Release Notes

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts” ~ Winston S. Churchill

• • FAQs
• ⋆ Have added a 'Payment' section with explanations for both debit/credit card and SAS Account Credit


• • Instant Quote > Step 3
• ⋆ Improved search function: parameters in the part description in brackets now have the brackets removed, so that if that parameter is eg. the SMD size, we can find a match from the SAS parts
• ⋆ Improved search function: you can now search for individual components using the supplier's part number (valid for Farnell, Mouser and Digikey)


• • Instant Quote > Step 7
• ⋆ Everyone now has access to SAS Account Credit, so step 7 allows users to select payment method
• ⋆ Added available and required account credit
• ⋆ Added a pop-up with information about BACS payment
• ⋆ Minor re-styling of the quote, with the addition of payment options explained

“Give someone a program, you frustrate them for a day; teach them how to program, you frustrate them for a lifetime.” ~ David Leinweber

• • Instant Quote
• ⋆ Step 6: improved styling to align it with step 2
• ⋆ Step 7: removed the checkbox in favour of text to say that placing the order implicitly confirms correct component selection
• ⋆ Step 7 - Print Quote: added the validity of the quote on the pdf
• ⋆ Step 7 - Create Payment Link: made the validity of the link clearer
• ⋆ Payment link landing page: Improved styling to take it in line with the rest of the website
• ⋆ fix: payment link didn't work
• ⋆ fix: QR Codes weren't being attached to the confirmation email if there was only a couple of codes

“A designer knows (s)he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” ~ Antonie De-Saint Exupéry

• • General
• ⋆ Major re-style of the whole website, including both the 'public' area and the 'private' area
• ⋆ Introduction of a new colour scheme and new logo
• ⋆ The website is now more mobile-responsive
• ⋆ Home page content has been updated
• ⋆ Mention of SAS being part of the NOTE group
• ⋆ Introduction of reCAPTCHA for Contact Us, Registration and Reset Password
• ⋆ Static pages that were forms (ie. register, log in, forgotten password, reset password) have been moved to pop-ups to make the page more dynamic
• ⋆ Contact Us page now has an embedded map from Google Maps


• • Instant Quote (General)
• ⋆ Based on our users' feedback, removed the 'tips' from the quote process
• ⋆ Improved styling


• • My Messages
• ⋆ Introduction of images for the SAS team, so that you can see our pretty faces when we message you! :)


• • My Orders
• ⋆ Shipping and Billing addresses are now NOT copied over if copying the order to a new quote

“First solve the problem, then write the code.” ~ John Johnson

• • General
• ⋆ We now offer PCBs of up to 20 layers, as well as purple PCBs
• ⋆ Improved UX by changing the font family and increasing the size of checkboxes and bin buttons
• ⋆ Changed text on blue backgrounds to white for increased contrast
• ⋆ Added a custom scrollbar for tables
• ⋆ Back button styling changes so that it is clear that it is the secondary button
• ⋆ Restyled release notes
• ⋆ Bug fix: billing and shipping addresses were sometimes mixed up
• ⋆ Bug fix: inactive users are no longer able to reset their password
• ⋆ Bug fix: removed empty alerts from multiple places
• ⋆ Bug fix: improved name sanitisation and filtering in multiple places
• ⋆ Other minor fixes (typos, small database changes, reformatting)


• • Instant Quote (General)
• ⋆ UI improvements for better screen space optimisation, including minor rewording and tweaks
• ⋆ Lead time for SAS assembly is now calculated based on each order requirements rather than it being fixed
• ⋆ Step 3 now expires after a configurable amount of time in order to avoid placing a PO for components which have gone out of stock; therefore, users might be able to check and save step 3 before submitting a saved quote
• ⋆ Quote number header now also displays project name, reference, issue and quantity
• ⋆ On loading a saved quote, the quantity gets automatically rounded up to the next multiple of 5 if it wasn't a multiple of 5; the user gets a browser alert letting them know if this is the case
• ⋆ QR codes generated for the order only include the first five designators in order to save space, and the order number also includes the project name and reference


