ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application

Introduction

This document contains :

Specific behaviour

ARCHIVE Access

The CHMI Logon window, after validation of the User name and Passcode, proposes a choice of selectable authorised application.
Based on your user profile and selected role, the ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application menu may propose you to retrieve data from an alternative server : the Archive system.
Read the ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application - Archive Access help page for a detailed description of the differences between the Archive and the ATFCM accesses.

PREDICT Access

The CHMI Logon window, after validation of the User name and Passcode, proposes a choice of selectable authorised application.
Based on your user profile and selected role, the ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application menu may propose you to retrieve data from an alternative server : the Prediction system (Predict).
While the ATFCM option gives access to the Tactical (today) and the Pre-Tactical (tomorrow) operational data, the Predict gives access to simulation data.
In order to better prepare ATFCM measures for the coming days, some similar archived traffic data are replayed and monitored. The proposed dates are today+1 and today+2.
Once started, the content of the title bar allows identifying the start up mode.
Each windows' title bar includes the selected target application environment (ATFCM, Archive or Predict Access).
When talking about dates, this help text refers to Tactical (today) and Pre-Tactical (tomorrow) dates. This is in fact the original purpose of this application.
When a window is opened from the Predict Access menu, you must be aware that the proposed dates are for today+1 and today+2. To avoid unnecessary complexity just for this specific usage, this has not been reflected in the detailed description text of each function.
Due to the complexity of validity periods and the amount of environment data involved, the plot action is currently not available in the predict access.

Main Menu

Description

From the CFMU Interface Application / ATFCM main menu, you can select the function you want to execute.
Functions are only displayed in the menu if your profile is authorising its usage.
It is only when a function has been selected that the corresponding dedicated Window appears.

Menu items

Traffic

Flights

Measures

ATM Messages

Environment

ACTION (CASA)

Common functionalities

Preferences dialog

The Preferences dialog is started from the main menu option File / Preferences....

The Preferences dialog is composed of :


The ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application is customised based on
The Preferences dialog allows to display these properties and possibly maintain the preferences.
When a preference is listed in grey, it cannot be updated by the user. It is there just for information.
System properties are indicated by a picture of tools on the left of the preference name in the list.
When a specific editor is available for updating one or more preferences, a button with three dots is displayed at the right when the corresponding edit box is selected.
Each time a preference is mentioned in this document, the tree structure access path is provided in front of the preference name.
The button toolbar allows the following actions :
Below the structure tree, three buttons allow to :
This functionality gives the possibility to save the user configured application at a given time and restore it to the identical configuration at any time later (for example: application customisation for a group of users).
In practice, an Import command will :
The application will refuse to overwrite an existing file to avoid undesired destruction of previous preferences set.
This is a modal dialog which blocks access to all other functions in the application.

Tactical / Pre-Tactical dates

The ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application gives access to :


Because of the possible misalignment of the clock on the local PC, when Tactical and Pre-Tactical dates shall be proposed in a query control, the ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application will always propose 4 dates :
On opening a new window, the system will propose a default date to be queried.
Using the user preference CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Default date, there are two options to control the proposed default date :
The Tactical and Pre-Tactical date selection is highlighted by different background colours.
These colours shall be identified using the following user preferences :

Time adjustment

Latest Windows technology is pretty safe in UTC and local time conversion.
To allow for some flexibility in solving any remaining time alignment problems, the application is using a Time adjustment user preference.
The CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Time adjustment preference shall be adjusted if time alignment problems arise.
The property may contain a positive or negative integer expressing a number of minutes.
This signed number will be added to the current UTC time before other default time calculation.

