04-10-2019 | RS Components | Design & Manufacture
RS Components has launched DesignSpark PCB Pro, an upgraded version of its DesignSpark PCB design suite adding a wealth of productivity features. The suite is aimed at professional electronic design engineers, particularly those working in SMEs.
The company's pre-existing DesignSpark PCB software is a free-to-use set of ECAD rapid prototyping tools providing seamless integration into existing workflows; unlimited number and size of schematics; unlimited layers, nodes, pads and connections; integration with popular component libraries plus a library editor to create custom components; unrestricted output of Gerber and ODB++ files; BOM generation in any format; and integration with free DesignSpark mechanical and electrical CAD systems. The company will continue to support and develop the free version of DesignSpark PCB.
As a consequence of customer feedback, the company has built out the feature set to connect the gap between complex, costly, high-maintenance PCB CAD software and low-end, unsupported open source products. The solution adds many key productivity features created to expedite the design process dramatically, incorporating blind and buried vias, extensive copper pour rules, hierarchical blocks, net class level spacing rules, and manufacturability checks. An upgraded autorouter optimises the efficiency of the board layout, while enhanced library support enables the latest symbols, footprints and 3D models to be imported.
Mike Bray, vice-president of DesignSpark, commented: “DesignSpark PCB Pro offers advanced professional design features at an affordable one-off price. It is easy to access and simple to learn and use. DesignSpark PCB Pro will prove invaluable in accelerating design productivity without adding recurring costs.”
DesignSpark PCB Pro is supported by the DesignSpark software team and by an online DesignSpark engineering community of more than 850,000 members.
