THE ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS USERS’ ASSOCIATION PROCESS PLANT CONTROL DESKS UTILISING HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES "| AGUIDE TO DESIGN, OPERATIONAL AND HUMAN INTERFACE ISSUES PUBLICATION N° 204 : 2002THE ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS USERS’ ASSOCIATION PROCESS PLANT CONTROL DESKS UTILISING HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES A GUIDE TO DESIGN, OPERATIONAL AND HUMAN INTERFACE ISSUES PUBLICATION N° 201 : 2002 Copyright ©2002 The Engineering Equipment and Materials Users’ Association ISBN 0 85931 136 8 10-12 Lovat Lane London EC3R 8DN Tel + 44(0) 20 7621 0014 Fax + 44(0) 20 7621 0022 [email protected] www.eemua.ora EEMUA Cas EEMUA THE ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS USERS’ ASSOCIATION ‘The Engineering Equipment and Materials Users’ Association (EEMUA) was formed in 1983 by the Amalgamation of the Oil Companies Materials Association (OCMA) and the Engineering Equipment Users Association (EEUA). It is an organisation of ‘substantial purchasers and users of engineering prodycts, whose members include leading national and multinational companies in the petroleum, gas, chemical and energy industries, and engineering contractors that act on behalf of those companies as their main agents. EEMUA is concemed with the design, installation, operation and maintenance of the engineering plant used by members in pursuing their business activities. The Association aims to reduce members’ costs by providing the opportunity for them to share resources and expertise in order to keep abreast of technological developments and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their engineering activi EEMUA supports the British Standards Institution, works with other institutions, associations, government departments, regulatory authorities and the Confederation of British Industry, and is also actively involved with other standards- making bodies, both national and international, such as the American Petroleum Anstitute. EEMUA work is carried out in-house by members or with the help of other organisations, and may tead to the production of Association publications. These are prepared primarily for members" use, but are usually offered for sale and thus for more general use. Such publications may also be submitted, normally through the British Standards Institution, as bases for appropriate national, European or international standards. Members of EEMUA include: ABB Engineering Services, AstraZeneca, BASF, BP, ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, Dow Coming, E.ON UK, ExxonMobil, Foster Wheeler Energy, Huntsman, Hydro, innospec, Johnson Matthey, Royal Vopak, RWE Npower, Shell, ‘Syngenta and Total iiABOUT THIS PUBLICATION: LEGAL ASPECTS: In order to ensure that nothing in this publication can in any manner offend against or be affected by the provisions of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976, the recommendations which it contains will not take effect until the day following that on which its particulars are furnished to the Office of Fair Trading As the subject dealt with seems likely to be of wide interest, this publication is also being made available for sale to non-members of the Association. Any person who encounters an inaccuracy or ambiguity when making use of this publication is asked to notify EEMUA without delay so that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken. Ithas been assumed in the preparation of this publication that the user will ensure selection of those parts of its contents appropriate to the intended application and that such selection and application are correctly carried out by appropriately qualified and competent persons for whose guidance the publication has been prepared. EEMUA does not, and indeed cannot, make any representation or give any warranty or guarantee in connection with material contained in its publications, and expressly disclaims any liability or responsibilty for damage or loss resulting from their use. Any recommendations contained herein are based on the most authoritative information available at the time of writing and on good engineering practice, but it is essential for the user to take account of pertinent subsequent developments and / or legislation, All rights are reserved. No part of this Publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other. Infringement of copyright is not only illegal, but also reduces the Association's income thereby jeopardising its ability to fund the production of future publications. iiiTable of Contents About this Guide. Scope. Purpose. . ix ‘Acknowledgements... ro. ix Notes on use of this Guide.. 4. An introduction to computer based HCI control room: ca] What is a HCI system?........ ee 1 42 ‘The role of the operator 13 Key design principles . 2. HCI design 24 General considerations... eS 214 Key items nn ncn Se a 5 22 Design issues... 7 221 Physical leyout and number ‘of screens. 222 Technology... 223 Navigation... nnn 224 Information access. : 22 Abnormal Situations Management. 23 Factors influencing the overall design 234 Automation 232 — Plantsize. 233 Process complexity... 234 — Manning levels & multi-unit operation . 23.5 Reliability/Redundancy/System Failure 3. Display format design guidance ad Principles of good display & interface design... 32 Display formet design methodolog} 32.1 Display format configuration & layout... 322 Information display.....c.nsnienenmene 4. Control room design 44 Factors influencing : Eee 5, Overall HCI system design guide., 54 Requirements... : 52 Large Screens... nn 53 Number of Screens ceo cue ae 24 54 Navigational techniques... 26 55 Windowing ...... ‘ oe) 56 Format Considerations 87 Maintenance Life cycle... ee 58 Guidance for a well designed HCI Hol Guide v @rEMUAAppendices Appendix 1 Glossary ...nnen See a6. Appendix 2 Example screen configurations 0... 37 Appendix 3 Example display hierarchies : a 39 Appendix 4 Example refurbishment design strategy .... 