Thermo Scientific Insight FAQ Page

Explanation of Insight alarm system and how to acknowledge an alarm

1. The freezer must be in an alarm state for 30 minutes before an alarm signal is sent out. Waiting for this period prevents notifications from being sent out for most false alarms.
2. After 30 minutes in the alarm state the 1st contact person for your lab will receive an email as well as a phone call and/or text message notifying them of the alarm. Some of you chose not to be contacted by phone or text, so in that case you will only receive an email. See the FAQ below about Changing User Information if you'd like to start or end receiving alarm notifications by text.
   • To prevent the system from calling the next person, you will need to acknowledge the alarm in the alarm notification email or log into the Insight system to acknowledge the alarm for your freezer. You cannot acknowledge the alarm by text or phone call, but you can be alerted to the alarm that way. You acknowledge the alarm in Insight by signing in, then clicking on your freezer (identified by the EQ number) and going to “Alarms” on the left, and then acknowledging the alarm. Acknowledging an alarm means that you and everyone else subscribed to your freezer will no longer receive alarm calls/emails for this alarm event. Someone needs to go in and take care of the freezer now.
3. If the 1st contact person does not acknowledge the alarm, 15 minutes later the monitoring system will call/email the next person on the contact list. 
4. If the 2nd person does not acknowledge the alarm, 15 minutes later the monitoring system will call/email the 3rd person on the contact list. 
5. If the 3rd person does not acknowledge the alarm, 15 minutes later the monitoring system will call/email the 4th person on the contact list, etc., until there are no more new people to call.
6. *IMPORTANT* Once each person on the freezer contact list receives their first alarm (steps 2-5 above), each user will CONTINUE to receive alarms every 30 minutes via phone & text & email until someone in the communication tree acknowledges the alarm.

"Door Open" Alarms work slightly differently. After a freezer door has been open for 5 continuous minutes, the alarm notification is sent simultaniously to all members of a lab subscribed to the freezer. This alarm notification is repeated every 5 minutes for each individual until the alarm is acknowledged. Here is a diagram of these two different alarm profiles.

Forgot email or password

Those individuals that will respond to Insight freezer alarms should have received an email from Insight when they were first added as users in the system. The email address CU Green Labs and Facilities Management used to invite you to the site would be your @colorado.edu email. If you have questions about which email address is linked to your Insight User Profile, please contact Robin Arellano-Valles with Facilities Management robin.arellano@colorado.edu or (303) 265-1332.

If you have forgotten your password or believe you never received the "Welcome to Insight" initial email, go to the Insight Login Page and select "Forgot Password?" This will prompt you to put in your @colorado.edu email address, and a temporary password will be emailed to you which you can reset to the password of your choice once you log in.

Alarm states: Conditions that will casue the Insight freezer monitor to alarm

Insight will trigger an alarm to subscribers of a freezer asset for the following reasons. This is not an exclusive list:

• Amperage was below 0.1 Amps
• Temperature of freezer was warmer than the Upper Temperature Bound which is usually 10 °C warmer than your freezer's set point
• Temperature of freezer was colder than the Lower Temperature Bound which is usually 10 °C cooler than your freezer's set point
• The average value of Amperage changed by more than 15% over 1 month
• Door Switch was open for more than 300 seconds

Explanation of user permissions

A User in the Insight system can receive alarms and respond to/acknowledge alarms. A User can also see freezer attributes and data for freezers they are subscribed to.

An Admin in the Insight system can do the following:

• Assign alarms to users
• Receive alarms
• Respond to alarms (acknowledge alarms)
• Create an asset alarm profile
• Create or edit an asset
• View Sensor Data
• Create/edit users

User permissions can be edited in the User Profile section of Insight. 

Offline notification: What does it mean that my asset has gone offline?

