The Relation of Electronic and Optical Display Gain to System Performance

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of adjusting display gain upon man-machine system performance in a simple aided tracking system. Gain was varied in two ways: electrically by changing amplification, and optically by changing the distance from the scope to the eye. Manipulation of gain by each method produced similar changes in system performance. Over the ranges studied, system error decreased as display gain was increased. This result agrees with predictions based upon closed-loop control system theory and suggests the feasibility of including additional experimental variables within the theory.