45 Appendix Engineer survey fOr ooo ene sone : av Appendix 6 Operator survey form an 51 Appendix 7 References. sseerren trees 54 HCI Guide w @EEMUAForeword In years past, the board operators of large industrial processes would perform monitor and control activities from large panelboards containing scores of single loop controllers and indicators with trend charts and alarm enunciators provided for a limited number of key variables. Because of the cost and limited size of the panelboards, project engineers spent considerable effort designing content and layout before implementation. Once built, operators teamed the content, where to find things, and a feel for ‘normal’. Ata glance, an operator could get a sense of the overall process stetus from just about anywhere in the room. Navigation from one part of the unit to another was not difficult to learn—one simply walked from one location to another. Modem DCS control systems have been justified based on improving control and optimisation, increasing throughput, controlling at constraints, and increasing the board operator's scope of control. Consciously or not, demands of operator capability and performance have significantly changed; indeed the job of operators has transitioned from one of considerable reliance on knowledge of the plant layout and memorisation of @ number of tasks to one more focused on process knowledge and cognitive skils. Humans are not particularly well suited for watching computer monitors hour after hour, waiting for something to happen....which then rarely does. Plant managers and engineers did not fully understand the human factors implications of the introduction of this new technology into the control room environment. Inadequately designed graphics for the operators in many cases leads to significantly diminished situational awereness and operator fatigue. ‘The persistent paradox in the process industry is that as automation technology increases in complexity and sophistication, operators are faced with increasingly complex decisions in managing the process. Moreover, the industry's ability to design effective operator interfaces to the process has not kept pace with the task demands imposed by increased sophistication of technology. A key factor is the ability to understand the operator's task and interaction requirements and to design the elements of the work environment that effectively support those requirements. Hence, we have entered an era in which there is general consensus throughout the industry that the design of the operator interface, console and control room deserves appropriate skills and resources. Moreover the advent of new user interface technology has complicated the situation even further: “Use of sophisticated technology does not inherently increase system effectiveness; increases in effectiveness depend on how technolagy is used. Technology increases design flexibility, which in turn creates opportunities to dramatically enhance system performance. Flexibility however, also creates potential pitfalls and traps for the naive or unwary. A design may enhance system effectiveness by enhancing the effectiveness of operations personnel and mitigating the consequences of human error, Interfaces and human-system interaction design in sophisticated systems, however, have frequently been identified as major contributors to poor operator performance which sometimes results in dangerous or costly incidents and accidents." (Mitchell & Sundstrom, 1997") The process industry is beginning to understand that the development of sub-optimal operator interfaces and work environments can have an impact on plant safety and profitability. People experienced in plant operations and control created this guideline * Mitchel, C. and Sundstrom, G.( 1997). IEGE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Special Issue ‘on Hurman Interaction with Complex Systems, 27(3), p. 265. Hol Guide vil © EEMUAdocument. Grounded in their learning over the past decade, this document provides en excellent overview of the issues that plant management, project personne! and plant technical slaff should be aware of as they make decisions regarding the design of the ‘operator interface, console and work environment. The Abnormal Situation Management (ASM®) Consortium is pleased to recommend this document to those wishing to improve the effectiveness of console operations. Michael J Clark for the ASM® Executive Steering Committee Het Guide vil @EEMUAScope This document relates to Human Computer Interface (HCl) systems provided for people operating industrial processes such as chemical plant, power stations, oil refineries etc. It gives guidance on: + the factors to take into account when designing en HC! for such processes; «display hierarchies; ‘+ soreen display format design; * control room design’ The objective is to help engineers to develop HCI systems which are more usable and which therefore result in safer and more cost-effective operation of industrial systems. in addition it is intended to help reduce the need for re-engineering of systems after installation. Purpose HCI systems now form the essential operator interface to large modem industrial systems. They are utilised in power stations, refineries, chemical plants (continuous and batch), utility distribution centres, and many other places. They provide the vital means by which the ‘operator obtains information on the state of the plant, enters operational parameters, and by which any automatic control action can be overridden and manual control of the plant be taken, ‘The purpose of this Guide is to help those involved in the design, procurement, operation, maintenance and management of these systems. It is intended to help both in improving existing systems and in developing new facilities during plant construction. It is for use by engineers and managers in both user and contracting organisations. The objective is to make plants more operable and to save money. This Guide has been written by users in industry. It is based on what some leading Companies are doing. The guidance is designed to be practical and usable. The general guidance is directed towards large sophisticated computer-based process systems, but Contains much general information on HCI. There is also detailed guidance on specific issues Acknowledgements This Guide has been prepared by an EEMUA Sub-Committee made up of representalives of EEMUA member companies. Alist of EEMUA Member Companies who have been involved with preparation and review of this and other EEMUA publications is included at the end of the book. EEMUA gratefully acknowledges the contributions of all who have been involved, in many capacities, during the preparation and production of this Guide. Notes on use of this Guide ‘The main body of the text concentrates on philosophy and general principles. Key messages are highlighted in bold. Much supporting detail is in the appendices. A glossary defining @ few terms that readers may find unfamiliar or may cause confusion is given in Appendix 1. References are listed in Appendix 7. They are referred to in Parentheses, €.9. (ref. 1) HI Guide ix @EEMUASection overview This section provides a basic introduction to HCI control rooms. 