Default query period

The calculation of the query period proposed by default is based on system properties and user adjustable preferences.
When a default period is needed for the query, it is proposed based on the user preference Default period type related to the function used and the target server (ATFCM, Archive, Predict) (ex: CHMI / ATFCM application / Flights / Flight list / ATFCM default period type).
This user adjustable preference identifies one of the following methods :


Dependant on the Maximum elapse time allowed for the query period, the Default period type might be forced to the third method (Calculated WEF and UNT times).
If the Maximum elapse is less than one day (1440 minutes), this third method is the only workable solution.
This maximum elapse time for the query period is stored in the system property Maximum elapse related to the function used (ex: CHMI / ATFCM application / Flights / Flight list / Maximum elapse).
On opening a new window, the proposed default WEF is calculated using the following rules.
If Default period type is 0000 to 0000, the proposed default WEF is forced to 00:00.
If Default period type is WEF to 0000 or WEF to UNT, the proposed default WEF will be calculated as follow :
The system property Query over midnight which authorises to query over two days, may possibly limit this time calculation process to the start of the day (00:00) (CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Query over midnight).
On opening a new window, the proposed default UNT is calculated using the following rules.
If Default period type is set to 0000 to 0000 or WEF to 0000 method, and the Maximum elapse authorises to query on full day (1440 minutes), then the default UNT time will be set to the end of the selected day (00:00).
If Default period type is set to WEF to UNT method, the UNT time will be calculated by adding the Query default elapse number of minutes to the WEF time provided in the related input control.
The Query default elapse is a user adjustable preference related to each function and for each target server (ATFCM, Archive, Predict) (ex: CHMI / ATFCM application / Flights / Flight list / ATFCM query default elapse).
The Query default elapse must be smaller or equal to the system property Maximum elapse corresponding to the function (ex: CHMI / ATFCM application / Flights / Flight list / Maximum elapse).
The system property Query over midnight which authorises to query over two days, may possibly limit this time calculation process to the end of the day (00:00) (CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Query over midnight).
On issuing a query with a blank WEF or UNT time for the period, the default value will be provided based on above user preference Default period type.
When opening a new window from a contextual popup selection on another window, some query data elements are provided by the calling function.
The Force default period is a user adjustable preference related to each function and for each target server (ATFCM, Archive, Predict)(ex: CHMI / ATFCM application / Flights / Flight list / ATFCM force default period).
It allows to ignore the passed values and to use the defaults as if the window was opened from the main menu.
When checked, the Force default period preference forces the use of calculated default values for WEF and UNT.

Send action

Enabled : always
Disabled : never
Action : will issue the query to the CFMU database if all necessary query elements are available and correct. Otherwise an error message will help in query preparation.
Not applicable : never
Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <ENTER>
<ENTER> key: the Send being the default action in most cases, the <ENTER> key will trigger it when no other default button is available on the active window.
Menu option : Action / Send

Reset action

Enabled : after valid reply data are displayed, as soon as one of the initial query criteria is changed.
Disabled : before initial query and while query criteria correspond to displayed reply data.
Applicable : to all windows where the criteria may be updated to issue an updated query.
Large RESET button : in parallel with the activation of the Reset button from the Button Bar, a large RESET button covering all reply data will be displayed. This is implemented to avoid mismatch between currently retrieved reply data and modified query criteria.
Action : will restore all query criteria corresponding to the currently retrieved reply data. The large RESET button hiding the reply data is consequently removed.
Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <R>
Menu option : Action / Reset

Invalidate function

Once some data have been retrieved from the CFMU database, the ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application provides an automatic warning mechanism for out of date data.
This mechanism is only implemented for volatile data related to flights and counts only.
The elapse time before the display is marked as "OBSOLETE DATA !" may be adjusted using the following user preference :


The warning is displayed on a large button covering the data part of the window.
Once the data has been marked as OBSOLETE, the user may :
The user may decide to deactivate this Invalidate mechanism by adjusting the following user preference :

Sort action

The sort action is available on most list display.
It allows to alter the displayed sequence on retrieved data.
The sorting is done locally and therefore doesn't need to retrieve additional data from the CFMU database.
To modify the sorting of a displayed list, click on column headers corresponding to your desired query criteria.
A first click on an unsorted column will request to sort in ascending order on the selected column.
Any subsequent click on an already sorted column will swap between ascending and descending order for the selected column.
An arrow in front of the title of the column indicates the order of the currently applied sort for that column.