If you receive an email or text indicating that one of your freezer assets has gone offline, this is different than your freezer being in an alarm state. An offline notification means that your Insight freezer monitor hasn't been communicating recently with CU Boulder's Wi-Fi network. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but it is important that you know when it is occuring because your freezer is effectively unmonitored during this time. The offline notification is sent to all users subscribed to a freezer at the same time via email, and for those that also have texting enabled in their user profile, a text will also be sent. This notification will only be sent if no data has been sent or receieved by the freezer monitor for 50 minutes, and will only be sent to individuals that have the Offline Alarms box checked on their User Login & Contact Profile. If you want to know when your mote is offiline, make sure this box is checked.

To respond appropriately to an "asset offline" notification, first log into Insight to see how your freezer was doing the last time it checked in via the Wi-Fi. If your freezer was doing fine and performing normally at the last check-in, it is unlikely something is wrong now during the offline notification. However, it is important to be aware that your freezer is unmonitored until your freezer monitor is back online. Contact Robin Arellano-Valles to let her know that your Insight freezer monitor is currently offline so she can determine what is wrong with your freezer monitor, or seek the help needed to determine that. If you receive the "asset offline" notification in the middle of the night and your freezer was fine at its last check-in, it is unlikely that there is anything wrong with your freezer now (just the monitor), and you do not necessarily need to come to the lab in the middle of the night to check up on the freezer. This is a decision lab members need to make for themselves though. 

Changing the set point of a freezer

If you plan on changing the set point of your ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer, please also make sure to adjust your set point in the Insight software system. For example, if you "chill up" your freezer from -80 °C to -70 °C, you are also going to need to change corresponding settings in Insight so that your Insight freezer alarm doesn't still think your freezer is set to -80 °C. If you have Admin privileges in Insight, you will be able to modify your freezer's set point. If you have any issues, contact Robin Arellano-Valles with Facilities Management.

Changing the set-point and other values in the Insight software:

1. Log into Insight.
2. Select your the freezer asset you wish to modify from the asset list.
3. Select Edit Asset from the menu on the left side of your screen.
4. On the Edit Asset page under the first section entitled Details, adjust your freezer set point to the true set point of your freezer. If your freezer is actually set to -70 °C, make the set point in Insight also -70 °C. The set point value in Insight is in degrees Celsius.
5. Under the second section entitled Sensors & Alarm Conditions, for the Temperature section only, change the Profile of your freezer to match your current set point. "ULT Freezer" refers to an upright freezer and "ULT Chest" refers to a chest freezer. Select the best option for your freezer.
6. In that same section, change the Lower Bound to be 10 degrees colder than your set point. Change the Upper Bound to be 10 degrees warmer than your set point.
7. Ignore the Escalation Hold Off value. 
8. Save Asset at the bottom of the screen for your changes to take effect. 

Adding a new user or updating an existing user

If you are an Admin in the Insight system, you will have permissions to modify all user data within your Zone. If you need to update or change anything about who in your lab will receive alarm notifications, follow the steps below.

Instructions for adding a brand new User to Insight

1. Log into Insight
2. Click “More” at the top of your screen.
3. Click on the “Users” navigation on the left side of the screen.
4. Use the search feature in the upper right of your screen to verify that the new person you wish to add to Insight doesn't already have a profile. For best results, use a portion of their last name.
5. Click on "+ New User" next to the search field.
6. Fill out fields completely, keeping in mind:
   • Under “User Settings”, the Escalation User Field should always be left blank.
   • Facilities Management recommends that each User have the following boxes checked: Reporting enabled, Notify on recovery, and Offline alarms
   • The only Roles employed at CU Boulder are “User” and “Administrator”.
   • If you are adding a brand new User, ensure their Zone Access is exactly the same as others in your lab that respond to the same freezer, or ask for assistance from Facilities Management.
   • Never save a new user with an undefined Zone Access field.
7. Always click “Update User” at the bottom of the page for changes to save.

