Major Enhancements in Version 12.1
Visual Appearance
A greater level of customization is now offered through Themes, Collapsible Menus, and customizable Menu Buttons.
Part Library Database
You can now store the data which makes up the CADSTAR Parts Library in a Database.
Starpoints
Starpoints allow you to connect several nets together whilst avoiding the standard electrical checks that would otherwise take place.
Laser Drilling Support
You can now specify whether to use the Drill Oversize default for each via code in the Via Assignments dialog.
Copy and Paste of Parts in the Library Editor
It is now possible to copy and paste parts and part definitions. This is available within a Parts Library as well as to other Part Libraries.
Variant Support for Design Reuse and Copy & Paste
Reuse Blocks are now able to include items with variant hierarchies. Copy and paste can now also operate on variant items.
Interactive Move in Embedded Place & Route
You can now perform interactive move operations in the "Embedded Place and Route".
Other CADSTAR Enhancements...
Radial Dimensioning of Arcs
You can now add radius and diameter measurements to Arcs.
Opening Workspace Files
Workspace Files now embed the file path of the workspace file in all file links.
Exclusion of View Changes to Undo / Redo
Any changes of view such as a Zoom, Frame View or View All are now excluded from the Undo and Redo functionality by default. This can still be re-enabled, from the Options dialog.
Toggle Net Highlight Extended to Items
You can now select any item that is connected to a net and select Toggle Net Highlight, the highlight state of all nets connected to the selected item(s) will be toggled.
Highlight / Unhighlight Item Nets
You can now easily highlight and unhighlight the nets connected to any selected item.
Mix Colours Drawing Mode
It is now possible to select a drawing mode that mixes the colours of overlapping PCB items, enabling a form of transparency.
Archiving of Variants
When archiving it is now possible to choose between archiving the current variant or all variants.
Unroute Available on Context Menu
You can now unroute a route by right mouse button clicking on the route and selecting Unroute from the Popup menu.
Find Tool
The find tool now informs the user with a warning message when nothing matching the search criteria was found.
Design Rules Check Launches Report
When the Design Rule Check  function encounters errors the Design Rule Check Report is now launched automatically.
Save All When Authorisation Fails
If authorisation fails it is now possible save all open designs.
Improved Algorithms for Route Offsetting and Suppress Inner Layer Pads
The Route Offsetting and Suppress Inner Layer Pads algorithms have been upgraded which may result in a different electrical design compared to previous releases.
P.R.Editor XR Enhancements...
Layer Stack Editor
The Layer Stack Editor interface has been enhanced to improve its usability.
Unroute Errors Tool
A new tool has been introduced to remove erroneous items in the design. It can be used after an Autoroute operation to remove any errors remaining and turn them into connections.
Routing and Fan-out Improvements
Respect Fixed Escape Routing has been implemented and spiral vias can now be used in Fan-out generation for differential pairs. In addition, a Fan-out report has been added which appears during the Fan-out generation process.
Select Items Updates
Several improvements have been made to the Select Item dialog, including; enhanced wild card matching, pin selection on specific nets, filtering of net items, and extra Extend options.
Selection Properties Improvements
Improvements have been made to the Select Properties dialog to allow more control over the display when selecting.
Stroke Gestures
Stroke gesture support has been added for the standard set of strokes available in the Design Editor application such as panning and zooming.
Separation Report Spacing Derivation
it is now possible to easily identify where a spacing is derived from. When you measure the distance between two pins the center to center distance is now also outputted.
Browse Errors Dialog Update
A direct link to the Separation Report has been added to help in identifying errors and their resolution. Also, the dialog will now dynamically update as you clear errors from the design.
Attribute Editor
Improvements have been made to the Template tab of the Attribute Editor. A Signal Name column has been added and it is now possible to sort the data by column.
Toolbar Enhancements
A Configure toolbar has been added and a Configure icon has been added to the Create / Edit Shape, Routing and Fan-Out toolbars.
P.R.Editor XR HS Enhancements...
Z0 and Zdiff Planning
A new Layer Stack Editor has been implemented. This new tabbed dialog includes impedance control for single trace routing (Z0 Planning) and differential Pair Routing (Zdiff Planning).
Improved Impedance Control
New functions to control impedance have been incorporated into the Layer Stack Editor. It is now much easier to set the width and spacings in order to achieve target impedance values for single ended nets and differential pairs.
Lengthening Improvements
Lengthening blocks can make space for themselves, you can also lengthen the ends of Trunks in order to meet skew between the two halves of a Differential Pair. In addition, Trombone Style Lengthening is now available.
Control of Tree View Selection in Constraint Manager
A new Select new items options has been added to the General tab of the Options dialog. This option allows you to specify which options are selected in the tree view when a new item is created.
Enhanced Copy and Paste
It is now possible to copy and paste information between the Constraint Manager spreadsheet and external spreadsheet applications.
Via Count Information
A Max Pin Pair Vias constraint has been added together with a Max Pin Pair Vias report. The report identifies the Max via constraint for a pin pair and the actual number of vias in the routed design.
Stop Simulation on Default Models
It is now possible to stop simulation on any design items that have one or more default buffer models. This affects the Simulate Uncoupled, Simulate Coupled and Update Selected options.
Improved Model Selection Functions in Scenario Editor
You can now select a buffer model for a pin by selecting a device pin and applying a model for that pin. Also, some of the Advanced Filter options have been bought into the Model Selection dialog.
Scenario Editor Enhancements
Several ease of use enhancements for the Scenario Editor have been introduced.
Dragon Enhancements...
Routing Strategy Dialog
Several tools have been added to the list of Operations, a new Add Row button now adds a row above the currently selected step.
Target Dialog
The Target dialog has been enhanced to allow User Selections for targets.
Routing Strategy Report
The Routing Strategy Report has been updated to identify the nets that have Hard Fails on them.
Routing Consultant
Several extra checks have been added to the Routing Consultant. The Item Explanation Reports have been enhanced and a Generate button has been added.
Fan-out Generation Enhancements

And given below is a reminder of the enhancements in Version 12.

