USER'S GUIDE ENGINEERING DATA COMPENDIUM Human Perception and Performance nTIC QUALI'l'Y DlBPllICTJ::D ~ USER'S GUIDE ENGINEERING DATA COMPENDIUM Human Perception and NI\SI\ Performance Edited by Kenneth R. Boff Human Engineering Division Armstrong Aerospace .Medical Research Laboratory Janet E. Lincoln University oj Dayton Research Institute Harry G. Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 1988 I Integrated Perceptual Injormation jor Designers Program -~­ W, AGARD Further infonnation on the Compendium may be obtained from: Human Engineering Division Harry G. Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433 USA Companion volume to the Engineering Data Compendium: Handbook of Perception and Human Performance. edited by K.R. Boff, L. Kaufman, and J.P. Thomas (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1986). Volumes I and II. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data: Engineering data compendium. Includes bibliographies and indexes. 1. Human engineering-Tables. 2. Perception­ Testing-Tables. 3. Perfonnance-Testing-Tables. I. Boff, Kenneth R. II. Lincoln, Janet E. TA166.E541988 620.8'2 87-19560 "Engineers have been aware of the desirability of designing equipment to meet the requirements of the human operator, but in most cases have lacked the scientific data necessary for accomplishing this aim. " In honored memory of PAUL M. FITTS We dedicate this work to the past and future achievements of the organization he founded The Human Engineering Division Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory Technical Staff Editorial Anita Cochran Barbara Palmer Herschel Self Patrick Hess Senior Copy Editor Senior Technical Editor Visual Sciences Editor Bill Harper Director, Quality Control Martha Gordon User's Guide Development Kirsten Means Stevie Hardyal Technical Editor Armstrong Aerospace Medical Assistant Copy Editors Copy Editor MacAulay-Brown, Inc. Research Laboratory University of Dayton University of Dayton Dayton,OH Research Institute Research Institute Special Projects Edward A. Martin Jeffrey A. Landis Mark Jones John Spravka Engineering Technical Advisor Senior Technical Auditor, Document Auditor Technical Auditor Air Force Deputy for Glossary Development General Support MacAulay-Brown, Inc. Engineering User's Guide Development Maggie Hewitt Dayton,OH Michele Gilkison Peer Review Coordinator Sarah Osgood Permissions Figure Drafting Auditor User's Guide Development University of Dayton MacAulay-Brown, Inc. Systems Research Laboratories Research Institute Dayton,OH Dayton, Ohio Management Karen Pettus Gian Cacioppo Judy Williams Chuck Semple Anita Cochran Project/Staff Kathy Martin Project! Staff Project/Staff MacAulay-Brown, Inc. Patricia Browne Essex Corp. Los Angeles, CA University of Dayton Dayton,OH Compendium Development Research Institute MacAulay-Brown, Inc. Dayton,OH Design Dale Fox Bethann Thompson Ken Miracle Dana Breidenbach Director of Design Project Designer Cover Art Entry Design Systems Research Laboratories Systems Research Laboratories Systems Research Laboratories Graphic Design Works Dayton,OH Dayton,OH Dayton,OH Yellow Springs, OR Drafting, Composition and Production Systems Research University of Dayton Harlan Typographic Kramer Graphics, Inc. Laboratories Research Institute Dayton,OH Dayton,OH Dayton,OH Figures & Illustrations Entry Composition & Table Composition & Composition Management & Fred Davis Typesetting Typesetting Typesetting Reinhold Strnat Ed Bratka Anthony Ashland Bethann Thompson Kanith Stone Harry Blacker Monica Gorman Margaret Plattenburg Suanne Lang Graphic Artist Sara Mitchell David Levitan Cynthia Poto Scott Bratka Kim Perry Joseph Deady Jeff Murray Andrea Snell Photography Lou Sena Aldridge Ed Szymczak Clarence Randall, Jr. Essex Corp. San Diego, CA Larry Campbell Kelly Kramer Dottie Moore O'Neil & Associates Figure Drafting Specialised Printing Bruce Brown Dayton,OH Dave Pigeon Services, Limited Figures & Illustrations Ron Easterday Chuck Good McBee Binders Paul Fugate London, England Steve Mikel Cincinnati, OH Jim Redick Printing Henry Bowman Binder Production Management Derek Smith Robert Kellough Mike Richards Administrative Support MacAulay-Brown, Inc. Armstrong Aerospace . University of Dayton Pendragon Press Dayton,OH Medical Research Research Institute Stuyvesant, NY Word Processing Laboratory Administrative Assistance Secretarial Assistance Pamela Coleman Secretarial Assistance Jean Scheer Nanette Maxim Terry Hieber Tanya Ellifritt Susan Baum Bernice Stewart Logistics Control Bandra Suttles Kristen Morton Michelle Warren Dale Schimmel Al Chapin Contents Acknowledgments for the User's Guide xi About the Engineering Data Compendium 1 How to Use the Engineering Data Compendium 5 Contents for Volume I 11 Contents for Volume