With Sprint-Layout you can design your PCB’s quick and easy. There is no unnecessary “ballast” which makes it difficult to keep the overview or which makes the usage almost impossible. Because of the logical and understandable strucure of Sprint-Layout the usage is very easy to learn. So finally, you can concentrate to the essential thing: Designing and optimizing your PCB-layouts.
Sprint-Layout offers all needed functions to design your own layouts. Of course, there is an extensive library with all common components included.
For manufacturing your PCB’s by hand, there is an excellent printout-procedure with many options available. If you want to produce professional boards, there are many PCB-manufacturer, which accept Sprint-Layout files. If required, you can export your layout to the GERBER and EXCELLON format. Sprint-Layout is also able to create HPGL files for isolation-milling.
The new version 5.0 includes many new features and improvements, which makes the software more comfortable. As always, we take very much care of an user-friendly operation.
Of course the new version 5.0 is fully compatible to all older versions of Sprint-Layout. You can load all older layout-files and edit them with the new version.
With the free viewer-software for Sprint-Layout it is possible for everybody to view or print your layouts.
Sprint-Layout is equipped with tools to draw pads, tracks, copper areas, labels and so on. Just select the corresponding mode and place your elements. All parameter like track-width, pad-size, etc. are always visible at a glance, and can be edited every time. The active grid-capture lets you easily place your elements exactly.
You can edit existing layout-elements very easy. For example if you adjust the width of a track, you will see the result immediately on your layout. Additional functions like copy, move, rotate, mirror, etc. are self evident.
Components which you have drawn once, can be added to the component-library. The component-library is already filled with many commom used components. So you don’t have to create them again.
You can easily drag&drop the components from the library to your layout. After that you can mirror, rotate or label them like you want.
You can add as many components as you want to the library. You can even sort and group the library, so you can create your own library.
This function fills unused areas of a layout with copper automatically. This accelerates the corroding process and saves corroding material. You may also use this function to create a screen for HF-boards.
You can also define thermal-pads on the automatic ground-plane.
The photoview lets you take a look at your board as if it was already manufactured, with drillings, silk screen, etc. This helps you to find typically mistakes like wrong mirrored components or text.
You can select which board-side do you want to view and display or hide the silk-screen. With the “x-ray” feature you can make the board transparent, so that you can see the other board-side shine through.
With the help of this connections, you can simplify the routing process. Straight rubberband lines are used to indicate connections that have not yet been routed. This may help you not to forget any tracks. The rubberband lines are also helpful to find a suitable position for components. You may use them to avoid crossing tracks when placing the components on the board.
There is simple point-to-point autorouter integrated in Sprint-Layout. This autorouter is able to connect two points of your layout. These two points are defined with a connection (rubberband). The autorouter was not designed, to generate whole boards at once. This is usually not possible. To create a proper layout, you have to design it mostly by yourself.
The autorouter in Sprint-Layout is designed as an easy to use autorouter. You don't have to make obscure specifications and options. The autorouter is as simple as the whole software.
Sprint Layout offers - for both sides of the board - a copper- and a silk-screen-layer. Optional there are 2 inner layers (for multilayer PCB’s) and ab outline layer (for the outline of your board) available. The layers can be switched on and off whenever necessary.
The footprint-wizard helps you to create special footprints for components. You can specify the footprint-type and the parameters and the wizard creates your footprint automatically.
Every footprint-type has different parameters. These parameters are displayed and explained in a little picture in the footprint-wizard.
All changes that you made will be displayed in the preview immediately. If you have set all parameters, the footprint-wizard creates the footprint and you can place it on your layout.
The properties-panel offers the possibility to edit all important properties of your layout-elements without calling special dialogs. Besides you can edit here special properties like positions, etc.
The properties-panel responds on the current selection on your layout. If you select e.g. a single pad, you can edit its properties directly here.
Because of little inaccuracies while a PCB will be produced, there are some tolerances and limitations to keep, to get a usable Board. These values are named "Design Rules". Sprint-Layout is able to check some important design rules, e.g. the minimum clearance distance between 2 copper tracks, etc.
After a DRC is finished, all detected problems are listed in clear text and the problem-areas will be marked with a white hatch. Now you can examine the problems one after the other and correct them.
