Plant HMI Switch Association Control for Hidden Interface States
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial plants requiring high real-time electric control, existing HMI systems struggle to prevent human errors when operators cannot visually verify the association state between field devices and hardware switches, especially when general-purpose operation parts are hidden by other parts.
Innovation Solution
A plant monitoring and control system is configured with a hardware switch, a programmable logic controller (PLC), and an HMI subsystem. The PLC manages the association state between field devices and hardware switches and cancels the association state when the second software part overlaps with the first software part on the HMI screen, preventing unintended field device operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a general-purpose operation part is used to associate hardware switches with field devices, then the system becomes more flexible and easier to reconfigure, but the risk of human error increases when the association state cannot be visually verified
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides automatic feedback by detecting whether a window part overlaps with a general-purpose operation part on the HMI screen. When overlap is detected, the system automatically cancels the association state between the hardware switch and field device, preventing human error without requiring visual verification by the operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-protection by automatically monitoring its own interface state and taking corrective action. The programmable logic controller detects the overlap condition and autonomously cancels the association, making the system self-aware and self-correcting regarding potential human errors.
2Ease of operation
If window parts are allowed to freely overlap with general-purpose operation parts on the HMI screen, then the interface becomes more flexible and adaptable to different display needs, but the association state becomes hard to visually check
Solution Approach 1:
The system takes preliminary protective action by detecting the overlap condition between window parts and general-purpose operation parts before human error can occur. When overlap is detected, the association state is automatically cancelled, preventing the potential harm of invisible but active associations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary detection mechanism that monitors the spatial relationship between interface elements. This intermediary function detects overlap conditions and triggers automatic association cancellation, mediating between the need for interface flexibility and the need for operational safety.
3Speed
If hardware switches are used for high-speed response operations, then real-time control performance is improved, but the need for visual verification of association state becomes critical
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-protection by automatically monitoring its own interface state and taking corrective action. The programmable logic controller detects the overlap condition and autonomously cancels the association, making the system self-aware and self-correcting regarding potential human errors.
Data Source
AI summary
When a general-purpose operation part (22, 23) is hidden by a window part (24), it becomes hard for an operator to visually check an association state between a field device (10A, 10B) and a hardware switch (3). If such a display state has occurred, an HMI server (5) stops a health check signal which is being output to a PLC (6). The PLC (6) detects the stop of the health check signal and forcibly cancels the association state between the field device (10A, 10B) and the hardware switch (3). Thus, a human error can be prevented.