VSTRAP-GIT 1.4.0 — Smarter Workflows, Broader Design Space
Release Date: 22 July 2025
We’re pleased to announce the release of VSTRAP-GIT 1.4.0, introducing expanded parameter control, improved runtime diagnostics, and new features that enhance the design and testing of gridded ion thrusters in both space and ground test conditions.
New Capabilities
Flexible Parameter Variation
Users can now vary key simulation parameters beyond geometry, including:
- Grid voltages
- Inflow mass flow rate
- Vacuum chamber pressure
This enables broader design exploration and parametric sensitivity studies.
Argon Propellant Support
Argon is now supported as a propellant option in GIT simulations.
Note: The integrated discharge model currently supports xenon only.
One-Click Coupling with Discharge Model
Simulation-ready values such as Bohm velocity and discharge current can now be directly imported from the discharge model with a single click.
Advanced Inflow and Chamber Configurations
- Simulate ground testing via new tank boundary conditions
- Configure static ion injection and initial beamlet current manually
- Select SCCM as a unit for inflow mass flow rates
Enhanced Runtime Diagnostics
- Added convergence tracking plots
- Toggle between log and linear scaling
- Interactive legends to highlight specific quantities
- Energy diagnostics now include eV-scale overlays
Proactive License Status Alerts
Built-in tooltips notify users in advance when a license is approaching expiration.
Product Enhancements
Simplified Execution Panel
The interface has been streamlined to reflect supported execution modes, offering a cleaner and more intuitive simulation setup experience.
Improved UI & Clarity
- Clearer naming of parameters and tabs
- Updated color palette in runtime plots for improved readability
- Mesh tick labels and legends adjusted for clarity
Performance & Memory Optimization
Memory usage during simulation and post-processing has been reduced, particularly benefiting large-scale and Lifetime cases.
Stability & Compatibility Improvements
This release includes a number of backend improvements to support:
- More robust project loading and parameter resets
- Consistent post-processing across simulation types
- Improved diagnostics rendering and data accuracy
- Reliable execution in both local and Docker environments
All changes are designed to enhance reliability and confidence during both development and qualification campaigns.
Bug Fixes
- General
- Software user manual button sometimes would fail to open the manual due to incorrect pathing.
- Commas (instead of decimal points) are now properly highlighted as bad input.
- Correctly loads post-processing results after loading a previously executed project.
- Correctly resets simulation parameters when resetting after loading a project.
- Removed deprecated flux thread configuration in the simulation configuration section.
- Fixed issue where sometimes the last iteration of the simulation was not correctly detected as completed.
- Fixed issue in geometry configuration, where simulation would be generated based on the values still stored in the frontend that were not saved would be used.
- Double ions
- Chemistry interactions for double ions are now properly configured and executed in the simulation.
- Species configuration
- Weight configuration and speedup factor for slow moving particles are now properly being checked for bad character input.
- Boundary configuration
- Fixed inconsistencies in the configuration of the boundary section.
- Fixed radio buttons for neutral inflow or vacuum tank conditions to be changed to a default position when switching between sections.
- Particle sampling
- Added checks for the configuration of the particle sampling region.
- Execution
- Simulation progress now properly jumps to 100% when the simulation finishes earlier than expected when the convergence has been detected.
- Pause and resume of simulation execution for the Lifetime base configuration now works properly.
- Input files are now correctly generated using saved geometry data instead of frontend values.
- Parameter variation
- Fixed issue with progress bar during generation of simulation variations showing progress at 99%, while the simulations are still being generated.
- Runtime diagnostics
- Fixed issues where the wrong physical times would be used in the x axis of runtime diagnostics.
- Fixed legend of runtime diagnostics not showing correct labels.
- Fixed issue where sometimes runtime plots would vanish after the simulation finishes.
- Fixed issue where restarting a simulation would retain the plot of the previous execution for plasma runtime diagnostics.
- Post-processing
- General information section updates correctly the information based on the selected tab of the post-processing quantity.
- Save current status button now correctly saves the selected state file from the automatic deletion.
- Post-processing with low number of simulates particles were too noisy, particle groups with less than 1000 particles are not accessible for post-processing.
- CEX double ions and fast CEX ions are now correctly accessible for post-processing.
- Fixed render issues with exponents not being shown correctly in colorbar legends.
- Fixed issue where fast cex ions could not be used for post-processing.
- Lifetime configuration
- Fixed particle sampling section that did not load properly.
- Fixed issue where updating the target current would cause the simulation to crash.
- Fixed issue where LT did not run simulations in the docker image.
- Plume configuration
- Default GIO thruster configuration does not show configuration of an inner radius anymore.
- Fixed visualization of current density in the post-processing, where the vectorial components can now be visualized.
- Post-processing general information was not correctly working.
Current Status
Lifetime runtime diagnostics are undergoing targeted refinement. This affects a limited subset of cases and will be fully resolved in the next release.
Need Assistance?
For support, licensing inquiries, or feedback: support@sparc-industries.com