1.1 What is a HCI system? Computer screen based systems now pervade every aspect of daily living, from the cash- point machine to the airline booking system and pracess control is no exception In the past most control rooms consisted of hard-wired equipment (such as dials, chart recorders, push butions and knobs) laid out on large metal panels and desks. In some industries the operator would patrol the panels monitoring key plant variables, adjusting set- points and operating equipment. In other industries the majority of the work was performed at the desk, with the panels being used mainly for observation purposes. This type of hard- wired operation meant that all the indicators that an operator needed were immediately Visible and thet in periods of high workload, the control operations could be easily shared. Evolution aver the years in most industries had seen control rooms reach a point of relatively high sophistication and where ergonomic guidelines had been developed for all aspects of the panel & desk layout, from labeling to colour coding, With the advent of computer operated control systems, a further desk development had taken place, namely the introduction of computer screens to allow for viewing of plant Parameters, via numeric indication and graphics (trends and display formats). These screens were usually seen as an ‘add-on’ facility - they did not allow for operator control action and had to be integrated in to the existing desk design, The final phase of the contro! desk transition has now taken place in the process industry This is the provision of a full ‘soft-desk’, comprising completely of computer based screens, ‘through which the operator both views the plant and operates it. In the majority of cases, there is no hard-wired indication facility at all (the exception being sometimes an Emergency Shutdown system). This then is the HCI. Where new plant is built such systems are now invariably installed. All the major manufacturers and independent DCS suppliers offer these as standard and many plants are refurbishing their control rooms and replacing the panels & hard-desk with a soft-desk. The issue that has to be addressed by design engineers is how to produce @ HC! that allows for ease of use comparable to the old ‘hard-desk’, whilst exploiting the benefits of the extra information capability of such a softwere based system. The design is also often constrained by the project budget, both in terms of the hardware that can be purchased and the amount of time that can be spent on designing and implementing the soft screens. This guide seeks to give advice to ensure that the correct amount of hardware is procured and the correct level of software sophistication is achieved for any plant, without compromising ‘operability and safety due to cost constraints. In this guide the term ‘Human Computer Interface’ refers specifically to the hardware and physical screens that make up the operators desk, as well as the underlying software that constitutes and produces the visual images that appear on the screens - allowing information display and control of plant items. It does therefore include all the features thet allow the operators to communicate with the software using Windows/icons/Menus/Pointers (often referred to as WIMPS). Hel Guide 1 OEEMUAHUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES: AN INTRODUCTION TO HCL DESIGN .CHP1 Pge:2 1.2 The role of the operator The operator in a modem process plant has a number of different activities to perform. At an overview level these consist of such as, optimisation of production, ensuring compliance with environmental constraints, managing plant difficulties, co-ordination of maintenance etc. A the detail level the operator is concerned with actual operation of individual plant items, either at single component level (e.g. pump, motor) or a composite plant item level. In addition the actual tasks performed will depend on the current state of the plant - e.g. start- up, normal operation, change of mode of operation, abnormal situation, normal or emergency shutdown etc. f Whilst not necessarily having a primary objective of altering the operators role, most control desk refurbishment is often part of a larger control & instrumentation refurbishment which inevitably includes increased automation. Allied to the fact that a soft-desk is not designed for operating the plant by continuous manual control of individual basic plant items (e.g opening /closing valves, starting! stopping pieces of equipment), a redefinition of the operators role becomes necessary. Typically then the role becomes much more one of a supervisor and monitor. Rather than Performing the majority of control actions, the automatic system is allowed to perform that role, whilst the operator concentrates much more on ensuring that higher goals, such as maximising efficiency or timiting environmental emissions are achieved. In addition more time is devoted to analysing potential problems or dealing with actual shortfalls in performance. The operator tends therefore to have a more reactive than proactive role in the operation of the plant. Only when the plant moves away from its normal operating parameters, Is major intervention, by the operator, required. Therefore a modern HC! interface is required to perform satisfactorily for two very different situations. For most of the time the plant will be operating normally and the HCI must be designed to aid the operator maximise plant efficiency but when an abnormal period of operation occurs, the HC! must aid the operator