Pulsonix Change Notes Version 7.0 Build 4573 : 04-Aug-2011

Pulsonix Change Notes These notes list the main functional changes and problem fixes in each release of the software. They are listed in order, latest first. Version 7.0 Build 4573 : 04•Aug•2011

Functional changes Scripting Added an optional second parameter to Message function. This is an integer value that allows you to specify flags indicating the type of message box. See release notes for more details. Added new function GetCurrentVariantName to retrieve the name of the currently selected variant.

Problems Fixed

CAM/Plot Gerber • Inserted user report was not updated with the correct variant when producing a plot for a specific variant. Gerber • No pads visible on Windows Verification Plot of Gerber outputs. Gerber • Embedded view on plot was showing the current design variant, not the variant of the plot. PDF Plot • Inserted user report was not refreshed for plot variant. Output • Program sometimes quit trying to produce plots

Export IDF • Area board cutouts were not output to IDF with the board. STEP • STEP preview of board did not understanding environment variables in the paths to the models. STEP • A component with a Z offset was not mirroring correctly. STEP • Area Board cutouts were not being output. STEP • Mirrored component positioned badly for this model. STEP • Subsequent model positions were being rotated when they should not. STEP • Component board cutouts were not treated as notch when touching the board edge. STEP • Specific model was rotated 180 degrees out. STEP • Some mirrored components were not output in the correct positions. STEP • Had more model positioning problems.

File Save • Program quit after saving and closing particular designs.

Import Cadstar • Program quit attempting to import a particular Cadstar CPA file. Cadstar • Did not handle an undefined ROUTECODE in a CPA file. DxDesigner • Pins were ending up with the wrong pin numbers after ViewDraw import. DXF • Importing DXF into a PCB documentation symbol was not offering layers in the grid. Eagle • Was not translating shapes on "tDocu" and "bDocu" layers separately. Integra • Importing a particular Integra design caused the program to exit. Integra • Duplicate styles were being created. Pads • Rounded rectangular pads were being imported as rectangles. PCAD • Component with duplicate attributes was being created from a PDIF file. Protel • Problems importing some specific Protel designs. Visula • Import of a .PAF file created two top & bottom electrical layers. Visula • Was adding areas with no layer assigned.

Interaction Edit Track • Program quit when track hugging with a large gap and getting near to an area board cutout . Move • Had problems moving a segment of a differential paired track with "Preserve Attached Segments" enabled.

Hierarchy Add Block • Adding a specific block to a new schematic caused a design corruption. Save To Block • Was causing duplicate unused net names. Edit Block Symbol • Corruption was being caused by editing a particular block generated symbol

Properties Footprints • The variants tab was incorrectly appearing for symbols and footprints if the tech file has variants. Components • Change Part Representation put gates into the bin which caused them to be disconnected. Components • Changing a component to one with less pins can produce broken differential pair entry.

Pulsonix Database Connection Properties • Changing a part through Properties, Variant, caused duplicate attributes.

Technology Spacings • Could not paste values into the spacing grid. Nets • Adding two net names introduced a design corruption. General • Edit boxes were not scrolling. Colours • Loading s particular colour file was disabling Back Annotation.

Tools Apply layout Pattern • Comp Names were not placed correctly to match the pattern. Copper Pour • Poured over items on other nets due to very shallow arcs in the board outline. Copper Pour • Flooded over a ring of track in a specific design. Design Rule Check • Doing all net checks on a particular design caused the program to quit. Design Rule Check • Was incorrectly flagging spacing violations within an area. Electrical Rules Check • Reported spurious “Pintype” errors between the same pins of a variant component. Optimise Nets • Was leaving many ground connections because it did not think they are inside the board. Reload From Library • Net names were not preserved during reload, this was inconsistent with Change Part. Reload From Library • Reloading a design•level associated part did not reload its attributes. Router • There was a problem with restoring from routers results for single sided boards with wires. Scripting • Added optional second parameter to Message function, and new function GetCurrentVariantName. Scripting • RunReport command produced a report but it only had a header line and no data. Scripting • Could not retrieve a component attribute. Scripting • CamPlot.Run was returning an error because the output filename had not been set up. Scripting • Run Script dialog was not environment variable aware. Synchronise Designs • Was causing a PCB design corruption. Synchronise Designs • Program quit attempting to synchronise two particular designs.

Version 7.0 Build 4572 : 02•Jun•2011

Functional changes Library Toolkit New library toolkit command “SETPARTATTRIBUTE” has been added.

