How do you design and implement DCS user interfaces and graphics?

The abnormal situation management ASM Consortium has already issued a guideline for the design of HMI. The most important issues are perhaps that they suggest that colors be used only to signal alarms, that the schematics shall be similar to the PFD, in that streams enter through one extreme of the screen and exit the other, making the interpretation easier.

Talk to the end user. Not their manager. There is a day shift operator and night shift. There's the new hires and the experienced ones. All of them have some insight, needs, and wants. Some of what they want it not a good idea. Flashy animation with a million colors, for example, is something many want. It also goes against ISA-101.01. Instead of saying "No way, dude!", actually explain to them why it's not a good idea and work together on a solution. There might be some KPIs that management wants to see. Put this is some obscure location off to the side where it will not interfere with daily operations. They can take a peak whenever they want, but there's a good chance they don't even know how the place really runs.

That is very important for DCS Engineers to understand the user requirements (DCS Operators). For example, requirements for DCS User interface would be different if Operator is not college graduated. Also requirements vary from industry to industry. For Example, Power industry is still using red-green combination while others stopped using atleast for greenfield projects. And appended, follow end user standards and best practices if it is a brownfield project than trying to re-invent the wheel.

Understanding the user needs is one of the pivotal steps in designing a UI. A multidisciplinary team should be formed comprising of Plant operation and Instrument teams. Detailed layouts, number of PFDs per graphic should be mutually agreed. The Production/plant operation team should be engaged at each and every step of the engineering phase for developing DCS UI. Multiple joint reviews should be carried out before freezing the UI/HMIs. They are the front line personnel which will be interacting with it. The UI should be tailored to the end user's policies and procedures with respect to type of symbols being used, colors, background, resolution, alarm anunciation, displaying indications etc.

Talk with your final users and consider to design graphics based on their different needs: operation, managers, maintenance... and different plant conditions: normal operation, emergency shutdown, change of operation mode, etc The graphic used for operating the plant could be unuseful in case of an emergency requiring a quick action, or to manage the procedure for starting the unit, i.e because many "jumps" between screens are required. Managers will appreciate a simple dashboard with the KPI's of the unit, while Maintenance will thank a graphic compelling signals sharing the same communication bus...

In UI and UX design, keeping things simple is most opportune for the user, and ideally we want to minimize the footprint that the product has on their lives. However, according to Tesla’s law, there is a certain level of complexity that cannot be avoided, and must be dealt with during product design. However, the footprint of this complexity can be minimized by making good design decisions, ensuring visibility, color choices with adequate contrast, error messages and signaling, and breadcrumbs.

One thing I’ve found helpful is to test based on a number of categories, a couple of the many being visibility, user control, and consistency. User testing and iterating is usually done with a variety of methods, those methods being determined by the project and the initial issues proposed. It’s important to understand that the issues from the previous iteration are resolved and to identify new ones that may have come up.

Close attention to detail will really come in handy here. It’s very important to follow best programming practices and to ensure all styles are consistent so that the code is easy to read and can be easily maintained. Hopefully some heat map testing could be done at this point to better understand user behavior in response to design.

A good HMI should be easy to use and provide situational awareness for the user at all times. HMI to provide information, not just data. It has flooded users with data, but the challenge is extracting actionable information at the point of use. HMI design should be standardized for getting maximum coverage by using best practises.

Industrial Human-Machine Interface (HMI) panels play a crucial role in various industries, enabling operators to monitor and control complex systems with ease. These panels present an interface that allows humans to interact with machines, providing real-time data, controls, and alarms. The crucial role these panels play highlights the importance of user training to ensure optimal performance and maximum efficiency. (1) Enhance operation efficiency (2) Reduced error and mistakes. (3) Enhance safety and reliability of the process.

1)Create video tutorials that explain the key features a detailed functions of the UI. 2) Make sure that the operator training for the new UI is conducted prior to project commissioning. 3) Present scenarios in an environment where operators can practice using the UI is a controlled environment. Guide them through each step for refinement. 4) Prepare a short book-let containing information of UI key feature like symbols, colour codes, alarms, menu, user privileges, dialogs etc for quick reference.

Training can be a really fun part of the UI/UX process. While the interface should be very user friendly, it can be a rewarding process to host a meeting and make sure your team understands the new product they are using. New things and change often cause frustration, so patience maybe required in these cases.

(1) An HMI is meant to be designed around the needs and the workflow of an operator. Other personnel will have an interest in the information displayed on an HMI, but those interests are not common, and usually come into play when the plant is in an abnormal situation. (2) An HMI designed should provide help the operators to quickly point out any abnormalities or devices that need to be diagnosed, without an engineer or maintenance person. (3) HMI Philosophy Document to be developed where every aspect of the proposed HMI is covered.