in returning the plant to normal operation as, soon as possible. Data that is vital to the operator for the efficient running of a plant may be totally useless in an abnormal situation and may in fact hinder the operator's attempts to The HCI must then support the operator in all the different activities and scenarios with which he might be confronted. The design of the display formets, the navigation around the system and the actual physical number of screens become critical parameters in the design of a system which is crucial to the operators role. 1.3. Key design principles ‘The primary function of the HCI is to Present the operator with a consistent, easy to use interface that provides monitoring and control functionality under all plant conditions. The following categories of operation, in order of importance, need to be considered Category 1 ‘Abnormal Situation handling — This includes Stert-up and Shutdown. Category 2 ‘Normal Operation - Most utilised role Category 3 Optimisation Category 4 General information retrieval ~This may be delegated to an IT system In order to achieve the above, many issues must be taken into account, ranging from the detailed design of individual display formats and the way that the display formals fit together in the hierarchy, through to the actual desk layout, number of screens and including the overall operational environment. Whilst the purpose of the HCI is to provide @ means to control a technical process, the design of the interface itself is very much a Human Factors issue. This interface is the nerve centre of the operator's work role. Iis often the sole means that the operator has to obtain Ht Guide 2 @EEMUAHUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES: AN INTRODUCTION TO HCL DESIGN. .CHP1 Pge.3 delalinformation on the state and performance of the plant, as well as the means by which the operator can influence plant behaviour. In order to design the HCI itis imperative that the operator's activites aro well understood - al the difering operational circumstances must be considered. An operator does not just have to cope with normal or steady stato conditions, but with start-ups and shui-downs, plant condition changes and abnormal situations. Whenever possible therefore : A Task Analysis should be performed to capture the full remit of the operator's role. Whilst the above will capture the operator's activities, a crucial element in the Successfulness of the final interface is the acceptability by the operators. This, combined with the intimate operating knowledge possessed by most operators’ means that all HCl projects should: Mandate complete end-user involvement in both detailed display format design and the overall system design, As emphasised above the analysis of activities wil feed into the design of the HCI system |n converting this into actual hardware the following principle must be complied with: The number of physical screens provided in the HCI must allow for complete access to all necessary information and controls under all operational circumstances. One of the most important factors in operating a plant both efficiently and safely is being able to have an understanding of the state of the whole plant. On hardwired systems this was provided for by its very nature. All indications were on view, information access was Simply a matter of scanning the panels. In a soft-desk implementation this is often forgotten or just not provided, but is an essential. Therefore: The HCI design should allow for a permanently viewable plant overview display format. Modern HCI, which are fully integrated will, almost without exception, also provide the alarm system interface, This is an important function in any process and due consideration should be given to the management and presentation of alarms. In this case: Continuous access to alarm indication should be provided. ‘The reliability of the HCI must be considered - this must be appropriate for the type of plant under control i.e. how much failure is acceptable, what is the bare minimum of ‘equipment that is necessary for running the plant. Control rooms, processes and their requirements invariably change over time. The trend is for more information to be required, rather than less. Whilst it may be possible to build this into an existing hierarchy of cisplay formats, itis inevitable that at some point, in order to maintain the operational functionality of the system that extra screens will be needed: The capability to expand the number of physical screens should be built into the original design. it should be remembered that if a HCI is to perform to its requirements and thus be accepted and exploited by its users (the operators) then ensuring that the Human Factors issues are addressed is as much a key factor as the engineering. HOI Guide 3 @EEMUAT | | HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES: HCIDESIGN —.CHP2 PgeS Section overview This section provides the main content of the document. It identifies the major design issues that have to be taken into account when designing a HCL It also indicates the main factors that influence the physical layout, the number of screens to be provided and hence the navigational issues that need to be considered. 2.1 General considerations As noted in the introductory section the traditional hard-wired desk has evolved over a number of years and as with most products with this level of maturity, provides an excellent, ergonomically well designed and easy to use interface. In providing a soft-desk for the main ‘operator interface, it is important not to lose the experience that has been built up from the traditional hard-desk installations, A soft-desk HC! system may be introduced to a site for a number of reasons : + Green field, new build site + Complete replacement of an existing hard-desk / control system + Anextension to an existing hard-desk + An upgrade to an earlier generation soft desk The latter three often occurring due to a change in plant operating controls or the addition of new plant, ‘The issues to be addressed are similar in all circumstances, however the replacement situation has the additional problem of managing the large cultural change that such a project involves, whilst the extension situation brings it's own problems as two separate ‘operating philosophies have to be integrated, Experience has shown that the third situation should be avoided if possible, 24.4 Key items In considering a soft-desk HCI installation a number of key items, which are almost taken for granted on hard-desks, have to be considered: Information display - a standard back-panel has much to commend it in terms of basic information display. ‘The meters and dials in their fixed positions are readily accessible, give excellent spatial awareness and provide overview and detailed data. Add to this the familiarity of the layout achieved by deily operation and the whole system becomes ‘second nature’ to the operator. Achieving the same level of awareness on a soft-desk requires careful thought and design and is discussed in detail in section 2.2.4 below. Operational ease - A hard-desk provides an ergonomically excellent platform for taking control action. Pushing buttons and turning knobs are well-practised and familiar operations. With the fixed positioning of these controls, operators are able to quickly and easily manipulate them, sometimes in parallel. For example, on a conventional power plant with @ number of pulverising coal mills, if there is @ problem, the operator using a hard-desk, physically moves to the controls dedicated to the offending mill. On a soft-desk, he has to select the correct display format for the mill as well as focussing on the problem in hand. This takes time and mental effort. The dedicated positions of the hard-desk can provide a more direct mental link. The methads of operator interaction for operating controls on a soft-desk need to be taken in to account as part of the overall design. In the past many HCI systems have been installed with the aim of mimicking the hardwired panel layouts that they replaced. This entailed the extensive use of Faceplate group displays and gave the impression of viewing the old hardwired panels through a window, a section at a time. For the operator, apart from Hel Guide 5 @EEMUAHUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES: HCIDESIGN —.CHP2 Pge.6 © allowing full contro! from the desk, this virtual pane! had few advantages. in fact the operator had gained a better “feel” for the condition of the plant by patrolling the old panels. ‘The objective of today’s HCI designer should not be to the panels of the past but to better them by using the strengths of the new technologies in the way data can be analysed and information presented. Operator awareness - Soft-desk refurbishments are often ‘part and parcel’ of a full control system refurbishment, or in the case of new plant the soft-desk is the end point of a highly automated system. Whilst this now reduces the amount of low level action that the operator has to take, itis stil important for awareness of the plant state to be maintained. On any system an operator is more likely to monitor variables if they are on display, rather than having to ‘search them out’. On soft-desks the amount of ‘screen real estate’ is limited Hence access needs to be as simple as possible (see section 2.2.4 below). An automated way of helping this can be to use a ‘surveillance mode’, whereby the operator selects specific displays and time intervals and the system cycles through these, displaying them on a chosen surveillance window. Alarm provision - Increased automation provides a relatively calm operating scenario when plant is in @ steady state. However given the restricted view of plant dala on soft-desks {noted above) and the importance of alarms in times of upset the display of alarm information has to be given a high priority. More information on alarms systems can be found in (ref 3) The above general considerations raise a number of issues that have to be considered when designing a HCI for a process plant. These include the basic decisions that need to be taken when specifying the HCI and are described below. 2.2 Design issues 2.2.4 Physical layout and number of screens. Pethaps the most dificult consideration when designing a new HC! is the type and number ofp oft considerations, e-g. navigational requirements, and in ils turn is greally affected by the influencing factors described in section 2.3. With the ever-increasing pressure on project costs, the number of screens to be used can easily become the focal point for cost reduction without due regard being taken to the operational consequences of the decisions taken. ‘The number of screens to be deployed should always be determined by the ‘operational requirements of the system — including abnormal situations. However any new HC! should be designed to allow additional screens to be added if, in the light of operational experience this proves to be necessary. The optimal method for determining the number of screens is to perform a task analysis (ref. 6) of the operator's duties and then map the information requirements for each specific operational scenario onto screen availability. However this method is often prohibitively expensive and in the case of new plant it may not be possible to be able to fully determine all operational requirements unti the plant has been commissioned. It should be remembered that the number of screens deployed has a high impact on both the design of individual display formats and the use of the navigation system: + A.small number of screens can lead to a desire to overpopulate the amount of information on any given single screen + Assimall number of screens can lead to vital information becoming hidden from view, particularly during abnorme! situations. » A small number of screens can increase the amount of action required to navigate through the system in order to retrieve data and hence make the system less useable HOI Guide 6 @EEMUA——————— HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACE! HCIDESIGN = .CHP2 Pge7 A case is often made for reducing the number of screens available, by stating that an operator can only deal with one or two screens at a time. Whilst this may be correct with regard lo actively managing the screens, it s undoubtedly true that the operator can cope with large amounts of information on permanent view (c.f. the hard-desk back-panel). Often this will save time with regard to display format