Instructions for updating an existing User

1. Log into Insight
2. Click “More” at the top of your screen.
3. Click on the “Users” navigation on the left side of the screen.
4. Search for the user you want to update either using the search function on the right or by clicking through the pages of users at the bottom. 
5. When you find the user you need to update, click “Manage User” on the far right on their line.
6. Update applicable information. The Alarm voice number, Alarm SMS number, and email address will be how the system contacts the individual in the event of an alarm. Make sure those fields are correct. Not that the user SHOULD NOT have an Escalation User, and please do not change the Zone Access. Remember to “Update User” at the bottom of the page for your changes to take effect. 
   • If the "Reporting enabled" box is checked for a user, they will receive a daily email summarizing any current issues with their freezer, alarms-to-date per month, and other helpful information. We recommend that this box be checked for all individuals that are responsible for responding to an alarming freezer.
   • If the "Notify on recovery" box is checked, messages will be sent when an alarm state ends for a freezer.
   • If the "Offline alarms" box is checked, the user will receive notification if the Insight Wi Fi freezer monitor has not sent freezer data for 50 minutes. We recommend users keep this box checked. If your Insight Wi Fi freezer monitor is offline or not sending data, then it also will not be notifying you if your freezer fails. If your Insight freezer monitor is offline, this issue needs to be corrected.

Checking on recipients of freezer alarms

To see who is subscribed to a freezer and therefore who will receive alarms if the freezer is malfunctioning:

1. Log into Insight
2. Select the freezer asset you'd like to check subscriptions for.
3. On the menu at the left of your screen, select Details.
4. Under the Subscriptions section of the Details screen, you will see the list of people who are subscribed to this freezer asset to receive alarms. 
   • If someone is subscribed with a 30 minute hold-off, this means that they will be the first in your lab to receive an alarm.
   • If someone is subscribed with a 45 minute hold-off, this means that they will be the second in your lab to receive an alarm.
   • If someone is subscribed with a 60 minute hold-off, this means that they will be the third in your lab to receive an alarm.
   • Etc.
5. The first person in your lab to receive an alarm notification will receive that alarm 30 minutes after the alarm state has begun. We set the first alarm threshold at 30 minutes because this will weed out many false alarms that are caused by normal use of your freezer.

To change who is subscribed to a freezer:

1. Log into Insight
2. Select the freezer asset you'd like to check subscriptions for.
3. On the menu at the left of your screen, select Subscriptions.
4. You are now on the Manage Subscriptions page. Notice how individuals that are subscribed to your freezer have the boxes next to their name checked, and there is a number written in to the "(Hold Off)" box to the right of their name? To change subscribers, select and deselect the boxes next to people's names. Then make sure that someone is designated with a "30" hold off, the next person to receive the alarms should have a "45" hold off, the next person should have a "60" hold off, etc. These numbers mean that the first person in your lab to receive an alarm will recieve it 30 minutes after the alarm state has started. 15 minutes later at the "45" minute mark, the second person will receive an alarm. For further details on how the alarm functionality works, see FAQ #1 above. Just ensure that for all the people you've selected boxes for on the Manage Subscription page, at least one person is given a 30, 45, 60, 75, etc. in 15 minute incriments until everyone is subscribed to your freezer that you'd like.
5. Please do not subscribe anyone to your freezer that is not in your lab. There will be more names of people on the Manage Subscriptions page than are in your lab because of the number of administrators and people with view-only access to the system, for example, CU Green Labs and Facilities Management. 

Demor or test a temperature alarm for your freezer on Insight

An Admin in the Insight system can use this simple procedure to do a demonstration of how Thermo Insight reacts during a real temperature alarm. This can be utilized as a training tool for members of your lab. It will only send an alarm signal for freezers that are colder than -50 C.

