Schematic and PCB CAD

Version 26 Highlights

Easy-PC extends its manufacturing reach even further in this years release with the introduction of the industry standard IPC-2581 output plus many new design rule checks (DRC) and design for manufacture (DFM) checks. The emphasis has been to introduce new features that provide more in-depth checks and verify your designs so that they are manufacture-ready at the final process. This year, 26 additional features have been added, all requested by our valued users:

• IPC-2581 Manufacturing Output
• New DRC and DFM Checks
• IDF Export – New Output Options
• Design Ruler Enhancements
• New Cancel Move After Paste feature
• Apply Layout Pattern - use Schematic Sheet
• Improved Toggle Layers dialog
• Goto - Text and Values
• Invert Selection
• Active Hyperlinks in Add Component dialog
• Goto Bar Find Multiple Items
• Plus more exciting features summarised here...
• Access to over 15 Million FREE ready-to-use Components
• Summer Promotion for supplmentary libraries
• Read the V26 Supplement here and view all the technical details...

Upgrading to Version 26

Contact us with your requirements and we can get you working with Easy-PC 26 today. If you would prefer to have a quick look before you buy, you can download the Easy-PC 26 trial version using this link. 

With Version 26, Easy-PC steps it technology forward again with the introduction of the IPC-2581 export. This export is a new modern format being quickly adopted within the manufacturing industry as a replacement and alternative for Gerber and ODB++. As a self-contained format, there are virtually no setup charges or additional ‘knowledge’ files to send with it. The dialog allows very focused exporting of your design data with switches to restrict the design IP being released, such as Neutral Net Names and BOM data.
The IPC-2581 export is also available within the Panel Editor with an additional switch to output a single instance of the PCB design to minimise the exported file size.

New checks have been added to enhance the Design Rules Checking for various design rules and Design For Manufacturing (DFM). When run, these checks will validate your design so that you have an additional level of confidence when sending it to manufacture. Minimum Solder Mask Width Minimum Solder Mask Width enables a check to be carried out ensuring that slivers of solder mask are not produced. Minimum Solder Mask To Track The Solder Mask To Track check ensures there is a minimum distance between a track and a solder mask opening (not including the opening for the tracks start and end nodes if they exist). Modified Pour Areas The Modified Pour Areas check ensures that existing areas that have been poured haven’t been modified. Minimum Text Size During manufacturing, text on copper or silkscreen layers that is to small can cause problems. The Minimum Text Size check enables a minimum text size to be defined and checked against. Ignore Same Component Error Where components use a smaller pad to pad spacing that is generally used in the design, typically on fine pitch SM components, the new Ignore Same Component Errors rule means the pad spacing rule will be ignored. It is assumed that during component creation, the pad spacing is correct and according to the manufacturer’s datasheet. DRC In Named Area DRC can be selected to only check in a Named Area so thatseparate areas of the design can be focused on. DRC In Schematic - Ignore Unconnected Gates Within the Schematic Editor, the ERC option will now be more refined when checking Unconnected Gates so that additional named pins of the same type will be ignored.

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IDF Export – New Output Options

The IDF 3.0 export is valuable as a mechanical CAD format where your PCB should be visualised within a case or enclosure. Exclude Component Values When exporting IDF, in order to preserve your intellectual property when using external manufacturing facilities, a new check box item has been added which will remove crucial IP from the export; Exclude Component Values means that the no design items can be identified by their values. Remove illegal characters from Component Names For some systems, the use of some special characters is not allowed. The new Remove illegal characters from Component Names check box enables illegal characters to be substituted for an underscore.

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Ruler Enhancements

Ruler Size

Ruler stops add visual guide lines to the design which can be used as guides or used for items to snap to. To improve the visibility of Rulers on high-resolution monitors, such as those using 4K, the Ruler Bar Size can be increased up to 3.0 times larger. It can also be made smaller if required to become less intrusive.

Ruler Colours

The Ruler background colour can be changed when item snapping is enabled and disabled to your own setting to improve visibility.

