The complete Board-Level Design System

for Windows 95, 98 and NT

Includes:
Design Explorer
Schematic Capture
Circuit Simulation
PLD Design
PCB Layout
PCB Autorouting
Signal Integrity Analysis

Protel 99 SE transforms your desktop PC into a

complete, integrated, 32-bit printed circuit board
design environment providing everything you need
to take your electronic design idea from concept all
the way through to a completed board, regardless of
the complexity of the circuit.

Software, documentation and related materials:

Copyright 1994, 2001 Altium Limited.

All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication of the software, manual or

related materials by any means, mechanical or electronic, including
translation into another language, except for brief excerpts in published
reviews, is prohibited without the express written permissions of Altium
Limited.
Unauthorized duplication of this work may also be prohibited by local
statute. Violators may be subject to both criminal and civil penalties,
including fines and/or imprisonment.
The Protel logo is a registered trademark of Altium Limited. Design
Explorer, SmartDoc, SmartTool, and SmartTeam and their logos are
trademarks of Altium Limited.
Microsoft, Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Access are registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Orcad, Orcad Capture, Orcad
Layout and SPECCTRA are registered trademarks of Cadence Design
Systems Inc. AutoCAD is a registered trademark of AutoDesk Inc. HPGL is a registered trademark of Hewlett Packard Corporation. PostScript
is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. All other brand or
product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Printed by Star Printery Pty Ltd

Contents

Contents
SECTION 1

SETTING UP AND GETTING STARTED

Printed Circuit Board Design with Protel 99 SE

Installation
System Requirements
What is Supplied With Your Protel Product?
Installing the Software
Enabling the Software
Register Your Software
Review the README Document
Document Conventions

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8

SECTION 2

THE DESIGN EXPLORER

The Protel 99 SE Design Explorer

How to work in the Design Explorer
Using the Navigation Panel
Working in the Integrated Design Window
What is a Design Database?
Creating a New Design Database
Selecting the Storage Type
Password-Protecting a Design Database
Creating a new Document in the Design Database
Editing a Document
Importing an External Document into the Design Database
Linking to an External Document
Exporting Documents from the Design Database
Managing Documents in the Design Database
Using Folders to Create Hierarchy
Moving, Copying and Deleting Documents

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Contents

Renaming a Document or Folder

Setting up a shared Database for your Design Team
Creating Team Members
Defining Team Member Permissions
Monitoring what Documents are Open
Locking a Document
Working with your Existing Protel Designs
Converting an Existing Design into a Design Database
Linking to External Documents
Working with Existing Company Libraries
Synchronizing an Existing Schematic Project and the PCB
The Technology inside Protel 99 SE
SmartTool Technology
SmartDoc Technology
SmartTeam Technology
Customizing the Design Explorer
Resources Menus, Toolbars and Shortcut Keys
Understanding Processes
Working with Servers
The Text Editor
Languages
Syntax Highlighting
Document Options
Macros

SECTION 3

51

SCHEMATIC CAPTURE

51

Schematic Capture Feature Highlights

Schematic Sheet Editor
Schematic Library Editor
Design Capabilities
Fundamentals of Schematic Capture
The Computer Model of a Circuit
The Schematic Component Model
Connectivity
Using Connectivity
Design verification
Linking from the Schematic to the PCB Layout
Setting up the Schematic Workspace

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Environment Preferences
Schematic Document Options
Sheet Templates
Working in the Schematic Editing Window
Changing Your View of the Sheet
Moving Around the Schematic
Placing Schematic Objects
Editing Schematic Objects
Global Editing
Quick-Copying an Object
Activity - Finding and Replacing Text
Aligning Objects
Moving and Dragging
Schematic Editing Shortcuts
Re-entrant Editing
Canceling a Screen Redraw
Mouse Shortcuts
Keyboard Shortcuts
Frequently Used Shortcut Keys
Undo and Redo
Schematic Design Objects
Electrical Schematic Primitives
Non-Electrical (Drawing) Primitives
Fonts
Schematic Components and Libraries
What is a Schematic Library?
What is a Component and what is a Part?
Where are the Schematic Component Libraries?
Accessing the Components You Need for Your Design
Placing Parts on the Schematic Sheet
The Attributes of a Schematic Part
The Schematic Library Editor
Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management
Overview
Managing Multiple Sheet Projects
Structure of a Multi Sheet Schematic
Master Sheets and Sub-Sheets
How Connectivity is Created in a Multi-Sheet Design
The Different Methods of Structuring a Multi-Sheet Design
Working With a Hierarchical Project
Schematic Design Verification
Marking Points That You Do Not Want Flagged as Errors

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Contents

Verification Options
Setting the Net Identifier Scope
Setting up the Electrical Rules Matrix
Resolving Errors
Preparing the Design for PCB Layout
Assigning and Re-assigning Designators
Check for Missing Footprints
Perform an ERC
Including PCB Layout Specifications
Ready for PCB Layout
Transferring the Design Information to the PCB
Transferring the Design Information
How the Synchronizer knows which PCB to Use
Where the Components are Placed in the PCB Workspace
Transferring PCB Layout Information
Passing Forward Schematic Design Updates
How the Synchronizer Associates the Schematic and PCB Components
How the Synchronizer Transfers the Design Information
Printing Your Schematic Design
Overview
Generating a print or plot
Creating Schematic Reports
Bill of Materials
Cross Reference
Project hierarchy
Netlist Compare
Linking to Databases
Hot Linking to a Database
Importing and Exporting to a Database
Interfacing to Third-Party Tools
Translating an Orcad Capture Design
Mechanical CAD Interface
Creating a Netlist

SECTION 4

175

MIXED-SIGNAL SIMULATION

175

Mixed-Signal Simulation Feature Highlights

Getting Started with Simulation
Example Circuits

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Contents

Creating the Circuit

Adding the Source Components
Defining the Points to be Plotted
Setting up the Analyses
Running a Simulation
Viewing the Simulation Results
Setting up and Running a Simulation
Specifying the Simulation Data that you want Collected, Displayed and
Stored
Transient Analysis
AC Small Signal Analysis (AC Sweep)
DC Sweep Analysis
DC Operating Point Analysis
Monte Carlo Analysis
Parameter Sweep
Temperature Sweep
Fourier Analysis
Transfer Function Analysis
Noise Analysis
Impedance Plot Analysis
Mathematical Functions and Waveforms
Including extra SPICE Information in the Netlist
Creating and Simulating from the Netlist
Specifying Initial Circuit Conditions
The Waveform Analysis Window
Displaying Waveforms
Resizing the Waveforms
Viewing Waveforms in Separate Cells
Displaying Multiple Waveforms in the same Cell
Displaying a Waveform Scaled Two Ways
Scaling the Waveforms Axes
Displaying the Simulation Data Points
Identifying Waveforms on a Single Color Printout
Using the Measurement Cursors
How Multi-pass Results are Displayed
Voltage and Current Sources
Locating the Source Components
Constant Source
Sinusoidal Source
Periodic Pulse Source
Piece-Wise-Linear Source
Exponential Source
Frequency Modulation Source

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Contents

Linear Dependent Sources

Non-linear Dependent Sources
Components and Models
Component Symbol Libraries
Models and Subcircuits
Device Descriptions
Creating your own Simulation-Ready Components
Working with Circuits that will not Simulate
When The Netlist can not be Created
Understanding SPICE Convergence
Strategies for Solving Convergence Failures
Solving DC Analysis Failures
Solving Transient Analysis Failures
Warning and Error Messages
SPICE Variables and Analog Options
Integration Method
Digital Power Supply and the Reference Ground
SPICE Options
Suggested SPICE Reading
Simulating Digital Designs
Modeling Digital Components
Digital Power and Ground
Creating New SimCode Devices
SimCode Language Definition
SimCode Language Syntax

SECTION 5

311

PLD DESIGN

311

PLD Design Feature Highlights

Schematic-based PLD Design
Designing a PLD with CUPL
The PLD Compiler
The PLD Simulator
Viewing the Simulation Waveforms
CUPL High-level Language
Universal Device Support
An Overview of the PLD Design Process
Entering the Design
Compiling the Design
Simulating the Design
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Contents

Where to Set-up and Run the PLD Compiler

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry
Using the Symbol Library
Designing the Internal Logic
Creating a Multi-Sheet Design
Interfacing from Internal Logic to Component Pins
Compiling a Schematic-based Programmable Logic Design
CUPL HDL Design Entry
Overview of CUPL Source File Syntax
Source File Directives
Language Elements
Language Syntax
Compiling the Programmable Logic Design
Selecting the Target Device
Compiler Options
Output Formats
Simulating the Programmable Logic Design
Input to the Simulator
Output from the Simulator
Creating a Test Specification Source File
Header Information
Specifying a Device
Comments
Statements
Variable Declaration (VAR)
Simulator Directives
Advanced Syntax
Looping Constructs
Virtual Simulation
Fault Simulation
Viewing the Simulation Waveforms
Sample PLD Design Session
The Design Steps
Step 1 - Examining the Design Task
Step 2 - Creating the CUPL Source Code
Step 3 - Formulating the Equations
Step 4 - Choosing a Target Device
Step 5 - Making the Pin Assignments
Step 6 - Compiling the PLD Source File
Step 7 Creating a Schematic-based version of the Design
Step 8 - Creating a Simulation Test Vector File
Step 9 - Simulating the Device
Step 10 - Viewing the Simulation Waveforms

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Contents

Summary
PLD Design Examples
Example 1 - Simple Logic Gates
Example 2 - Two-Bit Counter
Example 3 - Simple State Machine Design
Example 4 - Decade Up/Down Counter
Example 5 - Seven-Segment Display Decoder
Example 6 - 4-Bit Counter with Load and Reset

SECTION 6

437

PCB DESIGN

437

PCB Design Feature Highlights

The PCB Layout Editor
The PCB Library Editor
Shape-Based Autorouting
Design Capabilities
Setting up the PCB Workspace
Coordinate System
Workspace Size and Accuracy
Switching from Imperial to Metric
Grids
Layers
PCB Workspace Preferences
Creating, Opening and Saving PCB Documents
Creating a New PCB
Save Copy As Option
Importing and Exporting older Protel PCB File Formats
Working in the PCB Design Window
Changing Your View of the Workspace
Moving Around the PCB Workspace
Editing PCB Objects
Selection
Global Editing
Moving and Dragging
Deleting
Measuring Distance in the PCB Workspace
PCB Editing Shortcuts
Re-entrant Editing
Canceling a Screen Redraw
Mouse Shortcuts
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Contents

Slider Hand
Keyboard Shortcuts
Special Mode-Dependent Keys
Locating Components
Undo and Redo
PCB Design Objects
PCB Primitive Objects
Group Objects
PCB Component Footprints and Libraries
What is a Footprint and what is a Component?
Where are the PCB Footprint Libraries?
Accessing Component Footprints
Finding and Placing Components
PCB Components Attributes
Changing the Footprint a Component is Using
Modifying a Component Footprint on the Board
Including Routing in Component Footprints
Un-Grouping a Component
Copying Components from the PCB to a Library
The PCB Library Editor
Creating a Project Library
Defining the Board
Creating the mechanical definition of the PCB
Defining the Placement and Routing Outline
Defining the PCB Layer Stack
Defining the drill pairs
Using The Board Wizard
Transferring the Design from the Schematic
Specifying the PCB Design Requirements
What are Design Rules?
Defining the Design Rules
How Rules are Applied
Working with Design Rules
Object Classes
Routing Rule Definitions
Manufacturing Rule Definitions
High Speed Rule Definitions
Placement Rule Definitions
Signal Integrity Rule Definitions
Other Rule Definitions
Examples of Using Design Rules
Component Placement Tools and Techniques
Important Placement Options

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ix

Contents

Moving Components
Working Between the Schematic and PCB
Using Component Unions
Working with Placement Rooms
Using the Interactive Placement Tools
Automatic Component Placement
Understanding Connectivity and Topology
How the Component and Connectivity Information is Transferred
How the Net Connectivity is Displayed
Net Topology
Changing the Net Topology
User-defined From-Tos
Displaying Pin-to-Pin Connections
Managing the Netlist
Changing Net Attributes
Identifying Nets
Manually Routing the PCB
How the PCB Editor Manages the Connectivity as you Route
Preparing to Route
Manually Routing the PCB
Interactive Routing Modes, including Push and Shove
Re-routing
Using Internal Power Planes
Creating a Copper Plane on a Signal Layer
Autorouting the PCB
Setting Up to Autoroute
Autorouting Options
Inside Protel 99 SEs Autorouter
Including Testpoints and Teardrops on the PCB
What is a Testpoint?
Setting up the Testpoint Design Rules
Locating Existing Testpoint Sites
Adding Testpoints with the Autorouter
Reporting the Location of Each Testpoint
Reporting Nets that Failed to Receive a Testpoint
Clearing all Testpoints from the Board
Adding Teardrops to Pads and Vias
Verifying the PCB Design
What is the Design Rule Checker?
Online DRC
Setting Up for a Batch Mode Design Rule Check
Running the Batch DRC
The DRC Report
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Contents

Resolving Design Rule Violations

Checking the Signal Integrity
Generating Reports
3 Dimensional PCB Visualization
Printing to a Windows Printing Device
Setting up a Print Preview
What is a Printout?
Changing the set of Printouts
Changing the Target Printer
Setting the Paper Orientation, Scaling and other Printer Options
Printing
Copying from the Preview Window to other Applications
Exporting the Printouts as WMF files
Color, Font and other Preferences
Generating the Manufacturing Files
Working With the PCB Manufacturer
Generating Manufacturing Output with the CAM Manager
Creating a new CAM Document
Adding Output Setups to a CAM Document
Configuring the CAM Generation Options
Generating the Output Files
Gerber File Output Setup
NC Drill Output Setup
Bill of Materials Output Setup
Pick and Place Output Setup
Testpoint Report Output Setup
Design Rule Check Output Setup
Transferring the CAM Document to Another Design
What is Artwork?
Passing Design Changes Back to the Schematic
Re-assigning the Component Designators
Updating the Schematic from the PCB
Interfacing to Third-Party Tools
Loading a Netlist
Exporting the Netlist
File Importers and Exporters

INDEX

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Section 1

Setting up and getting started

Printed Circuit Board Design with Protel 99 SE
Installation
Document Conventions

3
6
8

Setting Up and Getting Started

Printed Circuit Board Design with Protel 99 SE

Printed Circuit Board Design with Protel 99 SE

Welcome to the Protel 99 SE Designer's Handbook, a comprehensive guide to learning

and using Protel 99 SE. Whether you are new to the world of EDA design or a
seasoned veteran, this book will help you get the most out of this powerful design
environment by providing full instructions on all Protel 99 SE's features, as well as tips
and hints on streamlining the design process and getting the most from this unique
design environment.

Refer to the Readme file for any late-breaking updates and additions.

Setting Up and Getting Started

Protel 99 SE transforms your desktop PC into a complete, integrated, full 32-bit printed
circuit board design and document management environment, providing everything
you need to take your electronics project from concept, all the way through to
completed boards.
Capture your circuit as a "connectivity-aware" schematic, choosing components from a
vast array of libraries. Perform circuit simulations directly from your schematic at the
touch of a button. Port elements of your design for incorporation into programmable
logic devices. Layout your schematic as a printed circuit board (PCB), maintaining
electrical connectivity and design rule compliance throughout. Autoroute your PCB to
produce a professional single or multi-layer board that complies with your
manufacturer's mechanical layout specifications, then test the signal integrity before
the design leaves your PC. Protel 99 SE lets you perform all these tasks easily from
within a single, integrated design environment.
The heart of Protel 99 SE is its unique architecture, built on Smart integration
technologies SmartTool, SmartDoc, and SmartTeam.
SmartTool is client/server technology that brings all your favorite design tools together,
into a single user interface. These tools include Protel 99 SEs Schematic Editor,
Mixed-Signal Circuit Simulator, PLD Compiler, PCB Placement and Routing, and
PCB Signal Integrity Analysis.
SmartTool technology also integrates OLE compliant editors. These include Microsoft
Word, Microsoft Excel, and the Visio tools, to name a few. Now you can store
the handbook that you are writing in Word in the Design Database right next to the
other design documents, then simply double-click to open in Word, ready for editing.
SmartDoc technology finally solves the task that every designer dreads document
management. No longer do you need to keep track of 30 or more design documents;
from schematic sheets, simulation results, PLD source files, PCB layouts, Gerber and
drill files, the bill of materials, various Word documents, mechanical drawings the
list goes on.
With SmartDoc technology all the design documents are stored in a single Design
Database. You can import and export documents at any time when it is time to send
the files off to the PCB fabrication house just select them, right-click and Export.
SmartTeam technology brings a new way of working to the design team. With
SmartTeam technology all the team members can work in the same Design Database,
at the same time, with complete confidence. All the document access and control
features that you need are there create members, specify their access rights, keep
track of which designer is working on what document, and lock documents to prevent
accidental overwriting. Better still, all these features are defined and controlled at the
Design Database level, not at the network level.
Protel 99 SE brings these three powerful technologies together in the Design Explorer.
This single intuitive interface is all you need to manage and edit all the documents in
the integrated Design Database. If you can use the Windows File Explorer then you

Printed Circuit Board Design with Protel 99 SE

already know how to use the Design Explorer. Navigate and manage all the documents
in the Design Database, create folders, drag and drop documents, import and export
documents, all with a few mouse clicks.
You can automate tasks in Protel 99 SE using macro scripts written in Client Basic, a
simple to learn yet powerful macro programming language. Develop your macro
scripts using the Text Editor and you have full Client Basic syntax highlighting, and a
range of debugging tools at your disposal. Macros operate at the environment level,
meaning you can control any system process, regardless of which Editor provides it.
If you are new to the world of Protel 99 SE, please take some time to get to know the
capabilities of the Protel 99 SE environment. All toolbars, menus and shortcut keys in
Protel 99 SE are highly configurable. We understand that different designers like to
work in different ways, and Protel 99 SE allows you to tailor your environment to suit.
Whenever you are working on a particular type of document, a schematic sheet or a
PCB layout for example, Protel 99 SE will present you with the appropriate toolbars,
menus and shortcut keys. Switch to a different type of document and Protel 99 SE will
change the toolbars, menus and shortcut keys to those appropriate to the new
document. You can easily configure the toolbars, menus and shortcut keys that are
active for any particular document type. So regardless of whether you are routing a
PCB, calculating manufacturing costs in a spreadsheet, or running a transient circuit
analysis, you will always have the tools you want directly at hand.
Components are the foundation of any electronic circuit, and Protel 99 SE comes with
comprehensive schematic, PCB footprint and simulation model libraries that include a
vast range of components from all leading device manufacturers. The Altium Library
Development Center is continually updating these libraries and creating new ones to
give you access to the very latest devices and packaging. For instant component
updates, the Protel Web site at www.protel.com maintains the latest libraries for direct
download. With Protel 99 SE, you can also create your own component libraries.
Component Wizards make the job of creating your own custom components a breeze.
At Altium, we understand that great designs are not created by computer, they are
created by designers. That is why we have created Protel 99 SE to be the easiest to use,
most integrated and configurable electronics design suite for the Windows platform.
Protel 99 SE works the way you want to work.
So sit back, put your feet up and let Protel 99 SE go to work for you.

Setting Up and Getting Started

Installation
System Requirements
Minimum
Microsoft Windows 95 or NT running on an IBM PC or compatible

Pentium processor

32 MB of RAM

SVGA display, 16 color (1024x768 resolution)

200 MB of hard disk space for minimum installation

Recommended
Microsoft Windows NT 4 (or later)

Pentium II processor, 300 MHz or faster

64 MB of RAM

True color display (1024x768 resolution or higher)

300 MB of hard disk space for complete installation (all libraries)

What is Supplied With Your Protel Product?

Your Protel package includes the following materials:

Installation CD

Designers Handbook (this book)

Letter with the required access codes (this may be delivered separately)

Protel Software Registration Card (unless purchased as an upgrade)

License agreement (removable attachment on the Registration Card)

If any of these items are missing from your package, contact your Altium
representative immediately to arrange a replacement.

Installation

Installing the Software

When you place the Protel 99 SE CD in your CD drive the
installation shield will appear automatically. Follow the
installation instructions from there.
To run the installation process manually select the Run
option in the Start menu. In the Run dialog box, type in the
following:

It is advisable to
close all applications
and re-start Windows
prior to installing the
software.

<drive_name>:\Protel99SE\Setup.exe

where <drive_name> is the drive you are installing from. This is typically D or E when
installing from CD ROM. Follow the installation instructions from there.
The last page of the installation Wizard may report that your PC will be restarted to
complete the installation process. You will not be able to run the software until this is
done.

Enabling the Software

If the Lock dialog appears when you try to edit a document (after installing the
software), it means that the Access Code for that editor has not been entered correctly.
You will not be able to use that editor until the correct code has been entered. After
entering the code in the Lock dialog press the Test button to confirm that it has been
entered correctly.
You can check the access status of each editor that requires an Access Code in the
Security Locks dialog. Select Client menu Security from the menus to display the
dialog, select the Editor, and press the Unlock button. The Lock dialog will list each
16-character Access Code that has been entered, and display the current Access Rights.

Register Your Software

Sign and return the enclosed License Registration Card. By returning this card you
acknowledge that you have accepted the terms of the license. You should also notify
your Altium representative if your address changes. Maintaining your registration
ensures on-going access to technical support, upgrade notices and other important
product information.

Review the README Document

Please review the README document for product information that may have changed
after this manual went to print.

Setting Up and Getting Started

Document Conventions
Windows

Refers to Microsoft Windows 95, 98, or NT4.

DOS

Refers to MS-DOS or PC-DOSTM version 5.0 or later.

italic

Indicates anything to be typed. Always enter the italicized information exactly

as it appears. Italics are also used to flag chapter and topic names, and to add
emphasis to an important point.

CAPITALS

These are used to indicate directory or filename.

SMALL CAPS

These are used to indicate key names, such as ENTER or ESC.

Initial Caps

These indicate dialog box names (e.g. Document Options) or option names in a
dialog box (Snap To Center).

menu menu item

Menu items are shown in bold. Each menu level is separated by a . For
example, if you read Client menu Servers you should click on the Client menu
(the down arrow on the left of the menu bar), then click on Servers.

SHIFT+ALT

The + sign means: hold down the SHIFT key then press the
ALT key.

F1, F2

The comma (,) means press and release the F1 key then
press and release the F2 key.

Tips are
shown in a
highlight box
like this.

On-line Help
The Help menu provides instant access to on-line
information about the various features of the Protel
software. Protel 99 SE includes an easy-to-use natural
language query feature, the Help Advisor. To run the
Help Advisor click on the button on the Status bar, or
select Help Search for Help on from the menus.
Simply type a question in the Help Advisor as if you
were asking a person. A list of appropriate topics will
appear, click on a topic to launch the help system and
display that topic. You can also tailor the Natural
Language interface to search particular topics, press
the Options button to configure this.

Press F1 when a menu item is highlighted to pop

up a description of the process that is launched
when you select that menu item.

Click on the Help Advisor

button on the Status bar to
popup the Help Advisor

Section 2

The Design Explorer

The Protel99 Design Explorer
How to work in the Design Explorer
What is a Design Database?
Creating a New Design Database
Creating a new Document in the Design Database
Editing a Document
Importing an External Document
Linking to an External Document
Exporting Documents from the Design Database
Managing Documents in the Design Database
Setting up a shared Database for your Design Team
Working with your Existing Protel Designs
The Technology inside Protel99
Customizing the Design Explorer
The Text Editor
Macros

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The Design Explorer

10

The Protel 99 SE Design Explorer

The Protel 99 SE Design Explorer

The Design Explorer is your interface to your Design Database

When you select Protel 99 SE from the Windows Start menu, the Design Explorer
opens. The Design Explorer is your interface to your designs, and the various design
tools that you use to create your designs.
The Design Explorer has a number of features which distinguish it from other
Windows applications. These include:

The ability to store multiple documents (files) in a single Design Database. These
can be Protel documents, such as schematic sheets, PCB files, etc, as well as any
other kind of document created by any application in Microsoft Windows.

A single document editing window for each open Design Database, referred to in
this handbook as a Design Window. Each document that you open from a Design
Database is opened on a separate Tab, within the same Design Window. This
allows you to easily manage anything from a single schematic sheet design,
through to a large project which includes multiple sets of schematics and PCBs, as
11

The Design Explorer

well as other project documents, such as Microsoft Word and Excel documents,
Visio documents, and so on.

The Design Explorer Navigation Panel which you use to manage your design in
it you can create a design hierarchy of any depth, navigate the design hierarchy,
and perform all the standard document operations, such as copy, paste, move and
delete.

How to work in the Design Explorer

Navigation Panel

Single Integrated Design Window

Working in the Design Explorer is easy. In fact if you are familiar with the Windows
File Explorer, then you are ready to go!
Like the File Explorer, there are two regions to work in: the navigation tree in the panel
on the left; and the view of where you currently are in the tree, on the right. In the
Design Explorer this is your window into the open Design Database, and is called the
Design Window.

12

The Protel 99 SE Design Explorer

Using the Navigation Panel

The Navigation Panel on the left shows the
tree-like relationship between all the
documents in your design. Like the
Windows File Explorer, it shows how all the
various design documents are stored in the
Design Database.
click once on the + symbol to expand the tree
The Navigation Panel also shows any
logical relationship between the schematic
sheets in each schematic project.
In the Navigation Panel you can:
Click once on the small + symbol to
expand that branch of the tree.
Click once on the small symbol to
collapse that branch of the tree.
Double-click on a folder to expand the continue to click on each + to expand the tree
tree, as well as open that folder in the
Design Window.
Click once on a document to open the
document in the Design Window.
Click and hold on a document or folder,
then drag and drop it on another folder
to move it. If you do this with a folder
all the contents are moved too.
Right mouse click and hold on a
document or folder, then drag and drop
it on another folder. When you release
the mouse a small menu will appear,
click once on the document to open it
where you can select Move, Copy or
Create Shortcut.
The best way to navigate through the Design Database is to use the
Navigation Panel.
By clicking on the small + and symbols in the design tree you can explore
the various branches of the tree, without actually having to open a folder or
document. When you locate the document you wish to work on, simply click
once on the document icon or name to open it, ready for editing.

13

The Design Explorer

Working in the Integrated Design Window

The Design Window has two different types of
views folder views, which display all the
documents and sub-folders within that folder; and
editor views, which display the document that is
open for editing.
You can have multiple views of each type open at
the same time. The name of each document or
folder that is currently open in memory is
displayed on a tab along the top of the Design
Window. Click on a Tab to make that folder or
document active.
A Folder view in the Design Window
The folder view in the Design Window behaves
just like the Windows File Explorer. In the folder
view you can:
Double-click on an icon to open that file or
folder.
SHIFT+click, CTRL+click, and click-and-draga-box around, to select documents and
folders.
Click and drag to move documents and
folders from one folder view to another (even An Editor view in the Design Window
to another Design Database).
Right-click and drag on documents and folders when you drop them on the
destination folder a small menu will appear, asking if you would like to Move,
Copy, or Create a Shortcut to the objects you dragged.
Right-click on an icon to display a file/folder manipulation menu, where you can;
export the document, copy or cut the current (or selected) document, or import an
object (a non-Protel document).
Right-click elsewhere in the folder view to display a different menu, where you
can; create new documents or folders, import documents, link to external
documents, paste from the clipboard, or change the view.
Various types of document editing views are available. Each different type of
document is edited in a different editing view. For example, schematic documents are
edited in a Schematic Editor view, PCBs are edited in a PCB Editor view, ASCII
reports are edited in a Text Editor view, and so on. You will notice that as you click on
the Tabs at the top of the Design Window to move from one editor view to another, the
menus and toolbars change.

14

The Protel 99 SE Design Explorer

Working with Multiple Open Documents

A single Design Window is convenient because it binds all the open design documents
together. You can easily move between open documents, by clicking on the appropriate
Tab at the top of the Design Window, or by using the CTRL+TAB and CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
shortcuts.
Closing an Open Document
To close the active document you can either; right mouse click on the document Tab,
then select Close from the menu that appears, or select File Close from the menu bar.
Splitting the Design Window
When you need to view two or more documents at the same time, you can split the
single window into multiple regions.

Right-click on the Tab to display the Design Window splitting options

The easiest way to split the Design Window is to right mouse click on the active Tab.
The active Tab has a small icon on the left.

15

The Design Explorer

In the menu that appears there are a number of Split options. In the figure shown above
the Tile Tabs option has been chosen, splitting the Design Window into four regions,
one for each Tab that was open when the option was chosen.
Rearranging Tabs in a Split Design Window
The Tabs in a split Design Window can be rearranged by clicking, holding, and
dragging a Tab from the current split region, and
Look for the icon to see
dropping it onto another Tab, in a different split
which Tab is currently active.
region. With a bit of practice you will find it easy to
quickly rearrange the Tabs, to display exactly as you
require.
Resizing Regions in a Split Design Window
Position the cursor over the edge where two regions
of a split window meet. When you do small doubleheaded arrow will appear click and drag to resize
these two regions.

When you position the

mouse where two regions of a
split window meet, the cursor
changes to a resize cursor.

Restoring a Split Design Window to display as a

Single View
If you have split the Design Window into a number of regions you can quickly restore
the Design Window to a single view. To do this right-click on one of the Tabs and
select Merge Tabs from the menu.
Detaching a Tab into a separate Window
You can also detach a Tab from a Design Window to display it in a separate window.
To detach the active Tab, right-click on it to display the floating menu, and select
Detach Tab. This Tab will appear in a separate window frame.
Restoring detached Tabs back into the Original Design Window
To return all detached Tabs back into the original Design Window, right-click on a Tab
in the original window and select Merge Project.

16

What is a Design Database?

What is a Design Database?

As you have read this chapter you would have noticed the term Design Database you
are probably wondering what exactly is a Design Database?
The dictionary definition of a database is, a comprehensive collection of related data
organized for convenient access, and that is exactly what a Protel 99 SE Design
Database is it is all your design documents, organized and stored in a single file on
your hard disk, for convenient access and management. A Protel 99 SE Design
Database has the file extension .Ddb.
All the documents that have been created in the design are stored in this database, such
as the schematic sheets, PCB, BOM, DRC report, Gerber files, and so on. The database
also stores the folders, as well as information about the design hierarchy.
When you first open the Design Database only the top-level folder is opened in the
Design Window, none of the documents inside the Design Database are opened. This
means that even the largest Design Database, containing thousands of documents,
opens very quickly.
You can then selectively open
the various documents in the
Design Database. When you
want to open a document
simply click once on the
document icon in the tree, or
double-click on the document
icon shown in the folder view
in the Design Window. The
document will open in a new
editor view in the Design
Window.
To check what documents are
currently open look at the
Tabs displayed at the top of
the Design Window.

The folders and documents

that are currently open in
this design database

The Tabs at the top of the Design Window show you what
documents and folders are currently open

17

The Design Explorer

Creating a New Design Database

To create a new Design Database select File New Design from the menus. The New
Design Database dialog will pop up. Set the Storage Type, enter the Database name,
and change the location if required.

Creating a New Design Database select the storage type, enter

the name and change the location if necessary

Selecting the Storage Type

Design documents can be stored in 2 different ways:
If the Storage Type is set to MS Access Database then all design documents are
stored inside a single Microsoft Access database file.
If the Storage Type is set to Windows File System then all design documents are
stored directly on the disk drive in the location specified at the bottom of the dialog.
Regardless of the storage system that is chosen, the way you work in the Design
Explorer is exactly the same. If your design uses the Windows File System Storage
Type you still open the design first then open the schematic, PCB, or other design
documents. You can not move documents into a Windows File System database with
the Windows File Explorer, they must be imported into a database before they can be
opened. You can import a number of files by importing a folder, or by dragging from
the Windows File Explorer directly into an open design.
Note that designs which use the Windows File System storage do not support any of
the DesignTeam features, such as document access control. Other design integration
features, like synchronization and background document opening when printing and
netlisting, are supported.

18

What is a Design Database?

Password-Protecting a Design Database

If you would like to password-protect the Design Database as you create it, click on the
Password Tab and enter the password. You can password-protect a Design Database at
any time, by going to the Members folder and entering a password for the Admin
member. To unprotect a Database remove the password from the Admin member.
Password-protection is not available if the Design Database uses the Windows File
System storage type.

The new Design Database, ready to create new folders and documents in

19

The Design Explorer

Creating a new Document in the Design Database

Before you create a
new document, first
navigate to the folder
where you want the
document to be stored.
To create a new document
in the Design Database
right-mouse click in the
folder view to display the
floating menu, then click
on New in the menu.
The
New
Document
dialog will appear. The
dialog includes an icon for each Document kind that can be created. Select the required
document kind and click OK.
The kinds of documents that can be created depends on the available document editors.
Enable the Show All Document Kinds option for a complete list.
An icon for a new document will appear in the design. To rename the document click
once on the document icon to select it (in the folder view, not the tree), then select Edit
Rename from the menus (or press the F2 shortcut). The text will appear highlighted,
ready to type in the new name.

Why are there non-Protel Icons in the New Document Dialog?

One of the powerful features of Protel 99 SE is its ability to support both Protel
documents, and non-Protel documents. Any document that is created and edited by
an OLE Server (currently registered on your PC) will appear in the New Document
dialog, when you enable the Show All Document Kinds option.
These non-Protel documents are stored inside the Design Database, but can still be
edited by the application (OLE Server) that created them.
This powerful feature allows you to store all the documents associated with a
project inside the Design Database. By storing these documents inside the Design
Database you get all the benefits of a single, shared Design Database all
documents kept together, database and document access control, document
monitoring and document locking. Refer to the topic, Setting up a Shared Database
for your Design Team, later in this chapter for more details on these features.

20

Creating a new Document in the Design Database

Editing a Document
When you first open a Design Database none of
the documents in the database are opened. The
only thing that is opened is the top level folder.
There are two approaches to opening a document
in the design database for editing.
The first approach is to use the Navigation Panel
on the left to locate the document in the Design
Database, then click once on its icon to open the
document. The advantage of this approach is that
you can locate and open the document (regardless
of how deep it is in the Design Database), without
opening anything else. For tips on using the
Navigation Panel refer to the topic, Using the
Navigation Panel earlier in this chapter.

Use the Navigation Panel to quickly

locate and open the document

The Alternative approach is to double-click on the appropriate sub-folder icon in the

folder view on the right, then double-click again to open the next sub-folder, and so on,
until you locate the document, which you then double-click on to open. The
disadvantages of this approach are; you have to open all the folders as well as the
document, and you have to know exactly where the document is.

Editing non-Protel Documents

As well as being able to store non-Protel documents inside the Design Database,
you can also edit these documents, and have the updated document saved back into
the Design Database.
Documents created by OLE Servers (such as Word and Excel documents) can be
edited directly from the Design Explorer. When you click to open a Word
document that is stored in a Design Database Microsoft Word starts, and the Word
document is opened in it, ready for editing. When you save changes made in Word,
the document is written back into the Design Database.

21

The Design Explorer

Importing an External Document

into the Design Database
To import a document into the Design Database right-click in the folder view to
display the floating menu, then click on Import in the
When you import a
menu. The Import Document dialog will appear.
document the original copy
Navigate to locate the required document, select it,
is not removed from your
then click Open to import it. A copy of the document
hard disk.
is saved into the Design Database, and an icon is
added into the current folder.
The document icon shows what document editor is used to edit this document. For
example, a Protel PCB document will have a PCB icon, indicating that it will be
opened by Protels PCB Editor. A Microsoft Word document will have the familiar
Word icon, indicating that it will be opened by Microsoft Word. An AutoCAD DWG
document will have the AutoCAD icon. When you
You can also drag and
double-click on an AutoCAD icon the AutoCAD
drop documents and folders
editor will launch outside of the Design Explorer, and
directly from the Windows
the DWG document that you double-clicked on will
File Explorer to import
open.
them into the Design
If there is no recognized editor for the document
Explorer.
Any
folder
being imported it is given a special icon, indicating
hierarchy that exits in a
that it can not be opened by double-clicking on the
dragged
folder
is
icon. You can change the editor that is assigned to
automatically recreated in
the document, right-click and select Properties.
the Design Explorer.

Linking to an External Document

As well as storing documents
within the Design Database, you
can also link to external
documents. Linking allows you to
associate a document with a
project, without having to store it
within the Design Database.
Linked documents are edited in
the Design Window in the normal
way.

Design ideas.sch is not stored inside the Design

Database. It is a linked document as shown by the
small arrow on the icon.

There are disadvantages to linking to an external document. You must remember that
the document is external, so backing it up, moving it, deleting it managing that

22

Importing an External Document into the Design Database

document must be done separately from managing the Design Database. The other
disadvantage is that you cannot lock an external document while you are working on it,
so you cannot protect against the possibility that two designers may have the same
linked document open, and overwrite each others work.
To link to an external document right-click in the folder view to display the floating
menu, then click on Link in the menu. The Link Document dialog will appear.
Navigate to locate the required document, select it, then click Open to Link to it. An
icon is added into the current folder. Note that the icon has a small arrow in the bottom
left corner, indicating that this is a linked external document.

Exporting Documents from the Design Database

You can export a copy of a document from the Design Database, out to your hard disk
(or network drive). To export a document right-click on its icon in the folder view to
select it and display the floating menu, then select Export from the menu. The Export
dialog will appear navigate to the location you want to save the document, then click
Save. Note that the document is not deleted from the Design Database, it is just copied
out to the location you specified.
You can also export an entire folder (with sub-folders). A folder
of the same name is created on the hard disk, and all documents and
sub-folders in the selected Design Database folder are exported.

23

The Design Explorer

Managing Documents in the Design Database

Use the Design Explorer to manage the documents inside your Design Database just
like you use the Windows File Explorer to manage documents on your hard disk.

Using Folders to Create Hierarchy

You can manage the documents within the Design
Database by creating folders, to categorize and store the
documents in a way that suits your design. Like the
Windows File Explorer, you can create a hierarchy of
folders, with folders within folders.
To create a new folder, right-click in a folder view in the
integrated Design Window, then click on New in the
floating menu that appears. Click on Folder in the New
Document dialog, and click OK.
The new folder will appear with a generic name, like
Folder1. To rename the folder click once on the folder to
select it, then select Edit Rename from the menus (or
press the F2 shortcut). The text will appear highlighted,
ready to type in the new name.

Moving, Copying and Deleting Documents

Use folders to organize your

documents in the Design Database

The Design Explorer supports all the familiar File Explorer shortcuts:

SHIFT+click, CTRL+click,

and click and drag a window, to select documents and

folders
Press the DELETE key to delete the current selection
Drag and drop from one folder into another folder, to move the current selection
Right-click, drag and drop a selection to pop up a menu, where you can choose
between Copy, Move and Create Shortcut
Press CTRL+C to copy the current selection, then CTRL+V to paste
Right-click on a selection to display a menu, you can Copy, Cut, Delete, etc.

Renaming a Document or Folder

To rename a document or folder first select it (click once on its icon), then select Edit
Rename from the menus, or press the F2 shortcut key. An editing box will appear
around the name, and the text will be selected. Type in the new name, including any
file extension. Protel 99 SE does not use the file extension to identify documents inside
the design database you are free to use any extension you like, or none at all.

24

Setting up a Shared Database for your Design Team

Setting up a shared Database for your Design Team

Protel 99 SE incorporates Design Explorers SmartTeam technology. This technology
allows document access control to be defined by the design team, and stored in the
Design Database. It provides similar functionality to standard network access control,
such as setting up members, and defining folder level and document level access
permissions.
When you create a new Design Database the access
control features will not be enabled. Access restriction is
enabled only when the Admin member has a password
specified. Once this has been done anyone who attempts to
open the Design Database will be prompted to provide a
member name and password. To do this they will need to
be defined as a Member.
After creating a new Design Database use the Design
Explorer Navigation Panel to open the DesignTeam folder.
Click on the Members folder to open it and create new
Members, click on the Permissions folder to open it and
define their Permissions.
A Design Database will present a login dialog
once a password is defined for the Admin member.

Creating Team Members

When you create a new Design Database
there are two members created by default,
Admin and Guest. To create a new
member right-click in the Members folder
view, and select New Member from the
floating menu.
In the User Properties dialog that appears
you need to define: Name of the member
(used at login, in the Sessions window,
and when defining Permissions), their
Description, and their login Password.
Note: New Members and their
Passwords can only be defined by
logging in as Admin.

25

The Design Explorer

Defining Team Member Permissions

The default behavior of the Design Database Permissions system is to allow members
freedom to Read, Write, Create and Delete, which is then restricted by the creation of
Permissions.
Permissions work in a hierarchical manner permissions
defined at a higher level in the database can be overridden
by permissions defined at a lower level in the database.

Note: Permissions
can only be defined by
logging in as Admin.

Default Permissions
When you create a new Design Database the following default permissions are created:
Member

Document

Permissions

Definition

Admin

[R,W,D,C]

The backslash signifies the root (or highest

folder) of the Design Database. This
permission means that the Admin member can
Read, Write, Delete and Create, in the root of
the database, and in any folder below it. This
means that they have complete freedom
throughout the database.

Guest

[R]

A Guest member can Read any document,

from the root of the design database down.

[All members]

[R,W,D,C]

* is the wildcard character, meaning every

Member. This permission means that every
Member (except a Guest) can Read, Write
Delete and Create, anywhere in the database.
To make the database restricted, and then
allow permissions, change this general
permission to Read only, or no permissions.

[All members]

\Design Team

[]

[All members] \Design Team\Sessions [R,W,D,C]

26

This permission means that every Member has

no rights in the Design Team folder, or any
folder below it. They will be able to look in
the Members, Permissions and Sessions
folders, but not open anything in any of them.
This prevents anyone except Admin from
modifying Members or Permissions.
This permission means that every member has
complete rights in the Sessions folder. This
rule overrides the restriction on Sessions
created by the Design Team folder rule above.

Setting up a Shared Database for your Design Team

An Example of Permissions
The following example demonstrates the use of Permissions:

1.

Admin has Read, Write, Create and Delete Permissions throughout the database.

2.

Guests can Read any document in the database.

3.

[All members] can Read any document in the database. The default for this
Permission is Read, Write, Create and Delete in this Design Database this has
been changed to Read only, removing this general freedom. This means that
permissions that allow access must be added.

4.

Team member Gustaf can Read, Write, Create and Delete from the Design folder
down, except for the Rate Controller.pcb, which he can only Read.

5.

Joe can only Read from the Design folder down, except for the Rate
Controller.pcb, which he can Read and Write. Joe cannot Create new files or
Delete files (including Rate Controller.pcb).

6.

Verns permissions allow him to Read, Write, Create and Delete throughout the
database.

Monitoring what Documents are Open

It is important that you can tell exactly what documents each
team member has open when you are working together in a
Design Database. To see what documents in the Design
Database are currently open, open the Sessions folder.
The Sessions folder will list; the Name of the document, the
location in the Design Database, the Team Member that has it
open, the name of the machine (PC), and the Locked Status.

27

The Design Explorer

Below is an example of a sessions folder:

1.

Gustaf has two documents open, Rate Controller.prj and Timing Module.sch. He
has Timing Module.sch locked, and is in the process of locking Rate
Controller.prj. Other team members that have permission to open these documents
still can, but they will not be able to save these documents, even if their
Permissions normally allow this.

2.

Joe has the Rate Controller.pcb open, and has locked it.

3.

Vern has Rate Controller.prj and Timing Module.sch open. Both of these
documents have been opened and locked by other team members, so Vern will not
be able to save changes to these documents, even though his permissions allow
this.
Select View Refresh from the menus to
refresh the list in the Sessions folder.

Locking a Document
Right-click on a document in the Sessions folder to lock or unlock it. The figure at the
top of this page shows a document in the process of being locked. Once a document
has been locked it can only be unlocked by the team member that locked it. When the
team member that locked a document closes it, the document is automatically
unlocked.
Locked documents can still be opened by other team members that have the
appropriate permissions. When another team member attempts to open a document that
is already open and locked, a message appears. The message details which team
member has opened and locked the document, and asks if they would like to open the
document in Read-Only mode.
Right-click on a document name in the
Sessions folder to lock that document.

28

Working with Your Existing Protel Designs

Working with your Existing Protel Designs

In Protel 99 SE, any document that you want to open in the Design Explorer must be
stored inside a Design Database (or linked to it). You cannot open an existing
schematic or PCB document, edit it and then save the changes back to the hard drive. If
you open an existing document it will automatically be imported into a new design
Database, and then opened for editing.
You can choose File Open from the menus, set the File Type to All Files (*.*), then
select an existing Protel document on your hard drive and click Open. When you do,
you will immediately be prompted to save the document as a Design Database. After
entering the Database File Name and clicking OK, the original document that you
selected to open is imported into the Design Database, then opened for editing. The
document that is displayed ready for editing is the copy in the Design Database, not the
original copy on the hard disk. If you wanted to refresh the external copy on the hard
drive you would need to export the edited document out of the Design Database.

Converting an Existing Design into a Design Database

When you open an existing Protel document in the Design Explorer it is automatically
imported into a new Design Database. If you would like more control over the process,
then you can create an empty Design Database first, create the internal folder structure
you would like, then right-click in the folder view to display the popup menu and select
Import, or Import Project.

After creating a new Design Database right-click in the folder view to import your project

29

The Design Explorer

Using Drag and Drop to Import

You can also click, drag and drop from the Windows File Explorer directly into the
Design Explorer. This is the most efficient way of bringing a large number of
documents into a Design Database. If you click, drag and drop a folder into a Design
Database all documents and sub-folders are imported. The folder hierarchy that existed
on the hard disk is automatically recreated within the Design Database.

You can drag an entire design folder from the File Explorer, and drop it straight into a
Design Database open in the Design Explorer

Linking to External Documents

Sometimes you may need to keep a document on the hard drive. In these circumstances
it is better to link the document to a Design Database, rather than importing it.
Documents that are linked to a Design Database are not stored inside the Database,
they remain on the hard disk. This means that they can still be used by other designers,
using older versions of the Protel design software.

Working with Existing Company Libraries

If you have existing libraries that you need to keep as .LIB format files, you can still
work with these in Protel 99 SE. The easiest way to be able to used libraries in both
Protel 99 SE and Protel98 is to create new Library Design Databases, and link the
existing company libraries to them, rather than importing them.

30

Working with Your Existing Protel Designs

Synchronizing an Existing Schematic Project and the PCB

In Protel 99 SE design information is passed between the schematic and the PCB using
the Design Synchronizer. The Synchronizer makes it very easy to transfer design
information from the schematic to the PCB, and back again.
When you run the Synchronizer you nominate which is the target document by
selecting either Update PCB, or Update Schematic, from the menus. When you do this
the Synchronizer will display the Update dialog, which you use to control the
synchronization process.
Choosing the Synchronization Direction
When you run the Synchronizer you must choose
which will be the reference, and which is the target.
Information is extracted from the reference, and
used to update the target. You do this by either
updating the PCB from the schematic, or updating
the schematic from the PCB.

When it is initially
matching, the Synchronizer
relies on the component
designator it is important
that
the
schematic
designators correspond with
the PCB designators.

How do you choose which way to initially run the

synchronizer? Ask yourself which is more up-to-date the schematics, or the PCB?
Have you changed any designators, footprints or component values on the PCB since
initially loading the netlist? Have you started doing design updates on the schematics?
When you have decided which is more up-to-date, select either Update PCB, or Update
Schematic from the appropriate Design menu.
If you update from the Schematic to the PCB, both the component and the
connectivity changes are transferred to the PCB if you update from the PCB to
the schematic, the component attribute changes are transferred, and new
components and connectivity differences are listed in the Change Report.
Running the Initial Synchronization
The Design Synchronizer uses a matching identifier to match each schematic
component, to its PCB component. When you synchronize an existing design these
matching identifiers need to be assigned. This will happen the first time you
synchronize the imported schematic and PCB.
When you select one of the Update options the Synchronizers Update dialog appears,
with the name of the target document in the title bar. As soon as you press the View
Changes, or the Execute button, the Confirm Component Associations dialog will
appear. This dialog will assign the matching component identifiers.
For a detailed description of how to use the Design Synchronizer, and how it works
(including details of the Confirm Component Associations dialog), refer to the chapter
Transferring the Design Information to the PCB, in the Schematic Capture section of
the Handbook.

31

The Design Explorer

The Technology inside Protel 99 SE

Protel 99 SE is built on sophisticated, state-of-the-art, smart-software technology;
SmartTeam, SmartDoc and SmartTool. In Protel 99 SE these technologies bring
together:

a complete set of PCB design tools integrated into the one user environment,
the ability to store and manage all the design documents in a single Design
Database,
teamwork collaboration features that give you total control over document access
and locking.

SmartTool Technology
Protel 99 SE is built on SmartTool technology. SmartTool technology brings together
Protel Editors and OLE compliant editors, accessible through a single user interface,
the Design Explorer.
The foundations of the SmartTool technology is its client/server architecture, which
separates the user interface (the client), from the tools, or editors (the servers).
PLD schematic circuit
design
editor
simulator

auto
routing

PCB
layout

signal
integrity

future
tools

Design Explorer
The figure shows how each server plugs into the Design Explorer,
and how a server can also communicate directly to another server

What is Client/Server Architecture?

Protel 99 SEs client/server architecture is a new approach to integrating design tools
on a PC. Rather than each design tool being developed as a separate, stand-alone
application, client/server architecture separates out the user interface (client), from the
design tools (servers). In Protel 99 SE the Design Explorer is the client, and each of the
tools is a server.

32

The Technology Inside Protel 99 SE

What is the Design Explorer?

The Design Explorer is the application, or executable, as it is often called. When you
select Design Explorer from the Windows Start menu this is the executable that is
started.
Externally, the Design Explorer presents all the features that the user interacts with
the navigation panel, the menus, the toolbars and the shortcut keys.
Internally, the Design Explorer is the platform that each server plugs in to. When a
server is plugged in, it tells the Design Explorer what functions (or processes) it
includes, and passes over a definition of all its menus, toolbars and shortcuts
(resources). When a user selects a menu item the Design Explorer passes a message to
the appropriate server, telling that server what process to run.
What is a Server?
In everyday computer-user language, a server is a module that plugs into the Design
Explorer, to add new functionality to the environment. It can range from a complete
document editor, such as the Schematic Editor, to a complex analysis engine, such as
the Circuit Simulator, through to a simple utility that counts all the holes on a printed
circuit board.
In software jargon, each Protel 99 SE server is a DLL (Dynamic Link Library). In
Microsoft Windows a DLL is a library of functions and procedures, which can be used
by any application, and other DLLs. Microsoft developed the EXE/DLL model to
allow software to be reusable. Software functions that are used by more than one
application are stored in these libraries, which can then be called when the application
needs that function. Windows is structured so that using a function from a library
(DLL) is as quick and easy as using a function that is internal to the application.
Protel 99 SE extends this model by making the functions and procedures inside each
server DLL directly available to the user through the menus, toolbars and shortcuts in
the Design Explorer.
As well as exposing the functionality of a server to the user through the Design
Explorer menus, toolbars and shortcuts, each server exposes its functionality to other
servers through an open Application Programming Interface (API). The API is the
definition of how all the functions in a DLL are used. An API is called open when
this definition is published, so that the functions in this DLL can be accessed by other
EXEs and DLLs.
As well as allowing programmatic access to the same functions that the user can access
through the Design Explorer resources, the API also includes more powerful functions
that support direct manipulation of information in the design document that the editor
currently has open. An example of this is the PCB server when it has a PCB
document open for editing the autorouter can examine the contents of this PCB
document, directly through the API. Using this mechanism it can extract information
about the objects on the PCB, and pass back routing information (tracks and vias) into
the PCB document.
33

The Design Explorer

Types of Servers

The Protel servers can be grouped into three categories:

Document Editor/Viewers these servers present a document editing (or viewing)
window. Examples include the Schematic Editor and the PCB Layout Editor.
Wizards these servers pop up as a Wizard, where you step through a number of pages
and answer questions. An example is the PCB Component Creation Wizard.
Utility Servers these servers work with one of the Document Editor servers. Typically
they add items to the Document Editors menus to allow access to their features. An
example is the PCB Autorouter, which adds the AutoRoute menu to the PCB menu bar.
Another example is the Circuit Simulator, which adds the Simulate menu to the
Schematic Editors menu bar.

For information on adding, removing and resetting a server refer to the topic,
Working with Servers, in the chapter, Customizing the Design Explorer.
What is an OLE Server?
OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) is a high-level information exchange
technology developed by Microsoft. OLE was developed to allow applications to
exchange information and functionality. There are 2 distinct parts to the OLE model
OLE Servers, that expose their functionality to other applications, and OLE
Controllers, that are able to call on the services of an OLE Server. The Design Explorer
is an OLE Controller.
Applications that can run as OLE Servers include Microsoft Word and Excel, and the
Visio graphical design and modeling software tools.
You do not need to install OLE Servers in the Design Explorer, the Design Explorer
will automatically identify all the OLE Servers that are currently installed on your PC.

SmartDoc Technology
SmartDoc technology redefines document integration and document management, by
bringing together all the design team documents into a single, integrated, Design
Database. Any type of document can be stored in a Design Database, from the
schematic sheets, the PCBs, the Gerber files through to reports and spreadsheets
prepared in Microsoft Word and Excel, mechanical drawings created in AutoCAD, and
project drawings created in Visio.
Using the Design Explorer you can work with the documents in the Design Database
just like you work in the Windows File Explorer create folders, copy, paste and
delete documents, drag and drop documents between folders, in fact you can even drag
and drop from the Windows File Explorer straight into the Design Explorer.

34

The Technology Inside Protel 99 SE

SmartTeam Technology
SmartTeam technology allows design team collaboration in a way that has not been
possible before. SmartTeam technology lets all your design team members work inside
the same Design Database, at the same time. Once the team members are specified,
you can control exactly what folder and document access rights each team member has.
Each team member can see what documents are currently open by other team
members, and with a click of the mouse they can lock documents to prevent
inadvertent overwriting.
All the Team functionality is specified and controlled at the Design Explorer level,
making it both network and network-department independent.

35

The Design Explorer

Customizing the Design Explorer

The Design Explorer is completely user-customizable, you can reposition the toolbars
and panels, as well as create new toolbars, menus and shortcuts.
If you would like to create a new toolbar, add a menu item, or define a new shortcut
key, then you need to understand all about resources and processes.

Resources Menus, Toolbars and Shortcut Keys

Within the Design Explorer environment you can perform operations such as opening
and closing documents, editing these documents, and generating output based on the
documents. All the operations that you perform in the Design Explorer are initiated via
the menus, toolbars and keyboard shortcuts. Menus, toolbars and keyboard shortcut
lists are known as resources in the Design Explorer environment.
All of the resources that are available in the Design Explorer are fully customizable.
You can add buttons to a toolbar, reorganize the menus, and add your own shortcut
keys.
Understanding Resources
All the doing functions in the Design Explorer, such as placing a component,
changing the zoom level, redrawing the screen and so on, are performed by processes.
You access these processes through the resources. For more information on Processes
refer to the next topic, Understanding Processes.
There are three types of resources; menus, toolbars and shortcut keys. During the initial
installation process the default resource definitions for each tool are loaded into the
Design Explorer and stored in a common resource definition file. Any modifications
that you make are made in the common resource file. You can restore the resources of
any tool back to the defaults at any time.
Menus

All the menus are organized so they are consistent with the
Windows model. This means that standard operations, such as
opening and saving files, printing, or using standard editing
operations such as Cut or Paste, behave the same in each editor.
This makes you more productive as you work in the different
Editors.

36

To edit a
menu doubleclick on the
menu bar.

Customizing the Design Explorer

Pop-up Menus

The Design Explorer supports special shortcut key

assignments for direct keyboard access to menus in the
graphical editors. For example, pressing F in the
Schematic Editor will pop up the File menu, pressing T
will pop up the Tools menu. This provides a convenient
way to access menus (and sub-menus) directly from the
keyboard.
The shortcut key is defined by the character in the {}
braces, in the Text field where the menu text is entered.
Toolbars

The toolbars in the Design Explorer can be fixed to any side of

the workspace, or be set to floating, where they can be repositioned anywhere in the environment.
New toolbars can be created and existing toolbars edited,
linking any of the processes currently available in the Design
Explorer, to any button. There is an example of how to create a
new toolbar later in this chapter.

To
toolbar
click on
region
toolbar.

edit a
doublethe title
of the

Keyboard Shortcut Keys

Each document editor includes at least one shortcut key table. These tables can be
edited, and new shortcut key tables can be created.
Keyboard shortcuts can include key combinations, including CRTL, SHIFT and ALT, in
combination with either one or two keys. To edit a shortcut table select Client menu
Customize.
As well as being able to map keyboard shortcut keys directly to processes,
keyboard keys can also be mapped to popup a menu. If a key has mistakenly been
mapped to popup a menu and to directly launch a process, then the process
mapping takes priority.
Default Menus, Toolbars and Shortcuts
The default resources for each server are defined in a resource file (*.RCS). This file
contains the definitions of the default menus, toolbars and shortcut key tables. These
resources are known as system resources and can not be removed from the Design
Explorer environment, but they can be customized.
During the initial installation process the default resource definitions for each tool are
loaded into the Design Explorer and stored in a common resource definition file. Any
modifications that you make are made in the common resource file. You can restore
the resources of any tool back to the defaults at any time.

37

The Design Explorer

Resetting the Resources back to their Defaults

You have total freedom in customizing the menus, toolbars and shortcut keys in the
Design Explorer. If necessary you can restore the menus, toolbars and shortcut keys
back to their original state at any time. To do this, select the Client menu Servers menu
item. Double-click on the required servers icon in the EDA Servers dialog, then press
the Defaults button. The menus, toolbars and shortcut keys for the selected server will
be returned to their default state.
Sometimes when you reset the resources you may find that some menu items
disappear. This happens because those missing menu items were plugged in by
another server. For example, if you reset the resources for the Schematic Editor, the
Simulate and PLD menus will disappear. To recover these you must also reset the
resources for the Sim server and the Pld server.
Customizing Resources

When you would like to add a new shortcut key, change the menu to use your custom
menu, or display a particular toolbar, you need to customize the resources.
To customize the resources for the active document editor select the Client menu
Customize menu item, to pop up the Customize Resources dialog box. If a schematic
sheet is the active document then the Customize Resources dialog will give you access
to the resources currently available to the Schematic Editor.
Click on the Tab at the top to select the resource that you wish to work on, then click
on the Menu button and select the appropriate command.

38

Customizing the Design Explorer

By clicking on the Menu button you can:

Delete a Resource

Delete the selected resource. When you select this menu option you will be prompted
to Confirm the deletion. You will also be asked if you want to Remove from Global
Resource Pool. If you disable this option the resource is not removed from the Design
Explorer environment, only the link from the resource to this editor is removed.
Replicate a Resource

Select Replicate when you wish to create a new resource, but you do not wish to start
from scratch. The selected resource will be replicated, and then opened, ready for
editing.
Import From Other Documents

Use this option to access resources that belong to other servers, or custom resources
that you have created.
Editing a Resource

Selecting Edit from the menu pops up a dialog which allows you to edit the selected
toolbar, menu or shortcut key table.

You will find

may shortcuts when
working
in
the
resource
editing
dialogs. Right-click to
pop up the menu; use
the
INSERT
and
DELETE keys to add
and remove items;
click and drag to reorder; double-click to
change the process
that is mapped to a
resource item.

39

The Design Explorer

Assigning a Process to a Menu Item, Shortcut Key or a Toolbar Button

There are essentially two steps to building resources:

1.

Create the toolbar button, menu item or shortcut key.

2.

Assign the process that will be launched when you select this resource item.

Regardless of the resource, the way you map a process to a resource item is essentially
the same. Each dialog that allows you to perform this function will have a region as
shown above, where you specify which process is to be launched when you click on
this button / menu item / shortcut key.
Finding the Process

The Process field specifies the process that is launched when you select this resource
item. Use the Browse button to pop up the Process Browser use the Browser filtering
features to quickly locate the required process.
Need more Info about a Process?

