DesignSpark PCB changes, features & enhancements are a direct result of your feedback, suggestions and requests. Please contribute to the discussions to help us make DSPCB even better!
>>> Below you can also download previous versions of DesignSpark PCB software (for compatibility reasons), as requested by the community <<<
IMPORTANT: Installation/upgrade instructions
21/01/2014 - Version 6.0
Overview video for the new features in Version 6:
1. Simplified DesignSpark Mechanical IDF export - for easier exporting to DS Mechanical 3D design tool
2. Cross-Probe - for faster hardware debugging and navigation around designs
3. Custom Shortcuts - add user-defined keyboard shortcuts for personalisation of UI
4. Start Page - lists useful highlights, reference designs, getting started links and the handy list of recent projects/files
IMPORTANT: Installation/upgrade instructions
>>> Download DesignSparkPCB Version 5.1 <<<
06/11/2013 - Version 5.1
1. ModelSource Component Reference error - this fixes incorrect RefDes or Component ID issue
2. ModelSource Fails to read XML with “>” character in a value - this fixes display of some of the library families previously resulting in a 'communication error'
3. Component Edit: Name Pins by Row/Col can sometimes fail to apply new names
4. Librariy Manager: a malformed unnamed library item could cause the application to quit
5. PDF Outputs: mirrored text on PDF plots was slightly undersized
6. Layout: Add shape using "=" to type in start & corners does not work if orthogonal segment mode
7. Opening files: Reloading a design can sometimes cause the application to quit if Interaction Bar has been closed
>>> Download DesignSparkPCB Version 5.0 <<<
16/04/2013 - Version 5.0
1. Online DRC (real-time Design Rule Check)
2. Schematic Buses (combining multiple signals into a Bus)
3. Installer improvements:
dedicated (version-dependent) folders
preserving Library folders when uninstalling
preserving registry settings when uninstalling (for automatic activation of new version)
improved messaging
4. Reorganised Tutorial links and Start Menu shortcuts
>>> Version 4.1 no longer available for download <<<
04/03/2013 - Version 4.1 Bug fixes:
1. Authorisation : white space was not trimmed from the ends of a pasted activation code
2. BOM Quote : locale did not follow changes in locale in Preferences
3. ModelSource : Quick Search with no results showed communication error
4. ModelSource : Unable to log in using Chinese user name
5. ModelSource : View Datasheet button didn’t work in Quick Search
6. Preferences : needed to check if logged in before attempting to access EDA server for locale info
7. Setup : needed to set ‘wide open’ permissions on PROGRAMDATA\DesignSpark PCB folder
8. Setup : didn’t warn about over-writing existing master libraries when doing full install
9. 3D View: The 3D View windows did not take into account the Preferences setting for ‘reverse mouse zoom’.
10. Change Layer: In a PCB design with no bottom electrical layer defined, changing the layer of a track segment could cause the application to quit as it attempted to find a ‘best fit’ layer span for vias.
11. DXF#1: One particular DXF file would not place imported arcs in the correct location.
12. DXF#2: If the current default line style was an unnamed style, shapes in the DXF could not be imported as Board Outline but would instead always revert to being Shapes.
13. Import Eagle #1: Power and ground plane layers were not being transferred from Eagle PCB designs.
14. Import Eagle #2: Eagle files could not be imported on some Windows 7 or Windows 8 systems.
15. Integrity Check: Sometimes an existing component in the PCB would be renamed and replaced instead of simply adding a new component.
16. N.C. Drill: The milling commands for some slotted pads were not taking the size of the milling tool into account, and were thus causing the milled slot to be slightly over-sized.
17. Net Names: Predefined net names from the component were not using value positions defined in the Schematic symbol when choosing the position for those net names when the component was added to the Schematic design.
18. Open: Some designs from earlier versions of the application would not read into DSPCB version 4.
19. 3D Libraries: Adding an unnamed ‘prism’ element to a user-defined 3D package was causing the library file to become unreadable.
20. Change Net: After allowing Change Net to merge nets across the whole project, Integrity Check would fail with an error ‘Cannot find net “”’.
