Push To Talk (PTT) switches for control room operations

The design of control rooms, or operation centres, and the equipment contained within them can have a significant effect on the performance of the operators.  Different industries have different needs. These range from fast-paced emergency services responding to incidents and crisis situations to surveillance, air traffic control, security, broadcast and  industrial processing that continuously monitors and controls the status of infrastructure and equipment.

Control room design

To enable operators to work as efficiently and effectively as possible the control room must be user-friendly and ergonomically designed to offer maximum operator comfort. This includes workstations, displays, controls and interactions, as well as temperature, lighting and acoustics. Generally speaking, each operator has a personal workspace and this needs to be optimised to enable them to perform at the highest standard, particularly in situations where operator response time, and the ability to get the right information to the right person as quickly as possible, is critical.

Maximising operator efficiency in control rooms

With multiple multimedia streams of information to monitor and manage it is essential that the technology can be operated intuitively. It is here that push to talk (PTT) footswitches come in to their own. They allow the operator to answer phone calls at the tap of a foot, leaving their hands free to log, action or otherwise multi-task as required, increasing both speed and efficiency.

Push To Talk (PTT) footswitches

Our two most popular footswitches for this purpose are the 6289 treadle footswitch and the 6254 general industrial footswitch. Both products are user-friendly, robust and durable with a grooved fascia for excellent traction and a heavy base to prevent sliding.

The 6289 treadle footswitch is made with steel housings added to an aluminium extrusion for long life and reliability. It is available as electric or USB emulation, with options on various pedal lengths and connectors. The 6254 has a low profile to ensure operator comfort and reduce fatigue and is manufactured from die cast aluminium, with its toughness and modest cost making it ideal for OEM applications.

To discuss your control room footswitch requirements, please contact our experienced team on 01284 701422 or sales@herga.com