Press the Info button to pop up On-line help on the

selected process, complete with a description of any
process parameters.
Example: Creating a New Toolbar

For more information

on Processes and Process
Parameters, refer to the
chapter,
Understanding
Processes.

There are two ways of creating a new toolbar. An existing toolbar can be replicated and
then modified, or a new one can be built. This example shows how to build up a new
toolbar for placing primitives in the PCB Editor.

40

1.

With a PCB document as the active document Select the Client menu Customize
menu item.

2.

Click on the Toolbar Tab and select New from the Menu to pop up the Toolbar
Properties dialog.

3.

Type the name Primitives into the Name field.

4.

To add a button to the toolbar first click in the large empty white area, and press
INSERT on the keyboard. A blank button will appear in the Toolbar window, now
you need to map a process to this button.

5.

Double-click on the new button to pop up the Button dialog. We will now use the
Process Browser to locate the process.

6.

Press the Browse button to pop up the Process Browser dialog.

7.

Set the Show Processes for drop down list to PCB.

Customizing the Design Explorer

8.

Type the word place in the Filter field.

The Process List will now display all the PCB processes that start with the string
place. Note that the server name before the colon (:) is not considered by the filter.
The * (any characters) and ? (any single character) wildcards can be used in the
filter.
9. Select the PCB:PlaceString process and click the OK button (shortcut: doubleclick LEFT MOUSE).
You will return to the Button dialog. The next step is to assign the bitmap that you
would like to use with this button.
10. We will use button bitmaps that already exist. To locate the button bitmaps click
on the Browse button next to the Bitmap File field.
The Image File dialog will pop up. Button bitmaps are stored in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\System\Buttons folder.
11. In the File Name field enter the string t*.bmp and press enter.
The dialog will now list all bitmap files starting with the letter t.
12. Double-click on the file text.bmp.
The Image File dialog will close, presenting the Button dialog again. Note that the
text bitmap has been linked and the Preview button now shows the image of the
letter T.
41

The Design Explorer

13. Click OK to close the Button dialog box.

The first button on the new Primitives toolbar

14. Repeat steps 4 to 13 to add the other five buttons using the following details.
Process Identifier

Bitmap

PCB:PlaceArc
arc.bmp
PCB:PlaceFill
rect.bmp
PCB:PlaceVia
via.bmp
PCB:PlacePad
pad.bmp
PCB:PlaceTrack
track.bmp
15. To make the toolbar appear as two rows of three buttons, highlight the forth button
in the list, then select Separator from the dialog Menu. A blank space will appear
above this button.
16. Click the Close button to close the Edit Toolbar dialog box.
The new toolbar has been created and will appear in the Available Toolbars List in
the Customize Resources dialog.
17. Click OK to close the Customize Resources dialog.
The new Primitives toolbar now exists in the pool of resources
available in the Design Explorer environment, and is automatically
linked to the PCB Editor.

42

Customizing the Design Explorer

Understanding Processes
The functionality of each server that is installed in the Design Explorer is exposed by
that servers processes. Once you come to terms with the concept of processes how
they work and launch them you are well on the way to being able to customize the
Design Explorer environment.
What is a Process?
A process can be thought of as the software executing a sequence of jobs. This job may
be something simple, like refreshing the screen, or it may be more complex, like
placing a polygon plane.
Any action or operation that is performed in the Design Explorer is carried out by a
process. When you select File Save from the menus, the SaveDocument process is
launched. Selecting the Place Wire menu item in Advanced Schematic launches the
PalceWire process, which you then interact with as you place the wire on the sheet.
The menu items, toolbar buttons and shortcut keys launch the processes, and are called
Process Launchers. The action, or job, is performed by the process.
Each process is identified by a unique Process Identifier. The process identifier
includes the server name and the process name, separated by a colon. For the two
process names mentioned above, the syntax is:
Client:SaveDocument
Sch:PlaceWire
A definition of each process provided by the Design Explorer and each server can be
found in the On-line Help. Each of the dialogs where you assign processes includes an
Info button. Press this button to pop up the Help file with a description of that process.
Launching a Process
When you select a menu item or
click on a toolbar button, you
launch a process. Processes are
launched by passing the process
identifier to the appropriate
server. The server then executes
that process.

Sch:ZoomIn

To pass the process identifier to

the server, a Process Launcher is
used. Process launchers include:
menu items
toolbar buttons
keyboard shortcut keys

These 3 process launchers (toolbar button, shortcut key and

menu item) all launch the same process, Sch:ZoomIn
43

The Design Explorer

Process Parameters
Processes in the Design Explorer environment are parametric that is, each process
can have a set of parameters. What are process parameters? Remember how the
process can be thought of as the software executing a sequence of jobs. You can think
of the process parameters as the instructions on how you want the job to be carried out.
Consider the Sch:PlacePart process. When you launch this process (select Place Part)
a dialog pops up asking for the Library Reference of the part you would like. After
entering this a second dialog pops up asking what Designator to use, then the part
appears floating on the cursor. Instead of entering the Library Reference and the
Designator in dialogs, you can pass this information when you launch the process.
To pass the process parameters when you press a
toolbar button, enter the parameters in the Parameters
text field of a process launcher editing dialog box (eg,
the Button dialog).

Process parameters
can also be passed by a
macro.

PartType=74HC00 | LibReference=MM74HC00 | Library=ns03-c.lib | Orientation=0 | Designator=U10 | $Description=Quad 2-input positive Nand gate

Editing a toolbar button to launch the Sch:PlacePart process. It also passes the parameters.

Library

= The name of the library that the component is in. If the library is not in
the standard location, include the full path.
LibReference = The name of the component in the library.
Designator = The designator you want to give this component.
PartType
= The part type or comment you want to give this component.
Orientation = The orientation of the component when it appears on the cursor.
$Description = This parameter allows you to create your own button tool tip.
When this button is pressed the 74HC00
will appear on the cursor with the
designator specified, ready to be placed.

44

Use the Info button to pop up the

On-line Help file with a complete
description of the process parameters.

Customizing the Design Explorer

Parameter Syntax
The syntax for passing process parameters in the Parameters text field is;
parameter1 = value1 | parameter2 = value2 | parameter3 = value3

Each parameter is separated by the vertical bar | (or pipe) symbol. It is not necessary
to list parameters in any order, nor is it necessary to pass every possible parameter.
Parameter text is not case sensitive, you can type in LibReference or libreference.
For instant access to information on the parameters of a process press the Info button in
the Edit Menu, Edit Button or Edit Keyboard Shortcut dialogs.
Refer to the Macros topic in the Online Help
for information on passing parameters from macros.

Working with Servers

When you install the Design Explorer on your PC, all the servers are automatically
installed into the Design Explorer. Generally you will not need to manually install or
remove a server from the Design Explorer. As a server is not loaded into memory until
you actually need to use that server, there is no reason to remove a server from the
Design Explorer environment.
Types of Servers
The Design Explorer supports four kinds of Servers:

Protel Document Editors such as the Schematic Editor

Protel Wizards such as the PCB Board Creation Wizard

Protel Utility Servers such as the PCB Autorouter

OLE Servers such as Microsoft Word and Excel

Protel 99 SE includes an extensive set of default Document Editor Servers. These

include:

Schematic Editor used to edit schematic sheets and components

PCB Editor used to edit PCB layouts and footprints

Text Editor used for editing text documents, such as PLD source files

Spread used for editing spreadsheets

Chart used for creating charts directly from the spreadsheets

Macro brings macro programming capabilities to the Design Explorer

Protel 99 SE also includes a large number of Utility Servers. These include:

Circuit Simulator analyses and simulates directly from the schematic sheet

45

The Design Explorer

Netlister outputs a netlist from a schematic in a variety of formats

Design Synchronizer passes design data from schematic to PCB, and from PCB
to schematic

PLD compiler compiles a PLD design written in CUPL-HDL or created as a

schematic

PCB autoplacer places the PCB components

PCB manual router provides all the manual routing functionality in the PCB
workspace, including the push and shove feature

PCB autorouter autoroutes the current PCB, directly in the PCB workspace

Numerous other small utility servers, for creating BOMs, exporting to

spreadsheets, creating project libraries, and so on.

Installing a Server
When you install Protel 99 SE from the
CD all the servers are automatically
installed. If you need to manually install a
server:

OLE servers do not need to be

installed the Design Explorer
automatically identifies what OLE
servers are available on your PC.

1. Select Client menu Servers from the menu bar. The EDA Servers dialog will pop
up, with a list of all currently installed servers.

46

Customizing the Design Explorer

1. Press the Menu button and select Install. A document opening dialog will pop up.
2.

Locate and select the server installation file (eg, advsch.INS, spread.INS).

3.

Click Open to install the server.

Check the Status at the bottom of the EDA Servers dialog to confirm that the server has
been correctly installed.
Starting and Stopping a Server
When a server is first installed it has a Status of Not Started. When a server is Not
Started it is not occupying any memory. If you do not start it now, it will automatically
be started the first time you use it. Normally you do not need to manually stop a server,
unless you wish to free up some memory.
Removing a Server
Generally you will not need to remove a server from the Design Explorer. Removing a
server does not delete the servers files from your hard disk, it merely removes the
server from the Design Explorer environment.
A server must be
To remove a server from the Design Explorer:
stopped before it can be
1. Select Client menu Servers from the menu bar.
removed, and it cannot be
The EDA Servers dialog will pop up, with a list
stopped if there are any open
of all currently installed servers.
documents using this server.
2. Click on the icon to select the server that you
wish to remove.
3.

Press the Menu button and select Remove.

4.

A Confirm dialog will pop up, click Yes to remove the server.
When you remove a server from the Design Explorer environment all the
resources associated with the server are removed. You will lose any customization
you have performed on the default resources, such as toolbar buttons you have
added. Custom resources that you have created will still be available.

47

The Design Explorer

The Text Editor

The Protel 99 SE includes a powerful Text Editor. Having an integrated text editor
means there is no need to leave the Design Explorer environment to work with ASCII
documents. Reports can be viewed, macro scripts and PLD source files can be written.
All general text editing can be performed in the Text Editor.
The Text Editor includes the normal text editing facilities such as cutting, copying and
pasting, search and replace. It also includes a feature known as Syntax Highlighting.
Syntax highlighting allows you to highlight different elements in the document based
on the syntax, where different word types, symbols and identifiers are assigned unique
colors. This feature is an excellent document editing aid, particularly when working
with documents with a repetitive, structured nature, such as macro scripts, or source
code.
To broaden the usefulness of the syntax highlighting feature, the Text Editor allows the
definition of multiple languages. Syntax highlighting can be uniquely configured for
each of these languages.
Within each language, there is a set of six types of syntax identifiers available;
reserved word, symbol, string, number, comment and identifier. You can define the set
of valid words or characters for each of these identifiers, and assign a unique color to
each type of identifier.

Languages
The Text Editor includes a number of
pre-defined languages, as well as the
capability to create new languages. These
languages are not the language of a
country or culture like French or
Mandarin, rather they are a language
because each can have their own syntax
highlighting definition.
Languages can be created, edited and
deleted in the Languages dialog (select
Tools Change Language in the Text
Editor, or the Change Language button
on the panel). Click on a Language in the
list and click the right mouse button to
pop up the dialog Menu.
The language is associated to a document by the documents file extension. To
associate a file extension with a language, double-click on the desired language in the

48

The Text Editor

Languages dialog. The Edit Syntax dialog will pop up. In the Associated Files field
enter the file extension. For multiple file extensions, separate each with a comma.

Syntax Highlighting
There are two distinct parts to Syntax Highlighting. The first is editing the syntax, the
second is assigning the highlight colors to each type of syntax identifier.
To edit the syntax, select the Options Change Language menu item. This pops up the
Languages dialog. Select the language you wish to edit the syntax for and press the
Edit button. In the Edit Syntax dialog you define the set of reserved words, how
comments and strings are delimited, the valid set of symbols and any file extensions to
be associated with this language.

Define the syntax for the selected language in the Edit Syntax dialog

Highlight colors are then assigned in the Text Editor Properties dialog (Tools
item).

Preferences menu

Document Options
Select Tools Options to pop up the Text Editor Properties dialog and set up the user
preferences. The Colors used for syntax highlighting are set in the Text Colors Tab.

49

The Design Explorer

Macros
The Design Explorer includes a Macro server. The
macro server supports the Client Basic scripting
language, which is a subset of Visual Basic.
Macros provide a powerful mechanism to enhance your productivity in Protel 99 SE.
The macro server supports all the processes available in the Design Explorer
environment, and allows passing of parameters to those processes. Macros can be
written to work with any server running in the Design Explorer.
Macros can perform anything from a repetitive sequence of processes, through to
complex wizards which pop up dialog boxes and respond to user choices. The macro
server also supports OLE automation, a feature where operations can be performed in
other Windows applications (which also support OLE automation).
Client Basic is interpreted rather than compiled, so macros can be run as soon as they
are written. Like all processes in the Design Explorer environment, macros can be
launched from any process launcher. Client Basic includes a set of debugging tools
which support breakpoints, variable watching, single step, and real-time animation,
where the macro is run at a slow enough speed to watch the code being executed.
The macro server includes a comprehensive error flagging mechanism. When an error
is encountered, the script file is opened in the Text Editor, the line in error is displayed
and highlighted, and a dialog pops up with a description of the error condition.
For comprehensive information on how to write macros in Client Basic, as
well as lots of example code, refer to the On-line Help system.

50

Section 3

Schematic Capture
Schematic Capture Feature Highlights
Fundamentals of Schematic Capture
Setting up the Schematic Workspace
Working in the Schematic Editing Window
Schematic Editing Shortcuts
Schematic Design Objects
Schematic Components and Libraries
Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management
Design Verification
Preparing the Design for PCB Layout
Transferring the Design Information to the PCB
Printing Your Schematic Design
Schematic Reports
Linking to Databases
Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

53
57
64
72
95
99
106
122
136
142
146
154
158
159
167
51

Schematic Capture

52

Schematic Capture Feature Highlights

Schematic Capture Feature Highlights

This section of the Protel Designers Handbook guides you through the schematic
capture phase of your electronic design project, using Protel 99 SEs Schematic Editor.
As you read this section you will find all the information you need to get up and
running with the system, and learn how to use the basic features required to design a
circuit, perform electrical rule checks, generate a netlist and print out design
documentation. Additional, detailed information about the schematic design objects
can be found in the on-line Help system.

53

Schematic Capture

Schematic Sheet Editor

The Schematic Sheet Editor allows you to create, edit, check and print the schematic
sheets that make up a design project. All the tools and utilities needed to perform
electrical rule checks, generate reports and create presentation quality schematic
drawings are available in the Schematic Sheet Editor.

Schematic Library Editor

The Schematic Library Editor is used to create, edit and manage libraries of component
parts. In the Schematic Editor, the term part refers to the symbolic entity that
represents one part of a multi-part component (for example, one gate in a 7400), or a
generic component type (such as a resistor). The Schematic Library Editor shares many
common features with the Schematic Sheet Editor, plus specialized tools and features
for component part creation and library management tasks.

Design Capabilities
The Schematic Editor is a comprehensive design entry tool. When combined with the
Protel Circuit Simulator, PLD design and board layout tools, the Schematic Editor
becomes the front-end of a fully automated, integrated, end-to-end design system.
The Schematic Editor can generate single sheet, multiple sheet and fully hierarchical
designs of virtually any size, limited only by the available memory and storage
capacity of your PC. Sheet sizes include A, B, C, D, E and metric sizes A4-A0, plus
user-defined sheets. You can also create custom sheet borders and title blocks, and
save custom templates for re-use.
Component Support
The Schematic Editors standard component libraries include over 65,000 components.
The Altium Library Development Center is constantly developing new components,
which can be downloaded from the Protel Web site. Visit www.protel.com to
download the latest libraries, or to submit a suggestion for a future library.
Hierarchical and Multi-Sheet Support
The Schematic Editor supports single sheet, multiple sheet and fully hierarchical
designs including complex hierarchy, where multiple instances of a single sheet can be
used in a project. Projects can be navigated visually using the Design Explorer. The
Design Explorer displays all the sheets that make up the design in a hierarchical tree
structure. You can click on sheet icons to move from sheet to sheet.

54

Schematic Capture Feature Highlights

Guided Wiring
Special automation features speed the connection of electrical items in the schematic
sheets. An electrical grid provides true snap to wiring of all electrical items: ports,
sheet entries, buses, bus entries, net identifiers, wires and parts. When this feature is
active the cursor will jump to the nearest electrical hot spot within the range of the
electrical grid, and then change shape to indicate the connection point. You need only
click (or release LEFT MOUSE) to complete the connection, a junction is automatically
added.
Connections between electrical objects are maintained as the objects are dragged to a
new location on the sheet. The system will automatically add or remove wire segments
to maintain orthogonal routing during complex moves.
Flexible Selection
Groups of items can be selected by sheet, by physical connectivity or by designating an
area of the drawing. Individual items can be added to or removed from the selection.
Selections can be manipulated using standard commands such as Cut, Copy, Paste or
Clear. They can also be moved and rotated. Selections copied to the clipboard can be
pasted into other Windows applications. There is also an option to add the template to
the clipboard, allowing you to Copy the entire sheet, including the border and title
block.
Powerful Editing Options
Design objects (parts, wires, graphical entities, etc) can be edited by double-clicking
directly on the item to open its editing dialog, which displays every editable object
attribute. Changes to these attributes can be globally applied across a sheet, or across
an entire multi-sheet project using specific conditions to define the targets. For
example, when editing wires you can change the color or wire size or both attributes.
These changes can be globally applied to other wires on the sheet, or to other open
sheets. Similar global options are provided for components and other objects.
Text editing is supported by powerful Find and Replace functions, which allow you to
define the scope of the edit across multi-sheet projects.
Library System
The Schematic Editor includes comprehensive tools for managing component libraries.
Any number of libraries can be opened and accessed without leaving the sheet editor.
Components can also be browsed and placed directly from the Schematic Library
Editor. A wide range of standard manufacturers libraries is included. Simultaneous
multi-user library access is supported for network installations. Parts placed in sheets
can be globally updated to reflect library-level changes.
Components include eight read-only (library) text fields and 16 sheet-level text fields
of up to 255 characters that can be edited for each instance of a part. You can pre-

55

Schematic Capture

define these field names for a component type in the library editor, for convenient
reference.
Special Strings
Special purpose pre-defined strings allow you to place date, sheet name, filename,
component count and other information to be interpreted at plot time. For example,
placing the string .DATE, on the sheet, places the current system date on the plot.
Special strings can be incorporated in sheet templates.
Font Support
Windows TrueType fonts are fully supported. A system font can be assigned for
component pins, port and power object names and sheet reference text. Default fonts
can be defined for all other objects that include strings.
Array Placement Options
Linear array placement allows automated step-and-repeat placement of objects in the
sheet. This can include individual objects or complex selections of objects. You can
specify the number of repeats and set pre-defined x and y offsets, and text increments.
Alignment Tools
Objects can be aligned by their left/right/top/bottom sides, distributed horizontally or
vertically or moved to the placement grid.
Design Verification Tools
Electrical Rule Check allows quick verification of large or complex drawings. ERC
checks are performed in accordance with user-specified physical and logical properties.
Options include flagging and reporting a wide range of physical/logical violations
including unconnected net labels, unconnected power objects and floating input pins.
Windows Support for Printing and Plotting
Dot matrix and laser printing, color printing, pen plotting and PostScript output are all
controlled from a common Print menu item. Any device supported by Windows can be
selected. The Schematic Editor allows the production of presentation quality artwork.

56

Fundamentals of Schematic Capture

Fundamentals of Schematic Capture

+12VDA

U1
CSDAC
WR

AD0
AD1
AD2
AD3
AD4
AD5
AD6
AD7

1
2
18
17
7
6
5
4
16
15
14
13
10

CS
WR1
WR2
XFER
DI0
DI1
DI2
DI3
DI4
DI5
DI6
DI7
DGND

VCCDA
ILE
VREF
RFB

IOUT2

IOUT1

AGND

20

C1
104

19
8

+
-

U2B
7
358

+5VDAC

9
R2

11

10K
12

R1
470J
R4
10K

DAC0832

Schematic capture is the process of capturing your design concept as a schema, or

diagram, in a computer aided design environment. Defining the circuit at the schematic
level allows you to work with a logical model of the design, while maintaining the
integrity of the physical model that will become the finished product.

The Computer Model of a Circuit

Outwardly, the use of schematic capture is similar to the traditional drafting process,
where graphical symbols for circuit elements (parts, wires, etc) are rendered in
drawings, which become a record of the design. Using computer-aided design provides
many benefits, by automating the drafting process and allowing easy editing of the
design layout.
However, its the capture part of the schematic capture process that provides the main
benefit creating an integral link between conceptual design of a circuit and its
physical expression. By capturing the logic of a circuit, this approach allows the
integration of simulation and physical layout into the design process. The schematic
design process then becomes the design entry point for a number of technologies, from
IC design to FPGA and PLD programming, circuit simulation, to PCB design.
The Schematic Editor incorporates many data management facilities that exploit the
capabilities of computerized design. For example, each schematic sheet is an
independent design document. An automated system links these sheets when they are
used together in a hierarchical project. By recognizing these links, it is possible for the
designer to globally edit and perform design verification across project sheets, or
generate a bill of materials for an entire project in a single operation.

57

Schematic Capture

The Schematic Component Model

The schematic components are organized into families of libraries that correspond to
manufacturers data books.
A component stored in the library is comprised of one or more component part
descriptions that become the representation of the component on the schematic sheet.
Because components can have multiple parts (e.g., the individual gates in TTL logic
components), it is extremely convenient to be able to work with each part of a multipart component while laying out the design.
Libraries of Component Models
While an image of the component part is placed into the schematic, the component
information is always stored in the library. Component creation and editing are always
performed at the library level, not on the sheet. This approach maintains library
integrity and allows library changes to be used to globally update components in
existing designs.
As parts are placed in a sheet, an
image of each component is placed
in a special cache. The cache acts
as a memory resident working
library. When a sheet is saved, all
the parts used on that sheet are
copied from the cache and attached
to the sheet file in a mini read
only library. The sheet-level library
allows you to generate a permanent
project library for the design. When
the sheet is re-opened, the
component descriptions are read
from the sheet-level library back
into the cache. The component
images stored in the sheet-level
library (and the cache) can be
updated from the source libraries at
any time while the sheet is loaded
in the Schematic Editor. When they
are updated a report is generated
listing all parts updated in the
cache.

58

U1A
3

7400
U1A
6

7400
U1A
8

10

12

7400
U1A
11

13
7400

component names are

displayed in the panel

The four parts

of a SN7400

A single library component can include multiple

graphical part descriptions, as illustrated in this
example of a TTL device. The individual parts can be
placed independently, anywhere in the project
sheets

Fundamentals of Schematic Capture

Connectivity
An additional major feature of the Schematic Editor is the systems use of connectivity.
Connectivity is the ability of the software to recognize the physical links between
objects inside the sheet and the ability to associate the logical connections that exist
between various sheets in a multi-sheet design. Connectivity is also used to anchor
certain objects together. For example, you can drag connected electrical items (parts,
buses, wires, ports, etc) without breaking existing connections. More importantly,
connectivity allows the schematic to generate connectivity lists, used for passing
design information to the PCB Editor, and for performing electrical rule checks.
The process of placing electrical objects in the sheet is often referred to as wiring. This
is because the connectivity features allow you to work with electrical objects as though
you were physically hooking-up the circuit.
Basic electrical objects used in wiring your schematic include: special connective lines
that carry signals or power between components, called wires; buses, that graphically
represent grouped nets; bus entries that graphically attach wires to buses; junctions that
connect tangent or crossed wires; and parts that represent the component devices and
their pins.
Two other special classes of electrical objects are provided as well. The first is
Directives, which are used to indicate unconnected pins (No ERC), and PCB layout
attributes on individual nets. The second class is net identifiers, which are used to
indicate electrical connections that are not physically wired together, for example,
connections that continue from one schematic sheet to another in a multi-sheet design.
Net Identifiers
As mentioned above, net identifier objects can create connections that are not
physically joined by wires. These objects include: net labels that identify common nets
on a sheet (or globally, across multiple sheets if you specify); ports that identify net
connections between two sheets; sheet entries that identify net connections into a subsheet (referenced by a sheet symbol); and power ports which are special symbols
placed to represent a global power (or another user-specified) net.
Hidden pins on parts are the fifth type of net identifier. Hidden pins function similarly
to power ports. Each hidden pin is connected to all other hidden pins with the same
name, and also connected to a net of the same name, if present. If un-hidden these
pins are not automatically connected and must be manually wired.

59

Schematic Capture

Using Connectivity
Methods
Connectivity is derived from the placement of certain electrical objects in the sheet,
and from the placement of net identifiers. However, not all electrical objects use
placement to define connective behavior. Some objects use their physical geometry to
establish connections. Other objects include logical connectivity in their behavior.
Physical Connectivity
Physical connectivity is derived by placing the hot spots of any two electrical objects
so they are in physical contact. In the simplest example, a wire touching a component
pin is deemed to be connected to that pin, and the Schematic Editor can extract that
logical connection from the physical contact between the two items.
In general terms, when the hot spots of any two connective objects touch they are
deemed to be connected. However, there are some special rules that apply to certain
classes of connections.
Logical Connectivity
Logical connectivity depends upon the presence of net identifiers (net labels, ports,
sheet entries, power ports and hidden pins) on the sheet. Logical connectivity does not
require special placement or physical contact but relies on the matching of the net
names that associate these objects within a single sheet or across multiple sheets in a
project. Refer to the chapters Multi Sheet Designs and Project Management and
Creating a Netlist for further information about using logical connectivity.
General Rule for Connectivity
Electrical objects are connected when their electrical hot spots are touching. Special
cases of connectivity are described below. When the electrical grid is enabled (Design
Options) the cursor will jump to the nearest hot spot and change into a dot shape.
When placing or moving electrical objects, clicking LEFT MOUSE (or releasing LEFT
MOUSE when dragging) will establish a connection when the hot spot is displayed.
Special Rules for Connectivity
Wire to Wire

Wires whose ends touch at any angle, butt end-to-end or have co-linear (overlapping)
terminations are deemed to be connected. Co-linear wires that terminate elsewhere on
the sheet are not deemed to be connected. Wires that cross or terminate perpendicularly
are not deemed to be connected unless a junction is placed at their intersection.
Wire to Bus

Buses are graphical representations of grouped signals, and do not have any special
connective properties for netlisting. Although buses display hot spots when wiring and
60

Fundamentals of Schematic Capture

maintain connections during drags, they do not simulate electrical connections. Wires
are graphically connected to buses using bus entry symbols. Net labels must be used to
indicate logical connectivity on either side of the bus connection.
Wire to Pin

Pins that touch the ends of wires at any angle are deemed to be connected. Pins that
intersect perpendicular wires must be connected by placing a junction at that location.
Junctions will be automatically inserted where wires cross pins perpendicularly when
this option is active (Tools Preferences menu item).
Wire to Port

A Wire touching the end of a port is deemed to be connected.

Wire to Sheet Entry

A Wire touching the end of a sheet entry is deemed to be connected.

Bus to Object

Buses are graphical representations of grouped nets only and have no special physical
properties for netlisting. Logical connectivity (use of net identifier, e.g. net label and
port) is used in these cases to indicate connections on either side of a bus (See Net
label to bus, below). Note however, if a bus is connecting to a port the bus line must
end on the end of the port.
Net Label to Wire

Net labels associate a wire with single net. To achieve this association, the net label
must be placed on the same grid point as the wire, either vertically or horizontally.
Labels can only be placed on horizontal or vertical lines or at line vertices.
Net Label to Bus

Buses are graphical entities and do not provide physical connectivity for netlisting.
Logical connectivity for buses can be assigned by placing a net label on the bus.
Generally, this net label will include all bus signals, e.g. HA[0..19] represents nets
named HA0, HA1, HA2, etc, to HA19. Buses and bus entries do not highlight when
the Edit Select Net process launcher is used.
Pin to Object

Pins connect directly to other pins, wires, net labels, sheet entries or ports. Hidden pins
can be assigned directly to nets in the Schematic Library Editor. Un-hidden pins can
also connect directly to other sheets, when that sheet is named in the parts Sheet Path
field.
Pin to Pin

Pins are deemed to be connected if they are in contact at any angle.

No ERC

No ERC objects are deemed to be connected to pins or wires if they are in contact.

61

Schematic Capture

Design verification
Design verification is a general term for validating the physical (or electrical) and
logical connections in your design. A number of tools are provided that allow you to
perform design verification from within the Schematic Editor, by generating reports
and by running the Electrical Rule Check (ERC) feature.
Electrical Rule Check report
The Electrical Rule Check (ERC) report is a listing of electrical (and certain logical)
violations and warnings for the current active project. A wide variety of basic electrical
errors are reported. Errors that can be reported include instances of open input pins on
parts or shorts between two different nets. You can select the specific rules for a
project. Suppress ERC symbols can be placed on intentionally unused pins or at
other locations where you prefer violations to be ignored by the ERC system.
You can specify either an error or warning using a graphical matrix of pin, port
and sheet entry conditions.
The way net identifiers are used in the design can impact the electrical validity of
connections. For example, global net labels (Net Labels and Ports Global option) will
join all nets with the same label across multiple sheets, where local net labels (Only
Ports Global option) will only join electrical items within a single sheet. You can
specify the scope of these net identifiers for electrical rule checks, the same way that
they are specified for generating a valid netlist.
Special symbols are overlaid on the sheet, indicating the location of the reported
conditions when you specify Add Error Markers. These symbols are cleared from the
sheet when the error condition is corrected.
Running an ERC is integral part of the schematic capture phase. Carefully
check and resolve all reported errors prior to passing the design information to the
PCB Editor.
Checking Sheets and Projects
While creating a schematic, a number of useful design verification features are
available directly from the sheet workspace. The Edit Select Net and Edit Select
Connection menu items can be used to highlight all objects associated with a net or a
single connection (component pins do not select in these cases). These process
launchers are useful in verifying connections. Once you have used either of these,
select Reports Selected Pins from the menus to display a list of all pins connected to
the current selection.

62

Fundamentals of Schematic Capture

Linking from the Schematic to the PCB Layout

Schematic-to-PCB Synchronization
Protel 99 SE has a powerful design synchronization feature, which can automatically
match the schematic design data with the PCB design data. Previously, schematic
design changes were carried forward using a technique called forward annotation, and
PCB re-annotation information was taken back to the schematic using backward
annotation. Both of these functions are carried out by the synchronizer.
When you run the synchronizer it separately examines the component and connectivity
information in both the schematic sheets, and the PCB, and then updates one to match
the other. When you run it you select either Update PCB from Schematic, or Update
Schematic from PCB from the menus, nominating which is the source, and which is the
target.
Including PCB Layout Information on the Schematic
The PCB Layout directive allows you to specify routing topology, priority, width and
via size on a net-by-net basis on the schematic. This information is automatically
transferred to the PCB if the synchronizer is configured to create Design Rules from
Layout Directives (select Design Synchronizer Options).
Cross Probing between the Schematic and PCB
If the PCB design is open while you are working on the schematic, you can move
back-and-forth between matching objects in the designs by cross probing. Cross
probing is bi-directional.
For example, after clicking on the cross probe button you can select a part in the
schematic, and the PCB Editor will display the corresponding component on the PCB.
Schematic pin-to-PCB pad cross probing and net label-to-physical net cross probing
are also supported.

63

Schematic Capture

Setting up the Schematic Workspace

Environment Preferences
The Schematic Editor environment preferences are configured by selecting Tools
the menus to pop up the Preferences dialog. The Preferences dialog is
divided into three Tabs.
Preferences from

Schematic Tab
Pin Options

The Pin Options allow the pin name and number to be moved. The number specified is
the distance from the end of the pin (the end closest to the component body). The units
are hundredths of an inch.
Auto-Junction

Auto-Junction can be enabled and disabled here. Auto junction will automatically place
a junction when you terminate a wire onto another wire.
Drag Orthogonal

When you drag components, the wiring is keep orthogonal (corners at 90 degrees).
Turning Drag Orthogonal off allows the wires to move at any angle.
Multipart Suffix

Multipart components can use either a numeric or alpha part identifier suffix, for
example U1:1, U1:2, etc, or U1A, U1B, etc. Note that this is an environment setting, it
applies to all currently open sheets.
Default Power Object Names

These fields can be used to pre-assign a net name to these 3 styles of Power Port.
Orcad Load Options

The Copy Footprint From / To is used to map the Orcad part field that contains the
footprint to the schematic footprint field. The Orcad ports option prevents ports from
being resized in the Schematic Editor, important if the design has to go back to Orcad
(which does not support resizing ports).
Default Template File

Select a Default Template File to specify what sheet template is used when you create
a new schematic sheet.

64

Setting up the Schematic Workspace

Graphical Editing Tab

Clipboard Reference

If this option is on when you do an Edit Copy or an Edit Cut you will be asked to
select a reference point. This is useful when copying a section of circuit which is to be
pasted back into a schematic sheet. This reference point will be the point where the
section of circuit will be held when pasting.
Add Template to Clipboard

The sheet template is also copied to the clipboard when you Copy or Cut.
Convert Special Strings

Enable this option to see the contents of the special strings on screen, as they will be
printed. For more information on using special strings refer to the Sheet Templates
topic in the Setting up the Schematic Editor chapter.
Display Printer Fonts

Not all fonts are supported on all output devices (and Windows will automatically
substitute). To see what the text is going to look like on the printout enable this option.
Center of Object

Hold the object being moved or dragged by its reference point (for objects that have
one, such as library components or ports), or its center (for objects which do not have a
reference point such as a rectangle).
Objects Electrical Hot Spot

Hold the object being moved or dragged by the nearest electrical hot spot (eg, the end
of a pin) when moving or dragging.
Auto Zoom

Automatically zoom in when jumping to a component. Zoom level remains as it was if

this option is not enabled.
Single \ Negation

IF this option is enabled a net name can be negated by typing a backslash character
before the first letter in the net name. This applies to ports, net labels and sheet entries.
Undo Stack Size

You can undo this many edits. Set as required (remember, these undo-able edits are
being held in memory).
Default Primitives Tab
The default attributes for every object that can be placed in the Schematic Sheet Editor
can be defined here. Typical changes that you might make to the Default Primitives
include: changing fonts, such as Designators, Part Types and so on; or changing the
color of objects such as Wires and Text. User defined default values are held in the file
ADVSCH.DFT. User DFT files can be created and loaded. Use the permanent check
box to prevent these defaults being altered.

65

Schematic Capture

Schematic Document Options

The Schematic Editor gives you extensive control over the schematic sheet size and
style, including customized sheets and re-usable sheet templates. These sheet controls
allow you to easily create and use sheets customized for specific organizations, or
purposes.
To set the current schematic sheet options select Design Options. This will pop up the
Document Options dialog.
Sheet Options
The Document Options dialog provides control over the attributes of a sheet including;
the sheet style and sheet options, the grids, organization information and access to the
system font.
Setting the Schematic Sheet Size

You can choose from 10 standard imperial and metric sheet sizes, or to define a custom
sheet size. The maximum custom sheet size is 65 inches by 65 inches.
Schematic sheets are conventionally displayed and printed in landscape (wide) rather
than portrait (tall) orientation. The Schematic Editor allows you to display and print
your drawings in either orientation. Standard sheet sizes include:
SIZE

A
B
C
D
E
A4
A3
A2
A1
A0
ORCAD A
ORCAD B
ORCAD C
ORCAD D
ORCAD E
LETTER
LEGAL
TABLOID

WIDTH X HEIGHT (IN)

11.00
17.00
22.00
34.00
44.00
11.69
16.54
23.39
33.07
46.80
9.90
15.40
20.60
32.60
42.80
11.00
14.00
17.00

8.50
11.00
17.00
22.00
34.00
8.27
11.69
16.54
23.39
33.07
7.90
9.90
15.60
20.60
32.80
8.50
8.50
11.00

WIDTH X HEIGHT (MM)

279
432
559
864
1078
297
420
594
840
1188
251
391
523
828
1087
279
356
432

216
279
432
559
864
210
297
420
594
840
200
251
396
523
833
216
216
279

The maximum available work area in a sheet (with the border hidden) will depend
upon the output device. Many printers and plotters cannot print to the edge of the sheet,
so some trial and error may be necessary to determine the exact available work area.
Because of this, the standard ANSI and ISO border specifications cannot be applied
66

Setting up the Schematic Workspace

when targeting these devices. The Schematic Editor can compensate for this by
allowing you to scale the output during printing or plotting.
The available work area will be smaller when sheet borders are displayed. The default
sheet border removes 0.2 to 0.4 inch (approximately 5 to 10 mm) from the working
area, depending upon the sheet size selected.
Template

Name of the template that this sheet is based on. Refer to the Sheet Templates topic
later in this chapter for more information on creating and using sheet templates.
Borders

When defining sheet borders, you should be aware that not all devices can print all the
way to the edge of the page. For example, laser printers typically reserve a margin of
about 0.15 inches (4.0 mm) outside the printable area. This can make it impossible to
include all of the standard border when printing at 100% scale using standard sheet
sizes, such as A or A4. You can change the print scale to accommodate the
maximum printable area of your printer.
Title block

Protel provides two pre-defined title block formats. Choose the default title block or an
ANSI standard title block that is somewhat larger. Some of the information in title
blocks is provided automatically, e.g., the sheet size, file name and creation date. Turn
the title block off if you wish to draw your own.
Snap Grid

The snap grid is the grid that the cursor is locked to when placing or manipulating
objects on the sheet. This grid should be left on at all times except when specifically
placing or moving objects that need to be off grid, like text.
Visible Grid

The visible grid is the grid you see on the sheet, which acts as a visual reference.
Typically it is set to be the same as or a multiple of the snap grid.
Electrical Grid

The electrical grid supports the Schematic Editors Guided Wiring feature. Imagine
you are moving an electrical object in the workspace. When it falls within the electrical
grid range of another electrical object that you could connect to, the object you are
moving will snap to the fixed object, and a Hot Spot or highlight dot will appear. This
dot guides you as to where a valid connection can be made. The electrical grid should
be set slightly lower than the current snap grid or else it becomes difficult to position
electrical objects one snap grid apart.
Organization
Click on the Organization Tab in the Document Options dialog to enter the
organization details. Each field here is linked to a Special String. Refer to the Sheet

67

Schematic Capture

Templates topic later in this chapter for an explanation and example of how to use
special strings.
Sheet Units
Both the Schematic Sheet Editor and Library Editor have a resolution of 0.01, or one
hundredth of an inch. The units displayed on the left of the status bar are always
hundredths of an inch, regardless of the sheet style.
Changing the System Font
The System font includes; border text, system title blocks, pin names, pin numbers,
ports, power ports and sheet entries. For more information refer to the Fonts topic in
the Schematic Design Objects chapter.

Sheet Templates
The sheet border, title block and included graphics make up what is referred to as the
sheet template. The Schematic Editor is supplied with a number of sheet templates, one
for each size of sheet available.
User defined sheet templates can be created. They are created in the same way you
create a normal schematic sheet. After adding all the objects to the sheet select File
Save Copy As to save the sheet as a *.DOT template file. Once created, these predefined templates can be applied to new or existing projects.
As well as including custom title blocks and graphics, sheet templates can include
special strings to automatically add document text when printing or plotting. Refer to
the Activity on the following page for information on how to create a template.
Special Strings
Special strings are text strings which are recognized by the Schematic Editor and
interpreted when the sheet is printed or plotted. Each
Use special strings
special string either links to a field in the Organization Tab
with your templates to
of the Document Options dialog, such as .TITLE, or
provide quick and
provides current information, such as .DATE. Special text
consistent
document
strings can be placed either on a sheet template, or directly
text.
on a schematic sheet.
By placing the special strings on your sheet template you
will not need to accurately place text each time you do a new design. You simply go to
the Document Options dialog for that sheet and fill in the fields. When the sheet is
printed, each special string will be replaced by the text you entered into the appropriate
field of the Document Options dialog. The string will be placed at the location of the
. (the dot, or full stop).

68

Setting up the Schematic Workspace

If you wish to see the text that was entered in the Document Options dialog on the
screen, rather than waiting till it is printed, check the Convert Special Strings check
box in the Graphical Edit Tab of the Preferences dialog (Tools Preferences).
The Special string that are linked to the Document Options dialog are:
.ORGANIZATION
.ADDRESS1
.ADDRESS2
.ADDRESS3
.ADDRESS4
.SHEETNUMBER
.SHEETTOTAL
.TITLE
.DOCUMENTNUMBER
.REVISION

Lists Organization field text.

Lists text from first Address field.
Lists text from second Address field.
Lists text from third Address field.
Lists text from fourth Address field.
Lists text from Sheet No. field.
Lists text from Sheet Total field.
Lists the Document Title text.
Lists the Document No. text.
List the Document Revision text.

The following special strings automatically insert the current information at

the time the document is printed.
.DOC_FILE_NAME
.DOC_FILE_NAME_NO_PATH
.TIME
.DATE

The name of the schematic sheet file.

Name of sheet, without the path.
The current time.
The current date.

To place a special string select Place Annotation from the menus and type in the
special string, including the dot.
Activity - Creating a Custom Template
Protel templates are stored in the \Program Files\Design Explorer 99
SE\System\Templates.ddb database. You can add your template to this
database, create your own templates database, or include the template in the design.
Follow these steps to define a custom schematic template:
1. After opening the database and the folder that the template will be stored in, select
File New to create an empty schematic sheet, then double-click to open this sheet.
2. Choose Design Options from the menus, then click on the Sheet Options Tab.
3. Select the sheet size in the Standard Styles pull down list.
4. Un-check the Title Block option (to remove the standard title block) and click OK.
Notice that the standard title block no longer appears on the page. Zoom-in to the
bottom right corner of the page to start a custom title block (zoom in shortcut:
position the cursor where you wish to zoom and press PAGE UP) .
You are ready to draw a new title block.
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Schematic Capture

5. Choose the graphical line tool from the Drawing Tools toolbar, or select the Place
Drawing Tools Line menu item. A cross-hair will appear on the cursor.
6. Before starting the line, press the TAB key to set the attributes of the line. The Line
dialog will open.
7. In the Line dialog click in the Color box to open the Color Selector, then scroll up
to color number 4 (black). Click OK to close the Color Selector dialog .
8. You will be back in the Line dialog. Set the Line Width to Smallest.
9. Click OK in the Line dialog to accept these changes.
10. Now, position the cursor in the sheet workspace and click to begin the first title
block line segment.
11. Move the cursor to the point where you wish to define the first corner. Click to
define this corner, then move the cursor to the location of the second corner.
Continue to do this until you need to start drawing a new line.
12. Click RIGHT MOUSE once (or the ESC key) when you want to end this multisegment line. You can then move the cursor to a new location to start a new line.
Click RIGHT MOUSE a second time (or the ESC key again) to exit the Place Line
command.
13. You are ready to place text in the title block.
14. Choose Place Annotation from the menus.
15. Before placing the text, press the TAB key to change the text attributes.
16. Press the Font Change button.
17. In the Size field, type 16 and Click OK.
18. In the Text field type .TITLE and then click OK to close the dialog. Note the full
stop character immediately in front of the word TITLE, this must be included.
19. Position the cursor in the appropriate region of your new title block, then click
LEFT MOUSE. To temporarily disable the snap grid hold the CTRL key as you
position the text.
The .TITLE special string is mapped to the Title field in the Document Options
dialog. Refer to the Special Strings topic earlier in this section for an explanation
of special stings and a list of all the special strings. Continue to define your custom
title block by adding the appropriate special strings as follows:
20. Press TAB to pop up the Annotation dialog again. Enter the
.DOCUMENTNUMBER special string and set the font to an appropriate size.
Position the cursor where you wish to place this special string and click LEFT
MOUSE. Continue to place the special strings in the appropriate regions of your title
block.
21. Press ESC to exit the place text annotation command.
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Setting up the Schematic Workspace

22. Graphics can be included in the template. Select the Place Drawing Tools
Graphic menu item to add a graphic. When the Image file dialog appears select the
graphic image file and click OK. When the cursor
When you place
appears you will need to click once to define the top
a graphic the image is
left of the image location, then a second time to define
not saved with the
the bottom right of the image location.
document, only a
You are now ready to save this sheet as a template:
pointer to the graphic
file. If you move the
23. Choose File Save As from the menus.
design to another PC
24. Type a name for the template in the File Name field,
the graphic file will
and set the Save As Type option to Schematic
need to move too.
template binary (*.dot).
25. The extension .DOT defines this file as a sheet template. This template can now be
used for new or existing designs. Close the template file when you have finished.
Setting a Preferred Template to be Automatically Used
You can specify a template to be used automatically whenever a new file is created. To
do this select the Tools Preferences menu item. In the Preferences dialog, at the
bottom of the Schematic Tab, press the Browse button to display the Select dialog.
Select the database that contains your template in the drop-down list at the top of the
dialog, if the database is not available in the list click the Add button and browse to
locate it. Locate and select your template in the database that you selected.
When you click OK and return to the Preferences dialog, your template name will
appear in the Default Template File field. Click OK to close the dialog. When you
select File New, the new sheet will use your template. Note that the objects that make
up the template cannot be edited now, any changes have to be made to the template
itself.
Updating Existing Templates
Templates can also be applied to the active sheet, or all open sheets, at any time. The
Design menu has three menu items for working with templates:
Update Current Template - use this if you have modified a template and need to refresh the sheets which use it. You will be asked if you wish to update the template
for all currently open files. Click No if you wish to only re-fresh the active sheet.
Set Template File Name - this removes the existing template and uses the one you
choose.
Remove Template - removes the template (but retains the sheet size from the old
template).

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Schematic Capture

Working in the Schematic Editing Window

Protel 99 SEs schematic server includes two document editors, the Schematic Sheet
Editor and the Schematic Library Editor. Working in either of these document editors
is quite similar, you build your design from the set of objects provided, placing these
objects on a sheet. The strategies used for placing objects, editing their attributes,
positioning and deleting them on the sheet, and so on, are common to both editors. In
essence, the way you work in either editor is the same, what you do in each editor is
different.
In the Schematic Sheet Editor you create, edit and validate schematics. In the Library
Editor you create, edit and validate components and component libraries.

Changing Your View of the Sheet

Each sheet you open will appear on its own Tab in the integrated Design Window. You
look through this window to view your sheet. You can bring the sheet closer to you
(zoom in), or move the sheet away (zoom out). The View menu provides a number of
ways of changing you view of the document, including a Fit All Objects option, where
the sheet will be zoomed to fit all the placed objects, and a Fit Document, where the
entire sheet will be displayed. Shortcut keys to change your view include:
PageUp to zoom in
PageDown to zoom out
Home to re-center the screen at the current cursor position
End to refresh the screen

Moving Around the Schematic

Panning the Schematic
If the sheet is zoomed such that you can not see the entire sheet, scroll bars will appear,
allowing you to scroll around the sheet. These scroll bars have a sliding button, which
you can click and drag to scroll up and down, or left and right across your sheet. The
position of the sliding buttons gives an indication of what portion of the sheet you are
currently viewing. Click above or below the sliding button to scroll across the sheet in
large steps, or click on the arrows at each end of the scroll bars to scroll across in small
steps. When the sheet is zoomed such that you can see the entire sheet, the scroll bars
are removed.
Scroll bars provide one way of moving around the sheet. The other way to move
around the sheet is autopanning. Autopanning is enabled whenever you have a cross-

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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

hair cursor. You have a cross-hair cursor whenever you perform an edit type
operation like placing, selecting, moving or deleting objects.
This cursor can be moved either by moving the mouse, or pressing the arrow keys on
the keyboard. If the cursor is moved such that it hits the window frame, you will pan
across the sheet. To autopan at higher speed hold the SHIFT key while panning. The
speed at which you autopan can be altered by changing the Speed setting in the
Graphical Editing Tab in the Preferences dialog (Tools Preferences). Here you can
also change the style of autopanning as well, choosing either a Fixed Size Jump, where
the sheet moves over by the current step size, or Re-Center where the sheet shifts in
half screen increments, and re-centers the cursor.
Browsing the Schematic
When your design has many
sheets it can become difficult and
time consuming to locate objects
on the sheets. To simplify this
process the Schematic Editor
includes powerful browsing
features.
Set the Browse mode at the top
of the Editor Panel to Primitives,
to browse through objects on the
current sheet, or the entire
project.
You can browse by any of the
object types available in the
Schematic Editor.
The bottom of the browser has
three buttons, Text, Jump and
Edit. Select an item from the
browse list before using these
buttons.

select the
browse mode

select what to
browse by
use the mask to
narrow the search
list of "Parts"
(current browse mode)
for the selected object edit the text, jump to it,
or edit the object
refresh the
browse list

Press Jump to jump to the selected object, centering it in the window.

Press Text to jump to the selected object and pop up a text editing dialog if the
object has a text field.
Press Edit to jump to the selected object and pop up the objects attribute dialog,
allowing you to edit any of the objects attributes.
Use the Update List button to refresh the browse list prior to browsing.
When you select an item in the list, information about that item will appear on the
Status Bar.

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Schematic Capture

Jumping around the Schematic

Another way to move quickly around the current schematic sheet is to Jump. Supported
Jump options include; the origin, a specific location, one of ten markers, or an Error
Marker. This can save you from having to constantly zoom in and out to navigate
around your design, and is particularly useful for large or complex layouts.
Jump Origin

Jumps to the absolute (0,0) coordinate. In the Schematic Sheet Editor this is the lowerleft corner of the sheet. In the Library Editor it is the center of the sheet.
New Location

This option allows you to type in the desired coordinates for the jump.
Using Location Markers

The Schematic Editor includes ten user-definable location markers, allowing you to
mark positions on a sheet, which you can then quickly jump to with just two key
strokes. These markers can be placed anywhere on a sheet by selecting Edit Set
Location Marks.
Jumping to Location Markers

To jump to any of the pre-defined location markers on the current sheet select Edit
Jump Location Mark X (shortcut: J, 1 or J, 2 etc).

Using the Navigation Panel to Move through the Project

The Design Explorer Navigation Panel displays all the documents in your Design
Database.
As well as displaying how the various documents are
organized in the Design Database, it also shows any
logical parent-child relationship between schematic
sheets.
Use the Navigation Panel to navigate through the
sheets of your project. Click on the small + sign to
display the sheet(s) below a sheet, click on the small sign to hide the sheet(s) below. Click once on a sheet
to open it, and make it the active document in the
Design Window.
Another technique that can be used to navigate through a project is the Up/Down
Hierarchy button on the Main toolbar.
For a complete explanation of how to use the Up/Down
Hierarchy button refer to the topic Tools for Working with
Hierarchy in the chapter Multi-sheet Design and Project
Management.
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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

Placing Schematic Objects

You will find the way you place and manipulate objects in the Schematic Editor to be
quite simple and straight forward. The placement techniques are consistent with other
Windows graphical editing tools; select a tool, click the mouse to define a location,
move the mouse to define the next location, and so on.
As you experiment with each of the object types refer to the Primitives topics in the
Schematic Design Objects chapter for tips on placing each object.
Each object can be placed using menus, toolbars or shortcut keys. The approach used
to place objects is consistent for all objects. An example of placing wires is given
below. Placing components is covered in the Components and Libraries chapter.
Activity - Placing a Wire
To place a wire in the current sheet window:
1. Zoom in on the sheet (press PageUp until you can clearly see the grid).
2. Select the Place Wire menu item (shortcut keys: P, W, or click the Wire button on
the WiringTools toolbar).
Note how a cross-hair appears on the end of the pointer-style cursor. The crosshair is the editing cursor, it is used each time you perform any editing type
operation (select Tools Preferences to change the cursor style).
3. Click LEFT MOUSE (or press ENTER) to define a start point for the wire.
As you move the cursor, note that its position is constrained by a grid and that the
cursor jumps to the nearest grid point. The cursor is snapping to the Snap Grid.
Select Design Options to change the Snap Grid.
4. Drag the wire segment in any direction. Click LEFT
MOUSE (or press ENTER) to end this first segment
of the wire.

Press the BACKSPACE

key during wire placement
to remove the last corner
(vertex).

5. Move the cursor to continue with a new wire

segment, extending from the existing segment.
Click LEFT MOUSE or press ENTER again to define the second segment. Continue
like this until the wire is finished.
6. When the wire is finished click RIGHT MOUSE to end the segmented wire.
Note that cursor is still a cross-hair, indicating that you are still in the place wire
mode. This allows you to end one wire and then begin a new series of wire
segments elsewhere in the workspace, without having to select Place Wire again.
Refer to the topic, Editing Schematic Objects, later
in this chapter for tips on how to modify a placed wire.

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Schematic Capture

7. To exit wire placement, press ESC (or click RIGHT MOUSE a second time). Note that
the cross-hair disappears from the end of the cursor.
Manual and Auto Wire Placement Modes
The Schematic Editor provides six wire and bus placement modes. Press the SPACEBAR
as you place a wire or bus to toggle between the different modes. Options include two
orthogonal modes, an any angle mode, and an Auto Wire mode.
Any Angle Mode

Allows the wire to be placed at any angle.

90/90 Line Mode

Constrains the wire placement to horizontal or vertical orientation. There are two
modes; one keeps the shorter of the two segments attached to the cursor, the other
keeps the longer of the two segments attached to the cursor.
45/90 Line Mode

Constrains wire placement to 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270 or 315 degree orientation.
There are two modes; one keeps the straight segment with the cursor, the other mode
keeps the 45 degree line with the cursor.
Auto Wire Mode

The Auto Wire mode will attempt to route a wire, in an orthogonal manner, from the
first point you click, to the next point you click. These click points are not restricted to
electrical hot spots (such as pins), they can be anywhere on the sheet. To modify the
Auto Wire parameters press the TAB key during wire placement.
To make it easy to
tell when you are in the
Auto Wire mode, the
connective line is shown
as a dotted line.
After placing the first wire from pin
A21 to pin 2, the remaining seven
wires in the bus can be quickly
placed using the Auto Wire mode.
Simply click on the start pin (pin
A25 in the figure), click on the end
pin (pin 6), then right mouse click
to finish this wire.

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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

Guided Wiring and Auto-Junction

To speed the process of wiring the Schematic
Editor includes two powerful productivity features;
guided wiring and automatic junctions.

cursor snaps to end

of pin and highlight
circle appears

junction will be
added once this
wire is complete

As you are placing a wire try moving it towards an

existing electrical object, such as a wire or a
component pin. When the wire falls within the
electrical grid range of the other electrical object,
the cursor will snap to the fixed object and a Hot
Spot (highlight circle) will appear. The Hot Spot
guides you as to where a valid connection can be
made.

Guided wiring speeds the process of getting the cursor to the correct location to
terminate the wire allowing you to wire quickly, and at much lower zoom levels.
Once the cursor is in the correct location you simply click to terminate the wire.
There is no need to worry if a junction is
required when you click, the Auto-Junction
feature will automatically add one if it is
required. Auto-Junction places a junction
when two wires are connected in a T-type
fashion, or a wire connects orthogonally to a
pin or power port.
Creating 2-Dimensional Graphical Objects
2-Dimensional objects, such
as rectangles and polygons are
created and placed similarly to
wires, buses and lines. Each
object may require a different
rectangle
number of mouse clicks to
define it, refer to the
Primitives topics in the
Schematic Design Objects
chapter for more information.

Always set the electrical grid

slightly lower than the current
snap grid, otherwise you will find
it difficult to position electrical
objects one snap grid apart.

polygon

pie

Note that graphical images are rounded rectangle

graphical image
ellipse
not stored in the schematic file
- only a link to the file is saved with the sheet. If you move your design to a different
directory you will need to change the link (double-click on the image to edit the link).

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Schematic Capture

Editing Schematic Objects

There are two approaches to editing an object in the Schematic Editor, either by
changing its attributes in its Change dialog box, or graphically modifying the object.
Certain operations (such as changing the color of a primitive) can only be performed
by editing the attributes, others (such as re-sizing a rectangle) can be done through the
dialog box or by graphically modifying the object.
To edit the look of an object in the workspace it is generally easier to do it graphically.
To do this you must first bring the object into focus. To edit the object through its
Change dialog box select the Edit-Change menu item and then click on the object.
Editing While Placing
You can edit the attributes of an object while it is being placed.
While the object is floating on the cursor, press the TAB key.
This pops up the objects dialog. The advantages of editing
during placement are:
Changes made during placement can become the defaults for
that type of object. These changes are stored in the defaults
file (ADVSCH.DFT). Note that this method of setting
press TAB to edit
during placement
defaults depends on the setting of the Permanent check
box in the Preferences dialog box (Tools Preferences). If this option is on the
changes being made will not become the defaults, they will only apply to the object
currently floating on the cursor.
Objects that have a numeric identifier, such as a designator, will auto-increment.
There is no need to edit the object after it has been placed, speeding the design
process.
Editing an Object on the Sheet
To change any placed object select Edit Change from the menus, move the cursor over
the item and click LEFT MOUSE (shortcut: double-click LEFT MOUSE). Each object has
its own range of editable attributes. You can
Refer to the Global Editing
change just this object, or extend changes
topic, in the Working in the
across your entire design using powerful global
Schematic Editor chapter, for
editing options.
tips on Global editing.
On-Sheet Text Editing
Text strings can be edited directly on the schematic sheet. Click once to focus a text
string, click a second time to edit the string directly on the schematic sheet. This
behavior can be disabled by turning off the Enable In-place Editing option in the
Preferences dialog.

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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

Editing Graphically - Focus and Selection

One of the advantages of a graphical based editing environment is the ability to make
changes directly to objects displayed on the screen. To be able to graphically edit an
object, or a group of objects, you must first identify the objects. This is done through
focus, or selection.
In other Windows applications selection is a single concept, the process of choosing
objects before being able to modify them. A typical example would be selecting one or
more objects to be copied to the clipboard and then pasted to another location. Often
selected objects can be modified directly. For example, selected objects can be moved
or re-shaped in most graphical applications.
Unlike other Windows applications, the Schematic Editor uses two independent
methods for accomplishing selection oriented tasks. These methods, focus and
selection, are used repeatedly when creating or editing your Schematic. Breaking
selection into these two independent processes allows the Schematic Editor to perform
complex modifications of objects which would be either difficult or impossible using
the simple selection method described above.
Focus
When you position the cursor over a design object in the Schematic Editor and click
LEFT MOUSE this object then has the focus, and
To move the focus to
the way it is displayed changes. This is similar to
another object click on that
the way you can change the focus in Windows by
object. To have nothing in
clicking on an open window to make it active.
focus click in a clear area of
Only one object can be in focus at a time. You can
the workspace.
tell which object is currently in focus because its
graphical editing handles (or a focus box) are displayed. For example, if you click LEFT
MOUSE on a rectangle a re-sizing handle will appear at each corner and along each side.
If you click LEFT MOUSE on a net label a focus box will appear.
Graphically Editing the Focused Object

When an object is in focus, you can move the object, or edit its graphical
characteristics.
To graphically change a focused object click once on an editing handle. That point of
the object will then become attached to the cursor simply move the mouse to a new
location and click to place.
Click anywhere on a focused object to move it, press the DELETE key to delete it. For
strategies about moving or dragging objects refer to the Moving and Dragging topic
later in this chapter.

