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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
---------------------

Contact:
  Mike Panzitta
  801 944-4329


                      First Release of Simulation Kit Ships

SANDY, Utah, October 26, 1992--Doberman Systems today announced the first
release of the Simulation Kit, the first collection of objects  
specifically
developed for continuous system modeling and simulation on the NeXT  
computer.
Coupled with the NeXTSTEP application development environment, the  
Simulation
Kit provides the ideal context for developing and analyzing  
object-oriented
simulations.  Unlike traditional methods, where the model to be simulated  
is
programmed procedurally from derived equations, the object-oriented  
approach is
implemented directly from a block diagram representation of the system.

Both academic and commercial users will find the Simulation Kit to be a
powerful yet easy-to-use tool for modeling, analyzing, and teaching linear  
and
nonlinear continuous systems, numerical integration, and the numerical  
solution
of differential equations.  Typical application areas are numerical  
analysis,
engineering systems (e.g. mechanical, electrical, thermodynamic, and  
chemical),
and control systems.

The Simulation Kit is composed of seven primary Objective-C classes:
ActiveProcess, Clock, Composite, Expression, Process, Signal, and  
Simulation.
Simulations are modeled by connecting processes together with signals.   
More
complex subsystems can be grouped together into composite processes, which  
may
then be manipulated and used as a single process.  In addition to the  
seven
core classes are 15 examples of commonly-used clocks and processes, as  
well as
four example simulations, which all include full documentation and source  
code.
These may be used as guides for the development of new clocks, processes,  
and
simulations.

A typical use of the Simulation Kit can be illustrated by simulating the  
motion
of an automobile.  The car's acceleration is determined by the pressure  
applied
to the accelerator by the driver, the slope of the road (which depends on  
the
location of the car), and the car's drag (which increases with the  
vehicle's
speed).  It is known that the car's location and speed may be obtained by
successively integrating its acceleration.  From this information, a block
diagram composed of integrator, gain, and summer blocks can be easily
assembled.  These process blocks and the signals that connect them are
implemented by Simulation Kit objects which are organized in the same  
fashion
as the block diagram.  Information such as the car's position, velocity,  
and
acceleration may then be output as the car  moves  through its virtual
environment.  This approach to modeling provides greater insight and  
intuition
into the behavior of the system and allows simple and rapid modification  
of the
simulation.

The Simulation Kit employs several advanced features that are unavailable  
in
other simulation packages.  Multiple clocks allow simulations to contain  
 fast 
and  slow  subsystems.  Process prioritization permits fine control over  
the
execution of the simulation for techniques such as cascaded integrations.

The Simulation Kit is available now from Doberman Systems for US$399  
(US$99
academic).  The product is distributed on a single NeXT-compatible floppy  
disk
and consists  of the object library, indexed header files, full on-line
documentation, and fully-documented example source code.  Technical  
support is
available by telephone and electronic mail directly from Doberman Systems.   
A
demonstration version of the Simulation Kit is available from major  
Internet
archives.

Doberman Systems was launched in 1992 to develop hardware and software
solutions for the NeXT series of professional workstations.  The firm is
committed to providing the highest quality products and services for NeXT  
users
and developers worldwide.

Doberman Systems, the Doberman logo, and Simulation Kit are trademarks of
Doberman Systems.  NeXT and NeXTSTEP are trademarks of NeXT Computer, Inc.   
All
other trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners.

--
Mike Panzitta
Doberman Systems
doberman!mike@uunet.uu.net (NeXTMail)