When you create or edit design objects they are highlighted to improve your work. Layout can be updated from Schematic in a few clicks at anytime. Then select the menu option 'Switch to Board' to convert the schematic to PCB.
Smart manual routing tools allow users to finalize the design and to get the results they want in a blink of an eye. It can route a single layer and multilayer circuit boards, and there is an option to autoroute a single layer board with jumper wires, if required.ĭipTrace also provides you with external autorouter support. Hierarchical and multi-sheet schematics are supported.ĭipTrace has a powerful automatic router. PCB and Schematic can be compared at any design stage to ensure they are identical. The board designer can instantly renew the PCB from an updated version of schematic and keep all previous work without changes. Advanced manual placement and auto-placement features allow to get acceptable placement in several minutes. For instance, a schematic can be converted to a PCB with one mouse click.
DipTrace is a useful pattern editor, component editor and much more.īesides being very simple to learn, this software has a very intuitive user interface and many innovative features. Right click on the pad, select “Mask/ Paste settings” and disable mask or change solder mask swell.DipTrace is an advanced PCB design software application that consists of 4 modules: PCB Layout with high-class auto-router and 3D PCB Preview, Schematic Capture, Component and Pattern Editors that allow you to design your own component libraries. If you want to adjust or delete solder mask for a pad, you can do it in PCB Layout. You can also choose to have a custom Paste Mask Shrink.įrom Alex (DipTrace tech support) on the forums: What if you need a different mask swell for certain pads? There is a solution for this: you can right-click on the the pad in the layout editor and choose “Mask / Paste Settings.” This opens a GUI window and you can choose to have a custom Solder Mask Swell for the pad. The problem with this is that it determines the mask layer for the whole board. But the only things you care about are probably Pads and Mounting Holes. By default, Pads, Mounting Holes, Text, and Pictures are selected. In this GUI window, you can set the mask swell and you can select what objects are used to generate the mask layer. There is a GUI window that opens when you select File > Export > Gerber (or Gerber X2). The solder mask layers (gerbers) are generated during gerber export based on the pad geometry from the top and bottom copper layers. Solder mask “swell” is set universally for the whole board when exporting the gerbers.
Luckily, the documentation and online support are pretty good. Some of the finer details, like solder mask and paste mask settings, can be tricky to figure out. Having said that, DipTrace does have its own quirks. The interface is more intuitive and the learning curve is far easier than any other electrical CAD/EDA tool I’ve used (Mentor, Cadence, Altium, KiCad, EAGLE). It’s my go-to for quick prototype boards.
DipTrace is a great schematic capture and PCB layout CAD/EDA program for Windows and Mac.