554 CHAPTER 13 Human­machine interfaces 6. Please classify these human­machine interface architectures: (1) the operator interface for controlling a railway track fork at a railway station; (2) the operator interface at a central control room of a city traffic control system; (3) flight information screens at an airport. 7. The Color Mixing Module in Figure 13.8(C) controls the color mixing for the red-green-blue LEDs using three PWM signals. The brightness and color of the red-green-blue LEDs are controlled through three 8-bit PWMs. Please analyze why these PWMs signals are time-division multiplexed. 8. Based on your understanding of the graphical user interfaces of a multifunctional office equipment or copier, and a desktop or laptop PC computer or other industrial equipment, plot their hardware module (components) and software module (components) diagrams. (Please note that, in general, there is one-to-one correspondence between hardware modules (components) and software modules (components) in a microprocessor unit or chipset). 9. If possible, get a computer installed with an MS-DOS operating system and a computer installed with a Windows XP operating system, compare their GUI terminals (monitors), and write an essay listing the differences between their GUI terminals (monitors). 10. If you are familiar with the Microsoft Visual Studio, use C#, Cþþ or C to plot some graphical user interfaces like those on the devices you can get from a laboratory, workshop, or office. 11. Explain the purpose of robot programming. Name the two major categories of robot programming and compare their advantages and disadvantages. 12. Explain why a human­machine interface is an essential for any SCADA systems to perform supervisory control and data acquisition. 13. An urban traffic surveillance system is a typical SCADA system. You can watch the city road traffic status on a TV channel. Please explain whether or not the TV channel showing a city road traffic status is a human­machine interface for this SCADA system. 14. Alarms can be created in such a way that when their requirements are met, they are activated. An example of an alarm is the "fuel tank empty" light in a car. Please investigate some alarm solutions in a SCADA's human­ machine interfaces. Further Reading Andrew Sears, Julie Jacko (Eds.). The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook: Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies and Emerging Applications (2nd edition). CRC Press. 2007. F. Wallhoff, M. Ablaßmeier et al. Adapative Human­machine Interfaces in Cognitive Production Enviroments. Proceedings of the International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME; 2006). pp. 2246­2249. 2007. Schneider-Electric (http://www.automation.schneider-electric.com). Human-machine interface. http://www. automation.schneider-electric.com/as- guide/EN/pdf_files/asg-8-human-machine-interface.pdf. PP14. Accessed: September 2009. Asaf Degani, Michael Shafto, Alex Kirlik. Modes in Human­machine Systems: Review, Classification, and Application. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9(2), 125­138. 2000. Human Engineering Limited (http:// www.humaneng.co.uk). Human-systems interface design capability state- ment. http://www.humaneng.co.uk/assets/capstats/HEA%20HCI%20Capstat.pdf. Accessed: September 2009. Altera Corporation (http://www.altera.com). White paper (WP-01083-2.0; July 2009): Implementing a Cost- Effective Human­machine Interface. 2009. Hidekazu Yoshikawa. Human­machine interaction in nuclear power plant: http://article.nuclear.or.kr/jknsfile/ v37/JK0370151.pdf. Accessed: September 2009. GlobalSpec (http://www.globalspec.com/). Human machine interfaces. http://www.globalspec.com/ MyGlobalSpec/Comp%3D2248&areaId¼2248. Accessed: October 2009. GlobalSpec (http://www.globalspec.com/). Product categories for man-machine interface. http://industrial- computers.globalspec.com/Industrial-Directory/graphics_card. Accessed: October 2009.