On the INT the User Interface is operated by the Telescope Operator so most observers will not require a detailed knowledge of it. The telescope user interface, of which many features are common to the JKT and INT, is used for two main purposes:
At present, the philosophy is that no action occurs until a button is pressed, except for the two most commonly used commands (GO and STOP) which can be issued either from the user interface or from the control panel. It is likely that all of the button functions will eventually be duplicated within the user interface, but a clear distinction between data input and action will remain. For example, the operations of entering the RA and Dec of an object and slewing to it are separate. An operating mode determines the way in which the control system responds to a command, for instance whether the telescope or guide probe is moved during autoguider acquisition or whether an object is to be observed with the JKT, East or West of its pier.