

   Release Notes for Netlist Organiser 0.30 
                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 : 4th March 2005
Released By : DenBoy
Revision : 0.30

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

Release 0.30 - File compare utility between two netlists added
               to a new Difference Tab. Shows results sorted by
               pin name and sorted bt net name.
             - Display all other pins connected to individual pins
               on the same net. Added as a sort-by option on the search 
               tab and named "Pin Name and Connections". This allows you
               to easily see where a component connects to.
             - Added a Sort All Nets button to the Main tab and to the
               main menu of the program under "Run".
             - Widened the No. of Cols box to correctly display.
             - Cursor shows busy when the program is working.

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 mulitiple nets or components at the same 
              time
            - Indentify 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 0.10 - 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 then run the sort from either the run button 
         of from the file menu.

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 (N=1, M=1,
         nets with only one connection), or nets that differ 
         by _xxxxxx in name. Can also display output to show
         all other pin connections on the same net.

Step 6 : Use the difference tab to compare the differences 
         between two netlists with the results sorted by net
         name and by pin name.

Step 7 : The output file can be saved by selecting the save icon 
         on the toolbar or 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 8 : It's up to you. The output can be used 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 9 : 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.

Step 10: And finally if you are feeling generous make an Amazon
         gift voucher donation to denno@dennosolutions.com. Coding 
         geeks need more books to keep learning new techniques.


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FEEDBACK

Please log any issues and feedback for improvement using the 
feedback form at http://www.dennosolutions.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.

