab on the far right in the grid view and create a new profile.

Each profile has a Priority.  Setting a profile priority above "standard" ensures that a regularly scheduled profile cannot cause a controller to exit the higher priority profile.  The controller should remain in the emergency profile until instructed to exit via the absolute input or other means.  

A profile can only interrupt a profile with lower priority. 

Ensure that the profile is assigned to the controller (Assignment & Logic->Control Assignment)

Absolute Input Setup

In the absolute input section (Instance Types->Absolute Input), configure your absolute input to be a binary (or inverted binary input, depending on orientation) for all profiles, including the emergency profile.

Give the absolute input a system variable to trigger a sequence on.  This will often instead be a zone - so as to broadcast a broader trigger out to multiple controllers.

Click here for information on zones

Creating The Sequence To Exit / Enter Emergency Profile

Create a sequence to enter/exit the emergency profile.  This is a 2 action basic sequence that uses the absolute input value to either go into the emergency profile or return to the scheduled profile (which can be used to exit a high priority profile).

Action 1

Condition "IF input at value 0" do Action Profile Function -> Enter Profile -> "3 - Emergency Profile"

Action 2

Condition "IF input at value 1" do Action Profile Function -> Return to scheduled profile (can also use Go to Profile (ignore priority).  This would depend on whether the system was running schedules or not.  If the system is running schedules (multiple profiles), the control system carries the last scheduled profile change heard.  If the system does NOT have schedules, the last scheduled profile change may never have been set, and thus, return to scheduled profile may not work.

(Note that the below image happens to use profile number, 65333 instead).

Defining Triggers To Point To the Emergency Profile 

Apply a trigger entry (Triggers & Sequences ->Trigger), type System Variable, with target of the System Variable you created for your Absolute input.  Select to run on target "Broadcast" and place the sequence in ALL profiles in the "Standard" position (Normal Hours, After Hours and Emergency).  Each time the absolute input is changed, the evaluation sequence will be triggered.   

Turning The Lights On, When Entering The Emergency Profile

To ensure that the lights are all turned on in the Emergency profile, create a single action sequence to broadcast recall maximum level to all lights and apply this sequence (named "Emergency Mode" in the image below) to the emergency profile row already set up as an "On entry" sequence.  

It would be advisable to leave all other switches, sensors and other sequences disabled from operating in this emergency profile, to ensure that all lights remain on.