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Schematic Capture

NetLabel1

C14
0.1uF
Objects in focus, displaying their focus handles or focus box.
Editing Handles and Polyline Behavior

Polyline objects have special graphical editing characteristics. For example, when you
place wires, buses or graphical lines, you define a vertex each time the wire, bus or line
changes directions. These vertices are displayed as editing handles when the object is
in focus. These objects can have complex shapes (hence polyline), but can be
manipulated (moved, cut, copied, pasted, cleared or deleted) as a single object.
A special feature of polyline objects is the ability to add or delete vertices from a
placed object.
Activity - Adding a Vertex or Control Point to a Polyline Object

To add a vertex or control point:

1. Click on the polyline object to place it in focus.
2. Position the cursor over the line segment at the point where you would like to add
the new vertex. Click and hold LEFT MOUSE and press the INSERT key. The
segment will now bend at the cursor.
3. Move the new vertex to the desired location and release LEFT MOUSE to place.
If you find that the cursor jumps to the nearest handle rather than remaining where you
clicked, disable the Objects Electrical Hot Spot option in the Preferences dialog.
Activity - Removing a Vertex or Control Point

Sometimes you will want to remove a vertex (or control point) when reshaping a
polyline object. To remove a vertex or control point:
1. Click on the polyline object to place it in focus.

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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

2. Position the cursor over the handle that you wish to delete. Click and hold LEFT
MOUSE to grab the handle.
3. Press DELETE to remove the vertex (or control point).
The cursor will jump to the nearest remaining vertex.
Focus Summary

As illustrated in these examples, you must focus an object before you can modify it
graphically. Note that you cannot use the clipboard menu items: Edit Copy, Cut, Paste
or Clear with the focused object. These Clipboard features work only on a selection.
Selection
Selection provides a second, distinct method of manipulating objects. Unlike focus,
selection can be used with both individual objects and with a group of objects.
Selection does not display an objects graphical
editing handles or a focus box. Instead, the
object is outlined in the selection color (to
change the color select Tools Preferences).

You must select objects

before you can use the clipboard
functions: Edit Copy, Cut, Paste
and Clear.

Once selected, objects can be moved, cut,

copied, pasted into another window or location in the current window, or cleared.
Special Edit Move options allow you to move or rotate selections in a single operation.
Selection also works with the Schematic Editors global editing feature, which can
limit global changes to selected or un-selected objects.
A key feature of the Schematic Editors complex selection model is the ability to click
without de-selecting objects that were previously added to the current
selection. This allows you to perform a wide variety of operations without effecting the
current selection.
LEFT MOUSE

Selections are made in the following ways:

Direct selection, using SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE to add (or remove) individual items to
the current selection.
The click-and-drag-a-window-around shortcut.
Use the Edit Select and Edit DeSelect sub-menus to define a selection.

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Schematic Capture

By using the Selection check box in the objects

dialog. This option allows you to use the Schematic
Editors global editing feature to apply selection
status changes to other objects in the design. Refer to
the Global Editing topic later in this chapter for tips
on global editing.
If something unexpected happens, select Edit Undo from
the menus to restore back to a previous state.
Activity - Directly Selecting an Individual Object

Objects
remain
selected
until
you
deselect them it is
good practice to always
clear
the
current
selection prior to making
a new selection (Edit
DeSelect All or shortcut:
X, A)

Direct selection is the most flexible way to select an

individual object. To select one object at a time:
1. Hold down SHIFT and click LEFT MOUSE with the cursor positioned over the object.
The item will be redrawn, outlined in the Selection color (select Tools
to change the color). You can do this repeatedly, each time adding
another item to the current selection.
Preferences

If you hear a beep, or nothing appears to be selected, try zooming in closer

(press PAGEUP) and make sure that the cursor is directly over the item you wish to
select. To select a component, position the cursor within the component body.
Components, especially complex components can take a moment to select.
To add another item to the current selection:
2. Hold down SHIFT and click LEFT MOUSE over another item.
To release individual items from the selection:
3. Hold down SHIFT and click on the selected item.
When an object is de-selected it is redrawn in its original colors. Other selected items
remain selected until they are either individually de-selected (SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE) or
until an Edit DeSelect is executed (shortcut: X, A).
Activity - Direct Selection of an Area

Direct selection can also be performed on an area. To select all objects within an area:
1. Position the mouse where there are no objects under the cursor.
2. Click and hold the LEFT MOUSE button.
The Status Bar will prompt Choose Second Corner.
3. Drag the mouse diagonally away. Define the area with the selection rectangle and
release the LEFT MOUSE button.
Only objects that fall entirely with the rectangle will be selected. The selected
objects will highlight in the current selection color.
4. Repeat the process to extend this selection.
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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

Using the Menu Options to make a Selection

The Edit Select menu items allows you to select all objects inside or outside of an
area, or all objects. You can also select by Net (selects all wires and net identifiers for
the chosen net on the current sheet), or Connection (selects all wires and net identifiers
that are physically connected).
Edit De-Select provides the same options, less the Net and Connection options.
Shortcut: press X to pop up the De-Select menu.

The Edit Toggle Selection menu item allows you to toggle the selection state of
individual objects, behaving the same as the SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE direct selection
technique.
Working with a Selection
Objects that are selected can be cut or copied to the clipboard, and from there pasted
into other schematic sheets, or into any Windows application that supports the
Windows clipboard. Selections can also be deleted by selecting the Edit Clear menu
item or the CTRL+DEL shortcut keys.
Use the clipboard in the Schematic Editor the same as you would in any Windows
application. The sequence is; select the objects to perform the operation on, cut or copy
the selection to the clipboard, then paste the clipboard contents to the desired location.
Notes on Using the Clipboard

The Schematic Editor includes a Clipboard Reference Location option. A

reference location is a coordinate you nominate when you copy or cut the items.
When you paste the selection, you will be holding it by this reference location,
allowing you to accurately position the pasted objects. If this option is enabled you
will be prompted to Choose Clipboard Reference Location when performing a
Copy or Cut. Select Tools Preferences to set this option.

Edit Copy copies

Edit Cut

the current selection to the clipboard.

clears the current selection from the workspace and copies it to the

clipboard.

Select Edit Paste to paste the selection back into any open sheet.

Make sure that the selection includes only those items you wish to copy or cut. To
ensure that nothing is selected before making a new selection use the deselect all
shortcut: x, a.

Use the shortcut SHIFT+left mouse to add or remove items from the current
selection.

The clipboard holds the last selection only, each time you select Cut or Copy you
overwrite the clipboard contents.

Select Edit Clear to delete the current selection from the workspace without
copying it to the clipboard (shortcut: CTRL+DELETE).
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Schematic Capture

The Schematic Editor includes an option to include the sheet template when
copying to the clipboard. Select Tools Preferences to set this.

Pasting an Array

When you use Edit Cut (or Copy) you are placing a copy of the current selection in the
clipboard. Edit Paste Array allows you to place multiple copies of the clipboard
contents back into the workspace. The following figure shows an example of using the
array feature to create a set of eight data lines. It is easier to create and place the array
if the Clipboard Reference feature is enabled (refer to the previous topic).
Creating a set of eight data lines using the Paste Array feature.
After placing the wire, bus
entry and net label, select
them, then cut the selection
to the clipboard.

Data0

Select Paste Array and setup for the required number of data lines.

Data0
Data1
Data2
Data3
Data4
Data5
Data6
Data7
Item Count

The number of repeat placements to be performed. For example, typing 4 will

place 4 of the current clipboard contents.
Text Increment

This option is used for text which you want to auto-increment, such as net labels.
Setting this to 1 will increment the component designators, for example U1, U2,
U3 etc.

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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

Horizontal

The horizontal spacing between each pasted item. Setting this to 10 would place
each object on the next standard visible grid point (0.1 inches apart).
Vertical

The vertical spacing between each pasted item. Setting this to 10 would place each
object on the next standard visible grid point (0.1 inches apart).

Global Editing
As well as being able to edit the attributes of a single object, you can also apply these
edits to other objects of the same type on the current document, or if you wish, across
the entire project .
Additionally, you can further define conditions that either extend or restrict global
changes. For example, changes can be applied to all objects that are selected or all
objects that are not currently selected, or the change can be applied without regard to
the objects selection status. If desired, you can create a complex set of conditions for
applying changes.
Virtually every one of these editable object attributes can be globally applied. A simple
example would be changing the color assigned to all wire segments associated with a
specific net. In another instance you may wish to change the font of all net labels.
These options (and more) are possible with global editing. The possible applications
for global changes are limited only by the imagination of the designer.
The large number of global change options may make this feature appear somewhat
complex at first. However, the principles of applying global changes are reasonably
simple once understood. When mastered, this feature can be an important productivity
tool that can save a great deal of manual editing of a schematic.
Cross-Project Global Editing
Global editing of schematic objects throughout a multi-sheet, hierarchical project is
supported. This feature allows you to change items located in various parts of a project,
or impose style changes throughout all open sheets in the current project. Set the
Change Scope to control which sheets are affected by the global edit.
Global Editing Strategies
While the presentation of global change options may appear differently in the various
object dialogs, the strategy used is always the same. This description will outline the
approach to global editing.

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Schematic Capture

current attributes
of the object being
edited

attributes to match by objects with these

attributes matching will
be changed

attribute changes
that are to be copied
from this object, to
all the matched
objects

Current Attributes

When you double-click on an object, you are presented with the dialog for that type of
object. This dialog contains the current values or settings of the attributes of that
object. Change the attributes you would like to alter.
In the dialog shown above we are going to change all the data net labels from D1, D2,
etc to Data1, Data2, and so on. As this is a string substitution we do not need to change
anything in the Current Attributes.
Attributes to Match By

After changing the attributes press the Global button. The dialog will expand to look
like the one shown in the picture above. In the center of the dialog there be a column
titled Attributes To Match By. In the Attributes To Match By column you define how
to identify the other objects that this change is to apply to.
The Attributes To Match By column will contain either a choice field for each attribute
or a text field which you can type in.
The choice field has three options: Same (apply global changes if this object attribute is
matched in the target object); Different (apply global changes if this attribute is not a

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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

match in the target object) and Any (the default) which applies the change irrespective
of whether the attribute has the same value in both objects.
If the Match By attributes are all set to any and the text fields contain the wildcard
symbol (*), then the global change will apply to all objects of this type.
Use combinations of Match By attributes to define a particular set of objects to apply
the change to. For this example we set the Net Label to D*, to target all net labels
starting with the letter D.
Copy Attributes

The third column in the dialog is titled Copy Attributes. This

column will contain either a check box for each attribute, or a
text field which you can type in.
In this column you specify which of the attributes you want to
copy the changes to, and if the attribute has a text field what
new text value to copy to all matched objects.

To perform a
complete
string
replacement simply
remove the braces
{} and type in the
new string.

In the dialog shown we enter the string substitution that we

wish to perform {D=Data}. The syntax of String Substitution is described below.
Change Scope

The last parameter to set is the change scope. This will be; the current item, all
matching items in this document, or all matching items in the documents that make up
the project. Other open documents which are not part of the project will not be
affected.
When you press the OK button all Net Labels which start with the letter D will have
the D replaced with the string Data, so D1 would become Data1, D2 becomes
Data2, and so on. Note that if the design included a net label with a value of DR it
would become DataR.
If you are unsure if your global edit will target the right objects, only enable
the Selection option in the Copy Attributes column. When you click OK to perform
the change the set of target objects will be selected, but not changed. You can then
do the global change again, this time using selection as the Attribute to Match By.
Using Wildcards when Globally Editing Text
Many objects include text fields. These text fields allow you to use wildcards to define
changes. This applies to parts, net labels, annotations (single line text), sheet symbols,
sheet entries, ports and power ports.
Both the ? and * wildcard characters can be used to extend the definition of target
strings. For example, S* will limit the fields to strings beginning with S, etc. Wildcards
are case in-sensitive.

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Schematic Capture

Separate Edit Find Text and Edit Replace Text features allow text replacement
across different object types. They also support the wildcard search and string
substitution syntax.
Syntax for String Substitutions
The Copy field for text strings is used to define the changes to be made to the string.
This field can be used in two ways.
If you wish to replace the entire contents of this field with a new value, remove the
braces, { and } and enter the new value.
The braces are used when you wish to perform selective string substitutions, using the
syntax {oldtext=newtext}. This means you can change a portion of the string "oldtext"
to "newtext". In the example shown earlier in this section we changed the letter D
for the string Data.
You can use multiple sets of brackets to define complex replacements. In this case the
leftmost replacement is made, then the next on, etc. This is very powerful, you must
take care because the first change can effect subsequent replacements, possibly
generating an unexpected result.
You can further limit the replacement by typing {!Text=text} to make the changes case
sensitive. In this case, "Text" becomes "text". Otherwise replacement is case insensitive by default. Use Undo to recover from any mistakes.
Summary
With care and planning you can experience significant productivity benefits from this
powerful feature. However, the very power of these options can contribute to some
unanticipated results particularly when complex selections are globally edited. When
in doubt, its always safest to Edit DeSelect All (shortcut: X, A), then create a fresh
selection. Remember, the Undo/Redo features allow you to recover several operations,
if required.

Quick-Copying an Object
The Schematic Editor has a powerful feature for copying the attributes of one object
into a second object of the same type. With this feature you can morph the object
currently floating on the cursor into an object already placed on the schematic.
For example, lets say you have a capacitor floating on the cursor, when you would
really like to place a resistor. Rather than pressing ESC to get rid of the capacitor, then
browsing through the library to find a resistor, you can use the quick-copy feature to
turn the capacitor into a resistor.

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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

Position the cursor (with the floating capacitor) over the source object (an existing
resistor on the schematic), and press the INSERT key. There will now be a resistor
floating on the cursor. You can also edit the attributes of the object before you place it
by pressing the TAB key.
All attributes of the placed object will be copied to the floating object. If the floating
object did not inherit the attributes of the placed object, the cursor cross-hair may not
have been inside the body of the placed object when pressing INSERT. Place the object
in the desired location.
The quick attribute copy feature (also known as morphing) can be used to clone
the attributes of all schematic object types, except sheet symbols. This feature works
whether placing a new object, or moving an already-placed item. It does not work
when dragging connected electrical objects.

Activity - Finding and Replacing Text

The Schematic Editor allows you to find and replace text anywhere on a sheet, or even
across a multi-sheet project.
For example, you may wish to rename all the data bus nets from D1, D2, D3, etc, to
Data1, Data2, Data3, across the entire multi-sheet project. This could be done using
global editing, but it would have to be done separately for net labels, ports and sheet
entries.
To search and replace the text:
1. Select Edit Replace Text from the
menus.
The Text Find And Replace Text dialog
will pop up.
2. Type the Text To Find string, for this
example D*.
The Find Text and Replace Text process
launchers support the use of both the ?
(any single character) and the * (any
characters) wildcards.
3. In the Replace With field type the
replacement text.
In this example we want to replace the D from each string, without effecting the
numeric part of the net label. If we just entered the string Data then every net
identifier would be changed to Data. By using the string substitution feature
{oldstring=newstring}, you can specify a partial string replacement (see below).
4. Set the Scope and the Options. These are described below.

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Schematic Capture

5. Click OK to perform the text replacement.

Scope

Changes can be applied to the Current Document Only or to All Open Documents.
Objects with text to be changed can be restricted to selected or un-selected items.
Case Sensitive

Changes can be made on a Case Sensitive basis (upper and lower case must match
exactly when searching). Replacement text always matches the case used when typing
text into the New Text field.
Prompt on Replace

Always prompt before replacing the found text.

Restricting changes to net identifiers

Restrict find-and-replace text changes to net identifier objects, including; net labels,
power ports, ports and sheet entries.
Conditional String Substitutions

Both the ? and * wildcard characters can be used to extend the definition of target
strings. For example, S* will limit the fields to strings beginning with S, etc. Wildcards
are case in-sensitive.
Selective string substitutions can be performed, using the {oldtext=newtext}syntax.
This means you can change a portion of the string "oldtext" to "newtext". In our
example we changed the letter D for the string Data.
You can use multiple sets of brackets to define complex replacements. In this case the
leftmost replacement is made, then the next on, etc. This is very powerful, you must
take care because the first change can effect subsequent replacements, possibly
generating an unexpected result.
You can further limit the replacement by typing {!Text=text} to make the changes case
sensitive. In this case, "Text" becomes "text". Otherwise replacement is case insensitive by default. Use Undo to recover from any mistakes.

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Working in the Schematic Editing Window

Aligning Objects
Two methods of alignment are provided. You can align a group of selected objects on
both axes, by choosing Edit Align Align. Alternatively you can align objects on one
axis, by choosing the other Align sub-menu items.

Align objects by selecting them and then choosing Edit Align Align to pop up the
dialog, or by choosing Edit Align Align Left, Align Right, etc.
Notes on Aligning Objects

Ensure that only the required objects are selected first clear the current selection
(shortcut: x, a).

Select all the items to be aligned.

Use the Edit Align Align menu item to pop the dialog if you want to align both
horizontally and vertically, for one direction you can just pick the required option.

Use the Move primitives to Grid option to constrain alignment to the nearest grid
point.

If you are not happy with the alignment use Edit Undo to remove the change.

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Schematic Capture

Moving and Dragging

In the Schematic Editor moving and dragging are different operations; to Move an
object is to change its position on the sheet and not maintain connectivity, to Drag an
object is to change its position on the sheet whilst maintaining connectivity.
Moving and dragging can be performed on single objects, or on selected groups of
objects.
The Move Object Shortcut
To move a single object, position the cursor over the object, click and hold on the
object, then move it to the desired location. To move a group of objects they must be
selected first. Once they are selected, click and hold on any of the selected objects, then
move the selection to the desired location. Both of these operations can also be
initiated via the Edit Move sub-menu.
Moving Objects in a Stack of Objects
Graphical objects can be placed in a sheet so that they overlap. When you place a new
item, it is always placed at the front of other items. When you move items, they
retain their position in the display, relative to other overlapping items. The Schematic
Editor includes special move features for changing the stacking order of items in the
sheet. Press the M shortcut key to pop up the Move sub-menu and select one of the
following:
Move To Front

Moves an object to the front of other items in the stack and allows you to re-position it.
When you select this menu item you are prompted to choose the item to be moved.
When you click on the item, it floats on the cursor. Click a second time to place the
object once it has been re-positioned.
Bring To Front

Moves an object to the front of other items in the stack. When you select this menu
item you are prompted to choose the item to be moved. When you click on the item it
moves to the front of the stack without changing its x or y coordinates.
Send To Back

Sends an object to the back of other items in the stack. When you select this menu item
you are prompted to choose the item to be moved. When you click on the item it moves
to the back of the stack without changing its x or y coordinates.
Bring To Front Of

Moves an object to the front of a second item. When you select this menu item you are
prompted to choose the item to be moved. When you click on the item, you are then

92

Working in the Schematic Editing Window

prompted to choose the target item. The item to be moved will be re-located in front
of the target without changing its x or y coordinates.
Send To Back Of

Moves an object behind a second item. When you select this menu item you are
prompted to choose the item to be moved. When you click on the item, you are then
prompted to choose the target item. The item to be moved will be re-located behind
the target without changing its x or y coordinates.
Dragging Objects
Often you will need to rearrange the objects on the schematic sheet, perhaps as you add
to the circuit, but you want to maintain the connectivity. To do this you need to Drag
the object(s).
Dragging a Single Object

To drag a single object, position the cursor over the object, hold the CTRL key down
and click and hold on the object. Release the CTRL key, then drag the object to the
desired location.
Dragging a Group of Objects

To drag a group of objects they must be selected first. Once they are selected, select the
Edit Move Drag Selection menu item, click to chose the reference location, then drag
the selection to the desired location.
Tips on Dragging

If the wiring is dense you can find that wires land on top of other wires as you
drag a selection, which are then connected by the auto-junction feature. Select
Tools Preferences to disable Auto-Junction.

Another technique that helps when dragging in a dense design is to disable the
Drag Orthogonal feature (select Tools Preferences). This allows wires to move at
any angle, and will avoid wires landing on top of other wires as you drag. You can
then re-shape each wire as required; click to focus, then click and move the
vertices as required. New vertices can be added and existing vertices removed,
refer to the Focus topic earlier in this chapter for more information.

If two component pins are touching a wire will automatically be added when you
drag them apart. This also works for an orthogonal wire across the end of
component pins.

Press CTRL + SPACEBAR to rotate the objects being dragged.

Press the SPACEBAR to toggle the orthogonal wire mode while dragging.

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Schematic Capture

Dragging Objects - a Graphical Example

original component placement, note

that the component pins are touching

dragging X1 (CTRL+Click and hold, release

the CTRL then drag X1), note how the wires
are added automatically

press SHFT+SPACEBAR
to rotate X1

press the SPACEBAR to

change the wiring mode

click to place X1

Using the Schematic Editors interactive editing features to change the layout of you schematic

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Schematic Editing Shortcuts

Schematic Editing Shortcuts

Re-entrant Editing
The Schematic Editor includes a powerful feature which allows you to perform a
second operation, without having to quit from the operation you are currently carrying
out. This facility is known as re-entrant editing.
Re-entrant editing allows you to work more flexibly and intuitively. For example, you
start placing a wire then remember that it needs to be connected to a port. There is no
need to drop out of Place Wire mode, simply press the Place Port shortcut keys (P, R),
place the port, press ESC to drop out of the Place Port process, and then connect the
wire to the port.
If you are already
A large number of processes can be completed within
executing a command
another process. The number of times another process can
you can only execute a
be launched before the current process is complete
second command by
depends on the demands each of these incomplete
using the shortcut keys.
processes is placing on the software.

Canceling a Screen Redraw

Whenever you change the size and/or position of your view of the screen, the contents
of the workspace will be redrawn to reflect the change. You can terminate the
redrawing process at anytime by pressing the SPACEBAR. This saves time whenever you
wish to immediately scroll or zoom again, without waiting for the redraw to complete.

Mouse Shortcuts
As you read through this guide, you will notice several mouse and keyboard shortcuts
that are used to speed-up or simplify frequently performed operations. For example,
pressing P, N allows you to place a net label without having to go to the Place menu
and choose the Net Label menu item. Using the left mouse button for ENTER and the
right mouse button for ESC will allow you to perform many operations without using
the keyboard. The opposite can also be done, press ENTER or ESC on the keyboard
rather than clicking OK or CANCEL in a dialog box.
Sometimes keyboard actions provide the only practical way of performing an operation
when you do not wish to move the mouse in the workspace, such as toggling the Snap
Grid off when you are placing a text string (V, G), or changing the zoom level while
moving a selection.

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Schematic Capture

Standard Windows shortcuts, such as pressing ALT+F4 to close the application window
or CTRL+TAB to toggle through document windows are supported. Other shortcut keys
are specific to the Schematic Editor. You can also create your own custom shortcut
keys. Refer to the Design Explorer section for clues on creating your own shortcut
keys.
Windows allows you to assign operations to specific key combinations by using the
Recorder feature. See your Microsoft Windows Users Guide for details.

Keyboard Shortcuts
There are two ways of creating shortcuts invoked through the keyboard. The first is
through the Keyboard Shortcut Editor (Client menu Customize). These are known as
Keyboard Shortcuts these shortcuts launch a process directly. For example, pressing
CTRL+T will align the selected objects along their top edge.
Processes can also be launched through the keyboard via the menu keyboard shortcuts.
Underlined menu items which lead to a sub-menu will pop up that sub-menu,
underlined menu items which do not pop up a sub-menu will launch the process tied to
that menu item. For example, press P to pop up the Place menu, then press N to present
the current Net Label on the cursor, ready for placing. Press T to pop up the Tools
menu, followed by N to pop up the Netlist Creation dialog.
If the same key has been assigned to a keyboard shortcut and a menu shortcut, then the
keyboard shortcut will take precedence.
Menu Shortcuts include:
A
B
E
F
H
J
L
M
D
P
R
S
T
V
W
X
Z
96

Edit Align sub-menu

View Toolbars sub-menu

menu
menu
Help menu
Edit
File

Edit Jump sub-menu

Edit Set Location Marks sub-menu
Edit Move sub-menu

menu
menu
Reports menu
Edit Select sub-menu
Tools menu
View menu
Window menu
Edit DeSelect menu
Zoom pop-up menu
Design
Place

Schematic Editing Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts include:

CTRL+BACKSPACE
Redo
ALT+BACKSPACE
Undo
PGUP
Zoom In
CTRL+PGDN
Zoom All
PGDN
Zoom Out
END
Redraw
CTRL+HOME
Jump to Origin
HOME
Pan
SHIFT+LEFT ARROW
Cursor Left (10x snap grid)
LEFT ARROW
Cursor Left (on snap grid)
SHIFT+UP ARROW
Cursor Up (10x snap grid)
UP ARROW
Cursor Up (on snap grid)
SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW
Cursor Right (10x snap grid)
RIGHT ARROW
Cursor Right (on snap grid)
SHIFT+DOWN ARROW
Cursor Down (10x snap grid)
DOWN ARROW
Cursor Down (on snap grid)
SHIFT+INSERT
Paste
CTRL+ INSERT
Copy
SHIFT+DELETE
Cut
CTRL+DELETE
Clear
DELETE
Delete focused object
CTRL
Temporarily disable the snap grid
CTRL+1
Zoom 100
CTRL+2
Zoom200
CTRL+4
Zoom400
CTRL+5
Zoom050
CTRL+F
Find Text
CTRL+G
Find And Replace Text
CTRL+V
Align objects horizontally, through their centers
CTRL+B
Align objects horizontally, along their bottom edge
CTRL+T
Align objects horizontally, along their top edge
CTRL+SHIFT+H
Space objects equally horizontally
CTRL+H
Align objects vertically, through their centers
CTRL+L
Align objects vertically, along their left edge
CTRL+R
Align objects vertically, along their right edge
CTRL+SHIFT+V
Space objects equally vertically
F1
Run Online Help
F3
Find next text
SHIFT+F4
Tile all open documents
SHIFT+F5
Cascade all open documents
SHIFT+CTRL+Left-Click Move single object
SHIFT+Left-Click
Toggle single object selection
CTRL+Left-Click
Drag single object

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Schematic Capture

Left-Click
Left-Double-Click
CTRL+Left-Hold-Down
ALT
ALT+SHIFT

Left-Hold-Down

Focus object
Change object
Drag single object
Constrain object movement to Y direction
Constrain object movement to X direction
Move object / move selection

Frequently Used Shortcut Keys

SPACEBAR to abort screen re-draws
X, A to de-select all
V, D to zoom to fit the sheet
V, F to zoom to fit all placed objects
PAGE UP to zoom in (zooms in around the cursor, so position the cursor first)
PAGE DOWN to zoom out
HOME to re-center the screen at the current cursor position
END to refresh the screen
TAB while an object is floating on the cursor to edit its attributes prior to placement.
SPACEBAR whilst placing an object to rotate it by 90 degrees
X whilst placing an object to flip it along the X axis
Y whilst placing an object to flip it along the Y axis
BACKSPACE whilst laying a wire/bus/line/polygon to delete the last vertex
SPACEBAR while laying a wire/bus/line to step through the placement modes
ESC to escape from what you are doing when you change your mind
CTRL to temporarily disable the snap grid while moving/placing an object
CTRL+TAB to switch between open documents in the Design Explorer
ALT+TAB to switch between open applications in Windows
F1 when you have a cross-hair cursor to pop up a list of shortcut keys

Undo and Redo

The Schematic Editor includes a full multi-level Undo and Redo facility. Each
procedure is stored in a stack-like arrangement. When Undo is chosen, the last
operation is undone. Choosing Undo again will undo the next-to-last operation, and so
on.
The Schematic Editor has been optimized to ensure that Undo and Redo operations are
not memory intensive, however you can clear the Undo stack by temporarily setting the
Stack Size to zero in the Preferences dialog.

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Design Objects

Schematic Design Objects

The schematic environment, whether creating and editing circuit diagrams, or working
in the library editor, consists of two basic features: objects that are placed in the
workspace to build up the design; and processes, which are used by the system or the
user to create, modify, save and report on the objects.
There are two types of objects in the Schematic Editor, Primitive Objects, and Group
Objects. Primitive objects are the most basic schematic elements and include the
electrical objects; such as wires, junctions, power ports, net labels, and sheet entries
as well as the drawing objects; such as text and the various drawing primitives.
Components are a group object, being constructed from electrical and drawing
primitives.
Each object has its own set of attributes, which can be defined for each instance of the
object. The next section of this chapter gives a brief description of each of the
primitives.

Your design is built up by placing the various design objects to create the circuit.

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Schematic Capture

Electrical Schematic Primitives

C1

Wire
Wires are straight line segments which are placed on
the sheet to create the electrical connections.

R1

junction
R2

wire

Junction
Junctions are small circular objects used to logically
join intersecting wires on the schematic.

D[0..7]

Data[0..7]

bus
entry

port
D0
D1
D2
D3

D4
D5
D6
D7

bus

Bus Entry
net label
A Bus Entry is a special wire at an angle of 45
degrees, that is used to connect a wire to a bus line. A Bus Entry allows you to connect
two different nets to the same point on a Bus. If this was done using wires the two nets
would short.
Bus
Buses are special graphical objects that represent a common pathway for multiple
signals on the sheet. Buses have no electrical properties, they must be correctly
identified by Net Labels and Ports, as shown in the figure above. The Bus net label can
be either ascending (eg D[0..7]), or descending (eg D[7..0]).
Net Label
When you wire from one component pin, to a second
pin, then to a third pin, you are creating a Net. When
you create a netlist each net is given a unique identifier.

C1
NET1
1

R1

R2

Rather than letting the Schematic Editor assign a system

generated net identifier, you can identify any net with a Net Label. Net Labels can be
placed horizontally or vertically. The bottom left corner of the Net Label must be
adjacent to the wire or bus for them to be associated. NET1 in the figure above has
three pins (or nodes); R1-2, R2-1 and C1-1.
Power Port
Power Ports are special symbols that represent a power supply net.
Power Ports allow you to conveniently indicate a power net at any
power port
location in the project, which can then be connected to pins or wires.
A Power Port is always identified by its Net name, not its graphic ensure that the
graphic is appropriate for the net name. A net name can be pre-assigned to the 3 styles
of power ports that do not display their name, this is done in the Preferences dialog.

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Design Objects

Port
A Port is used to connect a net on one sheet, to Ports
with the same name on other sheets. Ports can also
connect from a child sheet, to Sheet Entries in the
appropriate sheet symbol on the parent sheet. Press
the SPACEBAR to rotate the port during placement.

sheet
symbol

sheet
entry

Sheet Symbol
Sheet Symbols represent another schematic sheet (often referred to
as a child sheet). The link between the Sheet Symbol and the other
schematic sheet is the File Name attribute, which must be the same
as the name of the child sheet.
Sheet Entry
A Sheet Entry creates a connection between the net touching it on
the parent sheet to a Port with the same name on the child sheet.
Drag the sheet entry to position it in the sheet symbol.

Refer to the
chapter Multi-Sheet
Design and Project
Management
for
more information on
how to use Ports,
Sheet Symbols and
Sheet Entries.

Probe Directive
A Probe is a special marker which is placed on the worksheet to identify nodes for
digital simulation.
Test Vector Directive
Test Vectors are special symbols used to identify a node with a simulation test vector.
The test vectors are referred to by a column number, which indicates the column of the
test vector file to use when the simulation is run.
Stimulus Directive
A Stimulus is a special symbol which is used to identify a node or net to be stimulated
when the digital simulation is run.
PCB Layout Directive
PCB Layouts are special symbols that allow you to attach board layout information to a
specific net.
No ERC Directive
The No ERC directive is a special symbol that identifies a pin as one that you want the
Electrical Rules Checker to ignore.

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Schematic Capture

Pin
Pins are special objects that have electrical characteristics and are used to direct signals
into and out of Parts. Refer to the Library Editor chapter for more information on pins.

Non-Electrical (Drawing) Primitives

The non-electrical drawing tools are used to add reference information to a sheet. Use
them to build graphical symbols, create custom sheet borders or title blocks or adding
notes and instructions.
Line
Lines are graphical objects with any number of joined segments.
Polygon
Polygons are multi-sided graphical objects. It takes a minimum of three clicks to define
a polygon. Each vertex of the polygon can be moved independently.
Elliptical Arc
Use the Elliptical Arc tool to create open circular or elliptical curves. There are five
clicks to define an Elliptical Arc; the center, the X radius, the Y radius, the first end
point, then the other end point.
Bezier Curve
Use the Bezier tool to create curved line shapes (for example a section of a Sin wave, or
a pulse). At least four clicks are required to define a Bezier curve. If you continue
clicking after the forth click you then commence a new Bezier curve, attached to the
previous curve.
Text Annotation
An annotation is a single line of text used to place notes or comments on the sheet. Uses
might include section headings, revision history, timing information or some other
descriptive or instructive text.
Text Frame
Text frames hold multiple line of free text. Text frames are used to place detailed notes
or descriptive text on the worksheet.

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Design Objects

Rectangle
Rectangles are filled or unfilled graphic elements. It takes two clicks to define a
rectangle; the top left corner, and the bottom right corner.
Rounded Rectangle
Rounded Rectangles filled or unfilled graphic elements with rounded corners. It takes
two clicks to define a rectangle; the top left corner, and the bottom right corner.
Ellipse
Ellipses are filled or unfilled graphic elements. It takes three clicks to define an Ellipse;
the center, the X radius, and the Y radius.
Pie
Pies are filled or unfilled graphic elements. It takes four clicks to define a Pie; the
center, the radius, the start point, and the end point.
Graphic Image
Graphic images can be included on your schematic. The following file formats are
supported:
BMP, TIF, JPG, WMF
Note that a copy of the image is not stored inside the sheet, only a link to it. If the
location of the image changes you will need to update the link (double-click on the
image to do this).
Refer to the Placing Schematic Objects topic in the Working in the Schematic Editor
chapter for examples of how to place schematic design objects.

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Schematic Capture

Process Container
The Schematic Editor includes a
method of storing a process identifier
with a particular configuration of the
its process parameters. This is done in
a Process Container.

Netlist:RunElectricalRulesCheck
ECL ERC setup
C:\Client 98\SCH4\EXAMPLES\Demo1.ERC

You can use a process container to hold the setup for a particular process with the
design. As an example, your design may have a special ERC setup that you need to
store with the design for future reference.
Configuring a Process Container

After placing an empty process container

double-click on it to configure it.
Process Name

Use the Browse button to locate the

process that you would like to run from the
container.
The Configure Button

If the container is running one of the

Netlist server processes, they can be
configured by pressing the Configure
button. This will pop up the appropriate
dialog set it up as required. When you
click OK the process will not run, you will
simply return to the Process Container
dialog (the Sch:Annotate process can also
be configured in this way).
The Change Button

Once you have run the container once, you

can press the Change button to examine the
process parameters. You can change the
parameters here, or use the Configure
button again.
Not all processes can be configured from the process container (press the Configure
button, if the process runs immediately then it can not). To set up the parameters for
these processes press the Change button and enter the process parameters, one per line.
Executing

To execute a process container, select Tools Process Containers Run. Alternatively,

double-click on the process container and press the Execute button.

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Design Objects
Files Produced by Process Containers

If the process specified in the process container generates a file, such as

Netlist:CreateNetlist, the name of the netlist file can be specified in the Change
Parameters dialog. When the container is run the file will be opened. It will also be
linked as a child sheet of the schematic in the Project Manager.

Fonts
The Schematic Editor supports the TrueType fonts that are delivered with Windows,
including bold and italic formats and display font scaling. PostScript scaleable fonts,
and Windows non-scaleable raster fonts can be used when they are part of vector
image files imported into schematic sheets.
Organization of Fonts
You can think of the text fonts as belonging in one of two groups; those that are
individually editable, and those that use the System Font.

Individually editable fonts include; component designator, part type, net label, text
annotation, text frame, sheet symbol name and sheet symbol file name.

Text that uses the system font include; border text, system title blocks, pin names,
pin numbers, ports, power ports and sheet entries.

Changing Fonts

The easiest way to tell if a font is an individually editable font is to double-click on the
text. The dialog for that object will pop up. If it has a Font Change button, then this is
an individually editable font. Pressing this will pop up the Font dialog. If doubleclicking produces no response, or if there is no Font Change button, this text uses the
system font.
You can also specify default fonts for all objects that have an editable font. Select
Tools Preferences to display the Preferences dialog, then click on the Defaults Tab.
Select the object that you wish to set the font for (for example Net Label) and press the
Edit Values button. Select the required font in the normal way. From now on all new
net labels will use this font. Note that it will not change the font for net labels that are
already on the sheet, these can be changed using global editing.
Setting the System Font

To change the system font, select the Design Options menu item. This will pop up the
Document Options dialog. On the Sheet Options Tab there is a Change System Font
button. Pressing this will pop up the Font dialog. Select the required font in the normal
way. This will change all text that uses the system font.

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Schematic Capture

Schematic Components and Libraries

Efficient use and management of schematic libraries requires an understanding of the
relationship between libraries, components, and parts. Libraries are databases which
store component descriptions. Each component then consists of one or more parts, such
as a 74LS00 which contains four parts, a capacitor which has one part, or a relay which
may be made up of a coil part and a contact part.
Components are created and modified in the Schematic Library Editor, an independent
document editor that includes tools for managing and editing libraries. The Schematic
Sheet Editor and the Schematic Library Editor can have documents open
simultaneously within the Design Explorer environment, with special features to link
between sheet and library operations. For example, you can move directly from a part
symbol on the sheet, to editing its component information inside the source library.

What is a Schematic Library?

Protel 99 SE is delivered with extensive component libraries that include the industry
standard symbolic representation, as well as ANSI-IEEE and DeMorgan equivalents.
The schematic libraries consist of component descriptions, made up of the individual
parts that are placed in the schematic sheet. Components can have one or many parts
(e.g., the gates that comprise a multi-part component like a 74LS00).
The Schematic Library Editor allows you to manage library data, create new
components, and move and copy components between libraries. Refer to the Schematic
Library Editor chapter for information on the general features and use of this editor.
The Altium Library Development Center is constantly developing new
libraries check www.protel.com to download the latest libraries for all your Protel
tools.

What is a Component and what is a Part?

The best way to think of a component is to equate it to the physical device that is
placed on the actual printed circuit board; the resistor, the integrated circuit, or the
connector for example. Many electronic components also comprise of separate parts
within the one component. Examples of these would be; a 74LS00 which contains four
parts, or a dual op amp which contains 2 op amps.

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Schematic Components and Libraries

Where are the Schematic Component Libraries?

In Protel 99 SE, the schematic libraries are stored within a set of Library Design
Databases. Most of these Schematic Library Databases are manufacturer specific
each database includes all the libraries that have been produced for that manufacturer.
There are also a number of other special-purpose databases, for example, one for
schematic-base PLD design, and another which includes all the simulation-ready
symbols.
The Protel 99 SE Library Databases are in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch folder.
In Protel 99 SE you can still access the components in
the older .LIB format libraries. These libraries can be
added to the list of available libraries in the normal way.

Accessing the Components You Need for Your Design

The list of libraries whose components are
currently available in the Schematic Editor. Press
the Add/Remove button to add and remove
libraries from the list.
To access the components in the schematic libraries, the
libraries must first be added to the list of available
libraries in the Schematic Sheet Editor. The top of the
Schematic Editor Panel includes a list of all the
currently added libraries.
There are two ways to add or remove a library; either by
pressing the Add/Remove button on the panel, or by
selecting Design Add/Remove Library. This pops up the
Change Library List dialog where new libraries can be
added, and added libraries removed from the Current
File List. The only limit on the number of libraries that
can be added is the memory available in your computer.
Once libraries have been added, parts from those
libraries can be placed on the sheet.

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Schematic Capture

Adding and Removing Libraries

Use the Change Library File List dialog to access components in the libraries. The
Selected Files window at the bottom of the dialog lists all the currently added libraries.

After locating the required Library Database, double-click on it to add it to the list. Double-click
on a Library Database in the Selected Files list to remove it.

Use the Look in field at the top of the dialog to browse to the folder where the Library
Databases are located. The Protel 99 SE Library Databases are stored in the
\Program Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch folder.
Libraries are stored in standard Protel 99 SE Design Databases, which means
you can easily create your own Library Databases. These databases can even be a
mix of schematic and PCB libraries.
To access components in libraries that are stored inside a Project Design
Database, simply add the Project Design Database to the Selected Files list in the
Change Libraries File List dialog.

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Schematic Components and Libraries

Finding a Component in the Libraries

Adding a library is easy if you know which library you want, and what Library
Database it is in but what do you do when you do not know which library the
component is in? The Schematic Editor includes a powerful Find component feature.
To find a component press the Find button on the panel, or select Tools Find
to pop up the Find Schematic Component dialog.

Component

Tips on Finding Components

Searching by Library Reference is generally faster.
Include the * wildcard before and after the search string (as shown in the image),
as different manufacturers use different prefix and suffixes.
Use multiple search strings in the description field to improve the chance of a
match when searching by Description for more than one word. Enclose each word
with the wildcard character and separate with a space (eg *barrel* *shifter*).
If your search produces no results check that the Path is correctly specified. Also,
try searching for a component that you know is in a library to check that
everything is set correctly.
Use the Add to Library List button once you locate the correct component. When
you press this button the selected library is added to the list of available libraries in
the Schematic Sheet Editor.
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Schematic Capture

Placing Parts on the Schematic Sheet

Once you have located the components you require and you have added the libraries to
the library list, you are ready to start placing the parts. To place a part select it in the
Schematic Sheet Editor Panel, and press the Place button.

Currently active library, click

to select a different library
Click to add or remove a
library from the list
Use the Mask to control
what components are listed
List of components in the
active library
Press Place to place the
highlighted component

You can also place parts by selecting Place Part in the menus, or by pressing the Place
Part button on the Wiring Toolbar. This will pop up the Component Library Reference
dialog. When you enter the exact Library Reference all the Libraries in the list will be
searched for this part.
You can edit the attributes of the component floating on the cursor before
actually placing it on the sheet. To do this, press the TAB key while the component
is floating, and you will be presented with the Part dialog. If you set the
designator now and continue to place instances of the same part, the designator will
auto-increment.

While the component is floating on the cursor it can be rotated by pressing the
and flipped along the X or Y axis by pressing the X or Y key.

SPACEBAR,

When placing parts from a multi-part component there is no need to specify

which part it is (eg: U1:A), the alpha suffix is added automatically.

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Schematic Components and Libraries

The Attributes of a Schematic Part

Like all objects in the Schematic Editor, parts have a set of attributes associated with
them. Some of these attributes can only be defined in the Library Editor, and therefore
apply to all instances of that part, some can only be defined in the Schematic Sheet
Editor and are associated with only that instance of the part, and some can be defined
in either.
To edit the attributes of a part double-click on the placed part, or select Edit Change
and click on the part. Each editable attribute can be globally edited, and the changes
applied to some, or all of the parts on the sheet. Refer to the Global Editing topic in the
Working in the Schematic Editor chapter for tips on global editing.
About Component Text
Parts have two sets of special text fields, eight read only library Text Fields whose
values are entered in the library editor, and sixteen Part Fields whose values are
entered at the sheet level once the part is placed.
Library Reference
The Library Reference is the name of the component in the Library. This field can be
up to 255 characters long.
Footprint
The Footprint is the physical package that the component will be mapped to when you
create a netlist and load the netlist into the PCB Editor. Each part must have a
Footprint, and this Footprint must be available in a PCB Library when you load the
netlist into the PCB Editor.
Up to four footprints can be pre-assigned in the Library Editor, or you can enter it once
the part has been placed.
Designator
The Designator uniquely identifies each part in your
design. If you do not enter a designator before you
place a part then its designator will be the preassigned default, such as R? or C?.

The default designator

prefix for the part designator
is assigned in the Library
Editor.

To enter the designator before you place the part

press the TAB key while the component is floating on the cursor. If you enter the
designator while the component is floating on the cursor then the designator will
increment automatically (R1, R2 etc) as further parts are placed.
If the component is a multi-part device it will automatically be assigned a part suffix,
for example U3A, U3B, and so on. The suffix will automatically increment if the
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Schematic Capture

designator is assigned before you place the part. The suffix is always an alpha
character.
Select Tools Annotate to automatically re-assign the designators. Refer to the Passing
Your Design into the PCB Editor chapter for more information about annotation.
Part Type
The Part Type text field is for the part description, such as the value (220nF) or device
type (74HC32). This field can be up to 255 characters long.
Sheet Path
Parts on the schematic sheet can be made to behave as sheet symbols rather than
component parts. When they are in this mode, the nets connecting to their pins connect
to matching ports on the sheet below. To get a part to behave as a sheet symbol, you
specify the sheet that exists below in the Sheet Path field and enable the descend into
sheet parts option in the Netlist Creation dialog. When a component is configured to
behave as a sheet symbol it does not appear in the netlist. Refer to the Multi-Sheet
Design and Project Management chapter for more information.
Part
This field indicates which part this particular instance is, in the multi-part component.
1 indicates part A, 2 indicates part B, and so on. The part suffix can be either an alpha
character, or a number, depending on the setting of the Multi-part Suffix option in the
Preferences dialog. Note that this is an environment setting, which applies to all
currently open schematic sheets.
Hidden Pins
Component pins can be specified as Hidden or Visible in the Library Editor.
Normally, hidden pins are used for component power pins.
Hidden pins are automatically connected to nets with the same name during netlisting.
If hidden pins are displayed they then must be wired manually. If the hidden pins on a
multi-part component are being displayed, then the hidden pins on all parts of that
component (eg: U2:A, U2:B, U2:C, U2:D) must be displayed.
Hidden Fields
The 16 Part Fields are not displayed on the schematic sheet by default. Use this option
to display the values of these fields. Double-click on an individual Part Field to hide it.
Field Names
The names of the 16 Part Fields are not displayed on the schematic sheet by default.
Use this option to display the names of these fields. Double-click on an individual Part
Field name to hide it. The Part Field names can be edited in the Library Editor.
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Schematic Components and Libraries

Read Only Library Fields

Each library component has eight user-definable 255 character text fields. Library text
fields cannot be edited in the schematic sheet, but can be viewed and included in the
Bill of Materials.
Part Fields
In addition to the eight library component text fields, sixteen additional user-definable
fields (255 characters) are available for each part, at the sheet level. These fields can be
displayed or hidden (enable the Hidden Fields check box in the Attributes Tab), and
are editable on the sheet, with user definable fonts, sizes and colors. These fields can
be included in the Bill of Materials.
The names of part text fields can be defined in the Library Editor. Up to 255 characters
can be used, but only the end of the character string will be displayed in the Part dialog
if the length of the string exceeds the display area. There is room for 14 characters
and/or spaces, when 12 point Helvetica is used as the dialog font.
Orientation
Sets the orientation of the part, relative to its original orientation in the library.
Mode
The Schematic Editor supports up to three Modes, or drawing styles, for each part
Normal, DeMorgan and IEEE. Use this option to select an alternative mode. Each
mode is defined in the Library Editor, however only the Normal mode must be defined.
If the drawing style does not change when you change this option it means that only
the normal mode has been created.
Colors
Part outline (Line Color), Pin Color and Fill Colors (if part includes closed rectangles,
filled arcs or polygon graphics) are pre-defined in the Library Editor. These can be
changed locally on the schematic sheet by enabling the Local Colors option, and then
setting the colors as required.
If the part graphics are un-filled (you will be able to see the sheet color and grid inside
the part), changes made to the Fill Color field will be ignored.

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The Schematic Library Editor

The Library Editor is the second document editor included with the Protel 99 SEs
schematic server. Where the Schematic Sheet Editor is used for capturing the
schematic, the Library Editor is used to create and modify the components used in
those schematics.
In Protel 99 SE, the schematic libraries are stored within a set of Library Design
Databases. Most of these Library Databases are manufacturer specific each database
includes all the libraries that have been produced for that manufacturer. There are also
a number of other special-purpose databases, for example, one for schematic-base PD
design, and another which includes all the simulation-ready symbols.
The Altium Library Development Center is constantly developing new
libraries check www.protel.com to download the latest schematic libraries.

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Schematic Components and Libraries

Working with Libraries

In Protel 99 SE libraries are stored within a Design Database, just like all the other
design documents. In this Handbook they are referred to as Library Databases, but
these databases are exactly the same as the Design Databases you store your design
documents in.
The Protel 99 SE Library Databases are stored in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch folder.
Opening an Existing Library

Libraries are opened in the Library Editor in the same way all documents are opened
the Design Explorer, by first selecting File Open to open the Library Design Database,
then browsing through the database and opening the library for editing.
Each open library will appear on a separate Tab in the integrated Design Window.
Creating a New Library

Before you create a new library you must open the Design Database that you want to
store the library in, then browse through the database and open the folder that you want
to create the library in.
To create the new library right-click in the folder window, and select New from the
floating menu that appears. The New Document dialog will pop up, double-click on the
SchLib icon to create a new library.

Right-click in the folder where you

want to create the new library,
An select
icon for
the
new
library will
New,
then
double-click
on appear in the folder, with a name like Schlib1. To
rename
the new
the Schlib
icon.library click once to select the icon, then press F2 to highlight the
name, ready for typing. Type in the new name and press ENTER on the keyboard.

Double-click on the icon to open the new library.

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Schematic Capture

Components and Parts

A library is a set of
components. Think of the
component as the physical
device. Each of these
components can then be made
up of one or more parts. A
resistor component would
have one part, whereas a
resistor network might have
eight parts.
The
partitioning
of
components into parts is
entirely up to you as the
designer. You may wish to
draw the relay coil as one part
and the contacts as another, or
it might be more appropriate
to draw the whole relay as
one part. A four pin connector
could be drawn as one part, or
it could be drawn as four
parts. Each part of a
component is drawn on a
separate sheet. To add a new
part to a component, select
Tools New Part.
As well being able to have
more than one part, each part
can have up to three graphical
representations, or modes;
Normal, De-Morgan and
IEEE. Each mode is drawn on
a
separate
sheet.
The
preferred mode is selected
when the part is placed on the
schematic sheet, with the
default being normal. Only
the Normal mode must be
created, the other two are
optional.

116

Library Editor
Panel
list of components
in this library
place this component
on the last active
schematic sheet
perform a search to
find a component
part that is currently
visible, and total
number of parts
list, or group of
components that
are sharing this
component graphic
add a name to the
group, or delete the
highlighted name
from the group
edit the component
text, including default
designator, footprints
and read only fields
press this to update
all instances of this
component on all
currently open
schematic sheets
list of pins in this
component
display the hidden
component pins
select which graphic
Mode to display

Schematic Components and Libraries

Creating and Editing a Component

All the tools you need to create and edit library components are in the Tools menu. To
create a new library component:
1.

Select Tools New Component.

2.

You will be presented with an empty component sheet, titled Component_1, with a
cross-hair through the center (origin) of the sheet.

3.

You are currently at full zoom, so press PageUp until the grid becomes visible. If
necessary re-locate the origin of the sheet by selecting Edit Jump Origin.

4.

The first step is to define the component body. If the Component has a
rectangular shape select the Rectangle tool from the toolbar, or in the Place
menu. Alternatively, use the line tool to draw the required shape.

5.

Click at the sheet origin to define the top left of the component body. Use the
Status line to confirm that you have the cursor at the origin.

6.

Move the mouse down and to the right to size the rectangle. The size will depend
on the number of pins the component will have. Use the grid to guide you as you
size it, allowing one grid line per pin.
If you accidentally moved the cursor outside the window and the view
suddenly pans, use the J, O shortcut keys to jump back to the origin.

7.

Click a second time to define the bottom right corner of the component body.
You can re-size the component body at any time simply click once inside
the rectangle to focus it, then click and drag on the small handles that appear.
Click outside to rectangle to release the focus when you are finished.

8.

After defining the component body you can place the component pins. When you
click on the Place Pin tool on the toolbar a pin will appear floating on the
cursor. You are holding the pin by the non-electrical end, which goes against
the component body. Press the SPACEBAR to rotate the pin while it is floating
on the cursor.
Only one end of a Pin is electrical you must place the pins with this end
out from the component body. You can easily identify the non-electrical end of
the pin, it has the pin name next to it.

9.

Before placing the pin press the TAB key to edit the pin attributes. Each attribute is
described in the next topic. If you define the pin attributes before you place it, then
the settings you define will become the
Click and hold on a pin to
defaults this means that numeric pin names
re-position it after you place it,
and numbers will auto-increment.
press the SPACEBAR to rotate it.
10. Continue to add the pins required to finish
the component.
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Schematic Capture
Component Pins

Component pins give a component its electrical properties. Pins have a number of
attributes, which can be set in the Pin dialog. To set the attributes prior to placing the
pin, press the TAB key while the pin is floating on the cursor. To set them after placing
the pin, double-click on the pin, or click once on the pin in the pin list in the panel.
Pin Name

The pin name is optional, except when the pin is going to be hidden. A hidden pin is
automatically connected to other hidden pins with the same name, and to nets with the
same name, when the netlist is created.
Pin Number

Number of this component pin, each pin must have a unique number.
Dot symbol

Add a small circle (negation dot) to the end of the pin.

Clk Symbol

Add a small arrow (clock marker) to end of the pin.

Electrical Type

The Electrical Type attribute is used when you perform

an Electrical Rule Check in the Schematic Sheet Editor. It is not used when creating a
netlist. This attribute must be set correctly if you intend to use the Electrical Rule
Check feature.
Hidden

Enable this option to define the pin as Hidden. A hidden pin is automatically connected
to other hidden pins with the same name, and to nets with the same name, when the
netlist is created. Power pins are often defined as Hidden. Once a pin is defined as
hidden you must enable the Hidden Pins option in the panel to be able to see them (or
select View Show Hidden Pins).
Show Name

Show the pin name on the schematic sheet. It remains visible in the Library Editor.
Show Number

Show the pin number on the schematic sheet. It remains visible in the Library Editor.
Pin Length

Set the length of this pin, in hundreds of an inch.

Component Description

As well as its graphical definition, each component has a number of text fields
associated with it. Select Tools Description to pop up the Component Text Fields
dialog.
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Schematic Components and Libraries

Default Designator

A default prefix can be defined for the part designator. The default designator would
typically take the form R?, C?, U? and so on.
Footprint

Four fields are provided for naming PCB footprints for the component. If these are not
pre-assigned in the Library Editor a value can be entered when the part is placed on the
sheet. Four fields allow you to nominate alternate patterns for SMD versions, etc.
Sheet Part Filename

Parts on the schematic sheet can be made to behave as sheet symbols rather than
component parts. When they are in this mode, the nets connecting to their pins connect
to matching ports on the sheet below. To get a part to behave as a sheet symbol, you
specify the sheet that exists below in the Sheet Part Filename field and enable the
descend into sheet parts option in the Netlist Creation dialog. The Sheet Part Filename
can also be entered once the part is placed on the schematic sheet. Refer to the chapter
Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management for more information.
Library Text Fields

Each library component has eight user-definable text fields. These fields can hold up to
255 characters each. Library text fields cannot be edited once he part has been placed
in the schematic sheet, but can be viewed, and can also be included in the Bill of
Materials.
Part Text Fields

The names of the sixteen part text fields can be defined in the Component Text Fields
dialog. Up to 255 characters can be used, but only the end of the character string will
be displayed in the Edit Part dialog if the length of the string exceeds the display area.
There is room for 14 characters and/or spaces, when 12 point Helvetica is used as the
dialog font.
Description

Use up to 255 characters for a text description of the component. Component searches
can be done on the contents of the description field.
What is a Group of Components?

Many components share the same packaging they have identical graphics and pin
numbers, but exist as individual names in libraries. Perhaps these are identical devices
from different manufacturers, or components that share the same packages but vary on
some specification, such as a 120ns versus 80ns RAMs. While it is convenient to
access these otherwise duplicate parts using either description, it would be inefficient
to maintain a separate graphical version of each duplicate.
The Schematic Editor uses the concept of component groups to associate multiple
component names with a single description stored in the library. This keeps libraries
efficient and manageable. For example, while the TTL library contains nearly 1800

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Schematic Capture

component names, the graphical and data descriptions that represent these components
number only about six hundred.
Copying Components

Components can be copied within a library, or between libraries by selecting Copy

In the Destination Library dialog you can select the same library, or
another library. Once you have selected a library and clicked OK the component is
copied. If there is only one library open this dialog does not pop up.

Component.

When you copy a component within a library you will notice that the component name
appears twice in the list in the panel. You can then select Tool Rename Component to
give one of them a new name.
Components can also be copied between libraries, and from a library to a schematic
using the right-click menu in the Schematic Library Editor panel. To copy between
libraries select the component(s) in the Library Editor panel using the standard
Windows selection keys (left-click, SHIFT+click and CTRL+click). Once the
components have been selected click the right mouse button to pop up the floating
menu and select Copy. Change to the target library, right-click in the Library Editor
panel, and select Paste to add them to the target library.
Updating Your Schematic

After editing components in the Library Editor there are two ways of passing these
updates across to your schematic sheets.

120

1.

From the Library Editor press the Update Schematics button in the panel (or
select Tools Update Schematics in the menus). This will update all instances of
this component, on all open schematic sheets.

2.

From the Schematic Sheet Editor select Design Update Parts in Cache to update
all parts, on all open sheets, that are different from those in the libraries in the
current Schematic Editor library list (not libraries open in the Library Editor).

Schematic Components and Libraries

Library Editor Reports

There are three reports that can be generated in the Library Editor.
Component

This report lists all the information available for the active component. This includes;
the number of parts, the group names and the pin details for each part in the
component. This report has the file extension CMP.
Library

This report lists each component in the library and its description. This report has the
file extension REP.
Component Rule Check

The Component Rule Check is used as an aid in component verification. Set the
attributes you wish to test for, click OK and a report will be generated and opened in
Text Expert. This report has the file extension ERR.

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Schematic Capture

Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management

The Schematic Editor supports single sheet, multiple sheet and fully hierarchical
designs including complex hierarchy, where multiple instances of a single sheet file
can be used in a project.
There is no limit on the number of sheets that you can have in a design, the limit will
defined by the amount of memory available in your PC.

Overview
Each schematic sheet is stored as an individual document. Any sheet can be opened
and edited independently of all other sheets, simply click on the icon for the sheet in
the Design Explorer Navigation Panel.
A schematic design can consist of a
single drawing sheet, or multiple
linked sheets.
Multiple sheet projects support
large or complex designs that
a project can
cannot be served by a single sheet.
include many
sheets
Even when the design is not
particularly complex, there can be
advantages in organizing the
project across multiple sheets. For
example, the design may include
or a single
various
modular
elements.
sheet
Maintaining these modules as
individual documents allows several engineers to work on a project at the same time.
Another reason to organize a project across multiple sheets is that this method allows
you to use small format printing, such as laser printers.
When two or more sheet files are associated or linked in some way, we refer to this as
a multi-sheet project. There are a number of methods for organizing multiple sheet
projects. Choosing one approach or another is based upon the type, size and structure
of the project.

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Managing Multiple Sheet Projects

Project management is the process of defining and maintaining the links between
individual sheets that comprise a project. These inter-sheet links establish the
connectivity, as well as providing other project management benefits. For example,
these links support navigating, viewing and accessing each individual sheet in a
project, as well as multi-sheet netlist generation and Electrical Rules Checks (ERC).
Sheet-to-sheet links also allow you to open and save entire projects in a single
operation, as well as perform global editing and text searches across multiple sheets.
Many schematic features, such as re-annotation and printing, apply to the open
sheets. When you perform these operations the entire project (includes the master
sheet and all associated sheets) will automatically be opened.

Structure of a Multi Sheet Schematic

A major benefit of the Schematic Editors
multi-sheet environment is an intuitive system master
that makes management and navigation of sheet
even complex hierarchies easy. All multisheet projects include a special sheet file
called the master sheet. The master sheet is
the top, or first sheet in the design hierarchy. sub-sheets
The term hierarchy refers to the relationship
between master sheets and sub-sheets that
make up the project.
A special class of hierarchy, called complex
hierarchy, allows you to use multiple references to the one sub-sheet. This hierarchical
structure can have a number of forms, defined by the method used to connect the
sheets. Refer to the topic The Different Methods of Structuring a Multi-Sheet Design
later in this chapter for more information on using complex hierarchy.
Hierarchical organization supports a truly modular approach by allowing you
to work with functional blocks. These blocks have a spatial relationship on the
sheets which support both top down and bottom up design methodologies.