• • Instant Quote (Step 1)
• ⋆ Added a 'characters remaining' count on the project details to match the limit on the database
• ⋆ Bug fix: cookies weren't saving when to not show a modal
• ⋆ Bug fix: slider wasn't reaching the end
• ⋆ Bug fix: number of PCBs was clickable when it shouldn't be


• • Instant Quote (Step 2)
• ⋆ Redesigned this step by separating it into two sub-steps: upload the BOM and select headers in the uploaded BOM
• ⋆ Redesigned the table on the upload your BOM page. The header is now fixed and the table has a simple striped design for a simpler UI
• ⋆ The first row of data now turns green once selected
• ⋆ Removed SAS tip and replaced with a browser alert
• ⋆ Bug fix: prevent gaps in table where there is missing data


• • Instant Quote (Step 3)
• ⋆ Added a loading bar while the BOM loads
• ⋆ Redesigned the table - increased the size and created a cleaner UI
• ⋆ Added a counter for the different component availability (including a count for SAS parts available)
• ⋆ Added frontend error handling, so the page no longer reloads if users haven't submitted all the necessary information
• ⋆ Included information on SAS components in the 'Add Component' table modal
• ⋆ Changed the colour of free issue for better contrast between free issue and parts available
• ⋆ Added tooltips to the price/board column for increased transparency on how prices are calculated, including information on component MOQ
• ⋆ Added an overlay for when users free-issue all or select technology for all rows
• ⋆ Removed the THT selection for SAS components
• ⋆ Disabled the technology button after selection until it has finished processing
• ⋆ 'Add' and 'Save & Next' buttons and notes are now hidden while loading
• ⋆ Component wastage is now dependant on selected technology
• ⋆ Rows marked as alternatives found will no longer display the first component from the list
• ⋆ Bug fix: free-issuing and selecting a technology was sometimes changing the component that was selected and/or changing colour/boldness of the row
• ⋆ Bug fix: adding a component was sometimes not behaving correctly
• ⋆ Bug fix: some description and part number fields weren't being accepted
• ⋆ Cache fix


• • Instant Quote (Step 4)
• ⋆ Added PCB capabilities (more layers, more colours, castellated holes)
• ⋆ Added a browser alert if any selections change as a result of changing the number of layers
• ⋆ Bug fix: selections weren't saving if there was missing information
• ⋆ Bug fix: free-issued panels was sometimes saved even when not selected


• • Instant Quote (Step 5)
• ⋆ The first available date for dispatch is now automatically selected


• • Instant Quote (Step 6)
• ⋆ Improved visuals so that the whole step fits in a single page, with no need for scrolling


• • Instant Quote (Step 7)
• ⋆ Improved visuals so that the whole step fits in a single page, with no need for scrolling
• ⋆ Added a Net and VAT per unit field, which is also now shown in the invoice
• ⋆ Empty tooltip and empty alert now display information
• ⋆ Added a save button, which saves the selected addresses
• ⋆ As a result of the above, removed the 'Save for Later' button at the bottom
• ⋆ The link to share payment to someone else expires at the same time as the BOM (from step 3)
• ⋆ There is a success alert when the payment link is copied to the clipboard using the copy button
• ⋆ Bug fix: no longer showing null in address fields if there is missing information


• • My Messages
• ⋆ Added a 'Close Ticket' button (tickets could only be closed by the SAS team until now)


• • My Orders
• ⋆ Added Datatables to improve functionality and useability
• ⋆ Added a 'Copy to New Quote' button to allow users to copy an existing order into a new one
• ⋆ Order number header now also displays project name, reference and issue
• ⋆ Bug fix: BOM download now includes all the expected information
• ⋆ Bug fix: technical edge no longer displays undefined


• • My Quotes
• ⋆ Added Datatables to improve functionality and useability
• ⋆ Added a 'Continue Quote' button (the functionality already existed, but it wasn't clear enough)


