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WRITING FOR HARDWARE You Can’t Always Touch It
THE MYTH – “HARDWARE WRITING IS EASY BECAUSE…”
“You can turn it on!” “You can pick it up and turn it over!” “Hardware is simpler than software.” “You can touch it!”
“YOU CAN TURN IT ON!”
“From where????”“How????”
“YOU CAN PICK IT UP AND TURN IT OVER!”
“But it weights three Thousand pounds!”
“HARDWARE IS SIMPLER THAN SOFTWARE”
“Wait…whichWire?”
“YOU CAN TOUCH IT!”
“I know your job is to write about the airplane engines. My job is to shoot you if you try to touch them.”
THE REALITY?
Myths may be true about small hardware systems associated with high technology.
But hardware covers a much broader spectrum than just “things related somehow to software.”
SO…WHAT IS HARDWARE DOCUMENTATION?
HARDWARE DOCUMENTATION MAJOR TYPES
Operator Manuals Inspection and/or Repair Manuals Parts Lists Manufacturing/Assembly Documents Service Bulletins
OPERATOR MANUALS
OPERATOR MANUALS
Not unlike software manuals Aimed at the product’s primary user Safety section first Overview section second May include troubleshooting
OPERATOR MANUALS – EXAMPLES
Transportation, Aviation, Shipping Heavy Equipment Telecommunications Equipment and
Subsystems High Technology Systems Medical Systems Consumer Goods
OPERATOR MANUALS –USE CASE
Possibly easier to develop because it is easier to visualize how the product is used
End users can be identified by profession and expected tasks
OPERATOR MANUALS –USE CASE
Both are drills…but the end useIs very different.
OPERATOR MANUALS – SAFETY STANDARDS
ANSI Z535.6 ATA Series MIL-STD-38784 Many others for different
industries
Choose a spec…stick to it!
OPERATOR MANUALS – ANSI 535.6
Danger
This will kill or seriously injure
Warning This may Kill or injure
Caution (with alert) This may cause moderate injury
Caution (without alert) This will break something
Notice Good to know
OPERATOR MANUALS – SAFETY MARKINGS
LABELING• Product may have
labels concerning safety issues.
• Be sure the label and the corresponding text are consistent.
• Use consistent hazard icons.
INSPECTION MANUALS
INSPECTION MANUALS
May be combined with repair manuals. Includes wear and tear limits on parts. Covers known or predicted trouble points. Systems with wear and tear that exceeds
inspection limits generally are inducted into the repair cycle.
INSPECTION MANUALS – BASIC FORMAT
Tell the user how to gain access to the component (for example, partially disassemble the product).
Tell the user how to perform the inspection. Tell the user what the limits of wear/tear are. Tell the user how to restore the system to
normal function when done inspecting.
INSPECTION MANUALS –TYPES OF INSPECTION (STRUCTURAL)
Visual X-ray Magnetic particle Ultrasound “Coin tap”
INSPECTION MANUALS –TYPES OF INSPECTIONS (ELECTRONIC)
Voltage levels Electronic test points Cable pin out measurements
REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE MANUALS
Remove first, then replace Pictures, pictures, pictures List all tools List all consumables List all expendables
REPAIR MANUALS –LEVELS OF REPAIR
Multiple docs may be needed for a single subject, depending upon the audience.
Repair manuals are often geared toward what the user is authorized to do. Lowest Level: “Field” repairs, routine maintenance. Intermediate Level: Repair Shop. Highest Level: “Factory style” rework and machine
work.
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE – FIELD
Troubleshooting is the first order of business. First figure out what component has failed. After that, user can proceed.
Fluid replacement, cleaning, preventive maintenance. Major subassemblies removed and replaced, broken
parts sent to higher level for repair. Level of procedure detail is light, because operations
are relatively simple.
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE –FIELD
Cable pin outs are important troubleshooting tool.
Test points on circuit cards are also important.
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE –INTERMEDIATE
Significant disassembly and parts removal/replacement.
Open the box, remove and replace components.
This level of repair requires the most extensive detail in the repair procedures.
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE – “FACTORY STYLE” (DEPOT)
Major overhaul/major repair. Can involve fabrication of new parts, machining,
welding. Helpful to have an understanding of these techniques
– can often be learned at community colleges. Manuals tend to be compilations of data as opposed
to specific procedures. Why……?
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE – “FACTORY STYLE” (DEPOT)
….because Users at this level are generally well trained in their
craft. They know in general how the repair is done, but need
specifics dealing with component composition, drilling, grinding, welding.
Give ‘em the data in a clear format, they will know what to do.
THE OLDER THE SYSTEM, THE BIGGER THE MANUAL
Unlike software, the older the hardware gets often the repair manuals get bigger.
Early in the system life cycle, failures are managed by removal/replacement.
But as systems age, it’s more economical to develop repairs…and with age, components with common failures rate new procedures for repair.
AS AN EXAMPLE…
Boeing Aircraft Company manufactured 12,000 B-17 “Flying Fortress” airplanes, ending in 1945.
About a dozen still fly. Boeing still maintains
and updates B-17 tech manuals as needed.
