                        Welcome to Tube CAD
                        -------------------

This README file contains important, last minute information
about Tube CAD. 

Before you install Tube CAD, carefully read Section 3, 
Installation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
 1. Minimum system requirements
 2. How to get help
 3. Installation
 4. Product overview
 5. Release notes
 6. Known problems ("X IS NOT A VALID FLOATING POINT NUMBER.") 

1. MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
------------------------------
Tube CAD requires Windows 3.1 or a 100% compatible operating
system, an 80386 or newer processor (at least a 486 
recommended), a video card capable of supporting 256 colors, 
and 4Mb of system memory. Installation requires approximately 
2Mb of disk space. Tube CAD has been tested under Windows 3.1, 
Windows for Workgroups 3.11, OS/2 Warp, and Windows 95 & 98.


2. HOW TO GET HELP
------------------
If you have any problems with this product, please read this
file, the online Quick Help information, and the Tube CAD 
User Guide first.

If you still have a question and need assistance, help is
available from the following sources:

1. You can use your modem or Internet connection to obtain
   assistance via E-mail. 

   World Wide Web
     The GlassWare page 

	http://www.tubecad.com

     Contains product information.

   E-mail
     You can reach GlassWare by sending your messages to 
	
	SalesScv@tubecad.com

2.  Snail Mail

	GlassWare
	PO Box 231
	Fenton MI 48430
	USA

To simplify trouble-shooting, provide the following information:

  o The specific steps necessary to reproduce the problem you
    are experiencing.

  o Operating system and DOS version number, if you using 
    Win 3.1 (to obtain the DOS version number, type VER at 
    the command-line prompt). In Microsoft Windows, you 
    can find the version number by selecting Help | About 
    from Program Manager.


3. INSTALLATION
-------------------------
To start the installation, run the INSTALL.EXE program on the 
floppy disk. To do so start by placing the floppy disk into 
its drive, either A or B; then, under the "File" heading of 
Program Manager in Windows 3.1 or at the pressing of the 
"Start" button in Windows 95, select RUN. From there press 
the "Browse" button to bring up the drive that contains the 
Tube CAD diskette. Once that drive is highlighted, select 
"Install.exe" Press the "OK" button and the installation 
program will come up. 
	
The installation program will need to know where you wish to 
copy Tube CAD to on your hard drive, the default being a 
directory named "Audio." It will further need to know if you 
wish to make a program group to hold the Tube CAD icon. 



4. PRODUCT OVERVIEW
---------------------------------
Tube CAD does Glass for Windows in a big way. It is designed 
to aid the tube circuit designer by quickly providing the 
answers needed to evaluate a circuit and its variable values, 
such as 6DJ8 or 12AU7, 12k or 15k plate load resistor, 287 or 
500 cathode resistor, Textbook Cathode Follower or White 
Cathode Follower.

Tube CAD's push button circuit evaluation environment lets you 
evaluate a tube circuit faster than possible with a calculator 
or spreadsheet. (Holding down one of Tube CAD's slider control 
end buttons will incrementally change a variable value on the 
fly and instantly recalculate all the results.) Because Tube 
CAD is built to crunch tube circuit formulas and only tube 
circuit formulas, Tube CAD is not bogged down with any 
unnecessary code that a more general purpose program such as 
a spreadsheet must carry. 

Tube CAD integrates a tube manual of information for its 
calculations. 32 tubes types are listed (14 core types, i.e., 
same characteristics, different name, e.g. 6FQ7 and 6SN7). Tube 
CAD shares the information by printing a tube spec sheet that 
contains the plate curves and the essential electrical 
characteristics of a triode, along with its base pin-out 
schematic and envelope profile. 

Tube CAD includes a circuit evaluation dialog box that list all 
the obvious circuit errors and their possible remedies. 

Tube CAD prints reports on each circuit and on the scenarios for 
a circuit.


5. RELEASE NOTES
----------------

Tube CAD contains about one thousand separate formulas. Yes, one 
thousand. The odds are in favor that not every single one is 
perfect. As errors become know to us at GlassWare, we will post 
a description of them on or web page. 

We are relying on you our product users to inform us of any 
glitches. So, please, do.

6. KNOWN PROBLEMS
-----------------

The purpose of this section is to provide a general list of
problems that are associated this Tube CAD release.

Problem:  
When I enter a new variable, Tube CAD displays an error message that reads: "X IS NOT A VALID FLOATING POINT NUMBER." 

Solution:  
The answer to your problems is in "International Setup" in "Settings/ Control panel" of Win'95/98; you have a Italian or French version of Windows and the decimals of the numbers are represented with a comma, whereas, in the USA by a period; change the option to periods and the programs should run just fine.

Problem:  
The program does always display correctly on my monitor.

Solution:  
Some of the older ATI video cards original video drivers caused 
a distorted display of the circuit schematics. The problem is 
not specific to Tube CAD, but occurred any program that relied 
on the Window's style metafile. The solution was found in 
updating to new video drivers or a newer and better card.

Some video cards running in True Color caused a disappearance 
of the fuchsia colored fonts in the display of the circuit 
schematics in the Print Preview box. Nonetheless, the printed 
page encompassed the fonts.


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