Instrument Panel

The Instrument Panel is a window used to visualize data at the current cursor position.

Settings

Instrument Panel settings can be edited/loaded/saved using the F5/F6/F7 function keys (like many other windows).

Element Selection/Placement

Instrument panel allow to select multiple gauges by pressing the Ctrl + Left Click or using a rubber band.
The location and size of all selected gauges can be adjusted in a single step.
Copy and paste of the selected gauges is supported
The layout grid is removed. Now the borders of the gauges act as magnetic lines making it easy to align/adjust gauges.
If multiple gauges are selected, the arrow keys can be used to move the gauges by pixel (without snapping to the magnetic lines). Additionally, the arrow keys can be used with Shift to align all gauges to the top, left, bottom or right border, together with Ctrl the size can be adjusted (Ctrl+Right Arrow, Ctrl+Down Arrow) or aligned and sized (Ctrl+Left Arrow, Ctrl+Up Arrow)

Elements

The elements that can be used on an Instrument Panel are:

Value Display
Bar Display
Round Scale
Bit Panel

Value Display

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Value Display Common Settings

The Value Display can be configured with the following settings:

Channel: Defines the channel data that the element will present
Caption: Allows an alternate 'channel name' to be displayed

This is useful in the event the measured channel name is not descriptive / long.

Number Format: Defines the number of digits, number decimals, and scaling that will be used
Gauge/Caption: Control the base colors of the display element
Upper/Mid/Lower Range: Control the color of the display element based on the current cursor position value of the channel.

Value Display Alert Settings

The Value Display can be configured to visually alert the user based on the channel value.

Hysteresis: the value the channel must change in order to clear a triggered alert

Example Engine Water Temperature: Hysteresis value = 2 and Upper range = 100
The Alert will trigger when the channel value goes above 100
The Alert will clear when the channel value goes below (100 - 2) = 98

Upper/Mid/Lower Range: Toggle alerts based on the values on the Common Settings screen.
Time Controls: Define time based automatic clearing of alerts or retriggers.

Advanced Value Display Usage - PBX Output

Value Displays can be configured to show an enumeration of the channel. This can be very useful for error channels where a text value is more descriptive than an error code.

Tutorial:

Enter the Tools → Channels Settings Window
Select the channels of interest (in our case PBX Output State)
Change the 'Format' cells to 'Other Formatters -> More'
Create a channel formatter for PBX Output States
Add the channel as a Value Display to your instrument panel

Pitfall: The formatter is a global setting, so if you go to an Oscilloscope and change the Channel Format back to display a number, your instrument panel will also change back to a number.

Bar Display

Bar Display Common Settings

The Bar Display can be configured with the following settings:

Channel: Defines the channel data that the element will present
Caption: Allows an alternate 'channel name' to be displayed

This is useful in the event the measured channel name is not descriptive / long

Number Format: Defines the number of digits, number decimals, and scaling that will be used
Gauge/Caption: Control the base colors of the display element
Upper/Mid/Lower Range: Control the color of the display element based on the current cursor position value of the channel.

Bar Display Settings

Orientation: Select between Horizontal and Vertical layout
Shape of Color: Drawing controls for the Bar Display
Peaks: Controls for visual indication of min/max values

Bar Display Alert Settings

The Bar Display can be configured to visually alert the user based on the channel value.

Hysteresis: the value the channel must change in order to clear a triggered alert

Example Engine Water Temperature: Hysteresis value = 2 and Upper range = 100
The Alert will trigger when the channel value goes above 100
The Alert will clear when the channel value goes below (100 - 2) = 98

Upper/Mid/Lower Range: Toggle alerts based on the values on the Common Settings screen.
Time Controls: Define time based automatic clearing of alerts or retriggers

Round Scale

Round Scale Common Settings

The Round Scale can be configured with the following settings:

Channel: Defines the channel data that the element will present
Caption: Allows an alternate 'channel name' to be displayed

This is useful in the event the measured channel name is not descriptive / long

Number Format: Defines the number of digits, number decimals, and scaling that will be used
Gauge/Caption: Control the base colors of the display element
Upper/Mid/Lower Range: Control the color of the display element based on the current cursor position value of the channel.

Round Scale Style Settings

These are self explanatory

Round Scale Alert Settings

The Round Scale can be configured to visually alert the user based on the channel value.

Hysteresis: the value the channel must change in order to clear a triggered alert

Example Engine Water Temperature: Hysteresis value = 2 and Upper range = 100
The Alert will trigger when the channel value goes above 100
The Alert will clear when the channel value goes below (100 - 2) = 98

Upper/Mid/Lower Range: Toggle alerts based on the values on the Common Settings screen.
Time Controls: Define time based automatic clearing of alerts or retriggers

Bit Panel

Bit Panel Common Settings

The Bit Panel can be configured with the following settings:

Channel: Defines the channel data that the element will present
Caption: Allows an alternate 'channel name' to be displayed

This is useful in the event the measured channel name is not descriptive / long

Bit Panel Layout: Control the shape/layout of the bit panel
Colors: control the Bit Panel level color settings (can be override on the Bit Settings tab)

Bit Panel Style Settings