ASD Simplified Technical English

Welcome aerospace suppliers and airlines who need STE compliance.

STE for US Navy

STE for Airline The ASD-STE100 specification for Simplified Technical English, Issue 5, April 2010 is a vocabulary to write manuals for air, land and sea. There are 988 terms and 57 writing rules. ASD Simplified Technical English is required for Component Maintenance Manuals (CMM) at Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, BAE Systems, Liebherr Aerospace, Honeywell, Northrup Grumman, Goodrich Aerospace, Gables,Astronautics, EADS Deutschland and other companies. STE is mandated by Raytheon and BAE Systems for the US Navy DDG-1000 Zumwalt Destroyer program.

ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English is required by the US Navy (Navair and Navsea), NATO (S1000D) and Airlines ATA iSpec 2200.

The MAXit team at SMART Communications, Inc., New York, has two decades of experience in the design and implementation of ASD Simplified Technical English programs. We offer the MAXit Checker for interactive text critique including grammar, syntax, STE vocabulary and compliance to the 57 STE rules. We also offer Text Mining for terminology, a "starter set" of technical dictionaries, Terminology Management tools and Writer (Author) Training.

MAXit Checker complies to latest ASD STE-100 Issue 5, April 2010.
MAXit Checker is available for Windows 2003/2008/XP/Windows 7.

We support triforce S1000D for NATO interoperability.

NATO suppliers, we offer our MAXit Checker and Simplified Technical English tools for S1000D. Ask us for a FREE quotation.

The Airbus A380, A400M and A350 all use STE for air safety.

ASD Simplified Technical English was developed for aerospace companies. For example, the STE vocabulary includes the verbs feather and ferry, which are unique to aerospace. Users can expand the STE dictionary to include technical terms like aileron and flight management system. (Non-aerospace companies go to our Controlled English page.)

A typical client comments

... "here I am tasked to revise manuals for ATA2200 with ASD-STE Simplified Technical English for the A380. I can tell you that MAXit has saved me tons of time. I know that I could not meet my deadline without MAXit."

... "There are too many STE rules to remember, MAXit remembers all the rules and another 9,500+ for good technical writing. Saves me a lot of time"

... "MAXit is a grammar checker on steroids, finds thousands of types of errors from Conjunctive Adverbs to Gerunds that cause ambiguity."
... "Wow MAXit corrected me on the restricted use of the verb to deploy".

Click see a demo of MAXit Checker and Simplified English. We support FrameMaker, Arbortext Editor, Microsoft Word, UltraXML, XMetaL and other XML authoring tools. We offer Dictionary and rule customization.

An extract from the
ASD-STE100
Simplified Technical English specification.

Issue 5, 2010
for all versions
MAXit Checker

The ASD-STE 100 dictionary defines the verb "to tap" as "to hit lightly and quickly". All other uses of "tap" are ambiguous and not compliant.

Example: The use of tap as both a verb and noun.: Tap (n) A tool to cut internal screw threads.
Tap (v) To cut an internal thread. (technical)
Tap (v) To cut, enter, supply, etc.
Tapping (adj.) When you hear the tapping sound. Wrong STE: Tap the hydraulic line fitting thread. (Cut a thread.): Correct STE: Use a rubber hammer to tap the rotor surface. (Hit)

Our MAXit Team has more than two decades of experience with Simplified Technical English. We are the STE Experts. (See also our Controlled English page.)

Our sophisticated MAXit Checker is available as a "plug-in" for FrameMaker, Microsoft WORD, Arbortext Editor , UltraXML and XMetaL (desktop or server).

We offer "starter set" aerospace technical dictionaries to supplement STE. We offer the SMART Text Miner for rapid dictionary customization, or services.

Our instructors are experienced technical writers who know STE. Use email below to request our 2010 STE Class Schedule. We also offer on-site training.
EARN A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION WITH OUR COURSES.

Our experienced documentation consultants can guide your team for S1000D, ATA iSpec2200, ASD-STE100 compliance. See rewrite services.

MAXit Starter Set

*Get Started today - ask about our off-the-shelf Starter kit of one license. Ideal for smaller SE vendors or corporate proof of concept evaluations.

The MAXit Simplified English - Starter Set

One MAXit Checker software license (WORD or FrameMaker).
A printed 200+ page customized Writer's Guide.
A "core" Dictionary for compliance.
A "starter set" Technical Dictionary, ready for customization.
A Synonym Dictionary that includes thousands of suggestions.
*200-word Dictionary Service Pack. (See below.)
(Optional Purchase: Dictionary Customization with Text Mining.)
(Optional Purchase: eLearning tools to learn ASD STE-100.)

Because the ASD-STE dictionary contains only 988 "core" words for aerospace, companies must add their technical terms. SMART offers a Dictionary Service Pack to let our customers quickly add new terms by an e-mail service. This service is ideal for smaller companies and contractors. See the alternative, SMART Lexicon Manager tool and SMART Text Miner service.

Download a one-page data sheet (English) that describes Simplified Technical English, MAXit Checker, SMART Text Miner and our services.

Get a free cost estimate or information about our ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English tools and services. Describe your products and compliance needs. Include your authoring platform and the number of writers (authors). Indicate interest in Writer Training or eLearning. We welcome Airbus, Boeing 787, Bombardier, HondaJet, Mitsubishi, Embraer and other regional jet vendors.

We welcome your pre-sales questions or comments.

Disclaimer: This page is not sponsored by any aerospace organization or other parties.