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This major release not only brings faster performance and numerous practical improvements, but also introduces the brand-new AI Assistant — your intelligent assistant for smarter, more efficient PCB workflows. With enhanced tools, more precision, and a smoother overall experience, V17 supports you reliably in every stage of working with PCB designs and data

What the V17 can offer you:

1. PCB-Investigator:
   • Integrated AI Assistant (New)
     • Can answer questions around the loaded design
     • Can explain reported issues in most analysis tools
     • Knows the manual and has important background knowledge arround various PCB topics
     • Can control PCB-Investigator and fullfill different tasks
     • Can search the web and answer complex questions, e.g. concerning data sheets
   • Integrated MCP Server (New)
     • Offers 50+ tools to external AI applications to control PCB-Investigator and to extract data
   • Upgrade to .NET 8
     • PCB-Investigator now runs on .NET 8, moving away from the previous .NET 6. This change provides better performance, enhanced security, and long-term support, ensuring the software remains future-proof and aligned with modern development standards.
   • New User Manager
     • The new User Manager can store large additional data (like simulation results) outside of the CAD data package in PCBI 365. This increases download/upload speeds and the needed time to open designs.
     • Also without PCBI 365, the user manager helps to organize and manage additional user data as part of the CAD package
   • Improved Clipboard for Copy&Paste
     • You can now copy&paste easily images, svg and tabular data from and to PCB-Investigator. If you e.g. select a component in PCB-Investigator and press CTRL+C, you will get following information in the clipboard:
       • Image of the component as png and svg
       • Properties of the component as csv and txt
       • PCB-Investigator Metadata to paste the component into another instance
   • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • API extensions
2. Importer/Exporter:
   • Step Importer/Exporter
   • DPF Importer
     • Minor improvements (hatching) and bug fixes
   • Fabmaster Importer
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • IPC2581 B/C Importer/Exporter
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • IPC365D Exporter
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • SVG Importer/Exporter
3. Analysis:
   • AAOI Analysis
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Hazard Analysis
     • New batch mode to check in accordance with ZVEI distance classes
     • New API methodes
4. Fabrication / Production Control:
   • Koh Young Exporter (New)
   • Component Attribute Importer / BOM Expert
     • The Excel importer identifies repeatedly incoming documents of the same type by analyzing their headers and reuses the previously applied import settings
   • DFT Preperation
     • New Takaya Vision Test Model
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Essemtec Connector
     • Improved Pin Analysis (cooling pins are ignored)
   • Göpel Exporter
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Mycronic Connector
     • Improved Pin Analysis (cooling pins are ignored)
   • Panel Builder
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes in routing generation
   • Parmi Exporter
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Siplace OIB Connector
     • Improved Pin Analysis (cooling pins are ignored)
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Stencil Generator
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Soldering Path Editor
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Test Coverage Report
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
5. Miscellaneous:
   • Work Instructions (New)
   • Quick Search (New, replaces old metro search)
     • Press ‘SPACE’ and search quickly for commands, components, nets, properties and much more
   • Component Manager
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Component Report
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Database Compare
     • Possibility to compare variants
   • Extended Design Report (HTML)
     • Editable comments per error
     • New testpoint report overview
   • Graphic Board Compare
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
   • Production Tool Editor
     • Minor improvements and bug fixes
       

If there are any questions concerning the latest release, please feel free to contact us.