Problems Fixed

CAM/Plot Plot Preview • Was using yellow for the board outline. Drill Ident • Some drill symbols were coming out wrong. Gerber • Area marked as a board cutout was not included in a plot of a documentation layer. Gerber • Incorrect output was produced for specific user•defined pads. Gerber • Target shaped pads were being flashed instead of drawn. PDF Plot • Plotting a page more than once to a PDF document caused the program to quit. Power Plane • Incorrect pad size was used for drilled out pads on power plane layers. Power Plane • Pads outside of a spacing rule area on the power plane layer got wrong isolating gap.

Export ODB++ • Failed to complete the generation process for a particular design. ODB++ • New drill symbol shapes and drawn drill symbols were not handled correctly. ODB++ • Some pads were output with the wrong angle to the component layer. STEP • Boards with cutouts were not being imported. STEP • Built•in standoff of 0.5mm caused auto•generated components to be the wrong height in STEP output. STEP • Did not deal correctly with pad style offsets. STEP • If a component was mirrored its offsets were not mirrored. STEP • Program quit importing a specific STEP board. STEP • Program quit without warning on attempting to preview a bad model. STEP • Arcs in a board outline were being imported with the wrong direction. STEP • Some cutouts were not imported at their correct size. STEP • Some mirrored and rotated components were not being positioned correctly in STEP output. STEP • Was writing copper to a STEP file with the wrong outline size. STEP • Z offsetting of models was not being applied correctly for mirrored components.

File Save • Some designs were saved as corrupt due to unnecessary component copper net names. Import DxDesigner • Program quit importing a specific schematic design. DXF • Arcs and circles were misplaced importing a particular file. Eagle • Import was aborted reading specific data. Eagle • Was failing to import some keepout areas. Easy•PC • Did not handle pad styles with slots. Integra • Illegal cutout in the TXF file was causing the program to exit in the Copper Pour stage of Import. PADS • Was incorrectly importing designs containing layers with no layer class. PCAD • ASCII file generated from CAM350 did not read in.

Interaction Auto Weld • Net names could disappear when welding a schematic pad to an open end of a connection. Dimensions • Altering a shape was moving some attached dimensions in unexpected ways. Edit Track • Was incorrectly adding a connection in the middle of a differential paired track. Edit Track • Differential paired tracks were crossing over when you finish the edit. Edit Track • Via was disappearing after adding a track even though via still needed.

Library Tools Close • Gave no error message if library was write•protected when closing a library item with the "X" button. Footprint Edit • Modifying a footprint after using "Save Copy As" could cause the library to be overwritten. Part Edit • Using "Save Copy As" on a part design could overwrite a library. Reports • RTF report did not handle PCB only components. Toolkit • Additional library toolkit command SETPARTATTRIBUTE added. Toolkit • Using the FINDPART command on a part that had no gates caused the program to quit.

Licensing Network Licensing • Check for MAX (permit cap) did not take into account connected clients that had been released. Network Licensing • Client socket was sometimes not closed after an early return of a license loan. Network Licensing • License Server could exit on attempting to connect NLServer Monitor Network Licensing • Some operations could book out an unlimited pin license when not working on a PCB design. Network Licensing • Was always giving message about getting a Design Rule Check license.

Pulsonix Database Connection Check/Update • Components were updated with strange values for many 'empty' fields.

Properties Component • Changing a component variant details using the apply button could corrupt the component. Component • Did not handle changing a component to an alternate footprint with bond pads. Component • Program aborted whilst changing component variant instance.

Reports Report Maker • Incorrect 'Top Height' value was reported for a component in one variant. Technology Report • Program quit attempting to produce a technology report on a particular design.

Technology Colour Files • Board colour was not correct after reading colour files saved in earlier versions. Colour Files • Loading colour files into a PCB was be a lot slower than it should be. Attribute Names • Did not allow attribute name context to be changed if attribute was in use. Nets • Exchanging two net names in a particular design caused the program to exit.

