Situation indicator

Situation indicator is a means for the operator's to perceive the system situation.

Examples

• A LED is typically used to indicate that a system is On.
• A three-state LED is often used to indicate that a boiler is cold, warm or hot (example ...).

Indicating the system situation

The means to indicate the system situation is by two special add-on:

• A exception detector. This unit receives measurements from the sensors, converts them to information about the system situation, and sends the information to the second add-on
• A display unit, receive the information from the exception detector and notifies the operators about the system situation. A special indicator may be used to highlight instances of exceptional situation (such as overheating).

Situation indicators vs. alarms

Alarms are often used to notify the operators about changes in the system situation. It is useful to ensure attracting the operator's attention to hazards.

The risks of alarming are that following the alarm, the operators might be distracted by other tasks or events, resulting in situation confusion .

Related topic

Updated on 25 Jan 2017.