The new dashboards are intuitively designed interfaces that provide, in one glance, a clear view of everything that users need to evaluate, diagnose, and configure a field device. Each has embedded expert guidance to streamline the most important and frequent tasks performed by plant operations, engineering, and maintenance personnel. The new displays provide a device interface that is in a category by itself, elevating traditional device interfaces to the decidedly easier-to-use, human-centric dashboard.

"Enhanced usability is a serious need for end users who are pressured by larger facilities run by fewer and less experienced personnel," said Duane Toavs, director of Emerson's Human Centered Design Institute. "They want technology to work for them, streamlining their routine scanning of plant assets, quickening their recognition of issues, and shortening the time to convert information to decision-making and action; and they don't want to require experts to do this, or undergo massive training to make it work."

The new Device Dashboards are powered by enhanced Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL). These dashboards function independent of protocol, including HART, WirelessHART, Foundation fieldbus, or Profibus, and present data in a similar user experience regardless of the device.

The dashboards are easy for both experienced and the inexperienced worker. All landing screens follow a similar format, including red-yellow-green device status graphics to alert users and enable a direct link to graphical diagnostic and troubleshooting help. The same screens show a graphical display of the primary variable of devices; and shortcuts to most often-used tasks. Easy configuration is a click away. Guided set-up assists with configuring complex devices. If desired, more experienced users can access manual set-up data and more detailed information.

"These new Device Dashboards in AMS Device Manager are a significant start toward answering the very real industry need for improved usability," summarised Toavs. "We are committed to expanding ease of use throughout all Emerson technologies as we did with the dashboards by applying the concepts of Human Centered Design."