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              Protel 99 SE README.TXT file  04-Dec-99

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CONTENTS

1. Welcome
2. New features in Protel 99 SE
3. Getting Started with Protel 99 SE
4. Examples and Demos
5. Notes on Installing Protel 99 SE
6. Unlocking Protel 99 SE
7. Floating/Non-floating Licenses
8. Installing the Xilinx Macro Libraries
9. Copyright Notice

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1. Welcome to Protel 99 SE - for Windows NT4, 95, and 98 

Thank you for choosing Protel 99 SE as your printed circuit board 
design environment. With Protel 99 SE you can take any design -
from the simplest 3 component circuit through to the most complex
multi-sheet project, from concept to completion.

Protel 99 SE includes an easy-to-use schematic capture editor 
with a huge range of components, a powerful PCB design editor 
with sophisticated interactive routing and placement features 
that are second-to-none, and an easy-to-use shape based autorouter 
that routes like a professional board designer. 

To back up these core design tools Protel 99 SE also includes a
SPICE 3f5 compliant mixed-signal circuit simulator, a CUPL-based
PLD compiler, and a sophisticated PCB signal integrity analysis 
tool.

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2. New features in Protel 99 SE

To learn about the new and enhanced features in Protel 99 SE read
the Supplement for the Protel 99 Designer's Handbook. The 
supplement is a PDF file, look on the CD for the file:

Protel 99 SE Supplement.pdf

To open the PDF file you must have the Adobe Acrobat reader
installed on your PC. This is available for free download from 
the Adobe Website: www.adobe.com

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3. Getting Started with Protel 99 SE

Protel 99 SE is not a suite of separate software applications, it is 
a single, integrated application. Each of the tools in Protel 99 SE 
‘plugs-in’ to the Design Explorer. To start Protel 99 SE for the 
first time we suggest that you open one of the example designs. 
To do this from the Windows Taskbar, select:

Start - Programs - Protel 99 SE - Examples - 4Port Serial Interface

The Design Explorer opens, then the 4Port design will appear. If 
you look in the panel on the left you will see an icon for the 
4Port design, click on the small + to expand the tree, and see 
what is in the design.

Note that the design includes a Design Team folder, a 4 Ports 
Serial Interface folder, and a Recycle bin. 

The Design Explorer works like the Windows File Explorer, you use 
the tree on the left to navigate through the design database, as 
you click on an icon in the tree to open it, the ‘contents’ of 
that icon are shown on the right.

Double-click on the 4 Ports Serial Interface folder. The folder 
opens in the tree, and the contents of the folder are displayed 
on the right, in the Design Window. Try opening a schematic 
sheet, when you click on the name in the tree the sheet will open 
on the right. 

When a design document has been opened for editing the panel 
changes to the appropriate Editor panel - you can toggle back to 
the navigation tree at any time by clicking on the Explorer Tab 
at the top of the panel.

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4. Examples and Demos

Protel 99 SE includes a comprehensive range of example designs, 
demonstrating some of the capabilities of the software. There are 
a number of general examples that include the schematic design 
and the finished PCB. There are also a number of examples that 
demonstrate certain aspects of Protel 99 SE, including the Circuit 
Simulator, the PLD compiler and the Autorouter.
The examples are in the "\Program Files\Design Explorer 
99 SE\Examples" folder.

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5. Notes on Installing Protel 99 SE

When you insert the Protel 99 SE CD the installation Wizard will 
start automatically after a brief pause (if auto start is not 
disabled).

If it does not, select Run from the Start menu. In the Run dialog 
box, enter the following:

           D:\setup     where D: is your CD ROM

The installation wizard will appear. Follow the instructions to 
install the software. The default installation directory is:

           C:\Program Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\

You will be prompted to enter the Access Code during the 
installation. The Access Code is supplied separately from the 
product box, contact your Protel office or reseller if you do not 
have the Access Code. If necessary you can enter the code after 
installation, refer to point 6. Unlocking Protel 99 SE, for details.

If you are installing on a network where other PCs already have
Protel 99 SE installed, and this installation will share a 
floating license, enable the Use Floating License option in
the Installation Wizard.

During the installation of any software on your computer, the 
installation program may attempt to copy a shared software 
module, such as a DLL, onto the hard disk.
If this module is currently being used by another application you 
have running, the installation program will ask you to re-start 
your computer at the end of the installation process. After 
restarting these DLLs will automatically be updated, completing 
the installation process.

The new program icons will now be available in the Start Menu.

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6. Unlocking Protel 99 SE 

Protel 99 SE requires an Access Code to be entered before you can 
use any of its editors. If you did not enter the code during 
installation you can enter it after starting Protel 99 SE. The 
Access Code is supplied separately from the product box, contact 
your Protel office or reseller if you do not have the code.
To enter the access Code start Protel 99 SE. When the Design 
Explorer opens click on the System menu (the arrow on the left-
hand end of the menu bar), and select Security.
The Security Locks dialog will display a list of Protel 99 SE's main 
tools, each with the current Access status under it. Typically
you will have one code for Protel 99 SE, which can be used to unlock
all of the tools. 

To enter the code select one of the tools, then click on the 
Unlock button at the bottom of the dialog. Protel 99 SE will first 
search the network for a Floating License, if none can be found 
the Lock dialog will appear. Press the Add button to enter in 
your Access Code. After entering the Code and closing the small 
Access Code dialog, check your Access Rights in the Lock dialog. 
It will tell you how many users this Access Code supports. If it 
reports "Access Denied" it means that the Code has not been 
entered correctly, Edit the code to correct it.
 
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7. Floating/Non-floating Licenses

Protel 99 SE has an in-built automatic license distribution feature, 
making it very easy to unlock multiple copies of Protel 99 SE. Once 
you have installed and unlocked Protel 99 SE on one PC, leave that 
PC running. Note that you must enable the Broadcast option in the 
Security Locks dialog to do this.

When you start each subsequent installation of Protel 99 SE and try 
to use one of the Editors (or go to the Security Locks dialog), 
it will automatically scan the network for a floating license. 
This copy will communicate with the first copy of Protel 99 SE that 
you unlocked, and automatically unlock itself. 

As long as there is one unlocked copy of Protel 99 SE currently 
running that has the Broadcast option enabled, you can start any 
new copy of Protel 99 SE and it will automatically become unlocked.

If you attempt to start more copies of Protel 99 SE than your 
license allows a warning message will continually appear, 
notifying you that you are currently exceeding the number of 
copies that your license allows. Contact your Protel office or 
reseller to purchase extra Access Codes if you wish to extend the 
number of users your license supports.

You can also isolate a PC that has a single-user license so
that the license is not shared (non-floating). 
To do this disable both the Broadcast and Receive options in the 
Security Locks dialog. Note that you can not isolate one seat 
of a multi-user license.

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8. Installing the Xilinx Macro Libraries

Protel 99 SE includes a large number of Xilinx macro libraries that
are not installed as part of the standard installation. These
libraries are used with the Xilinx XACT development tools. If you
would like to use these macro libraries you will need to run the
Xilinx Macro Libraries Installer. This can be run at any time
by selecting from the Windows Taskbar:

Start - Programs - Protel 99 SE - Xilinx Macro Libraries Installer

The Xilinx Macro Libraries Installer Wizard will appear. Follow
the instructions in the Wizard to install the macro libraries.

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9. Copyright Notice

Software, documentation and related materials:
Copyright (c) 1992-99 Protel International Limited
All rights reserved.