PARTS LISTS
PARTS LISTS – MANY NAMES, SAME FUNCTION
Parts List Parts Catalogue Illustrated Parts Breakdown (IPB) (USAF) Illustrated Parts List (IPL) (USN) Repair Parts & Special Tools List (RPSTL) (US
Army)
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE – PARTS LISTS
“Illustrated Parts Breakdown” Equal parts art and science
PARTS BREAKDOWN
• Exploded view of object
• Reference Number
• Part Number
• Quantity
• Part Name
IPB: THE GOOD NEWS
Creation of parts lists made easier by current tools Illustrations and parts lists can be generated by
illustration tools that interact with CAD models Configuration management tools (Oracle Agile)
also useful in generating coherent parts lists Of course, this assumes the engineer was thinking
about the parts manual during design.
MANUFACTURING PROCEDURES
MANUFACTURING/ASSEMBLY DOCUMENTS
Simpler design, heavier on graphics
Breaks procedure down to lowest level
Electronic versions benefit greatly from animation.
MANUFACTURING/ASSEMBLY PROCEDURES
Consistent manufacturing procedures create assurance of quality in the product.
May be required to maintain ISO certification.
MANUFACTURING/ASSEMBLY DOCUMENTS – MOST LENGTHY OF ALL
ANDE: Portable DNA Analyzer by Analogic Operator manual about 30 pages Manufacturing docs…closer to 700 pages
Aviation Manufacturing Rule of Thumb For major airliner, printed doc set (flight and
maintenance) occupies 50-60 feet of shelf space Manufacturing procedures and specifications exceed
weight of the aircraft.
MANUFACTURING INSTRUCTIONS –THE FINAL FRONTIER
SERVICE BULLETINS
SERVICE BULLETINS –UPGRADES
Software equivalent – upgrade for new release Typically part of an upgrade kit including parts Could be equipment with new features Could be driven by safety requirements
SERVICE BULLETINS –UPGRADES
Typical Format: Parts Inventory List of Tools Removal of Old Components Parts Disposal or Rework Information Installation of New Components
SERVICE BULLETINS –INSPECTIONS
Arise as a result of a newly discovered flaw or potential breakdown of equipment.
Usually have a very quick turnaround. Often paired with a repair service bulletin
issued to correct the problem. Most commonly seen example: automobile
recalls.
SITUATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
NOT ALWAYS AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT
SITUATIONAL CONSIDERATION –WHERE WILL THE WORK BE PERFORMED?
Indoor Setting? Confined Workspace? Elevated Workspace? Outdoors?
SITUATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS –SAFETY
Electrical hazards Temperature hazards Moving parts Toxic chemicals Radiation Noise
SITUATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS – USER PROTECTIVE GEAR
Necessary to list Necessary to add
statements about wearing
Necessary to consider impact on user’s movement
SITUATIONAL CONSIDERATION –ONLY ONE WAY IN
SITUATION CONSIDERATION – WHAT IS THE BEST DELIVERY MEDIA?
Paper might be best if users need to spread out.
Electronic might be best if users must carry multiple volumes or if updates are frequent.
ILLUSTRATIONS
WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
HADRON COLLIDER VIEW
HADRON VIEW REWORKED
NOT A GOOD WAY TO DO THIS!
ILLUSTRATIONS – RIGHT FROM THE SOURCE
ILLUSTRATIONS –ANIMATION & VIDEO
Relatively easy using graphics tools that interact with solid models.
Animations can be delivered separately or contained in PDF
Self-standing video presentations can be created.
ILLUSTRATIONS –VIDEO PRODUCTION
Sometimes the best “manual” is a video demonstration.
Script, shot sheet, plan in advance. One page script = one minute video. Call a pro or take some courses.
SOURCE DATA
SOURCE DATA -ENGINEERING DRAWINGS
SOURCE DATA – SOLID MODELS
SOURCE DATA –WIRING DIAGRAMS
SOURCES– ENGINEER SME
As with software, the engineers are the primary source of information.
Go to for answers on quantities, types, overviews, and the big picture.
SOURCES – PRODUCTION FLOOR
Manufacturing team makes it real. Can often explain on a level more like
your audience Often the first to find things that will
need to be changed.
SOURCES –END USER SME
Knows the material Knows the situation Offers practical advice Knows what is likely to
trip up other users.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
WHO NEEDS HARDWARE MANUALS?
Aerospace and defense Transportation/Automotive Robotics Manufacturing Consumer
…in short….just about everybody.
AND IN CONCLUSION…
NEW MEDIA
Have been saying “manuals,” which implies paper, but this is not always true.
Mobile presents new opportunities for workers to bring volumes of data in a light and portable format.
Technology allows interactive documentation – perform an inspection and automatically order repair parts and tools.
NEW MEDIA – BEYOND THE BLEEDING EDGE
Google – Magic Leap https://youtu.be/kPMHcanq0xM
Oculus Rift – some time next year? Lockheed Martin already using this concept
in F-35 Lightning II aircraft assembly procedures.
On smaller scale, Audi already releasing iPhone VR owner’s manual.
…INTANGIBLE REWARDS
ANY QUESTIONS?