21. Component Edit: Attempting to map multiple pins in a multi-gate component was producing incorrect results.
22. Delete: After deleting a block port, the application could unexpectedly quit when attempting to save the block file.
23. Drawing: When adding or moving free pads in a PCB design containing vias, some or all of the other free pads would
24. disappear.
25. Help: Several options were not linked to the correct help page when pressing F1 for context-sensitive help.
26. Import OrCAD Netlist: Importing an OrCAD netlist was creating nets with no net class.
27. Layers: Layer data could get mixed up after using the Up or Down buttons to re-order layers.
28. Move: Moving some shape segments adjacent to arcs could cause the arc to reverse direction.
29. Open: The application was failing to open a PCB design from an earlier version of DSPCB when the design contained unprotected Vias with no tracks attached.
30. Plotting #1: When plotting multiple layers to the same Windows plot, the output was not in layer order.
31. Plotting #2: Implied (automatic) junction points on Schematic diagrams were usually printing as hollow instead of filled.
>>> Version 4.0 no longer available for download <<<
Version 4.0 New features:
1. ModelSource interface - access to an on-line database of over 80,000 components and associated product data. The components can be searched via Part Number Quick Search or category browsing and attribute selection (Parametric Search)
2. BOM Quote - integration with RS Components eCommerce website for instant Bill of Materials quoting and component purchase
3. PCB Quote - inferface to PCB manufacturers' on-line quoting websites with instant design parameters transfer
4. PCB Symbol – Placement Origin – this is a new type of origin that can be used to define where the pick-and-place origin of the footprint is positioned. This is then available in the Reports output, as the Place X and Y fields to use in place of the existing Centre X/Y or Position X/Y. If you specify PlaceX/Y in the report and a footprint doesn’t have a placement origin, it will use the CentreX/Y instead.
5. Reports – schematic-only components – you can now exclude these from reports by changing ‘Components to Include’ from ‘All’ to ‘Only items matching Schematic-only is false’.
6. Update Components – there are now separate checkboxes for component values (the actual values and their text strings) and value positions (the visible instances of values). This means you can tell it to update existing or add new values when updating the component without disturbing where the value positions are displayed on the drawing.
7. Reports - Bill Of Materials report now adjusted to show RS Part Numbers and other additional details
8. Updated Eagle import ULPs
Version 4.0 Bug fixes:
1. Changes to handling of Components with no pins
2. Apply to row/column on right-click menu in dialog grids
3. DRC now detects SMT pad with drill hole going through other layers
4. Pressing Enter when editing cell in a grid now goes to next line (like Excel)
5. Improved drawing for coloured cells (e.g. on Colours dialog)
6. Better retention of pin name/number positioning when updating components
7. Adds missing menu option "Disconnect From Net" for copper that has been assigned to a net
8. Some PCB nets had odd colour and/or hidden connections after translating from Schematic
9. NC Drill files now include G81 ("drill mode") command at start, required by some viewers/readers (e.g. GC-Prevue)
10. Dotted or dashed line styles no longer output to DXF as solid lines
11. Uses height from component even if over-ridden on the instance
>>> Version 3.0 no longer available for download <<<
Version 3.0 New Features:
1. Spice Simulation Interface - DesignSpark PCB software can now be interfaced to free industry standard Spice simulators to carry out circuit simulation. DesignSpark PCB Circuit Design Software currently supports four simulators: LTSpice, LSSpice, B2Spice and TINA.
2. Design Calculators - You can select tracks or vias (vertical electrical connection between different layers of conductors in a PCB) in your design and perform basic electrical calculations such as:
Width of a track required for a given current.
Impedance of a selected track.
Optimum copper density to use.
Approximate temperature rise on a track.
Resistance of a via given its physical characteristics.
These useful calculators produce approximations of actual circuit performance to aid the decision process in completing a successful PCB layout. Also available is a standard scientific calculator.
3. Grouping - This feature allows multiple items in your circuit diagram to be associated together so that they act as one ‘unit’. Once defined, groups can be used to assist in selecting related portions of your circuit. Perform group functions from the Schematic to the PCB to enable simpler identification and handling of specific elements of your design.
Version 3.0 Bug Fixes:
1. Component Editor - Change Terminal Name no longer automatically replicates the name change across similar gates. Instead the name change only applies to the selected terminal, and a new command is provided to explicitly copy the selected name to the other gates.
