Release notes for Altium Designer 10 update (10.972.23595)

Old Content - visit altium.com/documentation

Update 17: Updated plug-ins from release 10.890.23450 to 10.972.23595

Date: 21 March 2012

Key highlights

Via Stitching

Of particular importance for RF and High Speed designs, the brand new Via Stitching feature applies a definable pattern of vias between layers where the copper areas overlap and share the same net.  It helps maintain low impedance connections and short return loops through the board structure for developing high-performance, electromagnetically 'quiet' PCBs.
 
Via Stitching runs as a post-process using an algorithm that identifies all Fills, Polygons and Power Planes attached to a specified net, then populates free areas of copper with stitching vias to connect the layers using the specified via and stitching pattern. See the Wiki page for more information or watch the video on this new feature.

Schematic text overlay rendering

Text container frames placed on the Schematic have been improved to display and print as the uppermost level, regardless of any electrical drawing primitives that the frame overlays. View BugCrunch report #1172.

Improvements to Ansoft Exporter

In update 16 we released improvements to this exporter to make it easier to import and simulate in Ansoft products. With this latest update, we’ve continued development and reduced the number of errors generated once imported into Ansoft (object centreline connection issues, and reducing differences between metric and imperial exports). Also, a larger array of component values are now imported, making it easier to set up the board for simulation.

Improvements to software update patching system

The Altium Designer software patching system has been further enhanced to make the software update process less disruptive. Amongst a range of improvements, the patch preparation process has been configured to run during the update download at a low background priority, allowing Altium Designer to continue being used with minimal interruption. The update process now also provides the option to select whether you want to update using patches or a full download. This improvement will help those users who experience a lengthy update process due to anti-virus programs, where using the full download becomes a much faster process. Note: These improvements will only be visible with the next update to Altium Designer.

 

System Components: Altium Designer Base

5529

Fixed bugs in loading and saving preferences. View BugCrunch report #619. View BugCrunch report #1070.

5561

Updated logic for detecting violations for floating net labels, power objects and wires. View BugCrunch report #1488.

System Components: Altium Designer Installation System

5830

The patching system has been moved into the Altium Downloader to run in the background. Note: This improvement will only be visible with the next update to Altium Designer.

6012Included an option when installing an update to use patches or a full download. Note: This option will only be visible for future updates.

System Components: PCB System

5528

Via stitching has been added. Refer to Altium Wiki for more information.

System Components: Schematic System

5686

Fixed slow drawing of schematics containing blankets with dashed linestyle.

5886Junctions no longer display on top of text frames and notes. View BugCrunch report #1172.
5938Fixed crash when compiling OpenBus documents.

Importers and Exporters: Exporter - Ansoft

5023

The Ansoft exporter has been improved to reduce differences in errors and warnings between metric and imperial exported files.

5024The Ansoft exporter has been improved to reduce the number of warnings given when trace enpoints and pad centres are misaligned.
5027The Ansoft exporter now includes RLC component values in a format that imports into SIwave.

Importers and Exporters: Importer - PADS

5928

Importing from Pads Logic libraries now imports arcs correctly.

Output Generators: Output - Gerber

5911

Offset pads are now rendered correctly when mirror is used in PCB Print / Gerber outputs generation. View BugCrunch report #1420.

Output Generators: Printer - PCB

5911

Offset pads are now rendered correctly when mirror is used in PCB Print / Gerber outputs generation. View BugCrunch report #1420.

You are reporting an issue with the following selected text and/or image within the active document: