Eagle v. 7 PCB design software has an updated design environment and increased flexibility, enabling development of custom schematics. New features include an enhanced autorouter with significantly less transition points, and which uses multi-core machines, running each routing variant on its own processor simultaneously. Offers multiple configurations of the same routed board to choose from. Supports larger design teams and more complex designs by enabling large schematic designs to be organized into small functional blocks, which can be assigned to different team members and then easily integrated when complete. This hierarchical methodology offers a “global view” of the functional blocks of a project, making it easier to locate and change aspects of the schematic or layout.
Enhanced license management features have also been introduced to protect customers’ software investment, while enabling single-user licensors to install the software on up to two devices. For multi-user license owners it will be easier to manage the seats from a license server with better protection of the software.
Has a new ULP to export IDF files. A basic model with placeholders for the 3D models of all components can be exported, to be used for preliminary checking. A comprehensive 3D model can be created with Simplified Solution’s “IDF-to-3D” tool.
Chemask HT is a fast curing, peelable temporary spot mask formulated for long-term heat protection at elevated temperatures. May be used to protect pins, posts, contacts and edge connections in the solder reflow oven or during conformal coating processes. Chemask Aqua solder masking agent is a high-temp. temporary spot mask that protects component-free areas from molten solder during wave soldering. Is water-soluble, designed to be removed with open and closed loop aqueous cleaning systems, low foaming, and has no effect on deionized water system resin beds. Chemtronics, www.chemtronics.com
Macaos Enterprise v. 4.0 PCB management, panelization, stencil creation and online ordering software includes assembly data manager for adding or modifying pick-and-place data, bill of materials data, and graphical remarks for PCB. Expands support for sending an RFQ to EMS providers. Enhanced stencil creation module offers greater flexibility in the placement of data within the stencil frame, additional options for splitting a large opening into smaller openings or changing the shape of an opening, and improved support for stencil creation scripts. Additional annotations have been added to panel drawings to show X and Y step distance and size and shape of all fiducials and bad marks. Now supports boards with up to 30 copper layers, Gerber files in the X2 format, and improved support for ODB++ files.
UV700-SR1J electrically conductive silver paste enables the formation of electronic circuits using only ultraviolet curing, without thermal curing. Forms a circuit that carries current by printing a circuit on base material with silver paste using screen printing technology, and exposing it to UV light for around 10 sec., instantly hardening the printed film even at room temperature. Is said to enable narrower width than in conventional screen printing, resulting in the creation of micro wiring with a width of 70 microns and electrical resistivity of 10^(-4) ohm-cm on surface-treated PET film.
“JTAG | IJTAG Semiconductor and Board Test Security” is an eBook that addresses weaknesses in the IEEE 1149.1 Boundary-Scan (JTAG) standard’s test access port found on printed circuit boards and chips. Describes general security strategies based on the IEEE 1687 Internal JTAG (IJTAG) standard that can overcome these problems. Is available free.
Antenna Magus v. 5.0 features upgraded design capabilities for 250 antenna types. Automatically suggests practical design objectives and, as needed, instantly converts information provided by the designer between different representations. Features library of specifications, incorporating properties of typical design specifications used in various industries. Accepts user specification information for easy reuse. Chart tracing tool, which digitizes data from images of measurement or simulation plots, is integrated into the specification library, and includes automated extraction of representative properties such as beamwidth and sidelobe level. All elements of a design, such as parameter values and 3D images, can also be saved to file or clipboard in various text and image formats, providing easy access to resources for reporting. Integrates seamlessly into computational electromagnetic simulation tools (CST Studio Suite).
