How is documenting hardware different from documenting software?; was, "Re: Is there a study on reading warnings, notes?"

["Leonard C. Porrello" <Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com>]

I've documented some hardware, but for the most part, I have worked in
software. I sometimes think about moving into hardware/machinery
documentation, and Gene's comments got me to wondering what the
difference is between documenting software versus hardware/machinery.

Is the process much different?
Is the lifecycle of one generally longer or shorter than the other?
Does one generally entail better review processes than the other?
Is one generally more fun than the other?
Anything else?

Obviously, some answers will depend on personal disposition, but I'd
still like to hear what people have experienced.

Thanks in advance.

Leonard


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
om] On Behalf Of Gene Kim-Eng
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 10:42 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Is there a study on reading warnings, notes?

A partial list of my past products, both as an engineer and
a writer (I think I've mentioned some of these previously):

Helicopter rescue hoists
Handling and loading equipment for ICBMs
Semiconductor fabrication equipment (lethal chemicals, megavoltages,
lasers)
Mass spectrometer and chromatography instruments (more lasers)
DNA sequencers (still more lasers)
Architectural/industrial scanning equipment (surprise! lasers again)
Aircraft power management systems

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