Resource-guide
Resource-guide
Resource-guide
Resource-guide
Resource-guide

Resource guide: Human-machine interfaces

June 14, 2019
Control's monthly guide brings you invaluable industry information to stay up to date on the latest trends and developments.

Textbook HMI chapter

This 176-page chapter, "Human machine interface" by Prof. Ted Evans at the University of Toledo's College of Engineering, is one of many resources for his electrical engineering courses that are available at his homepage. This chapter covers HMI history, graphics for situation awareness, high-performance HMI, design principles, use of color, object depictions and many others. 

University of Toledo
College of Engineering

Create HMI tags video

A 16-minute video, "Basics 3 of 4—design an HMI application," references Connected Components Workbench Software, V 8.0, and shows how to create HMI screens and save time by creating HMI tags that directly reference controller variables. 

Rockwell Automation

Boiler plant interface

An 11-page paper, "Developing an HMI for industrial automated systems using Siemens Simatic WinCC flexible advanced software" by Erwin Normanyo and Ofosu Robert Agyare, both of the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa, Ghana, and Francis Husinu of Accra Brewery Ltd. in Accra, Ghana, shows how to design an HMI for an automated boiler plant.

Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Science

Create, duplicate screens

These 7- and 10-minute videos, "Part 5–Creating an HMI screen" and "Part 6–Duplicating an HMI screen," from Maple Systems, demonstrate how to build an HMI to display digital I/O in a project, and how to duplicate and modify the digital I/O screen to display analog I/O information. 

Maple Systems

Context for interfaces

The online article, "Human machine interface and its importance in industrial automation" by Vaidyanath "Doc" Nanjundaiah, traces the evolution of HMIs from text panels to GUIs and touch panels, and details the ideal characteristics for them, applying them safely, and how to develop an HMI project.

EZAutomation

Cards for web HMI series

This series of 11 of about 1-minute each videos, "Welcome to the new HMI: iFix with web HMI," covers HMI layouts, trend and alarm cards, filtering alarms, process graphics and control panels, and configuration. 

GE Digital

Analysis of good display

A 14-page whitepaper, "HMI design; an analysis of good display for seamless integration between user understanding and automatic controls" by Prof. Akram Hossain and Tanima Zaman, both of Purdue University Calumet, covers screen layout, colors, graphics and pictures, text and data values, alarms, navigation and control. 

American Society of Engineering Education

Videos and trial software

This webpage, "Compact Product Suite quick start tutorial and trial software download" from ABB, contains links to video tutorials and trial software intended to familiarize users with Compact HMI, AC 800M Control Builder and Panel 800 Panel Builder software. I

ABB

Development blog posts

The blog post, "Develop a simple Qt Quick interface for HMI/SCADA applications," walks readers through building a very basic HMI/SCADA application for controlling a register connected to a red LED, as well as reading a temperature sensor connected to a CPU. It builds on a former post, "Getting Started with Qt Creator on the TS-TPC-8390-4900 guide," for running an example program. 

Technologic Systems