Release Notes
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At the end of the dispensing workflow there is now an option to proceed to the next artwork layer if you prepared the print with Plan. This avoids the need to start a new dispense workflow for each layer.
During alignment, the AR overlay now shows the artwork from the previous layer for better alignment in the dispense workflow.
Undo/Redo buttons and keyboard shortcuts have been added to Plan to improve the editing workflow.
Selecting a feature in the Features Panel now focuses it to be in view in the Print Area.
Once a Plan is complete there is a more noticeable job ready checkmark indicator as well as a 'Go to Dispense' button to streamline workflow navigation.
We added a video overview to the tutorial section when Plan is opened for better user guidance.
The toolpath highlighting behaviour has been updated when browsing toolpaths in the Properties Panel.
We’ve improved the performance when handling edits to long toolpaths.
Multilayer probe target generation has been improved by updating the probing algorithm and adding an edge probing factor parameter for more control in edge transition height map generation.
When reordering artworks with generated probe targets, a window prompts the user to regenerate probing targets for the new layer ordering.
The visual indication of circuit overlay vs. layer order has been fixed for better clarity.
Pressing the alt key then clicking allows users to now add probe targets on top of toolpaths.
A few general UI/UX refinements, including improved tooltips and updated styling.
We removed the loading of previous old saved jobs and the save job page.
Fixed issue where an empty Plan job name could cause the editing window to disappear.
Fixed workflow interruptions that could come up when autofocusing or heating during dispensing.
Addressed major inconsistencies in Plan UI behaviour to ensure a smoother experience.
Fixed various UI/UX issues identified during testing and quality assurance.
View and set up multilayer designs.
Identify print errors before dispensing.
Generate smart probe points.
Create a detailed height map.
Visualize and edit toolpaths and probe points.
Adjust the print order of design features.
Delete unwanted design features.
Save print jobs with the same settings.
Vacuum power is now controlled by an on-off toggle switch.
Resolved an issue where errors were not displayed in offline mode.
Improved marginal synchronization between client and server.
Other important UI improvements.
XYZ tolerance: Added a custom command to change XYZ tolerance value.
Minimum raise height: Enhanced the minimum raise height of the Smart Probe to better accommodate multilayer cross-boundaries, ensuring more consistent performance.
The gap in release versions from v1.12 to v1.15 was intentional, the versions in-between were used for a small beta test of new features coming soon.
We've introduced a Port Alignment Calibration procedure to align the center of the camera to the center of the tool tip for both ports regardless of print height. The step by step guide can be found here: Port & Camera Alignment Calibration
The focus variance measured while autofocusing is now averaged from a batch of readings at each step to reduce the effects of noise. This improves the consistency of the autofocus.
The focus index values are now cached for the XYZ and Calibration plate to improve the autofocus start point.
The initial delay has been increased since previously it would yield low variance for the start point during XYZ homing.
The Print Speed setting is now directly adjustable within the calibration workflow, giving more control without leaving the workflow.
We’ve added more snapshots during the tune alignment step, this includes showing the 4 corners of the calibration pattern when scanning the substrate.
We fixed a bug where the next button was not showing up after probing, this works as expected now.
New gantry firmware version v1.0.13 fixed the issue where attaching or detaching a tool caused an error on subsequent move commands.
The gantry firmware will be installed directly after the software update is installed.
New dispenser firmware version v1.0.7 improves maintaining pressure and increased pressure readings, making the dispenser much more responsive to changes in pressure.
Note: The dispenser firmware will be installed immediately when the tool is attached to NOVA after the software update is installed.
Modified the workflow for uploading designs. Designs are now selected and loaded before choosing materials. Once materials are selected, toolpaths for design files will be generated. Materials will reset when loading a different pattern.