navigation, as well as potentially allowing @ better menial context of the plant to be kept at all times. It is also important to consider the amount of concurrent data that the operator may need to view. Itis totally undesirable to have a situation where the operator has to constantly change between two (or more) display formats to enable a task to be accomplished. This situation can arise when the number of screens has been underestimated. This then often leads to the situation where more information than is acceptable is placed on a single display format to try and remove the need for the display format switching, ‘A number of general points can be made with regard to determining the number of screens required for a given installation Determination of number of screens How many overview displays are required? What alarm display philosophy is to be taken? How much simultaneous control action may need to be taken? How much general monitoring is required? What level of multiple windowing is to be allowed? What level of redundancy is considered adequate? Can screens be used for more than one process, or ‘module’ What future expansion may be required ? Fig 1 - Determination of number of screens required for a HCI For control desk refurbishment one method of determining the screen requirements is to identify the main plant areas and by extracting operational experience from long standing operators work together to establish what overview information is required. Additionally an analysis of existing indications can be undertaken to ensure all-important parameters are covered. The operators can also be used to determine typical control scenarios for establishing control action requirements. This is of course a task analysis approach, but without perhaps the full rigour of @ formal task analysis. Visiting other sites, both within the same industry and in external industries is a useful exercise in making operators aware of the possibilities that exist and in extracting operational experience. This approach does of course require much co-operation and it has to be recognised that there can be a reluctance to express ideas or opinions during the design consultation phase. The use of prototypes can be a good way of iterating around the user's opinions. Experience has shown that often further iteration is required even after the ‘final’ system installation. For example, the ability to cope with the following types of scenarios is required Actions to be carried out: Steady state mode -monitoring, dealing with minor problems, increasing efficiency, environmental compliance. Start up mode - ability to display all plant items under consideration, plus overall process state ‘Shut down as for start up Abnormal Situations -sufficient screens to monitor all affected plant areas Additionally, the need for permanent displays, for overview information and the alarm system, should be factored into the calculation of the number of screens required. See also section 2.2.3 on navigation. HOI Guide 7 @EEMUAHUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES: HCIDESIGN —.CHP2 Pge.8 « 2.2.1.1 Use of Multi-windows Most modern commercial systems allow for multiwindowing capability, however industry Users are often divided about the potential benefits of this technology verses the perceived disadvantages. Ultimately, the extent to which multiple windows are used or restricted in a particular application is a decision for the system design engineer in consultation with the Users. It should take into account the competency of the users (not only operators, but also supervisors, manufacturing engineers & technicians) and how comfortable they are with various styles of human interface. ‘The following table summarises some of the typical issués associated with the two types and will provide guidance to help decide which type of interface best suils a particular application Issue ‘Single Window Interface _| Multiple Window Interface User Widely accepted More likely to be accepted by operators who acceptability actively use desktop PC's running windows applications. Ease of Use | Not normally an issue May initially present @ confusing picture to operators who are unfamiliar with windows. Typical problems that may be encountered include opening/minimising too many windows or losing windows off the edge of the screen. As a result, additional training requirements should be considered when installing or upgrading to a windows based interface. Bispiay Not normally an issue High resolution monitors are needed fo ensure Resolution thal graphics remain well defined and readable as they are scaled. ‘System Not normally an issue ‘Can be an issue if the workstation processor IS Resources incorrectly sized. Gare should be taken when upgrading software on older systems to use windows. and_any_additional_memory.to_be | installed should be sized conservativeh View on the | Depending on the number of | Operators are able to set the windows up to process screens available and the | suit a particular activity in hand and reduce the total number of graphic | need for unnecessary paging. Engineers and displays, a single window | technicians may find multiple windows interface may restrict the | extremely useful during trouble-shooting operators view of the process | activities as they allow for a much larger range and result in excessive | of process data to be monitored, again without paging between displays in | the need for excessive paging. It is preferable order to effectively monitor | for engineering workstations to be available for process conditions. this functionality. ‘Complex Again, depending on the | With multiple windows, the operator can set up Operations | available screens, excessive | several windows ready to perform a complex paging may be required for | operation such as a slart-up. He can then complex operations such as | quickly switch between windows at the plant start-ups. appropriate time to perform each task rather than have to page through displays which can be time consuming and prone to error, particularly if operating “against the clock’. Fig 2 - Issues concerned with use of multi-windows HOt Guide 8 @EEMUAHUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACE! HCI DESIGN CHP2 Pge.9 Depending on the competency