OT / ICS / SCADA fundamentals

HMI (Human-Machine Interface)

An HMI is the interface an operator uses to interact with a controller: it can be as simple as a physical panel with buttons and indicator lights, or as sophisticated as an industrial PC running dedicated software with color graphics and real-time data displays. The HMI is where a human actually sees process status and issues commands; SCADA is the broader system that the HMI is a window into.