[T1] ================================================ AMAST Links 02 08

                The Esterel V4_45 System Available

   The full version of this announcement is available at URL:
   http://www.cs.utwente.nl/data/amast/links/v02/i08/full/AC0208T1.txt

  Esterel v4_45 differs in the following ways from its predecessor
Esterelv4_41:
 o  A new causal interpretation scheme has been added (option -I). This
    interpretation option produces object C code that is much simpler
    and much faster than the one produced by option -I of esterelv4_41,
    which uses the Esterel v3 technology. The interpreter is based on a
    new semantics called the constructive semantics.
 o  The Motif-based graphical simulator xsimul is replaced by a new
    Tcl/Tk based simulator called xes (X Esterel Simulator). Xes is
    directly included in the esterelv4_45 distribution tape,
    unlike xsimul that was distributed separately. 
 o  Generation of hardware circuits from Pure Esterel programs is 
    possible by using the -Lblif option (esterel -Lblif foo.strl).
    The circuits are generated in Berkeley Logic Interchange 
    format (blif).
 o  The wristwatch example is included in the distribution tape. 
    Use it to try xes!
  Esterel v4_45 is in fact an intermediate version that will later be
replaced by Esterel v5 described below. Even if it is yet incomplete,
we make it available to let users experiment with the new interpreter
and with the xes simulator.
  If you already ftp'ed an Esterel v4_4x compiler, you will find v4_45
_at the same place_ on URL: ftp://cma.cma.fr
with xes included.  Just ftp it; you won't need another licence.
Otherwise, please write to esterel-request@cma.cma.fr.
  Gerard Berry, Xavier Fornari, Jean-Paul Marmorat