Datasheet
Encyclopedia
A datasheet, data sheet, or spec sheet is a document
Document
The term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...

 summarizing the performance and other technical characteristics of a product, machine, component (e.g. an electronic component
Electronic component
An electronic component is a basic electronic element and may be available in a discrete form having two or more electrical terminals . These are intended to be connected together, usually by soldering to a printed circuit board, in order to create an electronic circuit with a particular function...

), material, a subsystem (e.g. a power supply
Power supply
A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy...

) or software in sufficient detail to be used by a design engineer to integrate the component into a system. Typically, a datasheet is created by the component/subsystem/software manufacturer and begins with an introductory page describing the rest of the document, followed by listings of specific characteristics, with further information on the connectivity of the devices. In cases where there is relevant source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...

 to include, it is usually attached near the end of the document or separated into another file.

Depending on the specific purpose, a data sheet may offer an average
Average
In mathematics, an average, or central tendency of a data set is a measure of the "middle" value of the data set. Average is one form of central tendency. Not all central tendencies should be considered definitions of average....

 value, a typical value, a typical range, engineering tolerances
Tolerance (engineering)
Engineering tolerance is the permissible limit or limits of variation in# a physical dimension,# a measured value or physical property of a material, manufactured object, system, or service,# other measured values ....

,or a nominal
Real versus nominal value
In economics, nominal value refers to a value expressed in money terms in a given year or series of years. By contrast, real value adjusts nominal value to remove effects of price changes over time...

 value. The type and source of data are usually stated on the data sheet.

A data sheet is usually used for technical communication
Technical communication
Technical communication is a method of researching and creating information about technical processes or products directed to an audience through media. The information must be relevant to the intended audience. Technical communicators often work collaboratively to create products for various...

 to describe technical characteristics of an item or product. It can be published by the manufacturer to help people choose products or to help use the products. By contrast, a technical specification is an explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service.

An electonic datasheet specifies characteristics in a formal structure that allows the information to be processed by a machine. Such machine readable descriptions can facilitate information retrieval, display, design, testing, interfacing, verification, and system discovery. Examples include transducer electronic data sheet
Transducer Electronic Data Sheet
A Transducer Electronic Data Sheet is a standardized method of storing transducer identification, calibration, correction data, and manufacturer-related information...

s for describing sensor characteristics, and Electonic device descriptions in CANopen or descriptions in markup languages, such as SensorML
SensorML
SensorML is an approved Open Geospatial Consortium standard. SensorML provides standard models and an XML encoding for describing sensors and measurement processes...

.

Electronics component

A typical datasheet for an electronic component contains most of the following information:
  • manufacturer's name
  • product number and name
  • list of available package formats (with images) and ordering codes
  • notable device properties
  • short functional description
  • pin connection diagram
  • absolute minimum, maximum ratings (supply voltage, power consumption, input currents, temperatures for storage, operating, soldering, etc)
  • recommended operating conditions (as absolute minimum, maximum ratings)
  • DC
    Direct current
    Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...

     specifications (various temperatures, supply voltages, input currents, etc.)
  • AC
    Alternating current
    In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....

     specifications (various temperatures, supply voltages, frequencies, etc.)
  • input/output wave shape diagram
  • timing diagram
    Digital Timing Diagram
    A Digital timing diagram is a representation of a set of signals in the time domain. A timing diagram can contain many rows, usually one of them being the clock. It is a tool that is ubiquitous in digital electronics, hardware debugging, and digital communications...

  • physical details showing minimum/typical/maximum dimensions, contact locations and sizes
  • test circuit
  • ordering codes for differing packages and performance criteria
  • liability disclaimer
    Disclaimer
    A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship...

     regarding device use in certain environments such as nuclear power plant
    Nuclear power plant
    A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...

    s and life support
    Life support
    Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...

     systems
  • application recommendations, such as required filter capacitor
    Filter capacitor
    Filter capacitors are any capacitors used for filtering. Filter capacitors are common in electrical and electronic work, and cover a number of applications, such as:* Glitch removal on Direct current power rails...

    s, circuit board layout, etc.
  • errata, often published prior to subsequent correction and relevant datasheet revision

Personal computer

  • Number of ports
    • USB, Ethernet
      Ethernet
      Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....

      , FireWire, S/PDIF
      S/PDIF
      S/PDIF is a digital audio interconnect used in consumer audio equipment over relatively short distances. The signal is transmitted over either a coaxial cable with RCA connectors or a fiber optic cable with TOSLINK connectors. S/PDIF interconnects components in home theaters and other digital high...

      , PS/2
      PS/2 connector
      The PS/2 connector is a 6-pin Mini-DIN connector used for connecting some keyboards and mice to a PC compatible computer system. Its name comes from the IBM Personal System/2 series of personal computers, with which it was introduced in 1987...

      , Serial
      Serial port
      In computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time...

      , Parallel
      Parallel port
      A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers for connecting various peripherals. In computing, a parallel port is a parallel communication physical interface. It is also known as a printer port or Centronics port...

