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For those of you just getting started as technical writers, here's a list of the types of technical documentation that you may come across in your career. Not every company produces all of these as some are from hardware (microprocessor) and some from software industries. Donn
Le Viea Consultant and author was nice
enough to give me permission to print this list on my site. 1.
Addendum: a brief document that contains information that was omitted from a
user or reference manual, or information that clarifies information in such
manuals. 2.
Application Notes/Briefs: Information that relates to direct use of a product
in a system environment/customer application. 3.
Architectural Overviews/specs: architectural information describing the
conceptual and functional aspects of a component, including block diagrams,
data flows, processing algorithms, etc. 4.
Benchmark documents: information that demonstrates how processors/platforms
perform against certain benchmarks 5.
Datasheets: a product-specific document that contains the essential information
about a component product, particularly the characterization information such
as electrical specifications, thermal properties, mechanical specs, etc. 6.
Data book: a collection of data sheets for a particular product family. 7.
Design Guide: a document with information on a reference design, enabling
customers to design their products around the reference product (used in
microprocessor industry). 8.
Design Spec: a document that details the design of a particular product. 9.
Electronic Design Kit: a collection of information and tools to be used by
customers that enable them to complete their designs more efficiently and
effectively. 10.
Engineering Bulletin: a short (4 to 10 pages) document that deals with a specific
functional component of a device. 11.
Errata: a document reporting on design defects or errors. 12.
Functional spec: a document that details how a particular product will function
(based on a requirements spec). 13.
Installation Guide: the necessary information for installation of a particular
product (including Quick Start Guides) for hardware or software. 14.
Hardware Manual: functional descriptions of a component. Descriptions of the
various logical or physical components of a product and explains their workings
in detail. May contain some developer/programming information, but are usually
devoid of any "user" information (procedural, task-oriented). 15.
Packaging Guide (microprocessors): the component packaging options independent
of specific component products. 16.
Product Brief: a short (2 to 4 pages) document that highlights the functional
and application properties of a device. Usually includes a block diagram and
sometimes a proposed pin diagram. Often written with a marketing slant and
distributed before the product is available. 17. Product specifications: a product-specific document that contains the essential information about a product, particularly the characterization information such Go To Page: 1 2 |
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