Panel Editor

Using the new Panel Editor, you can now visually panelise your designs to create multiple copies of the same design ready for manufacture, or add other Easy-PC PCB designs to the panel for cost-effective manufacture. PCBs added can be the same design or different designs as you wish. Adding designs is simply a matter of dropping them onto the panel from your Windows Explorer browser. There is also a Panel Wizard to facilitate the creation of panels.

All operation within the panel editor itself is drag and drop as you would expect for ease-of-use. Options for Select, Move and Rotate are available for each PCB to position it correctly, and once positioned, the Design Rules Check can be run to check specific Panel parameters defined, such as board separation.

Additional components can be added to the panel, these can be Fiducial markers for example. Extra documentation and shapes can also be added, you may wish to add profiling shapes for routing the finished boards for example.

Once completed, the whole panel can be processed to Gerber, Excellon and the usual post design plotting options. The whole process is seamless and effortless.

Trunk Router

The new Trunk Routing tool enables you to route multiple tracks at the same time adhering to the spacing rules defined. A group of address lines or a collection of dissimilar signals can be routed in one unit within the PCB design. Selection of the required signals for trunk routing is straightforward as is the collection of additional signals for inclusion in this group. Individual tracks can be dropped or new ones added to the trunk group such is the flexibility of this incredible new tool.

The Trunk Router follows Net Class style and Spacing rules at all times and can even adhere to different rules when defined for signals within the trunk group.

As well as connections, existing track ends can also be selected for Trunk Routing. Once routing, there are options on the context menu to add further control to the quality of the routing pattern produced, options such as additional track spacing.

Net Class to Class Spacings

With the addition of Net Class To Class spacing rules, further control is added for designs where more specific restrictions are mandated between Net Classes and Net Class rules across layers. Where the design requires very specific creepage rules to be used, this new feature enables a Net Class to Class spacing to be defined. The separation rules can also be defined on different layers so that an inner ground layer can have a different set of rules to that of the outer layers for example.

Import CSV File

The use of Net Class to Class rules is further enhanced in Version 15 with the introduction of the Export and Import of CSV (comma separated values) based rules. These rules can be created in an Excel spreadsheet for example, visually created and inspected, then imported into the Spacings grid dialog.

Hollow Tracks

With True Width switched off, tracks can be displayed as centre-line or now as a 'hollow' shape. This displays the true thickness of the tracks but as an outline, this allows the design to be less cluttered.

Show Final Track Path

During manual track routing, once the track gets close to its final target, if the track path can be finished with two segments, these will be displayed to indicate the final path. Once this is shown, a 'Finish Here' can be used to complete the path. This can save a lot of time attempting to route in the last track segments.

3D Viewer Additions

New shapes have been added to the 3D Viewer; shapes for LED Display, MELF, Bead and DIL Switch to enhance the existing packages.

As well as new shapes, intelligent colour-coded identification stripes on Can and Axial components have been added. Once a Value has been added to the component, the 3D Viewer will convert this value into a standard colour-coded stripes.

The 3D view can now be exported as a picture to BMP, JPG and TIF formats

Pro-Library 4 Update

With it's fourth update, another 7,100 components have been added to the Pro-library taking the total to over 55,300. These are ready to use and to simply drop into your design. New components are included for the National, ST Micro and Texas Instruments libraries. If you have purchased any previous versions of this library, you can upgrade for a nominal amount when you upgrade to Easy-PC 15. If you decide you would like the update without buying V15, the charge is slightly more. You must have already purchased an older version of the Pro-Library to take advantage of this offer. Offer is limited to July-August 2011.

Visit the Pro-Library web page.

Micro Library 4 Update

With the release of Micro-Controller Library 4, we've added over 5,300 new Micro library parts to the existing library. These include parts from the Freescale, Microchip, Zilog and the Silicon Labs ranges. If you have purchased any previous versions of this library, you can upgrade for a nominal amount when you upgrade to Easy-PC 15. If you decide you would like the update without buying V15, the charge is slightly more. You must have already purchased an older version of the Micro-Library to take advantage of this offer. Offer is limited to July-August 2011.

Visit the Micro Library web page.

Trace-Router Upgrade

If you already have the Easy-Router product, upgrade to Version 15 and receive the Trace-Router at absolutely no extra charge! If you don't have Easy-router already, then there is a small charge for you to take this powerful new autorouter.

Visit the Trace-Router web page.