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The maximum oxygen partial pressure setting on a dive computer is primarily designed to prevent oxygen toxicity. When divers use enriched air, they increase the concentration of oxygen, which can elevate the partial pressure of oxygen in the lungs. If this partial pressure exceeds safe limits, it can lead to oxygen toxicity, which can have serious health implications, including convulsions and other neurological issues.
By setting a maximum partial pressure limit, the dive computer alerts the diver if they are approaching levels that could be dangerous, helping to ensure safe diving practices. This is critical for divers who are using mixtures with higher oxygen content than normal air, especially at deeper depths where the increased pressure also elevates the partial pressure of inhaled gases.
As for the other options, while dive computers do provide various functionalities including tracking total dive time, ascent rates, and monitoring dive depth, these specific purposes do not pertain directly to the primary safety feature of preventing oxygen toxicity related to partial pressures of oxygen.