Henry M. Morris, Special Projects Editor

Is Annunciator Evolution Overdue?

Though they're often called Christmas trees, most annunciators don't spit out presents when they light up. Most simply let control room operators know something is wrong. However, annunciators that only announce problems aren't enough for users of today's increasingly complex and integrated automation systems. Fast, coordinated information is crucial to help operators correctly handle many current process problems, and so some annunciators are evolving to meet their demands. Annunciator essentials So far, annunciator evolution has consisted mostly of prioritizing the signals they put out.