Before we get into Synergy Platform documentation, I think it’s timely to reinforce the importance of documentation. It’s all about following the instructions, dude. Just follow them and you won’t have to apologize left and right for that e-mail snafu last weekend that we will all pretend never happened (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you missed the fun . . . not!). When I first started in the chip biz, if you looked up the word “documentation” in the dictionary (we didn’t have Wikipedia back then), you’d see an image of a pile of paper to the ceiling and an engineer pulling his hair out. OK, I’m taking a few liberties but I think you’d agree that documentation in this industry has had a bad rap for a long time . . . and for good reason. Renesas has actually made some impressive strides getting documentation right. As I mentioned in a previous post, Synergy Platform documentation is actually written in real English (okay, okay . . . American English, not the Queen’s English). Renesas also provides the Synergy Platform documentation in several different formats – what the marketing collateral refers to “Synergy Platform Smart Documentation” (Whatever they call it, if it helps me develop smarter I’m happy.) Synergy Platform Smart Documentation is provided in the following formats: Synergy Platform Documentation Library Synergy Platform Wiki Synergy Platform Smart Manual Synergy Platform Documentation Library If you’re looking to closely examine the schematics or double-check your coding, the Synergy Platform Documentation Library is the place to start. At this writing, there are 57 documents in the library. Not bad for a product that just was released for general availability in January. Just want an overview? Check out the info papers covering the IoT opportunity, prototype and end-product development using Synergy Platform – software, MCUs, tools, kits, and security solutions. Need to compare Synergy Platform against competitive options? Use the datasheets and data shorts to analyze the features, functions and specs. Ready to evaluate? Quickly download quick-start guides, software and MCU user manuals, datasheets, and release notes. There are even 15 application notes and sample code examples, which the Engineering team is working hard to build upon. The SSP User Manual comes in two flavors: standard PDF and an HTML version that runs from your browser and is fully hyperlinked. The Getting Started section includes the ISDE, usage guides for all the SSP modules and a complete reference for all of the APIs. Keep in mind that the PDF datasheets are the official, authoritative documents of record for Synergy Platform development. So if you need the most up-to-date documentation, use these. Synergy Platform Wiki It’s nice to have alternatives. Some of us just prefer a wiki format. For me, the ability to click on a hyperlink to navigate to the section of my choice or search via my web browser is typically faster and easier than working with a PDF. The Synergy Platform Wiki is, frankly, a work-in-progress. It’s pretty basic and a bit clunky to navigate from one section to the next. I do, however, value it as a resource for a quick reference, and I can see its potential as a vehicle for documentation users to collaborate with one another and provide feedback to the authors. Synergy Platform Smart Manual The e2 Studio ISDE provides a built-in Smart Manual system to provide “context-aware,” wiki-based help while I develop code. This means I don’t have to open a separate PDF reader and switch back and forth between the reader and development environment. For example, the ISDE highlights key words such as an SSP API. All I need to do is hover the mouse over the highlighted word and helpful information will appear, such as function description or prototype or parameter details. So chill fellow geek, with the Synergy Platform the documentation is there so you don’t have to pull out your hair (if you still have any, that is). Next time we’ll take a look at Synergy Kits. Professor_IoT
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