Release Notes
Release notes are a short record explaining what has changed in a new board revision or software version, which problem has been fixed, and the compatibility impact. They are written concretely enough to answer the user's question "should I move to this version".
A useful set of release notes separates these four headings:
- Fixed problems: the symptom, under which condition it appeared, and from which versions onward it was present.
- Added or changed behaviours: if a new parameter has been added, its default value is written as well.
- Compatibility: which board revisions it works with, are existing parameters preserved, has accessory compatibility changed.
- Migration steps: what needs to be done, such as saving the settings before the update.
The real value of release notes emerges over time. If the behaviour of a board in the field differs from what is expected, by reading the notes between that board's version and the current version it is understood within minutes whether the difference stems from a known change. When this record is not kept, the same question is researched from scratch every time. The notes are kept together with the product documentation and are used as a reference in support requests.
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