What is equipment status?
The control system’s live picture of each CCR and field unit — running, standby, local, faulted or out of service — and how old that picture is.
Equipment status is the control system’s live record of what state each piece of equipment is in. A CCR or field unit reports whether it is running, on standby, off, in local mode, in fault, or flagged out of service, and the control screen turns that into a symbol or colour. Unlike an alarm, which reports an event, status is the continuous picture, and it includes all the normal states, so a controller can see at a glance what is working.
Two limits matter. First, status describes the equipment, not every light: a CCR can show Running while one lamp in the circuit has failed, because the CCR is still delivering its current. Lamp-level information exists only where individual lamp monitoring is fitted. Second, a status is only as current as its last update. If communication drops, the screen can keep showing the last state it received. Silence is unknown, never off, and a good system marks stale data clearly. Flags such as local and out of service tell controllers to keep hands off, but only physical isolation at the equipment makes work safe.
- Report. The CCR or field unit signals its state and mode to the control system.
- Collect. The ALCMS gathers the signals and time-stamps them.
- Display. The screen shows a symbol or colour for each item.
- Check freshness. Confirm the data is live before trusting it.
- Decide. Act only when the field is confirmed safe, and verify what the screen cannot show.
Equipment Status Explorer
Pick a status shown on the control screen
On the screen ONE CCR
What it tells you AND WHAT IT DOES NOT
Teaching simulation. State names and behaviour are illustrative; real systems label and handle them differently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is equipment status?
The control system's live record of what state each piece of lighting equipment is in, such as running, standby, off, local, fault or out of service. It is usually shown as a colour or symbol on the control screen and includes the normal states as well as the abnormal ones.
Q2How is equipment status different from an alarm?
Status is the continuous current state, including normal operation. An alarm is an event that reports something abnormal and normally needs acknowledging. Equipment can show a Fault status after its alarm has been acknowledged, and an old alarm can sit in the log while the status is back to Running.
Q3Does 'running' mean every light is on?
No. Running means the equipment reports that it is energised and delivering output. A single failed lamp, a dirty lens or a misaligned fixture will not change it. Lamp-level information exists only where individual lamp monitoring is fitted, so visual checks and inspection are still needed.
Q4What does it mean when equipment shows local?
Control has been taken at the equipment itself, usually at the CCR, so commands from the control room should not change it. Someone may be working there. Do not try to override it. Contact the person on site, and have the equipment returned to remote control only when it is safe.
Q5What should I do when a status stops updating?
Treat it as unknown, not as off. The screen is showing the last state it received, and the circuit could be lit, dark or faulted. Check the communication path first, then confirm the real state by another means, such as a tower or patrol observation or an engineer on site, before relying on it or sending a command.
Q6Is an 'out of service' flag the same as isolation?
No. The flag tells controllers the equipment is not available and may have work under way, but it does not make anything safe. Safety comes from physical isolation and lock-off at the equipment under the work permit, never from a status on a screen.
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