1. Log into Insight and click on the Freezer Asset you wish to use for the temperature alarm test.
2. Click Edit Asset from the menu on the left side of the screen.
3. Under Sensors & Alarm Conditions, scroll down to the alarm name called Temperature or Temp.
4. Make note of the Alarm Profile currently used for your freezer. This is the Profile you will want to put back in place once you’ve done the Temperature Alarm Test.
5. Under Profile, select ULT Freezer TEMP ALARM TEST ONLY. Upper bound, lower bound, and Escalation hold off will be populated for you automatically.
6. Click Save Asset at the bottom of your screen for this change to take effect.
7. The first alarm notifications will be sent 30 minutes after you make this change.
8. Run this test for a few hours during a work day so that lab members can see how they will be contacted in the event of a real temperature alarm, and so they can understand how to Acknowledge an alarm.
9. Once you have run the test for as long as you wish, go back into the Edit Asset view and put your Temperature Profile back the way it was before you did the test, which will be something like “ULT Freezer at -70 (200:TEMPERATURE). Choose the “ULT Freezer at -70” option if your freezer’s set point is -70 C and it is an upright, choose the  “ULT Freezer at -80” option if your freezer’s set point is -80 C and it is upright, and choose the “ULT Chest at -70” option if you have a chest freezer at -70 C.
10. Click Save Asset at the bottom of your screen for this change to take effect.
11. Be sure to put the correct alarm profile back in place for your freezer, otherwise your freezer will not be monitored for temperature as it should be.

Important things to remember

• Your freezer is identified in the Insight software system by its unique EQ number. This is a number Property Services assigns to large lab equipment on campus. Therefore, please do not delete the EQ number from your freezer's name in Insight.
• If you think you are seeing too many assets in your list when you log into Insight, please DO NOT DELETE the assets you don't think are yours. Instead, contact Robin Arellano-Valles (contact information below) and she will adjust your settings so you only see the freezers you are supposed to. Deleting an asset from your page deletes it from the entire software system, not just from your view.
• Never change the zone your Asset is in.
• If you need to send your freezer off-campus for repairs or otherwise, contact Robin Arellano-Valles in advance so that staff from Facilities Management can come remove the Thermo Insight monitor from your freezer. The freezer monitor should never leave campus.
• If you ever move your ultra-low temperature freezer(s), let Robin Arellano-Valles know of this change by telling her the freezer’s EQ number and its new location. If you do not notify her of this location change, preventative maintenance will cease on your freezer.
• Ultra-low temperature freezers with EQ numbers that Facilities Management is aware of receive annual preventative maintenance (PM) checks. You can check that your freezer is receiving an annual PM because there should be a sticker on the front of your freezer with a list of dates and initials when the PM is performed. If your freezer does not have an EQ number, it is not receiving a PM check.

Information about when tags in Insight will clear

A "tag" is an indicator within the Insight system that highlights an issue for a particular freezer asset. Some tags will clear immediately when an issue with an asset ends or is resolved, and some tags clear out at midnight after the issue is resolved. In order to help with this distinction, we have laid out below which tags clear immediately and which clear at midnight. With this knowledge you can better monitor your freezer and understand the tags the Insight system is providing.

Tags that will disappear at midnight after an issue is resolved:

• High Ambient
• High Cycles
• High On Time
• Hight On Time Warning
• Low Battery
• Trending

Tags that will disappear more immediately after an issue is resolved:

• Set point alarm tags are cleared as soon as the sensor value goes back between the high/low set point thresholds.  
• Scheduled Maintenance tag is cleared as soon as the maintenance period expires.
• Archived tag only disappears if the asset is unarchived.
• Check Sensor tag disappears shortly after the sensor begins reporting valid data.
• Offline tag disappears shortly after the wireless mote begins reporting data of any kind.
• Misprofiled tag disappears if the asset's set points are changed such that the sensor data is consistently between the high/low alarm set points.  It also disappears (at midnight) if the asset's sensor data naturally occurs between the high/low alarm set points.  
• The Unmonitored tag disappears as soon as an alarm is enabled on an asset.
• The Unsubscribed tag disappears as soon as an asset has at least one alarm subscriber.