Improved XYZ positioner detection with the camera
Refined gantry backlash compensation calculations
Adjusted the default setting for the camera white balance to improve the quality of the camera feed
Behind the scenes: NOVA’s console now shows a print length estimate after toolpaths are generated for a design
Fixed a few UI typos and formatting issues
Resolved a bug where no image was captured during flow check if other windows are open
Corrected a bug where the app was not refreshing after updating
Improved the camera crosshair to ensure it is reliably centered in the frame
Updated the text in calibration pressure estimation step to 10,000 to reflect the maximum pressure setting for this workflow
Camera centering procedure: Improving reliability and consistency in finding the XYZ positioner.
SVG files: Improving processing and addressing issues with rotational transformations, providing a more accurate representation of designs in NOVA's software.
A few minor fixes in the user interface.
We improved the procedure that generates tool paths in order to minimize the chance of a ‘Connection lost’ message from showing while loading a print file.
If a connection to NOVA is lost at any point the toolpaths will be synchronized automatically when reconnected.
Improvements to the performance and accuracy of probe point generation for height mapping.
The size limit for SVG files is no longer capped to 200 mm x 200 mm, it now properly reflects the work area on NOVA but we recommend keeping your file under 300 mm x 220 mm so that the full design can be accurately probed.
Improvements to the image stability from the camera when calculating the µm to pixel ratio during autofocusing.
We increased the delay before taking a picture to make sure the gantry has stabilized. The increase is to 800ms, so it won’t add a noticeable change to the length of a workflow, but it will lead to crisper pictures the first time around.
There is no longer a risk of crashing when a material has no batch associated with it. Additionally, a user is no longer able to delete the last batch of a material.
We updated our SSL certificate for the domains associated with the software.
We also changed our version numbering format, so instead of this version being v0.1.10 it is v1.10
New gantry firmware version 1.0.10 with some minor tweaks.
Added StallGuard data logging and ability to modify the limits with console commands. This should only be needed if advised by Voltera Support.
We’ve adjusted the pressure limit in the calibration workflow to 10000, it was previously capped at 3000. This will make calibrating materials with other nozzle geometries a better experience.
It’s important to keep a close eye on the dispenser during the ‘Estimate Pressure’ step to ensure your paste doesn’t rupture in your cartridge as you move to higher pressure.
Users now have the option to skip the flow check step in the dispensing workflow. We still recommend going through the flow check step for most prints, but this can be helpful for situations where the printing location needs to be adjusted and the dispenser is still ready from a previous print.
Also, Pausing during the flow check step will no longer cause the machine to lock up.
Users are able to cancel a file load, this can be helpful if the file is taking too long and you’d like to try again with another file.
The pixel to µm nudge adjustment button is more reliable and will no longer lock when it reaches 25 µm.
We’ve made some UI improvements to the ‘Device Offline’ notification window.
Also, the ‘Device is Ready’ window will now only show up if a user has no active workflow.
Improved SPI communication
We identified the main cause of the ‘0 not connected’ error and were able to reduce the chances occurrence.
Improve handling of unsafe movements
(1) Calibration directly on your substrate
Thanks to user feedback, we have now added the ability to perform a calibration workflow directly on substrates in addition to the existing calibration plate. During the calibration setup step in the calibration workflow there is the option to select a substrate to calibrate on in the advanced options:
(2) We overhauled the experience for multiple users using one machine
Previously, when multiple users were working on the same NOVA, it was too easy to interrupt an existing workflow and cause a loss in progress. To address this, we’ve implemented some changes to when and how a user can take over a machine. This should result in no further interruptions during a workflow.
For this to work we added support for multiple user profiles and persistent authentication that are tied to the browser client.
A new login screen with the option to continue as "Guest" was added.
There are newly added device in use pages implemented with clear messaging for next steps on how to access NOVA based on who is currently connected and how they are connected.
User sessions can no longer be overridden by incoming connections from another user.
Active procedures are wiped when a new connection is established. This should also resolve the frequency of the prompt to continue or restart a workflow.