levels of the users the following facilities may be made available: + Allowing the user to easily resize the window, e.g. larger than standard size to make displays easier to read or smaller than standard size so that several displays can be monitored and controlled concurrently. * Permitting different users to easily switch between single and multiple window modes (perhaps via an appropriate logon profile using preferences that the user can change or which are set up by the configuration engineer). + Limit the maximum number of windows that can be opened to conserve system resources and prevent the possibility of confusion due to too many windows being active. * Provide the ability to reset the view to a default setup or restore a previously saved set of windows and sizes/positions, e.g. to allow a supervisor or technician to continue an investigation or trouble-shooting activity. * Allowing the configuration of important windows to always be on view Furthermore, the use of a ‘windows HCI may have additional in-built features that could prove beneficial to some users €.9, * Utilise user configurable quick-access buttons or ‘favourites’. * Provide a scratchpad window where notes or shift hand-over comments can be typed. * Support a surveillance mode whereby the operator can configure a list of displays that will cycle through automatically + Provide a snapshot facilty to allow the operator to temporarily capture a window so that the detail can be reviewed or discussed later. * Give context sensitive help on all aspects on the human interface. * Support the abilly to access selected help documentation through a secure web based intranet, e.g. to quickly "hot link” to the relevant Standard Operating procedure (SOP) in response to a particular plant situation. Multi-windows can be used, however any use must be carefully designed into the overall ‘operator interface. Prudent use can enhance the interface, for example using windows to display small items of information related to a chosen hotspot. However free and indiscriminate use can negate a well-designed system. 2.2.4.2 Use of large screen displays One issue, which now commonly occurs when designing a soft-desk configuration, is that of the use of large projection screens. These can provide a powerful addition to the operator interface, but have to be considered against the initial and ongoing running costs of such equipment. Additionally the mode of working within the control room will determine their suitability. Advantages of using large screens are: * They provide an excellent method for permanently displaying overview information and can replicate the old fixed back-panel of hard-desks. This will give a good spatial awareness capability. ‘+ They provide a good display for occasions where a larger number of staff than usual are in the control room e.g. when commissioning the plant, if a problem is occurring or when slaff who are not normally present in the control need access to information. + On occasions when the control room is single staffed, they allow visibility of the process state from a distance, allowing the operator freedom to work at a different position within the control room. Hel Guide 9 GEEMUAHUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES: HCIDESIGN — .CHP2.Pge.10° ‘+ In control rooms where a supervisor is present, it is easier for the supervisor fo keep track on the process without seeming to be interfering in an individual operator's work Appendix 2. gives examples of some configurations that have used large screen displays as part of the overall HCI. 2.2.2 Technology ‘The current large expanse of hardware and software technology available, often gives a plethora of options when designing display systems. The use of large screens and multi- windows noted above are the main issues. The technology available also affects the chose of input device, which can now range from QWERTY keyboard, specialised keypad, mouse, tracker-ball, touch screen, light pen etc and can include facilities to allow tracking across screens by a single pointing device. Most systems are likely to use mouse input given the familiarity via the overwhelming acceptance of PCs elsewhere in the workplace. Technology is also expanding away from the central control room with the advent of wire- Jess handheld devices that can be used by attendants whilst out on plant to obtain graphical and mimic pictures of the process and other relevant information. 2.2.3 Navigation The issue of navigation around a soft-desk is closely linked to the number of screens available. For all but the smallest plant is impossible to permanently display even all the indications that were visible on an existing hard-desk. In addition soft-desk installations tend to have potentially many more parameters available for display. This is because either it is a new plant where the levels of instrumentation and processing tend to be much higher, or because advantage has been taken on a refurbishment to increase the level of instrumentation. ee? Navigational Requirements ‘The system needs to be : ‘+ Flexible - to allow viewing of different data on different screens Easy to use - to allow quick and unambiguous selection of the required items Adaptable - to allow different methods to be used depending on individual preference within a well-defined framework. ‘+ Responsive - to give quick, consistent and effective feedback to the user Fig 3 - Navigational Requirements Nearly all, navigational methods are based on a hierarchy of screens, which can either be deep or wide (or both !) and preferably with ‘short cut’ methods for instant access to known required display formats. The essence of good navigation is the ability to retrieve the correct screen with the required information on it, easily and quickly, and to be able to ‘find the correct screen when the exact location of the information is not known. HOI Guide 40 OEEMUAHUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACE: HCIDESIGN —.CHP2 Pge.11 — ‘Access to different display formats can be given in a number of ways: Display format Access methods + Via an index schematic, with a hotspot for each subsidiary display format + Via a ‘drop down' scrollable list of all screens - in a logical order (e.g alphabetical, by