Tools Apply Layout Pattern • Could not get full pattern match between two groups. Apply Layout Pattern • Did not copy unattached protected vias. Auto Insert Testpoint – Incorrectly placed test points resulting in track to via errors. Back Annotation • Pin swap allowed multiply•mapped pins to be swapped causing Back Annotation to fail. Copper Pour • Failed to pour a 0V template in a particular board. Copper Pour • Did not pour most of a GND net. Copper Pour • Failed to pour a specific design. Copper Pour • Was incorrectly getting no copper areas large enough to be retained pouring on inner layers. Design Rule Check • Component spacing rules were not setup correctly to detect overlapping components. Design Rule Check – Power plane avoid area on a split plane was not detected and a net split was missed. Reload From Library • Could not reload a variant component that had no symbol instance. Rename • Program quit if rename started with a default net name that did not exist. Router • Program was aborting on starting the router after importing a particular PADS board. Scripting – “Application.RunMacro” was documented but not available in the interface. Scripting • The function “SymbolLibrary.SymLibSymbols” was missing. Synchronise Designs • Was replacing two component instances the wrong way round.

View View Power Plane • Used incorrect power plane spacing on a track that crossed a template.

Version 7.0 Build 4571 : 18•Mar•2011

Functional changes Auto Router The Auto Router menu option now has a sub menu with Auto Router and two new options, Selected Nets and Browse Nets. Use Auto Router to route all nets, use Browse Nets to route nets selected from a net browser dialog, or use Selected Nets to route all nets that contain selected items. If no nets have selected items the Selected Nets option will be placed into Latched Mode allowing nets to be automatically routed simply by clicking on them.

Problems Fixed

CAM/Plot Gerber – Power plane clearance to over•drilled pads was not applied, resulting in copper touching the hole. PDF Plot • PDF plot was not retaining the sheet order from the CAM/Plot dialog. PDF Plot • Pads were missing from plots if the pad layer was not the primary layer in group of plots. PDF Plot • Barcode text was output with extra bars giving a shadow effect. Print • Using Auto•Rotate was sometimes causing text to be incorrect.

Export DXF • Missing 'z factor' on circle for round drill holes caused CATIA program to reject files. DXF • The dialog was missing the span layers. ODB++ • Circular pads on rotated components were coming out wrong. STEP • Program quit outputting "Drill Holes" on a board with blind or buried vias. STEP • Did not handle null package shapes. STEP • Offsets were not being rotated and rotations were not mirrored for the bottom side. STEP • Caused the program to exit when using a particular package library. STEP • Some models were aligned in the footprint preview but not in the design preview. STEP • Producing STEP output for a design containing zero sized pads caused the program to exit. STEP • STEP Models Page was not showing models with dots in their filenames.

File Save As – Saving on a write protected file was sometimes deleting file.

Import DxDesigner • Importing specific symbols into a symbol library was causing the program to exit. DxDesigner • Some unattached attributes were not being added. DXF • Could not select some layers using the drop down menu. Easy•PC • Did not deal with alpha•numeric names that were on common pins in the schematic symbol. Gerber • When a Gerber file was imported into a design using a specific technology file, many pads were incorrectly offset. Visula • Was creating duplicate pad style names.

Interaction Add Board • Creating a board using "Use Construction Regions" was not working where construction circles were tangential to construction lines. Add Track • Track hug around a track that is already a complete shield around obstacles was causing the program to exit. Duplicate • Surface mount components with component vias could not be duplicated. Groups • There were several problems with creating unnamed groups, naming them and then deleting a group master item.

Library Tools Part Edit • It was possible to get a corrupt library entry for part groups.

Properties Components • Program quit when un•checking Alternate Pad Style on a multiple selection of pads. Components • Using properties to alter a component to have a separate variant instance was causing a corruption in the design.

Pulsonix Database Connection Setup • Was unable to connect to a MySQL database except when using a specific setup.

Reports Report Maker • A profile file containing a user report was causing the program to quit when creating a new PCB design. Report Maker – There is now a new command to report the placement extents including pads.

Simulation Other Spice Types – This dialog was sometimes disabled. Random Probe • Was incorrectly getting "Cannot Find Vector" error messages in the command shell on attempting to random probe. Variants • Simulation was not variant•aware.

Technology Layers • Symbol construction lines were not being checked when deleting a layer.

Tools Advanced Router – The Route Selected Nets option did not work. Copper Pour • Pour was incorrectly covering some pads. Copper Pour • Was pouring over vias on a different net on a specific design. Copper Pour • Was failing to pour correctly around a specific pad. Copper Pour • Was incorrectly reporting 'No Connected Copper Areas' when pouring a specific template. Design Rule Check • Spurious 'TH' (plane thermal) errors were being reported. Design Rule Check • Was not reporting 'Unfinished Track' errors if a track ended just with a junction point. Reverse Engineer • Program quit whilst attempting to reverse engineer a particular PCB design. Router • New Pulsonix router was leaving unfinished track segments. Router – Added Route Selected Nets and Browse Nets functions.