(3) More control over AR scaling during alignment
We found the consistency of the scaling calculation has been affecting the accuracy of alignment for some users, especially for prints requiring very precise alignment. To address this, we’ve updated the units from mm/px to µm/px as well as adding lock and nudge options to the µm to px ratio during alignment. This will give users more control over scaling of the AR overlay and the ability to fine tune it.
(4) Some UI updates
Not too much to note here, we have a couple small updates to the UI:
We simplified the materials selection UI when choosing materials for a workflow.
We changed the application font from Raleway to Monorale for a more consistent text layout.
The console will now auto scroll when a user submits a command.
Fixed issue where a user couldn’t select toolpaths when a circuit was rotated 90 degrees.
To be more intuitive to the user we reversed keyboard control for rotating a circuit in the alignment step.
Fixed an issue with the application stalling where loading empty files or Gerber files with no features would freeze NOVA.
The back button when viewing a material in the Materials Explore library was fixed.
If required, the vacuum will turn on after the mount substrate step in dispense and calibration procedures and there is now a note in that step to let a user know it will turn on.
We’ve been focused on bringing improvements to many other areas of NOVAs software and we haven’t been able to prioritize the work needed to bring the automated flow check and calibration procedures up to the same level. We are removing the automatic estimate pressure, flow check and grade pattern procedures for the time being until they are in a better state.
Improved the calibration process by adding the option to clean the priming plate and continue after the maximum number of printed calibration patterns is reached.
Introduced the ability to send custom SPI commands to hardware through the console(~).
The console(~) now uses local storage for command history.
Added the ability to download JSON formatted machine logs via the console(~).
Added ACI FS0142 as a preloaded locally available material and discontinued ACI FE3124 as a preloaded local material. Both are also available through the Explore Page.
We now filter out duplicate wireless SSIDs that appear on the network page.
Resolved issue of uncaught software errors causing device to become unresponsive.
We now prevent movements caused by arrow keys or clicking on the camera stream when the gantry (or) camera is busy.
Interruptions while probing the calibration plate no longer proceed to probing the print bed.
We refactored how images are stored to reduce network bandwidth, prevent crashes and speed up camera dependent procedures.
Toolpath selection for Firefox is now fully functional with the addition of polyfill.
There’s a new look and feel to myvoltera.io along with a simpler onboarding procedure.
Added the ability for users to control software updates to avoid interrupting workflows (this feature will take effect on future releases).
Enabling machine learning features has been moved to the ‘Your Account’ section to require an explicit beta opt-in setting.
Added outgoing message to responses in application console logs for easier parsing of numeric responses.
The camera will now always position before other tools. This avoids traveling to XYZ-switch later in a workflow and gives tools a safer location to start positioning.
Release notes are pulled from the cloud when connection is available to show the user the latest available release information.
Fixed bug where deleting images in camera gallery could cause application crash.
Fixed bug where corrupted local materials caused application to crash on startup.
Fixed issue causing a "Failure to Match Circle" error. Restored maximum iterations to converge to delta less than 1px of center of circle.
Corrected small graphical error causing line to appear below header control panel at some resolutions/zooms.
Fixed network monitor that would boot a user from workflow after 60 minutes when the WIFI dongle was attached without an internet connection.
Updated fav-icon in application to reflect new branding.
Dispenser:
Clamped movement to 1.5mm from top of piston to avoid timeouts when depressurizing.
Gantry:
Refactored side rail led interface, adding command:
M95 R<0-255> G<0-255>B<0-255> Q<0-3> S<0-2> C
Increased XY jerk values to 50mm/min
We’ve added a hard stop button to replace the release motors button. This will immediately reset the gantry and both tools. Then it will home the dispenser and abort the current sequence.
We’ve added the ability for a user to detect and purge any inactive wireless networks.
We’ve added new console commands to control the camera directly.
If there is a failure to detect the thumbscrew at the XYZ switch, NOVA will home the gantry and refocus before retrying twice.
A failure to achieve good results with the faster autofocus algorithm will fallback to scanning focus algorithm.