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Master Sheets and Sub-Sheets

The relationship between sheets in a multi-sheet design is formed by a special symbol
called a sheet symbol. The sheet symbol provides a graphical representation of the
sheet that it represents, which is referred to as a sub-sheet.
Along with its graphical display attributes (color, size, location, etc) the sheet symbol
has two additional fields: a Name field and a Filename field. The Name field is a text
label, and is provided for reference only. The Filename refers to the specific sheet file
that the sheet symbol represents. This field creates the link between the master sheet
and its sub-sheet, and thereby defines a project.
This association of sheets resides on two levels. At the project level, the association is
maintained by the presence of sheet symbols in the master sheet. Projects are also
defined at the electrical (or connective) level by net identifiers. Net identifiers provide
the links that connect circuits across multiple sheets.
1

Lowpass Filter
J1

J2
Filter In

1
2

Filter.sch

My Design.sch
1

R1

Filter Out

this sheet symbol represents

the Filter.sch sub-sheet

Filter In

Filter Out

10k

master
sheet

C1
220n
B

sub-sheet
A

Filter.sch
1

Adding a Sub-Sheet to a Project

To add an open schematic sheet to a project place a sheet symbol in the master sheet.
Double-click to edit the sheet symbol and enter the name of the sub-sheet in the
Filename field (eg, SubSheet1.sch). The Project Manager will be updated to show the
new sheet linked into the project.

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Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management

How Connectivity is Created in a Multi-Sheet Design

The Schematic Editor provides a number of ways of creating connections between
sheets in a multi-sheet design. The net-to-net connections are created by Net
Identifiers, each of these is described below.
When you create a netlist you must instruct the Schematic Editor how you want these
net identifiers to connect you must specify the Net Identifier Scope. There is
essentially two ways of connecting net identifiers: either horizontally, directly from
one sub-sheet to another sub-sheet; or vertically, from a sub-sheet to its parent sheet. In
horizontal connectivity the connections are from net label to net label, or port to port.
In vertical connectivity the connections are from sheet entry to port.
Management of hierarchical multi-sheet schematics may seem complicated at first.
However, once a few basic principles are understood it is relatively easy to use the
power of hierarchy to organize complex projects.
Net Identifiers
Net identifiers provide the connective glue between nets in schematic sheets.
Net identifiers are placed to
connect objects belonging to a
common net, either inside a single
schematic sheet or across two or
more sheets in a hierarchical project.
The connections can be physical
(when the object is attached directly
to another electrical object, e.g.
wired) or logical (when the net
identifier indicates a link to another
net which has the same name).

power
port

sheet
entries

net label

VCC
RESET

RESET
ENABLE

ENABLE

port
Four of the five possible net identifier objects are
illustrated. Hidden pins on schematic parts provide a
fifth method for identifying nets.

Net identifiers include:

Net Label

Use a net label to uniquely identify a net. This net will connect to other nets of the
same name on the same sheet, and can also connect to nets of the same name on
different sheets. Net Labels are attached to individual wires, part pins and buses.
Port

Depending on the method of connectivity, a port can connect horizontally to other

ports with the same name, or vertically to a sheet entry with the same name.
Sheet Entry

When the connectivity is vertical you can use a sheet entry to connect to a port of the
same name, on the sheet below.

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Schematic Capture
Power Port

All power ports with the same name are connected throughout the entire project.
Hidden Pin

Hidden pins behave like power ports, connecting globally to nets of the same name
throughout the entire project.
Bus connectivity is created by the correct combination of net
labels and ports. Refer to the Schematic Design Objects chapter for
details on connecting with buses.
Negating Net Identifiers
There are 2 methods that can be used to negate (include a bar over the top of) a net
label, sheet entry or port. The first is to include a backslash character before each letter
in the net name (eg \n\e\t). The second method is to enable the Single \ Negation
option in the Preferences dialog, and include one backslash character at the start of the
net name (eg \net).
The Scope of Net Identifiers
The connectivity that is created when you generate a netlist for your multi-sheet project
depends on the scope of the net identifiers. The scope specifies how you want the net
identifiers to connect: local within the sheet; global across all sheets; sheet
symbol/port connections connect vertically between a port and the matching sheet
entry.
For example if net labels are local then a net labeled Clock1 on one sheet will not
connect to a net named Clock1 on another sheet. In this case the scope of net labels is
local.
Net labels can also be specified to be global net identifiers. If they are then all
instances of the net label Clock1 (on all sheets in the project) would be deemed to be
part of the same net. Two special net identifier objects are always deemed to be global:
power ports and hidden pins.
The scope of net identifiers is specified when you generate a netlist (Design Create
Netlist) or when you run an electrical rules check (Tools ERC).
The scope of net identifiers must be determined at the beginning of the project. The
different methods of structuring the project are described in the following topic.

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Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management

The Different Methods of Structuring a Multi-Sheet Design

The relationship between project sheets and net identifiers is best described by
illustrating the five possible models of Schematic project organization.
It is important to remember that all multi-sheet schematic projects are organized
hierarchically, even if the hierarchy is limited to two levels, where a single master
sheet holds sheet symbols to all sub-sheets. Models 1 and 2 below show the flat
model supported by Orcad (Model 1) and Protel DOS Schematic (Model 2).
Every multi-sheet project must include a master sheet, with a sheet
symbol for each sub-sheet. This allows identification of all sheets
associated with a single project.
Model 1 - Global Ports Define Inter-Sheet Connections

Sheet_1
Sheet_1.Sch

Sheet_2
Sheet_2.Sch

Master.sch

C1

C1

net labels do
not connect

C2
RESET

ports connect
directly between
sheets

sheet_1.sch

C2
RESET

sheet_2.sch

This model of hierarchy represents a flat design. The master sheet and sheet symbols
simply provide a means of identifying all project sheets. Ports are the only method used
to link between sub-sheets, and this linking is horizontal. All circuit information is in the
sub-sheets.

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Schematic Capture

Model 1 is called a flat design because all the sub-sheets are on the same level in the
project hierarchy. The top sheet includes the sheet symbols for all the sub-sheets, but it
does not include any wiring or circuitry.
In this model all the inter-sheet connections are made globally through ports, where
ports of the same name are connected throughout the project. Note that the net names
in the two sub-sheets are local, meaning that the net name connects only within each
sheet, not to other sheets in the project.
This model treats your design as though it were laid out on a single large sheet, that has
been cut into individual pages. While this approach works well for designs that are not
large, management of large designs can be awkward because it is difficult to trace a net
from one sheet to another. To simplify tracing a net in this style of design you can
include cross-sheet port references on the sheets.
Cross-Sheet Port References

You can include sheet-to-sheet port referencing on your schematic, in one of two ways.
The two options are in the Schematic Editor Reports menu and include:
Add Port References (Flat) select this to include a string next to each port, detailing the
sheet name and grid reference of all other ports of the same name in the project.
Add Port References (Hierarchical) select this to include a string next to each port,
detailing the sheet name and grid reference of the sheet entry that this port connects to.

Port references can be removed at any time by selecting Reports Remove Port
References from the menus. Port references are a calculated attribute of the port, they
can not be edited and are not stored with the design. Their location is determined by
the location of the port on the sheet and the position of the connecting wire.

Include port referencing to track

connections between sheets
Setting the Net Identifier Scope

When performing an ERC or using the synchronizer to update the PCB set the Net
Identifier Scope to Only Ports Global for this model.

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Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management

Model 2 - Global Net Labels and Ports

Sheet_1
Sheet_1.Sch

Sheet_2
Sheet_2.Sch

Master.sch

C1

C1

C2

C2

RESET

both net labels

and ports connect
directly between
sheets

sheet_1.sch

RESET

sheet_2.sch

This model of hierarchy represents a flat design. The master sheet and sheet symbols
simply provide a means of identifying all project sheets. In this model both ports and net
labels can be used to link between sub-sheets, and this linking is horizontal. All circuit
information is in the sub-sheets.

Model 2 is also called a flat design because all the sub-sheets are on the same level
in the project hierarchy. The top sheet includes the sheet symbols for all the sub-sheets,
but it does not include any wiring or circuitry. In model 2 the inter-sheet connections
are created by both net labels and ports.
Setting the Net Identifier Scope

When performing an ERC or using the synchronizer to update the PCB set the Net
Identifier Scope to Net Labels and Ports Global for this model.

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Schematic Capture

Model 3 - Simple Hierarchy

Sheet_1
Sheet_1.Sch

Sheet_2
Sheet_2.Sch

RESET

RESET

ports connect to
sheet entries

Master.sch

C1

C1

C2

C2

RESET

RESET

net labels C1
and C2 are
local to each
sheet
sheet_1.sch

sheet_2.sch

This model of hierarchy represents simple hierarchy where each sheet appears once
in a design. Hierarchy is implemented by each sheet entry connecting to a port of the
same name on the sub-sheet below. Nets labels are local.

The third model is referred to as simple hierarchy. This model supports multi-level or
block design, where the design hierarchy can be represented by a tree-like structure. In
this model the sheet symbol represents a child sheet, which descends from the parent.
All the inter-sheet connections are vertical, the sheet entries in each sheet symbol are
connected to similarly named ports on the respective sub-sheets. The sheet symbol-tosheet symbol wiring is included on the parent sheet.
Model 3 is a true hierarchy because the inter-sheet connections follow the
hierarchy of the sheets themselves, and the design can be as many levels deep as
you like. This is the recommended model to use for a multi-sheet design.
Setting the Net Identifier Scope

When performing an ERC or using the synchronizer to update the PCB set the Net
Identifier Scope to Sheet Symbols/Port Connections for this model.

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Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management

Model 4 - Complex Hierarchy

Channel_A.Sch

Control.Sch

RESET

RESET
Channel_B.Sch
C1

RESET

C2
Master.sch

RESET

ports connect to
sheet entries
C1
Channel_A.sch

C2
RESET

net labels C1
and C2 are
local to each
sheet

Only one instance of the sheet Channel_A

exists in a complex hierarchy, so both
sheet entries reference the same port,
until you flatten the design. The Channel_B
Shortcut actually links to the Channel_A
sheet.

Control.sch

This model of hierarchy represents complex hierarchy, where a sub-sheet appears

more than once in a project. Hierarchy is implemented by each sheet entry connecting
to a port of the same name on the sub-sheet below. Nets labels are local.

The fourth model is referred to as complex hierarchy. In this model multiple sheet
symbols reference the same sub-sheet.
To establish the complex hierarchy you must create a document shortcut for each
duplicate sheet symbol. Consider the figure above. Channel_A.sch was created and
referenced by the Channel_A sheet symbol. This sheet symbol was copied and pasted
on the schematic sheet, and the schematic filename field for the copy was changed to
Channel_B.sch.
The document icon for Channel_A.sch was then copied (right-click on the document
icon in the folder that contains the Channel_A schematic and select Copy from the
floating menu), and pasted as a shortcut (right-click in free space in the same folder
and select Paste Shortcut from the floating menu).
After creating the document shortcut icon, the hierarchy can be rebuilt by selecting
View Refresh from the Folder menus.
This model fits projects which are highly modular. An example would be a stereo
amplifier, where left and right channels are identical circuits.
Converting From Complex Hierarchy to Simple Hierarchy

Complex hierarchy is used during the schematic capture phase. When you are ready to
create the netlist you must flatten the design, converting it from complex to simple.
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Schematic Capture

Select Tools Complex to Simple to flatten the design. Each child sheet that is used
more than once will be copied and renamed. You must also re-annotate the design to
assign a unique designator to each part.
Setting the Net Identifier Scope

Model 4 also uses the Sheet Symbols/Port Connections Net Identifier Scope when
performing an ERC or synchronizing (after converting the design from complex to
simple).
Model 5 - Using Sheet Parts to Create Hierarchy
1

F1
J1
C

J2
Filter In

1
2

In

Out

Filter Out

1
2

FILTER
B

pin "In" connects

to Port "In"

2
3

3
My Filter.sch

port "Out" connects

to Pin "Out"
C

In

Out

Filter Circuit.sch
1

Model 5 allows you to use components to behave as sheet symbols

This is a special model of hierarchy where a component behaves as a sheet symbol,

referencing circuitry below it. There are a number if situations where you may wish to
use this feature: perhaps your design includes a small daughter board and you want to
design and analyze the entire circuit; or a programmable device, where you want to
include the circuit inside the device in the overall design; or perhaps you simply want
to represent the circuitry below symbolically rather than with a rectangular sheet
symbol.
At netlist creation time you have the option to either include the circuitry below in the
netlist (descend into the sheet parts), where this special component is not included in

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Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management

the netlist but the circuitry below it is;

or to treat these parts as components,
where they are included in the netlist,
but the circuitry below is not.
There are two steps to using this
model:
1.

2.

Enter the name of the sub-sheet in

the Sheet Path field of the Part
dialog on the parent sheet.
Enable the Descend into Sheet
Parts option in the Netlist Creation
dialog. All sheets must be in the
same folder if you use this option.

The pins will behave as sheet entries

and connect to ports of the same name
on the sheet specified in the Sheet Path
field.
You can also specify the sub-sheet
filename in the library editor when you
create the Part, select Tools
Description in the Library Editor to edit the Sheet Part Filename.

Specify the sub-sheet

in the Sheet Path field
to link the sheet into
the hierarchy.

Enable the Decend Into Sheet

Parts option to include the
sub-circuit in the netlist, leave
it off to include the parent part
in the netlist.

Setting the Net Identifier Scope

Model 5 also uses the Sheet Symbols/Port Connections Net Identifier scope when
creating a netlist or performing an ERC. Remember to enable the Descend Into Sheet
Parts option when creating a netlist or performing an ERC.
Summarizing Hierarchical Design
Models 3, 4 and 5 illustrate powerful ways to organize complex projects. In
hierarchical designs, sheet symbols can represent functional blocks, with the sheet
entries serving as connectors that tie circuitry on the sheet to the sub-sheet.
This hierarchical structure can be represented by thinking of the first sheet as the
parent and the sheet represented by sheet symbols as the child. In the terminology
of hierarchical design, we can say that the child is descended from the parent.
Extending this model, the child can have its own children, additional sheets that
descend, in this top-down structure, to lower and lower levels.
As shown above, hierarchy can be either simple, where each sheet is unique, as in
Model 3 or complex, where the same children (and its children) appear more than once
in the design a modular approach illustrated by Model 4.

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Schematic Capture

Working With a Hierarchical Project

The Schematic Editor includes a number of tools to make it easy to work with multisheet designs. These include tools for navigating, tools for creating sub-sheets and
sheet symbols and a tool to convert complex hierarchy to simple hierarchy.
Navigating Through a Project
To make hierarchical design practical, it is necessary to have some means of tracking
and navigating the sometimes complicated relationships between the many sheets that
can be incorporated into a single project. There are two tools provided for this purpose;
the Design Explorer Navigation Panel, and the Up/Down Hierarchy button.
Using the Design Explorer Navigation Panel

Simply click on any sheet icon in the

Navigation Panel to open that sheet and make it
the active sheet.
Using the Up/Down Hierarchy Button

There is also a button on the main toolbar for

navigating up and down through the hierarchy.
When you click on the Up/Down Hierarchy
button the Status line will prompt you to select
a port, sheet entry, sheet symbol or sheet part. If
you click on a sheet entry you will be presented
with the matching port on the sub-sheet, if you
click on a sheet symbol or a sheet part you will
be presented with the entire sub-sheet.
To navigate up through the hierarchy, click a port to be presented with the matching
sheet entry on the parent sheet.

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Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management

Creating Sheet Symbols and Sub-Sheets the Easy Way

The Schematic Editor includes features to automate the project building process.
Top-Down Design

If you are designing in a top-down fashion, where you start with the top sheet and lay
the design out as functional blocks using sheet symbols, you can use the Design
Create Sheet From Symbol feature to automatically create the sub-sheets.
When you select this menu item you will be prompted to select a sheet symbol. After
clicking on a sheet symbol the Schematic Editor will open a new schematic sheet with
the correct file name. The new sub-sheet will include ports to match each of the sheet
entries on the sheet symbol you selected.
Bottom-Up Design

If you are designing in a bottom-up fashion, where the sub-sheet already exists and you
need to create a sheet symbol to represent it, select the Design Create Symbol From
Sheet menu item (the parent sheet must be the active sheet). The Choose Document to
Place dialog will pop up.
Select the sheet you would like to base your sheet symbol on. You will then be asked if
you want to Reverse Input/Output Directions. After you answer this, you will be
presented with a sheet symbol floating on the cursor. This sheet symbol will have the
correct Filename to link it to the sub-sheet, and will have sheet entries to match each of
the ports on the sub-sheet.
To respond to the Reverse Input/Output Directions question - each of the ports on the
sub-sheet has an I/O type. Say one of the ports has an I/O type of output. If you
respond yes to the Reverse Input/Output Directions question then the sheet entry that
matches this port will have an I/O type of input (the I/O direction has been reversed)
and will be positioned on the left of the sheet symbol. If you respond no to the
Reverse Input/Output Directions question then the sheet entry that matches this port
will have an I/O type of output and will be positioned on the right of the sheet symbol.

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Schematic Capture

Schematic Design Verification

Design verification is the process of ensuring that the schematic capture process has
produced an accurate snap shot of your design, from which a valid netlist can be
created. The Schematic Editor includes a tool specifically for this purpose, the
Electrical Rule Checker (ERC). This process examines the schematic for both electrical
inconsistencies, such as an output pin connected to an output pin, and drafting
inconsistencies, such as unconnected net labels or duplicate designators.
Select the Tools ERC menu item to pop up the Setup Electrical Rule Check dialog.
This is used to set-up and execute the Electrical Rule Check. Running the ERC
produces two results. First, a text report is generated, listing the electrical and logical
violations either for the active sheet, or the entire project. Secondly, error markers are
placed on the sheets at the site of each ERC violation as an aid in tracking and
correcting reported problems.

Marking Points That You Do Not Want Flagged as Errors

There may be points in the design which you know will be flagged as ERC errors or
warnings, which you do not want to be flagged. To suppress these, place a No ERC
directive at each point (Place Directive No ERC). These directives can be excluded
from the printout by disabling the Include on Printout option in the Schematic Printer
Setup dialog.

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Schematic Design Verification

Verification Options
A wide variety of basic electrical errors are reported. For example, floating input pins
on parts and shorts between two differently named power nets.
Setup Electrical Rules Check
When the Tools ERC menu item is
selected, the Setup Electrical Rule Check
dialog pops up. This dialog is used to
define the options, scope and parameters
of the electrical rules check. Options
include:
Multiple Net Names On Net

Reports physical nets with multiple

net identifiers with different names.
Unconnected Net Labels

Reports net labels that are not

physically connected to at least one
other electrical object in the sheet.
Unconnected Power Objects

Reports power objects that are not

physically connected to at least one
other electrical object.
Duplicate Sheet Numbers

Reports sheets that have been assigned the same sheet number (Design Options
dialog, Organization Tab).
Duplicate Component Designators

Reports parts that have identical designator labels. This condition can occur when
the Annotate process launcher has not been used or when the Tools Complex to
Simple process launcher has not been used to flatten a complex hierarchical
project (project with duplicate sheets).
Bus Label Format Errors

Reports net labels attached to buses which are not legally formatted to reflect a
range of signals. Logical connectivity for buses can be assigned by placing a net
label on the bus. Generally, this net label will include all bus signals, e.g.
HA[0..19] represents nets named HA0, HA1, HA2, etc, to HA19.
Floating Input Pins

Reports unconnected pins whose Electrical Type is set to Input.

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Schematic Capture

Suppress Warnings

This option generates a report and error markers for error conditions only.
Warning conditions (see Connected Pin / Sheet Entry / Port Rule Matrix below)
are ignored. This allows you to perform a quick ERC for all error-level problems.
Other Options
Create Report File

This option generates a text report listing all ERC report information.
Add Error Markers

This option places special error markers on the sheets, at the site of each reported
warning or error. Special facilities in the sheet editor allow you to jump from error
marker to error marker.
Descend Into Sheet Parts

This options treats sheet parts as hierarchical sheet symbols. A sheet part is a part
which is specified to behave like a sheet symbol, where its pins are associated with
ports on a sheet which descends hierarchically from the sheet part. The
descending sheet is defined in the parts Sheet Part path field. Refer to the
chapter Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management for more information.

Setting the Net Identifier Scope

The net identifier scope determines the method of connectivity being used in a multisheet design. The net identifier scope chosen here should be the same as that chosen
when creating the netlist.
For a complete explanation of the net identifier scope refer to the Creating a Netlist
and Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management chapters.

Setting up the Electrical Rules Matrix

This matrix allows you to control the behavior of the Electrical Rules Check. By
setting the color of a matrix element you set how you want the Schematic Editor to
respond when it is testing for a particular condition.
The matrix is read in an across / down fashion. For example, to see what the report
condition for an input pin connected to an output pin would be, locate the input pin row
down the left of the matrix, then locate the output pin column across the top of the
matrix, then go across and down from each to where these two meet. The colored
square where they meet is green, signifying that there will be no warning if an input
pin is connected to an output pin, as you would expect. Similarly if you examine the
report condition for an output pin connected to an output pin, you will see that the
square is red, signifying that if this condition is detected it will be flagged as an error.

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Schematic Design Verification

You can specify either errors or warnings

for connections of pin types, ports and
sheet entries. Generally you will find the
default matrix setting appropriate, but you
can easily adjust them for your specific
design requirements.
To change the default settings in the
matrix click LEFT MOUSE in any matrix
square. With each click the square will
toggle from No Report (green), to
Warning (yellow), to Error (red), then
back to No Report, and so on.
The process of running an ERC is integral
to producing a valid netlist for a project.
The presence of electrical or logical
violations will not prevent the Schematic
Editor from generating a netlist, however
incomplete or invalid. Carefully check
and resolve all reported errors prior to
netlist generation.
Error Report Format
Error Report For : C:\CLIENT\SCH3\EXAMPLES\DEMO1.ERC
30-Dec-1997
15:18:05
1 Error Duplicate Designators POWER.SCH C3 At (320,471) And CPU.SCH C3
At (374,109)
2 Error Multiple Net Identifiers : CPU.SCH RESET At (270,220) And
CPU.SCH RST At (330,220)
3 Warning
Unconnected Input Pin On Net N00121
C:\CLIENT\SCH3\EXAMPLES\CPU.SCH(U5-6 310,620)
4 Error
Floating Input Pins On Net N00121Pin
C:\CLIENT\SCH3\EXAMPLES\CPU.SCH(U5-6 @310,620)
5 Warning
Unconnected Net Label On Net CLOCK
CPU.SCH CLOCK
End Report

The error report includes information to identify which sheet the error or warning
occurred on, and the location on the sheet. Where appropriate there will also be net
identifier and component designator information.

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Schematic Capture

Resolving Errors
The Schematic Editor includes features to assist in the
process of resolving the errors and warnings detected
by the Electrical Rule Check.
Using the Browser to Jump to Errors
The lower half of the Schematic Editor panel includes
a Browser. This browser can be used to browse through
your project for any type of primitive, including error
markers.
In the Browser, set the Browse type to Error Markers.
Select an error in the list and press the Jump button to
have the error marker presented in the center of the
active window.
Note that a description of the error condition appears
on the Status Line, alleviating the need to switch back
and forth to the error report. Pressing the Text button in
the Component Browser will pop up a dialog which
can also be used to examine the description of the error
condition.
Cross Probing
The Schematic Editor supports cross probing to and from other open documents. Cross
probing is particularly useful when you want to go from the schematic to the error
report. Simply click on the cross probe button, then click on the error marker. The
warning or error will be highlighted in the error report.
Typical Causes of Errors
Errors will typically be due to the one or more of the following:
drafting errors - wires overlapping pins, lines being used instead of wires, the
design being wired with the snap grid off so the wire ends dont touch the pin ends
or wires / buses finishing under a port instead of touching the end of the port.
syntax errors - net identifiers with spelling mistakes or buses incorrectly labeled.
component errors - component pins placed the wrong way around on the
component or pins with an inappropriate Electrical Type.
design errors - a design condition that the ERC detects as an error, such as two
output pins connected.

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Schematic Design Verification

Tracing Errors
To resolve an error, start at the error marker, read the error condition on the Status line
and consider the possible causes as described above. If there are no problems
at the error marker, trace the net through the design. Use the Up/Down
Hierarchy button on the main toolbar to assist tracing a net through a multisheet design. Use the Status line for information on what to do after selecting
one of these tools.
A floating input pin in essentially an open circuit condition. While this
condition is reported at the input pin, the break could be anywhere between the
driving output pin and the floating input pin. If there is nothing wrong at the input
pin, trace the net back to the output pin, checking along the way for the break.
If all the nets of a bus are reporting an error, look for the problem at the bus
level, perhaps a typing mistake in a bus port or a missing net label, perhaps a bus
line finishing under a port (which may not be visible). Click on a bus to focus it to
see if it ends under a port.

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Preparing the Design for PCB Layout

You have completed the schematic and you are ready to transfer the design information
to the PCB Editor, to begin the board design. Before you do, use this chapter as a final
check to ensure that there is nothing you have overlooked.

Assigning and Re-assigning Designators

All parts in your design must have a unique component designator. The process of reassigning designators in your design is called annotation. This can be done at any stage
in the design process, and would typically be done when the design is complete. Select
Tools Annotate to reassign the schematic designators. Here you can annotate:
All Parts

Reassign the designators for all parts in the project. This option does not re-use any
currently assigned designators.
? Parts

Assign a designator to all parts which currently have a designator of R?, C?, U?, etc.
Reset Designators

sets all designators back to R?, C?, U? and so on. Use this if you wish to renumber all
components, starting at 1.
If you have used complex hierarchy in your design you must first convert the design to
simple hierarchy, and then re-assign the designators. Refer to the topic, Model 4 Complex Hierarchy, in the chapter, Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management, for
more information on working with complex hierarchy.
Grouping Parts into the Same Physical Component
To know how to identify and group multi-part components, say, how to package two
particular op amps into the same physical component, use the Group Parts Together If
Match By fields in the Annotate dialog. The default is to only group by the Part Type
field, however combinations of any of the sixteen part fields and eight library text
fields can also be used to identify a group.
For the example of two op amps that must be grouped, edit each one and enter a string
into one of the part fields that identifies them. For example, you might enter Stage1
into Part Field 16 for both the op amps. When you perform the annotation, enable Part
Field 16 in the Group Parts Together If Match By check boxes this will ensure that
these two op amps are grouped into the same physical component.

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Positional Annotation
Schematic components are annotated based on their position on the sheet. The position
of each component is determined by the location of its designator within the reference
zones around the edge of the sheet. To change the number of sheet border regions
enable the Use Custom Style option in the Document Options dialog, and change the X
Ref Region Count and the Y Ref Region Count settings.

Use the options in the Annotate dialog to control the annotation process

Controlled Sheet-by-Sheet Annotation

Schematic component annotation can also be selectively controlled for each sheet, with
a user-defined designator range and/or suffix. To do this disable the Current Sheet
Only option in the Options Tab, then click on the Advanced Options Tab. This Tab
will list all the sheets in the project. Enable the check box next to each sheet that
requires controlled annotation (any sheet that is not checked is annotated in the normal
way according to the settings in the Annotate dialogs main Options Tab).
There are 2 controlled annotation methods, by Range and by Suffix. To annotate by
range enter a From and To value for each sheet, for example From=1, To=1000. Note
that the annotation process does not permit duplicate designators, you must include a
unique suffix if the range is repeated for more than one sheet.

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The Suffix options allow you to repeat the range for multiple sheets. Both alpha
suffixes (A, B, C, etc) and numeric suffixes (_1, _2, _3, etc) are supported. Use these
annotation options if you are annotating a multi-channel design and you want common
in-channel numbering across all channels, for example, R1_1, R2_1, C1_1, etc, for
channel 1, then R1_2, R2_2, C1_2, etc, for channel 2, and so on.
Excluding Components from the Annotation Process
Components can be excluded from the annotation process by selecting them. Enable
the Ignore Selected Parts option in the Annotate dialog to exclude these parts from the
annotation process.

Check for Missing Footprints

All parts in the design must have a footprint specified (a footprint with this name must
exist in an available PCB library when you transfer the design information to the PCB).
The easiest way to check for missing footprints is to export the schematic footprint
information into a spreadsheet. To do this select Edit Export to Spread from the menus.
The Schematic Export Wizard will pop up.
The Wizard allows you to selectively export information from the schematic. You will
only need to export the Designator and Footprint attributes from the Part Primitives.
The information will automatically appear in a spreadsheet. Here you can quickly
locate footprint fields without a value. If you prefer you can enter the footprint
information in the spreadsheet and update the schematic (select File Update in the
Spreadsheet menus), or you can edit the parts in the schematic.

Perform an ERC
You should perform an Electrical Rules Check as a normal part of the design cycle.
This will detect both drafting and electrical problems with your design, and will help
prevent problems occurring later in the design process. Read the Design Verification
chapter for tips on performing an ERC and resolving the errors.

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Including PCB Layout Specifications

You can include PCB layout specifications in the schematic, by attaching PCB Layout
directives to the schematic nets. Select Place Directives PCB Layout from the menus
to place a layout directive. The PCB Layout directive information is translated into
design rules when the design is transferred to the PCB Editor if the Generate PCB
Rules option is enabled in the Update Design dialog refer to the next chapter, Passing
the Design Information to the PCB, for details on how to do this. After placing the
directive (so that the bottom point of the symbol is touching the net), edit it to define:
Track Width specify the width that this net must be routed at.
Via Width specify the diameter of any vias used when routing this net.
Topology specify the connection topology to be used with this net.
Priority specify the routing priority for this net.
Layer use this to restrict the routing of this net to a particular layer.

Ready for PCB Layout

You are now ready to begin the PCB layout stage of the design process. You can either
create a new empty PCB document, then manually define the board boundary, or use
the PCBMaker Wizard (in the Wizards Tab of the New Document dialog). Refer to the
chapter, Defining the Board, in the PCB Design section of the Handbook, for more
information.
After Defining the board boundary the design information can then be transferred from
the schematic to the PCB refer to the next chapter, Passing the Design Information to
the PCB, for details on how to this.

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Transferring the Design Information to the PCB

Protel 99 SE includes a powerful design synchronization tool, that makes it very easy
to transfer design information from the schematic to the PCB (and back again).
The Synchronizer automatically extracts the component and connectivity information
from the schematic, locates the footprints in the PCB libraries and places them in the
PCB workspace, then adds the connection lines between connected component pins.
Design Synchronization is the process of updating the Target document, based on
the latest design information in the Reference document. When you run the
synchronizer you tell it which direction you want to transfer by picking:

Update PCB to

Update Schematic to

transfer design changes from the schematic, to the PCB

transfer design changes from the PCB, to the Schematic

Transferring the Design Information

To transfer the schematic design information select Design Update PCB from the
Schematic Editor menus. When you do the Update dialog will appear, with the name of
the target document in the title.
An empty PCB is
It does not matter which of the schematic sheets in your
automatically created
project is active when you select Update PCB, the
if there is no PCB
synchronizer will automatically analyze all the sheets in the
available.
project.
Check for Warnings
When you select Design Update PCB from the menus the Synchronizer quickly checks
the schematic for potential issues that may cause problems in transferring the design
information. It checks for; components that do not have their designator set,
components with duplicate designators, components with no footprint specified, and if
there are any PCB libraries currently available in the PCB Editor.
If there are any warnings the Update dialog will include an extra Tab, summarizing the
different warnings. Check these before carrying out a Synchronization. For complete
details of the warnings press the Report button at the bottom of the Warnings Tab. The
previous chapter, Preparing the design for PCB Layout, includes information that will
help resolve these warnings, including how to re-annotate the designators, and how to
locate missing footprints.

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The Synchronization Update Dialog

The Update Design dialog includes the following options:

Connectivity

Net Identifier Scope this option defines how the sheet-to-sheet connectivity is created
in a multi-sheet design. If the sheet symbols in your design use sheet entries to connect
to the sub-sheets below, then you should choose Sheet Symbol/Port Connections. If
your design uses nets or ports to connect directly between sub-sheets, you should
choose one of the other options. For more information on sheet-to-sheet connectivity
refer to the chapter Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management.
Assign Net to Connected Copper if this option is enabled the net attributes of all the
routing (tracks, vias, etc) is checked and updated to match the net attribute of the pads
that the routing connects to. Enable this if you have modified the connectivity on the
schematic. Once you have updated the PCB you can use the DRC error markers to find
any routing that must be updated. This Assign Net to Connected Copper action can be
performed at any time in the PCB Editor, select Design Netlist Manager to do this.
Components

Delete Components Automatically remove any components that are present in the
target document, but have no matching component in the reference document.

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Typically you would use this when you have made a large number of design changes in
the schematic, and you want to automatically remove any redundant components in the
PCB.
Update Footprints If this option is enabled then changes to footprint information are
transferred from the reference document, to the target document.
Rules

The Synchronizer can transfer PCB layout information from the PCB Layout directives
in the schematic, to design rules in the PCB. Enable the Generate PCB Rules option to
do this. There are two modes for this feature:
Only add missing PCB rules new rules are created if there is no rule defined for this
net, existing rules are updated to match the settings in the PCB Layout directive.
Strictly follow Schematic directives new rules are created if there is no rule defined
for this net, existing rules are updated to match the settings in the PCB Layout
directive, any other net scope rules of this type are removed.
Refer to the topic, Transferring PCB Layout Information later in this chapter, for more
details on how the PCB Layout directives map to design rules.
Classes

Generate Component Classes enable this to automatically create a PCB component

class from the set of components on each schematic sheet. Each component class is
given the same name as the schematic sheet it is created from, with any spaces
removed. Multipart components that span more than one sheet are included in the class
of the sheet that contains the first part of the component.
A PCB placement room is also created for each component class. These placement
rooms are spread across the board, ready for positioning. For information on working
with placement rooms refer to the topic, Working with Placement Rooms, in the PCB
Design section of the Handbook.
Creating Net Classes from Buses A PCB net class can be created for each schematic
bus.
Preview Changes

At the bottom of the Update dialog there is a button labeled Preview Changes. If you
would like to examine what changes the Synchronizer is about to perform, before it
carries them out, press this button.
The Changes Tab will appear in the Update dialog, listing each change that will be
made to the target document. Note that you can show just the errors by enabling the
option at the bottom of the dialog. If necessary, you can delete a macro by rightclicking on the macro in the list, and selecting Delete from the floating menu. Press the
Report button for complete details of each macro in the change list.

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Preview the changes before they are applied, and check for errors

How the Synchronizer knows which PCB to Use

Wondering how the Synchronizer knows which PCB goes with which schematic? The
following strategy is used. It looks for a PCB in the same Folder in the Design
Database as the schematic project. If it finds a PCB it uses this. If there is more than
one PCB in this Folder you are prompted to select the correct one. If there are none in
the same Folder, the entire Design Database is searched, and you are prompted to
select the correct PCB from a list of all the PCBs in the Design Database. If there are
none in the Design Database a new PCB is created, in the same folder as the schematic
project.

Where the Components are Placed in the PCB Workspace

The Synchronizer will place the components in rows of matching footprints. If you
defined a placement outline on the PCB keepout layer prior to transferring the design
information, the components are placed to the right of this outline. If there is no
placement outline defined in the workspace the components are placed at the absolute
center of the workspace, coordinate 50000, 50000.

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Transferring PCB Layout Information

The Synchronizer will also translate PCB Layout directives placed on the schematic,
into PCB Design Rules. The settings in each Layout directive are translated into
appropriate design rules, with a Rule Scope of Net.
PCB Layout attribute

Design Rule

Track Width

Width Constraint

Via Width

Routing Via Style

Topology

Routing Topology

Priority

Routing Priority

Layer

Routing Layers

Passing Forward Schematic Design Updates

A normal part of the design process is to carry out changes to the schematic design,
and then pass these changes forward to the existing PCB layout.
This is done in exactly the same way that the design information was initially
transferred from the schematic to the PCB, by selecting Design Update PCB from the
menus. When you do, the synchronizer analyzes both the schematic and PCB, and
identifies any differences. It will then create a set of macros, one for each difference,
and execute these macros to re-synchronize the schematic and PCB designs.

How the Synchronizer Associates the

Schematic and PCB Components
When a schematic and its PCB have been synchronized, matching schematic and PCB
components are assigned a matching identifier. This approach means that you are free
to separately re-annotate the schematic or the PCB. They can be bought back into
harmony at any time by running an Update from the design menu.
If a component without a matching identifier is found in either the schematic or the
PCB, the Synchronizer attempts to find a matching component for it. These matches
are shown in the Confirm Components Association dialog, which automatically
appears whenever unmatched components are detected by the Synchronizer.

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Matched and unmatched components are listed in the Confirm Components Associations dialog

The Synchronizer does this initial match by designator, always check that the matches
are correct. When you click on the Apply button the matched components will be given
a matching ID.
If the Update is from schematic to PCB, the unmatched reference components are
added to the PCB and the unmatched target components are either removed or
reported, depending on the Components option in the Update dialog.
If the Update is from PCB to schematic, the unmatched reference components are
listed in the Preview Changes Report, and the unmatched target components are either
removed, or reported, depending on the Components option in the Update dialog.

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How the Synchronizer Transfers the Design Information

To transfer the design information from the schematic to the PCB, the synchronizer
extracts the component and connectivity information and creates a set of macros. Each
action that is has to perform, such as adding a new component, adding a new net, or
adding a node to a net, is defined by a macro.
If any macro can not be carried out (for example there is no footprint available), it will
be flagged as an error in the Changes Tab of the Update dialog.
Resolving Macro Errors
Prior to executing the macros it is good practice to resolve any errors or warnings.
Following is a description of each error/warning. The Error descriptions below
indicates which macro can report that error, and what has caused the error.
Net not found

A macro is attempting to: add or remove a node; remove a net; or change a net name
when that net can not be found in the PCB netlist.
Component not found

A macro is attempting to: add or remove a node when the component designator is
incorrectly specified in the macro or the component can not be found in the PCB
netlist; remove a component; or change a footprint, designator or comment when the
component can not be found in the PCB netlist.
Node not found

A macro is attempting to: add or remove a node from a component which does not
have that pin; or remove a node which does not exist in the specified net.
Net already exists

A macro is attempting to: add a net name when a net with that name already exists in
the PCB netlist.
Component already exists

A macro is attempting to: add a component when a component with that designator
already exists in the PCB netlist.
New footprint not matching old footprint

A macro is attempting to: change a component footprint when the used pins on the old
footprint do not match the used pins on the new footprint. This can occur if the new
component has fewer pins than the old, or if the pin numbering in the (which comes
from the schematic component pin numbers) is different to the pin numbering on the
PCB component.

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Footprint not found in Library

A macro is attempting to: add a new component or change a component footprint when
the specified footprint could not be found in any of the libraries in the current library
list and no alternative library reference could be found in the Cross Reference file
(ADVPCB.XRF).
Alternative footprint used instead (warning)

A macro is attempting to: add a new component or change a component footprint when
the specified footprint could not be found in any of the libraries in the current library
list. An alternative library reference was found in the Cross Reference file
(ADVPCB.XRF) and this component will be loaded from one of the libraries in the
current library list. Always confirm that the alternative footprint is appropriate before
executing a macro with this warning.
When a macro attempts to load or change a component footprint which can not
be located in any of the libraries, it then uses the component Comment to look-up
the Cross Reference file (Advpcb.XRF). The Cross Reference file lists components
by their type, against any appropriate footprint(s) for that component. For example,
if the component U1 was a 74LS00, but you had forgotten to include the footprint,
when the macro to add this component was created it would look up 74LS00 in the
XRF file. 74LS00 has DIP14 as a footprint, which would be loaded from one of the
libraries in the current library list.
Summary

Most problems with passing a schematic design to the PCB Editor generally fall into
two categories.
1.

Component footprints missing components occur when: a footprint is missing

from the component information in the netlist; you have forgotten to add the
required PCB libraries to the current library list; or the footprint is not available in
any of the libraries in the library list.

2.

New footprint not matching old footprint the cause is usually that the pin
numbering on the schematic component differs from the pin numbering on the
PCB footprint.

Schematic libraries contain specific components and devices. The PCB libraries
contain generic footprints, which can belong to various specific components each
having different pin assignments.
For example, a transistor shape can represent various combinations of E, B and
C, each of which must be assigned to the correct pin number in the PCB Editor.
Diodes are a similar case, with pins often named A and K in the schematic.
You will need to either, modify the PCB footprint pin numbers to match the Schematic
pin numbers, or change the schematic component pin numbers to match the PCB
footprint.

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Printing Your Schematic Design

Overview
Completing the schematic layout is only part of the design
process, in most cases you will need to generate permanent
drawings that can be filed and viewed off-line. The Schematic
Editor includes support for a wide variety of hard copy options
for this stage of the design process. Virtually any device that is
supported by Windows can be used to print or plot your
drawings.

Generating a print or plot

Advanced
schematic
printing and pen-plotting
are handled similarly to
other
Windows
applications.
Windows
manages the printing (or
plotting)
process,
and
provides a range of raster
and
PostScript
printer
drivers and vector plotter
drivers. These range from 9
pin dot matrix printers and
multi-pen plotters, to highresolution
raster
imagesetters.
To setup to print or plot
from the active Schematic
Editor or Library Editor
window, select the File
Setup Printer menu item
(shortcut: F, R).
The
following
topics
describe each option in this
dialog.

154

Press
the
Properties in the
Printer
Setup
dialog to set the
portrait/landscape
mode.

Printing the Schematic Design

Selecting a Printer
The available output device options will include those that have been installed using
the Windows Control Panel (see your Microsoft Windows Users Guide for details).
These devices are supported by drivers delivered with your Windows software, or by
the device manufacturer. You should note that new and updated drivers are released for
both new and existing devices on a regular basis. For the latest information about print
drivers, contact Microsoft Windows support or the device manufacturer.
Rotation of fonts is not supported for all printers, and the substituted fonts will
only be used if the text on your schematic is in a standard horizontal (or landscape)
orientation, and within the size capability of the printer. PostScript printers support
rotation of fonts at any angle.
Batch Type
When using this option from the Schematic Editor, this option prints either a single
sheet or a batch of all open sheets (including all opened projects). Using this option
from the Library Editor to choose between printing a single component (from the
window that is the current focus) or all components in the current library. The latter
option allows you to print out an entire component library in a single operation. When
you choose this option, all representations of a component are printed, including each
parts DeMorgan and IEEE equivalents, when applicable. Component description
fields are also added to the sheet. This option works with all other print/plot options,
including scaling, and so on.
Color mode
Two choices are available, Color or Monochrome. If you select color the schematic
screen color assignments are used to assign colors to the print or plot, based upon the
options available in the print or plot driver. Monochrome PostScript or HP-PCL
devices will print grayscale representations of color. The number of gray levels, and
the assignment of color to grayscale depends upon the driver and device. The
Monochrome option prints images in solid black/white only. No dithering or grayscale
support is provided. This option is appropriate for low resolution dot matrix and single
pen plotting.
Margins
You have total control over margins, limited only by the margin limits built into
printers or plotters that do not allow printing to the sheet edge (e.g., PostScript
printers). When used with the Scale and Scale to Fit Page options (described below),
this option will size the print area to fit as closely within the margins as allowed by the
aspect ratio of the print area. To do this set all the Margin fields to zero and press the
Refresh button. The Margins will automatically be set at the minimum for the currently
selected printer.

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Schematic Capture

Scaling prints and plot

Prints and plots can be scaled to a known factor or automatically scaled to fit within
pre-defined page margins.
Scale

Type a scale factor from .001 % to 400%.

Scale to Fit Page

The print or plot will be expanded or contracted to fit within your pre-defined margins,
on the page size selected up for the target printer. The plot will be shrunk or expanded
to use the available space, keeping the correct aspect ratio.
When you use scale to fit you can set the margins to zero, the printer driver
will automatically cater for the no-print zones.
Tiling
When the size of the sheet or library document to be printed exceeds the print area
available on the target device, the Schematic Editor will automatically cut the print into
two or more sheets, or tiles. The sheets are tiled such that the correct margin is
maintained at the outer edge of each sheet. You can preview the result of tiling by
pressing the Refresh button.
It is often possible to reduce the number of sheets required to tile a print, by
changing the printer page orientation and adjusting margins. Use the Preview view
in the Printer Setup dialog to help work out the best match.
Printer Properties
Pressing the Properties button opens the Print Setup dialog, where options for the target
device are available. Depending upon the device, options include: sheet
size/orientation, the printer tray to use, and so on. From this dialog you will have
access to the printers own setup dialog.
Refresh Button
After changing any of the setup parameters you must press the Refresh button to
refresh the preview display.
Printing
Once all options have been entered, Click Print to proceed with the print or plot, OK to
save all the set-ups or Cancel to leave the Printer Setup dialog without saving the new
parameters. As the print or plot is generated (either directly to the output device, or to a

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filename) the current page and layer being printed is displayed in a dialog. If printing
or plotting to a file, you will be prompted to supply an Output File Name.
PostScript Printing Issues
Some PostScript printers will time out and discard the current data when they dont
receive the end of page marker within a specified time. This can cause problems where
you seem to be missing pages from your plots. If you experience this problem using a
PostScript printer or any other printing device then you should go to the Control Panel,
select the printer icon, select the printer and click the Configure button. Change the
Transmission Retry to 500 seconds, or some other large number. This will allow the
printer sufficient time to catch up before the Print Manager gives up.
If you find your printout is incomplete, say all the components are there but not all the
wires, there may be insufficient memory in the printer. Laser printers must capture the
entire image in memory before printing it, so if does not all fit in memory, then the
image in memory is printed as is.

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Creating Schematic Reports

Bill of Materials
When you select Reports Bill of Materials the Schematic Bill of Materials Wizard will
start. Follow the instructions on each Tab of the Wizard. Three formats of the BOM
report can be produced;
Protel Format
A tabulated ASCII text format that lists part type fields, quantities of each type, and the
designator fields associated with each type, named <FILENAME>.BOM.
CSV Format
A CSV (Comma Separated Value) format report, includes complete sheet-level and
library level descriptions for each component, by designator The report is named
<FILENAME>.CSV.
Client Spreadsheet
Includes complete sheet-level and library level descriptions for each component, by
designator. This version is automatically loaded in the Client Spreadsheet editor, from
there it can be saved as an Excel format file.

Cross Reference
This ASCII text report gives a listing of part designators, type and the sheet location
(filename) for each part. The report is named <FILENAME>.XRF.

Project hierarchy
This ASCII text report gives a listing of project files for the active design. The report is
named <FILENAME>.REP.

Netlist Compare
This ASCII text report lists the differences between two netlists. Use this report to
document changes made to a project from one revision to another. This feature works
with Protel, Protel 2 and Tango format netlists. Among other details, the report lists
matched nets, partially matched nets, extra nets in the first or second netlist, total nets
in each netlist. The report is named <FILENAME>.REP.

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Linking to Databases
The Schematic Editor includes two powerful and flexible methods of linking to
external databases.
Hot linking of component part fields to external databases. This feature allows
mapping of external database information directly to the component part fields on
the schematic sheet.
Database import and export features. These allow you to export and import the
value of any attribute, of any object, placed in the Schematic Sheet Editor.

Hot Linking to a Database

Hot linking to a database allows
real time merging of external
database information with the
part fields of the components
used in your schematic.
The links that are created to an
external database do not belong to
a individual component or a
particular sheet, they are applied
to every component on every
sheet that is opened in the
Schematic Editor. These links are
stored in the schematic INI file,
and are available each time the
Schematic Editor is run.
To define the links, select the
Options Database Links menu
item to pop up the Linking Setup
dialog. Each of the sixteen
component part fields can be
linked to a database. They can all be linked to the same database, or each to a different
database. Click the checkbox next to a Part Field name to activate that link. When a
link is active the Schematic Editor will attempt to read from the database and update
this part field as often as specified in the Update Every XX Minutes option.

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Establishing the Links

To establish the links between a part field and a database, click to select the Part Field
in the Linking Setup dialog and press the Configure Button. This will pop up the
Database Linking for Part Field X dialog.
Note that the title bar of the Database Link dialog will also say Active or
Inactive, indicating if this link is currently enabled in the Linking Setup dialog.
Specify the Database

The first step is to select the database you wish to link to. Enter the Database Filename
(including the full path), or use the browse button to locate the database. Supported
database formats include dBase III and dBase IV.
Select the Database Field

Once you have selected the database the Schematic Editor will read in all the available
fields. The next step is to choose which field in the database you wish to map into the
Part Field you are configuring. To do this select the database field in the Update Part
Field With drop down list. In our example we are mapping MANUFACTURER to Part
Field 1.

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Linking to Databases

When the contents of the key fields

match (PARTNAME=Lib Ref), then
the information is transfered from
the database to the mapped Part
Field (in this example all the linked
Part Fields use the same key field).

Note - the Part Field names

have been updated in the
Library Editor for all the parts
in the project, making it easy to
identify the contents of each
Part Field.

Map the Key Fields

The purpose of mapping the key fields is to establish how to identify the desired record
in the external database. For example, consider a database that contains a list of
components, with each component record including details like manufacturer, price,
availability, etc. In our example we are using the PARTNAME in the database as the
record identifier. This field name is then mapped to the schematic components library
reference, so that when their contents match, the link is established. Once the link is
established between a record in the database and a component part field, the contents
of any field in that record can be extracted from the record and loaded into the
component part field.
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Schematic Capture

To successfully link to an external database, the contents of the Key Fields

must match. For example, if you map a database field with the name PARTNAME
to the schematic component attribute LibReference, when the contents of
PARTNAME is the same as the contents of the LibReference attribute, the link is
established. The contents of one of the fields of this record will then be transferred
to the part field.
To Map the Key Fields for the Part Field select the field in the Database Fields list box
(PARTNAME), then select the attribute of the part that it maps to (Library Reference),
then click on the >> button to add it to the Key Fields list.
Each Part Field can link to a different database, and Each Part Field can also
use a different Key Field.
Updating the Data
The links between databases and component part fields are dynamic. That is, the
information is refreshed to keep it up to date. This is done automatically at the time
interval specified. To disable the automatic updating (make the link Inactive), disable
the Active check box in the Linking Setup dialog.

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Linking to Databases

Importing and Exporting to a Database

Each object (or primitive) that can be placed in the Schematic Editor has a set of
attributes. For example, a wire has three attributes; color, width and selection. A
component has 33 attributes. The import and export facilities allow you to select which
attributes are to have their values transferred to or from the database, it may be for two
of the attributes, or it may be all. You can also specify the scope of the export or
import. The scope can be the current sheet, the current project or all open sheets.
Once the values of the selected attributes have been exported into a database, they can
then be processed by any DBMS (DataBase Management System) or spreadsheet
application that can read the chosen database format. The supported formats include
dBase III and dBase IV. The querying, manipulation and editing facilities of the
DBMS can then be used to edit the database.
To be able to successfully export to a database, manipulate the data and then import
from that database, there needs to be some way of uniquely identifying each instance
of a primitive within the scope of the import.
Special Key Attributes
To identify each primitive on the sheet and on which sheet that primitive belongs,
primitives include special location attributes. There are two special location attributes.
Every primitive has the Document File Name attribute to identify which sheet it came
from. Primitives which do not have their own X - Y location information, such as
wires or lines, also have a Vertex Array attribute which creates an array of the vertices
that make up each wire or line.
When importing from a database these location attributes are then used as Key
Attributes, attributes which the software will use to identify each instance of a
primitive as it loads the information from the database.
Exporting to a Database
Selecting File Export to Database to pop up the Export to Database dialog.

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Schematic Capture

A default name will be provided for each database you export, based on the primitive
selected.
Selecting the Primitives

The Primitives list box provides access to each of the primitives (or objects) available
in the Schematic Editor. The desired primitives are selected and added to the Selected
Primitives list box.
There is a
Once a primitive is added you then select which attributes of
separate database
that primitive you would like to export in the Attributes list
created for each
box. Continue with this process for each of the primitives you
primitive selected.
require; select the primitive, then select the attributes for that
primitive.
Each type of attribute will become a field of cells in the database, which must be
identified. A field name is automatically assigned for each type of attribute when you
export to a database.

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Linking to Databases
Selecting the Attributes

For each primitive you select, you choose which attributes of that primitive are to be
exported.
When exporting, you must include the appropriate location attributes if you
intend to later import the database. Without these location identifiers, the import
feature will not be able to match the database fields with each instance of the
primitive on their respective sheets.
Setting the Scope

Once the primitives and their attributes have been selected, set the export scope. The
Schematic Sheet Editor has three options for the scope, the Current Sheet, the Current
Project or All Open Sheets.
Importing from a Database
Selecting File Import from Database will pop up the Import from Database dialog.
Select the primitive type that you wish to import, then Browse to locate and select the
database file. After setting the Scope and the Update Action, you are ready to Map the
Database fields to the Objects Attributes.

Importing from a database is a process of transferring information in the database to

the primitives in your design. To achieve this you must do two things; establish what
you wish to extract from the database, and identify which instance the information is to
go to.

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Schematic Capture

To establish what you wish to extract you map the Schematic Objects Attributes to the
Database Fields. To identify where it is to go you set the Scope and check the Key
Attributes.
Mapping the Attributes

In the Database Fields list box select the field you wish to import from. Then select
which of the Schematic Objects Attributes this field is to map to, and press the >>
Map button. If the contents of that field can be mapped to the chosen attribute, they
will appear in the Mapped Attributes list box. If the field chosen in the database cannot
be mapped to that attribute of the object, a dialog will pop up warning that they are not
the same Type. To be the same type, they must both be integers, or real numbers, or
ASCII values, etc.
Setting the Key Fields

To identify how to locate the target object on a sheet, key field(s) must be selected.
Each attribute in the Mapped Attributes list box has a check box next to it. The check
box specifies if an attribute is to be used as a key field.
In the Mapped Attributes list box, select an attribute which uniquely identifies an
instance of that object and check its check box. Examples of attributes that are
appropriate for key fields are X location, Y location, Document File Name and Vertex
Array. You must select the appropriate key attributes to identify each instance of the
object for the scope of the import. If the import scope is current sheet, X location and
Y location (or vertex array) will be sufficient. If the scope is over more than one sheet,
include the Document File Name attribute as well.
Import Options - Scope

As with exporting, the scope of the import includes the Current Sheet, the Current
Project and All Open Sheets. The Only Selected Items check box allows you to further
narrow the scope.
Import Options - Action

There are three ways the data being imported from the database can be used. The data
can be:
imported as new objects - use this option to create a new schematic from the
information in the database.
used to update existing objects - use this option if you are updating an existing
design.
update existing objects if they exist and add new objects if they do not - use this
option if you wish to update an existing design and add new objects to the sheet.

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Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

This chapter includes information on how to pass design information from the
Schematic Editor in Protel 99 SE, to other design environments.
Protel 99 SEs Schematic Editor can work with a number of third-party design tools,
including the HP-EEsof high frequency simulation tools, Xilinx FPGA design
tools, Orcad DOS schematic capture tools, and the Orcad Capture tools.
A common way of interfacing to third-party tools is via a netlist this chapter also
includes information on creating a netlist from the Schematic Editor.
Design examples for EEsof and Xilinx are included with Protel 99 SE, these
examples include documentation on how to interface to these design environments.
Check the Protel web site for information on translating Orcad and Protel DOS
schematics.

Translating an Orcad Capture Design

Protel 99 SE can translate Orcad Capture 7.x and 9.x DSN design files directly into
Protel schematic sheets and libraries. The translation process is completely automated,
simply import the original DSN file into a Design Database, and it is automatically
translated into a Schematic project, and a matching schematic library.
Importing and Translating the DSN file
1. Create a new Design Database.
2.

Right-click in the Design Database folder view to

display the floating menu, and select Import.

3.

Locate the DSN file in the Import dialog, and click the
Open button.

4.

The DSN file is first imported into the Design Database,

and then translated.

It is a good
idea to remove any
schematic libraries
from the current
library list before
importing
and
translating a DSN
file.

Orcad does not store components with the actual schematic sheets, they are held in an
internal design library, called the Design Cache.
So that you do not need to translate this cache into a Protel library first, and then make
it available in the Protel 99 SE Schematic Editor when the sheets are translated, the
Design Cache is automatically translated into a schematic library. Once this is done,
the database that you are working in is added to the Schematic Editor library list,
making this new library (the translated design cache) available during the sheet
translation process.
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Schematic Capture

How the Orcad Design Structure is Mapped

All designs are imported as either simple hierarchy or complex hierarchy. The
following diagram illustrates how the design structure is mapped.

Sample design shown in Orcad, and translated in Protel 99 SE. Protel 99 SE creates
the hierarchy that exists in the Orcad design. Note the original design file
(Simple.Dsn) is included inside the Protel Design Database. You can re-translate the
entire design at any time by double-clicking on the icon.

Each Orcad schematic folder is translated to a Protel schematic sheet, with a sheet
symbol for each Orcad schematic page within that schematic folder.
Each Orcad schematic page is translated to a Protel schematic sheet.
Hierarchical pins are translated to Sheet Entries.
Hierarchical ports are translated to Ports.
The connectivity between Orcad schematic pages in an Orcad schematic folder is
created with off-page connectors. This horizontal connectivity is translated to vertical
connectivity in Protel 99 SE in the following way:

168

Off-page connectors are translated to Ports, and shown in red.

A matching Sheet Entry is created on the sheet symbol representing this sheet,
which is also shown in red.
Wires with net labels create the inter-sheet connectivity on the parent sheet.

Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

Notes

Use the Sheet Symbol/Port Connection Net Identifier Scope for ERC and PCB
Design Synchronization.
The location of user-defined symbols can not be exactly determined, check the
location of all user-defined symbols after translating.
Pictures are not imported, a red rectangle will mark their location.
Bus pins are not supported in Protel 99 SE, these are translated into normal pins
and a warning is issued.
Orcad supports the connection of buses with different names, this is not supported.

Mechanical CAD Interface

Protel 99 SE includes full support for importing from and exporting to both DWG and
DXF format files. Select File Import or File Export from the Schematic Editor menus
to start the process.
Summarizing the Mechanical CAD Interface features:

Full support for DWG/DXF import/export to the Schematic editor, all versions
from 2.5 to 2000.
Component to block and block to component translation.
Import scaling option.
Option to include the schematic template during export.
Use the Help button and Whats This help in the dialogs for more details on the
import/export options.

Creating a Netlist
Netlists are common to most electronics design environments. Simply stated, a netlist
is a summary of all the components and connections (or networks) that comprise a
circuit.
Generally, netlists are simple ASCII text files. The typical netlist format includes
descriptions of components, such as the designator and package type, combined with
the pin-to-pin connections that define each net. Loading a netlist into a printed circuit
board layout package automates many of the tedious and error prone operations
inherent in the design process.
Netlist formats
Netlists come in many different formats, but are usually generated as ASCII text files
and contain the following types of information:
1) Descriptions of the components in the circuit.
2) A list of all pin-to-pin connections in the circuit.

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Schematic Capture

3) Some netlist formats can include additional information in component text or net
text fields. This information can be used to link netlists with simulators and board
layout in ways that arent covered by netlist hierarchy and connectivity. Examples
include data for simulation and PCB layout.
Some netlist formats combine the component and connection data in a single
description. Others, including the Protel formats, separate the two sets of data into
separate sections.
As straight-forward text files, netlists are readily translated into other formats using a
simple, user-written program. Netlists can also be created (or modified) manually using
a simple text editor or word processor.
If you intend to manually edit a netlist, make sure that you save the results in an unformatted or text only form, as hidden control characters can render the netlist unreadable by the target software.
Generating the Netlist
You can generate a netlist for a project at any time while using the Schematic Sheet
Editor. Select the Design Create Netlist (shortcut: T, N) menu item, the Netlist Creation
dialog will open. Options include:
Netlist Output Format Options

The following table lists the available netlist output format options.
Protel Hierarchical
EEsof Touchstone
Algorex
Protel Wirelist
FutrureNet
AppliconBRAVO
Racal Redac
Hilo
AppliconLEAP
Scicards
Integraph
Cadnetix
Spice
Mentor BoardStation 6
Calay
Spice Hierarchical
Multiwire
Calay90
Star Semiconductor
Orcad PLDnet
Case
Tango
Orcad - PCB II
CBDS
Telesis
PADS Ascii
ComputerVision
Vectron
PCAD
EDIF 2.0
VHDL
PCAD NLT
EDIF 2.0 Hierarchical
Xilinx XNF
Protel
EEDesigner
Protel 2
EEsof Libra
Net Identifier Scope

The Net Identifier Scope defines how the inter-sheet connectivity is created. There are
essentially two ways the inter-sheet connectivity can be created, either vertically (from
a sheet entry down to a matching port), or horizontally (directly from a port or net label
to a matching port or net label). It is important that the Net Identifier Scope is set to
suit the structure of the design.

