Fritzing 1.0.2 released

Fritzing 1.0.2 is a feature release. It has been tested on Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 22.04. It is designed to work on all Linux variants with glibc >= 2.31 (64 bit Intel/AMD).

Fritzing 1.0.2

Changes since 1.0.1.

Copper fill

The Copper Fill algorithm is now vector based. This fixes a number of bugs along, especially with Ground Fills, most prominent the annoying horizontal gaps in the copper fill. It results in higher precision, and more predictable behavior. It also enables a number of Gerber improvements and new features for PCBs in the future. The old rasterized copper fill algorithm was kept available, so you may compare the two against each other.

Fab upload

Refactored fab upload. We can now send properties like width and height along with Gerber, IPC and BOM. At the same time this will shorten the development cycle when adding new features or fixing bugs.

Data structure fixes

We’ve upgraded Fritzing’s data management, fixing several issues that led to discrepancies between views, missed errors in Design Rule Checks, and invisible, uneditable ‘ghost’ connections in the netlist. To rectify these in existing sketches, a simple delete-and-undo action on the problematic elements will clear the bugs. These improvements, which affect numerous example projects, should result in more reliable and understandable behavior from Fritzing going forward.

Testing infrastructure

We’ve significantly enhanced automated testing, allowing us to conduct hundreds of Fritzing sessions every minute.

Moved to Qt 6.5.3.

Just the due maintenance.

OS Requirements

Minimum macOS Version is now Big Sur, before it was Catalina. Windows and Linux requirements didn’t change, but Linux now must use OpenSSL 3, support for OpenSSL 1.2 was dropped)

GitHub Issues

In addition, with some overlap, the following issues on github were solved:

  • #4091 A sch wire does not snap to grid for existing wires
  • #4071 Breadboard view misaligned when directly opening a fzpz
  • #4077 Parts Editor crashes clicking on empty schematics
  • #4079 Undo often doesn’t work for Bézier curvatures
  • #4035 Voltmeter is reading incorrect value when probe is disconnected
  • #4046 Text lost on Redo
  • #4093 Hover text for parts and connectors not readable in dark mode with Qt 6.5.3
  • #4083 Crash in LockManager
  • #4092 Double-clicking ratsnest lines creates ghost connections

The release is available in our downloads section.

Fritzing 1.0.1 released

Fritzing 1.0.1 was released on Wednesday, 06th of September 2023. We tested it for Windows 11, Windows 10, macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey, macOS BigSur, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 22.04.

Fritzing 1.0.1

Summary

This is a maintenance release, with some fixes. The most obvious fix is for the broken mouse pointer when non integer zoom settings are used. This affected Fritzing on Windows Notebooks with custom zoom settings. Also, with this version, the new IPC export should actually become usable.

New part

Only a few parts were updated. We added an Arduino sized board with a cutout for the display. The R4 WIFI has quite a lot of features already onboard. But for sure you have something to add? Here is a shield for it: R4 WIFI Shield

Fixes and Improvements

Fixed issues:

  • #4023 Redundant entry in fz file
  • #4036 Trace width lost on Undo
  • #4037 Mouse cursor distorted on Windows
  • #4041 Workaround for pixel errors during Gerber export
  • #4050 IPC Export not working
  • #4051 Entering coordinates in Inspector not working
  • #4058 Wire connections not working after double click

Improvements to the SVG Flattener:

  • Support scaling the stroke-dasharray attribute
  • Support for inherited fill attributes
  • Improved viewBox calculation with non-zero x and y values.

UI:

  • Repaired ‘Paste in place’ command
  • Keep focus on part after package change
  • Improved Spanish
  • Completed Portuguese, thanks to Bruno
  • Improved Italian, thanks to Sophie
  • Updated Japanese translation with automatic translation

The release is available in our downloads section. We highly recommend updating to this version to benefit from the latest improvements.

It's Fritzmas! New Fritzing "Code View" release, and a little present

f-xmas-head-blog class=

Dear Friends of Fritzing!

It's the time of the year again and we are happy to announce a new release featuring a brand new "Code View" that allows you to program and upload to your microcontroller straight from Fritzing. To celebrate this, we give you a nice discount on the perfect christmas gift, the Fritzing Creator Kit. Use the discount code FRITZMAS14 to get the kit for 89€ (instead of 95€) and make someone (or yourself) really happy this year. :) Read  more on the release below. code-view class= This is the new "Code View"! It lets you write your code directly inside Fritzing, and even upload it from there to your microcontroller. It even has a serial monitor. :) We love this, because it makes it even easier for beginners to get started with interactive electronics. And for more advanced people it's great because you can now keep your code together with the matching circuit--no more confusion! You can also link to files somewhere else on your hard drive, for example in your local Arduino folder. When the link gets broken, or you just send someone your Fritzing file, don't worry, because there's always a backup stored in the Fritzing fzz file. Right now the upload functionality supports Arduino and PICAXE, but more can be added as long as the platform's IDE has a command line upload option. 091-parts class= The new release also brings with it many new parts, many kindly sponsored by their respective makers. Now you can easily document your circuits and fabricate shields/caps/hats etc. for: Last but not least, the new release fixes a couple of annoying bugs and generally makes it easier for you to contribute to the code. Setting up your build environment is now just a few easy steps. See the full release notes here. Download Fritzing 0.9.1b from here, and think about a Fritzmas donation on the way to it. Happy Fritzmas to everyone!

