PCB News

PCB News Items

Main gEDA/PCB web sites moved to geda-project.org

All main gEDA/PCB web sites have moved from gpleda.org to geda-project.org.

PCB Release 20110918 available

This release represents over 797 commits and as such this summary clearly is not complete. See the ChangeLog file for the complete list of changes.

Features

Internal coordinate space is now metric. This should fix the "trace nubs on metric grids" issue. Also, units are allowed on pretty much every "coordinate" that PCB accepts. Example: 5.4in, 10cm, 0.55mm. New configure option --enable-coord64 to force (slower?) 64-bit type for coordinates on 32-bit systems (if you need a board bigger than 1 meter across). The internal precision is 1 nanometer, the internal type is "Coord".
MinGW support.
New GL mode for the gtk hid with translucent traces.
New GTK layer view/choose widget and other GUI enhancements.
GTK HID warns if the *.pcb file has changed on disk.
Enhanced grid snapping logic.
Select/report nets by name.
Auto-pan has been removed.
Zoom can zoom out beyond the edge of the board's workspace.
GTK: title string matches GNOME conventions.
Personally identifiable information is no longer stored in the PCB.
Toggling vias from hole to plated is reversible.
Gerber exporter has options for including outlines on other layers.
Edited footprint files are saved as footprints, not pcbs.
Improved gtk library search/filter.
Default layer stack is now a six-layer template with outline.
If the board has an outline layer, an outline will be shown if no other outline is specified.
Group[] string allows t/b synonyms for c/s. "top" and "bottom" are the standard names now.
PCB will save files with an older version tag if newer features aren't needed.
Autorouter has a progress dialog.
PCB will no longer let you delete the last top/bottom layer.
Refcard has been updated.
Documentation updates.
Layes with the PCB::skip-drc attribute set are ignored during DRC.
Allow numeric keys to also choose the silk layer.
Minor readability tweaks to the default font.
Via copper may overlap.
User is notified if an Import() cannot find all the footprints.

Bug Fixes

Optimizer won't try to optimize overlapping pads
Undo should fail less, in corner cases.
Nested key-bound actions won't crash lesstif.
Do not select invisible pads on the far side.
Protect Import() from command injection.
Fix conversion of far-side polygons to element pads.
Fix initial clearance values of text when loading PCBs.
Fix solder mask drawing on vias.
Add missing action documentation.
Fab drawing notes actual outline trace width.
Zero clearance pins and pads won't cause DRC failures.
PS export: fix draw-rectangle (used to do fill, not outline)
Gerber export no longer fills unfilled rectanges.
If there are no image formats available, the PNG hid is not enabled.
You can no longer select pins/pads of locked elements.
The m4-to-newlib converter now creates file names that match the library view.
Never set the FOUND flag on new silk lines.
Lesstif HID won't crash if both Xinerama and XRender are detected.
Lesstif menu is now internationalizable.
Refdes labels in a font-less layout can be moved.
Import can correctly update elements on the bottom side.
DRC no longer treats unplated holes as conducting.

Other

Updated and new translations, including Dutch.
Many polygon speedups.
Numerous build-related cleanups.
Numerous minor speed-related cleanups.
GTK 2.18 is the minimum required version.
GTS moved out of the src/ tree so it can be built with different flags.
More C++ compatible.
Expanded regex documentation.
Much code which is no longer needed has been removed.
HID init method changed to allow for hid struct expansion without breaking everything.
New HID calls for whole-pad and whole-pin drawing.
ClearAndRedrawOutput() replaced with Redraw().
Board objects use hashes instead of lists to store parts, so pointers don't change.
DVI documentation output is no longer generated.

PCB Release 20100929 available

This release represents over 240 commits and as such this summary clearly is not complete. See the ChangeLog file for the complete list of changes.

Features

PCB can directly import (forward annotate) schematics while running.
Many places where measurements are entered now accept units, like "5mm", and "cm" and "in" are allowed too.
Free Rotate Buffer added to menu
Polygon Hole tool.
F12 invokes the Lock tool.
Russian translation added.
DBUS is enabled by default when possible.
Command-line exporters can run action scripts too.
GTK tool tips on elements, pins, and nets.
Command-line actions in GUIs do not require (,,) syntax.
PCB can import footprints both in subdirectories and the named directories.
New GCode exporter.
Footprint files use ".fp" as the suffix; this is automatically searched for if needed.
GTK dialogs do not show at startup unless requested.
Stackup can be specified on the command line for command-line exporting.
Reference card updated.
The snap-point in pads is the center.
The 's' key toggles polygons to clear/notclear all pads and pins

Bug Fixes

Various PNG export fixes.
lesstif's magic toggle-layers-on-flip fixed.
Arc bounding box math fixed.
Fixed: sometimes, disabling silk also disabled the solder layer.
"pcb --help" prints all options again
Add mnemonic for "close without saving"
Don't select silk on the back side when it's invisible.
Various polygon rendering bugs fixed.
PNG drill bloat export fixed.
Attempts to change polygon clearance *on* polygons results in a hint.
PNG doesn't segfault if not all graphic formats are supported.
Various toporouter fixes and improvements
HID_Mixed is supported in attribute dialogs
Flipped rectangles in PS exports are drawn correctly.
Optimizer removes micro-traces under pads.
Vias, pins, and pads are now drawn under the mask instead of over.
Windows supported better.

Other

Sources converted to C99
Doc extraction gives more control over categories.
Thermal documentation updated.
Actions can see the context they were invoked in

PCB Release 20091103 available

This release represents almost 200 commits and as such this summary clearly is not complete. See the ChangeLog file for the complete list of changes.