Developing Effective Human Engineering Standards for Color Flight Displays

The new color display Aerospace Recommended Practice. ARP 4032, now undergoing final approval by SAE represents a significant improvement in the documentation of useful human engineering data. Working with operationally defined requirements for effective color displays, a subcommittee of the SAE G-10 (Aerospace Behavioral Engineering Technology) committee has developed an ARP which translates the operational objectives outlined by the pilot community into specific functional requirements and test procedures which can be used by engineers to assure that color CRT displays will perform properly under all operational conditions.

This work was accomplished by pooling the knowledge and experience of key individuals involved in display applications design, equipment manufacture, human performance assessment and operational use. The ARP marks a significant advancement in the means of dealing objectively with what has been a highly subjective facet of design and operation. The ARP carefully avoids going beyond what is known, while providing the designer with a means of handling those characteristics which cannot be predicted in advance. Finally the ARP was developed in cooperation with the operational community, including important input from the SAE S-7 (Flight Deck) and A-4 (Electronic Displays) committees.