How the SDLC applies to HMIs

Sadly, HMI development is often less rigorous than PLC software, which, as we have established, gets little attention compared to physical hardware. However, as we have stated in the past, the HMI will be the focal point of the software for the end user. If the HMI is not a quality HMI, the machine will run the risk of being pushed to the wayside. As such, it is important to follow the SDLC even with HMI development.

In my opinion, the design phase is of the most importance. You will usually design the layout of the HMI during the design phase. The design phase is usually the make-or-break phase of the SDLC and in terms of HMI development, even more so. As we will see in the next section, a very important part of the HMI design is wireframing, which is a technique used to create a layout of the HMI before you try to build it. Due to the nature of HMIs, you will want to be in contact with the customer/end user during the design phase.

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