Examination of trends during the past 30 years shows that human engineering principles, when overlooked or suppressed, had to user reaction which must be heeded if optimum design is to be obtained. Data is presented to show that when the instrument becomes too small or too large there is a noticeable user reaction. For example, many users appear to demand process instruments that are larger than those permitted by the German DIN system of dimensions which was decided many years ago, before the widespread use of process control instruments. Electronic and digital techniques do not change fundamentals of human engineering but widen the scope for data presentation. As operators are a continuing requirement the paper considers some of the questions awaiting answers in the areas of display and total system reliability.
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