Types and Classes of Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals IETM

There are six classes of IETMs systems. But these classes are more like points in a spectrum of features, with most real-world IETM products falling somewhere between two classes.

TYPE I

Class 1

This IETM class follows the structure and format of a book, with indexes and a table of contents that link into the content of the document.

Class 2

This format includes more hyperlinks than Class I, such as figures, tables, and section references. A PDF document containing links is a typical example containing XML markup.

Class 3

The difference between Class II and Class III is analogous to the difference between a PDF book and a website. The book structure is discarded; instead, the document is structured more freely following the logic of the content. you can print the document, but it won’t necessarily match the presentation on the screen. Hyperlinking throughout the document is expected. The document would contain XML markup.

TYPE II

Class 4

This class now finds the data in a relational database, obtaining the benefits of data integrity and removal of data redundancy. Relationships in the content seen as hyperlinks are mapped directly to relations in the database schema. Redundancy in the data that exists in earlier classes should be removed. The sequence of presentations is also different from earlier classes. There is no longer the concept of a static page. Content can change dynamically based on users’ navigation and input through the content; the content may now be user-specific. It is no longer possible to print a linear format of the document.

Class 5

In this class, the documentation is now integrated with expert systems that may influence the display of content. For example, the IETM system may aggregate data from many users’ inputs, feed that to the expert system that analyzes it, and then the result gets fed back to the user through the IETM system.

Class 6

A network model database was used. A dynamic multi-destination hyperlink system was used. Included system-oriented layers and troubleshooting, assembly, and disassembly aspects. The Advanced Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (A-IETM 1992) was an R&D Augmented Reality (AR) version of this system designed to help to guide the standards used in the markup of the documentation – the idea being a UI-independent data stream. Maintenance in the field and training were both benefits of this system.

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Technical Illustration Services
Technical Writing