VZ12 - How to Improve Plant Operations Through Better HMI Graphics

1. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED PUBLIC INFORMATION How to Improve Plant Operations Through Better HMI Graphics 2. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED 2 Agenda Layout and Colors Interpreting the data Bad Practices Situation Awareness Putting the ideas into practice The use of Patterns Pattern Recognition The use of Trending Level Indication Why do HMI graphics Matter Representing Digital Devices 3. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Acknowledgements 3  The High Performance HMI Handbook  PAS - Bill Hollifield, Dana Oliver, Ian Nimmo and Eddie Habibi  Designing for Situation Awareness (An approach to User-centered Design)  Mica R. Endsley and Debra G. Jones  Human Machine Interface (HMI) Design: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (and what makes them so)  ICS Triplex® - Paul Gruhn, P.E. This presentation has been developed from ideas and materials from the following resources. We gratefully acknowledge the following great reference material and its authors. 4. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Why HMI Graphics matter 4  Poor HMI Graphics causes  Confusion  Operator Fatigue  Low Situation Awareness  All of the above could  Cause the operator to miss vital information  Lead the operator into making a mis-informed decision  Make the operator make a mistake  Cause a serious accident  Who wants to be responsible for designing an HMI graphic that can lead to this.  U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD INVESTIGATION REPORT REPORT NO. 2005-04-I-TX  The Operator viewed this screen, which provides information on raffinate product leaving the unit but not the liquid being added to the unit. 5. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Situation Awareness 5  Situation awareness means  Being aware of what is happening around you.  Understanding what that information means to you now.  Understanding what that information means to you in the future.  Situation awareness relates to the goals and objectives of a specific job or function.  Designers and engineers form in their heads a different mental model of the process than an operator.  By understanding how operators select and use goals, designers can better understand how information is perceived. Without understanding the user’s goals on Situation Awareness, the information presented has no meaning. 6. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Situation Awareness 6  Applying SA terminology to HMI Graphics  Level 1 SA – P&ID representation with Live numbers.  Level 2 SA – Provide the operator with the relevant information they need to understand how the plant is operating.  Level 3 SA – Provide trending data so that the operator can see how it was / will perform.  Level 2 and Level 3 SA reinforces the operators mental model of the plant or process. 7. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED The History of Bad or is it? 7  Is the pump in alarm or stopped?  Are the valves in alarm or closed?  High Contrast  Causes eye fatigue. 8. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Modern BUT Good or Bad 8  Is this a good graphic?  What is the reactor temperature?  What Percentage of the screen is presenting useful data?  The pretty 3D objects and Gradient fill are superfluous.  The flame attracts your attention.  The moving truck attracts your attention.  Overuse of color – causes confusion. 9. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Elements of displays that hinder Situation Awareness 9   High Contrasting objects strain the eyes and cause fatigue.  The warm colors – red, orange and yellows –  Draws your attention to them, are they in alarm, warning or just a route product indication   Draws your attention to it.  Complex graphics and 3D objects  Make it difficult to develop a mental model. The following objects when used in a display for a normal situation all draw your attention to themselves, cause distractions and fatigue and could cause the operator to miss important data Especially when flashing Movement High contrast 10. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Interpreting the Data 10  Is this chap healthy?  What should the numbers be?  How long does it take you to scan and interpret the information?  Do the numbers mean anything to you?  Are the numbers actually meaningful?  How much training would you require before you could interpret the numbers? 11. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Interpreting the Data 11  We can now see the upper and lower limit for these values.  How Long does it take you to scan and compare these numbers?  How much longer does it take you to calculate by how much they are within range?  This is data that requires thinking about and processing (Level 1 SA)  Data should be presented that supports comprehension (Level 2 SA) 12. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Interpreting the Data  We need to  Provide a pointer to a scale.  Provide a clear indication of the normal working range.  Clearly show upper and lower limits  With Analog  The brain interprets an analog display quicker than a number.  Can easily see WHERE the value is as well as what it is.  Can easily see rates of change. What we need is analog 13. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Interpreting the Data 13 1960’s Science Fiction to the rescue 14. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Moving Analog Indicator 14  Normal operational values shown in white.  High and low alarm ranges shown in dark grey.  Desirable operational ranges shown in dark blue.  Alarm indicator with priority level and color.  Different shape for alarm priority. 15. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Depicting Material Balance 15  Two major accidents with flammable material have been contributed to HMI graphics that have NOT shown flow in and flow out on the same graphic.  P&ID representation often leads designers of graphics to split the flow in and the flow out of a vessel across two screens – All to common practice.  A properly implemented mass balance or volumetric material balance calculation and display of that data could have stopped these accidents. 16. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Layout and Colors 16  Do  Grey is in fashion – grey backgrounds, grey pipelines, grey vessels.  Use low contrast.  Only show information that supports comprehension of the process or plant. (Level 2 SA).  Represent key performance data as trends. (Level 3 SA).  Design to allow the operator to achieve his goals.  Ideally  Only attract attention to an area of the display if there is a potential issue.  However there is a point where you can go to far and make the operator feel he is out of the loop, this will significantly decrease their situation awareness. 17. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Layout and Colors 17  Provide information that helps the operator retain the data in their short-term memory.  Group related information together so that it can be processed as one chunk.  The average short-term memory can hold 7 items plus or minus 2, so group data together to facilitate this fact.  If you have a vessel that has three specific values relating to it, then display it inside the vessel, this allows the operator to see them as one chunk of data as opposed to placing them outside of the vessel where the operator will see them as 3 individual pieces of data. 18. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Layout and Colors Displays 18 Level 1 Overview Display Level 3 Process Unit Detail Display Level 2 Process Unit Control Display Level 2 Process Unit Control Display Level 3 Process Unit Detail Display Level 4 Process Unit Support display Level 4 Process Unit Support display Operator’s primary operating display during normal operations for routine changes and monitoring. Provide an overview of the operator’s entire span of responsibility. Interlocks, Diagnostics, Help and Documentation. Usually faceplates or popups. Used for non-routine operations. Should provide sufficient information to facilitate process diagnostics. 19. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Color Blindness 19 Normal Protanopia Deuteranopia Tritanopia Red-Green Blue-Yellow  7 to 10% of males are Red-Green Color Blind  Good graphic design avoids using color coding or using color contrasts alone to express information; this not only helps color blind people, but also aids understanding by normally sighted people. 20. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Representing Digital Devices Feedback 20  Do not use red for stopped or closed and green for running or opened. Only use color to bring attention to an abnormal condition. A pump simply not running is not an abnormal condition.  Consider using a visually different shape within the object to represent running/opened. This not only helps color blind people, but also aids understanding by normally sighted people.  Use status words that describe the digital condition i.e. running and stopped not run and stop. These could be confused with command words. 21. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Representing Digital Devices Commands 21  Provide feedback to a command or button click within a time window that tells the operator the action has been executed.  Too slow (ASM states 3 seconds) and the operator may think the command hasn’t been executed.  Too fast (ASM states 0.5 seconds) and the operator may miss the change. 22. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Representing Digital Devices and Control Valves 22  Do not use overly complex depictions.  Tiny moving arrows on the stem of a valve.  Tiny illegible scales to represent percentage open.  Variable shading schemes. 23. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Representing Multiple Digital Devices 23  Multiple digital devices can be represented as a light box.  Running is a normal condition, so there is no need to show a color for its status.  How about going one step further and removing the normal condition from the screen and only display the item if it’s in an abnormal condition. 24. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Consistent Navigation 24  Be consistent! 25. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED The use of Trending 25  Provides assistance for Level 3 SA projection of future status through the use of trend displays.  The operator can then see where the process is heading.  The operator can then be proactive and recognize impending problems, rather than being reactive and responding to alarms and problems after the fact.  Use trending with thought. For instance a trend with 8 trends on it is confusing and takes a long time to analyze. 26. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED The use of Trending 26  We can see the value and its past trends.  We can make predictions of what the value is about to do based on its historical behavior. BUT  What should the value be?  What are the normal good operating high and low limits? 27. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED The use of Trending 27  We can see the value and its past trends.  We can see what the value should be.  We can see what are the normal operational high and low limits 28. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Level Indication 28  Provide high and low bad indication on the vessel.  Provide normal good upper and good lower indication.  Trend the level inside of the vessel outline. 29. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Pattern Recognition 29  Involves identification of faces, objects, words, melodies, etc. The visual system does more than just interpret forms, contours and colors. Pattern recognition refers to the process of recognizing a set of stimuli arranged in a certain pattern that is characteristic of that set of stimuli.  Pattern recognition does not occur instantly, although it does happen automatically and spontaneously.  Pattern recognition is an innate ability of animals.  The human brain is built around pattern recognition,  We recognize patterns automatically, for example faces, rooms, melodies so why not use what our brains do automatically in an HMI graphic. 30. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Pattern Recognition 30  12 Numbers on a screen take time to interpret.  12 Trends on a trend become confusing.  Filled Radar Plot  The radar plot is a graph that consists of a sequence of equiangular spokes, called radii, with each spoke representing one of the variables.  The data length of a spoke is proportional to the magnitude of the variable for the data point relative to the maximum magnitude of the variable across all data points.  Scaling of each of the axis can generate a pattern for normal range of variables. For example 6 values can be scaled to form an equilateral hexagon when the plant is running under normal conditions.  A change in the pattern is very quickly identified by the operator. 31. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED PlantPAx® Object Library 31  The PlantPAx® Object library has embraced this.  Available from the Rockwell Automation® Knowledgebase.  KBAid 62682 - PlantPAx® Library of Process Objects  Rockwell Automation TechED™ Session PR04 32. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Putting the Ideas Into Practice 32  Grey background, vessels and pipes low contrasting grey.  No movement of objects to distract attention.  Use of color for abnormal plant conditions only.  Analog status indicator  Key operating parameters trended on screen, not having to click to show.  Radar plot for easy monitoring of multiple related variables.  Low level details of plant are accessed by clicking to them.  Consistent navigation across displays.  Mixed upper and lower case characters are easier to read than all upper case. 33. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Acknowledgements 33  The High Performance HMI Handbook  PAS - Bill Hollifield, Dana Oliver, Ian Nimmo and Eddie Habibi  Designing for Situation Awareness (An approach to User-centered Design)  Mica R. Endsley and Debra G. Jones  Human Machine Interface (HMI) Design: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (and what makes them so)  ICS Triplex® - Paul Gruhn, P.E. This presentation has been developed from ideas and materials from the following resources. We gratefully acknowledge the following great reference material and its authors. 34. Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RA-TechED 2015 @RA-TechED #RA-TechED Guidelines 34  Rockwell Automation® Whitepapers  ASM Consortium Guidelines – ISBN 978-1440431647  Effective Operator Display Design  ISA 101, Human-Machine Interfaces - Website  http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=1142&CommitteeID=6899  ISA 101, SharePoint  http://isa101.isa.org/default.aspx The following guidelines are available as an aid to designing effective HMIs 35. www.rsteched.com Copyright © 2014 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.RSTechED 2014 @RSTechED #RSTechED PUBLIC INFORMATION Thank you!