• • My Details
• ⋆ Added postcode information on the alerts when editing / deleting / setting as primary an address
• ⋆ Bug fix: when setting an address as primary, the modal doesn't flash
• ⋆ Bug fix: addresses that contained apostrophes couldn't be updated

This release includes the following features:

• • BOM capacitors/resistors with a value like 47.0k will now be correctly identified and, if available, SAS parts will be offered (before this release, it wouldn't recognise that .0 was superfluous and wouldn't correctly match to a 47k resistor, for example)
• • SAS components can be looked up by manufacturer part number
• • Improved component search in 'Select a Component' modal when using the textbox to search for a part by not sending the previous description and only using the input text
• • Bug fix: if price brackets for components were from 1 to 1, the calculated price was sometimes returned as 0
• • Removed internal references to 'layout' for Stepped Gerber, as if the customer is free issuing the PCBs, the Stepped Gerber is uploaded instead of the Gerber. This fixed a bug when trying to submit an order where PCBs were free issued
• • Bug fix for BOM sometimes being deleted after submitting an order if it didn't have any free issue parts
• • Bug fix: after paying for an order which had free issue parts, the QR codes sometimes didn't appear at the bottom of the order confirmation screen
• • Bug fix in My Orders screen: dropdown now shows correct order status
• • Added debug messages to console

This release includes the following features:

• • There was a way to sneak past the file upload check and continue without loading a file. This has been patched.
• • Occasionally, PCB and Stencils would not be registered correctly for an order, this has been fixed.
• • Fixed issue where a user could upload a BOM and it would become blank.
• • Fixed a bug whereby a SQL query could become invalid and cause the web application to crash.
• • Method for getting components via API could cause a timeout from Cloudflare and then a crash of the frontend, they are done using batches to prevent this from happening.

This release includes the following features:

• • File uploads can no longer be used to break an order
• • Other files has been limited to 5 files to prevent users misusing it
• • Upload boxes now indicate which type of Gerber is required
• • Removed "/"'s from search terms when sending as this was incompatible with Farnell's API

This release includes the following features:

• • Bug fix in components pricing breakdown brackets

This release includes the following features:

• • Added Net and properly calculated VAT to quote / invoice / payment breakdown tables
• • Removed 'Pipps Hill' from SAS Ltd address to save space and because it is not really needed
• • Styled page to pay for the order without an account so that it looks like quote step 7
• • Bug fix for payment code so that it always uses the most recent one
• • Invoice shows original date when the order was placed, instead of the date when it was generated for printing
• • Bug fix for QR Codes: if for some reason they haven't been generated, generate them when going to Orders > Order and update the database

This release includes the following features:

• • Use of Office 365 server for emails instead of the local server
• • SAS Ltd VAT number has been added to the 'Contact Us' page and on emails

This is a bug fix release:

• • Email and invoice showed undefined for VAT and total price per PCBA
• • Order confirmation email wasn't always sent
• • Improvements to visualisations on password reset
• • Email configuration parameters have been moved to a single file

This is a major release, so the version has been updated to 1.1.0! The following features are included in this new version:

• • Major Home screen and log in revamp
• • Introduction of Customer Portal on logging in
• • Added Anglia as a supplier
• • Introduction of 'Animated Tips' that pop-up on quote steps 1, 2, 3 and 6 to help the customer navigate those screens
• • Quote (throughout): if there is an error with a field, said field will turn red for better UX
• • Quote (throughout): display Quote number at the top
• • Quote (throughout) bug fix: display error alert with multiple error messages if more than field is in error (it was overwriting instead of concatenating)
• • Quote timeline bug fix: only show step 3 in green if all the BOM lines are green
• • Quote timeline bug fix: show step 3 in green even if there is no part number in the original customer BOM
• • Saved Quotes pop-up window on clicking on 'New Instant Quote': it only displays the last 5 saved quotes, and there is a link to Saved Quotes to access all the others
• • Saved Quotes pop-up window on clicking on 'New Instant Quote' bug fix: redirect to first not completed step
• • Quote step 1: added a pop-up to remind the user that they can message us for help or watch the video tutorial
• • Quote step 2: improved UX and visuals (most of the screen is hidden until BOM is uploaded; hands point to the upload box; upload box is red until a BOM is uploaded, etc.)
• • Quote step 2: changed the note above the upload box to remind users to use the Description column, and changed colours of it
• • Quote step 3: added a 'Free Issue All' button
• • Quote step 3: changed FI for Free Issue to make it more obvious, and changed the tooltip symbol and colour so that it stands out and the user is more likely to read it
• • Quote step 3: added the expected spares percentage in the Free Issue tooltip
• • Quote step 3: on loading the BOM, if searching by part number doesn't return anything (ie. no products and no alternatives), and if a description column has been selected, automatically re-search using the description instead, to maximise the number of non-red lines shown to the user
• • Quote step 3: draggable modals
• • Quote step 3: Add Component and Select Component tables in the modals now have fixed headers for clearer component selection by the user
• • Quote step 3: introduction of a heartbeat for suppliers' APIs; a warning message will be displayed if an API is not responding, to alert the user
• • Quote step 3: improvement in SAS-components offering by allowing the part number column to actually be a description
• • Quote step 3 bug fix: free issue parts marked as free issue, as sometimes some parts didn't work
• • Quote step 4 bug fix: if gold fingers are non-selectable, they are now stored as 'No' instead of undefined
• • Quote steps 5 and 7: show alert to user if step 4 (PCB Details) not completed, as this will mean that PCBs / stencil price is £0
• • Quote step 6: enforce file extensions for uploads, and display allowed extensions to the customer
• • Quote step 6: changed delete button to a red bin, to keep consistency with other screens
• • Quote step 7: added space to add company details (company name, position, and VAT number)
• • Quote step 7: added buttons to print quote and share payment link (enabled only when all steps have been completed)
• • After successful order payment ("quote step 8"): the screen now offers buttons with links to tracking the order and creating a ticket, and also it shows or hides the text about QR codes depending if the user is free-issuing parts or not
• • Added payment reference and date and time to database
• • QR Codes: use description if there is no part number
• • Pricing bug fix: in case no PCBs are added and we only need to order a stencil
• • Removed My Account dropdown from the top navbar, and instead used a button that redirects to the Customer Portal
• • My Account Details: added confirmation before removing an address
• • My Account Details: removed separate name and surname input fields in favour of one 'name' only
• • My Account > My Orders > Order > Files: improvements in the downloadable BOM and better naming for all downloadable files
• • My Account > My Orders > Order: bug fix for dispatch date not appearing
• • Changed layout of Privacy, Terms and Conditions, Refund Policy
• • Don't show messages bubble if we are in the Customer Portal or the Tickets area
• • Adjusted emails so that it doesn't show undefined if there is no surname due to new register screen
• • Re-styled forgotten password and email confirmation screens in line with new home screen
• • Bug fix: video stops playing in the background after closing it
• • Added YouTube link to page footer
• • Bug fix: req.session.orderID was lost sometimes, now it's re-set on each quote step
• • SEO content improvements
• • General bug fixes and improvements
• • When loading the saved quotes table (either from My Quotes or when showing the last 5 quotes from New Instant Quote), don't bother checking which step should be displayed... This will be done on actually loading the quote, which is much faster
• • Throughout: changed PCBs + Stencil for PCBs / Stencil
• • Throughout: added total PCBA price per unit, and added a new row to specify how much of the price paid for the order is VAT
• • Throughout: added SAS Ltd's VAT number

This release includes the following features:

• • Added 'Forgotten Password?' to Log In screen: on entering the email address, send out an email with a password reset link, valid for 24 hours
• • Bug fix for storing the price to database
• • Bug fix for going back to the first uncompleted step in a saved quote
• • Bug fix in loading a saved quote to ensure that it works regardless if there is a timestamp saved for that step or not (back-compatibility with quotes started before this release)
• • Bug fix in step 3 as sometimes BOM rows couldn't be deleted
• • Bug fix in step 3 on adding new components to BOM: website link wasn't showing properly
• • Bug fix in step 3 on saving the correct manufacturer part number in the database in case a SAS component was selected
• • (Back-End) Usability improvements to email template
• • (Front-End) Email improvements and enhancements
• • Save to database when each quote step is completed
• • Added timestamp to database when user logs in
• • Text change to reflect that Assembly price also includes AOI
• • Bug fix in tickets to cater for BST
• • Removed orderRemark: "dfsdfsd" in favour of a blank string instead, from API call for PCBs
• • Expanded content to be a more useful website and for better SEO
• • Bug fix for creating new tickets from the order screen
• • Bug fix so that new tickets must have a subject and message
• • Added a pricing breakdown table in the calendar step for added transparency
• • Bug fix in step 7 to stop showing a yellow alert with no text if all the quote steps are properly completed
• • Swapped quote steps 5 and 6 to allow the user to choose a dispatch date and see the price breakdown before having to upload technical documents

This release includes the following features:

• • Bug fixes in pricing
• • Show 3 decimal positions in all prices in step 3

This release includes the following features:

• • Improvements to PCB panelisation before it is sent to the PCB supplier
• • Incorrect login messages are now generic regardless of the type of error (eg. correct email but incorrect password, email not found or not validated, etc.) to add a security layer

This release includes the following features:

• • My Orders > Order > Files: don't show files for download that don't exist
• • Step 3: save supplier order code in components table for better PO generation
• • Step 6: more precise lead times used depending on PCB number of layers and quantity, or if the PCB is free issued
• • Step 7, bug fix: don't show an empty alert if everything is OK
• • Step 7, bug fix: if step 4 is not complete, show PCB price as £0
• • Step 7: check if the date is still available before submitting an order and, if it isn't, show warning message and don't allow to submit it
• • Bug fix for generating and saving QR code for free issue PCBs
• • Updated images for PCB DFM tips number 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
• • Bug fix for upserting in the database
• • Bug fix for Save button
• • SEO Tagging

This release includes the following features:

• • Icons added for: Save Quote / Help - View Video / Raise a Ticket in each step
• • Added video tutorials
• • Bug fix in step 1: Project details changes are saved and displayed when going back to that step
• • Reworded instructions in the blue card header in steps 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
• • Removed requirement text in step 2 to use SAS-stocked components as the search function has been improved
• • Removed requirement text in steps 2 and 3 (Select Component) to not use special characters, are they now ignored
• • Removed Attributes icon in step 3 (Select Component) and only left website link, as it is more useful and the popover sometimes flickered so quickly that it couldn't be read (bug to be fixed at a later date)
• • Bug fix in step 3: searching for a component that is DNF works
• • Bug fix in step 3: correct row colours derived from aforementioned problem with DNF components
• • Bug fix in step 3: unticking FI components always works, as sometimes the FI box would be automatically ticked after manually unticking it!
• • Bug fix in step 3: all components are stored in the components table
• • Disabled PCB material dropdown in step 4 for clarity, as only one PCB material is currently being offered
• • Step 4: Added a tooltip to make it clear that gold fingers are only supported if the PCB size is over 50mm x 50mm
• • Bug fix in step 4: if layers / thickness / copper weight are incompatible with each other but were previously selected, on changing one of the dropdowns that create an incompatibility, the others go to default value
• • Improved step 5 visualisation by writing the expected file type in bold red
• • Step 7 doesn't allow the user to submit the quote if the required dispatch date is invalid, either because the date is in the past (if recovering a saved quote), or if there is not enough lead time (if changing the quantity in step 1 and going straight to step 7, for example).
• • Bug fix: confirmation emails are always sent, regardless if there is a QR code pdf attachment or not
• • Bug fix: QR codes stay the same for the same component and don't update on the database
• • Bug fix: QR code for free issue PCBs didn't appear if parts were also free issued; now, QR codes appear for both parts and PCBs if that's the case
• • My Orders / Order Screen: prettified names for panel dimensions
• • My Orders / Order Screen: project details to be read by columns and not rows as it is clearer
• • Capabilities page: clarified that 2oz copper weight is only available for 1.6mm or 2mm thick PCBs
• • PCB panelisation improvements and optimisations
• • Removed 'How to Order' and 'Who Are We?' buttons from top banner of the webiste for neater visuals
• • Speech bubble at the bottom right corner opens a chat drawer on the right instead of being redirected to the tickets screen, so that current page is not lost
• • Bug fix for dates displayed in Tickets mobile view
• • Added PCB Design For Manufacturing section
• • Added CAPTCHA in the Sign Up form
• • Added CAPTCHA in the 'Contact Us' section to avoid spam
• • Added Union Jack flag and image map in the 'Contact Us' section

