
Typed diagrams · field research
Diagrams that have to be right.
Standards changes, drawing clinics, and source-linked field notes for people whose diagrams need to survive review.
24 published notes3 practice areas107 cited referencesoriginal diagrams · primary sources


IDEF0 diagram checklist: separate inputs, controls, outputs, and mechanisms
A reviewable IDEF0 model fixes its purpose and viewpoint, names functions with verbs, assigns every interface an ICOM role, and balances each child diagram with its parent.
PLC program documentation checklist: five records that keep logic maintainable
A maintainable PLC program connects the approved control basis, signal meaning, code intent, change record, and test evidence. A pile of rung comments cannot repair a broken chain.Engineering
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Logical vs physical network diagram: use separate sheets
A physical drawing records rooms, racks, ports, and cables. A logical drawing records zones, subnets, and data paths. This field guide shows when a third data-flow view is worth adding.
Site plan vs floor plan: what belongs on each drawing
A site plan explains the building's relationship to the parcel; a floor plan explains one level inside it. This decision rule and worked example keep the two coordinated without making them duplicates.
Electrical diagram symbols in 2026: IEC 60617, IEEE 315, and the legend rule
IEC 60617:2026 is the current international diagram-symbol source. IEEE 315 is now a legacy reference. This guide shows how to identify an unfamiliar symbol without guessing from its outline.
2026 NEC adoption by state: a permit-date evidence tracker
Eight state actions are verified from government sources. Texas joined the in-force list on September 1, with an installation-start trigger and a state amendment for listed HVAC equipment.Process & Systems
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UML class diagram checklist: review the model, not the boxes
A reviewable class diagram states scope, class responsibilities, typed properties, relationship semantics, and multiplicities. This guide turns those decisions into a worked model and a 12-point review.
CI/CD pipeline diagram checklist: show the release contract
A useful CI/CD diagram separates job dependencies, the immutable build artifact, environment gates, and rollback. This guide provides a worked release map and a 15-minute review checklist.
Subscription Payment Retry Flowchart: Retry, Reroute, Ask, or Stop
A declined renewal is not permission to keep charging. This review flow separates unknown outcomes, customer-action failures, terminal declines, and bounded retry paths.
Clairton coke oven explosion: draw the temporary energy path
The CSB's final report shows why the normal P&ID was only one layer of the job: pressurized water, a trapped valve cavity, occupied buildings, and the work sequence also had to be reviewed together.Clinical & Family
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Genogram symbols: read the claim, not just the shape
A symbol can describe family structure, a health condition, or a reported relationship. Read those layers separately—and require a legend whenever the notation could be ambiguous.
Genogram vs pedigree vs ecomap: a 30-second choice
Use a pedigree for inheritance, a genogram for family-system patterns, an ecomap for outside supports, and a family tree for ancestry.Kept current
Reviewed as standards change
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