The Packages dialog now allows the deletion of the last Package of a Component to make it into a Schematic-only Component.
2. Technology - The ‘table’ (grid) used on this dialog and others has been upgraded. This allows some additional functionality, as well as removing the installation problems on someVistaand Windows 7 systems. Such tables can now be scrolled with the mouse wheel. The ‘Apply To Column’ function is now available in Net Classes, Track Styles, Line Styles and Text Styles. When adding or editing tracks, the context menu option called Autoroute is now more correctly called Auto Complete.
3. Preferences - The Display Preferences page has been laid out differently.
4. Projects - Paste now displays the ‘Paste Net’ dialog if net(s) exist in other sheets in the Project. A pasted Net receives the Net Class of an existing project net. A new Net will copy the net class from this net if defined in another sheet in the project. A new Net Class will copy parameters from this net class if defined in another sheet in the project.
5. Optimise Nets - Where a connection is required to connect an item to its powerplane a ‘zero length’ connection will be drawn as a ‘butterfly’ shape.
6. 3D View - New shapes BEAD, DILSwitch and LEDdisplay have been added.
>>> Version 2.0 no longer available for download <<<
Version 2.0 New Features:
1. 3D viewer
2. Enhanced library features
Version 2.0 Bug Fixes:
1. Add Component - Cancel Mode on context menu
2. Values in component edit are now a tab on properties dialog (was separate dialog)
3. Grids - Control G - Grid Snap menu is now proper menu now has "Grids" option at bottom
4. Grids on context menu when something selected in design
5. Export to Bitmap/EMF on the File menu
6. new LPKF menu option (simply goes to same place as Manufacturing Plots in this release)
7. value position on a component can display the part (component) description field
8. project view has Rename and Duplicate functions to help manage sheets in project
9. Change Component shows both schematic and PCB previews
10. Reports - Component List - new column type 'Text' for inserting text strings into report
11. Add Component can now return to the dialog on Escape (switchable by option on Preferences)
12. When pasting copied design data, new Cancel Move option allows it to be dropped in original position (same position it was when you copied the data)
13. In component editing, values can be added or copied to all packages in the component by click of button instead of having to add them by hand to each package
14. When saving library items (symbols etc), the Save dialog includes <New Library> in the list of available libraries, allowing you to create a new library 'on the fly' to contain your library item.
15. library manager dialog : has 'ok all' and 'cancel all' buttons when doing 'Copy To'; now has 'Move To' button (like 'Copy To' then delete from source library afterwards); Components page has 'Save To Lib' button to save set of data for selected items to another library (see 10).
16. angular resolution increased to 2 decimal places for finer placement
17. right click on selected components in design, new option 'Save Selected Items to Library' allows you to save components and all their symbols/footprints to library files. Useful for building project libraries from a design, 'exporting' components and related symbols to a new library to give to someone else, etc.
18. Excellon setup dialog now provides ability to keep tool numbers unique across all drill files generated in one 'run'. Used for example to get unique tool numbers when you generate two separate files for plated and unplated holes.
19. Separation of plated and unplated holes on drill ident plots.
Note: Also included are several fixes including for eagle import (not bringing through all values) and mouse wheel scrolling
>>> Version 1.3 no longer available for download <<<
Version 1.3 Bug fixes:
Minor update, fixes added for the following:
1. import of EIL (component library) file was not always reading Description field correctly
2. IDF generation, suppress empty value fields in IDF output
3. Eagle import was not always handling mounting holes correctly
4. Program hang in New Component dialog if you select neither Scm nor Pcb
5. PDF plotting, drill holes missing on some pads shapes in PDF output
6. Discrete library had values missing, added in for consistency with tutorial documentation
>>> Version 1.0 no longer available for download <<<
Version 1.0 - First release (June 2010)
Wolrd's first fully featured FREE electronics design software is released to put the power to innovate in hands of EVERY engineer. RS Components and Allied Electronics are committed to fully support this excellent design resource. We will be gathering feedback from user community and respond to your needs/suggestions/feedback with enhancements and new features which will continue reinforcing DesignSpark PCB as an important part of your rapid prototyping and design toolchain.