Scanned layouts (e.g. from magazines) may be used as a copy for reproduction or for simple extensions. The layout must be available as a bitmap file. The bitmap is displayed in the background of the editor.
Various options are available to print your layouts, solder masks, component-mounting-plans, silk-screens or drilling-plans on paper sheets or transparent film.
The printout position is adjustable and the tile-option allows you to repeat the printout of small designs in x- and y-direction, to save film and material.
The printout can be scaled.
All changes you make will be displayed in the preview immediately.
Sprint Layout produces GERBER files (RS-274X) that are used to exchange layout data with PCB manufacturers. Gerber files are common to (almost) all manufacturers. So you don’t need films or something else to produce your boards.
The drillings can be exported in the common EXCELLON format. With this feature you can drill your board automatically.
There are many PCB-manufacturer, which accept Sprint-Layout files (*.LAY) in a direct way, so you don’t have to create Gerber or Excellon files by yourself.
Sprint-Layout supports also the isolation-milling. In this case, the PCB will be produced using a CNC-milling machine. Sprint-layout is able to calculate all necessary isolation-channels. The output file will be exported in the HPGL format. You can use these files to load them into your milling-application and produce the board.
Additional functions like drilling-outputs, mirroring or the option to define texts as singleline or outline, give you numerous possibilities.
You can also define so called “reference holes”. This feature guarantees the same origin if you have several milling-jobs.
With this Viewer-software it is possible for every user to view and to print Sprint-Layout files. The Viewer is a free software. You can download it directly from this homepage. The Viewer is also included on the original CD of Sprint-Layout.
Scanned layouts from magazines may be used as a copy for reproduction or for simple extensions. The layout must be available as a bitmap file. The bitmap is displayed in the background of the editor.
Various print options are available to print layouts, soldermasks, component-mounting-plans, silk-screens or drilling-plans on paper sheets or transparent film.
Sprint Layout produces RS274-X Gerber-files that are used to exchange layout data with PCB manufacturers. Gerber files are common to (almost) all manufacturers. So you don´t need films or something else to produce your boards.
You can export the drillings too. With this feature you can drill your board automatically. The drillings will be exported in the EXCELLON format.
The Viewer is a brand-new feature for Sprint-Layout 4.0 files. With this software, it is possible for every user to view and to print your Sprint-Layout files. The Viewer is a free software. You can download it directly from this homepage. The Viewer is also on the original CD of Sprint-Layout.
What's new in Sprint-Layout 4.0?
Sprint-Layout is now including an easy to use point-to-point autorouter. The autorouter transforms your connections into tracks automatically. Routed tracks can be resolved again with one click. So you can easily control the sequence and the result.
You can edit now all layers simultaneously. In the previous versions there are some troubles because of the layer-separation, eypecially while you are using SMD and "normal" components. Now you can edit one- and doublesided boards as easy as never before.
These functions were strongly upgraded. You can now undo up to 50 operations, or redo them.
The new has now a full SMD support. New elements like SMD-Pads, a fine grid resolution, mask creations and the new layer technology let you work with SMD components unproblematically.
The macro library was strongly expanded. You can now mirror or throughole the macros directly in the library. You can also give a small explanation for each macro.
This new function lets you take a look at your board as if it was already manufactured, with drillings, silk screen, etc. This helps you to find typically mistakes like wrong mirrored components or text.
You are able to define your own colors for the layers, the background, etc.
You can now use restrictions within the automatic ground plane. This helps you to optimize your board.
With the new Measure-Mode, you can easily measure distances and angles on your board.
The layout-text was strongly improved. He looks more fine, and offers more capabilities. The older font-text is not supported anymore. These texts will be converted automatically while loading an older board.
Sprint-Layout can now export the board into the GIF or EMF (Enhanced-Meta-File) format.
You are now able to print your layout negative. With this feature you can create films for photonegative boards.
These rulers help you to place your printouts more exactly on the paper or on the film, to use the medium optimal.
With this option you are able to add copyright informations and comments to your project.
You can define fixed default-directories for your layouts, gerberfiles, etc. Once you have defined this, you don't have to navigate through your filesystem.