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OrCAD PCB Designer Lite Changelog

What's new in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 17.20.002

Aug 24, 2016
  • Rigid Flex:
  • Stack up by zone: The new feature improves MCAD-ECAD co-design and provides faster, easier definition of stack-ups for rigid-flex rigid designs.
  • Inter design layer checks: The new inter layer functionality provides ability to check geometries between two different class/ subclasses for flex and rigid flex designs.
  • Arc routing - A new prototype feature to provide more efficient method to add routing during Add Connect by following an existing connect line or a route keep-in.
  • Cross section editor:
  • Redesigned Cross Section Editor based on the spreadsheet technology found in Constraint Manager to provide one stop shop for features requiring cross section for their setup.
  • New padstack editor:
  • Introducing modern user interface for convenient padstack creation with addition of new geometries and support for counter-bore/ counter-sink definitions and several new drill features.
  • Shape Edit Application Mode:
  • Introducing new functionality that is a fine tuning editing environment to increase efficiency with shape boundary editing and simplifying actions such as sliding a shape edge or adding a notch etc.
  • Color and Visibility enhancements:
  • The Color Dialog box has been enhanced for better efficiency and ease of use for designers and the Visibility pane now provides access and control over layers other than the conductor layers.
  • 64-bit Support:
  • Now available support for 64 bit OS with increase in memory size from 4GB to 18 Quintillion and support for Database sizes upto 3GB.
  • More gains in performance for CPU intensive applications.
  • Display segment over voids:
  • A new command Segment Over Voids detects cline segments crossing adjacent plane layer voids.
  • Spread Line between Voids:
  • New command to provide semi-automatic solution to spread channel based clines with respect to adjacent plane layer voids.
  • Via2Via Line Fattening:
  • Users can increase line width between vias based on their definition of edge to edge clearance by using the “Line fattening” utility.
  • Contour routing:
  • Now available in both single and mutli-routing modes, contour hugging locks the current route to either the route keepin or adjacent cline.
  • Group routing:
  • User can now perform group routing by window selecting around a group of objects(Clines, Vias, Pins, Rats) and be able to change the control trace from its initial location to user defined and go into single trace mode to complete routes.
  • Gloss Commands:
  • Richer set of gloss commands like Eliminate Vias, Convert corners to ARC, Fillet and Taper traces and many more now available in OrCAD PCB Designer.
  • Differential Pair Routing and DRC:
  • Users can now define physical and electrical rules for Differential pairs complemented by routing support.
  • Layer Set DRC and Routing:
  • The new layer set functionality insures layer constrained nets are routed to wiring requirements by ‘locking routes’ to within the appropriate layer set(s) for the net based objects.

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.6 QIR 6 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • Intelligently Exchange Stackup Information with IPC-2581:
  • Automatically import and export stackup information from Allegro with the open IPC-2581 standard. This reduces manual entry errors and enables better collaboration and planning with manufacturers early in the design stage;
  • IDX ECAD-MCAD Enhancements:
  • A number of enhancements have been added to incremental data exchange (IDX) format for ECAD-MCAD collaboration;
  • Bend Area Support: Flex circuit bend areas can be defined and/or imported from MCAD. Keepouts will automatically be generated and the bend area visually displayed on the PCB Editor canvas;
  • Multiple Heights for Components: Extruded components can contain multiple height areas using IDX;
  • Component Height DRC Updates: Component Height DRC can now account for global offset used to account for mask thickness;
  • User Defined Layers Exchange: Import/Export of user defined layers is now supported in IDX;
  • Copper Exchange: External layer etch can now be passed to the MCAD environment from PCB Editor. Allows for collaboration on Faraday cages and thermal analysis;
  • ECAD MCAD Data Compare: Verify MCAD and ECAD data are in synch before committing to manufacture. New compare tool will display differences visually in PCB Editor;
  • File Locking Improvements:
  • Additional capabilities have been added to specify file locking duration and what protocol to use to check lock time against;
  • New Drafting Capabilities:
  • Extend segments and trim segments drafting commands have been added;
  • Split Views:
  • View multiple areas of the board at once with new split views feature. Great for helping with bus breakout routing and unraveling at each end of the interface;
  • Find By Query (Unsupported Prototype):
  • New query building engine to provide finer grained search and filter capabilities with AND, OR, and NOR logical operators;
  • Windows 8.1 Support:
  • OrCAD is officially supported on Windows 8.1.

