Computer Aids for VLSI Design

Steven M. Rubin

Copyright © 1994


Chapter 10: Human Engineering

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10.6 Summary

Human engineering comprises both the innermost and the outermost levels of a good computer system. At the deepest level is the task and user model that permeates the system design to correspond with the user's abilities and expectations. At the top level is a sheen of friendliness and cleverness that comforts the user by interacting intelligently. Between these are the many other system functions that constitute a VLSI CAD system.


Questions

  1. What is wrong with a system containing the commands "transform" and "transpose"?
  2. Why should the display be organized to position commonly used areas close together?
  3. What are the relative merits of marching menus and pop-up menus?
  4. What problems will be encountered when single keystrokes are used as abbreviations for full commands?
  5. Which will better reduce menu selection time: increasing the size of the menu or decreasing the distance of the menu entry from the cursor?
  6. What database organization guarantees that keystroke playback of a previous session will work correctly?
  7. Why do advanced users prefer less feedback?


References


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