iControl can be configured to automatically suppress the generation of certain signal alarms for specific periods of time, and then to automatically revert back to its normal alarm-generation behavior to match the expected behavior of particular channels.

For example, if channel 1409 is known to sign off at 2:00 a.m. and to resume normal programming at 6:00 a.m., operators may find that iControl distracts their attention by reporting alarms due to the presence of the color bars and audio tone that are broadcast during the night.

With an iControl system not configured for alarm scheduling, the color bars and audio tone would continuously generate alarm states on channel 1409, which would keep being reported as invalid signals in the iC Web user interface. Notice the red status icons and red UMD in the image below.

As shown below, once alarm scheduling is configured in iControl, the generation of video freeze alarms for channel 1409 will be suppressed every day from 2:00 a.m. to 6.00 a.m., while the other signal parameters, such as video presence and video black, are still verified. During the alarm suppression period, the overall status of the signal remains valid, and none of the video freeze status icons for channel 1409 turns red.

Instead, the status icons representing detailed alarms appear in a darker shade of green or red to indicate that the alarm is suppressed. The real status is thus still visible, but in a non-obtrusive way.