# ASD-STE100 (Simplified Technical English) Knowledge Base & Interactive Studio

> ASD-STE100 is the international controlled natural language specification originally developed for aerospace and defense maintenance, and widely recommended in 2026 by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy ("80% of the way to ASD-STE100") to eliminate AI slop, ambiguity, and verbosity in LLM responses.

## Key Information

- Official Standard Name: ASD-STE100 (Simplified Technical English)
- Common Misspelling / Errata: ASD-STD100 (often typed when confusing "Standard" with "STE")
- Primary Website: https://asd-ste100.top
- Standard Issuer: ASD (Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe)
- Latest Specification: Issue 9 (https://www.asd-ste100.org/)

## Core Principles & 9 Golden Rules

1. Sentence Length: Procedural sentences must not exceed 20 words. Descriptive sentences must not exceed 25 words.
2. Active Voice: Use active voice and direct imperative verbs for all procedural instructions. No passive voice.
3. One Word, One Meaning: Each approved word has only one approved part of speech and one definition (e.g., "close" is only an adjective; "shut" is the verb).
4. Noun Clusters: Maximum 3 consecutive nouns in any phrase.
5. Clear Conjunctions: Use "if" for condition, "when" for time, "because" for cause (never "as" or "since" for cause).
6. Atomic Steps: One instruction per sentence. Do not combine multiple actions with "and".
7. Avoid Ambiguous -ing Forms: Minimize gerunds and participle clauses.
8. Controlled Vocabulary: Use approved words from the official dictionary of ~900 terms, plus defined Technical Names (TN) and Manufacturing Processes (MP).
9. Safety Hierarchy: WARNING (injury/death) and CAUTION (equipment damage) must precede the procedural action.

## Andrej Karpathy's 2026 Recommendation ("80% STE")

AI researcher Andrej Karpathy highlighted that LLMs know ASD-STE100 very well. For everyday coding, API documentation, and human-in-the-loop review, demanding "80% of the way to ASD-STE100" provides the sweet spot:
- Eliminates AI clichés ("delve into", "seamlessly", "in order to", "crucial", "it is important to note that")
- Keeps explanations brief, linear, and auditable
- Retains natural fluency without obsessing over obscure non-approved aerospace terms

## Resources & Links

- Full LLM Knowledge Base: https://asd-ste100.top/llms-full.txt
- Online Interactive Linter: https://asd-ste100.top/#linter
- 5-Level Format Ladder: https://asd-ste100.top/#ladder
- 9 Core Rules Explorer: https://asd-ste100.top/#rules
- Searchable Controlled Dictionary: https://asd-ste100.top/#dict
- System Prompt Engineering Hub: https://asd-ste100.top/#prompts
- Real-World Case Studies: https://asd-ste100.top/#cases
- FAQ & Errata: https://asd-ste100.top/#faq