The Proteus 8.0 release delivered a new platform as well as host of feature additions. The new application framework also now enables us to bring out many important features that would have been extremely difficult (or impossible) to implement in previous versions. The goal of the Proteus 8.1 release was to start delivering these features and our focus was on four main areas: Pads and Footprints Project Clips / Design Snippets Dynamic Teardrops Proteus VSM for Arduino™ AVR® Pads and Footprints Demo Movie Making Button Pads Making QFN Footprints Footprint and packaging requirements for modern packages is a rapidly evolving field. We�ve looked at our existing capabilities and extended them with a view to flexibility. The ability to store vias with your library part has been introduced. This enables you both to define a fanout topology for an IC in the library part and also allows you to stitch thermal pads on a footprint (e.g. QFN). We�ve added the ability to suppress resist and paste on a per pad basis and then added the ability to draw it for the package itself. This allows you to do things like define a stippled paste pattern on a large SMT pad or to escape a large area of resist around a button pad. All of this information can now be stored in your libraries for reuse in future projects. Finally, we�ve enhanced the padstack dialogue form and introduced an isometric preview of what you are creating. Additional 3D view options are included in the Make Package dialogue form so you can preview the paste and resist configuration of your land pattern before storing it in your libraries. Project Clips / Design Snippets Demo Movie Project Clips / Design Snippets Often, parts of a design are either duplicated inside a project (e.g. different channels of an amp) or across different projects (e.g. power supply). Project clips, also known as design snippets, provides a formal way to store, load and place useful blocks of circuitry. You create a project clip by tagging a block of schematic circuitry and the corresponding block of layout on the PCB. This is then stored to disk in a PDSCLP file and can be loaded and re-used as required. The project clip is placed as a single entity in ARES, after which tracks, footprints and other objects can be selected and edited in the normal way. Dynamic Teardrops Demo Movie Dynamic Teardrops Placing teardrops at the connection point between track and pad is often useful in preventing drill breakout during board manufacture. Proteus 8.1 includes the ability to automatically teardrop routed tracks and to add teardrops during interactive routing. Teardrops are configurable both in terms of annular ring size and also in the depth of track into which to extend the teardrop. This can be set across the board or on individual pads and vias by simply editing the pad / via itself and changing the settings in the Teardrop drop down box.. * Teardrops is part of the Advanced Feature Set and requires a PCB Design Level 2 or higher. Proteus VSM For Arduino™ AVR® Demo Movie Proteus VSM for Arduino Direct support for the Arduino AVR toolchain has been implemented in the VSMStudio IDE. This allows you to develop and prototype Arduino designs directly inside the Proteus application. The new project clips feature is also very useful here as project clips can easily be created for various Arduino shields. The creation of the schematic for your prototyping environment is therefore greatly simplified as you can simply import project clips to build your design * Proteus VSM for Arduino is a seperately licensed product. It is also available to all customers who have Proteus VSM for AVR. Miscellaneous Additions Demo Movie Miscellaneous V8.1 Features Support for via-under-smt Layer set-up added to New Project Wizard. Individually hide/show part references on the layout. Set individual zone clearances on pads (e.g. mounting holes) Added direct support for BASCOM AVR and Sourceboost compilers inside the VSMStudio IDE. Added models for the PIC10(L)F32x processor variants. A full list of features and fixes is available from the Updates and Fixed Support Forum. Proteus 8.10 is available free of charge to all customers whose USC is valid as of 01st November 2013.