Device Status Guidelines Archive

Old solution (valid until 20.07.2018)

Statuses

The basic idea is to distinguish between devices which are relevant in the current context and those who are not. Relevant means it's part of the current context or it's in an error state that affects the current context. If all or no contexts are selected all devices are considered to be relevant.

For more detailed errors detailed statuses are defined. There isn't a special color for each error status.

'Relevant in context' means the device is required in the selected context. Whenever it's technically impossible to detect the relevance of the device in the context or when working without a context use the 'relevant in context' colors.

Status definitions

Error: Doesn't work as expected.

Warning: Used only when there is an error but operation may continue without limitations e.g. redundant hardware where one part is okay and the other one is damaged.

Information: Used in detailed statuses when a problem has been identified but requires no immediate action.

Okay: Works as expected

It is expected that many or even all of the states mentioned below are combined in a single status e.g. 'op-ready'. This might not be case at the moment and must be clarified.

Truth values

Active / inactive: Inactive means the device is turned on but set to a level where it that doesn't influence the beam. Otherwise it's active.

Active expected: Data supply indicates that the device will be set to a level where it influences the beam.

Turned on expected: Data supply indicates that it expects the device is turned on.

When a device is irrelevant for the context.

Active	Active expected	Turned on	Turned on expected	Any error	Resulting status
no	no	no	no	no	Okay / irrelevant
no	no	no	no	yes	Error / irrelevant
no	no	no	yes	no	Error / irrelevant
no	no	no	yes	yes	Error / irrelevant
no	no	yes	no	no	Error / irrelevant
no	no	yes	no	yes	Error / irrelevant
no	no	yes	yes	no	Okay / irrelevant
no	no	yes	yes	yes	Error / irrelevant
no	yes	no	no	no	Error / irrelevant
no	yes	no	no	yes	Error / irrelevant
no	yes	no	yes	no	Error / irrelevant
no	yes	no	yes	yes	Error / irrelevant
no	yes	yes	no	no	Error / irrelevant
no	yes	yes	no	yes	Error / irrelevant
no	yes	yes	yes	no	Error / irrelevant
no	yes	yes	yes	yes	Error / irrelevant
yes	no	no	no	no	Error / irrelevant
yes	no	no	no	yes	Error / irrelevant
yes	no	no	yes	no	Error / irrelevant
yes	no	no	yes	yes	Error / irrelevant
yes	no	yes	no	no	Error / irrelevant
yes	no	yes	no	yes	Error / irrelevant
yes	no	yes	yes	no	Error / irrelevant
yes	no	yes	yes	yes	Error / irrelevant
yes	yes	no	no	no	Okay / irrelevant
yes	yes	no	no	yes	Error / irrelevant
yes	yes	no	yes	no	Error / irrelevant
yes	yes	no	yes	yes	Error / irrelevant
yes	yes	yes	no	no	Error / irrelevant
yes	yes	yes	no	yes	Error / irrelevant
yes	yes	yes	yes	no	Okay / irrelevant
yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	Error / irrelevant

When a device is relevant for the context.

Active	Active expected	Turned on	Turned on expected	Any error	Resulting status
no	no	no	no	no	Okay / relevant
no	no	no	no	yes	Error / relevant
no	no	no	yes	no	Error / relevant
no	no	no	yes	yes	Error / relevant
no	no	yes	no	no	Error / relevant
no	no	yes	no	yes	Error / relevant
no	no	yes	yes	no	Okay / relevant
no	no	yes	yes	yes	Error / relevant
no	yes	no	no	no	Error / relevant
no	yes	no	no	yes	Error / relevant
no	yes	no	yes	no	Error / relevant
no	yes	no	yes	yes	Error / relevant
no	yes	yes	no	no	Error / relevant
no	yes	yes	no	yes	Error / relevant
no	yes	yes	yes	no	Error / relevant
no	yes	yes	yes	yes	Error / relevant
yes	no	no	no	no	Error / relevant
yes	no	no	no	yes	Error / relevant
yes	no	no	yes	no	Error / relevant
yes	no	no	yes	yes	Error / relevant
yes	no	yes	no	no	Error / relevant
yes	no	yes	no	yes	Error / relevant
yes	no	yes	yes	no	Error / relevant
yes	no	yes	yes	yes	Error / relevant
yes	yes	no	no	no	Okay / relevant
yes	yes	no	no	yes	Error / relevant
yes	yes	no	yes	no	Error / relevant
yes	yes	no	yes	yes	Error / relevant
yes	yes	yes	no	no	Error / relevant
yes	yes	yes	no	yes	Error / relevant
yes	yes	yes	yes	no	Okay / relevant
yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	Error / relevant

Detailed error statuses

A detailed error status informs the user on the details of a certain error. This can be one of the following.