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.6 QIR 5 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • Move Components with "Slide Etch" Option:
  • New option designed to reroute etch attached to components being moved using conventional angles (45, 90);
  • Dynamic Rat Suppression:
  • When ‘Add Connect’ command is invoked, all rats except the active net are temporarily suppressed;
  • New Drafting Commands:
  • Added the relative move & copy command to move and copy elements about a user specified axis;
  • Text Block Name Field:
  • Select Text block by functional name (Assembly, Silkscreen, etc);
  • Snap Pick Enhancement:
  • Can now snap pick to pad edge, pad edge midpoint, and pad edge vertex.

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.6 QIR 4 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • STEP Support Enhancements:
  • STEP support has been enhanced with the following new and improved capabilities:
  • Zoom capability was added to the mapping environment to aid in faster and more accurate STEP model mapping;
  • Added fine-grain keyboard arrow key control to help with model alignment;
  • Added the ability to map a course and detailed 3D model to a footprint;
  • Voids in Keepouts:
  • OrCAD PCB Editor now supports voids in route keepout, placement keepout, via keepout, and test probe keepout.

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.6 QIR 3 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • STEP Update:
  • Improved performance, fixed issues with export and import from MCAD tools;
  • Allegro Drafting Prototypes (Early Adopter Features):
  • Delete by line;
  • Delete by rectangle;
  • Offset copy;
  • Offset move;
  • Add perpendicular line;
  • Pastemask DRC Update:
  • Shapes drawn on the package geometry, top and bottom subclasses are now factored into the DRC check.

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.6 QIR 2 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • STEP 3D and Model Support:
  • STEP support 3D visualization, mapping, import and export (Early Adopter).

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.6 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • New “Slide”:
  • A new “slide” command utilizes a move-intersect algorithm that delivers smoother, more predictable, and localized edits;
  • IPC-2581 Support:
  • PCB Editor now supports the export of design data for manufacturing using the open industry-standard IPC-2581 format;
  • Productivity Enhancements:
  • Additional enhancements for ease-of-use and productivity include:
  • Fix Cline segments;
  • Create parameterized rectangular shapes with rounded or chamfered corners;
  • Overlay net names within clines, pins, shapes, and flow lines;
  • DRC by window;
  • Align components top, bottom, or center using DFA rules;
  • Spread or compact aligned components using + or – buttons;
  • Highlight all nets associated with a component;
  • Identify film records associated with artwork, IPC-2581, PDF out, and visibility using just one form;
  • Use pastemask-to-pastemask DRC to check against the package geometry;
  • Select by “lasso” or “path”;
  • New Design Defaults:
  • New designs can be automatically seeded with default template design, just default units and accuracy, or a template design containing anything including units and accuracy, parameters (including colors), constraints, and physical data;
  • Database Diary:
  • Maintain engineering and design notes as part of the database;
  • Significant Display Performance Improvements:
  • OpenGL has been optimized to improve display performance along with several new enhancements, including new net highlight method, embedded net names, and new display option that overlays net names on clines, pins, and shapes;
  • Moving Elements Enhancements:
  • Permits select elements to be moved outside present class/subclass structure (limited to lines, line segments, text, and rectangles);
  • Artwork Control Form and Drill Updates:
  • Several new updates include:
  • RS274X supports output of shape with voids overlapping other shapes;
  • Film name lengths increased from 17 to 46 characters;
  • Artwork suppresses Null pads when unused pad suppression is enabled;
  • photoplot.log generates a warning if un-defined line width is set to 0;
  • Initial artwork parameters default to same unit type as board;
  • Creating new drill data reports the number of holes;
  • Thieving Updates:
  • New thieving enhancements include add thieving to “all layers” in a single execution, add thieving by a “rectangle selection”, and add thieving to all soldermask layers.