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Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

Refer to the chapter, Multi-Sheet Design and Project Management, for more
information on how to structure a multi-sheet design. The three Net Identifier Scope
options are:
Net Labels and Ports Global

With this option, net labels are assumed to apply to all sheets in a project. In other
words, nets are global and each instance of a net label and port is deemed to be
connected to all other identically named net labels and ports (note ports do not
connect to net labels and net labels no not connect to ports). This model works like
Protel Schematic 3 (DOS), where net labels are always global to all project sheets.
This option creates the inter-sheet connectivity horizontally.
Only Ports Global

This option treats net labels as local only, only connecting within each sheet. Intersheet connections occur through identically labeled ports. This model works like
the Orcad SDT flat project model. This option also creates the inter-sheet
connectivity horizontally.
Sheet Symbol / Port Connections

This option makes inter-sheet net connections only through sheet symbol entries
and sub-sheet ports. Ports are deemed to be connected only to identically named
sheet entries in their sheet symbols on parent sheets. This model works like the
Orcad SDT hierarchical project model. This option creates the inter-sheet
connectivity vertically.
Sheets to Netlist

Active Sheet netlist the active sheet only.

Active Project open and netlist all sheets that are in the project hierarchy.
Active Sheet plus sub-sheets open and netlist all sheets below this sheet, use this
option if you design is part of the entire PCB schematic.
Options

The other options that define the netlist contents include:

Append Sheet Number to Local Net Names

Add the sheet number (Design Options dialog, Organization Tab) to each net. If
you have selected one of the net identifier scopes where net labels are local, this
option adds the sheet number to the net, ensuring that each net in the netlist is
unique. This option can also be used as an aid in debugging netlist problems,
where nets should be connecting across sheets but are not. By appending the sheet
number you can identify which sheet a net is isolated on.
Descend Into Sheet Parts

Enabled this option when using Sheet Parts. Sheet Parts are parts which are
specified to behave like a sheet symbol, where the pins connect to identically
named ports on a child sheet. The Sheet Path field in the Edit Part dialog is used to
identify the child sheet. When this option is enabled, the netlist will include the

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Schematic Capture

sheets hierarchically below the sheet parts. Refer to the topic, Model 5 - Using
Sheet Parts to Create Hierarchy in the chapter, Multi-Sheet Design and Project
Management, for more details on using this feature.
Protel Netlist Formats
If the netlist is going to be loaded into the PCB Editor, designators and package
descriptions (footprint) are limited to 12 alphanumeric characters. Comments can be up
to 32 characters long. Net names can be 20 characters. Pin numbers in netlists are
limited to four alphanumeric characters. No blank spaces may be used within these
strings.
Any number of components or nodes can be included in a Protel or Protel2 netlist,
limited only by available memory.
Protel Netlist

The standard Protel netlist format is a simple ASCII text file, split into two sections.
The first part of a Protel netlist describes each component:
[
U8
DIP16

Marks the start of each component description.

The Component Designator (label).
The Package Description (footprint). A footprint with this
name must be available in the open PCB libraries.

74LS138
(blank)
(blank)
(blank)
]

Part Type, (or comment).

These 3 lines are not used.

Marks the end of the component description.

The second part of a Protel netlist describes each net:

(
CLK
U8-3

Marks the start of each net.

Name of the net.
First component (by designator) and pin number. Pin
numbers in library footprints must be an exact match.

J21-1
U5-5
)

Indicates the second node in the net.

Third node.
Marks the end of the net.

Protel Netlist 2.0

This format is similar to the standard Protel netlist, with the addition of several fields
that include schematic part fields (used for documentation and simulation) plus layout
directives which provide net attributes. Advanced PCB version 2.0 or later load this
format.
PROTEL NETLIST 2.0 The netlist header.
[
Begin component delimiter.
DESIGNATOR
(Each field is first named)

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Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

U1
Component designator.
FOOTPRINT
DIP20
Library pattern (footprint).
PARTTYPE
AmPAL16L8
Part Type field (when placed).
DESCRIPTION
Description
Description field from schematic.
PART FIELD 1
(Field name can be defined in schematic)
Part Field 1
Part fields (1-16) from schematic.
(etc.)
LIBRARYFIELD1
Library Part Field 1
Library fields (1-8) from schematic lib.
]
End component delimiter.
(
Begin net delimiter.
VCC
Net name.
U1-20 AMPAL16L8-VCC POWER
First node in net.
Includes: Component -pin designator.
(single blank space)
Part type-Pin name.
(single blank space)
Pin electrical type.
U2-14 4001-VCC POWER
Last component-pin node in net.
)
End net delimiter.
{
Begin Layout Directive delimiter.
TRACK
(Each field is first named).
10
Size of tracks (mils).
VIA
50
Diameter of vias (mils).
NET TOPOLOGY
SHORTEST
Net Topology for routing.
ROUTING PRIORITY
MEDIUM
Routing priority.
LAYER
UNDEFINED
Routing layer.
}
End Layout Directive delimiter.

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Schematic Capture

Creating a VHDL Netlist

The VHDL netlister follows the IEEE VHDL Standard 1076/93. It defines standard
logic vectors in accordance with IEEE std_logic 1164. The design can be a mixture of
schematic sheets and VHDL code.
Schematic Component Libraries

For schematic symbols use the 2000 to 7000 series Xilinx libraries. These libraries are
in the Xilinx.Ddb Library Database.
Creating a Mixed-Mode Design

The top sheet of a mixed-mode design must be a schematic sheet. A VHDL source file
is referenced from a Sheet Symbol in the same way as a schematic sheet, by entering
the filename in the Sheet Symbol Filename field.
The top sheet of the VHDL design can also be referenced from the physical
component on the PCB schematic enter the name of the VHDL top sheet in the Sheet
Path Field of the physical component.
How the Design is Netlisted

An Entity declaration is created for the top sheet in the design, and the circuitry within
the sheet is translated into the matching Architecture declaration. Each component and
sheet symbol on the sheet becomes a VHDL component within that architecture
declaration.
This process is then repeated for each sheet symbol/sub-sheet on the top sheet an
Entity declaration is created for the sheet symbol, and the components and sheet
symbols on the sub-sheet become VHDL components within the matching Architecture
declaration.
Netlisting the Design

To create the netlist select Design Create Netlist from the Schematic Editor menus. In
the Netlist Creation dialog set the Output Format to VHDL. The Sheets to Netlist list
has three options:
Active Sheet netlist the active sheet only.
Active Project open and netlist all sheets that are in the project hierarchy.
Active Sheet plus sub-sheets open and netlist all sheets below this sheet (but none of
the sheets above). Use this option if you design is part of the entire PCB schematic.

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Section 4

Mixed-Signal Simulation
Mixed-Signal Simulation Feature Highlights
Getting Started with Simulation
Setting up and Running a Simulation
The Waveform Analysis Window
Voltage and Current Sources
Components and Models
Working with Circuits that will not Simulate
SPICE Variables and Analog Options
Digital Simulation

177
180
183
211
219
235
252
256
262

175

Mixed-Signal Simulation

176

Mixed-Signal Simulation Feature Highlights

Mixed-Signal Simulation Feature Highlights

This section of the Protel Designers Handbook explains how to perform mixed-signal
simulations of analog and digital designs. The Circuit Simulator is tightly integrated
with the Schematic Editor, once the design is complete you can simulate directly from
the schematic sheet.
As you read this section you will find all the information you need to get up and
running with the simulator; learning how to use the features required to prepare your
circuit, perform a variety of types of simulation analyses, and plot and manipulate the
result waveforms.
Capture your Design
The first step in being able to simulate a design is to capture the circuit in the
Schematic Editor. To be able to simulate the design The Circuit Simulator requires
special information about each circuit element, such as the simulation model to use,
what type of component it is, and so on. This information is stored in the simulationready schematic symbols libraries.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

There is a comprehensive set of simulation-ready schematic libraries in the \Program

Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb Library
Database. Each of the symbols in these libraries includes a link to a simulation model.
Once your design is complete you can setup and perform simulations directly from the
schematic. You can re-configure and re-run the simulation at any time.
Advanced Simulation Technology
The Circuit Simulator performs accurate, real-world simulations of analog, digital
and mixed-signal circuits. It will give you results like you would get from an actual
breadboard. Devices function just like real-world parts, and each individual model
functions like its real-world counterpart. For example, digital ICs have accurate
propagation delays, setup and hold times. Outputs of the devices see the effect of
loading on them, and nearly all the parameters of the real world are taken into account.
There are a wide variety of analyses that can be used to test and analyze various
aspects of your design.
SPICE Compatibility

The Circuit Simulator uses an enhanced version of Berkeley SPICE3f5/Xspice,

allowing you to accurately simulate any combination of analog and digital devices,
without manually inserting D/A or A/D converters. This mixed-signal or mixedmode simulation is possible because the simulator includes accurate, event-driven
behavioral models for its digital devices, including TTL and CMOS digital devices.
SimCode for Digital Simulation

The Circuit Simulator is a true mixed-signal simulator, meaning that it can analyze
circuits that include both analog and digital devices. However, due to the complexity of
digital devices it is generally not practical to simulate them using standard, non-eventdriven, SPICE instructions. For this reason, the simulator includes a special descriptive
language that allows digital devices to be simulated using an extended version of the
event-driven XSPICE. The digital devices included in the simulation library are
modeled using the Digital SimCodeTM language, a proprietary language created
specifically for use with the Protel Circuit Simulator.
Support for Device Manufacturers Models

The simulator supports models from model providers such as Motorola, Texas
Instruments and others, who deliver pure SPICE models for maximum compatibility
with analog simulators. The simulator can read these models directly, providing true
SPICE-compatibility.
Comprehensive Model Libraries

The Circuit Simulator includes a comprehensive set of libraries, in the \Program

Files\Design
Explorer
99
SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb Library
Database. Each of the symbols in these libraries is simulation ready, simply place
one on your schematic sheet and it is automatically linked to an appropriate simulation
model. These libraries are constantly maintained and developed by the Altium Library

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Mixed-Signal Simulation Feature Highlights

Development Center, which specializes in developing libraries for all Protel products.
These libraries are available from the Protel web site, www.protel.com.
Simulation Limits

The Circuit Simulator allows unlimited circuit-level analog simulation and unlimited
gate-level digital simulation. The circuit can be single or multi-sheet, and the circuit
size is only limited by the amount of RAM you have in your system.
Supported Analyses

The Circuit Simulator supports many types of analyses, including AC small signal,
Transient, Noise and DC transfer. Beyond these basic analyses there is also Monte
Carlo analysis, parameter and temperature sweeping, and Fourier analysis.
Mathematical Functions and Waveforms

As part of the analysis of your design you may want to perform a mathematical
operation on one or more of the simulation signals, and view the resultant waveform.
This feature is an integral part of the simulators waveform viewer, you can construct a
mathematical expression based on any signal available in the simulated circuit.
Dependent Sources

The Circuit Simulator includes linear and non-linear dependent sources. These can be
used to define black-box circuit behavior.
Linear dependent sources

The E, F, G and H devices offer predefined equations to model simple linear

dependencies. These devices offer a simple way to simulate simple linear effects.
Non-linear dependent sources

These devices allow you to define a voltage or current equation using a variety of
functions (log, ln, exp, sin, etc), based on any voltage(s) in the circuit.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Getting Started with Simulation

Once you have created the circuit from the simulation-ready libraries, there are 3
simple steps to perform to be able to run a simulation:
1. Add the appropriate sources to power and excite the circuit
2. Define the points that you wish to observe
3. Setup the analyses
You are then ready to run the simulation. Before you start simulating your own circuits
you might like to explore some of the example circuits. The example circuits are all
stored in one Design Database, you can access all the examples in the Protel 99 SE
Examples group in the Windows Start menu.

Example Circuits
The Circuit Simulator includes a large number of example circuits which demonstrate
the various analysis types, as well as showing how the various types of devices can be
used.
Refer to these examples as you explore the various Setup options for the simulator. As
you experiment with the examples refer to the chapter, Setting Up and Running a
Simulation, for information about how to configure each type of analysis.
Check
out
the
example
designs
in
the
folder
\Program Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Examples

Creating the Circuit

Protel 99 SE includes approximately 5800 simulation-ready analog and digital
schematic components, each with a link to a simulation model. These components are
all PCB compatible, with PCB pin-outs and footprints (where appropriate).
Placing the Components
The simulation-ready schematic libraries are in the \program files
\Design Explorer 99 SE\library\sch\sim folder. For tips on how to
find components in these libraries refer to the Component Libraries topic in the
Components and Models chapter.
Setting the Component Designators
There are no restrictions to component designator prefixes. For example, you could
designate the ICs as U1, U2 or IC1, IC2 or X1, X2, and so on.

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Getting Started with Simulation

Component and Simulation Multipliers

The only letters that can follow a component or
simulation value are scale factors (or multipliers), such
as n for nano, k for kilo, and so on. Valid scale
factors are shown in the table, all other letters are
ignored. Any letters after the scale factor are also
ignored. Note that the scale factor must be immediately
after the number, spaces between the number and the
scale factor are not permitted. The simulator is not case
sensitive, letters can be upper or lower case. Following
are 3 examples:
10, 10V, 10Volts, and 10Hz all represent the same
number, 10. The letters are ignored in all cases as none
are a valid scale factor.
M, m, MA, MSec, and MMhos all represent the same
scale factor, 10-3. In each case the letters after the first
m are ignored.

Scale
factor

Represents

10 12

10 9

Meg

10 6

10 3

mil

25.4 6

10 -3

u (or )

10 6

10 -9

10 12

10 15

1000, 1000.0, 1000Hz, 1e3, 1.0e3, 1KHz, and 1K all represent the same number, 1000.

Adding the Source Components

Before you can run a simulation you will need to add the appropriate source
components to power and excite the circuit. These can be placed from the Simulate
Sources sub menu. Pick the closest source to what you require from the menu, you can
adjust the values once it has been placed. You can also place them directly from the
Simulation Symbols library in the \Program Files\Design Explorer 99
SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb Library Database.
The simulator includes DC, Sin, Pulse, Exponential, Piece Wise Linear and FM source
components, as well as linear and non-linear dependent source components.
Once the source is placed double-click on it to set the values. Refer to the chapter
Voltage and Current Sources for information on configuring source components.

Defining the Points to be Plotted

The points in the circuit that will have their waveforms displayed are specified in the
Analyses Setup dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup). At the bottom of the General
Tab there are two lists, Available Variables, and Active Variables. A waveform will be
automatically displayed for each variable in the Active Variables list. It does not matter
if you do not include a variable now though, you can add and remove variables in the
waveform display after the waveforms appear.

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Refer to the topic Specifying the Simulation Data that you want Collected, Displayed
and Stored in the Setting up and Running a Simulation chapter for more information
about defining what is displayed.

Setting up the Analyses

Select Simulate Analyses Setup to pop up the Analyses Setup dialog, where all the
simulation setup is performed.
The dialog will open with the General Tab displayed. Use this Tab to enable each
analysis that you wish to perform. Each of the remaining Tabs in the dialog is used to
configure that type of analysis. Refer to the chapter Setting up and Running a
Simulation for details on setting up each type of analysis.
The Advanced button at the bottom of the Analyses Setup dialog gives you access to a
number of SPICE variables. These are advanced settings, generally you will only need
to change these if the circuit is difficult to simulate, or you have a specific reason to
change them. Refer to the chapter Setting up SPICE Variables for more information on
each variable. If you are having difficulties getting the circuit to simulate refer to the
chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.

Running a Simulation
Once the analyses have been configured you are ready to run a simulation. This can be
done by pressing the Run Analyses button in the Analyses Setup dialog, by selecting
Simulate Run from the menus, or by pressing the Run button on the Simulation Tools
toolbar.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.

Viewing the Simulation Results

Once the simulation is complete the results are automatically displayed in a separate
waveform analysis window. Click on the Tabs at the bottom of this window to display
the results of each type of analysis. You can adjust your view of the waveforms with
the Scaling controls on the panel. Select View Panel from the menus to display the
Panel if it is not visible.
Refer to the chapter Using the Analysis Window for information on using the Scaling
controls and the measurement cursors.

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

Select Simulate Analyses Setup from the menus to display the Analyses Setup dialog,
where you configure all options and analyses for the simulator. The Analyses Setup
dialog includes a General Tab, where the analyses are enabled and the data collection
options are defined, and a separate Tab to configure each analysis type.
Once you have created the circuit you can run a simulation by clicking the Run
Analyses button at the bottom of the Analyses Setup dialog, by clicking the Run button
on the Simulation Tools Toolbar, or by selecting Simulate Run from the menus. Refer
to each analysis topic for details on how to configure the simulator to perform that
particular type of analysis.
The Status bar displays the progress whenever a simulation is running. When you
select Simulate Run from the menus the first thing that happens is the circuit is
netlisted. Once the netlist has been created it is passed to the simulation engine, which
displays the simulation waveforms as the simulation progresses.

The Status bar shows the progress, and the waveform window displays the results.

Once the simulation is complete the results will be displayed in the Simulation analysis
window. This window includes a Tab at the bottom for each type of analysis that has
been performed. Refer to the chapter, The Waveform Analysis Window, for more
information on working with the waveforms.

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Specifying the Simulation Data that you want Collected,

Displayed and Stored
The bottom of the General Tab of the Setup Analyses dialog includes two options that
specify what type of analysis data is saved in the result file, and what waveforms will
be automatically displayed in the waveform window.
Collect Data Option
The Collect Data For
option specifies exactly
what
kind
of
information you want to
be calculated and stored
in the result file. Select
the required option from
the drop down list. The
list has five options.
Select one of the first
four options to specify
exactly
what
information you want
the
simulator
to
calculate
(voltages,
currents, power, impedances, etc) and store in the results file.
For each of the first four options the data is stored for all available signals in the
circuit. The fifth option, Active Signals, instructs the simulator to only store data for
the signals that you have added to the Active Signals list below. Use this option when
you need to minimize the size of the result file.
The Active Signals option is also used to limit which nodes are examined during the
multi-pass simulations (Monte Carlo, Parameter Sweep and Temperature Sweep). If
the Active Signals option is not chosen data is collected for all nodes in the circuit for
these analyses.
Available Signals and Active Signals
The Available Signals list shows all the available circuit signals for the Data Collection
option that has been selected in the Collect Data drop down list. The simulator will
store data for all of the signals shown in this list (unless the Active Signals option was
chosen in the Collect Data drop down list).
Each signal that you include in the Active Signals will be automatically displayed in
the result waveform window.

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SimView Setup
When you run a simulation the results are displayed in the SimView Waveform
Window. In the Waveform Window you can rearrange the display to suit your needs;
you can change the scaling, add different nodes, remove existing nodes, and so on.
When you close the Simulation Data File (.SDF), the setup information is saved with
the file.
By default the display setup is retained, so that you can re-open a simulation data file
and the results will be as you left them. If you re-run the simulation and you want it to
display the Analyses and nodes that you have just setup, change the SimView Setup
from Keep last setup, to Show active signals.

Transient Analysis
A Transient analysis generates output like that normally shown on an oscilloscope,
computing the transient output variables (voltage or current) as a function of time, over
the user-specified time interval. An Operating Point analysis is automatically
performed prior to a Transient analysis to determine the DC bias of the circuit, unless
the Use Initial Conditions option is enabled. Refer to the topic When to Use the Initial
Conditions Option later in this topic for more information on this option.

A Transient analysis calculates the voltages and currents as a function of time

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Setting up for a Transient Analysis

Transient analysis is set up in the Transient/Fourier Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog
(select Simulate Analyses Setup).
A Transient analysis always
begins at time zero. In the
time interval between zero
and Start Time, the simulator
analyzes the circuit but does
not store the results. In the
time interval between Start
Time and Stop Time it
continues to analyze the
circuit, storing the results
ready
for
display
on
completion of the analysis.
Step Time is the nominal time
increment used in the
analysis, however the actual
timestep
is
varied
automatically
by
the
simulator in order to achieve convergence. The Maximum Step limits the varying size
of the timestep that the simulator can use when calculating the transient data; by
default it chooses either Step Time or (Stop Time - Start Time)/50, whichever is
smaller. Typically Step Time and Maximum Step are set to the same value.
Automatically calculating the Transient Analysis Parameters
If you are not sure what values to enter, press the Set Defaults button to automatically
calculate the Transient analysis parameters. Start Time is set to zero and Stop Time,
Step Time and Maximum Step are calculated using the Defaults; Cycles Displayed and
Points per Cycle, based on the lowest frequency Source in the circuit. For example, if
the lowest frequency source in the circuit was 10KHz and the Defaults were Cycles
Displayed = 5 and Points per Cycle = 50 then:
Stop Time = 1/10KHz * 5
= 100uS * 5
= 500uS
Step Time = (1/10000) / 50
= 2uS
Max Step = Step Time
= 2uS
If the Always set defaults for transient analysis option is enabled, the simulator acts as
if this button is pressed before each simulation.
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When to Use the Initial Conditions Option

If you enable the Use Initial Conditions option the Transient analysis begins from the
defined initial conditions, bypassing the Operating Point analysis. Use this option when
you wish to perform a transient analysis starting from other than the quiescent
operating point.
To use this option you must either define the initial condition for each appropriate
component in the circuit, or place .IC devices. Double-click on a component to edit the
IC Part Field. Refer to the chapter Components and Models for information on each
component kind. Alternatively, place .IC devices from the Simulation Symbols.lib
library.
An initial value of zero is assumed for a component which does not have the Initial
Condition defined.
Generally it is better to use an .IC device to set the transient initial
conditions. Refer to the topic, Specifying Initial Circuit Conditions at the
end of this chapter for details on the .IC device.
Note: The IC value of a component overrides an .IC object attached to a net.
Running a Transient Analysis
To run a Transient analysis:
1. Set up the Transient analysis parameters as described above.
2. Enable the Transient/Fourier Analysis option in the General Tab of the Analyses
Setup dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).
3. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.
You can then view and measure voltage, current and power dissipation waveforms of
the circuit in the analysis window that is displayed. Refer to the chapter, The Waveform
Analysis Window, for more information on working in this window.

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AC Small Signal Analysis (AC Sweep)

AC analysis generates output that shows the frequency response of the circuit,
calculating the small signal AC output variables as a function of frequency. It first
performs an Operating Point analysis to determine the DC bias of the circuit, replaces
the signal source with a fixed amplitude sine wave generator, then analyzes the circuit
over the specified frequency range. The desired output of an AC small signal analysis
is usually a transfer function (voltage gain, transimpedance, etc.).

An AC small signal analysis shows the frequency response of the circuit

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

Setting up for an AC Analysis

AC Small Signal analysis is set up in the AC Small
Signal Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog (select
Simulate Analyses Setup).

The circuit must contain

at least one Source with a
value in the AC Part Field.

At least one Source in the circuit must include a value in the AC Part Field. This
Source is replaced with a sine wave generator during simulation which has its
frequency swept from Start Frequency to Stop Frequency, stepping in increments
defined by Test Points and the Sweep Type.
Set the Sweep Type to define how the test points are determined. The Sweep options
are defined below:
Sweep Option

What it Means

Linear
Decade
Octave

Total number of Test Points in the sweep

Number of Test Points per decade in the sweep
Number of Test Points per octave in the sweep

The amplitude and phase of the swept sine wave are

specified in the Part Fields of the Source. Double-click on
the source to set these values. Enter the amplitude in the
AC Part Field (in volts) and the phase in the AC Phase
Part Field (in degrees). Units are not required.

Set
the
AC
amplitude to 1 so that
the output variables
are relative to 0 dB.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Running an AC Small Signal Analysis

To run an AC Small Signal analysis:
1. Set up the AC Small Signal analysis parameters as described above.
2. Ensure that there is at least one Source in the circuit with a value in the AC Part
Field.
3. Enable the AC Small Signal Analysis option in the General Tab of the Analyses
Setup dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).
4. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.
You can then view and measure voltage, current and power dissipation waveforms of
the circuit in the analysis window that is displayed. Refer to the chapter, The Waveform
Analysis Window, for more information on working in this window.

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

DC Sweep Analysis
The DC Sweep analysis generates output like that of a curve tracer. It performs a series
of Operating Point analyses, modifying the voltage of a selected source in pre-defined
steps, to give a DC transfer curve. You can also specify an optional secondary source.

A DC Transfer analysis each curve shows the output voltage, as the input
voltage (primary source) is stepped from 0.7V to 1.5V. The supply voltage
(secondary source) is stepped to give the set of curves.

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Setting up for a DC Sweep Analysis

DC Sweep analysis is set up in the DC Sweep Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog (select
Simulate Analyses Setup).

Source Name is the name of the independent power source in the circuit that is to be
stepped. The start, stop and step values define the sweep range and resolution. The
primary source is required, and the secondary source is optional. If a secondary source
is specified, the primary source is stepped over its entire range for each value of the
secondary source.
Running a DC Sweep Analysis
1. Set up the DC Sweep analysis parameters as described above.
2. Enable the DC Sweep Analysis option in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup
dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).
3. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.
You can then view and measure the transfer curves from the waveforms in the analysis
window that is displayed. Refer to the chapter, The Waveform Analysis Window, for
more information on working in this window.

DC Operating Point Analysis

Prior to performing a Transient or an AC Small Signal analysis, the simulator must
first perform an Operating Point analysis. The Operating Point analysis determines the
DC bias of the entire circuit, with inductors considered to be short circuit and
capacitors open circuit. It also determines linearized, small-signal models for all
nonlinear devices in the circuit, that are used in the AC Small Signal analysis. It does
not take into account the existence of any AC sources.
Running an Operating Point Analysis
The Operating Point analysis is performed automatically whenever a Transient or AC
Small Signal analysis is enabled. These results are used internally by the simulation
engine. If you want to examine the results of the operating point calculations you can
enable the Operating Point analysis. To do this:
1. Enable the Operating Point Analysis in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup
dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).
2. To include the current, power and impedance calculations set the Collect Data For
option in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog to Node Voltages, Supply
Currents, Device Currents and Powers.
3. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
You can then view the results in the Operating Point Tab of the analysis window that is
displayed. You can add nodes and devices to the list of results by selecting them in the
Waveforms list in the panel, and clicking the Show button.

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Monte Carlo Analysis

A Monte Carlo analysis performs multiple simulation runs, as device tolerances are
randomly varied across specified tolerances. You can use this feature only when you
have enabled one or more of the standard analyses (AC, DC, or Transient). The
simulator only saves Monte Carlo data for nodes that have a been added to the Active
Variable list in the Setup Analyses dialog.
Subcircuit data is not varied during the Monte Carlo analysis, only basic components
and models can be varied.

Use the Monte Carlo analysis to examine the circuit performance as the
component tolerances vary

Setting up for a Monte Carlo Analysis

Monte Carlo analysis is set up in the Monte Carlo Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog
(select Simulate Analyses Setup).
The Monte Carlo options are set up as follows:
Simulation Runs

Enter the number of simulation runs you want the simulator to perform. For example, if
you enter 10, then 10 simulation runs will be performed, with different device values
on each run, within the specified tolerance range.

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

Simulation Seed

The simulator uses the seed to generate random numbers for the Monte Carlo runs. The
default seed value is 1. If you want to run a simulation with a different series of
random numbers you must change the seed value to another number.
Default Distribution

You can choose from the following three distributions for random number generation
in the Monte Carlo analysis:
Uniform distribution

Uniform distribution is a flat distribution. Values are uniformly distributed over

the specified tolerance range. For example, for a 1K resistor with a tolerance of 10
percent there is an equal chance of the generated value being anywhere between
900 ohms and 1100 ohms.
Gaussian distribution

Values are distributed according to a Gaussian (bell-shaped) curve, with the center
at the nominal value and the specified tolerance at +/- 3 standard deviations. For a
resistor with a value of 1K +/-10% the center of the distribution would be at 1000
ohms, + 3 standard deviations is 1100 ohms, and 3 standard deviations is 990
ohms. With this type of distribution there is a higher probability that the generated
value will be closer to the specified value.
Worst Case distribution

This is the same as the uniform distribution, but only the end points (worst case) of
the range are used. For a 1K +/-10% resistor the value used would be randomly
chosen from the two worst case values of 990 ohms and 1100 ohms. On any one
simulation run there is an equal chance that the high-end worst case value (1100)
or low-end worst case value (990) will be used.
Specifying Default Tolerances

You can specify default tolerances for six general categories of devices: resistor,
capacitor, inductor, DC source, transistor (beta forward), and digital Tp (propagation
delay for digital devices).
Tolerances can be specified as actual values, or as percentages. For example, you can
enter a resistor tolerance as 10 or 10%. If a 1kohm resistor has a tolerance of 10, it
varies between 990 and 1010 ohms. With a tolerance of 10%, a 1kohm resistor varies
between 900 and 1100 ohms.
Each device is randomly varied independent of other devices. For example, if a circuit
has two 10kohm resistors, and the default tolerance is set to 10%, then during the first
pass of the simulation, one resistor might have a value of 953 ohms, and the other one
could be 1022 ohms. The simulator uses a separate and independent random number to
generate the value for each device.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation
Specific Device Tolerances

You can also override Default Tolerances with specific device tolerances. To add a
Specific Device Tolerance click RIGHT MOUSE in the Specific Device Tolerance region
of the dialog, and select Add from the pop-up menu that appears (shortcut: press the
INSERT key). The Monte Carlo Device and Lot Tolerances dialog will pop up. The
attributes of this dialog are:
Designator

Select the required circuit device.

Parameter

Include a parameter if the device requires it. Supported parameters include; the
propagation delay of a digital component, the Beta forward of a transistor, and the
resistance of a potentiometer.
Device Tolerance

Tolerance of this device.

Device Tracking Number

Assign a common tracking number to devices when you require the variation in
their tolerance to be correlated. If you give two devices the same Device Tracking
Number and Device Distribution then the same random number is used for both
devices when the device values for a simulation run are calculated.
Device Distribution

Select the distribution kind for this device, as described earlier in this topic.
Lot Tolerance, Tracking and Distribution

These settings are used in exactly the same way as the Device settings. They
provide a second way of defining and correlating device tolerances. Both device
and lot tolerances are allowed, but only one or the other is required. The simulator
calculates device and lot tolerances independently (using different random
numbers) and then adds them together.
Combined device and lot tolerances are useful where values are not completely
correlated, but are not completely independent either. An example would be two
different resistor packs. Here, the lot tolerance can be large (that is, the variation
from wafer to wafer), while the device tolerance (the variation from resistor to
resistor in the same package), is small. In this case the device tolerance should not
be ignored because it may limit the overall performance of a circuit.
Consider the following example:
Assume R1 and R2 are both 1k, with a Device Tolerance of 1% (no device
tracking) and they have a Lot Tolerance of 4%, with the same Lot Tracking
number. For each Monte Carlo run the resistors are first assigned the same lot
variation (a nominal value) between +/- 4%. Then each resistor is assigned a
device tolerance between +/- 1%. This gives a total tolerance of 5% (1% + 4%).

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

However, during the same run the values of each resistor cannot be any farther
than +/- 1% from their nominal value, or 2% from each other.
Running a Monte Carlo Analysis
To run a Monte Carlo analysis:
1. Set up the Monte Carlo analysis parameters as described above.
2. Enable the Monte Carlo Analysis option in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup
dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).

3. Monte Carlo analysis can result in a large amount of data being calculated. To
limit the amount of data that is calculated you can set the Collect Data For option
in the Analyses setup dialog to Active Variables. With this option Monte Carlo
data is only calculated for the Variables currently listed in the Active Variables
field. In the figure shown above this would mean that Monte Carlo data is only
collected for the OUTPUT variable.
4. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

The simulator displays the results of the Monte Carlo analysis in the AC, DC, or
Transient analysis window(s), depending on which analyses were enabled. You can
then view and measure the Monte Carlo analysis results from the waveforms in the
analysis window. Refer to the chapter, The Waveform Analysis Window, for more
information on working in this window.

Parameter Sweep
The Parameter Sweep feature allows you to sweep the value of a device in defined
increments, over a specified range. The simulator performs multiple passes of the
enabled analyses (AC, DC, or Transient). The Parameter Sweep can vary basic
components and models, note that subcircuit data is not varied during the analysis.
You can also define a Secondary parameter to be swept. When a Secondary parameter
is defined the Primary parameter is swept for each value of the Secondary parameter.
For example, if the step sizes are set so that there will be 3 passes of the Primary sweep
and 3 passes of the Secondary sweep, the component values will be; P1and S1, P2 and
S1, P3 and S1, then P1and S2, P2 and S2, P3 and S2, and so on.

The voltage at the node OUT, as one of the component values in the circuit is swept

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

Setting up for a Parameter Sweep

A Parameter Sweep is set up in the Parameter Sweep Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog
(select Simulate Analyses Setup).

The Parameter Sweep requires the following data: Parameter, Start Value, Stop Value,
and Step Value. The parameter can be a single designation (such as C2), or a
designation with a device parameter in brackets (such as U5[tp_val]). Following are
some valid examples:
Example

What it Varies

RF
Q3[bf]
R3[r]
option[temp]
U5[tp_val]

Resistor with designation RF

Beta forward on transistor Q3
Resistance of potentiometer R3
Temperature
Propagation delays of digital device U5

Normally you would use a Temperature Sweep to vary the temperature for
simulation; however, temperature can also be varied in the Parameter Sweep. This
is useful if you want to vary the temperature as either the primary or secondary
parameter in a two-parameter sweep.

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When to enable the Relative Values Option

If you enable the Use Relative Values option in the Parameter Sweep Tab the values
entered in the Start Value, Stop Value, and Step Value fields are added to the
parameters existing or default value. For example, consider a Parameter Sweep with
the following conditions:
1. The parameter is a 1kohm resistor.
2. The Start, Stop, and Step fields are 50, 50, and 20, respectively.
3. You enable Use Relative Values.
The following resistor values would be used in the simulation runs: 950, 970, 990,
1010, 1030, and 1050.
Running a Parameter Sweep
To perform a Parameter Sweep,
1. Parameter Sweep analysis can result in a large amount of data being calculated. To
limit the amount of data that is calculated you can set the Collect Data For option
in the Analyses setup dialog to Active Variables. With this option data is only
calculated for the Variables currently listed in the Active Variables field.
2. Set up the Parameter Sweep parameters as described above.
3. Enable the Parameter Sweep option in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup
dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).
4. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.
The simulator displays the results of the Parameter Sweep in the AC, DC, or Transient
analysis window(s), depending on which analyses were enabled. You can then view
and measure the Parameter Sweep results from the waveforms in the analysis window.
Refer to the chapter, The Waveform Analysis Window, for more information on
working in this window.

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Temperature Sweep
A Temperature Sweep can be used in conjunction with one or more of the standard
analyses; AC, DC, or Transient. The circuit is analyzed at each temperature in the
specified range, producing a series a curves, one for each temperature setting.
Setting up a Temperature Sweep Analysis
A Temperature Sweep is set up in the Temperature Sweep Tab of the Analyses Setup
dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).
Set up one or more standard analysis so that each analysis is performed at the indicated
temperatures.
Running a Temperature Sweep Analysis
To run a Temperature Sweep analysis,
1. Temperature Sweep analysis can result in a large amount of data being calculated.
To limit the amount of data that is calculated you can set the Collect Data For
option in the Analyses setup dialog to Active Variables. With this option data is
only calculated for the Variables currently listed in the Active Variables field.
2. Set up the Temperature Sweep parameters in the Temperature Sweep Tab of the
Analyses Setup dialog.
3. Enable the Temperature Sweep option in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup
dialog.
4. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.
The simulator displays the results of the Temperature Sweep in the AC, DC, or
Transient analysis window(s), depending on which analyses were enabled. You can
then view and measure the Temperature Sweep results from the waveforms in the
analysis window. Refer to the chapter, The Waveform Analysis Window, for more
information on working in this window.

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Fourier Analysis
The simulator can perform a Fourier analysis based on the last cycle of transient data
that is calculated during a Transient analysis. For example, if the fundamental
frequency is 1.0kHz, then the transient data from the last 1ms cycle would be used for
the Fourier analysis.

The results of a Fourier analysis, showing the frequency spectrum of a 1KHz square wave

Setting up a Fourier Analysis

Fourier analysis is set up in the Transient/Fourier Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog
(select Simulate Analyses Setup). You must enable the Transient analysis in order to
do the Fourier analysis. Enter the Fundamental Frequency of the analysis, and the
number of Harmonics required.
Running a Fourier Analysis
To run a Fourier analysis,
1. Set up the Fourier analysis parameters as described above.
2. Enable the Transient/Fourier Analysis option in the General Tab of the Analyses
Setup dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).
3. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.
Refer
to
the
simulation
You can then view and measure the Fourier
information
file
(DesignName.SIM)
analysis waveforms in the analysis window
for details of the magnitude and phase
that is displayed. Refer to the chapter, The
of each harmonic.
Waveform Analysis Window, for more
information on working in this window.

Transfer Function Analysis

The Transfer Function analysis calculates the DC input resistance, DC output
resistance, and DC gain.
Setting up a Transfer Function Analysis
Transfer Function analysis is set up in the Transfer Function Tab of the Analyses Setup
dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup). Select the Source to be used as the input
reference for the calculations, and the node that the calculations are referenced to (the
default is 0).
Running a Transfer Function Analysis
To run a Transfer Function analysis,
1. Set up the Transfer Function analysis parameters as described above.
2. Enable the Transfer Function option in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup
dialog (select Simulate Analyses Setup).
3. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.
You can then view the DC input resistance, DC output resistance, and DC gain at each
node in the circuit on the Transfer Function Tab of the analysis window. Refer to the
chapter, The Waveform Analysis Window, for more information on working in this
window.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Noise Analysis
Noise analysis lets you measure the noise in your circuit due to noise contributions of
resistors and semiconductor devices. The simulator can plot the Noise Spectral
Density, which is the noise measured in Volts squared per Hertz (V^2/Hz). Capacitors,
inductors, and controlled sources are treated as noise free. The following noise
measurements can be made in the simulator:
Output Noise

The noise measured at a specified output node.

Input Noise

The amount of noise that, if injected at the input, would cause the calculated noise at
the output. For example, if the output noise is 10p, and the circuit has a gain of 10, then
it would take 1p of noise at the input to measure 10p of noise at the output. Thus the
equivalent input noise is 1p.
Component Noise

The output noise contribution of each component in the circuit. The total output noise
is the sum of individual noise contributions of resistors and semiconductor devices.
Each of these components contributes a certain amount of noise, which is multiplied by
the gain from that components position to the circuits output. Thus the same
component can contribute different amounts of noise to the output, depending on its
location in the circuit.
Setting up a Noise Analysis
Noise analysis is set up in
the Noise Tab of the
Analyses Setup dialog
(select Simulate Analyses
Setup).
Select the Source to be used
as the input reference for
the noise calculations. Enter
the
Start
and
Stop
Frequencies and the number
of Test Points that the
calculations
will
be
performed
at.
The
distribution of these test
points over the frequency
range is defined by the
Sweep Type. Enter a 0 in
the Points Summary field to measure only input and output noise, enter a 1 to measure
the noise contribution of each component.

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

Running a Noise Analysis

To run a Noise analysis,
1. Set up the Noise analysis parameters as described above.
2. Enable the Noise Analysis option in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog
(select Simulate Analyses Setup).
3. After enabling this option you can either press the Run Analyses button at the
bottom of the dialog, or select the Simulate Run menu item to start the simulation
process.
The simulation progress is displayed on the status bar. If an error is detected during
netlisting the simulation is stopped and a message box appears, asking if you would
like to view the error file. Review this file and correct any errors. For more information
refer to the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate.
Once the design is netlisted the waveform window will appear, displaying the
simulation results as they are calculated.
You can then view the Noise analysis waveforms in the analysis window that is
displayed. The Input and output noise waveforms are labeled NI(output node) and
NO(output node).

Impedance Plot Analysis

An Impedance Plot analysis shows the impedance seen by any two-terminal source.
Normally plotted in the AC Analysis window, an Impedance Plot does not have a
separate setup dialog box.
Setting up an Impedance Plot Analysis
To include Impedance Plot analysis results select either of the two following options in
the Collect Data For drop down list in the General Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog:

Node Voltages, Supply and Device Currents

Node Voltages, Supply Currents, Device Currents and Powers

Locate the source of interest in the Available Variables list and add it to the Active
Variables list. A source with a designator of VIN would appear in the list as @VIN(z).
Running an Impedance Plot Analysis
When you run the simulation an impedance plot will appear in the Analyses windows.
This is especially useful to the impedance versus frequency in the AC Analysis
window. The impedance measurement is calculated from the voltage at the supplys
positive terminal, divided by the current out of that same terminal.
You can also do an impedance plot of the circuits output impedance. To measure the
circuits output impedance:
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Mixed-Signal Simulation

1. Remove the source from the input.

2. Ground the circuits inputs where the input supply was connected.
3. Remove any load connected to the circuit.
4. Connect a two-terminal source to the output, with the sources positive terminal
connected to the output and the sources negative terminal connected to ground.
5. Setup the Variables as described earlier.
6. Run the desired simulation.
For Impedance Plots, you would normally change the Y axis to Magnitude. To do this
the waveform display must be in single cell mode. Right-click in the waveform
window and select Scaling from the pop up menu. Set the Y Axis to Magnitude in the
Scaling Options dialog.

Mathematical Functions and Waveforms

As part of the analysis of your design you may want to perform a mathematical
operation on one or more of the simulation signals, and view the resultant waveform.
This feature is an integral part of the simulators waveform viewer, you can construct a
mathematical expression based on any signal available in the simulated circuit.
To define a mathematical function click the New button in the Browse SimData Panel,
which pops up the Create New Waveform dialog. There are 3 parts to the dialog; a list
of available Functions, a list of currently available Waveforms, and an Expression
building field. The Expression can be constructed by either typing it in directly, or by
clicking to select a function in the Functions list, then clicking to select the signal that
you want to apply that function to.

Build the mathematical expression based on any waveform

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

Create mathematical expressions and display the results with the signal waveforms

Listing of Functions and Operators

Formulae can be based on any available waveform and support the following operators
and functions:
Operator/Function

Description

Addition operator.

Subtraction operator.

Multiplication operator.

Division operator.
Power operator, y^x returns the value of "y raised to the power
of x." Same as PWR( , ).
Precedence Indicators. Use to set precedence of math
operations. Operations contained within ( ) will be performed
first.
Absolute value function. ABS(x) returns the value of |x|.

^
()
ABS( )

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

ACOS( )

Arc cosine function.

ACOSH( )

Hyperbolic arc cosine function.

ASIN( )

Arc sine function.

ASINH( )

Hyperbolic arc sine function.

ATAN( )

Arc tangent function.

ATANH( )

Hyperbolic arc tangent function.

AVG( )

Average function. Returns the running average of the wave data.

BOOL( , )

COS( )

Boolean function. In the expression BOOL(wave, thresh), wave

would be the name of a waveform, thresh would be the
switching threshold. Returns a value of one for wave arguments
greater than or equal to thresh and a value of zero for wave
arguments less than thresh.
Cosine function.

COSH( )

Hyperbolic cosine function.

DER( )

LN( )

Derivative function. dx/dt. Returns the slope between

datapoints.
Exponential function. EXP(x) returns the value of "e raised to
the power of x", where e is the base of the natural logarithms.
Integral function. Returns the running total of the area under the
curve.
Natural logarithm function. Where LN(e) = 1.

LOG10( )

Log base 10 function.

LOG2( )

SIN( )

Log Base 2 function.

Power function. Same as ^ operator. PWR(y,x) returns the value
of "y raised to the power of x."
Root-Mean-Square function. Returns the running AC RMS
value of the wave data.
Sine function.

SINH( )

Hyperbolic sine function.

SQRT( )

Square root function.

TAN( )

Tangent function.

TANH( )

Hyperbolic tangent function.

UNARY( )

Unary minus function. UNARY(x) returns -x.

URAMP( )

Unit ramp function. Integral of the unit step: for an input x, the
value is zero if x is less than zero, or if x is greater than zero, the
value is x.
Unit step function. Returns a value of one for arguments greater
than zero and a value of zero for arguments less than zero.

EXP( )
INT( )

PWR( , )
RMS( )

USTEP( )

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Setting up and Running a Simulation

Including extra SPICE Information in the Netlist

Extra SPICE simulation information can be included in the netlist by placing a Text
Frame on the schematic sheet. The first line of the text frame must be the string
.NSX. All subsequent lines in the text frame will be included in the simulation
netlist, exactly as they are written.
Example of Using a Text Frame to Specify the Inductor Coupling
The example below demonstrates using a text frame to specify the inductor coupling
between 2 discrete inductors. In this example K1 is a reference for the inductor
coupling (it can be anything, as long as it starts with the letter K), L1 and L2 are the
designators of the 2 coupled inductors, and 0.5 is the coupling coefficient.
.NSX
K1 L1 L2 0.5
Vin

Vout
L1
1m

L2
1m

R
1k

GND

Creating and Simulating from the Netlist

When you run a simulation from a schematic the design information is passed to the
simulation engine in the form of a netlist. This netlist is created as a temporary file, and
automatically deleted once the simulation is complete.
You can also simulate directly from the netlist. To do this the netlist must be currently
open in the document editing window (there is a Tab for each document that is
currently open, check for the appropriate .NSX Tab). It does not need to be the active
document. To create, view and edit the netlist select Simulate Create Spice Netlist from
the menus.
Note: A netlist that stored in the Design Database is not used for simulation if a netlist
is not currently open then a temporary netlist is created and used, if a netlist is
currently open then it is used.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Specifying Initial Circuit Conditions

Certain designs, such as astable and bistable circuits, may require node voltages to be
pre-defined before the simulation will converge. The simulator includes a number of
features to do this, including the Nodeset and Initial Condition devices, and the Initial
Conditions option. The Nodeset and Initial Condition devices are placed from the
Simulation Symbols.lib library.
.NS Device (Nodeset)
The Nodeset device is used to specify the starting voltage for a node in the circuit
during a preliminary pass of the operating point analysis. After the preliminary pass the
restriction is released and the iterations continue to the true bias solution. After you
place the device you will need to specify the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Setting

Designator

Each Nodeset device must have a unique designator

Part Type

Amplitude of the node voltage (eg 12)

.IC Device (Initial Condition)

The Initial Condition device is used for setting transient initial conditions. The way that
the simulator determines the initial conditions depends on the IC devices, and the
setting of the Use initial Conditions option in the Transient/Fourier Tab of the
Analyses Setup dialog.
If the Use Initial Conditions option is not enabled, the node voltage is held at the value
specified by the IC device during operating point analysis. During the subsequent
transient analysis this constraint is removed. This is the preferred method since it
allows the SPICE engine to compute a consistent DC solution.
Attribute / Part Field

Setting

Designator

Each IC device must have a unique designator (eg IC1)

Part Type

Amplitude of the node voltage (eg 5)

Using Initial Conditions Option

If the Use Initial Conditions option is enabled in the Transient/Fourier Tab of the
Analyses Setup dialog an operating point analysis is not performed. Instead the node
voltages specified by the .IC devices are used to compute the capacitor, diode, BJT,
JFET, and MOSFET initial conditions. As there is no operating point analysis
performed you must specify all the appropriate node voltages. Refer to the Transient
Analysis topic in the Setting up and Running a Simulation chapter for information on
enabling the Use Initial Conditions option.

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The Waveform Analysis Window

The Waveform Analysis Window

The simulator displays simulation data and waveforms using a multi-tabbed Waveform
analysis window, through which you can quickly and easily analyze the simulation
results.
The results from each enabled analysis are displayed on a separate Tab in the
Waveform analysis window. For more information on setting up each type of analysis
refer to the chapter Setting Up and Running a Simulation.
The Waveform analysis window operates much like an oscilloscope. Simply adjust the
scale options in the Panel to show exactly the part of the waveform that you would like
to examine. The Waveform analysis windows also includes measurement cursors that
you can use to take measurements directly from the waveforms.

Displaying Waveforms
The simulation results are plotted while the simulation is being carried out. Once the
simulation is complete you can click on the appropriate Tab at the bottom of the

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Window to display the results for that type of analysis. Operating Point results are
displayed as a list of voltage, current and power calculations for nodes or devices. Note
that the Operating Point results that are displayed depend on the Collect Data setting in
General Tab of the Analyses Setup dialog.
Wondering how to specify the nodes in the circuit that you want to be
displayed in the waveform window? Refer to the topic Specifying the Simulation
Data that you want Collected, Displayed and Stored in the Setting up and Running
a Simulation chapter.

Resizing the Waveforms

The waveforms are automatically scaled when they are first displayed. In the Y
direction all the waveforms are scaled by the same amount, such that all the waveforms
are visible, and the largest waveform almost fills the window. The X direction will be
scaled according to setting for that type of analysis. For example, the total width of the
window in the X direction for a transient analysis is defined by Start Time Stop Time.
Use the scaling controls on the Panel to change the size or position of the waveforms
(select View Panel to display the panel).
current
Y division
size

current
X division
size

default location
of the zero
reference point

zero reference
is offset by this
amount
(Y Offset)
Use the Scaling controls to change the scale

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The Waveform Analysis Window

Resizing in the X Direction

Change the X Division Size on the Panel to expand or
contract the waveforms horizontally. You can change the
scaling by either entering a new number, or by pressing the
small up and down arrows that are next to each scaling box.
Resizing in the Y Direction
Change the Y Division Size on the Panel to expand or
contract the waveforms vertically. Note how the position of
the scaled waveforms is affected by the current setting of the Y Offset. Temporarily set
the Y Offset to zero if the waveform disappears as you change the Y Division Size.
Adjusting the Y Offset
The Y Offset is the amount the zero reference of the waveform is displaced along the Y
axis. The default location of the zero reference is in the center of the Y axis. A negative
value Y Offset indicates that the zero reference has been moved down, a positive value
Y Offset indicates that the zero reference has been moved up. Enter a new Y Offset, or
use the small up and down arrows to adjust it.
Resetting the Waveform Scaling
To reset the scaling for all the waveforms to be the same; first make sure that none of
the waveforms are selected (none has a dot next to its name), then click the Fit Y
button on the panel.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Resizing an Individual Waveform

Before you can scale an
individual waveform you
must select it. Select the
waveform by clicking on
its name in the list at the
side of the waveforms.
Note how the scale color
changes to indicate that
the scale only applies to
the selected waveform.

Use the Scaling controls

to re-scale the selected
waveform only. You can
change both the Y
Division Size, and the Y
Offset. In this example
the Y Division size has
been
changed
from
2.5V/div to 5V/div, and
the Y Offset changed to
move the In waveform
up.
The In waveform has
been de-selected by
clicking on its name
again. Note how the
scale along the Y axis
has disappeared, instead
each name has its scale
shown next to it. This
only happens when they
are scaled differently.

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The Waveform Analysis Window

Viewing Waveforms in Separate Cells

To view the waveforms with each shown
in a separate region (or cell), click on the
All Cells option in the Panel. Use this
feature when you need to view digital
signals separately.
Right mouse click in a cell
to toggle back and forth from
All Cells, to Single Cell.

How the waveforms appear in separate cells

Displaying Multiple Waveforms in the same Cell

When you first simulate a circuit the default behavior is to display the selected
waveforms, with each shown in a separate cell. You can easily merge waveforms to
share a cell, simply click and drag on a waveform, dropping it into another cell. When
you toggle the view to display as a Single Cell, these 2 waveforms will be shown
together. To toggle the view right-click and select View Single Cell from the floating
menu.

Click, drag and drop to show 2 waveforms in the same cell then right-click to toggle to single cell mode

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Displaying a Waveform Scaled Two Ways

Often you need to analyze and simultaneously display the same waveform scaled in
different ways, for example frequency and phase, or frequency and group delay.
To do this first change the waveform display to single cell, then right-click and select
Scaling from the floating menu. Set the primary Y axis scaling as required, then add the
second scaling by setting the Secondary field as required. The single cell window will
be split horizontally displaying the 2 versions of the waveform.
Measurement cursors can be added in the normal way, either through the panel, or by
right-clicking on a waveform name in the window and selecting from the floating
menu. There is also a selection region on the left of the waveform window, click on
this to set the currently active view.

Viewing the frequency and phase response at the same time

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The Waveform Analysis Window

Scaling the Waveforms Axes

AC Analysis waveforms can be displayed in a number of modes, including linear or
logarithmic along the X axis; and absolute, magnitude or phase values along the Y
axis. To change the scaling select Options Scaling from the menus when a waveform
is displayed. You can also display the Scaling Options dialog by selecting Scaling from
the floating menu that appears when you right-click in the Waveform analysis window.

Displaying the Simulation Data Points

If you are unsure about the accuracy of the waveforms, perhaps they look sharp and
jagged instead of smooth and curved, you can turn on the simulation data points to
check if the results have been calculated often enough.
To display the simulation data points select Design Options from the menus and
enable the Show Data Points option in the Document Options dialog. A small circle
will be displayed at each point that data was calculated.

Identifying Waveforms on a Single Color Printout

The Waveform analysis window includes a feature to easily identify each waveform on
a single color printout. When you select Design Options from the menus, and enable
the Show Designation Symbols option, identifier symbols are added to each waveform.
If the waveforms are shown in individual cells, then all waveforms use a square
symbol. If 2 or more waveforms share a cell, then a different shape is used for each
waveform.

Use the designation symbols to clearly identify each waveform

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Using the Measurement Cursors

There are two measurement cursors that let you take
measurements directly from the waveforms. You take
measurements of time and amplitude from the transient
analysis results, or find the frequency of the 3dB point
from the AC small signal analysis results. You can also
use the two cursors together to take difference
measurements from two points on the same waveform,
or two points on different waveform.
Each of the two measurement cursors can be attached
to any of the visible waveforms. To use the
measurement cursors:

Attach a cursor to a waveform

1. Select the waveform that you wish to attach a by picking the waveform name
in the list
cursor to in the drop-down list.
2. A small Tab with the letter of that cursor will
appear at the top of the window. Click and drag
this Tab to change the location of the cursor.
3. Read the X and Y values of the current cursor
point from the Measurement Cursors region of the
panel.

Position the cursor by dragging

the Tab at the top of the window

How Multi-pass Results are Displayed

Monte Carlo, Parameter Sweep and Temperature Sweep actually perform multiple
passes of the analysis, varying one or more circuit parameters with each pass. Each
pass is identified by adding a letter and a number after the waveform name. The letter
signifies the type of multi-pass analysis (m for Monte Carlo, t for temperature, and p
for parameter sweep), and the number signifies the pass. There is also a waveform for
the simulation run which was done with the nominal circuit values, which does not
have a character and number appended to its label. Following are some examples:
output-p1
output-p1
output-p1
output
output-m1
output-t1

218

Voltage at node output for Parameter Sweep run 1

Voltage at node output for Parameter Sweep run 2
Voltage at node output for Parameter Sweep run 3
Voltage at node output for nominal run
Voltage at node output for Monte Carlo run 1
Voltage at node output for Temperature Sweep run 1

Voltage and Current Sources

Voltage and Current Sources

Before you can simulate your design you must include appropriate power and
excitation sources.
You do not need to enter units (V or A) when you are setting up the source.
Include a scale suffix if required (eg. meg, u, k, etc). Refer to the Component and
Simulation Values topic in the Getting Started with Simulation chapter for more
information on scale suffixes.

Locating the Source Components

You can place sources from the Simulate Sources sub menu, or place them directly
from the Simulation Symbols library in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb Library Database. The image
that is shown with each source includes the name of that source in this library. After
placing the source double-click on it to set the attributes.

Constant Source
Use the constant source to power your circuit.
After you place the source you will need to
specify the following attributes of the Source
component.
Attribute / Part Field

Setting

Designator

Set to the required supply rail name (eg VDD)

Part Type

Amplitude of the source, voltage or current (eg 12)

AC Magnitude (V or A)

Set this if you plan to do a small signal AC analysis based on this

source (typically 1 volt)

AC Phase (degrees)

Phase of the small signal voltage

Note:

VSRC2 references GND by default.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Sinusoidal Source
Use this source to create sinusoidal waveforms. After you
place the source you will need to specify the following
attributes in the Part Fields of the Source component.
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg INPUT)

DC (V or A)

DC offset used in operating point analysis

AC (V or A)

Set this if you plan to do an AC small signal analysis (typically 1

volt)

AC Phase (degrees)

Phase of the AC small signal voltage or current

Offset (V or A)

DC offset voltage or current

Amplitude (V or A)

Peak amplitude of the sinusoid (eg 100m)

Frequency (Hz)

Frequency of the sinusoidal voltage or current (eg 1000)

Delay (s)

Delay time until the source voltage commences (eg 500u)

Damping Factor (1/s)

Sets the rate at which the sinusoid decreases in amplitude (eg 250)

Phase (degrees)

Phase shift of the sinusoid at time zero (eg 0)

Example of the waveform produced by a Sinusoidal Voltage Source (VSIN) with the
attributes set to the example values in the table above.

220

Voltage and Current Sources

Definition of the Sine Wave

The waveform, beginning at Start Delay, is described by the following formula where
t = instance of time:
V(t0 to tSD)
V(tSD to tSTOP)

= VO
= VO +VA sin(2F (t-SD)) e-(t-SD)THETA

DC Offset (VO)

Used to adjust the DC bias of the signal generator with respect to the negative terminal
(usually ground), measured in volts or amps.
Peak Amplitude (VA)

Maximum amplitude of the output swing, excluding the DC Offset, measured in volts
or amps.
Frequency (F)

Frequency of the output in hertz.

Start Delay (SD)

Provides a phase shift of the output by delaying the start of the sine wave.
Damping Factor (THETA)

A positive value results in an exponentially decreasing amplitude; a negative value

results in an exponentially increasing amplitude.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Periodic Pulse Source

Use this source to create a repeating sequence of pulses. After
you place the source you will need to specify the following
attributes in the Part Fields of the Source component.
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg INPUT)

DC (V or A)

DC offset used in operating point analysis

AC (V or A)

Set this if you plan to do a small signal AC analysis (typically 1 volt)

AC Phase (degrees)

Phase of the small signal voltage or current

Initial (V or A)

Voltage or current at time zero (eg 0)

Pulsed (V or A)

Voltage or current at time Delay+Rise Time (eg 5)

Time Delay (s)

Delay before the source changes from Initial to Pulsed

Rise Time (s)

Time it takes to rise from Initial Voltage to Pulsed Voltage, must be >0
(eg 4u)

Fall Time (s)

Time it takes to fall from Pulsed Voltage back to Initial Voltage, must
be >0 (eg 1u)

Pulse Width (s)

Time that the source remains at Pulsed Voltage (eg 0)

Period (s)

Time between the start of the first pulse to the start of the second pulse
(eg 5u)

Example of the waveform produced by a Periodic Pulse Source with the attributes
set to the example values in the table above.

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Voltage and Current Sources

Definition of the Pulse Shape

The waveform is described as follows where t = instance of time. Intermediate points
are set by linear interpolation:
V(t0)
V(tSD)
V(tSD+tTR)
V(tSD+tTR+tPW)
V(tSD+tTR+tPW+tTF)
V(tSTOP)

= VI
= VI
= VP
= VP
= VI
= VI

Initial Amplitude (VI)

Initial amplitude of the output with respect to the negative terminal (usually ground),
measured in volts or amps.
Pulse Amplitude (VP)

Maximum amplitude of output swing, in volts or amps.

