Still Using OS X 10.5?

February 21, 2013 Inside Jonathan

Qt, the GUI framework underlying Fritzing, has recently released their next generation framework (Qt 5.0). The new framework only supports OS X 10.6 and up, and does not support the Power PC architecture. We are contemplating a move to the new framework, and wondered how many OS X 10.5 and/or Power PC Fritzing users would be left behind. Please let us know.

Cheers,

– Your Fritzing Team.

Fritzing layouted PCBs in soyus capsule

January 16, 2013 Projects Off-Topic Stefan

EN: Roberts project, the simulator for the soyus capsule is finally ready to test flight. Controlling PCB was created with – guess what – Fritzing!!!

You can find it at the FEZ in Berlin where children learn everything about the last frontier.

Have a great ride!

DE: Roberts Projekt, der Simulator der Sojus Kapsel ist fertig und kann getestet werden. Die Platinen wurden mit – ratet mal – Fritzing layoutet!!!

Der Simulator steht im FEZ, wo Kinder u.A. alles über die unbekannten Weiten lernen können.

Gute Reise!

Fritzing Fab 2013

January 09, 2013 Inside Products Stefan

En: Christmas time passed and today the presents you made yourself with Fritzing Fab came in. Tomorrow we will ship everything. For us the diversity of PCBs is fascinating - from the beginner to the very advanced user. We are very happy that you like our service and we are looking forward to 2013 working with you!

De: Weihnachten ist jetzt schon etwas her und heute sind alle Weihnachtsgeschenke bei uns eingetroffen, die Ihr Euch mit Fritzing Fab gemacht habt. Für uns ist es jedes Mal aufs neue Faszinierend, wie unterschiedlich die Platinenbestellungen sind. Vom Anfänger bis zum sehr fortgeschrittenem Anwender ist alles dabei. Wir sind sehr froh, dass Ihr den Service so gut annehmt und freuen uns schon auf 2013 mit Euch!

a little something for the new year

January 03, 2013 Inside Jonathan

2013 rings in a new Fritzing autorouter. Here are the before-and-after pictures:

The upper image is the Timer example using the old autorouter (version 0.7.10) followed by a Design Rules Check (DRC). The lower image is the same example using the new autorouter (version 0.7.11) again followed by a DRC. The old autorouter was unable to fully route the board, and the DRC found overlaps around the jumpers the autorouter placed. The new autorouter completely routed the board and the DRC found no overlaps.

For the cognoscenti out there, the new version is an A* maze router with rip-up-and-reroute. In practice (and compared with the old autorouter) this means:

The new router does not have trouble with diagonals.
The new router does not limit the search in the same way as the old router, so it finds routes that the old router missed.
After running the new autorouter, the DRC will usually not complain--or at least will only complain a little.
In schematic view, traces from different nets no longer overlap lengthwise (well, much less frequently than before).
In schematic view, if a connection can't be routed directly, the autorouter will try to place net labels.
No more red dots (unconnected zero-length traces)
Routing is not optimal--there are lots of unnecessary zig-zags--so you will want to do some manual rerouting after the autorouter finishes. We'll be working on this going forward.
The new router is much slower than the old one (can't win 'em all...).

As an extra holiday bonus–and because the DRC and autorouter no longer depend on straight lines–curvy wires are now enabled in PCB and schematic view. Here is a hand-routed example (at least for now, the autorouter can only use straight lines):