DesignSpark PCB Updates

Version 3.0

Major Update, adding the following and several minor fixes

To Update,

1. Please ensure you BACKUP any work you may have saved in the default installation folders for example default library modifications - the previously installed folders will be ameneded so avoid the risk of losing previous work my making backups before you update. 

2. Download the latest installation file and install

3. The program may ask you to activate Design Spark again following the update, however your original activation details will still be valid and you will not be required to go through the activation process again.  if you do experience any problems with the update, please contact us at :

email us

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DesignSpark V3 – Incidental Changes in Functionality

These are the minor functional changes that are included in DesignSpark V3

Some changes are shown in italics, these are simply consistency changes or clarifications in the user interface that don’t provide any additional functionality.

1. Component Editor

Change Terminal Name no longer automatically replicates the name change across similar gates. Instead the name change only applies to the selected terminal, and a new command is provided to explicitly copy the selected name to the other gates.

The Packages dialog now allows the deletion of the last Package of  a Component to make it into a Schematic-only Component.

2. Technology

The ‘table’ (grid) used on this dialog and others has been upgraded. This allows some additional functionality, as well as removing the installation problems on someVistaand Windows 7 systems.

Such tables can now be scrolled with the mouse wheel.

The ‘Apply To Column’ function is now available in Net Classes, Track Styles, Line Styles and Text Styles.

When adding or editing tracks, the context menu option called Autoroute is now more correctly called Auto Complete.

3. Preferences

The Display Preferences page has been laid out differently.

4. Projects

Paste now displays the ‘Paste Net’ dialog if net(s) exist in other sheets in the Project.

A pasted Net receives the Net Class of an existing project net.

A new Net will copy the net class from this net if defined in another sheet in the project.

A new Net Class will copy parameters from this net class if defined in another sheet in the project.

5. Optimise Nets

Where a connection is required to connect an item to its powerplane a ‘zero length’ connection will be drawn as a ‘butterfly’ shape.

6. 3D View

New shapes BEAD, DILSwitch and LEDdisplay have been added.

Version 2.0 new additions include:

1. New 3D Menu, 3D Viewer (screenshot above) and 3D packages Library

2. Add Component - Cancel Mode on context menu

3. Values in component edit are now a tab on properties dialog (was separate dialog)

4. Grids - Control G - Grid Snap menu is now proper menu now has "Grids" option at bottom

5. Grids on context menu when something selected in design

6. Export to Bitmap/EMF on the File menu

7. new LPKF menu option (simply goes to same place as Manufacturing Plots in this release)

8. value position on a component can display the part (component) description field

9. project view has Rename and Duplicate functions to help manage sheets in project

10. Change Component shows both schematic and PCB previews

11. Reports - Component List - new column type 'Text' for inserting text strings into report

12. Add Component can now return to the dialog on Escape (switchable by option on Preferences)

13. When pasting copied design data, new Cancel Move option allows it to be dropped in original position (same position it was when you copied the data)

14. In component editing, values can be added or copied to all packages in the component by click of button instead of having to add them by hand to each package

15. When saving library items (symbols etc), the Save dialog includes <New Library> in the list of available libraries, allowing you to create a new library 'on the fly' to contain your library item.

16. library manager dialog : has 'ok all' and 'cancel all' buttons when doing 'Copy To'; now has 'Move To' button (like 'Copy To' then delete from source library afterwards); Components page has 'Save To Lib' button to save set of data for selected items to another library (see 11).

17. angular resolution increased to 2 decimal places for finer placement

18. right click on selected components in design, new option 'Save Selected Items to Library' allows you to save components and all their symbols/footprints to library files. Useful for building project libraries from a design, 'exporting' components and related symbols to a new library to give to someone else, etc.

19. Excellon setup dialog now provides ability to keep tool numbers unique across all drill files generated in one 'run'. Used for example to get unique tool numbers when you generate two separate files for plated and unplated holes.

20. Separation of plated and unplated holes on drill ident plots.

Note: Also included are several fixes including for eagle import (not bringing through all values) and mouse wheel scrolling

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Version 1.0.3 - 22/11/2010

Minor update, fixes added for the following:

1. import of EIL (component library) file was not always reading Description field correctly
 
2. IDF generation, suppress empty value fields in IDF output
 
3. Eagle import was not always handling mounting holes correctly

4. Program hang in New Component dialog if you select neither Scm nor Pcb
 
5. PDF plotting, drill holes missing on some pads shapes in PDF output

6. Discrete library had values missing, added in for consistency with tutorial documentation

To upgrade to v1.0.3 from earlier versions please download the latest installer from the DesignSpark PCB design centre.  Run the software and either maintain or completely re-install your existing installation.