Signal Reference Links
Using the page connector links to view and ‘jump’ to the other signal references of the same net.

Slotted Holes

You can define slotted drill holes, as well as circular drill holes.

Highlight Non Fitted Variant Items

It is now possible to highlight components, and its associated items that are not part of the current variant. It is also possible to hide these items when Printing.

Improved Connection Display after Routing

Connections which have been fully routed by an alternate path can now be hidden.

Embedded PDF Drivers

You can now export a design or print to a PDF file.

More Powerful Library Searcher

Seach on any item with Improved filtering algorithm and options.

Suppress Inner Layer Pads

Increase routing space on inner layers by suppressing unused pads.Other CADSTAR Enhancements...General

Report Output Cability Now includes new Units Option

It is now possible to output the current units used in the design in the Report Generator.

Part Attributes in Report Generator

It is now possible to output the Design or library attributes of a part in the design in the Report Generator.

Enhanced Wrkspace Function List Buses and Groups

Consolidate all the buses and groups in the design to the Workspace window for easier navigation and use.

View Selections Made in Workspace

When selecting a design item in the Current Design Workspace, the current view is updated so that the current selection is in the centre of the screen.

Back Annotation Consistency Improvements.

Consistency between the back annotation (RIN) files and CADSTAR file operations have been improved. If the user back annotates then exits-without-saving, saves or renames a design, any associated RIN file is updated accordingly.Schematic Design

Automatically Remove Pin Terminal x when connected

In Schematic Design, it is now possible to hide pins once they are connected.
Automatic Finding of all unconnected pins

Unconnected pins can now be highlighted, to assist in tidying a schematic design, by reducing the number of surplus pins.

PCB Design

Post Route Gate and Pin Swap

Allow Gate and Pin swaps on pins attached to routed connections.

Control Pin Exit Direction to 45 degree steps

Support of 8 pin exit directions at 45 degrees intervals.

View and Color Drill Holes

Drill holes are now drawn regardless of the size relationship with the pad. In addition drill holes can be assigned individual colours for specific layers.

Drill Oversize Specification

Added a setting in Defaults Dialog that sets manufacturing allowances on drill hole sizes.P.R.Editor EnhancementsP.R.Editor XR

Expanded Routing Wizard to become Dragon Routing Platform

Completely new revolutionary routing environment, developed as part of P.R.Editor application.

Improved Routing Setup Dialog

New single tabbed dialog covers intuitive setting of all the options covers by the router.

Inproved FanOut Tools

Several additional parameters for using Fan-outs in the design, such as length and use of fixed Fan-outs, minimum spacing rules between Fan-outs and preferred Spiral Via setting.

Easier Access to Autorouting Cost Factors

New override settings in the Autorouting tools, which are; Allow add track/via off grid, Ignore Exit Direction, and Ignore Max Length Rules.

45 degree Pin Exit Direction

Support of 8 pin exit directions at 45 degrees intervals.

Skew enhancements

Enhancement to support skew relative to a base item in skew group.

Select Items Dialog

A new dialog to allow easy selection of all item types in your design.

Browse Errors Dialog

A new method to make viewing of DRC errors easier.

Differential Pair Spacing

New value to represent spacing rule between differential pairs in the design.

Automatic Selection Extension to related E-net

It is now possible to extend the selection from the current selected E-Net to the rest of the E-Nets in a bus, the other E-Net in a Differential Pair or the other nets in a Skew Group.P.R.Editor XR HS / SI Verify

Enhancement for buses

Enhancements includes buses of differential pairs, sub-buses, and changing the method for generating bus_name attribute to support series-terminated nets.

Skew Enhancement

Enhanced definitions, constraints, and results for Skew groups that now contain an arbitrary collection of Electrical nets, Differential pairs, Busses, Sub-busses, Skew groups or Pin-pairs.

Additional Option for Real Plane and coplaner analysis

New options to configure the way in which data relating to reference planes is used.

IBIS series modelling enhancement

The import into the simulation library of devices from IBIS data that contain series models has been enhanced so that the devices contain a reference to the series models. This can result, for example, in two or more separate electrical nets being joined into a single electrical net, just as they are with any other passive element.

Automatic Differential Pair Creation

Options to define prefixes and suffixes used for net names for differential pairs.

Hide Tree view items for diff pair and buses

New option to allow you to configure the display of electrical nets and/or differential pairs in the tree view, belonging to a differential pair or bus respectively.

Enhanced Parameter Sweep

More supported combinations, with aid of new parameters. Also introduction of Parameter Sweep Wizard.

Navigate to Options

New options have been added to the Constraint Manager tree view context menu to allow you to find references to the currently selected item from Busses, Differential Pairs and Skew Groups.

Thank you for your interest! 080110