This release includes the following features:

• • Send an email with a link to authenticate new accounts
• • Price improvement
• • Cache performance enhancements
• • Fixed how Digikey internal part number code is saved in the database
• • Bug fix on step 3, in case there is no description column or the description is blank
• • Bug fix on step 3 for BOM rows colours
• • Restricted PCB thickness, copper weight and golden fingers options depending on number of layers chosen, as per PCB supplier
• • Introduced a minimum PCB size of 6mm x 6mm if SAS is supplying the PCBs
• • Made it clear in step 4 that we currently don't offer castellated holes
• • Added a reminder that, if the PCB is out of our capabilities, we can still do the assembly if the customer free-issues the boards
• • Added PCB capabilities page and created a link to it in step 4
• • Bug fix on step 5, so that trying to upload a whole directory doesn't break the page
• • Text added on step 7 checkbox: "...and that they match SAS capabilities as per the list here."
• • UX improvement: user can not move between quote steps until steps 1 and 2 are completed, as a manual quote would require these steps as a minimum
• • Styling fixes for pdf invoice

This release is focused on performance improvements and bug fixes, detailed below:

• • Added step numbers, changed some icons and modified step descriptions on the Quote timeline for easier reference to the different steps
• • Clearer Board Population options (text change)
• • Improved visualisation for Free Issue components in the BOM
• • Improved SAS component matching function by allowing blank spaces between the value and the unit
• • BOM Import blankifies special / unsupported characters
• • Search component improvements in the BOM
• • Improved component filtering
• • BOM colours fixes and improvements
• • Components ordered by price and stock level
• • Cache updates
• • Allowed Free-Issuing of PCBs or panels, and input the dimensions of each accordingly
• • Clearer Technical Files upload descriptions
• • Fixed Invoice printing format
• • Added suggestions on what to do if printing doesn't work
• • Added fallback in case PCB provider's API is down
• • Optimisations for PCB panels and stencils
• • If all parts are THT, do not order stencils
• • Prettified customer Order screen and showed user-friendly field names
• • General styling enhancements
• • Added FAQs regarding components and suppliers
• • Added SEO

The main features of this release are the addition of Digikey and SAS itself as suppliers, and also the displaying of similar products under components in the Component Search window. Features include:

• • Added SAS components selection in the Component Search
• • Introduced Digikey components in the Component Search
• • Component Search includes similar components to make it easier for the customer to find alternatives, for example in case of their desired component being out of stock
• • New category added in BOM editor step 3: "Found but not in stock", in blue
• • Components Search displays out of stock items, which are greyed out (instead of simply being filtered out)
• • Components Search displays lead time (if available through the supplier) for products that are out of stock
• • A new row has been added to Components Search so that the information for that part is displayed
• • A tickets bubble has been added to make support tickets more accessible
• • BOM Editor step 2 allows an optional description field to be specified, which is used for component search when the part number field is left blank (intentionally to look for generic SAS-stocked components, or not)
• • UI/UX has been tidied up to ease accessibility and use of the site on mobile
• • General improvement to UI so that the majority of pages are shown as single page and don't need scrolling
• • General Performance and Bug Fixes
• • Allowed decimal positions in PCB dimensions
• • Added release notes pages
• • Upgraded graphics and images
• • Improved calendar visualisation
• • Enhanced pdf print-outs format
• • Consideration for daylight savings added