The number next to the arrow indicates the position of the column in combined sort sequences.
Shift key combined with a click on the desired column allows the concatenation of several sort criteria.
Default initial system sort sequence is provided in most of the cases.
User is then free to modify the sort sequence used by the current active window.
The modified sort sequence only applies to the window on which it was defined.
The sort sequence may be changed before any data is retrieved.
Modified sort sequence remains active even after a data refresh action.

Filter action

Enabled : when a window is displayed where a filter could be applied.
Disabled : when there is no list to filter and during data retrieval.
Action : will prompt the Filter table dialog box proposing to implement a filter for each of the column of the main list. For each of the column, a filter may be created by selecting an operator and the value to compare to.
Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <F>
Menu option : Action / Filter
Note : see the Filter function paragraph later in this document part.

The Filter function allows to process sub-selection on retrieved data.
The filtering is done locally and therefore doesn't need to retrieve additional data from the CFMU database.
The Filter function is then started for the currently active dialog, if this dialog contains a data list that could be filtered.
This Filter table dialog is modal, so no other action is allowed while it is displayed.
This dialog will allow to provide for each column in the table to be filtered :


The different comparison operators that can be used to Filter the detail lines are :
For the "=", ">", "<" and "not =" comparison operator, if both the selected column and the entered value contains only numeric digits, a numeric comparison is performed. Otherwise an alphanumerical comparison is performed from left to right.
The comparison value entered must include any special character like the ":" in case of a time comparison. The alphanumerical comparison is performed from left to right on the exact string of character you did provide.
Leading and trailing blanks are ignored during comparison.
When a filter is active on a selected window, the caption giving the number of rows in the list will contain :
Like for the sort, the filter only applies to one window.
Any new window has no filter when it is created.
The filter values may be entered before any data is retrieved.
Clicking the Apply button on the dialog applies the filter to the active window without closing the dialog.
Clicking the Clear button closes the filter dialog and removes any existing filter
Clicking the Cancel button closes the filter dialog and keeps the situation as it was before invoking the Filter dialog.
Clicking the Save button on the dialog applies the filter to the active window and closes the dialog.
Checking the Match case checkbox forces all alphabetical comparisons to be case sensitive for the current dialog. The state of this checkbox is persistent for the currently defined filter.
Checking the Show filter checkbox allows to temporarily limit the display to the columns on which a filter has been implemented.

Normal / Proposal Flights

Enabled : when it is used by the active window to prepare a query or to initiate a contextual popup request to another window that uses this indicator.
Disabled : when not used at all by the active window.
Action : when issuing a new query or refreshing an existing window, where flights need to be retrieved or counted, this button is checked to prepare the request to the server. All replies that include flight data or counts will use this indicator to identify whether they shall take into account or ignore the flight Proposal issued by the Tactical system.
Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <N> to toggle between Normal and Proposal. Menu option : Action / Normal/Proposal
Note : the title bar of each window that contains flight counts or data, indicates the mode used for the data retrieval. The keyword (Prop) between the title and the stamp indicates that the displayed data are including the flight "Proposals". A refresh might alter the initial mode used.
Note : when a flight list might contain proposal flights, a special title background colour for the flight listbox is used. This colour may be adjusted using the following user preference :

Print / Export function

Enabled : as soon as some valid reply data are retrieved from the CFMU database.
Disabled : before any valid reply data are retrieved and when the query criteria are not in line with the available reply data.
Applicable : all ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application functions.
Action : will invoke the print or the export function for the currently active window.
Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <P> for Print and <Ctrl> + <E> for Export
Menu option : File / Print or Action / Export

The Print function allows to produce a hard copy of the retrieved data.
Before invoking the print function, the displayed data may be sorted and filtered. The printout will reflect what is currently displayed on the window.
The only additional information needed is the identification of the destination printer.
A modal dialog will prompt for this information. Default printer is proposed.