  • Expansion bays
    • 5.25 inch bays
    • 3.5 inch bays
  • Motherboard
    • CPU socket
      CPU socket
      A CPU socket or CPU slot is a mechanical component that provides mechanical and electrical connections between a microprocessor and a printed circuit board . This allows the CPU to be replaced without soldering....

      • Front-side bus (FSB)
      • Back-side bus (BSB)
    • Chipset
      Chipset
      A chipset, PC chipset, or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product.- Computers :...

      • North bridge
        Northbridge (computing)
        The northbridge has historically been one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a PC motherboard, the other being the southbridge. Increasingly these functions have migrated to the CPU chip itself, beginning with memory and graphics controllers. For Intel Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion...

      • South bridge
        Southbridge (computing)
        The southbridge is one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a personal computer motherboard, the other being the northbridge. The southbridge typically implements the slower capabilities of the motherboard in a northbridge/southbridge chipset computer architecture. In Intel chipset...

    • Random-access memory
      Random-access memory
      Random access memory is a form of computer data storage. Today, it takes the form of integrated circuits that allow stored data to be accessed in any order with a worst case performance of constant time. Strictly speaking, modern types of DRAM are therefore not random access, as data is read in...

       (RAM) slots
    • Peripheral Component Interconnect
      Peripheral Component Interconnect
      Conventional PCI is a computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer...

       (PCI) and PCI Express
      PCI Express
      PCI Express , officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a computer expansion card standard designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards...

       (PCIe) buses and slots
    • Floppy
      Floppy disk
      A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...

      , ATA (IDE) and SATA
      Serial ATA
      Serial ATA is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives...

       interfaces
    • Fans and temperature monitoring
    • Integrated graphics controllers
    • Integrated LAN
      Local area network
      A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...

       interfaces
    • Firmware (BIOS
      BIOS
      In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....

      )
    • Form factor
  • Graphics card
    • AGP
      Accelerated Graphics Port
      The Accelerated Graphics Port is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a video card to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics. Since 2004 AGP has been progressively phased out in favor of PCI Express...

       type
    • Memory
  • Audio card
  • Hardware compatibility requirements and basic setup details for computer device driver
    Device driver
    In computing, a device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device....

    s
  • Operating system
    Operating system
    An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...

     and other installed software (if included)


A datasheet may include a "typical use" circuit diagram, as well as programming examples in the case of programmable devices. However, this sort of information is often published in a separate application note, with a high level of detail.

Historically, datasheets were typically available in a databook containing many data sheets, usually grouped by manufacturer or general type. Today, they are also available through the Internet in table form or via downloadable (usually PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....

) documents.

Application notes

An application note is a document that gives more specific details on using a component in a specific application, or relating to a particular process, e.g. the physical assembly of a product containing the component. Application notes are especially useful for giving guidance on more unusual uses of a particular component, which would be irrelevant to many readers of the more widely read datasheet.

Application notes may either be appended to a datasheet, or presented as a separate document.

Material Safety Data Sheets

A Material Safety Data Sheet
Material safety data sheet
A Material Safety Data Sheet is a form with data regarding the properties of a particular substance....

, or MSDS, is a technical data sheet summarizing information about material identification; hazardous ingredients; health, physical, and fire hazards; first aid; chemical reactivities and incompatibilities; spill, leak, and disposal procedures; and protective measures required for safe handling and storage. These are required by agencies such as OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...

 in its Hazard Communication Standard, 29 C.F.R. 1910.1200.

Chemical data

Data sheets and pages are available for specific properties of chemicals in Chemical elements data references: example, Melting points of the elements (data page). Specific materials have techncial data in individual sheets such as Ethanol (data page)
Ethanol (data page)
- Material Safety Data Sheet : The handling of this chemical may incur notable safety precautions. It is highly recommend that you seek the Material Safety Datasheet for this chemical from a reliable source and follow its directions....

: this includes subjects such as structure and properties, thermodynamic properties, spectral data, vapor pressure, etc. Other chemical data sheets are available from individual producers of chemicals, often on their web pages.

Data sheets for automobiles

Data sheets for automobiles may be described under several names such as features, specs, engineering data, technical summary, etc. They help communicate the technical information about a car to potential buyers and are useful for comparisons with similar cars. They might include: critical inside and outside dimensions, weight, fuel efficiency, engine and drive train, towing capability, safety features and options, warranty, etc.

Other data sheets

Data sheets are common with a wide range of materials, components, machinery, structures, systems, etc.

See also

  • Personal computer
    Personal computer
    A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

  • Specification (technical standard)
    Specification (technical standard)
    A specification is an explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service. Should a material, product or service fail to meet one or more of the applicable specifications, it may be referred to as being out of specification;the abbreviation OOS may also be used...

  • Transducer electronic data sheet
    Transducer Electronic Data Sheet
    A Transducer Electronic Data Sheet is a standardized method of storing transducer identification, calibration, correction data, and manufacturer-related information...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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