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Forum Index : PCB Manufacturing : DEX PCB Special Offer
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bigmik Guru  Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2942 |
Hi All, Short notice but I only just found out. DEX is available now for $25USfor the full version (never expires) plus 12months of updates (requires a new fee after expiry ... can wait as long as you want because your current version will never expire before you decide to pay for another 12mths of updates) See this link DEX SPECIAL OFFER There is not much time left if you are interested. Kind Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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SimpleSafeName Guru Joined: 28/07/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 345 |
Thanks for the heads up! For $25 I couldn't pass it up. |
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| SYM-1 Regular Member  Joined: 18/10/2019 Location: New ZealandPosts: 45 |
I have just created a PCB using dex but now I go to autoroute the board they want a lot of money for the router. Is there any way around this? Persistence is the key |
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disco4now Guru Joined: 18/12/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 960 |
DEX used to use a free version of Electra, you are probably been sent to rut it. This was withdrawn some time ago and DEX has its own auto router. Under Settings/Applications/Auto_Router there is a checkbox Electra-Delete Files checked on my system. Also Electra Mode = Do Not Show. So if you stop it trying to use Electra its should use its own inbuilt router. (Would depend if you have a late enough update that has the native Auto-Route. Gerry Just confirmed, if Electra Mode <> Do Not Show it will try to run Electra, which is not free. So set it to Electra Mode = Do Not Show. Edited 2024-05-31 20:36 by disco4now Latest F4 Latest H7 FotS |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2942 |
GDay All, Is there any interest in a new offer of a discount on DEX? If there is I am happy to approach the designer and ask if he would consider a new offer for TBS members. No guarantee that he will accept it. With DEXpcb you pay for 12 months of updates. You can still use DEX after the 12 months is up but can no longer update to later versions unless you pay for another 12 months. In other words your copy of DEX won’t expire, you just are limited to the versions that were released in the 12months you paid for updates. I have been using DEX for several years now and am quite happy with it, the author is constantly updating it and is very proactive and responsive to rectify bugs which sometimes creep in. If there is sufficient interest I will approach the author and ask. Kind Regards, Mick . Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| SYM-1 Regular Member Joined: 18/10/2019 Location: New ZealandPosts: 45 |
   I still can't seem to autoroute. Here are my settings pages. I note that I do not have any option tab for Ïnternal Router on the Router Settings page. Is there any way around this?  Persistence is the key |
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| disco4now Guru Joined: 18/12/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 960 |
I may have given you incorrect info here. I think I may have the free version of Electra initially distributed with DEX installed and it is just hidden with the settings indicated , but is still actually doing the auto route. Electra is no longer included or even available as free I think. I did have the impression Dex has developed it own auto router but this may not be the case. Gerry Latest F4 Latest H7 FotS |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2942 |
Hi All, Now you have me scratching my head. There WAS an internal router in DEX that was being developed by the author. I do have a working DEMO (free) version of Electra that has always worked since I installed it. I switched to the INTERNAL router as I preferred it (and was testing it) and never switched back to Electra. I clicked on the pull-down on the route tab and the internal is not there but the Electra one is active. There is something funny here as the demo Electra, which I believe is no longer available is only valid for 250 pads. My last board has well over that many. I usually run the autorouter then spend a few hours changing things as they do often do some strange things. Page 702 of the latest downloadable manual has internal as an option but like SYM-1 I can only see manual or Electra tabs on mine. Here is a screen shot from the manual, (sorry that doesn't help)  I suggest doing a bug report using Mantis (the preying Mantis icon in the HELP tabs labeled "Report Problem" regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6206 |
I have a clean copy of DEX that I installed 12 months ago. No updates since then (Don't use it much!) and now my 12 months has expired. This is what I saw when I tried to autoroute:  It suggests that he is still intending to provide his own router. Jim VK7JH MMedit |
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| disco4now Guru Joined: 18/12/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 960 |
This is what I get when selecting Internal Router by expanding with the little arrow, mine last updated 27/3/2023.  Latest F4 Latest H7 FotS |
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| SYM-1 Regular Member Joined: 18/10/2019 Location: New ZealandPosts: 45 |
So bigmik - did you manually route the board you did with over 250 pins? Persistence is the key |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2942 |
Hi SYM-1, I usually start by running the autorouter but I also have an active Electra free acct (still active from several years ago) then I go and push and shove, route the tracks that don’t route and fix the weirdo runs that the autorouter usually places. Honestly I can’t remember now whether I did that or not but I am 60% certain I did run the AR. I thought I was running DEX AR but that option isn’t available. Later today I will run a test on my board and unroute and reroute with the AR and see what happens. When the author enabled the internal Router it was quite good (IMHO better than Electra) so I enabled it instead. I will ask him what happened with the internal router but I have 2 on going discussions going on with him at the moment so I don’t wish to cloud those discussions till they are rectified. FYI, One of them is a bug where I can’t move a hole or cutout once it is placed (yes it is unlocked) this started on a recent update. The other is about getting cutouts added to the border outline gerber (as an option) as required by JLC . I am used to manual routing so it IS possible I just hand routed the board but at my age I can’t honestly remember what I did yesterday.  Regards, Mick (The big one) . Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2942 |
Hi SYM-1, All, I just un-routed my latest board and tried to re-route it. The Electra limitation popped up, I have 286 pads on the board, max is 250. Based on that I guess that I one of the following scenarios occurred in the design process. I used the Internal router (presumably was active when I designed the board (final save 13-April), I thought I was using. I started the design when there were less than 250 pads and then added more components manually, (highly likely). I manually routed the board from scratch (unlikely). I don't know why the internal router has been removed because it was quite good. Regards, Mick . Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| SYM-1 Regular Member Joined: 18/10/2019 Location: New ZealandPosts: 45 |
Well I might have to manually route the board. It will take a bit of time but how hard can it be. I used to have to bishop graphic my boards! Persistence is the key |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2942 |
Hi SIM-1, Depending on the complexity it isnt really that hard to manually route the board. I used to use the 2x size `letraset' style pads and photographically reduce as well. Manually routing is much easier than that. Mick . Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2942 |
Hi Sim-1, All, Download the latest version. The author said he has reinstated the internal router, but to be aware it IS Experimental at this stage. It may take a day before the new version is up Regards, Mick Edited 2024-06-08 22:37 by bigmik Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| SYM-1 Regular Member Joined: 18/10/2019 Location: New ZealandPosts: 45 |
Thanks Mick. I will do that. Persistence is the key |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2942 |
Hi SYM-1, He said is is experimental so be wary. And that it hates big pads and pads off grid. So my suggestion is to keep pads on the grid, I am very guilty of moving off grid to squeeze in another track or add a new part etc. If you have pads that are large and the Internal router didn’t like them, reduce their size, do the route then resize the pads. Regards, Mick . Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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