New fritzing release 0.9!

090b-release We’re happy to announce the release  of a new fritzing version! It comes with a bunch of improvements on the inside and outside. Here’s the scoop:

Upgrade to Qt5

Fritzing is written on top the Qt cross-platform application framework. We have upgraded to their latest version Qt5, which brings stability and speed improvements (especially for Mac OS X users). This also enables us to port fritzing to Android, iOS, etc. – that is, in theory. We still need to give that a try. Thanks to Jonathan and contributor Rohan Lloyd!

Major part family additions

This release brings a number of new parts, especially a number of popular microcontrollers, as the result of several collaboration efforts:

  • ADI analog parts, which make use of split schematics and SPICE output, a new feature sponsored by Analog Devices we will write more about soon
  • Intel Galileo, sponsored by Intel Education
  • Arduino Yún, supported by Arduino
  • Linino One, sponsored by doghunter.org
  • ChipKIT WF32, MX4 and shields, thanks to Digilent (more to come)
  • Spark Core, thanks to spark community member technobly
  • Atlas Scientific sensors, thanks to Atlas Scientific
  • more Raspberry Pi versions (A, B, B rev2)
  • Teensy 3.0/3.1, because we love it
  • several contributed parts, thanks to FrodeLillerud and others

In addition, there are  several new PCB shapes for Raspberry Pi, Intel Galileo, SparkCore that will make your boards look cooler. Here’s a snapshot of the Intel Galileo shield in action for the Data Monster: Galileo DataMonster Fritzing Shield Finally, the usual set of bugfixes, and nicely updated translations: French (thanks to Arnold Dumas!), German (thanks to atalanttore!), Ukrainian (thanks to netavek!).

Download Fritzing 0.9.0b here. And while you’re at it, kindly consider donating. Thanks!

How can your kids learn with Arduino?

"It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve done some pretty difficult things, like military service." - Stefan, Fritzing Coordinator, on working with kids.

When you are little, you don’t want to wait. You want to cut up some paper and glue it to the moon. You want to get your hands dirty. You want to (with a little assistance, maybe) make a light blink, attach it to a CO2 sensor, put it inside a balloon full of helium, and send it into the sky. That way you can figure out how much CO2 those big cars are coughing out.

I had the chance to do some heavy learning over the weekend as a mentor for children’s workshops, so I saw kids’ impatience firsthand. Hackidemia organized the workshops during the Singularity University EU Summit in Budapest, with the goal of bringing the possibilities of complex technology to children. The Creator Kit has a similar goal, to bring Arduino and electronics to children. The topics are tough, though!

My main takeaway was that teaching kids can be more complex than the technology. Here I outline some of my issues and provide some tips that you can use while using the Creator Kit with your family.

Using the Creator Kit with Your Kids

During the Air Pollution Workshop, I saw that one of the main barriers to teaching youth was keeping their attention. If you asked me to explain something, chances were that I’d quickly slip into my natural tendency toward dry, theoretical, and factual information (in lots of detail). Long story short: that didn’t work so well with 10 year olds. I got this look:

bored

And I noticed over at the next table the mentor Clément got these looks:

happy

What was he doing differently? What can you do differently when you play with children and the Creator Kit?

2 things mainly: metaphors and questions.

Explain via Metaphors

So you want to get the idea of an Arduino across. Ok, how about forgetting about the pins for the time being, and instead making a diagram like this. Extra kudos if you make the diagram on the spot and say a couple of words about each piece along the way.

ear

red-Co2

nose

green-Co2

Engage via Questions

Imagine you are at a cocktail party. To learn about another guest, you probably wouldn’t say, “Tell me everything about you, ordered by year, and please do not stop talking for at least 45 minutes. I do not want the chance to add anything, discuss anything, or ask you any questions.” Nope - instead you would probably ask a series of questions, which lead you to an enjoyable exchange where the person felt like they could express themselves.

Let’s apply this to children. Put the tools in their hands and ask them questions about it. Let them ask you questions. When they answer your questions about the Creator Kit, they are learning by doing and answering.

Do you think there is more CO2 in the air at street level or at the top of a building? If you make it to Mars, what will you have to take with you from Earth? Oh, so you say you want to be a lawyer when you grow up? Well, ever consider being a lawyer for robots?

With the Creator Kit, you might use it with your children. You should use it with your children. Use these tips! Engage them in the kit, play with the content, and get creative. The Creator Kit is a perfect jumping off point, so now it’s your turn to take it to the next level and keep them engaged.