Everybody who will admit it agrees that HMI design stinks. Each system is a one-off, based on the DCS or SCADA system you’ve bought, and it is about as easy to figure out how a process works by looking at the HMI as it is to figure out how to fly when you have already jumped off the cliff.
Working with Southern Company, PAS has apparently managed to create a decoupled HMI design that can be used for any DCS (almost). The difference? This HMI design is based on the process, not on the control system.
This is, I think, the wave of the future. Remember that more accessibility by mobile devices is going to be a requirement in the next few years. So it stands to reason that the HMI be application based, not control system based.
Here’s PAS’ press release from February 26th:
PAS Inc., a leading provider of automation software for process safety, cyber security and asset reliability to the power and processing industries worldwide, today announced the release of PowerGraphiX™ 2.0, a high performance human-machine interface (HMI) package for the power generation industry. PowerGraphiX™ promises to revolutionize the way operators view information at power plants.
PowerGraphiX™ is comprised of predesigned graphic templates, object libraries and best-practice guidelines for the design and implementation of operator interfaces at power generation plants. Companies choosing to implement PowerGraphiX™ can expect vastly improved graphics at significantly reduced costs when compared with traditional methods.
The proprietary software was initially developed because Southern Company Services, Inc. had a vision of consistent HMIs and improved situational awareness in control rooms across the operating fleet. PAS is now making the product commercially available for all utilities.
“Southern Company is committed to proprietary research and development in order to deliver solutions to our company and the industry,” said Harvey Ivey, Southern Company Manager of Instrumentation and Controls Design and Support. “This particular software was originally created to streamline information displayed in control rooms across our generating fleet, significantly improving operator effectiveness.”
The methodology behind developing PowerGraphiX™ was based on the industry-recognized book “The High Performance HMI Handbook” by Founder and CEO of PAS Eddie Habibi and Principal Consultant for High Performance HMI of PAS Bill Hollifield. It addresses the use of color, pattern recognition, standardization and other principles to transform data into actionable information, providing operators with a more holistic view of plant operating conditions.
“PAS is committed to empowering operators by delivering the precise information they need to improve plant safety and performance,” said PAS Vice President of Technology Mark Carrigan. “PowerGraphiX™ makes interpreting a plant’s current condition simply intuitive.”
Learn more about PowerGraphiX™ at www.pas.com.
Technical Services And Strategic Consulting For Technology Companies
