Trend Watch: Operator HMI Development

行业会议经常提供有很大的机会，可以看到新技术与听到各种最终用户与这些技术的经验谈论他们的经验。然而，往往频繁地捕获有点洞察力，可以跨越行业的先兆技术应用。

在上周PASTechnology Conference in Houston, I heard not one, but two, examples of technology application that I have not previously encountered.

Keith Dicharry的演示期间，第一块洞察力来自。Dicharry是巴斯夫·弗里波特，德克萨斯州植物的过程和自动化领导者。在他的演讲中，他描述了如何BASFis building the “control room of the future at this plant.” He explained that they completed alarm rationalization a year ago and are now in process of implementing the Honeywell Experion overlay portion of the project.

这个“未来控制室”项目的另一部分涉及试验开发和使用高性能HMIS。此导频的一个关键方面涉及具有工程师和操作员设计的接口屏幕，他们实际与屏幕一起使用。这是引起了我的注意力。

我没有听说过一个项目，作为新接口卷展栏的一部分，运营商必须在设计他们与之合作的界面方面发挥重要作用。只是为了确定这不是一个趋势，我以某种方式错过了，我问了几个其他最终用户，以及会议上的其他一些行业供应商，如果他们以前听说过这样的东西。他们都证实这也是他们的新闻。

“我们审查了高性能的HMI哲学，进行了高性能的HMI车间，然后为操作员和工程师开发了一种风格指南，”他描述了如何掌握这一新的HMI开发步骤。“这是我们正在做的额外培训的一部分，我们正在与运营商帮助他们掌握更好地设计HMI图形的概念和功能。”

Dicharry说，历史上，历史上，历史上讲，历史上，运营商并没有意识到DCS（分布式控制系统）可以做的所有内容。他们只知道他们被教导了什么。“所以现在我们教他们许多不同的方式来看待数据并要求他们如何基于对他们最有意义的原因最佳设计他们的HMI。”

Dicharry notes that more review of “before and after graphics,” illustrating the difference between BASF’s former multi-color HMIs and the newer, less colorful high-performance HMIs is needed to help operators “capture the essence of the scope of change we’ve initiated with this project.”

One of the biggest findings of this project to date, according to Dicharry, is that “when you get an operator to build his own interface, you don't have to train him on it.”

Other interesting discoveries include learning that operators happen to like some display aspects that some had thought they wouldn’t prefer. For example, Dicharry says that he doesn't like radar plots and figured most operators didn't either; but it turns out the operators love them and use them quite a bit in their HMIs.

Though the operators did not initially like the new high-performance, less colorful screens of the new HMIs they were designing, they’ve now changed their minds and are happier with the new design because “they’re getting better information and they’re easier to read,” Dicharry said. It’s also enabled them to design screens that “allow them to do a quick scan to see how everything is operating.”

As for that other interesting example I encountered at the PAS conference referenced above … look for my upcoming Trend Watch article on cyber security dashboards.