The FarmWAN Q-SYS Plugin is an informational utility developed to provide Q-SYS programmers the ability to trigger operations based on weather activity for a given location. This plugin scans the NOAA Weather database every minute for active alerts that apply to the provided coordinates and compares the parameters of the alert to the configuration to determine if an alert should be triggered. Standard parameter filters such as Urgency, Severity and Certainty as well as Response Type are programmable to suit each deployment. "Must Include" and "Must Exclude" keywords can also be specified to meet a broad range of application requirements.

Applications:

Provide Weater-based Notifications on Touchpanels or Digital Signage

Automatically Adjust Audiovisual Systems Based on Weather Events

Pair with the FarmTTS Plugin to provide Audible Weather Alert Announcements

Simply drop the plugin into your design from the Asset Manager in Q-SYS Designer or download the plugin using the link below.

Questions?
Check out the FAQ section for additional information or contact Support for assistance.

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How do I install and use the FarmTTS plugin?
The FarmTTS plugin can be installed by adding the resource from the Q-SYS Asset Manager or by downloading and installing the file using the link below. Once added to your design, use the Setting Tab to configure the plugin with the target location and alert parameter settings. Be sure to enable alerts using the "Enable Alerts" button once your configuration is set.

Does the FarmWAN plugin work for locations outside of the United States?
Unfortunately, the plugin currently only works for locations based in the United States. Future versions of the plugin may include other sources of data which allow us to offer this plugin to non-US based users.

How do I get the Lattitude and Longitude for my location?
The easiest way to determine the lattitude and longitude for a given point on the map is to use Google Maps to find your location and then right-click over that spot. The first line of the menu that appears is the lattitude and longitude numbers to be entered in the corresponding fields in the plugin. If you use alternate means, be sure to include the minus sign ("-") in front of all Southern lattitudes and all Western longitudes.

Why am I getting a 404 error and/or why is my plugin status Compromised?
Entering a lattitude or longitude incorrectly or outside the bounds of the United States will result in a 404 error and the plugin will report a Compromised status. Most often, the cause of this issue is a missing minus sign ("-") in front of all South lattitudes and/or West longitudes. All US-based locations should have a positive (North) lattitude and a negative (West) longitude. All other punctuation should be removed from these fields.

How do I set the alerts to automatically clear?
Using the "Auto Clear Alert Period" and "Auto Clear Interval" properties under the FarmWAN Properties section on the Properties tab, you can set the plugin to automatically clear an active alert from 1 minute up to 120 hours. After this set duration, the active alert will automatically clear and be ready to trigger on the next alert received. Setting this value to zero (0) will disable this feature.

How do I stop the alerts from clearing automatically?
Using the "Auto Clear Alerts" property under the FarmWAN Properties section on the Properties tab, you can set the auto clear duration to zero (0) which will disable the this feature.

Why do I not get all of the alerts posted for my location?
If more than one active alert is received for a given location, the plugin will review all of them and determine the most critical based on the urgency, severity and certainty parameters to be reported.

Why do I get the same alert that I've already cleared?
The FarmWAN plugin logs the identification numbers for each active alert that gets reported and will not trigger again for the same alert until the Core design is restarted or the internal log is cleared. Stored alert identifications are automatically cleared when the alert expires. If the NOAA Weather service issues an update for an active alert with a new identification number and parameters that match your configuration, it will trigger the plugin again.

Can the plugin be programmed to only work on specific days and/or specific times?
Using Snapshots and the Command Scheduler tab in the Administator, you can program the Core to automatically enable and disable the FarmWAN plugin based on any schedule you wish.

How do I use the "Keywords" fields?
The "Keywords EVENT MUST Include" and "Keywords EVENT MUST NOT Include" fields are provide to allow you to include or exclude active alerts that you don't care about. Words entered here are compared to the Event description data received when an active alert is found for your location. You can use multi-word keywords ("Wind Advisory") and enter multiple keywords separated by a comma (","). For example, entering *Tornado, Wind Advisory, Frost* in the "Keywords EVENT MUST Include" field and *Thunderstorm* in the "Keywords EVENT MUST NOT Include" field will return all active alerts that either have the words Tornado, Frost or the phrase Wind Advisory in the Event description AND does not have the word Thunderstorm in the Event description.

Can I have more than one keyword in the "Keywords" fields?
Yes, you can use multi-word keywords ("Wind Advisory") and enter multiple keywords separated by a comma (","). For example, entering *Tornado, Wind Advisory, Frost* in the "Keywords EVENT MUST Include" field and *Thunderstorm* in the "Keywords EVENT MUST NOT Include" field will return all active alerts that either have the words Tornado, Frost or the phrase Wind Advisory in the Event description AND does not have the word Thunderstorm in the Event description.

How often is the weather forecast data updated?
The FarmWAN plugin polls the weather.gov database every 10 minutes, even if the alerts are disabled. You can use the "Refresh Weather Data" button on the plugin UI or using the control pin to update this data more frequently.

What happens if the plugin stops functioning properly?
Please contact Support if your plugin fails to work properly.

Can I run more than one plugin in a design at a time?
Yes, you can use multiple plugins with different settings to create triggers that react to specific alerts. For example, you could configure one with the keyword "Tornado" and another with the keyword "Wind" so that each can trigger different system responses.

What data is collected if "Data Collection" is enabled and why?
If "Data Collection" is enabled, error codes and error descriptions received by your plugin will be sent to The Farm developers to ensure proper functionality. In addition to the Locking ID and name of your Core, the provided coordinates of your location are collected when an error is reported. The Farm also collects the Event description when an active alert is recevied in order to make improvements to the functionality and operation for future releases. Please contact Support for additional information