What's New in eCADSTAR 2024

The 2024.0 update brings new additions to improve your efficiency and user experience

The eCADSTAR 2024.0 update introduces a series of enhancements and new features designed to meet the increasing demand for compact, high-performing and energy-efficient electronic designs.

Discover below how each feature will improve aspects of your PCB design process in the schematic creation and PCB layouts plus additions to the Library editor that optimtally organises your workflow.

eCADSTAR Web Portal

The new web portal harmonizes eCADSTAR web-based functionality in one place.

There is a single search for online help, DIY training, and eCADSTAR.com content.
eCADSTAR online help and DIY training materials are now accessible outside of ZGS with no login required.
Log in to the web portal using your ZGS details to unify your eCADSTAR experience.

eCADSTAR-web-portal

eCadstar 2024 Inductor Parts

Support for Etched Inductor Parts

eCADSTAR supports new etched inductor parts by utilizing third-party design software and possibly importing DXF copper patterns.

In the Library Editor, you can create inductor parts such as Planar Transformers, RF filters, antennas, or embedded Polymer Thick / Thin Film (PTF) resistors.
Design Planar Transformers using 3rd party software such as Auto Planner Magnetics or PI Expert.
Draw copper patterns in the eCADSTAR footprint editor or import copper patterns from a DXF file as an etched component in the eCADSTAR Footprint Editor.
Calculate the planar inductance using the toolkit from Saturn PCB design and draw the copper pattern in the eCADSTAR Footprint Editor.

Copy Full Part

Copy Full Part in eCADSTAR simplifies your library management, allowing you to easily copy all data associated with a part between libraries.

When copying parts from one library to another, the footprint, symbol, 3D model, pad stack, and pads are also copied in the same operation.
- When working from home, choose to use the central network library or your local library.
- When you want to use the network library again, you can easily transfer the new parts from your local library into the central network library using a copy of the full part.

Copy-Complete-Part

Design-Comparison

Design & Shape Comparison

Design and shape comparison allows you to easily compare the differences between design versions.

Allows comparison of two schematics, two PCBs, or one schematic and one PCB design, detailing netlist difference.
Additionally, it supports shape comparison between two versions of a PCB design.

Net/Bus Improvements

There are many net and bus improvements providing numerous benefits, for example, reducing manual errors in your work:

Terminate with a symbol when adding a net or bus it can be automatically terminated with a symbol.

Bus-net-improvement-terminate-bus-or-net

Net-Improvement

Net Improvement

When adding a net, the net label can now be defined by selecting an existing net label.

Bus Improvements

When adding a bus, the bus label can be defined by typing or selecting an existing bus label. These improvements increase bus and nets’ speed, reliability, and usability.

Bus-Improvement-1

DRC-Improvements

DRC Improvements

The usability of DRC has been enhanced, and additional checks added:

Hide unchecked rules from the results.
Improved DRC for dangling connectors.

CADSTAR to eCADSTAR Migration Improvements

A number of enhancements have been made to design migration that helps to preserve the consistency of your migrated designs:

Support for migration of dimensioning.
Support for migration of associated pins (multiple pins being connected by component copper).

CADSTAR_to_eCADSTAR_Design_Migration

Sheet-Connector-Improvement

Sheet Connector Improvement

When adding a Sheet Connector, you can now select from a list of Net Labels to simplify your design process.

Got a Question? - Contact Zuken today

For more information on how Zuken can help your design process, contact Zuken today.