

   Release Notes for Netlist Organiser 0.20 
                Copyright (c) 2004 
                 Denno Solutions
               All Rights Reserved

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Thank you for using our products. This file contains 
important information about the Netlist Organiser tool.
We recommend that you read the entire document.


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WHATS IN THIS FILE?

-  Release Information
-  Software compatibility and Distribution Format
-  Installation
-  How to Use
-  Feedback
-  Frequently Asked Questions
-  License

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RELEASE INFORMATION

Release Date : 22nd December 2004
Released By : DenBoy
Revision : 0.20 Beta

This is the second release of the Netlist Organiser 
Tool from Denno Solutions incorporating feedback from initial
users.

Release 0.2 - Ability to search for nets with N to M connections
            - Ability to search for nets connected to only one pin
              (N = 1, M = 1)
            - Ability to search for components and display the nets
              for that component (e.g. for FPGA constraints setup)
            - Use wildcard * for searching for nets or components
            - Search for multiple nets or components at the same 
              time
            - Identify nets that have similar names that just differ 
              by _XXXXXX in name
            - Organise program into tabs with a separate tab for 
              Search features
            - Correction of a minor bug in column sort

Release 0.1 - Initial Beta Release


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SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY AND DISTRIBUTION FORMAT

The tool is compatible with Microsoft(R) Windows O.S.'s 
that are running the .NET Framework V1.1 or later and does 
not require an installer. The program is distributed as an 
.exe application in ZIP format.

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INSTALLATION

Step 1 : Locate the folder where you saved the downloaded 
         zipped file.

Step 2 : Unzip and extract the contents from the zipped file.

Step 3 : The files will extract to a directory on your drive.

Step 4 : To run the file double click on the executable 
         "filename.exe" file. You should see the program 
         come up. 

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HOW TO USE

Step 1 : Launch Netlist Organiser by double clicking on the 
         executable "filename.exe" file. You should see the 
         program come up. If you get an error message please 
         visit the frequently asked questions.

Step 2 : Open a netlist file formatted in Allegro format. A 
         file can be opened by selecting "Open" from either 
         the toolbar or the File Menu. The input file will 
         load and the netlist portion of the file will be 
         displayed in the input window and sorted in the 
         output window.

Step 3 : Choose the desired sort method for the output and 
         then save the file. The output can be sorted with 
         several options. Please select the desired options 
         and the output will be automatically reordered.

Step 4 : Use the search tab as desired to search for 
         particular items in the netlist, either components,
         or net names, nets with N to M connections, or nets 
         that differ by _xxxxxx in name.

Step 5 : The output file can be saved by selecting the save icon 
         on the toolbar of by selecting the option from the 
         file menu. A default filename is chosen by the program, 
         however a new name may be chosen by the user if desired.

Step 6 : It's up to you. The output can be used to feed a file 
         difference program to check the changes between two 
         revisions of netlists, it can be edited to help generate 
         layout constraints for use in Allegro, and sections can 
         be cut out to feed into FPGA tool constraints editors to 
         define signal names related to certain FPGA pins.

Step 7 : Feedback. We hope that you enjoy the program and can 
         make use of it. We value your feedback on features 
         that you would like to see added, and on reporting bugs.


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FEEDBACK

Please log any issues and feedback for improvement using the 
feedback form at http://denno.rombosdesign.com. Full documentation 
can also be found on this site.


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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


1. Why can't I start Netlist Organiser?

   Do you have the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Installed? If the 
   program does not launch correctly confirm that you have Microsoft 
   .NET Framework 1.1 installed. Go to the control panel, double click 
   Add/Remove programs and check that you can see the entry for the
   .NET Framework.

2. Where can I get Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1?

   If the Microsoft .NET Framework is not present you will need to 
   install it. It can be downloaded using the Windows update program 
   provided with the Microsoft operating system, it can be downloaded 
   directly from Microsoft, or by finding the download site your favourite 
   search engine, in case Microsoft moves things around on their site.
   It is advised to restart your computer after installation of the
   .NET framework.


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LICENSE

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 
License. To view a copy of this license, visit 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

