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) local_white_20px_showcase.png detailed_status_local_white.png  
1 Hardware error Processor hardware_white_20px_(showcase).png detailed_status_hardware_white.png  
2 Not op-ready Construction site not_ready_white_20px.png detailed_status_not_op_ready_white.png  
3 Not connected Unplugged power cable plugged_off_white_20px_(showcase).png detailed_status_not_connected_white.png  
4 (Lowest) Turned off Power off icon off_white_20px_(showcase).png detailed_status_off_white.png  
4 (Lowest) Turned on, inactive Power on icon on_white_20px_(showcase).png detailed_status_on_white.png  
4 (Lowest) Turned on, active Man running running_white_20px_(showcase).png 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 off.png detailed_status_off_white.png  
n/a Turned on, inactive Power on icon on_1.png detailed_status_on_white.png  
n/a Turned on, active Man running active_1.png 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 step_motor_inner_white_20px_(showcase).png detailed_status_step_motor_inner_white.png  

slit/actuator positioned in beam (not out nor in)
Inbetween position step_motor_inbetween_white_20px_(showcase).png detailed_status_step_motor_inbetween_white.png  
slit/actuator outer end position in beam reached Outer position step_motor_outer_white_20px_(showcase).png 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

colors_explanation.PNG

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

List_item.PNG

Example of tooltip

Tooltip.PNG

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.

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.

v12_showcase.png
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.
Topic revision: r4 - 13 Apr 2020, JuttaFitzek
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