plant area) + Via functions keys on a hard (or soft) keyboard + Via ‘hotspots’ (hot links) in each display format - giving access to a related display format * Via hotspots’ on actual plant mimics «Via back’, forward! and ‘home’ buttons * Via access from other operational information o.g. from alarm lists, trends or database information Fig 4 - Display format access methods ‘The design of the display hierarchy can be crucial in enabling navigation throughout the existing display formats, It is usual to be able to move ‘down’ a hierarchy to obtain increasing levels of details about particuler plant areas and plant items. Navigation ‘across’ the hierarchy from one display to another at the same level to allow access to display formats in related plant areas is also desirable. Access to control panels for plant item operation is usually at a fairly low level. {tis beneficial for access to be available directly from top-level display formats for important Plant operations or for access to control panels, which cover a number of plant items (e.g. a {full set of mills on a power plant). In this case, the display formats should contain all the detailed information necessary for control operations to be executed. A simple level of hierarchy that is often used consists of total plant overview, ‘unit’ overview and then detail display formats It is important that access to display formats should not require multiple ‘mouse clicks’ or traversing the hierarchy from one display format to another. This can be time consuming and frustrating to the operator. Short cut direct access is therefore a very powerful aid. Building up a plant hierarchy, which is logically connected, should allow sensible navigation to find the correct display format for any given plant parameter. As an operator aid, it should be possible to enter a full/partial tag number and be taken to the associated primary display. Examples of display format hierarchies (for an oil refinery, power plant and chemical plant are given in Appendix 3) 2.2.4 Information access ‘A major difficulty with soft-desks is that the system contains much more information than it is. physically possible to display at any one lime. Data can be hidden from view and new ways of displaying information have to be developed. ‘An associated ‘problem’ is that of enhanced automation. Much plant operation is now automated with the operator acting in a supervisory role. This has led to suggestions that the operator should just be alerted to specific problems as and when the automation system detects them (the blank screen syndrome). This however is not viable. It prevents the operator from maintaining a mental model of the current plant-state. This model is invaluable for setting problems in context when they arise. The blank screen syndrome also prevents any pattern recognition being developed. Thus, generally, the use of a blank screen syndrome approach is not to be recommended. HOI Guide 1 @FEMUAHUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES: HCIDESIGN — .CHP2_Pge.12 ‘The main concept that should be addressed in information access is the use of overview displays. The HSE report into the incident at the Texaco Refinery, Milford Haven (ref.. 4) singled out overview display formats as a major recommendation with regard to the Human Factors issues contributing to the incident “in a primarily display-screen operating system, the provision of good overview displays is of particular importance” This advice has been bore out by experience in a number of soft-desk installations. Overview displays take on the role of the old hard-desk back-panel. They provide an ‘at a glance’ picture of the stale of the main plant areas of @ process and convey the essential information to determine whether any particular part of the plant needs attention. They prevent the situation where the operator becomes focussed on a narrow window of plant, ignoring or missing the potentially abnormal state that may be arising elsewhere in the process. For this reason it is recommended that overview displays are kept permanently on display In building up the set of display formats that are used in the display hierarchy, not only do the navigational aspects need to be taken into account, but also the types of display formats giving access to information. It is best to produce a range of display formats dedicated to different aspects of information access. These would typically take on such roles as: + Piant area display formats Plant detail display formats Control panels Alarm lst(s) Trend display Task orientated display Batch status Operator configurable displays Emergency Shut Down System! network status ‘The main plant display formats wil tend to follow the P&l Diagrams and’ be uisplayed mimics. This is 2 powerful way of displaying the information, giving a good relationship with. the physical plant and with operator understanding of the plant design. It can also be extremely useful in ensuring accuracy when communicating with staff located actually at a plant item, e.g. when carrying out maintenance. Care has to be taken to ensure that P&l mimicking does not produce visual noise i.e. the amount of detail should be kept fo a minimum. Other information can be made available in high quality display formats, which may be best displayed in a variety of ways - bar charts, trends, etc. Soft-desks also provide for much more detailed information access than is possible on a hard-desk - the full range of information in the plant database can be made available. This should be linked to individual items and an easy way of accessing this is via @ pop-up panel {or faceplate), from the actual plant display format. Information relating to all aspects of the signal point can then be made available. Ready made task orientated displays can also be developed. This enables the operator to have access to all parameters required for a specific task, available on a single dispiay formal. This replaces the need to have a number of different ‘plant’ display formats on display, in order to capture all the required information. “The display can also help to guide the operator through the task steps. ‘These types of display formats help to reduce the number of physical screens required in a system. Hel Guide 2 | EEMUA