Writing a Technical Manual

1. Writing a Technical Manual Wentworth Institute of Technology Elec163 Electronic Design I Professor Tim Johnson

2. What is a technical manual & what purpose does it serve? • A technical manual is the document written by the designers of a project to assist those who use the device to • install it • operate it • repair it • understand its limitations • And comprehend how the device fulfills the users needs.

3. What does a TM consist of? • Title page • Table of Content • System Overview with Function Block Diagram • Theory of Operation • Installation • Schematics and System Architecture • Troubleshooting Guide • Specifications

4. Title Page • Include the project’s name, your work group’s name and a list of members who contributed to the success of the project. Try to be imaginative with the project’s name, as this is normally where the marketing people contribute to the project.

5. Table of Content • Microsoft Word will automatically paginate the Contents if you set it up correctly. • Consider a Index if the document is large enough.

6. System Overview • A one-paragraph statement of how the system works with a reference to the need. • The one-line goal statement works ideally here as the topic sentence for the paragraph. • The objectives and constrains are appropriate topics for discussion here even if it means a second paragraph. • The drawing of the Functional Analysis on this page is a perfect visual complement to the text. Consider it a mandatory addition!

7. Theory of Operation • Each block from the Functional Analysis has its own paragraph (or more) where you explain how that block works. • Include any data you’ve collected and formulas that you’ve derived. • The transducer equation, the amplification, the resolution are some of the items that are included in this section.

8. Installation • If the project requires any assemble or connections beyond the obvious, that information on what-goes-where would be included here.

9. Schematics and System Architecture • Appropriate diagrams and drawing are included here. Plainly label parts are a plus. • Signal levels are a great addition to any schematic. • The pin outs with lead colors can be included within the drawings or as part of a table shown with the drawing. • Consider the use of arrows to point out what may be obvious to you now but wasn’t the first time you saw it.

10. Troubleshooting Guide • Problems of common occurrence and their solutions are listed. • Include any trouble you encountered in your own testing and how you solved it. • Consider using a decision tree to help the customer troubleshoot a problem.

11. Specifications • Include a list of devises used for the system mentioning their model numbers and any other data that you know which limits the response or range for the system. • Include here the graphs showing how the temperature stays within the required range.

12. Miscellaneous • Some imaginative student work groups have included the following: warranty and satisfaction guarantees, tutorials, training, contact information, and reference to web sites. This is superfluous for the requirements of the technical manual but does contribute to the overall look and professional feel of their document. This information normally belongs in the user manual, which you are not required to submit for this project.

13. Your Task • Submit a Technical Manual for your project. • Due Date: Tuesday, March 18th, 2008