n 17 Contents for Volume m 23 Glossary 29 Design Checklist 45 Index 77 Acknowledgments for the User's Guide The Engineering Data Compendium was developed through GraphicslPhoto Lab under the guidance of Dale Fox, di­ the joint efforts of an extraordinary group of individuals rector of Design for the IPID project. Major contributions to whose contributions toward achieving the project's ambi­ this effort were made by Bethann Thompson and Clarence tious objectives are detailed in the Acknowledgments at the Randall, Jr. front ofthe data volumes of the Compendium. We wish, in Support for preparation of the User's Guide followed a addition, to acknowledge the select group who contrib- somewhat different track than that for the Compendium data uted in a special way to the preparation ofthis User's Guide. volumes. Indispensable to the successful development of In particular, we are indebted to Herschel Self (Arm­ the User's Guide has been the active, ~ncompromising sup­ strong Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory) for his port of Charles Bates, Jr., Director of the Fitts Human En­ tireless efforts in aiding the development of the design gineering Division of the Armstrong Aerospace Medical checklist. His assignment was to assess and document the Research Laboratory. We also wish to express our gratitude relationship of Compendium data to design-related issues to NATO's Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and by identifying specific human performance questions for Development (AGARD) and its Technical Director, Irving which answers might be derived from individual Com­ C. Statler, for supporting the production of this User's pendium entries. Over a period of several years, Hersch Guide. For expediting NATO participation, we are indebted authored many thousands of questions based on an in­ to George Hart, Technical Information Panel Executive, depth review of entry content. These questions were then and Major John Winship, Canadian Forces, Aerospace edited and sorted into meaningful categories linked to an Medical Panel Executive. equipment-related taxonomy. Accomplishing this task re­ Once again, we are compelled to acknowledge the tol­ quired detailed scrutiny and extensive technical support by erance and understanding support of our spouses, Judy Boff Herschel Self, by Ed Martin, Engineering Technical Ad­ and Bob Kessler, which played a critical role in the success­ visor for the project, by Barbara Palmer and Sarah Osgood ful completion of this project. Finally, it is our profound of Systems Research Laboratories, and by Anita Cochran, hope and expectation that the task we have begun in de­ Jeffrey Landis, and Patrick Hess of the University of Day­ veloping the first volumes of this Compendium will con­ ton Research Institute. tinue and flourish with future revisions and expansions in Compilation of the master index was an excruciating scope of coverage. task requiring the identification, sorting, and structuring of KENNETH R. BOFF over 10,000 index entries. This work was invaluably aided Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory by the effort of Barbara Palmer, Systems Research Labora­ Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio tories, and by the early contributions of Patricia Browne, MacAulay-Brown, Inc. JANET E. LINCOLN The final style and appearance of the User's Guide was University ofDayton Research Institute the work of the Systems Research Laboratories' Corporate Dayton, Ohio, and Stuyvesant, New York xi About the Engineering Data Compendium Claims and Disclaimers The concept underlying the Engineering Data Compendium computer dialogue, etc.) that rounded out the coverage we was the product of a research and development program felt was essential for the Compendium. In addition, during (Integrated Perceptual Information for Designers project) the development of the Compendium, we continually modi­ aimed at facilitating the application of basic research find­ fied the scope and depth of treatment of different subject ings in human performance to the design of military crew areas based on the many suggestions of outside peer re­ systems. The principal objective of this effort was to de­ viewers. velop a workable strategy for (a) identifying and distilling In general, the depth of treatment for any given topic information of potential value to system design from the area was determined by the availability of useful data and existing research literature, and (b) presenting this techni­ by the editorial necessity to limit coverage within reasona­ cal information in a way that would aid its accessibility, in­ ble bounds. Data were chosen through a multi-step process terpretability, and applicability by system designers. The of evaluation and review by subject-matter