Period (=1/freq)

Duration of one complete cycle of the output.

Pulse Width (PW)

Duration output remains at VP before ramping toward VI.

Rise Time (TR)

Duration of the ramp from VI to VP.

Fall Time (TF)

Duration of the ramp from VP to VI.

Delay to Start (SD)

Duration that the output remains at VI before beginning to ramp toward VP the first
time.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Piece-Wise-Linear Source
Use this source to create an arbitrary waveform as a set of
voltages (or currents) at various points in time. After you
place the source you will need to specify the following
attributes in the Part Fields of the Source component.
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg INPUT)

DC (V or A)

DC offset used in operating point analysis

AC (V or A)

Set this if you plan to do a small signal AC analysis (typically 1 volt)

AC Phase (degrees)

Phase of the small signal voltage

Time Voltage (or

current) Pairs
(seconds - V/A)

Specifies the voltage (or current) at each point in time (eg 0U 5V 5U

5V 12U 0V 50U 5V 60U 5V)

File Name

Use this option to reference a PWL waveform defined in an external

file. The file must be in the same directory, with the extension .PWL.

Example of the waveform produced by a PWL source with the Time/Voltage attribute set
to 0U 5V 5U 5V 12U 0V 50U 5V 60U 5V

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Voltage and Current Sources

Definition of the Piece-Wise Waveform

Piecewise linear data must come from one of two sources:
1. You can describe the waveform with a set of up to eight points that you enter
directly into the Time/Voltage Part Field of the PWL source. The time specified
for each successive point must be more positive than its predecessor. If it is not the
cycle will end, excluding that and all successive points.
2. You can define the waveform in an ASCII text file containing an indefinite
number of points. Values must be entered in pairs and each pair must include a
time position followed by an amplitude. The first character of each data line must
be a plus sign (+) and each line may contain up to a maximum of 255 characters.
Values must be separated by one or more spaces or tabs. Values may be entered in
either scientific or engineering notation. Comments may be added to the file by
making the first character of the line an asterisk (*). For example:
* Random Noise Data
+ 0.00000e-3 0.6667 0.00781e-3 0.6372 0.01563e-3 -0.1177
+ 0.02344e-3 -0.6058 0.03125e-3 0.2386 0.03906e-3 -1.1258
+ 0.04688e-3 1.6164 0.05469e-3 -0.3136 0.06250e-3 -1.0934
+ 0.07031e-3 -0.1087 0.07813e-3 -0.1990 0.08594e-3 -1.1168
+ 0.09375e-3 1.4890 0.10156e-3 -0.2169 0.10938e-3 -1.4915
+ 0.11719e-3 1.4914 0.12500e-3 0.1486
Intermediate points are determined by linear interpolation.
The .PWL file must be located in the same folder in the Design Database as the
circuit you are simulating.

Note:

225

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Exponential Source
Use this source to create an exponential waveform. After you
place the source you will need to specify the following
attributes in the Part Fields of the Source component.
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg INPUT)

DC (V or A)

DC offset used in operating point analysis

AC (V or A)

Set this if you plan to do a small signal AC analysis (typically 1 volt)

AC Phase (degrees)

Phase of the small signal voltage or current

Initial Value (V or A)

Voltage or current at time zero (eg 0)

Pulse Value (V or A)

Maximum amplitude of the output swing (eg 5)

Rise Delay (s)

Delay before the source changes from Initial to Pulsed (eg 1u)

Rise Time (s)

RC charging time constant (eg 700n)

Fall Delay (s)

Time it takes to fall from Pulsed Voltage back to Initial Voltage, must
be >0 (eg 2u)

Fall Time (s)

RC discharging time constant (eg 300n)

Example of the waveform produced by an Exponential Source with the attributes set to
the example values in the table above.

226

Voltage and Current Sources

Definition of the Exponential Waveform

The waveform is described by the following formulas where t = instance of time:
V(t0 to tRD)
V(tRD to tFD)
V(tFD to tSTOP)

= VI
= VI + (VP - VI) (1 - e-(t - tRD) / tRT)
= VI + (VP - VI) (-e-(t - tRD) / tRT) + (VI - VP) (1 - e-(t - tFD) / tFT)

Initial Amplitude (VI)

Initial amplitude of the output with respect to the negative terminal (usually ground),
measured in volts or amps.
Pulse Amplitude (VP)

Max. amplitude of output swing, measured in volts or amps.

Rise Time Delay (RD)

The point in time, from t0, when the output begins to rise. This provides a phase shift
of the output by delaying the start of the exponential waveform.
Rise Time Constant (RT)

Standard RC charging time constant.

Fall Time Delay (FD)

The point in time, from t0, when the output begins to fall.
Fall Time Constant (FT)

Standard RC discharging time constant.

227

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Frequency Modulation Source

Use this source to create a single frequency, Frequency
Modulated waveform. After you place the source you will
need to specify the following attributes in the Part Fields of
the Source component.
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg INPUT)

DC (V or A)

DC offset used in operating point analysis

AC (V or A)

Set this if you plan to do a small signal AC analysis (typically 1 volt)

AC Phase (degrees)

Phase of the small signal voltage or current

Offset (V or A)

DC offset of the signal generator (eg 2.5)

Amplitude (V or A)

Peak amplitude of the output voltage or current (eg 2.5)

Carrier (F)

Carrier frequency (eg 100k)

Modulation

Modulation index (eg 5)

Signal (F)

Modulation frequency (eg 10k)

Example of the waveform produced by an FM Source with the attributes set to the
example values in the table above.

228

Voltage and Current Sources

Definition of the FM Waveform

The waveform is described by the following formula where t = instance of time:
V(t) = VO +VA sin(2FCt + MDI sin(2FSt))
DC Offset (VO)

Adjust the DC bias of the signal generator with respect to the negative terminal
(usually ground), measured in volts or amps.
Peak Amplitude (VA)

Maximum amplitude of the output swing, excluding the DC Offset, measured in volts
or amps.
Carrier Frequency (FC)

Frequency of the unmodulated output in hertz.

Modulation Index (MDI)

Value corresponding to a function of amplitude of the modulating signal indicating the

level of modulation.
MDI = (frequency deviation) / FS
Signal Frequency (FS)

Frequency of the modulating signal in hertz.

229

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Linear Dependent Sources

Standard SPICE linear dependent sources are supported. Each linear dependent source
has two input terminals and two output terminals. The voltage/current at the output
terminals is a linear function of the voltage/current at the input terminals, dependent on
the gain/transconductance/transresistance of the source.
Place linear dependent sources from the Simulation Symbols library in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb Library
Database. The image that is shown with each source includes the name of that source
in the library.
Voltage Controlled Current Source
After you place the source define the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Part Type

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg GSRC1)

Transconductance of source in mhos

Voltage Controlled Voltage Source

After you place the source define the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Part Type

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg ESRC1)

Voltage gain of source in volts

Current Controlled Current Source

After you place the source define the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Part Type

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg FSRC1)

Current gain of source in amps

Current Controlled Voltage Source

After you place the source define the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Part Type

230

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg HSRC1)

Transresistance of source in ohms

Voltage and Current Sources

Frequency To Voltage Converter

After you place the source define the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg FTOV1)

VIL

Low level input threshold

VIH

High level input threshold

CYCLES

Cycles per volt output

Voltage Controlled Sine Wave Oscillator

After you place the source define the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

LOW
HIGH
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg SINVCO1)

Peak output low value

Peak output high value
Input control voltage point 1
Input control voltage point 2
Input control voltage point 3
Input control voltage point 4
Input control voltage point 5
Output frequency point 1
Output frequency point 2
Output frequency point 3
Output frequency point 4
Output frequency point 5

231

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Voltage Controlled Square Wave Oscillator

After you place the source define the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

LOW
HIGH
CYCLE
RISE
FALL
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg SQRVCO1)

Peak output low value (default 0)

Peak output high value (default 5)
Duty cycle [0,1] (default 0.5)
Rise time [0,] (default 1u)
Fall time [0,] (default 1u)
Input control voltage point 1 (default 0)
Input control voltage point 2 (default 1)
Input control voltage point 3 (default 2)
Input control voltage point 4 (default 3)
Input control voltage point 5 (default 4)
Output frequency point 1 [0,] (default 0)
Output frequency point 2 [0,] (default 1k)
Output frequency point 3 [0,] (default 2k)
Output frequency point 4 [0,] (default 3k)
Output frequency point 5 [0,] (default 4k)

Voltage Controlled Triangle Wave Oscillator

After you place the source define the following attributes:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

LOW
HIGH
CYCLE
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5

232

Setting

Set to the required source name (eg TRIVCO1)

Peak output low value (default 1)

Peak output high value (default 1)
Duty cycle [0,1] (default 0.5)
Input control voltage point 1 (default 0)
Input control voltage point 2 (default 1)
Input control voltage point 3 (default 2)
Input control voltage point 4 (default 3)
Input control voltage point 5 (default 4)
Output frequency point 1 [0,] (default 0)
Output frequency point 2 [0,] (default 1k)
Output frequency point 3 [0,] (default 2k)
Output frequency point 4 [0,] (default 3k)
Output frequency point 5 [0,] (default 4k)

Voltage and Current Sources

Non-linear Dependent Sources

The simulator supports the standard SPICE non-linear dependent voltage and current
sources. Place dependent sources from the \Program Files
\Design
Explorer
99
SE\Library\Sch\Sim
\Simulation Symbols.lib library file.
After you place the source you will need to specify the
following attributes;
Attribute

Designator
Part Type

Setting

Set to the required source name

Expression defining the source waveform (eg V(IN)^2)

Definition of the Waveform

The voltage or current waveform is described by:
V=expression or I=expression
The value of V or I determines the voltage across or current through the device. The
expression given for V or I may be any function of voltages and currents through
voltage sources in the system.
To reference a node in your circuit in an equation you must first name the node in the
schematic using a Net Label. You then use the name defined in the Net field of the Net
Label's properties to reference the node using the following syntax:
V(net) references the voltage at node Net
I(net) references the current at the node Net
Examples

For example, if you have a node in your circuit labeled with a Net Label called IN,
then the following would be valid entries in the Part Type field of the source:
V(IN)^3
COS(V(IN))
By default the node is referenced to the Spice Reference Net Name, which is specified
in the Analog Options dialog (GND by default). You can include a different reference
node directly in the equation using the following syntax:
V(netlabel1,netlabel2)
eg LN(COS(LOG(V(NetLabel1,NetLabel2)2)))-V(NetLabel2)V(NetLabel1)

233

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Supported Functions

ABS
SIN
COS
TAN

LN
ASIN
ACOS
ATAN

SQRT
ASINH
ACOSH
ATANH

LOG
EXP
SINH
COSH

Standard operators

+ - * / unary -If
Notes

If the argument of log, ln, or sqrt becomes less than zero, the absolute value of the
argument is used. If a divisor becomes zero or the argument of log or ln becomes zero,
an error will result. Other problems may occur when the argument for a function in a
partial derivative enters a region where that function is undefined.

234

Components and Models

Components and Models

The simulator uses the standard SPICE syntax to describe the analog devices used in
the circuit. In most cases you simply place a component from the library, set the value
(such as the resistance), and simulate. Each component includes all the information
required for simulation, including designator prefix information and pin mapping for
multi-part components.
SPICE also supports many extended features that allow you to more accurately model
component behavior. For example, you may need to simulate a resistor based on
geometric information, or specify the operating temperature of a transistor.
This extra information is entered in the component Part Fields after the component has
been placed on the schematic sheet. Refer to the Device Descriptions topic for a
description of what information is entered in each part field, for each type of device.
You can also create your own simulation-ready schematic symbols. Refer to the topic
Creating your own Simulation-Ready Components later in this chapter for more
information on linking a schematic symbol to a model.

Component Symbol Libraries

The simulator includes a comprehensive set of simulation-ready schematic symbol
libraries, which provide a broad coverage of the devices typically used in circuit
design. The component symbols are grouped into libraries by function. Following is a
complete list of the symbol libraries:
74XX.LIB

JFET.lib

Simulation Symbols.lib

7 Segment Displays.lib

Math.lib

Timer.lib

BJT.lib

Mesfet.lib

Transformer.lib

Buffer.lib

Mosfet.lib

Transmission lines.lib

CAmp.lib

OpAmp.lib

Tube.lib

CMOS.lib

Opto.lib

UJT.lib

Comparator.lib

Regulator.lib

Crystal.lib

Diode.lib

Relay.lib

Misc.lib

Fuse.lib

SCR.lib

Triac.lib

IGBT.lib

Switch.lib

The symbol libraries are in the \Program Files\Design Explorer 99 SE

\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb Library Database. Each component in these libraries
includes a reference to a simulation model or subcircuit.

235

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Finding Components in the Libraries

Use the powerful Find feature to quickly search the schematic symbol libraries for a
particular component. You can search by Library Reference (the name of the
component in the library), by component Description, or by both.
Select Tools Find Component to pop up the Find Schematic Component dialog and
search for a component.
Tips on Finding Components

Searching by Library Reference is generally faster.

Include the * wildcard before and after the search string (as shown in the image),
as different manufacturers use different prefix and suffixes.

Use multiple search strings in the description field to improve the chance of a
match when searching by Description for more than one word. Enclose each word
with the wildcard character and separate with a space (eg *barrel* *shifter*).

If your search produces no results check that the Path is correctly specified. Also,
try searching for a component that you know is in a library to check that
everything is set correctly.

Use the Add to Library List button once you locate the correct component. When
you press this button the selected library is added to the list of available libraries in
the Schematic Sheet Editor.

Models and Subcircuits

The simulators SPICE engine has built-in models for the following analog component
types; resistors, capacitors, inductors, mutual inductors, independent voltage and
current sources, dependent sources, lossless and lossy transmission lines, switches,
uniform distributed RC lines, and the five most common semiconductor devices;
diodes, BJTs, JFETs, MESFETs, and MOSFETs. The simulator also includes a large
number of model files that define the behavior of specific instances of these devices.
These model files normally have the file extension .MDL. All the simulation models
and subcircuits are stored in a single database, \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sim\Simulation Models.ddb
The simulator also supports the description of more complex devices, such as op amps,
regulators, timers, crystals, etc, using the hierarchical subcircuit syntax. A subcircuit
consists of SPICE elements that are defined and referenced in a fashion similar to
device models. There is no limit on the size or complexity of subcircuits, and
subcircuits can call other subcircuits. Each subcircuit is defined in a subcircuit file
(*.CKT), which are also often referred to as models.

236

Components and Models

Device Descriptions
Apart from discrete components (such as resistors), the component
Part Type is used as the reference to the simulation model. For nondiscrete components (op amps, etc) you should only change the Part
Type value if you want to reference a different model.
Resistors
As well as supporting the standard resistor, the simulator also supports semiconductor
resistors. Semiconductor resistors allow you to model the resistance as a function of the
geometry, and specify the temperature at which the device is to operate. Resistor
symbols are in the Simulation Symbols library in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database.
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Resistor designation

Part Type

Resistor value - if the value is specified it overrides the geometric

definition

L#

Length of the resistor (meters)

W#
Temp

Width of the resistor (meters)

#

Temperature at which this device is to operate (degrees Celsius,

default is 27)

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

Capacitor
As well as supporting the standard capacitor, the simulator also supports
semiconductor capacitors. Semiconductor capacitors allow you to model the
capacitance as a function of the geometry, and the initial voltage across the capacitor.
Capacitor symbols are in the Simulation Symbols library in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database.
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Capacitor designation

Part Type

Capacitor value - if the value is specified it overrides the geometric

definition

L#

Length of the capacitor (meters)

#

W
IC

Width of the capacitor (meters)

Initial Conditions time-zero voltage of capacitor. Only applies if
the Use Initial Conditions option is enabled in the Setup Analyses
dialog.

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

237

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Inductor
Inductor symbols are in the Simulation Symbols library in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. The
Inductor attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Inductor designation

Part Type

Inductor value

IC

Initial Conditions time-zero current flowing through inductor.

Only applies if the Use Initial Conditions option is enabled in the
Setup Analyses dialog.

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

Coupled Inductors
Inductors can be coupled using the standard SPICE inductor coupling syntax. This is
described in the topic, Including extra SPICE Information in the Netlist, in the chapter
Setting up and Running a Simulation.
Diode
Standard diode and Zener diode symbols are in the Diode library in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.lib database. The
standard diode attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Part Type
Area

Setting

Diode designation
Diode type
Area factor specifies the number of equivalent parallel devices of
the specified model. This setting affects a number of parameters in
the model.

Off / On #

Set to Off to set diode voltage to zero during operating point

analysis. Can be useful as an aid in convergence.

IC

Initial Conditions time-zero voltage across the diode. Only

applies if the Use Initial Conditions option is enabled in the Setup
dialog.

Temp (degrees Celsius)

Temperature at which this device is to operate (default is 27 deg.)

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

238

Components and Models

Transistors
BJT

The model for the BJT is based on the integral-charge model of Gummel and Poon.
However, if the Gummel-Poon parameters are not specified the model reduces to the
simpler Ebers-Moll model. BJT symbols are in the BJT library in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.lib database. The
BJT attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Part Type
Area

Setting

Transistor designation
Transistor type
Area factor specifies the number of equivalent parallel devices of
the specified model. This setting affects a number of parameters in
the model.

Off / On #

Set to Off to set terminal voltages to zero during operating point

analysis. Can be useful as an aid in convergence.

IC

Initial Conditions time-zero voltages for VBE and VCE (2

comma separated values required). Only applies if the Use Initial
Conditions option is enabled in the Setup dialog.

Temp (degrees Celsius)

Temperature at which this device is to operate (default is 27 deg.)

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

JFET

The JFET model is based on the FET model of Shichman and Hodges. JFET symbols
are in the JFET library in the \Program Files\Design Explorer 99
SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. The JFET attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Part Type
Area

Setting

Transistor designation
Transistor type
Area factor specifies the number of equivalent parallel devices of
the model. This setting affects a number of parameters in the
model.

Off / On #

Set to Off to set terminal voltages to zero during operating point

analysis. Can be useful as an aid in convergence.

IC

Initial Conditions time-zero voltages for VDS and VGS (2

comma separated values required). Only applies if the Use Initial
Conditions option is enabled in the Setup dialog.

Temp (degrees Celsius)

Temperature at which this device is to operate (default is 27 deg.)

239

Mixed-Signal Simulation
# These options have defaults, only set them when required.
MOSFET

The simulator supports Shichman Hodges, BSIM 1, 2 and 3, and MOS 2, 3 and 6
models. MOSFET symbols are in the MOSFET library in the \Program Files
\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. The
MOSFET attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Part Type
L

Setting

Transistor designation
Transistor type
Channel length (meters)

W#
AD

Channel width (meters)

#

Drain area (meters2)

AS #

Source area (meters2)

PD #

Perimeter of drain junction (meters)

PS

Perimeter of source junction (meters)

NRD #

Equivalent no. of drain diffusions

NRS

Equivalent no. of source diffusions

OFF

Set to Off to set terminal voltages to zero during operating point

analysis. Can be useful as an aid in convergence.

IC

Initial Conditions time-zero voltages for VDS, VGS and VBS (3

comma separated values required). Only applies if the Use Initial
Conditions option is enabled in the Setup dialog.

Temp (degrees Celsius)

Temperature at which this device is to operate (default is 27 deg.)

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

240

Components and Models

MESFET

The MESFET model is derived from the GaAs FET model of Statz. MESFET symbols
are in the MESFET library in the \Program Files\Design Explorer 99
SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. The MESFET attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Setting

Transistor designation

Part Type

Transistor type

Area #

Area factor specifies the number of equivalent parallel devices of the

model. This setting affects a number of parameters in the model.

Off / On #

Set to Off to set terminal voltages to zero during operating point

analysis. Can be useful as an aid in convergence.

IC

Initial Conditions time-zero voltages for VDS and VGS (2 comma

separated values required). Only applies if the Use Initial Conditions
option is enabled in the Setup dialog.

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

Voltage/Current Controlled Switches

The simulator includes a number of pre-defined switches, with different threshold
voltages and resistance parameters. The schematic symbols for these switches are in
the SWITCHES library in the \Program Files\Design Explorer 99 SE
\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. Each component links to a model of the same
name in the \Switches model folder in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sim\Simulation Models.ddb database.
Use these models as a reference when you need to define your own switch model. The
following table describes each of the switches in the library.
Library Component

Description

CSW

Default current controlled switch

SW

Default voltage controlled switch

SW05

VT=500.0m

SWM10

VT=-0.01

SWP10

VT=0.01

STTL

VT=2.5 VH=0.1

TTL

VT=2 VH=1.2 ROFF=100E+6

TRIAC

VT=0.99 RON=0.1 ROFF=1E+7

Internally the SPICE engine supports the following switch parameters.

241

Mixed-Signal Simulation
Voltage controlled switch
Name

VT

Parameter and Units

Threshold voltage (volts)

Default Value

0.0 #

VH

Hysteresis voltage (volts)

0.0

RON

On resistance (ohms)

1.0

ROFF

Off resistance (ohms)

1/GMIN*

Current controlled switch

Name

Parameter and Units

Default Value

IT

Threshold current (amps)

0.0

IH

Hysteresis current (amps)

0.0

RON

On resistance (ohms)

1.0

ROFF

Off resistance (ohms)

1/GMIN*

# The excitation signal must pass through this voltage to actuate the switch.
* GMIN is defined in the Analog Options dialog.
Notes on using Switches

The use of an ideal, highly non-linear element such as a switch can cause large
discontinuities to occur in the circuit node voltages. The rapid changes associated with
a switch changing state can cause numerical roundoff or tolerance problems, leading to
timestep difficulties, or erroneous results. You can improve the situation by taking the
following steps:

Firstly, set the switch impedance just high or low enough to be negligible with
respect to other circuit elements. Using a switch impedance that is close to ideal
in all cases aggravates the problem of discontinuities.
If you are modeling real devices such as MOSFETS, the on resistance should be
adjusted to a realistic level, depending on the size of the device being modeled.
If a wide range of ON to OFF resistance must be used in the switch (ROFF/RON
>1e+12), then the tolerance on errors allowed during transient analysis should be
decreased by setting TRTOL to be less than the default value of 7.0 (in the Analog
Options dialog). Try setting TRTOL to 1.
When a switch is placed around a capacitor, then the CHGTOL option should also
be reduced (try 1e-16).
These changes tell the simulators SPICE engine to be more careful around the switch
points, so that errors are not made due to the rapid change in the circuit.

242

Components and Models

Fuses
There is a generic fuse symbol in the Simulation Symbols library in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database.
Specify the fuse current rating in the Current Part Field. The fuse attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Fuse designation

Current #
Resistance

Setting

Fuse current rating at rupture, eg 250m (amps)

#

Series resistance of fuse (default for all fuse models is 1m ohms)

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

Crystals
Crystal symbols are in the CRYSTALS library in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. There are a number of
pre-defined crystals, as well as a generic crystal component. All the crystals include a
Frequency Part Field, however it is not necessary to enter a value in this field unless
you need a different value from that specified in the Part Type. If you use the generic
XTAL component (which has a default frequency of 1Mhz), enter the required
frequency in the Frequency Part Field. The crystal attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
Freq #
RS

Setting

Crystal designation
Crystal fundamental frequency
Series resistance

Crystal capacitance

Q of the equivalent circuit

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

To check the default values of a crystal open the appropriate simulation model
file. The crystal models are in the \Crystal folder in the \Program
Files\Design
Explorer
99
SE\Library\Sim\Simulation
Models.ddb database. The model file has the same name as the Part Type of the
crystal symbol. The model header describes each parameter, which have their
defaults defined in the .SUBCKT line.

243

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Relays
Relay symbols are in the RELAY library in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. The attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator

Relay designation

Contact pullin voltage

Pullin

Setting

Dropoff

Contact

Contact dropoff voltage

Contact resistance (ohms)

Resistance

Coil resistance (ohms)

Inductance

Coil inductance (henrys)

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

Transformers
Transformer symbols are in the TRANSFORMER library in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. This
symbols in this library link to two types of transformer models - transformer models
which support magnetization and leakage inductance (TRANS and TRANSCT), and
coupled inductor models which model the transformer as a pair of coupled inductors
(KTRANSFORMER and KTRANSFORMERCT).
The TRANS and TRANSCT attributes include:
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
#

Ratio
RP

Setting

Transformer designation
Turns ratio = secondary turns / primary turns

Resistance of primary winding (default 0.1 ohms)

Resistance of secondary winding (default 0.1 ohms)

RS #
Leak

Leakage inductance (default 1u henrys)

Mag

Magnetizing inductance (default 1u henrys)

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

Transmission Lines
The simulator supports lossless transmission lines, constant-parameter distributed lossy
transmission lines, and lumped RC lossy transmission lines. The transmission line
symbols are in the TRANSLINE library in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database. The transmission line
attributes include:

244

Components and Models

Lossless Transmission Line
Attribute / Part Field

Designator
ZO

TD

Setting

Transmission line designation

Characteristic impedance (ohms)
Transmission delay (refer to Notes below)

Frequency (refer to Notes below)

NL

Normalized electrical length of the transmission line with respect

to the wavelength in the line, at the frequency F (refer to Notes
below).

IC

Initial Conditions - the voltage and current at each of the

transmission line ports. Only applies if the Use Initial Conditions
option is enabled in the Setup dialog.

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

Specifying the Length of the Lossless Transmission Line

The length of the line must be expressed in one of two forms:

The transmission delay is specified directly (eg, TD=10ns)
Alternatively, a frequency F is specified, together with the normalized length, NL.
If a frequency is specified but NL is omitted then 0.25 is assumed (that is, the
frequency is assumed to be the quarter-wave frequency).
Lossy Transmission Line

This uses a two-port convolution model for single-conductor lossy transmission lines.
Note that a lossy transmission line with zero loss may be more accurate than the
lossless transmission line due to implementation details.
The Lossy transmission line model includes attributes for resistance, inductance,
capacitance, and length. It is not possible to pass these parameters directly from the
schematic component, however you can create and reference your own model file. To
do this copy the file ltra.MDL. Edit this new model file and change the string
immediately after the .MODEL statement to be the same as the new file name, then
edit the attributes as required. To use this new model from the schematic enter the new
model name in the components Part Type field.
For example, from the existing model file ltra.MDL:
.MODEL LTRA LTRA(R=0.000 L=9.130n C=3.650p LEN=1.000)
You could create a new file, ltra10.MDL:
.MODEL LTRA10 LTRA(R=0.2 L=32n C=13p LEN=10.000)
Uniform Distributed RC Lines (Lossy)
Attribute / Part Field

Setting

245

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Designator

Transmission line designation

Length of the RC line (meters)

Number of lumped segments to use in modeling the RC line

# These options have defaults, only set them when required.

Digital Components
The simulator includes a special descriptive language that allows digital devices to be
simulated, using an extended version of the event-driven XSPICE. The digital devices
are modeled using the Digital SimCodeTM language. Refer to the Digital Simulation
chapter for more details on the SimCode language.
There are two libraries of digital components in the \Program Files\Design
Explorer99\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb database, 74xx.lib and CMOS.lib.
The models for the components in these libraries include default values for all
attributes, such as propagation delay, loading, etc. If required these defaults can be
overridden for an individual component by filling in the appropriate Part Fields in the
Components Part dialog.
Attribute / Part Field

Propagation

Setting

Device propagation delay. Specify min or max to use either the predefined minimum or maximum value.

Loading #

Input-loading characteristics. Specify min or max to use either the

pre-defined minimum or maximum value.

Drive #

Output-drive characteristics. Specify min or max to use either the

pre-defined minimum or maximum value.

Current #

Device current used to specify device power. Specify min or max

to use either the pre-defined minimum or maximum value.

PWR value #

Power supply voltage enter a voltage value to override the

voltage on the device supply pin.

GND value #

Ground supply voltage this voltage must also be specified if the

PWR Part Field is specified.

VIL value #

Low-level input voltage

VIH value

High-level input voltage

Low-level output voltage

VOH value #

High-level output voltage

WARN

Specify on to flag errors in; setup time, hold time, recovery time,
pulse width, min max frequency violation, min max supply
violation. Warnings are recorded in the .SIM file, errors in the
.ERR file.

VOL value

246

Components and Models

Creating your own Simulation-Ready Components

The first step to creating your own simulation components is to draw the schematic
symbol in the Schematic Library Editor. Once the symbol is created you can enter the
simulation information into the component Library Fields (select Tools Description
from the Library Editor menus). This information tells the simulator what type of
component it is, where to find the model, how to map the pins in a multi-part
component, as well as any specific SPICE information the component may require.

After creating the component symbol enter the simulation information in the Library Fields

Library Fields and Part Fields

The simulator reads SPICE and netlist information from the Library Text Fields (also
referred to as the Read-Only Fields), and the component Part Fields. Not all
components require the same information to be defined in the Text Fields, for example,
discrete components do not have a model reference. Refer to the components in the
simulator libraries (in the \Program Files\Design Explorer 99 SE
\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb Library Database), for examples of what information
each type of component requires. The rest of this section explains what information
goes in each Library Text Field.
Library Field 1

type=<Device Type>(<SPICE Prefix>)

Specifies the type of device that is to be simulated, and the SPICE Prefix.
e.g. type=NPN(Q)
NPN denotes that the device is an NPN BJT. Q is the prefix required by the SPICE
engine. Select a Type from the following list:

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Device Type and SPICE Prefix Function

CAP(C)
CCCS(F)
CCS(W)
CCVS(H)
DIODE(D)
INDUCTOR(L)
IPULSE(I)
IPWL(I)
ISFFM(I)
ISIN(I)
ISRC(I)
LTRA(O)
MUTUALINDUCTANCE(K)
NDMOS(M)
NEMOS(M)
NJFET(J)
NMESFET(Z)
NPN(Q)
PDMOS(M)
PEMOS(M)
PJFET(J)
PMESFET(Z)
PNP(Q)
POT(R)
RES(R)
SEMICAP(C)
SEMIRES(R)
SIMCODE(A)
TRA(T)
UDRC(U)
VCCS(G)
VCSW(S)
VCVS(E)
NLDS(B)
VPULSE(V)
VPWL(V)
VSFFM(V)
VSIN(V)
VSRC(V)
ZENER(A)
SUBCKT(X)

248

Capacitor
Current Controlled Current Source
Current Controlled Switch
Current Controlled Voltage Source
Diode
Inductor
Pulse Current Source
Piecewise Linear Current Source
Single Frequency FM Current Source
Sinusoidal Current Source
DC Current Source
Lossy Transmission Line
Mutual Inductor Coupling
N-channel Depletion MOSFET
N-channel Enhancement MOSFET
N-channel JFET
N-channel MESFET
NPN Bipolar Junction Transistor
P-channel Depletion MOSFET
P-channel Enhancement MOSFET
P-channel JFET
P-channel MESFET
PNP Bipolar Junction Transistor
Variable Resistor or Potentiometer
Resistor
Semiconductor Capacitor
Semiconductor Resistor
Digital SimCode Device
Lossless Transmission Line
Uniformly Distributed RC Line (Lossy)
Voltage Controlled Current Source
Voltage Controlled Switch
Voltage Controlled Voltage Source
Non-linear Dependent Source
Pulse Voltage Source
Piecewise-linear Voltage Source
Single Frequency FM Voltage Source
Sinusoidal Voltage Source
DC Voltage Source
SimCode Zener Diode
Subcircuit

Components and Models

Library Field 2

model=<model name>
Specifies the name of the model to use when simulating the device. If the string
model=<parttype> is entered here then the Part Type of the component is inserted as
the model name.
Library Field 3

file={model_path}\...\<filename>.*
Indicates the location of the file in which the model indicated by the previous field can
be found. If you are using the model=<parttype> syntax then this line would be;
file={model_path}\...\<parttype>.* Typically the file extension will be .ckt, or .mdl.
The contents of this model file are included at the end of the netlist file.
Library Field 4

Pins=1:[pin1<,pin2,pin3,...>]<2:[pin1<,pin2,pin3,...>]...>
Specifies the pins on each part of the symbol. The order here is not fixed, but it is
convenient to enter the pin numbers in the order they are required by the simulation
model. This makes it straightforward to specify the mapping numbers in Library Field
5. The order information is often detailed in the header of the model file.
e.g. for a quad 741 op amp this line would be:
pins=1:[3,2,4,11,1]2:[5,6,4,11,7]3:[10,9,4,11,8]4:[12,13,4,11,14]
Library Field 5

netlist=<SPICE Data>|<SPICE Data line 2>|...

This line defines how this component is netlisted in the SPICE netlist file. If you need
to specify more than one line of netlist information use the vertical bar as a line
delimiter.
As well as entering SPICE data directly in this line, you can also reference information
in the other Library Fields, as well as the 16 Part Fields. The percent sign (%) indicates
a reference to another field, the letter or number that follows the % indicates what field
to use. The following options can be used on this line:
%D Device designation

Inserts the device designator. If the first character of the designator does not match the
SPICE prefix, then the prefix is automatically inserted at the beginning of the string in
the netlist.
%1, %2, %3, .. %n

Device pins to be added to the netlist, in the order required by the SPICE model. The
numbers are not used directly, each is used as an index to the component pin number
specified in Library Field 4 (for this part of the component).
For example, a quad 741 op amp (MC4741), with a designator of U1C (part 3 of U1),
has the following entries for Library Fields 4 and 5:

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

pins=1:[3,2,4,11,1]2:[5,6,4,11,7]3:[10,9,4,11,8]4:[12,13,4,11,14]
netlist=%D %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %M
During netlisting, this netlist= line is interpreted in the following way;
Entry

%D

Action

Result in Netlist

Insert designator, adding SPICE prefix if required

rd

XU1C

%1

Look up the first pin for the 3 part (remember it is U1C) in

the pins= line, and add the net on this pin to the netlist

NetOnPin10

%2

Look up the second pin for the 3rd part, and add the net on this
pin to the netlist

NetOnPin9

%3

Look up the third pin for the 3rd part, and add the net on this
pin to the netlist

NetOnPin4

%4

Look up the fourth pin for the 3rd part, and add the net on this
pin to the netlist

NetOnPin11

%5

Look up the fifth pin for the 3rd part, and add the net on this
pin to the netlist

NetOnPin8

%M

Inserts the model name specified in Library Field 2

MC4741

The result in the netlist file is:

XU1C NetOnPin10 NetOnPin9 NetOnPin4 NetOnPin11 NetOnPin8 MC4741
Digital devices use the same approach, the numbers listed in Library Text Field 5 are
used as an index into the actual pin numbers specified in Library Text Field 4. As with
analog symbols the order of the pins in Library Field 5 must match the order defined in
the SimCode model. The difference with SimCode models is that the input and output
pins are listed separately. Refer to the Example - Creating a 74LS74 Symbol and
SimCode Model in the Digital Simulation chapter for more details.
%F1 to %F16 Text Fields

%F1 through %F16 refer to the schematic Part Fields 1-16 respectively. Inserts the
value of the specified Part Field into the netlist.
%IF( ) Conditional Netlist Entry

Inserts the contents of the braces if the fields referenced within contain data. This is
non-recursive (nested %Ifs not allowed) and is limited to Part Field and text values (i.e.
%Fx or %Px). For example:
%IF(AC %F2 %F3) would add; AC 1 0
%IF(PARAMS: %P6) would add; PARAMS: PartField6Name = PartField6Value
%M Model Name

Inserts the model name specified in Library Field 2.

%P or %P1 through %P16 Device Parameters

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Components and Models

Inserts the part field name, as well as the contents of that part field. %P on its own
results in all Part Fields that contain a value being included.
The format that the parameters are inserted is:
<TextFieldName1=TextField1> ... <TextFieldName16=TextField16>
If the Part Field does not contain a value then nothing is inserted.
%R Library Reference

Inserts the contents of the Library Reference Field.

%T Part Type

Inserts the contents of the Part Type Field into the netlist. No checking of any kind is
performed.
%V Value

Inserts the contents of the Part Type Field into the netlist. Requires that the value is a
number. The number can be an integer, a floating point number, a floating point
number followed by an integer exponent, or an integer or floating point number
followed by one of the standard scale factors (multipliers). Refer to the Component and
Simulation Values topic in the Getting Started with Simulation chapter for a complete
list of allowed scale factors.
Note: If a multiplier is used it must immediately follow the number, spaces are not
permitted between the multiplier and the number. Letters that are not multipliers are
ignored.
Library Field 8 (Optional)

e.g. defaults=F1:0,F2:15,F3:6,...
This field is used to specify any default parameters that are required in the component
Part Fields. This instructs the simulator to read to label from the specified Part Field,
then add the default value entered here.
For example, the Lossless Transmission Line (library reference LLTRA) includes the
following information in Text Field 8:
defaults=F1:50,F2:10ns
Netlisting this component (between nets IN, O and OUT, O) produces the following:
TLLTR1 IN 0 OUT 0 Z0=50 TD=10ns
Part Fields 1-16

Part Fields 1-16 are used for parameters that can be specified once a component has
been placed on the schematic. Use the %F1-16, %P, %P1-16 or %PARAMS syntax in
Library Field 5 to include them in the netlist (as described earlier in this topic).

251

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Working with Circuits that will not Simulate

When a circuit will not simulate you must identify if the problem is in the circuit, or
the process of simulation. Read the following topics and work through the suggested
points, trying one at a time.

When The Netlist can not be Created

When you select Simulate Run from the menus the first thing that happens is the
circuit is analyzed and a netlist is generated. This netlist is then passed to the SPICE
engine, which simulates the circuit and generates the results.
If errors are detected during netlisting an Error dialog will pop up. The errors are
written to DesignName.ERR, which is automatically opened if you click Yes in the
error message. Likely causes of netlisting errors include:

The component listed in the error file is not a simulation-ready component. To

check if it is double-click on the component, and confirm that the Read Only fields
contain the normal simulation reference information. If you are not sure what this
looks like refer to a component on one of the example schematics.

The simulation model file that the component references is not in the location
specified in Read Only Field 3. This could happen if the models are not installed,
or they have been moved from their original install location. The default location
for the Simulation Models.ddb database is \Program Files\Design
Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sim\. Check in this folder for the simulation
models database, there should be 27 folders of models and subcircuits inside the
database. If the database is not present, or models are missing, you can copy the
Simulation Models.ddb database from the product CD. Remember to disable the
Read-Only attribute whenever you copy a database from a CD.

The path to the simulation model, referred to as {model_path}, does not match the
location of the model. This could happen if the models are moved to a different
location on the hard drive. The model path is stored in Advsim99.INI.

Understanding SPICE Convergence

The most common simulation problem is failure to converge. What exactly is meant by
this term, convergence? Like most simulators, the SPICE3 engine in Protels
simulator uses an iterative process of repeatedly solving the equations that represent
your circuit, to find the quiescent circuit voltages and currents. If it fails to find these
voltages and currents (fails to converge), then it will not be able to perform an analysis
of the circuit.

252

Working with Circuits that will not Simulate

SPICE3 uses simultaneous linear equations, expressed in matrix form, to determine the
operating point (DC voltages and currents) of a circuit at each step of the simulation.
The circuit is reduced to an array of conductances which are placed in the matrix to
form the equations (G * V = I). When a circuit includes nonlinear elements, SPICE
uses multiple iterations of the linear equations to account for the nonlinearities. SPICE
makes an initial guess at the node voltages then calculates the branch currents based on
the conductances in the circuit. SPICE then uses the branch currents to recalculate the
node voltages, and the cycle is repeated. This cycle continues until all of the node
voltages and branch currents fall within specified
tolerances (converge).
Use the Analog
Options dialog box to
However, if the voltages or currents do not converge within
specify the tolerances
a specified number of iterations, SPICE produces error
and iteration limits
messages (such as singular matrix, Gmin stepping
for
the
various
failed, source stepping failed or iteration limit
analyses.
reached) and aborts the simulation. SPICE uses the results
of each simulation step as the initial guesses for the next
step. If you are performing a Transient analysis (that is, time is being stepped) and
SPICE cannot converge on a solution using the specified timestep, the timestep is
automatically reduced, and the cycle is repeated. If the timestep is reduced too far,
SPICE displays a Timestep too small message and aborts the simulation.

Strategies for Solving Convergence Failures

Use the following techniques to solve convergence problems. When you have a
convergence problem, first turn off all the analyses except the Operating Point. Begin
with step 1, then consider the recommendations to solve the error.
1. Check the DesignName.ERR error file. This will describe any errors that have
been detected.
2. Check the circuit topology and connectivity. This includes;
Make sure the circuit is wired correctly. Dangling nodes and stray parts are not
allowed.
Every circuit must have a ground node, and every node in the circuit must have
a DC path to this ground. Components that can isolate a node include
transformers and capacitors. Voltage sources are considered a DC short circuit,
current sources are considered a DC open circuit.
Dont confuse zeros with the letter O.
Use proper SPICE multipliers (MEG instead of M for 1E+6). Multipliers are not
case sensitive.
Spaces between values and multipliers are not allowed. For example it should be
1.0uF, not 1.0 uF.
Make sure all devices and sources are set to their proper values.
Make sure the gain of any dependent source is correct.

253

Mixed-Signal Simulation

Temporarily eliminate series capacitors or current sources.

Temporarily eliminate parallel inductors or voltage sources.
3. Increase the number of iterations in the Analog Options dialog box (ITL1) to 300.
This will allow the Operating Point analysis to go through more iterations before
giving up.
4. Add .NS (Nodeset) devices to define the node voltages. If the initial guess of a
node voltage is way off the .NS device can be used to pre-define a starting voltage
that is used for a preliminary pass of the operating point analysis. Refer to the
topic Specifying Initial Circuit Conditions in the Setting up and Running a
Simulation chapter for details on using the Nodeset device.
5. If the Nodeset device does not assist in convergence try defining the initial
conditions by placing .IC devices. In this case the node voltages are held at the
specified values during the operating point analysis, then released during the
transient analysis.
6. Enable the Use Initial Conditions option in the Analyses Setup dialog. This option
works in conjunction with the .IC devices (or the IC parameter of the
components). The difference with this option is the operating point analysis is not
performed, the specified voltages are used as the initial conditions for the transient
analysis. Refer to the topic Specifying Initial Circuit Conditions in the Setting up
and Running a Simulation chapter for details on defining Initial Conditions.
7. Specify the series resistance parameters of your models and increase the GMIN
option by a factor of 10. Specify the initial condition of semiconductor devices,
especially diodes, as OFF.

Solving DC Analysis Failures

1. Check the circuit topology and connectivity. See the common mistakes described
in the earlier topic, Strategies for Solving Analysis Failures.
2. Increase ITL2 to 200 in the Analog Options dialog. This will allow the DC
analysis to go through more iterations for each step before giving up.
3. Make the steps in the DC sweep larger or smaller. If discontinuities exist in a
device model (perhaps between the linear and saturation regions of the model),
increasing the step size may allow the simulation to step over the discontinuity.
Making the steps smaller will allow the simulation to resolve rapid voltagetransition discontinuities.
4. Do not use DC analysis. Some problems (such as hysteresis) cannot be resolved by
DC analysis. In such cases, it is more effective to use Transient analysis, by
ramping the appropriate power sources.

254

Working with Circuits that will not Simulate

Solving Transient Analysis Failures

2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
8.

Check the circuit topology and connectivity. See the common mistakes described
in the earlier topic, Strategies for Solving Analysis Failures.
Set RELTOL to 0.01 in the Analog Options dialog box. By increasing the
tolerance from 0.001 (0.1% accuracy), fewer iterations will be required to
converge on a solution and the simulation will complete much more quickly.
Increase ITL4 to 100 in the Analog Options dialog box. This will allow the
Transient analysis to go through more iterations for each timestep before giving
up. Raising this value may help to eliminate timestep too small errors improving
both convergence and simulation speed.
Reduce the accuracy of ABSTOL/VNTOL if current/voltage levels allow. Your
particular circuit may not require resolutions down to 1uV or 1pA. You should
allow at least an order of magnitude below the lowest expected voltage or current
levels of your circuit.
Realistically model your circuit. Add realistic parasitics, especially stray/junction
capacitance. Use RC snubbers around diodes. Replace device models with
subcircuits, especially for RF and power devices.
Increase the rise/fall times of the Pulse Generators. Even the best pulse generators
cannot switch instantaneously.
Change the integration method to Gear. Gear integration requires a longer
simulation time, but is generally more stable than trapezoidal. Gear integration
may be particularly useful with circuits that oscillate or have feedback paths.

Warning and Error Messages

Sometimes the simulator will display a message reporting errors or warnings.
Warnings are saved in DesignName.SIM, and errors are saved in DesignName.ERR.
The following distinguishes warning messages from error messages.
Warning Messages
Warning messages are not fatal to the simulation. They generally provide information
about changes that SPICE had to make to the circuit in order to complete the
simulation. These include invalid or missing parameters, and so on.
SimCode warnings may include information such as timing violations (tsetup, thold,
trec, tw, etc) or significant drops in power supply voltage on digital components.
Note: Valid

simulation results are normally generated even if warnings are reported.

Error Messages
Error messages provide information about problems that SPICE could not resolve and
were fatal to the simulation. Error messages indicate that simulation results could not
be generated, so they must be corrected before you will be able to analyze the circuit.

255

Mixed-Signal Simulation

SPICE Variables and Analog Options

The simulator provides access to the internal settings available in the SPICE engine.
These allow you to control certain aspects of a simulation, such as iteration limits,
temperature, propagation delays, adding node shunt resistances, and others.
These are advanced user settings, you should only change these when you have been
advised to (the chapter, Working with Circuits that will not Simulate, suggests
changing these under certain conditions), or if you understand exactly what you are
doing.

Select Simulate Analyses Setup to pop up the Analyses Setup dialog, then press the
Advanced button to display the Analog Options SPICE Variables dialog. The options
in this dialog include:

Integration Method
Choose which numerical integration method you want to use. The Trapezoidal method
is relatively fast and accurate, but tends to oscillate under certain conditions. The Gear
methods requires longer simulation times, but tends to be more stable. Using a higher
gear order theoretically leads to more accurate results, but increases simulation time.
The default is Trapezoidal.

256

SPICE Variables and Analog Options

Digital Power Supply and the Reference Ground

All the digital components supplied with the simulator have hidden power pins; VCC
and GND for the 74xx devices, and VDD and GND for the 4000 series devices. These
hidden power pins are automatically connected during netlisting, and assigned the
voltages specified in the VCC and VDD fields in the Analog Options dialog. These
voltages can be changed if required.
To power your circuit from nets other than VCC (or VDD for CMOS) you must
include source components to create the appropriate voltages, un-hide the power pins
for each component, and wire the power pins to these nets.
To run a transient simulation which references a net other than ground, enter the net
name in the Spice Reference Net Name field.

SPICE Options
Following is a list of the SPICE options and their
effect on the simulation. To change the value of a
SPICE variable first select the variable, type the new
value into the Option Value field, then press the
Enter button.

To return an option to
its default value enter an
asterisk in the Option Value
edit field.

Option

What it Does

ABSTOL

Sets the absolute current error tolerance of the program. Set

ABSTOL=RELTOL* (lowest current magnitude in the circuit). Default=1
picoamp.

CHGTOL

Provides a lower limit on capacitor charge or inductor flux; used in the LTE
timestep control algorithm. Default=1.0e-14 coulombs.

DEFAD
DEFAS
DEFL
DEFW
GMIN

Sets the MOS drain diffusion area. Default=0.0 meters2.

ITL1

Sets the Operating Point Analysis iteration limit. Default=100 iterations.

Note: This may need to be raised as high as 500 for many circuits.

ITL2

Sets the DC Analysis iteration limit. Default=50 iterations.

Note: This may need to be raised as high as 200 for some circuits.

ITL3

Sets the lower Transient Analysis iteration limit. Default=4 iterations.

Note: This is not implemented in SPICE3. It is provided for compatibility in

Sets the MOS source diffusion area. Default=0.0 meters2.

Sets the MOS channel length. Default=100.0 micrometer.
Sets the MOS channel width. Default=100.0 micrometer.
Sets the minimum conductance (maximum resistance) of any device in the
circuit. It also sets the value of the conductance that is placed in parallel with
each pn junction in the circuit. Default=1.0e-12 mhos. Note: Raising this
value may help with simulation convergence in many circuits, but might
decrease accuracy.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

creating SPICE2 netlists.

258

ITL4

Sets the Transient Analysis timepoint iteration limit. Default=10 iterations.

Note: Raising this value to 100 or more may help to eliminate timestep too
small errors improving both convergence and simulation speed.

ITL5

Sets the Transient Analysis total iteration limit. Default=5000 iterations.

Note: This is not implemented in SPICE3. It is provided for compatibility in
creating SPICE2 netlists.

PIVREL

Sets the relative ratio between the largest column entry in the matrix and an
acceptable pivot value. The value must be between 0 and 1. Default=1.0e-3.
In the numerical pivoting algorithm the allowed minimum pivot is determined
by EPSREL=AMAX1(PIVREL*MAXVAL, PIVTOL) where MAXVAL is
the maximum element in the column where a pivot is sought (partial
pivoting).

PIVTOL

Sets the absolute minimum value for a matrix entry to be accepted as a pivot.
Default=1.0e-13.

RELTOL

Sets the relative error tolerance of the program. The value must be between 0
and 1. Default is 0.001 (0.1%). Larger values mean faster simulation time, but
less accuracy.

TEMP

Sets the actual operating temperature of the circuit. Any deviation from
TNOM will produce a change in the simulation results. Default=27C.
Note: TEMP can be overridden by a temperature specification on any
temperature dependent instance.

TNOM

Sets the nominal temperature for which device models are created.
Default=27C. Note: TNOM can be overridden by a specification on any
temperature dependent device model.

TRTOL

Used in the LTE timestep control algorithm. This is an estimate of the factor
by which SPICE overestimates the actual truncation error.
Default=7.0.

VNTOL

Sets the absolute voltage tolerance of the program. Set VNTOL= RELTOL*
(lowest voltage magnitude in the circuit). Default=1 microvolt.

BOOLL
BOOLH
BOOLT
BADMOS3

Sets the low output level of a boolean expression. Default=0.0V.

KEEPOPINFO

Retains the operating point information when an AC Analysis is run.

Note: This is particularly useful if the circuit is large and you do not want to
run a redundant Operating Point Analysis. Default=NO (run OP each time).

TRYTOCOMPACT

Applicable to the LTRA model. When specified, the simulator tries to

condense LTRA transmission lines past history of input voltages and
currents. Default=NO (dont compact).

NOOPITER

Skip directly to GMIN stepping algorithm. Default=NO (dont skip).

Sets the high output level of a boolean expression. Default=4.5V.

Sets the input threshold level of a boolean expression. Default=1.5V.
Uses the older version of the MOS3 model with the kappa discontinuity.
Default=NO (dont use the older version).

SPICE Variables and Analog Options

GMINSTEP

Sets the number of steps in the GMIN stepping algorithm. When set to 0,
GMIN stepping is disabled, making source stepping the simulators default
DC (operating point) convergence algorithm. Default=10 steps.

SRCSTEP

Sets the number of steps in the source stepping algorithm for DC (operating
point) convergence. Default=10 steps.

ACCT

Causes accounting and run-time statistics to be displayed. Default=NO (no

display).

LIST

Displays a comprehensive list of all elements in the circuit with connectivity

and values. Default=NO (no list).

OPTS

Displays a list of all standard SPICE3 Option parameter settings. Default=NO

(no list).

BYPASS

Enables the device bypass scheme for nonlinear model evaluation. Default=1
(on).

MINBREAK

Sets the minimum time between breakpoints. Default=0 seconds (sets the time
automatically).

MAXOPALTER

Sets the maximum number of analog/event alternations for DC (operating

point) convergence. Default=0.

MAXEVTITER

Sets the maximum number of event iterations for DC (operating point)

convergence. Default=0.

NOOPALTER
RAMPTIME

Enables DC (operating point) alternations. Default=NO.

CONVLIMIT

Disables convergence algorithm used in some built-in component models.

Default=NO.

CONVSTEP

Sets the limit of the relative step size in solving for the DC operating point
convergence for code model inputs. Default=0.25.

CONVABSSTEP

Sets the limit of the absolute step size in solving for the DC operating point
convergence for code model inputs. Default=0.1.

AUTOPARTIAL

Enables the automatic computation of partial derivatives for XSPICE code

modules. Default=NO.

PROPMNS

Sets scale factor used to determine minimum propagation delay when actual
value is not specified in SimCode model. Default=0.5 (50% of typical
propagation delay).

PROPMXS

Sets scale factor used to determine maximum propagation delay when actual
value is not specified in SimCode model. Default=1.5 (150% of typical
propagation delay).

TRANMNS

Sets scale factor used to determine minimum transition time when actual
value is not specified in SimCode model. Default=0.5 (50% of typical
transition time).

Controls turn-on time of independent sources and capacitor and inductor

initial conditions from zero to their final value during the time period
specified. Default=0.0 seconds.

259

Mixed-Signal Simulation

260

TRANMXS

Sets scale factor used to determine maximum transition time when actual
value is not specified in SimCode model. Default=1.5 (150% of typical
transition time).

LOADMNS

Sets scale factor used to determine minimum input loading (maximum input
resistance) when actual value is not specified in SimCode model. Default=1.5
(150% of typical input resistance).

LOADMXS

Sets scale factor used to determine maximum input loading (minimum input
resistance) when actual value is not specified in SimCode model. Default=0.5
(50% of typical input resistance).

DRIVEMNS

Sets scale factor used to determine minimum output drive capacity (maximum
output resistance) when actual value is not specified in SimCode model.
Default=1.5 (150% of typical output resistance).

DRIVEMXS

Sets scale factor used to determine maximum output drive capacity (minimum
output resistance) when actual value is not specified in SimCode model.
Default=0.5 (50% of typical output resistance).

CURRENTMNS

Sets scale factor used to determine minimum supply current (maximum

internal resistance) when actual value is not specified in SimCode model.
Default=1.5 (150% of typical internal resistance).

CURRENTMXS

Scale factor used to determine maximum supply current (minimum internal

resistance) when actual value is not specified in SimCode model. Default=0.5
(50% of typical internal resistance).

TPMNTYMX

Temporary global override for propagation delay index on SimCode devices

(0=default, 1=min, 2=typ, 3=max). Default=0.

TTMNTYMX

Temporary global override for transition time index on SimCode devices

(0=default, 1=min, 2=typ, 3=max). Default=0.

LDMNTYMX

Temporary global override for input loading index on SimCode devices

(0=default, 1=min, 2=typ, 3=max). Default=0.

DRVMNTYMX

Temporary global override for output drive capacity index on SimCode

devices (0=default, 1=min, 2=typ, 3=max). Default=0.

IMNTYMX

Temporary global override for supply current index on SimCode devices

(0=default, 1=min, 2=typ, 3=max). Default=0.

SIMWARN

A nonzero value indicates that SimCode warning messages can be displayed

during run time. SimCode warnings may include information concerning
timing violations (tsetup, thold, trec, tw, etc) or indicate supply voltage
dropping below device specifications. Default=0.

RSHUNT

Value in ohms of resistors added between each circuit node and ground,
helping to eliminate problems such as singular matrix errors. In general, the
value of RSHUNT should be set to a very high resistance (1e+12). Default=0
(no shunt resistors).

ADCSTEP

The minimum step size required to register an event on the input of the
internal A/D converters. Default=0.01 volts.

SPICE Variables and Analog Options

Suggested SPICE Reading

Newton, A.R., Pederson, D.O., Sangiovanni-Vincentelli, A., SPICE3 Version 3f4
Users Manual
The basic SPICE reference, written by the developers of SPICE, at the University of
California, Berkeley.
Vladimirescu, A., The SPICE Book, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., N.Y., 1994, ISBN: 0471-60926-9, Library: TK454.V58 1994, 621.319'2'028553-dc20
Written as a tutorial and reference for electrical engineering students and professionals
just starting to use the SPICE program to analyze and design circuits. This book
explains how to use the SPICE program and describes the differences and similarities
between the most popular commercial versions of it, including SPICE3, the latest
version from Berkeley, which is used by the Protel Circuit Simulator.
Kielkowski, R., Inside SPICE, McGraw-Hill, Inc., N.Y., 1994, ISBN: 0-070911525,
Library: TK 454.K48 1994, 621.319'2'011353-dc20
Written as a tutorial and reference for electrical engineering students and professionals
who are familiar with the SPICE program. This book goes beyond the basics and
covers the internal operation of the SPICE program to give the reader a solid
understanding of how SPICE works. It provides step-by-step coverage of how to
overcome nonconvergence, numerical integration instabilities and timestep control
errors. It also shows how to make simulations run faster and more efficiently by setting
the .OPTION parameters.

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Simulating Digital Designs

Protels Circuit Simulator is a true mixed-signal simulator, which means it can analyze
circuits that include both analog and digital devices. Creating a mixed analog and
digital design is as simple as placing the components and wiring them up. Each analog
component from the simulation-ready libraries references a SPICE model, and each
digital component references a SimCode model. Once the design is complete it is
simulated in the normal manner. There are two libraries of digital components in the
\Program Files\Design Explorer99\Library\Sch\Sim.ddb Library
Database, 74xx.lib and CMOS.lib.

Modeling Digital Components

Due to the complexity of digital devices it is generally not practical to simulate them
using standard, non-event-driven, SPICE instructions. For this reason, the simulator
includes a special descriptive language that allows digital devices to be simulated using
an extended version of the event-driven XSPICE. The digital devices included in the
simulation library are modeled using the Digital SimCodeTM language.
Digital SimCode is a proprietary language devices created with it are not compatible
with other simulators, nor are digital components created for other simulators
compatible with Protels Circuit Simulator.

Digital Power and Ground

Digital devices include hidden power and ground power pins in each
schematic symbol (VCC for 74xx devices, VDD for CMOS devices,
and GND), and these pins are automatically connected during
netlisting. The simulator uses these net names by default, so for a
digital-only design it is not necessary to include sources to power
these components. If the design includes any analog components that
connect to the VCC (or VDD) power rail (perhaps a pullup), you
must include an appropriate VCC or VDD source.
The value of VCC and VDD that are used during simulation, and the
name of the reference net (the default is GND), are specified in the
Analog Options dialog. Press the Advanced button in the Analyses
powering the digital
Setup dialog to display this dialog.
components in a
mixed-mode design

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Simulating Digital Designs

Creating New SimCode Devices

SimCode is a C like description language. You use it to define the characteristics and
behavior of the device you are modeling. It includes functions to define parameters
such as propagation delays, load characteristics, strengths, and so on. The device
behavior is defined using truth tables, math functions and conditional control
statements, such as IF..THEN. Refer to the SimCode Language Definition topic later in
this chapter for a summary of all the language items, and the SimCode Language
Syntax topic for complete details of each language item.
Use the following example to guide you through the process of creating your own
SimCode model.
Example - Creating a 74LS74 Symbol and SimCode Model
Following is an example of the steps taken to create a new
simulation-ready 74LS74 dual positive-edge triggered D flip-flop.
Step 1 Create the schematic symbol

The first step is to create a schematic symbol for the device in the
Schematic Library Editor. The 74LS74 has been drawn as a 2-part
component. VCC (pin 14) and GND (pin 7) are defined as hidden First create the symbol
pins.
Refer to the Schematic Components and Libraries chapter in the Schematic Capture
section for details on creating a schematic symbol. Often is easier to copy an existing
symbol, and then modify it as required.
Step 2 Define the simulation linking information

The next step is to add the

information to the Library Text
Fields that links the symbol to the
SimCode model.
Refer to the topic Creating your own
Simulation-Ready Components in the
Components and Models chapter for
an overall description of how each
Library Text Field is used. Enter the
component type, the model name,
and the model file location in Text
Fields 1, 2 and 3.
You are now ready to define the pin specifications (Text Field 4) and netlist
information, which includes the pin mapping information (Text Field 5).
Text Field 4 - The symbol has been drawn as a 2-part component, so the pins= entry
will have 2 sections, one for each part:
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Mixed-Signal Simulation

pins=1:[]2:[]
The order of the pins in Text Field 4 is not fixed, so for convenience they have been
listed from left-to-right, top-to-bottom, for each part in the component.
pins=1:[2,3,4,1,5,6,7,14]2:[12,11,10,13,9,8]
Text Field 5 The first entry on this line is the designator reference, %D. The last
entry on this line is %M, the model reference.
Between the Designator and Model references is the pin mapping information, which is
also know as the node list. The syntax for digital components is different than analog
components; for digital components there are two sections, one for the input nodes, the
second for the output nodes. Each section is delimited by square brackets.
The nodes must be listed in the same order as the pins in the INPUTS and OUTPUTS
statements in the SimCode. If you refer to the example source file for the 74LS74, the
inputs and outputs are specified as follows:
INPUTS VCC, GND, PRE, DATA, CLK, CLR;
OUTPUTS VCC_LD, PRE_LD, DATA_LD, CLK_LD, CLR_LD, QN, Q;
(The syntax of these statements is described later in the example.)
The easiest way to map the pins is to draw up a table. List the pins in the order they are
required by the SimCode model, then write the position of this pin in the pin list (Text
Field 4) next to it. These are shown below;
Input Pin

VCC

Position of this pin

in the pin list

Output Pin

Position of this pin in

the pin list

VCC_LD

GND

PRE_LD

PRE

DATA_LD

DATA

CLK_LD

CLK

CLR_LD

CLR

QN

From this the node list can be written, adding an i after each input pin and an o
after each output pin. Text Field 5 becomes:
netlist=%D [%8i %7i %3 %1 %2 %4][%8o %3o %1o %2o %4o %6o %5o] %M
Step 3 Create the intermediate model linking file

The next step is to create a .MDL model linking file, that maps from the schematic
symbol to the ASCII SimCode model file. Once the model has been compiled you
change this mapping file to reference the compiled SimCode model file.