Ruler Visibility During Movement

Ruler lines are now visible when repositioning them, meaning they can be placed more accurately.

Highlight Items in GoTo Bar

A new context menu command on the Goto Bar displays the selection of items in the design which can then be highlighted back in the Bar where it will show the relevant item. For example, if you select two Nets in the design, they will both be highlighted in the Goto Bar enabling you to identify them.

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Apply Layout Pattern using Schematic Sheet

When using the Apply Layout Pattern to replicate existing designs or patterns, the pattern chosen can now be from a Schematic sheet, and/or to a Schematic Sheet. This further refines the ‘grouping’ to specific Schematic Sheets where intricate circuitry can be copied.

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Improved Toggle Layers dialog

The Layer Toggles dialog has been rewritten to make use of a controls-based interface rather than being texturally driven. By making the selection process graphical, it means layer commands can be added or removed using simple selection. This also means layer names are presented to you rather than remembering them.

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Goto Text

Goto Bar - Text

The Goto Bar has been enhanced to now allow the finding of text. Plain Text can be found across the design or across Project when multiple Schematic sheets exist. Component Names and Values can also be found and selected.

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Invert Selection

This new feature is part of the Selection mechanism and enables you to select the items not selected. If you have items all of the same type selected, the selection will invert all items of that type. If you have different types selected, all unselected items will be selected. This is useful if you need to apply an option to all other items, such as auto-mitre for example.

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Active Hyperlinks for Add Component

The Add Component dialog and Add Component Browser bar both benefit with the addition of active visible hyperlinks. When Values are defined as hyperlinks on a component in the library, these are then visible and highlighted as active once browsed to on Component addition dialogs. Double-clicking on one of the these links will run the hyperlink to its active location.

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Additional V26 Features

Cancel Move After Paste Interactive Mitre/Fillet Any Angle in PCB Exclude Off Board Items option for 3D View Navigate to Folder feature in Document Properties dialog Plotting & Printing - Move plots up and down in the Plot List Library Manager Report - Mark Missing Symbols Library Manager Report - Only Show Errors Library Editor - Synchronise Library Names Inherited Net Name and Bus Name from Bus Track Editing - Finish Track on Start Pad not allowed Grid Visibility Check box on Layers Bar Updated Change Layer Span dialog Updated Change Layer and Track Layer dialogs Add Teardrop to Selected Pad only BOM - Timestamp in report BOM - Cost Value Precision points BOM creation - Multi-select Value Names Fully Supported under Windows 10 and 11 Continued use with the Component Search Engine Access to the online Gerber file viewer facility Benefit from our FREE technical support service Read the V26 Supplement here for all the technical details...

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Component Search Engine With Access To Over 15 Million Components

With the Easy-PC version 26 update, you get continued free access to the Component Search Engine. This provides you with over 15 million components and their symbols (Schematic and PCB) instantly available from the web site. This service is an unlimited access to content that can be interactively downloaded directly onto the end of your cursor, ready for placement in Easy-PC and automatically loaded into your Easy-PC library.

Manufacturer values added to Components

All manufacturer values such as Part Number and Price are added to the Component during download to your Easy-PC design. This further reduces the time taken to create components and ensures they contain all relevant values needed for your Bill of Material (BOM).

More information about the Component Search Engine

More information about the Component Search Engine can be found here.

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Libraries

SPECIAL OFFERS - Library Upgrades

Pro-Library 8 Update The Pro-Library has over just over 121,000 associated Symbols and Footprints.

Micro Library 8 Update Over 14,300 Micro-controller components.

Connector Library 3 Update

248 additional Connector components were added to Connector Library 3 taking the total to over 20,000. Components have been added from the Tyco ranges; 1734261, 1734289, HPI, HPI_125, HPI_125SMT, HPI_125SRA and MiniCT.

If you have a previous version of any library you may be eligible for special promotional prices. Click here for all the existing customer updates.

Click Here for more information on the Library pricing without a previous version.

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Click here for all the existing customer updates.