We’ve added a warning when the software determines that the mm to px ratio cannot be calculated and it will fall back to default of 0.02273 mm/px.
We’ve reduced the number of segments generated on small curves to reduce planner artifacts and speed up processing times.
We now filter out networks without SSIDs from the networking settings.
We’ve added an automatic WIFI network scan step when the networking settings are opened.
We’ve corrected the offset calculation when clicking on the camera overlay to adjust position.
We’ve added a recovery step when the gantry errors to resolve potential freezing on startup.
To ensure more reliable homing in the Y axis, we increased the distance the Y axis moves away from the home position upon starting to home to 6mm and the maximum travel distance in homing was increased to 335mm.
We fixed an issue in the gantry firmware where jerk settings could be overwritten.
The dispenser firmware now resets pressure and temperature ADC on startup to fix the “141 Invalid Temperature” error.
Proactive Support: when a user sees an error message they can opt-in to proactive support. Allow support to deliver solutions more quickly and maximize the value our customers get from the Nova.
Dispenser firmware version 1.0.4, rolled back addition of Atomic Blocks. Lower dispense temperature target.
Gantry firmware 1.0.2, fix for floating dispenser and height issue during printing.
Removed full refresh of login and settings page whenever application state changes.
Simplified quality step of calibration procedure.
Reduced quality of images that stream during autofocus procedure for faster focusing.
Reduced autofocus error to warning.
Added timestamps for sequences in the ~ console.
Added ability to log probe measurements in the ~ console with the LOG_PROBE_MEASUREMENTS command.
BETA FEATURE: Created an automated workflow for calibrating new inks using machine learning to detect print quality. Note - This feature has been tested using ACI FE3124, and is optimized for materials that have similar color, texture, and print characteristics.
Fixed bug where gantry recovers incorrectly after a plan aborts due to an error or manual stop, potentially crashing nozzles or probe tip.
Corrected the double inversion of the y-axis in the advanced alignment interface.
Resolved issue that was preventing load job from loading circuit and alignment.
Fixed issue where certain sequences would not stop after a plan aborts or a manual user stop requested.
Improved probe point generation for very small features.
Tool safety enhancement -- improved sequence recovery after a plan aborts or is manually stopped.
Added a reset password option on the login screen.
Dispenser will home when user stops a print to avoid leakage.
SVG Planner:
Fixed issue causing svg circuits to be mirrored horizontally.
Fixed issue centering svg circuits
Dispenser firmware upgraded to execute interupts atomically.
Added ability to set pressure sensor calibration coefficients through the console
Added beta support for loading SVG files.
Resolved 143 Pressure Move error while pressurising dispenser.
Resolved failure to communicate to gantry after soft restart by power cycling the gantry.
Fixed bug causing unnecessary error in focusing on XYZ during calibration.
Resolved issue where soft-restarts would cumulatively consume disk space.
Improved temperature out of bounds error to indicate that the user should reconnect their dispenser.
Reduced size of application container for faster software updates.
Cleaned UI when scanning substrates.
XYZ Cycles for Probe and Dial Indicator reduced to 1. (Speed up positioning)
Alignment step can now be skipped
Reduced gCode console transmission delay. (More responsive console)
Clicking release should stop all active plans & abort active sequence.
When scanning substrates, the scanned regions in the minimap are now clickable.
Fixed issue with aligned circuit jumping to a different position when centering on XYZ.
Fixed issue where UI wouldn't indicate probe targets were being recomputed.
Fixed issue where plans could not be stopped, if stopped during XYZ positioning.
Fixed issue where camera would not focus correctly aftera failed attempt.
The new (BETA) enhances multilayer printing and unlocks print job editing capabilities. With Plan, you can:
Plan is currently a BETA feature. Please report all bugs through the live chat or email support@voltera.io.
Offline use of Plan is not available in this release. A Wi-Fi connection is required. Offline functionality is on our roadmap to be available in a future release.