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Simulating Digital Designs

In a text editor create a new file, called 74LS74.MDL. Save it in the location specified
in the model file location, in Text Field 3 of the symbol.
The MDL file includes one .MODEL line, and as many comment lines (starting with a
* symbol) as required.
The syntax of the .MODEL line is:
.MODEL 74LS74 xsimcode(file="{MODEL_PATH}74LS74.TXT" func=ls74

.MODEL

Declares the model statement.

74LS74

Model name (as specified in Text Field 2).

xsimcode

Model type for a digital SimCode model.

file=

Points to file containing the devices digital SimCode.

{MODEL_PATH} is a shortcut to the Models directory specified in
the Advsim.INI file.

func=

Specifies the devices digital SimCode function.

data=

Contains ASCII data for the READ_DATA function (optional).

{mntymx}

Passes the devices Digital Model Parameters into SimCode (this

must appear exactly as shown).

Step 4 Write the source code for SimCode model file

The last step is to create the digital SimCode model for the device. You can do this in
any ASCII text editor. The file can be given any name and extension, as long as it
matches the file name listed in the file= parameter in the .MDL file. Typically it is
named the same as the device, 74LS74.TXT for this example. Multiple digital
SimCode device models can be placed in the same file, each is referenced by the
func= parameter.
There is an example of the SimCode for a 74LS74 later in this topic. This SimCode can
be copied and pasted directly from the On-line help file if you do not want to type it in.
Test the new device by creating a simple circuit to test its functionality. It is advisable
to only test one new device at a time.
When you run the simulation, the source code model is automatically compiled and
written to an ASCII text file called Simlist.TXT, in the same directory as the schematic
that you are simulating. This file also contains a listing of the execution order of the
source code model. Refine the SimCode source model as needed, and continue testing
until you have completely debugged the model.
Step 5 Create the compiled SimCode model file

Once the SimCode has been successfully compiled you can extract the compiled model
information from the Simlist.TXT file, and create a compiled model file (74LS74.SCB
for this example). Again you can store multiple models in a single file, but you must
set the file= parameter in the .MDL file to be the same as the file name of the
compiled SimCode model library. The default location for compiled SimCode models

265

Mixed-Signal Simulation

is in the root folder of the \Program Files\Design

SE\Library\Sim\Simulation Models.ddb database.

Explorer

99

SimCode for the 74LS74

Following this description is an example of the SimCode that was written to describe a
74LS74 device. Following is a description of each section of the SimCode:
Section 1 - SimCode Function Identification

# ls74 source identifies the beginning of the SimCode source function for the 74LS74.
Section 2 - Data declarations

This section consists of pin and variable declarations.

The INPUTS statement declares the names of the input pins. VCC and GND pins are
included in this statement. The order of these pins must match the order of their
corresponding pin declarations in Library Text Field 5 of the schematic symbol.
The OUTPUTS statement declares the names of the output pins. Notice that the input
pins are listed here as well, but with the suffix _LD. Input pins must also be declared
as outputs so that the device can provide a load back on the driving circuitry. VCC pins
are included in this statement, but not GND pins. The order of these pins must match
the order of their corresponding pin declarations in Library Text Field 5 of the
schematic symbol.
The PWR_GND_PINS statement declares which pins will be used for device power
and ground, and samples their voltage levels for later use in the SimCode.
Section 3 - SimCode Function Initialization

The IF (init_sim) THEN section is executed only once, at the beginning of the
simulation. In this section we set the device characteristics that are not subject to
change due to outside influences, such as databook specifications. The outputs states
should also be initialized here to their most likely state. The EXIT command should
be placed at the end of this section.
Section 4 - LOAD and DRIVE Statements

These statements are used to declare the load and drive capabilities of the device pins.
Section 5 - Device Functionality

This section can vary dramatically from part to part. In this example an EXT_TABLE
command has been used. Other device models use a variety of IF...THEN, STATE_BIT,
NUMBER, and other statements to define the logical function of the device.
Section 6 - Tests for Device Setup Violations

These tests warn of device setup violations which, in the real world, may cause a
device not to function properly. In the simulation, the device will generally still
function, but warnings, if enabled, will be displayed.

266

Simulating Digital Designs

Section 7 - Output Delays/Post Events

The DELAY statements occur at the end of the SimCode function. These statements
actually post the events to the simulator to let it know that something has changed, and
when these events are scheduled to occur, relative to the rest of the simulation. Timing
(propagation delay) is assigned to each output based on the databook specifications,
input stimulus and the functionality of the device.
//============================================================

# ls74 source
//1/2- 74LS74 D flip-flop Digital Simcode Model
//typical prop delay values from TI 1981 2nd edition data book
//============================================================

INPUTS VCC, GND, PRE, DATA, CLK, CLR;

OUTPUTS VCC_LD, PRE_LD, DATA_LD, CLK_LD, CLR_LD, QN, Q;
INTEGERS tblIndex;
REALS tplh_val, tphl_val, ts_val, th_val, trec_val, tt_val, temp_tp,
clk_twl, clk_twh, pre_clr_twl, ril_val, rih_val, ricc_val;
PWR_GND_PINS(VCC,GND);
//set pwr_param and gnd_param values
SUPPLY_MIN_MAX(4.75,5.25); //test for min supply=4.75 and max supply=5.25
VOL_VOH_MIN(0.2,-0.4,0.1); //vol_param=gnd_param+0.2,voh_param=pwr_param-0.4
VIL_VIH_VALUE(1.25,1.35);
//set input threshold values: vil and vih
IO_PAIRS(PRE:PRE_LD, DATA:DATA_LD, CLK:CLK_LD, CLR:CLR_LD);

IF (init_sim) THEN
BEGIN
//select prop delay, setup, hold, and width times
//MESSAGE("time\t\tPRE\tCLR\tCLK\tDATA\tQ\tQN"); //debug
//NOTE: both ttlh and tthl are the same value
tt_val= (MIN_TYP_MAX(tt_param: NULL, 5n, NULL));
temp_tp= (PWL_TABLE(sim_temp: -75, -5n, 125, 5n)); //tp temperature affect
tplh_val= (MIN_TYP_MAX(tp_param: NULL, 14n, 25n)) + temp_tp;
tphl_val= (MIN_TYP_MAX(tp_param: NULL, 20n, 40n)) + temp_tp;
ts_val= (20n);
th_val= (5n);
trec_val= (5n);
clk_twl= (25n);
clk_twh= (25n);
pre_clr_twl= (20n);

//not specified - derived from fmax

//LS stdout drive IOL max=8mA @ VOL typ=0.35V:rol_param=0.35V/8mA=43.75

//LS stdout drive IOL max=8mA @ VOL max=0.5V: rol_param=0.5V/8mA=62.5
rol_param= (MIN_TYP_MAX(drv_param: 62.5, 43.75, NULL));
//LS stdout drive IOS min=20mA @ VCC max=5.25V: roh_param=5.25V/20mA=262.5
//LS stdout drive IOS max=100mA @ VCC max=5.25V:roh_param=5.25V/100mA=52.5
roh_param= (MIN_TYP_MAX(drv_param: 262.5, NULL, 52.5));

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

//LS input load IIH max=20uA @ Vin=2.7V: ril= (2.7-vol_param)/20uA=125k

ril_val= (MIN_TYP_MAX(ld_param: NULL, NULL, 125k));
//LS input load IIL max=-0.4mA @ Vin=0.4V:rih= (voh_param-0.4)/0.4mA=10.5k
rih_val= (MIN_TYP_MAX(ld_param: NULL, NULL, 10.5k));
//Icc @ 5V: 2500= 4mA/2 typical, 1250= 8mA/2 max
ricc_val= (MIN_TYP_MAX(i_param: NULL, 2500, 1250));
STATE Q = ONE;
STATE QN = ZERO;
EXIT;
END;

// initialize output states

DRIVE Q QN = (v0=vol_param,v1=voh_param,ttlh=tt_val,tthl=tt_val);
LOAD PRE_LD DATA_LD CLK_LD CLR_LD =
(v0=vol_param,r0=ril_val,v1=voh_param,r1=rih_val,io=1e9,t=1p);

EXT_TABLE tblIndex
PRE CLR CLK DATA
0
1
X
X
1
0
X
X
0
0
X
X
1
1
^
X
1
1
X
X

Q
H
L
H
DATA
Q

QN
L
H
H
~DATA
~Q;

//MESSAGE("%fs\t%d\t%d\t%d\t%d\t%d\t%d",present_time,PRE,CLR,CLK,DATA,Q,QN);
LOAD VCC_LD = (v0=gnd_param,r0=ricc_val,t=1p);

IF (warn_param) THEN
BEGIN
IF (PRE && CLR) THEN
BEGIN
SETUP_HOLD(CLK=LH DATA Ts=ts_val Th=th_val "CLK->DATA");
RECOVER(CLK=LH PRE CLR Trec=trec_val "CLK->PRE or CLR");
WIDTH(CLK Twl=clk_twl Twh=clk_twh "CLK");
WIDTH(PRE CLR Twl= pre_clr_twl "PRE or CLR");
END;
END;
DELAY Q QN =
CASE (TRAN_LH) : tplh_val
CASE (TRAN_HL) : tphl_val
END;
EXIT;

268

Simulating Digital Designs

SimCode Language Definition

The following items make up the Digital SimCode language. The following pages
describe each of these items in detail.
INPUTS
OUTPUTS

Input pins (pins that monitor the circuit)

Output pins (pins that drive or load the circuit)

INTEGERS

Integer variables and arrays

REALS

Real variables and arrays

PWR_GND_PINS

Power and ground pins and record supply voltage

IO_PAIRS

Input/output pin associations for input loading

Device Setup Functions

Use these functions to set certain characteristics of the device pins.
VIL_VIH_VALUE
VIL_VIH_PERCENT
VOL_VOH_MIN

Sets absolute VIL and VIH values

Sets VIL and VIH values to a percentage of supply voltage
Sets VOH and VOL relative to power and ground

Device Test Functions

Use these functions to test for any device setup violations which may occur in the
circuit. These violations may not affect the simulation of the devices functionality (ie,
the device may continue to function in simulation even with setup violations). In order
to know if any of these setup violations have occurred, you must enable warnings.
SUPPLY_MIN_MAX

Tests supply pins for min/max supply voltage violations

RECOVER

Tests inputs for recovery time violations

SETUP_HOLD

Tests inputs for setup and hold time violations

WIDTH

Tests inputs for minimum pulse width violations

FREQUENCY(FMAX)

Tests inputs for minimum & maximum frequency violation

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

Output Pin Functions

Use these functions to program the output pins of a device.
STATE

Sets outputs to the declared logic state

STATE_BIT

Sets outputs to binary weighted logic states

LEVEL

Sets the level of the output state

STRENGTH

Sets the strength of the output state

TABLE

Sets output logic states based on truth table

EXT_TABLE

Sets output logic states based on extended truth table

LOAD

Declares loading characteristics of input pins

DRIVE

Declares drive characteristics of output pins

DELAY

Sets propagation delay to specified outputs

NO_CHANGE

Leaves output state of I/O pins unchanged

EVENT

Causes a digital event to be posted

Expression Operations
Use the operators and functions in expressions to manipulate data, and to make
comparisons which control program flow. Expressions are always contained within
parentheses ( ). Operator precedence is from left to right, starting with the inner most
parentheses.

270

Operators

+, -, *, /, ~, !, &&, ||, ^^, &, |, >>, <<, >, <, =, !=, >=, <=

Math Functions

POW, ABS, SQRT, EXP, LOG, LOG10, SIN, COS, TAN, ASIN,
ACOS, ATAN, HSIN, HCOS, HTAN

Simulating Digital Designs

Expression Functions
PARAM_SET

Determines if a predefined SimCode param has been set

PWL_TABLE

Returns value from interpolative lookup table

SELECT_VALUE

Returns value from simple lookup table

MIN_TYP_MAX

Returns value from MIN_TYP_MAX lookup table

NUMBER

Returns number based on binary weighted pin states

VALUE

Returns state of the specified pin

CHANGE_TIME

Returns time when the specified pin last changed state

WIDTH_TIME

Returns last pulse width encountered on specified pin

INSTANCE

Checks to see if this is the specified device instance

CHANGED_xx

Checks to see if the specified pin has changed state

READ_DATA

Reads data from an ASCII file into arrays

Program Control
Use these statements to control the flow of the program.
# xxxx source

Identifies the beginning of the SimCode source function

IF ... THEN

Conditionally controls flow through the SimCode

WHILE ... DO

Conditionally controls looping in the SimCode

GOTO

Jumps to a new location in the SimCode

GOSUB

Jumps to a subroutine in the SimCode

RETURN

Returns from a subroutine in the SimCode

EXIT

Terminates SimCode execution

Output Text
Use these commands to display messages during simulation and debugging.
PROMPT

Pause simulation and display a message

MESSAGE

Display a message without pausing

Debug
Allow you to trace through the execution of the SimCode for debugging purposes.
STEP_ON

Turn on the SimCode trace mode

STEP_OFF

Turn off the SimCode trace mode

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

SimCode Language Syntax

This section describes each of the language items in detail. The following style is used
in describing the syntax:
italics

reserved words or emphasis

<>

value/variable/pin/expression

[]

optional parameter

{ }|{ }

selections (you must choose ONE of these parameters)

# xxxx source
Identifies the beginning of the SimCode source function.
General Form

# <func name> source

Parameters

<func name> Name of the SimCode function.

Use

This statement identifies the SimCode function so that it can be called when it is time
to simulate this device. It must be the first statement of each Digital SimCode device
function.
Notes

The simulators SPICE engine has the ability to read either source code models, or
compiled code models. The keyword source identifies this as a source code model to
the simulator, which automatically compiles the model when the simulation is run. The
compiled code is placed in an ASCII text file called Simlist.TXT, in the same directory
as the schematic that uses this device.
Example
//==================================
# MyDevice source
//==================================
INPUTS VCC, GND, IN1, IN2
OUTPUTS VCC_LD, IN1_LD, IN2_LD, OUT
.
.
.
EXIT

CHANGE_TIME
Returns time when the specified pin last changed state.

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Simulating Digital Designs

General Form
CHANGE_TIME(<pin>)
Parameters

<pin> Input or output pin name.

Use

This function returns a real value that indicates the last time the specified input or
output pin changed states.
Example
T1 = (CHANGE_TIME(INA));

CHANGED_xx
Checks if the specified pin has changed state.
General Form
CHANGED_xx(<pin> [{<}|{<=}|{>}|{>=} <var/time/value>])
Parameters

<pin>
<var/time/value>

Input or output pin name.

Item to which <pin> is compared.

Use

The CHANGED_xx function is used to determine if the specified <pin> has changed
state. The _xx that follows the keyword CHANGED can be eliminated (to indicate any
type of change) or the xx can be set to:
LH, LX, HL, HX, XL, XH, LZ, ZL, ZH, ZX, HZ or XZ
to indicate a specific type of change. The optional compare operator (<, <=, >, >=) and
<var/time/value> would be included to check for a more specific change. If they are
not included, the function will return 1 if the pin has changed at the current simulation
step.
Examples
IF (CHANGED_LH(CLK)) THEN ...
IF (CHANGED(DATA < 10n)) THEN ...

DELAY
Sets propagation delay to specified outputs.
General Form 1
DELAY <output> [<output> ...] = <delay>;
General Form 2
DELAY <output> [<output> ...] =
CASE (<conditional exp>) : <delay>
CASE (<conditional exp>) : <delay>

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Mixed-Signal Simulation

[CASE (<conditional exp>) : <delay> ...]

END;
Parameters

<output>

Name of, or variable index to the output pin.

<conditional exp> Conditional expression that determines which delay is used.

<delay>

Propagation delay time to the output pin.

Use

The DELAY command is executed once for each pin listed and posts a propagation
delay for each pin that has changed its level. The CASE option allows more than one
<delay> to be specified. The <conditional exp> then determines which <delay> will be
used. If a delay is set for a pin that has not changed then the pin will be flagged as NOCHANGE and the delay will not be posted. The <delay> can be a real constant, a real
variable or a real expression.
Notes

The DELAY command must be executed exactly once for each output pin, that is, for
each pin declared in the OUTPUTS statement which is not listed in the LOAD or
NO_CHANGE statements. The order in which the delays are set is based on the order
in which these pins are listed in the DELAY command (i.e. first pin listed is set first).
Each <conditional expression> is evaluated in the order it is listed until one expression
evaluates TRUE. When this occurs, the <delay> value associated with the TRUE
expression is posted for the output being set. When using the CASE option, at least one
<conditional exp> should evaluate as TRUE for each output pin listed. If no
<conditional exp> evaluates to TRUE, the <delay> associated with the last CASE
statement is posted.
In addition to the standard expression functions, the following terms apply only to the
output pin being set and can be used in the <conditional exp> :
TRAN_LH
TRAN_LX
TRAN_HL
TRAN_HX
TRAN_HZ
TRAN_XL
TRAN_XH
TRAN_LZ
TRAN_ZL
TRAN_ZH
TRAN_ZX
TRAN_XZ
TRAN_XX

274

low-to-high
low-to-other
high-to-low
high-to-other
high-to-tristate
other-to-low
other-to-high
low-to-tristate
tristate-to-low
tristate-to-high
tristate-to-other
other-to-tristate
other-to-different

Simulating Digital Designs

If the <delay> value is less than or equal to 0.0 a run-time error message will be
displayed. Output pins can be specified by using the output pin name or by an integer
variable that contains the index of an output pin. Pin names and variables cannot be
mixed in the same DELAY statement. References to outputs must be either all pin
names or all variable names.
Examples
DELAY Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 = 10n;
DELAY Q QN =
CASE (TRAN_LH) : tplh_val
CASE (TRAN_HL) : tphl_val
END;
data = (E0_1 && (CHANGED(D0) || CHANGED(D1)));
DELAY Q1 Q0 =
CASE (data && TRAN_LH) : tplh_D_Q
CASE (data && TRAN_HL) : tphl_D_Q
CASE (TRAN_LH) : tplh_E_Q
CASE (TRAN_HL) : tphl_E_Q
END;

In this example, if data is nonzero and Q1 is changing from High to Low, the
tphl_D_Q delay will be posted for Q1. Then, if Q0 is changing from Low to High, the
tplh_D_Q delay will be posted for Q0.
DRIVE
Declares drive characteristics of output pins.
General Form
DRIVE <output> [<output> ...] =
(v0=<value> v1=<value> ttlh=<value> tthl=<value>);
Parameters

<output>
<value>
v0
v1
ttlh
tthl

Name of, or variable index to the output pin.

Real value or variable.
VOL for the output pin.
VOH for the output pin.
Low-to-high transition time for the output pin.
High-to-low transition time for the output pin.

Use

The DRIVE command is used to declare the output pins DRIVE characteristics. When
the output is set to a LOW state, the output pin is connected to voltage value v0
through resistance rol_param. When the output is set to a HIGH state, the output pin is
connected to voltage value v1 through resistance roh_param. The low-to-high
transition time is set by ttlh and the high-to-low transition time is set by tthl.

275

Mixed-Signal Simulation
Notes

Pin names and variables cannot be mixed in the same DRIVE statement. References to
outputs must be either all pin names or all variable names.
The values used for rol_param should be derived using the databook specs for VOL.
This value represents the total saturation resistance of the pull-down structure of the
devices output. A standard LS output in the LOW state, for example, sinking 8mA
will not exceed 0.5V, typically closer to 0.35V. Therefore:
for typ LOW state drive:

rol_param = VOLtyp / IOLmax

rol_param = 0.35V / 8mA
rol_param = 43.75 ohms
for min LOW state drive:
rol_param = VOLmax / IOLmax
rol_param = 0.5V / 8mA
rol_param = 62.5 ohms
The values used for roh_param should be derived using the databook specs for IOS, if
available. This value represents the total saturation resistance of the pull-up structure of
the devices output. A standard LS output in the HIGH state with the output shorted to
ground and Vcc=5.25V will source at least 20mA but not more than 100mA.
Therefore:
for min HIGH state drive:

for max HIGH state drive:

roh_param = VCCmax / IOSmin

roh_param = 5.25V / 20mA
roh_param = 262.5 ohms
roh_param = VCCmax / IOSmax
roh_param = 5.25V / 100mA
roh_param = 52.5 ohms

Example
rol_param = (MIN_TYP_MAX(drv_param: 62.5, 43.75, NULL);
roh_param = (MIN_TYP_MAX(drv_param: 262.5, NULL, 52.5);
DRIVE Q QN = (v0=vol_param,v1=voh_param,ttlh=ttlh_val,
tthl=tthl_val);
See Also

LOAD
EVENT
Causes a digital event to be posted.
General Form
EVENT = ({<time>}|{<expression>})
Parameters

<time>
<expression>

276

Time at which event should occur.

Expression indicating time at which event should occur.

Simulating Digital Designs

Use

In most cases a digital event is posted when one or more INPUT pins for a simcode
model changes state. When the event is processed, the simcode for the specified event
is called and run. This instruction allows a simcode model to post a digital event at a
specified <time>. If the specified EVENT time is greater than the simulation time
(indicated by present_time), then a digital event will be posted. If more than one
EVENT is posted in a single call to a simcode model, only the longest EVENT <time>
will be used. This function allows the creation of one-shots and other similar device
models.
Notes

If a digital event for a specific simcode model occurs before an EVENT <time> posted
by that simcode, the EVENT <time> must be posted again. For example, if 1) the
present simulation time is 1us, 2) a simcode model sets EVENT = 2us and 3) an
INPUT pin in the simcode model changes state at 1.5us, then the 2us event must be
posted again.
Example
EVENT = (present_time + 1e-6);

//return in 1us

EXIT
Terminates SimCode execution.
General Form

EXIT;
Use

The EXIT statement is used to terminate SimCode execution.

Notes

This is the last line of a SimCode model, but it may also be placed at other locations to
abort execution of remaining SimCode.
EXT_TABLE
Sets output logic states based on extended truth table.
General Form
EXT_TABLE <line>
<input pin> [<input pin> ...] <output pin> [<output pin> ...]
<input state> [<input state> ...]
<output state> [<output state> ...];
Parameters

<line>
<input pin>
<output pin>

Variable into which the line number used in the table is placed
Name of the input pin
Name of the output pin
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Mixed-Signal Simulation

<input state>
<output state>

State of the individual inputs

State of the individual outputs based on input conditions

Use

The EXT_TABLE statement is an extended truth table function used to set the level and
strength of the specified outputs. Valid input states are:
0
low (input voltage is <= vil_param)
1
high (input voltage is >= vih_param)
^
low-to-high-transition
v
high-to-low-transition
X
dont care what input voltage is
Valid output states are:
L
ZERO (set output level to vol_param).
H
ONE (set output level to voh_param).
Z
UNKNOWN (set output level to v3s_param).
It also allows INPUT and/or OUTPUT pin names with optional prefixes to specify the
output states. Prefixes are:
State is the previous state.
~
State is the inverse of the state.
-~ State is the inverse of the previous state.
Output state letters can be followed by a colon and a letter to indicate strength:
s
STRONG (set output to rol_param for L and roh_param for H).
z
HI_IMPEDANCE (set output to r3s_param).
If a strength character is not specified after an output state then STRONG will be used
for L and H states and HI_IMPEDANCE will be used for Z states.
Notes

Each row is tested sequentially from top to bottom until the input conditions are met.
The outputs are set for the first row to meet the input conditions. <line> is set to the
line number in the table that was used. If no match was made then <line> is set to 0.
Pin names used to specify output states do not need to be in the table heading. Unlike
the TABLE statement, input variables are not allowed.
Example
EXT_TABLE
PRE CLR
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1

278

tblIndex
CLK
DATA
X
X
X
X
X
X
^
X
X
X

Q
H
L
H
DATA
Q

QN
L
H
H
~DATA
~Q;

Simulating Digital Designs

This example is representative of 1/2 of a 7474 D type flip-flop. If input pins PRE,
CLR, and DATA are all high (>= vih_param) and CLK has a low-to-high transition, Q
is set to high (voh_param) and STRONG (roh_param), QN is set to low (vol_param)
and STRONG (rol_param) and tblIndex is set to 4.
See Also

REALS, STATE, STATE_BIT, TABLE

FREQUENCY (FMAX)
Tests inputs for minimum and maximum frequency violation.
General Form
FREQUENCY(<input> [<input>...] MIN=<frequency> MAX=<frequency>
["<message>"])
Parameters

<input>
MIN
MAX
<message>

Name of, or variable index to the input pin under test.

Minimum frequency allowed on the pin under test.
Maximum frequency allowed on the pin under test.
Text string that will be displayed if a warning occurs.

Use

The FREQUENCY function compares the <input> period (the time from one low-tohigh edge to the next low-to-high edge) with the reciprocal of the specified
<frequency> (1/freq). If the time period for the <input> is smaller than the reciprocal
of the specified MAX<frequency> or the time period for the <input> is greater than the
reciprocal of the specified MIN<frequency>, then a WARNING will be displayed. An
optional <message> string can be included in the FREQUENCY statement which will
be output if a WARNING is displayed.
Notes

Databook specifications should be used with this function. Pin and variable names can
be mixed in the same FREQUENCY statement. Only the first FREQUENCY failure for
each pin listed will be reported.
Example
FREQUENCY(CLK MAX=10MEG "CLK"); //check fmax only

GOSUB
Jumps to a subroutine in the SimCode.
General Form
GOSUB <label>;
Parameters

<label>

Location in SimCode where program flow resumes.

279

Mixed-Signal Simulation
Use

The GOSUB instruction is used to perform non-sequential execution of the SimCode.

However, unlike the GOTO statement, SimCode execution will continue on the
instruction following the GOSUB instruction when a RETURN instruction is
encountered in the SimCode being run.
Example
GOSUB Shift_Left;
.
.
.
Exit;
Shift_Left:
.
.
.
RETURN:
See Also

RETURN
GOTO
Jumps to a new location in the SimCode.
General Form
GOTO <label>;
Parameters

<label>

Location in SimCode where program flow resumes.

Use

The GOTO instruction is used to perform non-sequential execution of the SimCode.

Notes

Program flow resumes from the location where <label>: appears in the SimCode.
<label> must begin with an alpha character, followed by any number of alpha-numeric
characters or the underscore ( _ ) character. Where <label> appears in the code, it must
be followed immediately by a colon ( : ).
Example
GOTO Shutdown;
.
.
.
Shutdown:
.
.

280

Simulating Digital Designs

.
Exit;
See Also

GOSUB, IF ... THEN

IF ... THEN
Conditionally controls flow through the SimCode.
General Form 1
IF (<expression>) THEN BEGIN ... [ELSE ...] END;
General Form 2
IF (<expression>) THEN GOTO <label>;
Parameters

<expression>
<label>

Any expression that can be evaluated as true or false.

Location in SimCode where program flow resumes.

Use

The IF ... THEN statement is used to control the flow of the program, based on whether
<expression> evaluates to true or false. Multiple IF ... THEN statements may be nested.
Notes

When the BEGIN...ELSE...END form of this statement is used and <expression>

evaluates to true, program flow resumes from the BEGIN statement and skips any
optional SimCode between the ELSE and END statements. If <expression> evaluates
to false, program flow resumes from the optional ELSE statement if it exists or after
the END statement if it does not exist.
When the GOTO form of this statement is used and <expression> evaluates to true,
program flow resumes from the location where <label>: appears in the SimCode.
<label> must begin with an alpha character, followed by any number of alpha-numeric
characters or the underscore ( _ ) character. Where <label> appears in the code, it must
be followed immediately by a colon ( : ).
Examples
IF (EN) THEN
BEGIN
STATE Q0 = UNKNOWN
ELSE
IF (IN2) THEN
BEGIN
STATE Y2 = ONE
ELSE
STATE Y2 = ZERO
END
END

281

Mixed-Signal Simulation

IF (x = -2) THEN GOTO Do_Neg2

.
.
.
Do_Neg2:
.
.
.
See Also

GOTO, WHILE ... DO

INPUTS
Declares input pins (pins that monitor the circuit).
General Form
INPUTS <input pin>[, <input pin>,
Parameters

<input pin>

Name of the input pin.

Use

The INPUTS data type is used to define the pins which monitor stimulus external to the
device. These generally include input, i/o, power and ground pins.
Notes

Input pin names must begin with a letter and be defined before they are used.
Example
INPUTS VCC, GND, PRE, DATA, CLK, CLR
See Also

OUTPUTS, IO_PAIRS, PWR_GND_PINS

INSTANCE
Checks if this is the specified device instance.
General Form
INSTANCE("<instance name>")
Parameters

<instance name>

Text string indicating instance name.

Use

The INSTANCE function returns 1 if the present instance of the SimCode device
matches the <instance name> specified. Otherwise it returns 0;

282

Simulating Digital Designs

Notes

A circuit may contain more than one of any given device. During simulation it may be
important to know if the device being simulated at this moment is the one you are
interested in. This would allow you, for example, to print messages for one specific
NAND gate without having to wade through messages for all the other NAND gates as
well. The instance name is the device Designation preceded by its SPICE Prefix
Character (the letter A).
Example
IF (INSTANCE("AU23")) THEN
BEGIN
MESSAGE("U23-Q0 = %d", Q0);
END;

INTEGERS
Declares integer variables and arrays.
General Form
INTEGERS <var>[, <var>, ...];
Parameters

<var>

Name of the variable.

Use

The INTEGERS data type is used to define integer variables and arrays.
Notes

Integer variables and arrays must begin with a letter and be defined before they are
used. Integer arrays are defined by following the array name with a left bracket ( [ ), an
integer number which defines the size of the array, and a right bracket ( ] ). Integer
arrays can be set and/or used in expressions.
The following are reserved SimCode integer variables which do not need to be
declared:
Variable

Use

Digital Mode Parameter

SPICE Option

tp_param

tplh/hl index

Propagation Delays

TPMNTYMX

tt_param

ttlh/hl index

Transition Times

TTMNTYMX

ld_param

LOAD index

Input Loading

LDMNTYMX

drv_param

DRIVE index

Output Drive

DRVMNTYMX

i_param

ICC index

Device Current

IMNTYMX

user_param

USER index

User Defined

USERMNTYM
X

warn_param

Warning messages

WARN flag

SIMWARN

283

Mixed-Signal Simulation

init_sim

1 during simcode init

N/A

N/A

tran_pin

TRAN_xx pin index

N/A

N/A

The first six variables in this list are expected to have a value of 1, 2 or 3. These values
represent an index into the min/typ/max arrays:
Value

Represents

1
2
3

Index to minimum value.

Index to typical value.
Index to maximum value.

The Digital Model Parameter can be set independently for each digital device in the
Digital Model Parameters dialog box. If a SPICE Option parameter is set in the Analog
Options dialog box, that setting will globally override the Digital Model Parameter
settings for all digital devices. If the variable is set explicitly in the SimCode, that
setting will override all other settings.
warn_param can be set to any positive value to conditionally display warning
messages for the device. Different levels of warning could be created by the device
programmer, accessed by entering different positive values. The value of init_sim is set
to 1 during SimCode initialization, otherwise it is set to 0. The value of tran_pin is set
to the index of the pin being set during a DELAY CASE statement. This index is used to
determine which pin the TRAN_xx instruction is applied to.
Example
INTEGERS tblIndex, count, data[64];
See Also

DELAY, MIN_TYP_MAX
IO_PAIRS
Declares input/output pin associations for input loading.
General Form
IO_PAIRS (<ipin:opin>[, <ipin:opin>,
Parameters

<ipin:opin> Pin names of associated input and output pins.

Use

The IO_PAIRS statement defines which of the INPUTS pins are associated with which
of the OUTPUTS pins. This association is used by the LOAD statement.

284

Simulating Digital Designs

Notes

Each physical input pin on a device consists of both an ipin and an opin in SimCode.
The opin is required to provide input loading characteristics. This statement can only
be used once in the SimCode. Power pins are not listed in the IO_PAIRS statement.
Example
IO_PAIRS (IN1:IN1_LD, IN2:IN2_LD

In this example, IN1 and IN2 are INPUTS and IN1_LD and IN2_LD are OUTPUTS.
IN1 and IN1_LD both refer to the same physical pin on the device.
See Also

INPUTS, OUTPUTS, LOAD

LEVEL
Sets the level of the output state.
General Form 1
LEVEL <output> [<output> ...] = (<expression
General Form 2
LEVEL <output> [<output> ...] = {ZERO}|{ONE}|{UNKNOWN
Parameters

Name of, or variable index to the output.

Any expression compared to VOL or VOH.

<output>
<expression>
Use

The state of an output pin is determined by its level and its strength. Use the LEVEL
command to set the level of one or more output pins.
<expression>

State

Level

<= vol_param
>= voh_param
other

ZERO
ONE
UNKNOWN

vol_param
voh_param
v3s_param

Notes

Output pins can be specified by using the output pin name, or by an integer variable
that contains the INDEX of an output pin. Pin and variable names cannot be mixed in
the same LEVEL statement. References to outputs must be either all pin names or all
variable names.
Examples
LEVEL Q = ONE;
LEVEL Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 = ZERO;
LEVEL OUT = ((1+2)/3);

In the last example, OUT will be:

ZERO if vil_param > 1
285

Mixed-Signal Simulation

UNKNOWN if vil_param < 1 and vih_param > 1

ONE if vih_param < 1
See Also

REALS, STATE, STATE_BIT, STRENGTH

LOAD
Declares loading characteristics of input pins.
General Form
LOAD <output> [<output> ...] =
(v0=<value> r0=<value> [v1=<value> r1=<value>] [io=<value>] t=<value>);
Parameters

<output>
<value>

v0
r0
v1
r1
io
t

Name of, or variable index to the output pin.

Real value or variable.
Load voltage for HIGH state input.
Load resistance for HIGH state input.
Load voltage for LOW state input.
Load resistance for LOW state input
Off-state load resistance for unused load.
Time delay before the load will be applied.

Use

The LOAD command is typically used with input or power pins to provide loading for
the driving circuit. Since only output pins can provide a load, each input must have a
corresponding output. These are assigned using the IO_PAIRS statement.
If different loads are required for different inputs, multiple LOAD statements may be
used. Power pins should be placed in a separate LOAD statement which does not
include the v1/r1 load or io. Power pins are not included in the IO_PAIRS statement.
The IO_PAIRS statement must be entered before any LOAD statements that contain io.
Notes

An input load consists of a voltage and a resistance (v0/r0 or v1/r1). The voltage level
of the incoming signal determines which load will be used. If the voltage level goes
below VIL and remains below VIH, then the input is considered to be in the LOW state
and the v1/r1 is applied. If the voltage level goes above VIH and remains above VIL,
then the input is considered to be in the HIGH state and the v0/r0 is applied. io is the
input state off resistance. The unused load is essentially removed from the circuit by
changing its r value to the value specified for io.
The values for v0, r0, v1 and r1 can be either real constants or real variables. The
values for io and t must be real constants. Pin names and pin variables cannot be mixed

286

Simulating Digital Designs

in the same LOAD statement. References to outputs must be either all pin names or all
variable names.
For input pins, the values used for r0 should be derived using the databook specs for
IIH. A standard LS input, for example, will sink a maximum of 20uA at Vin=2.7V.
Therefore, if vol_param = 0.2V, then:
for max HIGH state load:

r0 = (Vin - vol_param) / IIHmax

r0 = (2.7V - 0.2V) / 20uA
r0 = 125k ohms
The values used for r1 should be derived using the databook specs for IIL. A standard
LS input, for example, will source a maximum of 400uA at Vin=0.4V. Therefore, if
voh_param = 4.6V then:
for max LOW state load:

r1 = (voh_param - Vin) / IILmax

r1 = (4.6V - 0.4V) / 400uA
r1 = 10.5k ohms
For power pins, the value used for r0 should be derived using the databook specs for
ICC. For a 74LS151, Icc typ is 6mA at Vcc=5V and Icc max is 10mA at Vcc=5.25V.
Therefore:
for Icc typ:
r0 = 5V / 6mA = 833 ohms
for Icc max:
r0 = 5.25V / 10mA = 525 ohms
If creating a multiple-parts-per-package device, such as a 74LS00 quad NAND gate,
you should adjust the Icc load for the individual parts accordingly.
Examples
r0_val = (MIN_TYP_MAX(ld_param: NULL, NULL, 125k);
r1_val = (MIN_TYP_MAX(ld_param: NULL, NULL, 10.5k);
ricc_val = (MIN_TYP_MAX(ld_param: NULL, 833, 525);
LOAD PRE_LD DATA_LD CLK_LD CLR_LD = (v0=vol_param, r0=r0_val,
v1=voh_param, r1=r1_val, io=1e9, t=1p);
LOAD VCC_LD = (v0=gnd_param, r0=ricc_val, t=1p);
See Also

IO_PAIRS, DRIVE

287

Mixed-Signal Simulation

MATH FUNCTIONS
Function

Description

Example

POW

power

X= (12 POW(3));

ABS

absolute value

X= (ABS(-12));

SQRT

square-root

X= (SQRT(2));

EXP

exponent

X= (EXP(10));

LOG

natural log

X= (LOG(0.1));

LOG10

log base 10

X= (LOG10(0.1));

SIN

sine

X= (SIN(0.1));

COS

cosine

X= (COS(0.1));

TAN

tangent

X= (TAN(0.1));

ASIN

arc sine

X= (ASIN(0.1));

ACOS

arc cosine

X= (ACOS(0.1));

ATAN

arc tangent

X= (ATAN(0.1));

HSIN

hyperbolic sine

X= (HSIN(0.1));

HCOS

hyperbolic cosine

X= (HCOS(0.1));

HTAN

hyperbolic tangent

X= (HTAN(0.1));

See Also

OPERATORS
MESSAGE
Displays a message without pausing.
General Form
MESSAGE("<message>"[, <value/pin>...]);
Parameters

<message>
<value>
<pin>

Message string including formatting characters as needed.

Variable or constant value.
Pin name or index to pin variable.

Use

The MESSAGE statement is used to output the information specified by the <message>
string. It does not interrupt the simulation. The message is displayed in the status
window during simulation.

288

Simulating Digital Designs

Notes

A format string in MESSAGE is similar to a format that may be used in a printf

statement in C. Valid formatting characters include (but are not limited to):
\t

tab

\n

new line

\r

Carriage return

%d

Decimal display for short variable or current input output state

%D

Decimal display for short variable or old input/output state

%x

Hex display for short variable or current input/output state

%X

Hex display for short variable or old input/output state

%c

Character display for short variable or current input/output state

%C

Character display for short variable or old input/output state

%e

Exponential display for real variable

%f

Floating point engineering display for real variable

%g

Short display (%e or %f) for real variable

%s

String constant display

Note:

The only valid string constants are:

INSTANCE
FUNC
FILE

The present SimCode device instance name.

The present SimCode device function name.
The present SimCode device file name.

Examples
MESSAGE("time\t\tCLK\tDATA\tQ\tQN");
MESSAGE("device instance= %s",INSTANCE);
MESSAGE("%.3e\t%d\t%d\t%d\t%d",present_time,CLK,DATA,Q,QN);
See Also

PROMPT
MIN_TYP_MAX
Returns value from MIN_TYP_MAX look-up table.
General Form
MIN_TYP_MAX(<index>: <min>, <typ>, <max>);
Parameters

<index>
<min>
<typ>
<max>

Input variable (index to select min, typ or max values).

Minimum databook value.
Typical databook value.
Maximum databook value.
289

Mixed-Signal Simulation
Use

The MIN_TYP_MAX function is similar to the SELECT_VALUE function except that

three (3) values/variables must be entered. The keyword NULL can be substituted
for one or two unknown values. If a predefined integer variable (see INTEGERS) is
used as the <index>, unknown (NULL) values are calculated from the known values as
follows:
Known Values

Formula

<min>, <max>
<min> only

typical = (<max> + <min>) / 2;

typical = (<min> / <min scale factor>)
maximum = (<min> / <min scale factor>) * <max scale factor>
minimum = (<typ> * <min scale factor>)
maximum = (<typ> * <max scale factor>)
minimum = (<max> / <max scale factor>) * <min scale factor>
typical = (<max> / <max scale factor>)

<typ> only
<max> only
Notes

If <index> is not one of the predefined variables listed below, then <min scale factor>
= 0.5 and <max scale factor> = 1.5. The <min scale factor> and <max scale factor> for
each of these predefined variables can be changed in the Analog Options dialog. The
<min scale factor> and <max scale factors> are reversed for ld_param, drv_param and
i_param because these parameters control a resistance value rather than a current value
(i.e., maximum load equates to minimum resistance).
Variable

290

SPICE Option

Parameter

Default

tp_param

PROPMNS

<min scale factor>

0.5

tp_param

PROPMXS

<max scale factor>

1.5

tt_param

TRANMNS

<min scale factor>

0.5

tt_param

TRANMXS

<max scale factor>

1.5

ld_param

LOADMNS

<min scale factor>

1.5

ld_param

LOADMXS

<max scale factor>

0.5

drv_param

DRIVEMNS

<min scale factor>

1.5

drv_param

DRIVEMXS

<max scale factor>

0.5

i_param

CURRENTMNS

<min scale factor>

1.5

i_param

CURRENTMXS

<max scale factor>

0.5

vth_param

VTHMNS

<min scale factor>

0.5

vth_param

VTHMXS

<max scale factor>

1.5

user_param

USERMNS

<min scale factor>

0.5

user_param

USERMXS

<max scale factor>

1.5

Simulating Digital Designs

Examples
tplh_val = (MIN_TYP_MAX(tp_param: NULL, 5n, NULL));

In this example, if we assume that PROPMNS and PROPMXS are set to their default
values, then:
if tp_param = 1, then tplh_val = 2.5n
if tp_param = 2, then tplh_val = 5n
if tp_param = 3, then tplh_val = 10n
ricch_val = (MIN_TYP_MAX(i_param: NULL, 2500, 1250));

In this example, if we assume that CURRENTMNS and CURRENTMXS are set to

their default values, then:
if i_param = 1, then ricch_val = 5000
if i_param = 2, then ricch_val = 2500
if i_param = 3, then ricch_val = 1250
See Also

INTEGERS, SELECT_VALUE
NO_CHANGE
Leaves output state of I/O pins unchanged.
General Form
NO_CHANGE <output> [<output> ...];
Parameters

<output>

Name of, or variable index to the output pin.

Use

Use the NO_CHANGE function to indicate no-change for specified output pins. Use
this statement on bi-directional pins when the bi-directional pin is being treated as an
input.
Notes

Pin names and variables cannot be mixed in the same NO_CHANGE statement.
References to outputs must be either all pin names or all variable names.
Example
NO_CHANGE Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4;

NUMBER
Returns number based on binary weighted pin states.
General Form
NUMBER(<MSB pin>, [<pin>,

...] <LSB pin> );

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Mixed-Signal Simulation
Parameters

<pin>

Name of or index to a pin.

Use

The NUMBER function returns a short integer that represents the decimal value of the
binary number represented by the list of <pin>. Each bit (represented by a <pin>) is set
to 1 if the <pin> is non-zero, otherwise it is set to 0.
Notes

The first <pin> in the list represents the most-significant-bit (MSB) and the last <pin>
in the list represents the least-significant-bit (LSB).
Example
A = (NUMBER(D3,D2,D1,D0));

In this example, if D3 is HIGH, and D2, D1 and D0 are LOW (10002), then A = 8.
OPERATORS
Assignment Operator

Equals (sets a variable or output pin to a value or state).

Math Operators

+
*
/

Add
Subtract
Multiply
Divide

Unary Operators

~
!

Logical not
Bitwise complement

Logical Operators

&&
||
^^

AND
OR
XOR

Bitwise Operators

&
|
^
<<
>>

292

AND
OR
XOR
Shift left
Shift right

Simulating Digital Designs

Relative Comparators

=
!=
<
<=
>
>=

Equal
Not equal
Less than
Less than or equal to
Greater than
Greater than or equal to

Use

Operators are used to set and manipulate variables and expressions.

Notes

Expressions must be enclosed within parentheses ( ). Expressions are always evaluated

from left to right within parentheses. You should use parentheses to set precedence
within an expression. When using the Unary Operators on values, variables,
expressions, etc, the values, variables, expressions, etc, must be in parentheses ( ).
Examples
clk_twl = (25n);
reg = (reg + 1);
vx = (vol_param - 10m);
C = (A * B);
val = (xval / 2);
X = (A && ~(B));
Y = (!(X));
//if
A = (X & 1);
//if
B = (X | 8);
//if
C = (X >> 2);
//if
D = (2 >> X);
//if
E = (X << 2);
//if
F = (2 << X);
//if
IF (A >= B) THEN ...
IF ((A < 2) && (B > 3)) THEN ...
IF ((C < 2) || (X > 4)) THEN ...

X=1
X=1
X=1
X=1
X=1
X=1
X=1

then
then
then
then
then
then
then

Y=FFFFFFFE
A=1, if X=2
B=9, if X=2
C=0, if X=2
D=1, if X=2
E=4, if X=2
F=4, if X=2

then
then
then
then
then
then

A=0
B=10
C=0
D=0
E=8
F=8

See Also

MATH FUNCTIONS
OUTPUTS
Declares output pins (pins that drive or load the circuit).
General Form
OUTPUTS <output pin>[, <output pin>, ...];

293

Mixed-Signal Simulation
Parameters

<output pin>

Name of the output pin.

Use

The OUTPUTS data type is used to define the pins which affect the operation of
circuitry external to the device. These generally include input, output, I/O and power
pins. Input and power pins are included in this list because their presence constitutes a
load on the driving circuitry.
Notes

Output pin names must begin with a letter and be defined before they are used.
Example
OUTPUTS VCC_LD, PRE_LD, DATA_LD, CLK_LD, CLR_LD, QN, Q;
See Also

INPUTS, IO_PAIRS, PWR_GND_PINS

PARAM_SET
Determines if a predefined SimCode param has been set.
General Form
PARAM_SET(<param var>)
Parameters

<param var> SimCode model definition parameter.

Use

The PARAM_SET function is used to determine if a parameter in the SimCode model

definition has been set. It returns 1 if the specified parameter was set (e.g.,
vil_param=0.8) otherwise it returns 0.
Notes

See INTEGER and REAL declarations for a list of SimCode model definition
parameters and their associated variable names.
Example
A = PARAM_SET(ld_param);
IF (PARAM_SET(voh_param)) THEN ...
See Also

INTEGERS, REALS
PROMPT
Pauses simulation and displays a message.

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Simulating Digital Designs

General Form
PROMPT("<message>"[, <value/pin>...]);
Parameters

<message>
<value>
<pin>

Message string including formatting characters as needed.

Variable or constant value.
Pin name or index to pin variable.

Use

The PROMPT statement is used to stop simulation and display the information
specified by the <message> string. The message is displayed in the status window
during simulation. The user must click on a button to continue execution of the
SimCode.
Notes

A format string in PROMPT is similar to a format that may be used in a printf

statement in C. Valid formatting characters include (but are not limited to):
\t

tab

\n

new line

\r

Carriage return

%d

Decimal display for short variable or current input/output state

%D

Decimal display for short variable or old input/output state

%x

Hex display for short variable or current input/output state

%X

Hex display for short variable or old input/output state

%c

Character display for short variable or current input/output state

%C

Character display for short variable or old input/output state

%e

Exponential display for real variable

%f

Floating point engineering display for real variable

%g

Short display (%e or %f) for real variable

%s

String constant display

Note:

The only valid string constants are:

INSTANCE
FUNC
FILE
Example
PROMPT("input=%d

The present SimCode device instance name.

The present SimCode device function name.
The present SimCode device file name.
time=%f device=%s", D1, t1, INSTANCE);

See Also

MESSAGE

295

Mixed-Signal Simulation

PWL_TABLE
Returns value from interpolative look-up table.
General Form
PWL_TABLE (<IN var>: <IN1>,<OUT1>,<IN2>,<OUT2>[,...<OUTn>,<OUTn>])
Parameters

<IN var>
<INx>
<OUTx>

input variable (integer or real)

input compare value
output value at <INx>

Use

This piece-wise-linear function is essentially a look-up table. The value of <IN var> is
used to look up an entry in the table which consists of pairs of values. The first value in
each pair is an input compare value and the second value is the corresponding output
value. If the <IN var> value is less than the first <IN> value the first <OUT> value is
returned. If the <IN var> value is greater than the last <INn> value then the last
<OUTn> value is returned. Linear interpolation is done between entries according to
the formula:
value = (((OUTA-OUTB)/(INA-INB))*(<IN var>-INA)+OUTA)

where <IN var> falls between the input compare values INA and INB. The actual
output value will fall between output values OUTA and OUTB.
Notes

Two or more IN/OUT data value pairs must be entered and the IN values must be
entered in ascending order. There is no limit to the maximum number of IN/OUT data
pairs that can be entered.
Example
twh = (PWL_TABLE(var: 5,180n,10,120n,15,80n));

In this example, if var = 10 then twh = 120n and if var = 12 then twh = 104.
See Also

SELECT_VALUE
PWR_GND_PINS
Declares power and ground pins; records supply voltage.
General Form
PWR_GND_PINS (<pwrpin>, <gndpin>);
Parameters

<pwrpin>
<gndpin>

296

name of the power pin

name of the ground pin

Simulating Digital Designs

Use

The PWR_GND_PINS statement defines which of the INPUTS pins are power and
ground and sets the Power and Ground parameters of the device to absolute voltages as
follows:
pwr_param = voltage on <pwrpin>
gnd_param = voltage on <gndpin>
Notes

This statement can only be used once in the SimCode. Only one pin can be defined for
power and one for ground.
Example
PWR_GND_PINS(VCC, GND);
See Also

INPUTS, OUTPUTS, REALS, VIL_VIH_PERCENT, SUPPLY_MIN_MAX

READ_DATA
Reads data from an ASCII file into arrays.
General Form
READ_DATA(<array>[, <array>, ...])
Parameters

<array>

Name of the array into which the value is placed.

Use

The READ_DATA function opens the file specified by the data= parameter in the
devices .MODEL statement and reads ASCII text data. The number and type
(integer/real) of the values per line that will be read is based on the number and type of
array variables that are specified in the function call. The number of data lines read is
determined by the number of data lines in the specified file and/or the size of the
smallest array in the function call. The READ_DATA function returns the number of
lines read. A negative number is returned if an error is encountered:
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6

Invalid file name

Cant find file
Invalid array
Illegal array access
Data type
Expected data value

Notes

Multiple values per line in the data file must be separated by commas. The real values
in the data file must be in scientific notation. The devices .MODEL statement which
contains the data= parameter must be placed in the device symbols .MDL file.

297

Mixed-Signal Simulation
Example

MYDEVICE.MDL file:
.MODEL AMYDEVICE XSIMCODE(file="{MODEL_PATH}MYDEVICES.SCB" +
func=MyDevice data="{MODEL_PATH}MYDEVICE.DAT" {mntymx})

MYDEVICE.DAT file:
8, 8E-6
9, 9E-6
10, 1E-5
11, 1.1E-5

MyDevice SimCode:
nlines = READ_DATA(int_array, real_array);

This example opens a file called MYDEVICE.DAT in the Models directory. It reads
two columns of data from the file where the first column contains integer values and
the second column contains real values. If the arrays are declared as int_array[3] and
real_array[5] then only the first 3 data lines will be read and nlines will be set to 3.
REALS
Declares real variables and arrays.
General Form

REALS <var>[, <var>, ...];

Parameters

<var>

name of the variable

Use

The REALS data type is used to define real variables and arrays.
Notes

Real variables and arrays must begin with a letter and be defined before they are used.
Real arrays are defined by following the array name with a left bracket ( [ ), an integer
number which defines the size of the array, and a right bracket ( ] ). Real arrays can be
set and/or used in expressions.
The following are reserved SimCode real variables which do not need to be declared:
Variable

298

Use

Digital Model Parameter

vil_param

low input state value

VIL value

vih_param

high input state value

VIH value

vol_param

low output state value

VOL value

voh_param

high output state value

VOH value

v3s_param

tri-state output state value

N/A

rol_param

low output strength value

N/A

Simulating Digital Designs

roh_param

high output strength value

N/A

r3s_param

tri-state output strength value

N/A

pwr_param

Voltage on power pin

PWR value

gnd_param

Voltage on ground pin

GND value

present_time

Present simulation time

N/A

previous_time

Previous simulation time

N/A

sim_temp

Circuit operating temperature

N/A (SPICE Option: TEMP)

The Digital Model Parameter can be set independently for each digital device in the
Digital Model Parameters dialog box. If the variable is set explicitly in the SimCode,
that setting will override all other settings.
The values of pwr_param and gnd_param are set each time the PWR_GND_PINS
statement is executed. The value of present_time and previous_time are set each time
the time step changes. The value of sim_temp is the current operating temperature of
the circuit which can be set from the SPICE Option TEMP.
Example
REALS tplh_val, tphl_val, ricc_val, vbias, values[64];
See Also

PWR_GND_PIN, VIL_VIH_VALUE, VIL_VIH_PERCENT, VOL_VOH_MIN

RECOVER
Tests inputs for recovery time violations.
General Form
RECOVER(<clk input> = {LH}|{HL} <mr input> [<mr input> ...]
Parameters

<clk input>
<mr input>

TREC
TRECL
TRECH
<message>

Name of, or index to the input clock/reference pin under test

Name of, or index to the input set/reset pin under test.
Recovery time for both low and high going <mr pin>.
Recovery time for low going <mr pin>.
Recovery time for high going <mr pin>.
Text string that will be displayed if a warning occurs.

Use

The RECOVER function compares the time difference between a level change (LH or
HL) on the <clk input> and a level change on the <mr input> to a specified test time.
RECOVER test times are specified jointly using TREC=<time> (which sets TRECL
and TRECH to the same value) or individually using TRECL=<time> and
TRECH=<time>. If the compare time is less than the specified <time> a warning will

299

Mixed-Signal Simulation

be displayed during simulation. An optional <message> string can be included in the

RECOVER statement which will be output if a warning is displayed.
Notes

Databook specifications should be used with this function. TRECL=<time> and

TRECH=<time> can be entered in the same RECOVER test. The RECOVER test will
be made only if the state of the <mr input> matches the time parameter
(TRECL=LOW, TRECH=HIGH) when the <clk input> makes the specified transition
(LH or HL). For example, if <clk input> = LH and TRECL is specified then the <mr
input> must be LOW when the <clk input> goes from LOW to HIGH for a RECOVER
test to be made. Pin names and variables can be mixed in the same RECOVER
statement.
Example
RECOVER(CLK=LH PRE CLR TREC=trec_val
"CLK->PRE or CLR");

RETURN
Returns from a subroutine in the SimCode.
General Form
RETURN;
Use

The RETURN instruction is used to return program flow to the instruction that
followed the last GOSUB instruction.
See Also

GOSUB
SELECT_VALUE
Returns value from simple look-up table.
General Form
SELECT_VALUE (<index>: <val/pin/var>,
<val/pin/var>[,<val/pin/var>,...]);
Parameters

<index>
<val/pin/var>

Input variable (index to <val/pin/var>)

Output value, pin or variable

Use

The SELECT_VALUE function returns the value of the number or variable indicated by
the value of the index variable.
Notes

The number of values and/or variables used is not limited.

300

Simulating Digital Designs

Example
A = (SELECT_VALUE(B: 16, 8, 4, 2, 1));

In this example, if B = 2 then A = 8 (the 2nd value).

See Also

PWL_TABLE, MIN_TYP_MAX
SETUP_HOLD
Tests inputs for setup and hold time violations
General Form
SETUP_HOLD(<clk input> = {LH}|{HL}
<data input> [<data input> ...]
{TS=<time>}|{TSL=<time> TSH=<time>}
{TH=<time>}|{THL=<time> THH=<time>} ["<message>"];
Parameters

<clk input>
<data input>

TS
TSL
TSH
TH
THL
THH
<message>

Name of, or index to the input clock/reference pin under test.

Name of, or index to the input data pin under test.
Setup time for both low and high going <data input>.
Setup time for low going <data input>.
Setup time for high going <data input>.
Hold time for both low and high going <data input>.
Hold time for high going <data input>.
Hold time for low going <data input>.
Text string that will be displayed if a warning occurs.

Use

The SETUP_HOLD function compares the time difference between a level change (LH
or HL) on the <clk input> and a level change on the <data input> to a specified test
time. SETUP test times are specified jointly using TS=<time> (which sets TSL and
TSH to the same value) or individually using TSL=<time> and TSH=<time>. HOLD
test times are specified jointly using TH=<time> (which sets THL and THH to the
same value) or individually using THL=<time> and THH=<time>. If the compare time
is less than the specified <time> a WARNING will be displayed. An optional
<message> string can be included in a SETUP_HOLD statement which will be output
if a WARNING is displayed.
Notes

Databook specifications should be used with this function. TSL=<time>, TSH=<time>,

THL=<time> and THH=<time> can be entered in the same SETUP_HOLD statement.
The SETUP and/or HOLD test will be made only if the state of the <data input>
matches the time parameter (TSL or THL=LOW, TSH or THH=HIGH) when the <clk
input> makes the specified transition (LH or HL). For example, if <clk input>=LH and
301

Mixed-Signal Simulation

TSL is specified, then the <data input> must be LOW when the <clk input> goes from
LOW to HIGH for a SETUP test to be made. Pin names and variables can be mixed in
the same SETUP_HOLD statement.
Example
SETUP_HOLD(CLK=LH DATA Ts=ts_val Th=th_val "CLK->DATA");

STATE
Sets outputs to the declared logic state.
General Form 1
STATE <output> [<output>...] = (<expression>);
General Form 2
STATE <output> [<output>...] = {ZERO}|{ONE}|{UNKNOWN};
Parameters

Name of, or variable index to the output pin.

Any expression to be compared to VIL or VIH.