Prio	Detailed status name	Visual idea	Icon Preview	Resource	Comment
0 (Highest)	Locally controlled	Tool (representing manual work)		detailed_status_local_white.png
1	Hardware error	Processor		detailed_status_hardware_white.png
2	Not op-ready	Construction site		detailed_status_not_op_ready_white.png
3	Not connected	Unplugged power cable		detailed_status_not_connected_white.png
4 (Lowest)	Turned off	Power off icon		detailed_status_off_white.png
4 (Lowest)	Turned on, inactive	Power on icon		detailed_status_on_white.png
4 (Lowest)	Turned on, active	Man running		detailed_status_active_white.png	Could be used to distiniguish just turned on devices doing nothing nothing and actually active devices

Detailed okay statuses

Prio	Detailed status name	Visual idea	Icon Preview	Resource	Comment
n/a	Turned off	Power off icon		detailed_status_off_white.png
n/a	Turned on, inactive	Power on icon		detailed_status_on_white.png
n/a	Turned on, active	Man running		detailed_status_active_white.png	Could be used to distiniguish just turned on devices doing nothing nothing and actually active devices

Other statuses

Power switching state
The old state is displayed while indicating that a new state is being set using an activity indicator.

RF turned off
The generators of an RF device are turned on but RF is turned off means the device is turned off in the end.

Mixed power statuses
When there is a device that combines several devices and one or more of this internal devices is turned off this means the whole device is considered as turned off.

When a color-only status is used a tooltip can be used to explain the detailed status. When it's obvious to which device type and nomenclature the status belongs this information can be omitted in the tooltip.

Step motor status

The step motor status is not displayed in a special color as using a special color could be confused with the status of the device.

In case the step motor works okay display another icon instead of the power on icon.

Detailed status name	Visual idea	Icon Preview	Resource	Comment
slit/actuator inner end position in beam reached	Inner position		detailed_status_step_motor_inner_white.png
slit/actuator positioned in beam (not out nor in)	Inbetween position		detailed_status_step_motor_inbetween_white.png
slit/actuator outer end position in beam reached	Outer position		detailed_status_step_motor_outer_white.png
slit/actuator moving	Moving slit/actuator			Animated

Example - beam-destroying devices

Devices like cups can be moved into the beam by using a step motor. When moved into the beam these devices may affect the beam or even destroy it. A device which is moved into the beam is of course relevant for each context that crosses the device. When such a device is moved into the beam this is considered as a setting that affects the beam. So in this case this setting superseeds the status of the device itself. So in order to see the device status it must be moved out of the beam. This doesn't mean the cup cannot be moved. This is part of the step motor status.

Moved into beam	Device status	Resulting status
No	Error	Error, irrelevant in context
No	Okay	Okay, irrelevant in context
Yes	Error	Error, relevant in context
Yes	Okay	Error, relevant in context

Visual representation

Colors

Color definitons:

• Error/relevant: 240, 66, 66 (#F04242)
• Warning/relevant: 247, 159, 72 (#F79F48)
• Information/relevant: 67, 128, 188 (#4380BC)
• Okay/relevant: 67, 188, 88, (#43BC58)
• Error/irrelevant: 227, 187, 187 (#E3BBBB)
• Warning/irrelevant: 247, 207, 168 (#F7CFA8)
• Information/irrelevant: 209, 223, 237 (#D1DFED)
• Okay/irrelevant: 209, 237, 209 (#D1EDD1)

Text and icon colors

Always use black text.

Depending on the space available the detailed status is displayed directly as overlay icon or in a tooltip.

Example of list item, detailed status displayed as overlay

Example of tooltip

Known tradeoffs

• The current solution uses black text color for both dark and bright background colors. Using a single text color is the most consistent solution but it's questionable if it works best on dark colors. Making the dark colors brighter makes them more similar to the bright colors.

Links

Proposals for status colors (s.a. \\WinFilesvg\BEL$Root\belgroup\CS-Design\Specs-and-Requirements\5-Development-Guidelines\F-DG-C-02e_GUI-Guideline-v1.2.doc).

Implementation

Detailed status icons can be foiund in cscoap-common-images. They are called detailed_status_STATUSNAME_white.png.

Alternative 2: Mainly traffic light concept - meaning depends on context

Error, warning, information and okay would be the only constants. Every status representation would assign a new meaning to the status. In case of device statuses the beam instrumentation area would inform the user about the device position. For the same device which can be moved into the beam the device's status would be primarily displayed in the pictogram area.

Pros

• This concept is quite flexible as it allows to display different information that is important to the user in a certain context.

Cons

• Every use of a status display would require learning the meaning of the status.
• The context where the status indicator is used has to explain the status meaning to the user somehow.