The Export function allows to save all the retrieved data into a text file.
Any sort or filter criteria is not taken into account by the export function. Later sort and filtering may be applied easily on the exported text file.
Click the Export button or select the Action / Export menu option.
The Export function is then started for the currently active dialog.
This Export dialog is modal, so no other action is allowed while it is displayed.
The following dialog box will ask you to provide the location and the file name in which the exported data will be stored.

The minimum input is the desired file name.
choose OK when you have selected the file reference.
If the file already exists, you will be prompted with the following confirmation dialog.

The data is exported in a text file format, so it can be accessed with any editor.
All query data elements are listed first, followed by the reply data.
A special character separates each data element.
CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Export separator user preference shall be adjusted to identify the separator character to be used.
This feature allows to import the exported CHMI file into other standard software and to use the separator between the different data elements. (i.e. one data element per cell in a spreadsheet)

Period Shifting function

Enabled : as soon as a window where period shifting is applicable becomes active.
Disabled : when the active window has no period that could be shifted.
Applicable : all windows where the selection criteria include a time period that could be shifted.
Action : Toggle button ">>" to switch on and off the shifting status of the currently active window.

Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <S>
Menu option : Action / Shift
When Shifting is activated before a refresh, the query period is automatically shifted with the number of minutes elapsed since the last data retrieval from the server occurred.
When Shifting is on for a window, it is indicated by the presence of >> in its title.
By default, windows are in non-shifting state (fixed period), which implies that on refresh, the initial query period remains fixed.
Shifting is activated either by clicking the >> button to toggle on, selecting the menu option Action / Shift or when the automatic Polling is activated for a window.
Shifting is de-activated either by clicking the >> button to toggle off, or by unchecking the menu option Action / Shift.
Shifting state is not reset when Polling is stopped for a window.
Note : see also the Polling function paragraph in this document.

Polling function

Enabled : as soon as some valid reply data are retrieved from the CFMU database.
Disabled : when the user security profile does not allow the use of the automatic polling facility or before any valid reply data are retrieved.
Applicable : all displays where non static traffic data are displayed (Flight Lists, Delays, Traffic and Flow Counts and Traffic Monitor functions).
Action : Toggle button (circle shaped arrow) to switch on and off the polling function for the currently active window.

Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <G>
Menu option : Action / Polling
Once some data have been retrieved from the CFMU database, the ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application provides an automatic polling mechanism, which will keep the display up to date.
This polling mechanism is only available for the following functions where the situation is supposed to evolve over time and limited to the Polling maximum elapse system property associated to each function (ex: CHMI / ATFCM application / Flights / Flight list / Polling maximum elapse).
A message box will notify when the current query period of the window does not allow to start polling.
To start / stop the polling mechanism for the current active window, the user has just to click the Polling toggle button or check the equivalent menu option Action / Polling.
Activating the Polling mode for a window will force it at the same time to Period Shifting state.
The application will notify when the maximum number of windows in poll mode is reached. This maximum is fixed by your user profile and is displayed with the following system property :


