THE MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE IN COMPUTERIZED TELEMETRY SYSTEMS

Abstract

This paper concerns itself with the interface between men and computerized telemetry systems. This interface relates to the operation, planning, and implementation of setup and data processing functions. One of the major problems in operating a telemetry system is the programming of equipment parameters. This programming is often done by skilled “real-time” software personnel. This is both a costly and restrictive approach. The author has developed a “friendly” menu-driven, operator interactive, approach to solving these problems. The man-machine interface consists of software developed to present telemetry system options to an operator for selection. These options are displayed via the operator’s CRT. These displays are menus and they are formatted to display operator options in telemetry language. The object is to allow normal telemetry operators to configure the equipment setup and the data processing parameters. Once the configuration has been defined, the system can be configured quickly and precisely by the computer software. Changes to a setup or data processing configuration can be made by telemetry operators without the help of full-time programmers.