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.5 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • General Updates:
  • GUI updates:
  • Access the status bar: Classes, sub-classes, and the Super Filter Modes applications and selections are available by the bar status of the tool;
  • Textures of the color: Fixtures are differentiated with filling and customizable, each color panel coloring can be completed by a texture;
  • Zoom-in window pick: Refreshes the display on a point or precise coordinates;
  • Differentiation between insulation and short-circuit DRCs: Net shorting the DRC are short-circuits and recognized as such in the error-count DRCs;
  • New commands:
  • Minimum metal-to-metal DFF checks: Ensures that the distance between objects and copper is inspected, particularly when certain spacing rules are disabled
  • Duplicate drill hole: This audit checks for overlapping holes at the same coordinates
  • Table of cross-section: This new command allows creation of a cross-section image of the PCB with all types of vias used on design
  • Placement: The import file placement now includes an option to import components to contact with the face and the angle indicated in the file place_txt.txt
  • Viewing via label: As soon as a blind via, buried, or µvia is used, its label can be displayed
  • New Placement Mode:
  • Dedicated environment for tailored placement tasks:
  • Single click to move a component;
  • Accessible by simply passing through the object;
  • Alignment of components;
  • Placement replication (including etch);
  • Other Updates:
  • 3D display: Added option for dynamic update of PCB layers;
  • File lock: When sharing files, it is possible to have multiple open instances of the same file. The *.lck file now protects the edited file from being overwritten;
  • Pad behavior: When the Enhanced Pad Entry option is selected when routing or sliding, the pads based on a form of shape are now recognized;
  • Delete via structure: The structure of vias created with the fanout command can now be deleted;
  • Color: The Color View window has a Save option, Flip Preserve State.

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.3 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • 3D Viewer:
  • The new 3D environment supports several filtering options; camera views; graphic display options such as solid, transparency, and wireframe; and mouse-driven controls for pan, zoom, and spinning the display. 3D viewing is also supported in pre-selection mode, making it possible to display HDI via structures or isolated sections of the board
  • Flip Design:
  • You can now view the layout of the PCB from the bottom side. In addition to viewing, design edits such as moving silkscreen text can be performed while in this mode;
  • Enhanced Pad Entry:
  • Interactive etch editing has been enhanced to improve the transitioning of clines exiting and entering a padstack. The enhanced pad entry works on circle, rectangle, and oblong pads by exiting perpendicular to a pad edge, or exiting out a radius at an angle that does not produce an acute angle;
  • Pastemask Clearance DRC:
  • Pastemask-to-pastemask clearance check helps ensure there is sufficient solder paste gap between objects, preventing paste from shorting to other objects;
  • Multi-Threading Support for DRC:
  • Multi-threading support is integrated with the DRC system and supported on dual and quad configurations;
  • Productivity Enhancements:
  • Productivity enhancements include an enhanced windowing operation that permits a polygon selection window, customizable datatips through a user-configuration interface, and the measurement of the separation between any two objects, regardless of the layer, by the Show Measure menu;
  • Jumper Support:
  • New methodology supporting jumpers in the Etch Edit environment;
  • Drawing Origin Display:
  • A new interactive command allows you to easily locate and display the drawing origin in the canvas;
  • Color Dialog Update:
  • Subclass forms within the Color dialog can be increased in vertical length by selecting the “Hide Palette” button located at the bottom of the form;
  • Display Pin Number Update:
  • Pin number display is now aligned with top- and bottom-layer visibility;
  • Negative Plane Sliver DRC:
  • New DRC to detect small, undesirable web of copper between two objects on a positive or negative layer that can result from the placement of two pin or via objects in close proximity to each other;
  • Route Keepout - Pin Detection:
  • New DRC check to detect the presence of a pin within the boundary of a Route Keepout shape;
  • Route Keepout - Allow Shapes Options:
  • Define Route Keepout area to permit shapes within that defined area;
  • Dynamic Shapes Performance Improvements:
  • ~25% performance improvements in shapes performance for more complex designs.

New in OrCAD PCB Designer Lite 16.2 (Aug 24, 2016)

  • Etch Edit Applications;
  • Manufacturing Applications;
  • Padstack Enhancements;
  • Design-Level DRCs;
  • Productivity Enhancements;
  • Miscellaneous Productivity Enhancements;
  • Color and Graphics;
  • Miscellaneous Manufacturing Applications and Interfaces;
  • Database Enhancements.