DipTrace 5.1 release

[novarm44]

Hi All,

DipTrace version 5.1 has been released today. We continually improve main features of 5.0 (push and shove router, digital SPICE simulator), also added several long-waited features requested by customers. Initially we planned this version as the update for 5.0, but number of new features is sufficient for naming it 5.1. Upgrade for all 5.x customers is free of course.

Please download it here:
https://diptrace.com/download/download-diptrace/

The list of new features:
1. Push and Shove Router:
- push of vias is now optional (separately for static and trace vias);
- connecting to pushed "trace/via of routed net" is now possible.
2. SPICE Simulator has been improved:
- redesigned parser to support some digital models where standard NG Spice parser fails;
- corrections in UI and storing project/global settings.
3. Displaying net names for pads and traces in PCB Layout.
4. Export G-code for Solder Paste Dispensing.
5. Import ODB++
6. Import PADS VX ASCII
7. Improved check of hierarchy errors in Schematic (merged differential pairs).
8. Size of hierarchical blocks and connectors depends on pin names.

p.s. "Push and edit", "walk around and push" features are the next 2 steps of improving "push and show router" and is in to-do for 5.2 and 5.3 (or both for 5.2 depending on complexity of development and debugging).

Regards,
Stanislav Ruev
DipTrace Team

[novarm44]

Hi All,

We have updated DipTrace to version 5.1.0.1 today. Changes if compare to 5.1.0.0:
1. Improvements in manual trace editing + moving related segments is optional (Route/Routing Setup > Settings).
2. Vertical multi-monitor systems and proper running of software on upper secondary monitor.
3. Push and Shove Router polishing.
4. Polishing PADS Import / Altium ASCII Import / ODB ++ Import and Export
5. Mouse wheel is functioning correctly in Pin Manager of Component Editor now.
6. Net names are displayed without overlapping (even if many overlapping trace segments exist).
7. Many minor bugs had been found and fixed.

Please download it here:
https://diptrace.com/download/download-diptrace/

Regards,
Stanislav Ruev
DipTrace Team

[ryansoundlab]

Maybe it's just me but with the latest version of DipTrace 5.1 (not sure if it happened with .0.0 or .0.1) I lost all my settings from previous versions, including colors, custom vias, and custom trace widths. Can they be imported from a previous version? My design rules seems to have been preserved.

Also, the graphics zoom and pan on the PCB layout has slowed down and is jerky on the large complicated board I'm working on. I turned off "push/pull" traces but that didn't help. Also tried all 3 graphics modes and they are all about the same in this regard. Any ideas or is it just me?

Thanks for your attention.

John Ryan

[novarm44]

Maybe it's just me but with the latest version of DipTrace 5.1 (not sure if it happened with .0.0 or .0.1) I lost all my settings from previous versions, including colors, custom vias, and custom trace widths. Can they be imported from a previous version? My design rules seems to have been preserved.

Also, the graphics zoom and pan on the PCB layout has slowed down and is jerky on the large complicated board I'm working on. I turned off "push/pull" traces but that didn't help. Also tried all 3 graphics modes and they are all about the same in this regard. Any ideas or is it just me?

The data you described are stored in C:/ProgramData/DipTrace/Data_Unicode and some other settings in registry "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Novarm/DipTrace" and are not replaced when you update the software. The exception is mac version, where you should replace them manually in Wine index. That folder and registry key could be easily copied from one instance to another for data/settings recovery.

Zoom/Pan problem is graphics, not push and shove or other algorithms. Sometime it happens if you use many text objects with TrueType fonts, try to switch to Vector. Another possible reason is many/large copper pours with very small line width, but usually it slows down copper pour update, but not drawing (you can try to turn off copper pours to check the reason). A few times customers discovered graphics slow down for no obvious reason, at the same time other computers with slower hardware worked normally on the same layouts - looks like some specific software/driver issue.
If the reason is not TrueType fonts, it would be very helpful if you provide us with the layout file to check it and try to fix the reason of slow graphics (signing NDA is possible).

[ryansoundlab]

Thanks for that fast reply! I found the Data_Unicode files and see there are indeed many old files in there plus many that I already updated recently. That problem is solved!
I'll see if I can find out more about the graphics situation. Could be my hardware acting badly.

Best regards,

John Ryan

[mike_s]

Stanislav Ruev,

My first comment - GREAT ! Thank you, Dip-trace team.
Pls Be Safe
mike_s