diff --git a/docs/source/configuration/configuration.rst b/docs/source/configuration/configuration.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f00d2d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/source/configuration/configuration.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+**************************
+Building the Configuration
+**************************
+
+Basic Structure
+============================
+
+Common conf
+============================
+
+Target
+============================
+
+Optical components
+============================
+
+Sensor
+============================
diff --git a/docs/source/developer/developer_documentation.rst b/docs/source/developer/developer_documentation.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2714354
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/source/developer/developer_documentation.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+************************************
+Developer Documentation
+************************************
+
+============================
+Project Structure
+============================
+
+============================
+Classes
+============================
+
+============================
+Extending ESBO-ETC
+============================
diff --git a/docs/source/index.rst b/docs/source/index.rst
index 601dbb5..9fc38ec 100644
--- a/docs/source/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/index.rst
@@ -3,18 +3,24 @@
You can adapt this file completely to your liking, but it should at least
contain the root `toctree` directive.
+####################################
Welcome to ESBO-ETC's documentation!
-====================================
+####################################
.. toctree::
:maxdepth: 2
:caption: Contents:
+ usage/introduction
+ usage/getting_started
+ configuration/configuration
+ developer/developer_documentation
+..
+ ******************
+ Indices and tables
+ ******************
-Indices and tables
-==================
-
-* :ref:`genindex`
-* :ref:`modindex`
-* :ref:`search`
+ * :ref:`genindex`
+ * :ref:`modindex`
+ * :ref:`search`
diff --git a/docs/source/usage/getting_started.rst b/docs/source/usage/getting_started.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1777ec3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/source/usage/getting_started.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+***************
+Getting Started
+***************
+This chapter provides information on how to start using ESBO-ETC.
+
+============
+Installation
+============
+A Python 3 installation is required to run ESBO-ETC. You can get the latest python version
+`here `_.
+
+In order to get ESBO-ETC, clone the code from the IRS git server using
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+ :linenos:
+
+ git clone https://egit.irs.uni-stuttgart.de/esbo_ds/ESBO-ETC.git
+
+or download the code from the `IRS git server `_.
+
+Python Virtual Environment
+--------------------------
+
+It is advisable to create a python virtual environment for ESBO-ETC where all necessary packages will be installed.
+To create a virtual environment and install all packages, got to the project's root directory an run
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+ :linenos:
+
+ python3 -m venv venv
+ source venv/bin/activate
+ python venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
+
+Global Python installation
+--------------------------
+Instead of a virtual environment, the global python installation can be used to run ESBO-ETC. Therefore, the necessary
+packages need to be installed by running the following command from the project's root directory.
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+ :linenos:
+
+ pip install -r requirements.txt
+
+================
+Running ESBO-ETC
+================
+ESBO-ETC can be run using in multiple ways as explained in the following subsections. However all methods provide the
+same options which can be shown using the parameter ``-h`` or ``--help``.
+
+The following options are available:
+
+:-h, -\\-help: Show the help.
+:-c, -\\-config: Specify the path to the configuration file. Default is esbo-etc_defaults.xml.
+:-l, -\\-logging: Specify the log level for the application. Possible levels are DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR.
+:-v, -\\-version: Print version information.
+:-m, -\\-manual: Print the manual.
+
+
+Shell-Script
+------------
+The recommended way to run ESBO-ETC is to use the provided shell-script which will add the project's root directory to
+the PATH-variable. However the shell-script only works for virtual environment installations.
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+ :linenos:
+
+ ./run_esbo-etc [-h] [-c config.xml] [-l LOGGING] [-v] [-m]
+
+Python Interpreter
+------------------
+An alternative way to start ESBO-ETC is by using the python interpreter from the command line. This method works for
+both a virtual environment as well as for the global python installation. Launching ESBO-ETC can be done using
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+ :linenos:
+
+ python3 esbo_etc/esbo-etc.py [-h] [-c config.xml] [-l LOGGING] [-v] [-m]
+
+==================
+Component Overview
+==================
+ESBO-ETC offers many different components to model the path from the astronomical target to the detector. All components
+can be divided into the three following classes.
+
+Target
+------
+The component class *Target* models astronomical targets, defining the spectral flux density of their signal and their
+shape (point source vs. extended source). Currently, two different target types are available:
+
+* A target modelled as **black body** with a given temperature and apparent magnitude.
+* A target with the signal's spectral flux density read from a **file**.
+
+Optical Component
+-----------------
+Multiple optical components are available for modelling the signal and background flux propagation. The hot optical
+components with a thermal grey body emission form a subclass of the optical components. Currently, the following optical
+components are available
+
+* An **atmosphere** component modelling the atmospheric tranmittance and emission, both read from files.
+* A **stray light** component for modelling generic background source like zodiacal light or earth stray light.
+* Hot optical components with thermal emission of a given temperature and emissivity:
+
+ * A **mirror** component modelling the optical properties of a mirror like the mirror's reflectance.
+ * A **lens** component the optical properties of a lens like the lens' transmittance.
+ * A **beam splitter** component the optical properties of a beam splitter like the beam splitter's transmittance.
+ * A **filter** component the optical properties of a filter like the filter's transmittance.
+
+Sensor
+------
+Currently, only the imager sensor component is available. The imager provides many parameters to adapt the components
+to the needs like the dark current, the read noise, pixel size, array size but also parameters for the photometric
+aperture like the percentage of contained energy or the shape of the photometric aperture.
diff --git a/docs/source/usage/introduction.rst b/docs/source/usage/introduction.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e8d2d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/source/usage/introduction.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+************
+Introduction
+************
+
+ESBO-ETC aims on modelling the physical aspect of light coming from a target through optical components
+(e.g. atmosphere, mirrors, lenses, ...) onto the detector. The set up of this so called optical pipeline can be
+individually defined using a configuration file. Additionally, the thermal emission of optical components, the
+obstruction of components as well as different PSFs including pointing jitter can be considered.
+
+Finally, ESBO-ETC allows the computation of either the necessary exposure time for a desired SNR, the SNR for a given
+exposure time or, in case of a BlackBodyTarget, the sensitivity as the minimum apparent magnitude for a given exposure
+time and SNR. All computations support a batch-mode, allowing to compute multiple set ups at once.