Updated 9/25/91
The current version  of our not-for-hackers backprop simulator, bps, is
2.11. It is available from gmuvax2.gmu.edu by anonymous ftp. To retrieve,
ftp to that machine and cd nn. set your ftp mode to bin and copy what you want. This new version is available in several executable versions that can be
identified by the filenames in /pub/nn.

Features of v. 2.1 include:

	online help -- uses included help file
	simulated annealing
	command-line interface option
   recursive feedback
   hidden unit activity capture


The Mac versions for 68000 and 68020 processors seems to run fine but are not
thoroughly wrung out. Please let us now of any abberant behavior.

Each file XXX.tar.Z is a compressed tar-formatted version of bps, our backprop
simulator. The ascii help file lpci.hlp should be placed in the same directory
that you put the executable file in.

We have found that the user interface(s) is/are sufficiently
intuitive that we no longer include the tutorial in each package. There
is a separate file tutorial.tar.Z with Macintosh-readable tutorial. If you
feel you need  a paper copy, please email to me (address is below) and I'll
send you a copy. The file is in Macintosh Word 4.0 format. In order to use bps,
you must uncompress  and then tar the version you want. When you get that far,
read the brief file readme.now before proceeding further. You may need
help from your local Unix expert for this.

A SOURCE CODE license is now available, and I can send you a pro-forma
invoice if you need to arrange payment with your institution. The
license fee is  $100.00, payable with your order;-- we cannot generate bills. 
For ordering details, please contact me at one of the addresses below.
This fee entitles you to one copy of the highly portable
C source code, headers, and makefiles for Turboc/DOS, Unix, and VMS systems.
The code consists of some 8,000 lines of C in 19 modules and is
internally documented. Licensees also receive an external code
document.

Licensees will receive the right to  modify the simulator as needed for their
use at their own computing site, but do not receive the right of further
distribution of the modified or unmodified program or source code. The
program is protected by copyright.

The documentation explains the simulator's highly modular structure and the
very slight differences among the various compilations. 

Prof. Eugene Norris
CS Dept George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22032 (703)993-1551
enorris@gmuvax2.gmu.edu                        fax (703)993-1521
