9 - Operator and supervisor interface

Abstract

This chapter explains the operator and supervisor interface. User interface is the mechanism by which the operators and supervisors interact with the systems. The interaction may be active—such as controlling the process—or may be passive—such as simply monitoring the system. The user interface consists of devices that help operators and supervisor to monitor, control, and supervise a process and annunciate alarms. The user interface provides information in the form of text, pictures, audible alarms, and color changes. Most systems provide tools to the users for building user interfaces. The operator interface provides the operator with a user-friendly interface through which she/he can get information about the status of the plant and interact with the plant. The operator interface consists of graphic displays that give real-time status of plant equipment, drives, and process parameters. The chapter provides guidelines for building user interfaces. The task of a human-machine interface (HMI) is to make the function of a technology obvious. The operator's and system user's experience with the man-machine interface (MMI) is more important than the architecture of the internal workings of the system.