A message box will invite to stop first polling on another window.
Following user preference shall be adjusted to modify basic time interval between two automatic refreshes of one window :
This user preference may only be adjusted to a value greater or equal to the minimum authorised by your user profile and displayed with the following system property :
This basic interval is increased with a penalty, proportionally to the number of parallel windows started in poll mode. This penalty value is identified by your user profile and is displayed with the following system property :
Once started, the automatic polling will process a pre-defined number of refreshes after each other. This pre-defined number is identified by your user profile and is displayed with the following system property :
After this number of consecutive automatic refreshes is reached, the Polling function is stopped for that window. Automatic refresh then needs to be restarted by the user by clicking the Polling button again.
The menu option Application / CHMI / ATFCM application / Resume All Polling (Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <U>) :
To stop automatic refresh for all windows currently in Poll mode, the user has just to select menu option Application / CHMI / ATFCM application / Stop All Polling. (Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <T>)
When the polling is started for a window, its title contains the indication (Poll) appended at the end. This allows an easy identification in the window list.
The polling for one window is stopped :
The Polling action is disabled during query processing for one window only. This action only applies to the currently selected window.
The Resume All Polling and Stop All Polling actions are only enabled after at least one window has been started in Poll mode. They are not disabled while a window processes a query since they apply to all windows in poll mode (active or maximum consecutive poll reached).
Due to the potential heavy impact on the network and the CFMU servers, the use of this facility will be monitored and limited by the security profile.
The automatic refresh is stopped immediately if an error occurs during the communication with the Tactical system. It then needs to be restarted if necessary.

Previous / Next period

Enabled : when an earlier / later query period is available.
This processing will take into account if the possibility to query over midnight is authorised by your user profile (CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Query over midnight).
Disabled : Previous when WEF time is 00:00 or Next when UNT time is 00:00 and query over midnight is not authorised.
Applicable : all windows where the selection criteria include a time period that could be shifted.
Action : will issue a query identical to the previous one but for the previous / next period with the same elapse, possibly truncated if we reach 00:00 or 24:00 and query over midnight is not authorised.
For example with the period 09:20 to 11:20, if you click the Next button, you will issue the same query for the period 11:20 to 13:20.
Shortcut key : <Ctrl> + <-> (minus sign) for Previous and <Ctrl> + <+> (plus sign) for Next
Menu option : Action / Previous and Action / Next

Default Message Originator

For some actions performed with the ATFCM CFMU Human Machine Interface application, the user is invited to provide a SITA or an AFTN network address.


This address will be included in the message issued to the CFMU system.
It will be used for later distribution of messages by the CFMU system.
To standardise the input of the addresses and the selection of the default one, a customised dialog may be invoked when updating the user preference CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Origin / Default Address Id. Just click on the little square at the right side of the Default Address ID input box on the Preferences dialog.
Following system properties will be adjusted by this dialog :

When such a window is opened, no other function may be invoked.
The default address may be a SITA or an AFTN address.
Several addresses may be defined but only one may be defined as default.
To add a new address in the Originator List, you first select the list (SITA or AFTN), then introduce the address in the New Originator box and click on the Add button.
To remove an address from a list, you first select the list (SITA or AFTN), then select the address in the list and click on the Remove button.
To set the default, you first select the list (SITA or AFTN), then select the address in the list and click on the Default button.
To change the default, you just set another originator address as Default.
To remove the default, click on the No Default button.
To store the default and the lists in your preferences, click on the Ok button.
To ignore the changes to the default and to the lists, click on the Cancel button.

Workspace Management

The CFMU Human Machine Interface application offers the use of Workspaces to help structuring the way of working and better manage the available display space.
To preserve available space for displaying data windows, the Workspace tab is not displayed when there is a single workspace created.
Basic management functions available in the Workspace menu are :


On starting the CFMU Human Machine Interface application, empty Workspaces and names are re-created as they existed on previous application close.
In addition to the basic workspace management functions, some more sophisticated functions are implemented to save and restore workspace configuration with a given content.
These enhanced Workspace management functions will not only Create the named Workspace, if it does not exist yet, but also restore the content as it was when the Save command was executed.
Within a named Workspace, the content related to ATFCM windows is restored with the following rules:
Polling state and any filter are not restored automatically.
Windows implementing the Open at startup feature are not taken into account (eg: Release Notifier).
All other ATFCM windows are candidates to be restored but the query data and the initial send are only managed for functions monitoring a selected time period (eg: FMP Monitor).
Following enhanced commands are available from the Workspace menu :
This restore process is done on request to allow selective workspace restore and avoid undesired massive restore on each application start.


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