<output>
<expression>
Use

The state of an output pin is determined by its level and its strength. The STATE
command sets the level and strength for one or more output pins or variables. If
<expression> is less than or equal to vil_param, the output will be set to ZERO. If
<expression> is greater than or equal to vih_param, the output will be set to ONE.
Otherwise, the output will be set to UNKNOWN. The level and strength values are set
according to the state:
<expression>

State

Level

Strength

<= vol_param
>= voh_param
other

ZERO
ONE
UNKNOWN

vol_param
voh_param
v3s_param

rol_param
roh_param
r3s_param

Notes

Output pins can be specified by using the output pin name or by an integer variable that
contains the index of an output pin. Pin and variable names cannot be mixed in the
same STATE command. References to outputs must be either all pin names or all
variable names.
Examples
STATE Q = ONE;
STATE Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 = ZERO;
STATE OUT = ((1+2)/3);

In the last example, OUT will be:

ZERO if vil_param > 1
UNKNOWN if vil_param < 1 and vih_param > 1
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Simulating Digital Designs

ONE if vih_param < 1

See Also

REALS, STATE_BIT, LEVEL, STRENGTH, TABLE, EXT_TABLE

STATE_BIT
Sets outputs to binary weighted logic states.
General Form

STATE_BIT <output> [<output> ...] = (<expression>) ;

Parameters

<output>
<expression>

Name of, or variable index to the output pin

Any expression which can be bitwise matched with the outputs

Use

The state of an output pin is determined by its level and its strength. The STATE_BIT
command is used to set the level and strength for one or more output pins based on the
value of the <expression>. The state of the first pin listed is set according to the first
(least-significant-bit) of the expression's value, the state of the second pin listed is set
according to second bit of the expression's value, and so on. The level and strength
values are set by the bit's value:
Bit Value

State

Level

Strength

0
1

ZERO
ONE

vol_param
voh_param

rol_param
roh_param

Notes

Output pins can be specified by using the output pin name or by an integer variable that
contains the index of an output pin. Pin and variable names cannot be mixed in the
same STATE_BIT statement. References to outputs must be either all pin names or all
variable names. The maximum number of output pins/vars is limited to 16.
Example
STATE_BIT Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 = (internal_reg);

In this example, if internal_reg = 11 (1011 binary) then Q1 (LSB) = ONE, Q2 = ONE,

Q3 = ZERO and Q4 (MSB) = ONE.
See Also

REALS, STATE, LEVEL, STRENGTH, TABLE, EXT_TABLE

STEP_OFF
Turns off the SimCode trace mode.

303

Mixed-Signal Simulation
General Form
STEP_OFF
Use

The STEP_OFF statement turns off the SimCode TRACE mode.

See Also

STEP_ON
STEP_ON
Turns on the SimCode trace mode.
General Form
STEP_ON
Use

The STEP_ON statement turns on the SimCode TRACE mode. This causes the
SimCode to display the Program Counter (PC) number and each SimCode instruction
before it is executed.
See Also

STEP_OFF
STRENGTH
Sets the strength of the output state.
General Form 1
STRENGTH <output> [<output> ...] = (<expression>);
General Form 2
STRENGTH <output> [<output> ...] = {STRONG}|{HI_IMPEDANCE};
Parameters

<output>
<expression>

Name of, or variable index to the output pin.

Any expression to be used directly as a strength.

Use

The state of an output pin is determined by its level and its strength. Use the
STRENGTH command to set the strength of one or more output pins.

304

Value

State

Strength

STRONG
STRONG
HI_IMPEDANCE
<expression>

ZERO
ONE
N/A
N/A

rol_param
roh_param
r3s_param
<expression>

Simulating Digital Designs

Notes

Output pins can be specified by using the output pin name or by an integer variable that
contains the index of an output pin. Pin and variable names cannot be mixed in the
same STATE statement. References to outputs must be either all pin names or all
variable names.
See Also

REALS, STATE, STATE_BIT, LEVEL

SUPPLY_MIN_MAX
Tests supply pins for min and max supply voltage violations.
General Form
SUPPLY_MIN_MAX(<min value>, <max value>);
Parameters

<min value>
<max value>

Minimum recommended power supply voltage.

Maximum recommended power supply voltage.

Use

The SUPPLY_MIN_MAX function checks the voltage difference between the power
and ground pins defined in PWR_GND_PINS. If the WARN flag is set in the Digital
Model Parameters dialog box and the voltage difference (pwr_param - gnd_param) is
less than <min value> or greater than <max value> a warning will be displayed during
simulation.
Notes

Databook specifications should be used with this function. PWR_GND_PINS must be

defined to use this function.
Example
SUPPLY_MIN_MAX(4.75, 5.25);
See Also

INTEGERS, PWR_GND_PINS
TABLE
Sets output logic states based on truth table.
General Form
TABLE <line>
<input> [<input> ...] <output pin> [<output pin> ...]
<input state> [<input state> ...] <output state> [<output state> ...];
Parameters

<line>

Variable into which the table line number is placed.

305

Mixed-Signal Simulation

<input>
<output pin>
<input state>
<output state>

Name of the input pin or variable index to the input pin.

Name of the output pin.
State of the individual inputs.
State of the individual outputs based on input conditions.

Use

The TABLE statement operates like a truth table to set the level and strength of the
specified outputs. Valid input states are:
0
low (input voltage is <= vil_param).
1
high (input voltage is >= vih_param).
X
dont care what input voltage is.
Valid output states are:
L
ZERO (set output level to vol_param)
H
ONE (set output level to voh_param).
Z
UNKNOWN (set output level to v3s_param).
Output state letters can be followed by a colon and a letter to indicate strength:
s
STRONG (set output to rol_param for L and roh_param for H).
z
HI_IMPEDANCE (set output to r3s_param).
If a strength character is not specified after an output state then STRONG will be used
for L and H states and HI_IMPEDANCE will be used for Z states.
Notes

Each row is tested sequentially from top to bottom until the input conditions are met.
The outputs are set for the first row to meet the input conditions. The <line> is set to
the line number in the table that was used. If no match was made then <line> is set to
0. Input pin and variable names cannot be mixed in the same TABLE statement.
References to inputs must be either all pin names or all variable names.
Example
TABLE tblIndex
INA
INB
OUT
0 0 H
0 1 H
1 0 H
1 1 L;

This example is representative of 1/4 of a 7400 2-input NAND gate. If input pins INA
and INB are both high (>= vih_param), OUT is set to ZERO (vol_param) and
STRONG (rol_param) and tblIndex is set to 4.
See Also

REALS, STATE, STATE_BIT, EXT_TABLE

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Simulating Digital Designs

VALUE
Returns the value of the specified pin.
General Form
VALUE(<pin>)
Parameters

<pin>

Name of or index to a pin.

Use

The VALUE function returns a real number that indicates the voltage level of the
specified pin.
Example
v = (VALUE(D3));

VIL_VIH_PERCENT
Sets VIL and VIH values to a percentage of supply voltage.
General Form
VIL_VIH_PERCENT (<vil %>, <vih %>);
Parameters

<vil %>
<vih %>

Percentage of the supply voltage which defines vil.

Percentage of the supply voltage which defines vih.

Use

VIL and VIH do not use a min/typ/max array to select their values, but must be
declared explicitly for each digital device. The VIL_VIH_PERCENT statement sets the
VIL and VIH parameters of the device to a percentage of the supply voltage as follows:
vil_param = (pwr_param - gnd_param) * <vil %>
vih_param = (pwr_param - gnd_param) * <vih %>
Notes

PWR_GND_PINS must be defined to use this function. The % values must be greater
than 0 and less than 100. The vil_param and vih_param values set by
VIL_VIH_PERCENT are overridden by any values set for VIL value and VIH
value in the Digital Model Parameters dialog box.
Example
VIL_VIH_PERCENT(33, 67);
See Also

REALS, PWR_GND_PINS, VIL_VIH_VALUE

VIL_VIH_VALUE
Sets absolute VIL and VIH values.
307

Mixed-Signal Simulation
General Form
VIL_VIH_VALUE (<vil>, <vih>);
Parameters

<vil>
<vih>

Absolute voltage level which defines vil.

Absolute voltage level which defines vih.

Use

VIL and VIH do not use a min/typ/max array to select their values, but must be
declared explicitly for each digital device. The VIL_VIH_VALUE statement sets the
VIL and VIH parameters of the device to absolute voltages as follows:
vil_param = <vil>
vih_param = <vih>
Notes

In order to more accurately model the actual switching characteristics of a digital input,
VIL and VIH are not generally set to their specified databook values. The exception is
the case of devices with a specified hysteresis such as the 74LS14. Typically, the
hysteresis of a digital device is small, in the order of 100mV, but never 0V.
The vil_param and vih_param values set by VIL_VIH_VALUE are overridden by any
values set for VIL value and VIH value in the Digital Model Parameters dialog
box.
Example
VIL_VIH_VALUE(1.25, 1.35);
See Also

REALS, VIL_VIH_PERCENT
VOL_VOH_MIN
Sets VOH and VOL relative to power and ground.
General Form
VOL_VOH_MIN (<vol offset>, <voh offset>, <min voh-vol>);
Parameters

<vol offset>
<voh offset>
<min voh-vol>

Voltage offset which must be applied to ground pin voltage to

get vol.
Voltage offset which must be applied to power pin voltage to
get voh.
Minimum allowed difference between voh and vol.

Use

VOL and VOH do not use a min/typ/max array to select their values, but must be
declared explicitly for each digital device. The VOL_VOH_MIN statement sets the
VOL and VOH parameters of the device as follows:
vol_param = gnd_param + <vol offset>
voh_param = pwr_param + <voh offset>
308

Simulating Digital Designs

Notes

In order to more accurately model the actual characteristics of a digital output, VOH is
not generally set to its specified databook value. The reason for this deviation is that
databook values for VOH are specified for maximum IOH load. In digital SimCode,
VOL and VOH represent an unloaded output voltage.
PWR_GND_PINS must be defined to use this function. The vol_param and voh_param
values set by VOL_VOH_MIN are overridden by any values set for VOL value and
VOH value in the Digital Model Parameters dialog box. These are offset values
rather than absolute voltages. The <voh offset> is negative so that when added to
pwr_param, the resulting VOH will not be greater than pwr_param. If the difference
between the resulting vol_param and voh_param is less than <min voh-vol>, then
vol_param will be set to the value of gnd_param and voh_param will be set to
gnd_param + <min voh-vol>.
Example
VOL_VOH_MIN(0.2, -0.4, 0.1);

In this example:
1
2

If gnd_param = 0V and pwr_param = 5.0V, then

vol_param = 0.2V and voh_param = 4.6V
If gnd_param = 0V and pwr_param = 0.5V, then
vol_param = 0.0V and voh_param = 0.1V

See Also

REALS, PWR_GND_PINS
WHILE ... DO
Conditionally controls looping in the SimCode.
General Form
WHILE (<expression>) DO BEGIN ... END;
Parameters

<expression>

Any expression that can be evaluated as true or false

Use

The WHILE ... DO statement is used to loop through a section of SimCode until
<expression> evaluates to false.
Notes

Program flow will remain in a loop between the BEGIN and END statements until
<expression> evaluates to false, then program flow resumes after the END statement.
Examples
i = 1;
WHILE (i <= 5) DO
BEGIN
data[i] = data[i + 1];
i = i + 1;

309

Mixed-Signal Simulation

END;
See Also

IF ... THEN
WIDTH
Tests inputs for minimum pulse width violations.
General Form
WIDTH(<input> [<input>...] {TWL=<time>}|{TWH=<time>} ["<message>"];
Parameters

<input>

TWL
TWH
<message>

Name of or variable index to the input pin under test.

Width of a low going pulse.
Width of a high going pulse.
Text string that will be displayed if a warning occurs.

Use

The WIDTH function compares the pulse width on each <ipin> to the specified test
WIDTH times. A low level test time is specified using TWL=<time> while a high level
test time is specified using TWH=<time>. If the compare time is less than the specified
<time> a WARNING will be displayed. An optional <message> string can be included
in the WIDTH statement which will be output if a WARNING is displayed.
Notes

Databook specifications should be used with this function. The input pins can be input
pin names and/or integer variables that contain an index value to an input pin. Pin
names and variables can be mixed in the same WIDTH statement.
Examples
WIDTH(CLK TWL=clk_twl TWH=clk_twh "CLK");
WIDTH(PRE CLR TWL= pre_clr_twl "PRE or CLR");

WIDTH_TIME
Returns last pulse width encountered on specified pin.
General Form
WIDTH_TIME(<input>)
Parameters

<input>

Name of or index to an input pin.

Use

This function returns a real value that indicates the last pulse width encountered on the
specified <input>.
Example
PW = (WIDTH_TIME(CP2));

310

Section 5

PLD Design
PLD Design Feature Highlights
An Overview of the PLD Design Process
Schematic-based PLD Design Entry
CUPL HDL Design Entry
Compiling the Programmable Logic Design
Simulating the Programmable Logic Design
Sample PLD Design Session
PLD Design Examples

313
316
319
336
351
359
389
411

311

PLD Design

312

PLD Design Feature Highlights

PLD Design Feature Highlights

This section of the Protel Designers Handbook will guide you through the process of
designing for programmable logic. As you read this section you will find all the
information you need to design a PLD; either as a schematic, or using the CUPL
Hardware Description Language.
The CUPL HDL allows you to design a PLD using Boolean equations, state machines
and truth tables. Use the sample design session and the design examples to guide you
through the design process.
Extensive device libraries are included, supporting devices from all the major
manufacturers of programmable logic. The CUPL HDL is manufacture-independent,
providing you with both design and packaging freedom.

313

PLD Design

Schematic-based PLD Design

Capture your PLD as a schematic, from the special PLD Symbols library. This library
includes all the functional blocks required to create a schematic-based PLD design.
Your schematic-based PLD design can be anything from a single sheet, through to a
multi-sheet hierarchical design of any depth. PLD Symbols.lib is in the Pld.Ddb
Library Database.

Designing a PLD with CUPL

CUPL HDL logic description files and simulation listing files are entered using the
integrated, syntax-aware Text Editor. The PLD design tools incorporates integrated
error reporting. When an error is detected during compilation or simulation it is
automatically displayed and highlighted, along with a description of the error
condition.

The PLD Compiler

The PLD Compiler contains the fastest and most powerful minimizer offered for
programmable logic equation reduction, with four levels of minimization. The
Compiler simplifies Boolean expressions by the distributive property and DeMorgans
Theorem.
The Compiler produces an industry standard JEDEC file. This is a download file
format that is compatible with any logic programmer that supports the JEDEC format.
Devices from all the major manufacturers of programmable logic are supported,
providing both design and packaging freedom.

The PLD Simulator

Use the PLD Simulator to simulate your design before it is put into production. Create
a simulation listing file which describes the expected functionality of the PLD in terms
of input and output values. The Simulator compares the expected values to actual
values calculated during compilation. Test vectors verified by the Simulator can be
included in the JEDEC file and downloaded to the logic programmer.

Viewing the Simulation Waveforms

Simulation results can be examined with the Waveform Editor. This Editor reads the
simulation listing file (filename.SO) and displays the waveform in a spreadsheet
style window.

314

PLD Design Feature Highlights

CUPL High-level Language

The PLD Compiler supports the CUPL Hardware Description Language. Throughout
this guide it is referred to as CUPL or the CUPL language.
To save design time, the CUPL language contains expression substitution for equations
and shorthand notation for lists, address ranges, and bit fields.
State machine syntax provides a means of implementing any synchronous application
using either Mealy or Moore state machine models. Truth table syntax provides a way
to clearly express certain logic descriptions.
A comprehensive CUPL Language Reference section is included in the on-line Help.

Universal Device Support

Devices from all the major manufacturers of programmable logic are supported, giving
two distinct advantages. The first is that you only need to learn one development
environment and language. You can design anything from a simple address decoder,
destined for a GAL16V8; through to a proprietary design destined for a Xilinx 5000
series device. The second advantage is that you can package the same functional logic
into physically different parts, giving you the freedom to choose the device
manufacturer.

315

PLD Design

An Overview of the PLD Design Process

This chapter gives an overview of the process of PLD design. It outlines the sequence
you follow to go from a design concept, through to a programmed device.

Entering the Design

Your design can be entered either as a schematic, or in the CUPL HDL. The approach
you choose will depend on the nature of the design, and your design preferences.
Schematic-based Design
To create a schematic-based PLD design use the
components from the special schematic-to-PLD library,
PLD Symbols.lib, which is in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Sch
\Pld.ddb Library Database.

The pins from

the physical target
device are mapped to
the internal logic
using the special
IPAD and OPAD
components.

Once the logic design is complete you select the target

device, configure the compiler, and enable the output
options in the Configure dialog. When the compiler detects
that the design is schematic-based it automatically translates the design into CUPL
HDL code. This CUPL code is then compiled in the normal way.
CUPL HDL Design
The CUPL Hardware Description Language allows you to design a PLD using a
variety of methods, including Boolean equations, state machines and truth tables. To
save design time, the CUPL language contains expression
substitution for equations and shorthand notation for lists,
A comprehensive
address ranges, and bit fields.
CUPL
Language
Reference section is
State machine syntax provides a means of implementing any
included in the onsynchronous application using either Mealy or Moore state
line Help.
machine models, and truth table syntax provides a way to
clearly express certain logic descriptions.

316

An Overview of the PLD Design Process

Compiling the Design

The following steps are carried out to compile the CUPL code.
Language Preprocessing
The input file is scanned, processing the preprocessor directives, such as $DEFINE. An
intermediate file is generated with all preprocessor directives expanded.
Parsing And State Machine Translation
The intermediate file is parsed using a table driven parser, generating a symbol table
and expanded equations. It expands state machine, truth table, and user-defined
function syntax into Boolean equations, and also performs simple logic reduction while
processing range statements.
Device Compatibility Checking and DeMorganizing
The pinouts selected in the PLD source file are checked against the allowable pinouts
in the device library (.DL) file, verifying that all variables in the source file are used
correctly based on the architecture of the device.
This module also performs DeMorgans theorem on an output variable when the
polarity of the variable does not match the polarity of the pin in the device. This allows
active high designs to be implemented in active low devices, and vice-versa. Also at
this stage of compiling the first level of minimization is performed. It will eliminate 0s
and 1s, redundant terms, and product terms that are contained within other product
terms. This pass builds the final symbol table, containing device model links and a
bitmap representation of the logic design.
Logic Minimizing
The Logic Minimizing module executes logic minimization algorithms on the bitmap
representation of the logic generated in the previous pass. It processes only the
equations for which reduction has been requested.
The minimizer performs the selected minimization algorithm on the source file
equations. The minimizer algorithms are; Quick, Quine-McCluskey, Presto, and
Espresso. The best algorithm for PAL architectures is Quine-McCluskey, and the best
algorithm for PLA architectures is Espresso (it does very well with product term
sharing). In general, Espresso is fast and gives almost the same results as QuineMcCluskey.
Fitter And Output File Generation
The fitter module fits the design into the desired device. It uses built-in algorithms, or
calls a third party fitter to achieve a device fit. The fitter module manipulates the

317

PLD Design

macrocells and multiplexers of complex devices to fit the Boolean logic into the
device. If the design cannot fit into the device an error message is displayed. The fitter
module also creates all the output files specified in the Configure dialog.
The fitter module determines if the design fits the target device architecture and builds
a fuse map. The fuse map and symbol table are used to generate the documentation and
JEDEC files.

Simulating the Design

To simulate your design you must first create a simulation input file (filename.SI), and
compile the design with the ABS output option enabled.
The simulation input file describes the expected functionality of the device in terms of
input and output values. When you run a simulation the expected values are compared
to the actual values calculated during compilation (these are in the ABS file). Test
vectors verified by the Simulator can also be included in the JEDEC file and
downloaded to the logic programmer.
The simulator performs unit-delay simulation that mostly reflects how the design will
behave in the actual device. Certain device idiosyncrasies and internal delays are not
simulated. However, the simulator will show race conditions and true Dont Care
usage.

Where to Set-up and Run the PLD Compiler

Device selection, compiler options and output options are configured in the Configure
PLD dialog. Select PLD Configure from the Text Editor or Schematic menus to
display this dialog. You can also configure, compile and simulate from the PLDTools
toolbar. Select View Toolbars PLD Toolbar from the menus to display the toolbar.
The compiler is launched by selecting PLD Compile from
the menus, or by clicking on the Compile button. The
simulator is launched by selecting PLD Simulate from the
menus, or by clicking on the Simulate button.
Refer to the chapter, Compiling the Programmable Logic
Design, for more details on configuring the compiler.

318

configure
compile

simulate

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

Schematic-based design for programmable logic is done in the same way that you
capture the schematic for the PCB. The design can be single or multi-sheet, with an
unlimited depth to the design hierarchy. The only difference is that you must use
symbols from the special PLD Symbols library.
When you compile a schematic-based programmable logic design that is targeted for a
PLD, the design is first translated from a schematic to a CUPL compiler source file.
The resulting CUPL file is then compiled to produce the selected output files.

Using the Symbol Library

There is a special library of symbols that is used for designing programmable logic,
PLD Symbols.lib, which is in the \Program Files\Design Explorer 99
SE\Library\Sch\Pld.ddb Library Database.
This library covers all the standard functional groups, such as buffers, comparators,
flip-flops, and so on.
It is important that you are familiar with the architecture of the device that your design
is targeted for, to ensure that you only use symbols that can be implemented in that
device.
Symbol Naming Conventions
The symbols are named in one of two ways. Most are named using a set of descriptors,
with different letters to indicate the various functions supported by that symbol. The
others are named using standard TTL 74 series logic names. These are preceded with
the letter X, for example X74_138.

A 2 input NOR, a 2-to-1 multiplexer, and a 3-to-8 decoder from the PLD Symbols library

319

PLD Design

Finding Symbols in the Library

There are over 360 symbols in the programmable
logic Symbols library. They are all listed, with a
description, in the following topic, Symbols
Grouped by Functional Category.
You can also use the Schematic Editors Find
feature to search for a symbol. Select Tools Find
Component from the menus to display the Find
Component dialog. Each symbol in the
programmable logic symbol library includes a
comprehensive description, making it easy to
search by description. For example, perhaps you
would like to know if there is a symbol for a
priority encoder with active-low inputs in the Use the Find feature to search for a
symbol
library.
Before you begin the
search make sure
that
the
Search
Scope and Search
Path are set up
Set the search scope and path to restrict the search
correctly. The figure
shows how the \PLD folder has been included in the path to restrict the search to only
the programmable logic symbol libraries.
Rather than trying to
type the search string
in exactly as it might
be written in the
library, type in each
Searching for a component by description
word (or sets of
words) that you want to search for, enclosed by the wildcard characters.
Any libraries that
include components
with these words in
their description will
be listed in the Found
Libraries section of the
dialog. Click on a
component in the list
to
display
a
description of the
component at the
bottom of the dialog.

320

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

Symbols Grouped by Functional Category

Arithmetic Functions

There are three types of arithmetic functions: accumulators (ACC), adders (ADD), and
adder/subtracters (ADSU).
ACC1
ACC16
ACC4
ACC8
ADD1
ADD16
ADD4
ADD8
ADSU1
ADSU16
ADSU4
ADSU8
X74_280
X74_283

1-Bit loadable cascadable accumulator with carry-in, carry-out, and

synchronous reset
16-Bit loadable cascadable accumulator with carry-in, carry-out, and
synchronous reset
4-Bit loadable cascadable accumulator with carry-in, carry-out, and
synchronous reset
8-Bit loadable cascadable accumulator with carry-in, carry-out, and
synchronous reset
1-Bit full adder with carry-in and carry-out
16-Bit full adder with carry-in and carry-out
4-Bit full adder with carry-in and carry-out
8-Bit full adder with carry-in and carry-out
1-Bit cascadable adder/subtractor with carry-in and carry-out
16-Bit cascadable adder/subtractor with carry-in and carry-out
4-Bit cascadable adder/subtractor with carry-in and carry-out
8-Bit cascadable adder/subtractor with carry-in, carry-out and Overflow
9-Bit Odd/Even Parity generator/checker
4-Bit full adder with carry-in and carry-out

Buffers

Buffers route high fan-out signals, 3-state signals, and clocks inside a PLD device.
BUF
BUF16
BUF4
BUF8
BUFE
BUFE16
BUFE4
BUFE8
BUFG
BUFGP
BUFGS
BUFT
BUFT16
BUFT4

General purpose buffers

General purpose buffers
General purpose buffers
General purpose buffers
Internal 3-State buffers
Internal 3-State buffers
Internal 3-State buffers
Internal 3-State buffers
Global clock buffer
Primary Global buffer for driving clocks or longlines (Four per PLD device)
Secondary buffer for driving clocks or longlines (Four per PLD device)
Internal 3-State buffers
Internal 3-State buffers
Internal 3-State buffers

321

PLD Design

BUFT8

Internal 3-State buffers

Comparators

There are two types of comparators, identity (COMP) and magnitude (COMPM).
COMP16
COMP2
COMP4
COMP8
COMPM16
COMPM2
COMPM4
COMPM8
COMPMC16
COMPMC8
X74_518
X74_521
X74_L85

16-Bit Identity comparator

2-Bit Identity comparator
4-Bit Identity comparator
8-Bit Identity Comparator
16-Bit Magnitude Comparator
2-Bit Magnitude Comparator
4-Bit Magnitude Comparator
8-Bit Magnitude Comparator
16-Bit Magnitude Comparator
8-Bit Magnitude Comparator
8-Bit identity comparator with active-low enable
8-Bit identity comparator with active-low enable and output
4-Bit expandable magnitude comparator

Counters

There are six types of counters, with a variety of synchronous and asynchronous
inputs. Use the naming information shown below to determine exactly what functions
each counter includes.
CB16CE
CB16CLE
CB16CLED
CB16RE
CB2CE
CB2CLE
CB2CLED
CB2RE
CB4CE
CB4CLE
CB4CLED
CB4RE
CB8CE

322

16-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
16-Bit loadable cascadable binary counter with clock enable and
asynchronous Clear
16-Bit loadable cascadable bi-directional binary counter with clock enable
and asynchronous Clear
16-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
2-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
2-Bit loadable cascadable binary counter with clock enable and
asynchronous Clear
2-Bit loadable cascadable bi-directional binary counter with clock enable
and asynchronous Clear
2-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
4-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
4-Bit loadable cascadable binary counter with clock enable and
asynchronous Clear
4-Bit loadable cascadable bi-directional binary counter with clock enable
and asynchronous Clear
4-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
8-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

CB8CLE
CB8CLED
CB8RE
CC16CE
CC16CLE
CC16CLED
CC16RE
CC8CE
CC8CLE
CC8CLED

8-Bit loadable cascadable binary counter with clock enable and

asynchronous Clear
8-Bit loadable cascadable bi-directional binary counter with clock enable
and asynchronous Clear
8-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
16-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
16-Bit loadable cascadable binary counter with clock enable and
asynchronous Clear
16-Bit loadable cascadable bidirectional binary counter with clock enable
and asynchronous Clear
16-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
8-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
8-Bit loadable cascadable binary counter with clock enable and
asynchronous Clear
8-Bit loadable cascadable bidirectional binary counter with clock enable
and asynchronous Clear

CC8RE

8-Bit cascadable binary counter with clock enable and synchronous

reset

CD4CE
CD4CLE

4-Bit cascadable BCD counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
4-Bit loadable cascadable BCD counter with clock enable and asynchronous
Clear
4-Bit cascadable BCD counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
4-Bit loadable cascadable BCD counter with clock enable and synchronous
reset
4-Bit Johnson counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
4-Bit Johnson counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
5-Bit Johnson counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
5-Bit Johnson counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
8-Bit Johnson counter with clock enable and asynchronous Clear
8-Bit Johnson counter with clock enable and synchronous reset
16-Bit Negative-Edge binary ripple counter with clock enable and
asynchronous Clear
8-Bit Negative-Edge binary ripple counter with clock enable and
asynchronous Clear
4-Bit BCD counter with parallel and trickle enables, active-low load enable
and synchronous reset
4-Bit binary counter with parallel and trickle enables, active-low load enable
and synchronous reset
4-Bit binary counter with parallel and trickle enables, active-low load enable
and synchronous reset
4-Bit binary counter with parallel and trickle enables, active-low load enable
and synchronous reset

CD4RE
CD4RLE
CJ4CE
CJ4RE
CJ5CE
CJ5RE
CJ8CE
CJ8RE
CR16CE
CR8CE
X74_160
X74_161
X74_162
X74_163

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PLD Design

X74_168
X74_390

4-Bit BCD bi-directional counter with parallel and trickle clock enables and
active-low load enable
4-Bit BCD/Bi-Quinary counter with negative-edge clock and asynchronous
clear

Data Registers

The 3 types of data registers function exactly the same as the equivalent TTL
components.
X74_174
X74_273
X74_377

6-Bit Data register with active-low asynchronous clear

8-Bit Data register with active-low asynchronous clear
8-Bit Data register with active-low clock enable

Decoders

Decoders with an enable can be used as multiplexers.

D2_4E
D3_8E
D4_16E
X74_42
X74_138
X74_139
X74_154

2-to-4 Decode/Demultiplexer with enable

3-to-8 Decode/Demultiplexer with enable
4-to-16 Decode/Demultiplexer with enable
4-line to 10-line BCD-to-Decimal decode with active-low outputs
3-to-8 line decoder/demultiplexer with active-low outputs and three enables
2-to-4 line decoder/demultiplexer with active-low outputs and active-low
enable
4-to-16 line decoder/demultiplexer with active-low outputs and two enables

Encoders

There is a 10 to 4-line BCD encoder, and an 8 to 3-line binary encoder.

X74_147
X74_148

10-to-4 line priority encoder with active-low inputs and outputs

8-to-3 line cascadable priority encoder with active-low inputs and outputs

Flip-Flops

There are three types of flip-flops (D, J-K, toggle) with various synchronous and
asynchronous inputs. Some of the flip-flops have inverted clock inputs, and/or the
ability to be set in response to a global set/reset, rather than reset.
FD
FD_1
FD16CE
FD16RE
FD4CE
FD4RE
FD8CE
FD8RE

324

D Flip-Flop
D Flip-Flop with negative-edge clock
16-Bit data register with clock enable and asynchronous clear
16-Bit data register with clock enable and synchronous reset
4-Bit data register with clock enable and asynchronous clear
4-Bit data register with clock enable and synchronous reset
8-Bit data register with clock enable and asynchronous clear
8-Bit data register with clock enable and synchronous reset

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

FDC
FDC_1
FDCE
FDCE_1
FDCP
FDCPE
FDCS
FDP
FDP_1
FDPE
FDPE_1
FDR
FDRE
FDRS
FDRSE
FDS
FDSE
FDSR
FDSRE
FJKC
FJKCE
FJKCP
FJKCPE
FJKCS
FJKP
FJKPE
FJKRSE
FJKSRE
FTC
FTCE
FTCLE
FTCP
FTCPE
FTCPLE
FTCS
FTP
FTPE

D Flip-Flop with asynchronous clear

D Flip-Flop with negative-edge clock and asynchronous clear
D Flip-Flop with clock enable and asynchronous clear
D Flip-Flop with negative-edge clock, clock enable and asynchronous clear
D Flip-Flop with asynchronous preset and clear
D Flip-Flop with clock enable and asynchronous preset and clear
D Flip-Flop with asynchronous set and clear
D Flip-Flop with asynchronous preset
D Flip-Flop with negative-edge clock and asynchronous preset
D Flip-Flop with clock enable and asynchronous preset
D Flip-Flop with negative-edge clock, clock enable and asynchronous preset
D Flip-Flop with synchronous reset
D Flip-Flop with clock enable and synchronous reset
D Flip-Flop with synchronous reset and synchronous set
D Flip-Flop with synchronous reset and set and clock enable
D Flip-Flop with synchronous set
D Flip-Flop with clock enable and synchronous set
D Flip-Flop with synchronous set and synchronous reset
D Flip-Flop with synchronous set and reset and clock enable
J-K Flip-Flop with asynchronous clear
J-K Flip-Flop with clock enable and asynchronous clear
J-K Flip-Flop with asynchronous clear and preset
J-K Flip-Flop with clock enable and asynchronous clear and preset
J-K Flip-Flop with asynchronous clear and set
J-K Flip-Flop with asynchronous preset
J-K Flip-Flop with clock enable and asynchronous preset
J-K Flip-Flop with clock enable and synchronous reset and set
J-K Flip-Flop with clock enable and synchronous reset and set
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable and asynchronous clear
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and asynchronous clear
Toggle/loadable Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and asynchronous
clear
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable and asynchronous clear and preset
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and asynchronous clear and
preset
Toggle/loadable Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and asynchronous
clear and preset
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable and asynchronous clear and set
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable and asynchronous preset
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and asynchronous preset

325

PLD Design

FTPLE
FTRSE
FTRSLE
FTSRE
FTSRLE

Toggle/loadable Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and asynchronous

preset
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and synchronous reset and
set
Toggle/loadable Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and synchronous
reset and set
Toggle Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and synchronous reset and
set
Toggle/loadable Flip-Flop with toggle enable, clock enable and synchronous
reset and set

Input/Output Flip-Flops

Input/Output flip-flops are configured in IOBs. They include flip-flops whose outputs
are enabled by 3-state buffers, flip-flops that can be set upon global set/reset rather
than reset, and flip-flops with inverted clock inputs.
IFD
IFD_1
IFD16
IFD4
IFD8
OFD
OFD_1
OFD16
OFD4
OFD8
OFDE
OFDE_1
OFDE16
OFDE4
OFDE8
OFDT
OFDT_1
OFDT16
OFDT4
OFDT8

326

Input D Flip-Flop
Input D Flip-Flop with inverted clock
16 x Input D Flip-Flops
4 x Input D Flip-Flops
8 x Input D Flip-Flops
Output D Flip-Flop
Output D Flip-Flop with inverted clock
16 x Output D Flip-Flop
4 x Output D Flip-Flop
8 x Output D Flip-Flop
Output D Flip-Flop with active-high enable output buffer
Output D Flip-Flop with active-high enable output buffer and inverted clock
16 x Output D Flip-Flop with active-high enable output buffer
4 x Output D Flip-Flop with active-high enable output buffer
8 x Output D Flip-Flop with active-high enable output buffer
Output D Flip-Flop with active-high 3-state and active-low enable output
buffer
Output D Flip-Flop with active-high 3-state and active-low enable output
buffer and inverted clock
16 x Output D Flip-Flop with active-high 3-state and active-low enable output
buffer
4 x Output D Flip-Flop with active-high 3-state and active-low enable output
buffer
8 x Output D Flip-Flop with active-high 3-state and active-low enable output
buffer

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

Input/Output Buffers

Input and output buffers, with various output enable options.

IBUF
IBUF16
IBUF4
IBUF8
OBUF
OBUF16
OBUF4
OBUF8
OBUFE
OBUFE16
OBUFE4
OBUFE8
OBUFT
OBUFT16
OBUFT4
OBUFT8

Input buffer
16 x Input buffers
4 x Input buffers
8 x Input buffers
Output buffer
16 x Output buffer
4 x Output buffer
8 x Output buffer
3-state Output buffer with active-high output enable
16 x 3-state Output buffer with active-high output enable
4 x 3-state Output buffer with active-high output enable
8 x 3-state Output buffer with active-high output enable
3-state Output buffer with active-low output enable
16 x 3-state Output buffer with active-low output enable
4 x 3-state Output buffer with active-low output enable
8 x 3-state Output buffer with active-low output enable

Input/Output Pads

Input, Output, and Input/Output pads are used to connect to the device pins.
IOPAD
IOPAD16
IOPAD4
IOPAD8
IPAD
IPAD16
IPAD4
IPAD8
OPAD
OPAD16
OPAD4
OPAD8

Input/Output Pad
16 x Input Pads
4 x Input/Output Pads
8 x Input/Output Pads
Input Pad
16 x Input Pads
4 x Input Pads
8 x Input Pads
Output Pad
16 x Output Pads
4 x Output Pads
8 x Output Pads

327

PLD Design

Input Latches

Input latches are used to hold transient data entering the device.
ILD
ILD_1
ILD16
ILD4
ILD8

Input transparent Data Latch

Input transparent Data Latch with inverted gate
16 x Input Transparent Data Latches
4 x Input Transparent Data Latches
8 x Input Transparent Data Latches

Inverters

Logic inverters.
INV
INV16
INV4
INV8

Inverter
16 x Inverters
4 x Inverters
8 x Inverters

Latches

Transparent data latches.

LD
LD_1
LD16
LD4
LD8

Transparent Data Latch

Transparent Data Latch with inverted gate
16 x Transparent Data Latch
4 x Transparent Data Latch
8 x Transparent Data Latch

Logic Primitives

Combinatorial logic gates that implement the basic Boolean functions. Up to 5 inputs
with a combination of inverted and non-inverted inputs, and up to 9 inputs noninverted.
AND2
AND2B1
AND2B2
AND3
AND3B1
AND3B2
AND3B3
AND4
AND4B1
AND4B2
AND4B3
AND4B4
328

2-Input and gate

2-Input and gate with one input inverted
2-Input and gate with two inputs inverted
3-Input AND gate
3-Input AND gate with one input inverted
3-Input AND gate with two inputs inverted
3-Input AND gate with three inputs inverted
4-Input AND gate
4-Input AND gate with one input inverted
4-Input AND gate with two inputs inverted
4-Input AND gate with three inputs inverted
4-Input AND gate with four inputs inverted

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

AND5
AND5B1
AND5B2
AND5B3
AND5B4
AND5B5
AND6
AND7
AND8
AND9
NAND2
NAND2B1
NAND2B2
NAND3
NAND3B1
NAND3B2
NAND3B3
NAND4
NAND4B1
NAND4B2
NAND4B3
NAND4B4
NAND5
NAND5B1
NAND5B2
NAND5B3
NAND5B4
NAND5B5
NAND6
NAND7
NAND8
NAND9
NOR2
NOR2B1
NOR2B2
NOR3
NOR3B1
NOR3B2
NOR3B3

5-Input AND gate

5-Input AND gate with one input inverted
5-Input AND gate with two inputs inverted
5-Input AND gate with three inputs inverted
5-Input AND gate with four inputs inverted
5-Input AND gate with five inputs inverted
6-Input AND gate
7-Input AND gate
8-Input AND gate
9-Input AND gate
2-Input NAND gate
2-Input NAND gate with one input inverted
2-Input NAND gate with two inputs inverted
3-Input NAND gate
3-Input NAND gate with one input inverted
3-Input NAND gate with two inputs inverted
3-Input NAND gate with three inputs inverted
4-Input NAND gate
4-Input NAND gate with one input inverted
4-Input NAND gate with two inputs inverted
4-Input NAND gate with three inputs inverted
4-Input NAND gate with four inputs inverted
5-Input NAND gate
5-Input NAND gate with one input inverted
5-Input NAND gate with two inputs inverted
5-Input NAND gate with three inputs inverted
5-Input NAND gate with four inputs inverted
5-Input NAND gate with five inputs inverted
6-Input NAND gate
7-Input NAND gate
8-Input NAND gate
9-Input NAND gate
2-Input NOR gate
2-Input NOR gate with one input inverted
2-Input NOR gate with two inputs inverted
3-Input NOR gate
3-Input NOR gate with one input inverted
3-Input NOR gate with two inputs inverted
3-Input NOR gate with three inputs inverted

329

PLD Design

NOR4
NOR4B1
NOR4B2
NOR4B3
NOR4B4
NOR5
NOR5B1
NOR5B2
NOR5B3
NOR5B4
NOR5B5
NOR6
NOR7
NOR8
NOR9
OR2
OR2B1
OR2B2
OR3
OR3B1
OR3B2
OR3B3
OR4
OR4B1
OR4B2
OR4B3
OR4B4
OR5
OR5B1
OR5B2
OR5B3
OR5B4
OR5B5
OR6
OR7
OR8
OR9
SOP3
SOP3B1A

330

4-Input NOR gate

4-Input NOR gate with one input inverted
4-Input NOR gate with two inputs inverted
4-Input NOR gate with three inputs inverted
4-Input NOR gate with four inputs inverted
5-Input NOR gate
5-Input NOR gate with one input inverted
5-Input NOR gate with two inputs inverted
5-Input NOR gate with three inputs inverted
5-Input NOR gate with four inputs inverted
5-Input NOR gate with five inputs inverted
6-Input NOR gate
7-Input NOR gate
8-Input NOR gate
9-Input NOR gate
2-Input OR gate
2-Input OR gate with one input inverted
2-Input OR gate with two inputs inverted
3-Input OR gate
3-Input OR gate with one input inverted
3-Input OR gate with two inputs inverted
3-Input OR gate with three inputs inverted
4-Input OR gate
4-Input OR gate with one input inverted
4-Input OR gate with two inputs inverted
4-Input OR gate with three inputs inverted
4-Input OR gate with four inputs inverted
5-Input OR gate
5-Input OR gate with one input inverted
5-Input OR gate with two inputs inverted
5-Input OR gate with three inputs inverted
5-Input OR gate with four inputs inverted
5-Input OR gate with five inputs inverted
6-Input OR gate
7-Input OR gate
8-Input OR gate
9-Input OR gate
3-Input sum-of-products function
3-Input sum-of-products with one AND input inverted

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

SOP3B1B
SOP3B2A
SOP3B2B
SOP3B3
SOP4
SOP4B1
SOP4B2A
SOP4B2B
SOP4B3
SOP4B4
XNOR2
XNOR3
XNOR4
XNOR5
XNOR6
XNOR7
XNOR8
XNOR9
XOR2
XOR3
XOR4
XOR5
XOR6
XOR7
XOR8
XOR9

3-Input sum-of-products function with one OR input inverted

3-Input sum-of-products with two AND inputs inverted
3-Input sum-of-products function with one OR and one AND input inverted
3-Input sum-of-products function with all inputs inverted
4-Input sum-of-products function
4-Input sum-of-products with one AND input inverted
4-Input sum-of-products function with both inputs on one AND gate
inverted
4-Input sum-of-products with one AND input on each AND gate inverted
4-Input sum-of-products function with three inputs inverted
4-Input sum-of-products function with all inputs inverted
2-input XNOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
3-input XNOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
4-input XNOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
5-input XNOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
6-input XNOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
7-input XNOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
8-input XNOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
9-input XNOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
2-input XOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
3-input XOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
4-input XOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
5-input XOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
6-input XOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
7-input XOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
8-input XOR Gates with non-inverted inputs
9-input XOR Gates with non-inverted inputs

Multiplexers

Up to 16 input multiplexers, with various enable and output options.

M16_1E
M2_1
M2_1B1
M2_1B2
M2_1E
M4_1E
M8_1E
X74_150
X74_151

16-to-1 Multiplexer with enable

2-to-1 Multiplexer
2-to-1 Multiplexer with D0 inverted
2-to-1 Multiplexer with D0 and D1 inverted
2-to-1 Multiplexer with enable
4-to-1 Multiplexer with enable
8-to-1 Multiplexer with enable
16-to-1 line multiplexer with active-low enable and output
8-to-1 line multiplexer with active-low enable and complementary outputs

331

PLD Design

X74_152
X74_153
X74_154
X74_157
X74_158
X74_298
X74_352

8-to-1 line multiplexer with active-low output

Dual 4-to-1 line multiplexer with active-low enables and common select
input
4-to-16 line decoder/demultiplexer with active-low outputs and two enables
Quadruple 2-to-1 multiplexer with common select and active-low enable
Quadruple 2-to-1 multiplexer with common select and active-low enable,
and active-low outputs
Quadruple 2-input multiplexer with storage and negative-edge clock
Dual 4-to-1 multiplexer with active-low enables and outputs

Shift Registers

Various size shift registers, with different enable and clear options.
SR4CE
SR4CLE
SR4CLED
SR4RE
SR4RLE
SR4RLED
SR8CE
SR8CLE
SR8CLED
SR8RE
SR8RLE
SR8RLED
SR16CE
SR16CLE
SR16CLED
SR16RE
332

4-Bit Serial-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable and asynchronous
clear
4-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and asynchronous clear
4-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and asynchronous clear
4-Bit Serial-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable and synchronous
reset
4-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and synchronous reset
4-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and synchronous reset
8-Bit Serial-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable and asynchronous
clear
8-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and asynchronous clear
8-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and asynchronous clear
8-Bit Serial-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable and synchronous
reset
8-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and synchronous reset
8-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and synchronous reset
16-Bit Serial-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable and
asynchronous clear
16-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and asynchronous clear
16-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and asynchronous clear
16-Bit Serial-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable and synchronous

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

SR16RLE
SR16RLED
X74_164
X74_165S
X74_194
X74_195

reset
16-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and synchronous reset
16-Bit loadable Serial/Parallel-in Parallel-out shift register with clock enable
and synchronous reset
8-Bit serial-in parallel-out shift register with active-low asynchronous clear
8-Bit loadable serial/parallel-in parallel-out shift register with clock enable
4-Bit loadable bi-directional serial/parallel-in parallel-out shift register
4-Bit loadable serial/parallel-in parallel-out shift register

Shifters

BRLSHFT4
BRLSHFT8

4-Bit barrel shifter

8-Bit barrel shifter

Supply and Pullup Symbols

GND
VCC

Ground-Connection Signal Tag

VCC-Connection signal tag

RAM

RAM16X1

16-Deep by 1-Wide Static RAM

How the Symbol Behavior is Defined

For each of the symbols in the PLD Symbol library, there is a description of its
behavior. The descriptions are stored in the Symbol Definition File, PldNet.SDF. The
syntax used in this file is described in the file header.

Designing the Internal Logic

The internal logic of a programmable device is designed using standard, digital design
methodologies. Only use components from the PLD Symbols library, then wire them
up in the normal way.
When you compile a schematic-based programmable logic design that is targeted for a
PLD, the design is first translated from a schematic to a CUPL compiler source file.
The resulting CUPL file is then compiled to produce the selected output files.
General Design Notes:

Each symbol in the design must have a unique designator, including the input and
output pads. There are no special requirements or restrictions on designators.
Assigning net names to all internal nets can assist in debugging.
Internal net names must be unique, and cannot be the negated value of any other
net name.

333

PLD Design

Buses can be used, they must include the standard bus-format net labels, the range
can be either ascending or descending.
Use symbols that are appropriate for the target device.

Creating a Multi-Sheet Design

Multi-sheet design is done in the same way as single sheet design. The Schematic
Editor supports a number of inter-sheet connection methodologies, all of which are
available for a programmable logic design. Refer to the chapter, Multi-Sheet Design
and Project Management, in the Schematic Capture section of this Handbook for
details on how to use each of the inter-sheet connection methods.
The inter-sheet connection method is specified by the Net Identifier Scope that is used
during netlisting. When you are compiling the design with the CUPL compiler you
must select the Net Identifier Scope in the Configure PLD dialog (select PLD
Configure from the menus).
The simplest way of remembering what each scope does is Sheet Symbols/Port
Connections creates inter-sheet connections vertically (between ports and matching
sheet entries); whereas the other two options create inter-sheet connections
horizontally (directly between matching ports and matching net labels). If you plan
to use multiple levels of sheet hierarchy in the design you must use the Sheet
Symbols/Port Connections option.

Interfacing from Internal Logic to Component Pins

Special input (IPAD), output (OPAD), and input/output (IOPAD) symbols are used to
interface from the internal logic to the pins of the target programmable device.
Place one of the appropriate pads at each point that connects to a component pin, and
give each PAD symbol a unique designator. The number of the component pin that the
PAD connects to is specified in Part Field 1 of the pad symbol, using the syntax:
LOC=PIN[component pin_number]
Using Multi-pin PAD Components

There are a number of multi-pin IPAD, OPAD and IOPAD components in the library.

334

Schematic-based PLD Design Entry

net name

DBus0
DBus1
DBus2
DBus3
DBus4
DBus5
DBus6
DBus7

Component pin

21
22
23
24
25
39
38
32

DBus[0..7]
U51
IOPAD8
DBus7
DBus6
DBus5
DBus4
DBus3
DBus2
DBus1
DBus0

IO7
IO6
IO5
IO4
IO3
IO2
IO1
IO0

LOC=PIN[21..25,39,38,32]

These can be used to connect an internal bus to the component pins. The syntax used
for mapping the PAD pins to physical component pins in Part Field 1 is to either
specify the pins as a range, separated by 2 dots (ascending or descending); or specify
them individually, separated by a comma. The mapping that would apply for the
IOPAD8 shown in the figure is shown in the table.
Displaying all the Pin Numbers
The Pin Numbers can be displayed on the sheet by selecting Simulate Display Pin
LOCs from the Schematic Editor menus. This is a toggle feature, select it again to hide
them.

Compiling a Schematic-based Programmable Logic Design

Once the design is complete the CUPL compiler is configured by selecting PLD
from the menus. Refer to the chapter Compiling the Design for information
on setting the compiler optimizations, options, and output formats.
Configure

If the design is a multi-sheet design you must also disable the Current sheet only option
and set the Net Identifier Scope option, in the Configure PLD dialog.
When you initiate the Compile process the design is first translated from a schematic to
a CUPL compiler source file. The resulting CUPL file (filename.PLD) is then compiled
to produce the selected output files.
When you compile a design using the CUPL compiler you can use the Virtual
Device option. This allows you to verify that the design will compile, as well as
examine the maximum number of product terms it will require (check the DOC
file). The number of product terms is often the reason a larger device must be used
experiment with the various compiler options and optimizations to reduce this
number.

335

PLD Design

CUPL HDL Design Entry

A PLD compiler source file is a text file that contains a logic description of the PLD
design in the CUPL Hardware Description Language. This file serves as an input to the
PLD compiler, which compiles the design and generates a file suitable for
downloading to a device programmer.
Use the following steps to guide you through the process of designing your PLD.
Examine the Design Task: As you consider the design requirements remember that statemachine, Boolean equations, and truth tables are available for the design. Try to
determine which type of syntax best suits the design task that is being worked on.

Follow the syntax requirements specified in this

chapter. Remember to edit the header to reflect the new file that is being created.

Create the Compiler Source File:

Formulate the Equations: Equations must be written in CUPL to specify the logic
desired. This can be in Boolean, state-machine, or truth table format.
Choose a Target Device: Make sure that there is a sufficient number of input pins. Check
that the number of registered and non-registered output pins is sufficient for the design.
Ensure that the device has three-state output control, if needed. Check that the device
can adequately handle the number of product terms required. Select the target device in
the Configure PLD dialog.

Assign the inputs and outputs of the design to the pins of the
device. Make sure that the device is being used properly by consulting the reference
material available from the manufacturer.

Make Pin Assignments:

Decide which file formats will be needed for downloading and

simulation. A choice of four minimizers are available. You are now ready to compile
your design. Refer to the chapter Compiling the Design for information on how to set
up the Configure PLD dialog.

Ready to Compile:

Overview of CUPL Source File Syntax

The creation of Compiler source file should adhere to a general outline described here.
The header information must always be at the beginning of a source file, followed by
the pin/node definitions. The other areas that are described are used as required, and
may be in any order. A comprehensive CUPL Language Reference section is included
in the on-line Help.

336

CUPL HDL Design Entry

Header Information
The header contains fundamental information about the design. The type of
information included is the name of the file, a part number for the device, a starting
date, a design revision number, a company name, a designers name, the assembly for
the device, and the location of the device in the assembly. The header may also specify
the device to be used for the design and the type of output to be generated by the
compiler. The header information can appear in any order and all of the information is
optional except for the name field. When a header item is missing, a warning message
will appear, but the compilation will be uninterrupted
Name
Partno
Date
Revision
Designer
Company
Assembly
Location
Format
Device

XXXXXX;
XXXXXX;
XX/XX/XX;
XX;
XXXXXX;
XXXXXX;
XXXXXX;
XXXXXX;
XXXXXX;
XXXXXX;

Header information section

Title Block
The title block is a comment area provided for the designer to place a title and
description of the design. The actual device name and manufacturer can be placed here
for future use or second source possibilities.
/**************************************************************/
/*
*/
/*
*/
/*
*/
/**************************************************************/
/* Allowable Target Device Types:
*/
/**************************************************************/
Title Block Section

Pin/node Definition
The pin/node section provides a comment label for the section and pin declaration
statements that the designer can fill in with the numbers and labels for his design. The
pin definitions can be in any order but it is easier to understand the design when the
pins are grouped according to usage. Empty comments are provided after each pin
definition to better describe the pins role in the design

337

PLD Design

/**
Pin
Pin
Pin

Inputs

/**
Pin
Pin
Pin

Outputs

Pinnode
Pinnode

**/
=
=
=

;
;
;

/*
/*
/*

*/
*/
*/

**/
=
=
=

;
;
;

/*
/*
/*

*/
*/
*/

=
=

;
;

/*
/*

*/
*/

Pin/Node Definition Section

Intermediate Variables
Intermediate variables are used to generate logic equations or additional intermediate
variables, which can then be used in other expressions. Writing logic equations in this
top down manner yields a logic description file that is easier to read and comprehend
Logic Equations
This section is like the body of a letter. It contains all the important parts of the design
like state machines, truth tables, and Boolean equations

Source File Directives

Most of the source file directives begin with a dollar sign ($). These directives are
commonly referred to as preprocessor commands. When used they must start in
column one of the source file. Any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters
may be used to type these commands. All source file directives may be placed on any
line within the source file.
Defining And Undefining Symbolic Constants
To define a symbolic constant use the $define command. This command replaces a
character string by another specified operator, number, or symbol. The replacement is a
literal string substitution made on the input file before being processed by the
Compiler. To undefine a symbolic constant use the $undef command. This command
cancels the $define command.
Including Other Files
The inclusion of another file into a source file can be achieved by using the $include
command. File inclusion allows the designer to standardize on a portion of commonly
used CUPL code. It is also useful for keeping a separate parameter file that defines
338

CUPL HDL Design Entry

constants that are commonly used in many source specifications. The files that are
included may also contain $include commands, allowing for nested include files.
Conditional Compilation
Conditional compilation allows the user to compile sections of source code based on
the existence or nonexistence of defined symbolic constants. These commands are
$ifdef, $ifndef, $else, and $endif. When a symbolic constant has previously been
defined, the source statements following the $ifdef command are compiled until the
occurrence of an $else or $endif command. When the argument has not previously
been defined, the source statements following the $ifdef command are ignored. The
$ifndef command works in the opposite manner of the $ifdef command. If the tested
condition of the $ifdef or $ifndef commands is false, then any source statements
between an $else and $endif command are compiled, otherwise they are ignored. The
$endif command is used to end a conditional compilation started with the $ifdef or
$ifndef commands. Conditional compilation may be nested, and for each level of
nesting of the $ifdef or $ifndef command, an associated $endif must be used.
$DEFINE Prototype X /*
$IFDEF Prototype
pin 1 = memreq;
/*
/*
pin 2 = ioreq;
/*
/*
$ELSE
pin 1 = ioreq;
/*
/*
pin 2 = memreq;
/*
/*
$ENDIF

define Prototype*/
memory request on */
pin 1 of prototype*/
I/O request on*/
pin 2 of prototype*/
I/O request on*/
pin 1 of PCB*/
memory request on
pin 2 of PCB*/

*/

Using Conditional Compilation

Repeating Statements
To repeat a set of CUPL language statements use the $repeat and $repend commands.
This command is similar to the FOR statement in C language and the DO statement in
FORTRAN language. The statements between the $repeat and $repend will be
repeated as many times as the index in the $repeat statement allows. This can make
defining state machine based counters very easy.
CUPL Source Code

Results after preprocessing

FIELD sel = [in2..0] FIELD sel = [in2..0];

$REPEAT i = [0..7]
!out0 = sel:h0 & enable;
!out{i} = sel:h{i} & enable;
!out1 = sel:h1 & enable;
$REPEND
!out2 = sel:h2 & enable;
!out3 = sel:h3 & enable;

339

PLD Design

!out4
!out5
!out6
!out7

=
=
=
=

sel:h4
sel:h5
sel:h6
sel:h7

&
&
&
&

enable;
enable;
enable;
enable;

Using $repeat and $repend Commands

Using Macros
A macro is a user-defined command that allows the user to substitute a series of
commands for a single word. This is accomplished by using the $macro and $mend
commands. The statements between the $macro and $mend commands will not be
compiled until the macro name is called. The macro is called by stating the macro
name in the source file and passing the parameters to the macro. Macros can be used to
create a library of decoders, counters, etc. A macro expansion (.MX) file can be created
to see how the preprocessor processed the macro definition.
$MACRO decoder bits MY_X MY_Y MY_enable;
FIELD select = [MY_Y{bits-1}..0];
$REPEAT i = [0..{2**(bits-1)}]
!MY_X{i} = select:h{i} & MY_enable;
$REPEND
$MEND
_/* Other CUPL statements */
decoder(3, out, in, enable); /*macro function call*/
Using $macro and $mend Commands

Individually Minimizing Outputs

Outputs can be minimized on a pin by pin basis using the MIN statement. The
minimization levels for the MIN statement are 0 to 4, and these correspond to the
options in the Configure PLD dialog. This statement allows you to specify different
minimization levels for different outputs in the same design.
The MIN statement numbers, and their corresponding option in the Configure PLD
dialog are:
Number
0
1
2
3
4

340

Corresponding Minimization
None
Quick
Quine-McCluskey
Presto
Expresso

CUPL HDL Design Entry

Following are examples of individually minimizing outputs:

MIN async_out= 0;
MIN [outa, outb]
MIN count.d = 4;

= 2;

/* no reduction
*/
/* Quine-McCluskey reduction
/* Expresso reduction

*/
*/

Blowing Technology-Dependent Fuses

Certain devices have fuses that can change the behavior of the whole device. Currently,
these fuses are referred to as MISER and TURBO bits. Depending on how you want
the device to behave, you need to either blow or not blow these fuses. This is
accomplished by using the FUSE statement. State the fuse number and the blow value
and the Compiler will set that fuse to the specified value. This statement should be
used with utmost care, as it can lead to unpredictable results if used incorrectly.
FUSE(101,1);
FUSE(102,0);

/* Blow the Turbo bit */

/* Do not blow the Miser bit */

Using the FUSE statement

341

PLD Design

Language Elements
This section describes the elements that comprise the CUPL logic description
language.
Pin/node Definition
Since the PIN definitions must be declared at the beginning of the source file, their
definition is a natural starting point for a design. Nodes and pinnodes, used to define
buried registers, should also be declared at the beginning of the source file. Pin
assignment needs to be done if you already know the device you want to use. However,
when creating a VIRTUAL design only the variable names that will later be assigned
to pins need to be filled in. The area that normally contains the pin number is left
blank.
Defining Intermediate Variables
Intermediate variables are variables that are assigned to an equation, but are not
assigned to a PIN or NODE. These are used to define equations that are used by many
variables or to provide an easier understanding of the design.
Using Indexed Variables
Variable names that end in a decimal number from 0 to 31 are referred to as indexed
variables. They can be used to represent a group of address lines, data lines, or other
sequentially numbered items. When indexed variables are used in bit field operations
the variable with index number 0 is always the lowest order bit.
Using Number Bases
All operations involving numbers in the Compiler are done with 32-bit accuracy.
Therefore, the numbers may have a value from 0 to 232 -1. Numbers may be
represented in any one of the four common bases: binary, octal, decimal, or
hexadecimal. The default base for all numbers used in the source file is hexadecimal,
except for device pin numbers and indexed variables, which are always decimal.
Binary, octal, and hexadecimal numbers can have dont care (X) values intermixed
with numerical values.
Number
b0
B1101
O663
D92
hBA
O[300..477]
H7FXX

342

Base
Binary
Binary
Octal
Decimal
Hexadecimal
Octal (range)
Hexadecimal (range)

Decimal Value
0
13
435
92
186
192..314
32512..32767

CUPL HDL Design Entry

Using List Notation

A list is a shorthand method of defining groups of variables. It is commonly used in pin
and node declarations, bit field declarations, logic equations, and set operations. Square
brackets are used to delimit items in the list.
Using Bit Fields
A bit field declaration assigns a single variable name to a group of bits. After making a
bit field assignment using the FIELD keyword, the name can be used in an expression;
the operation specified in the expression is then applied to each bit in the group. When
a FIELD statement is used, the compiler generates a single 32-bit field internally. This
is used to represent the variables in the bit field. Each bit represents one member of the
bit field. The bit number which represents a member of a bit field is the same as the
index number if indexed variables are used. This means that A0 will always occupy bit
0 in the bit field. This is mainly used for defining and manipulating address and data
buses.
FIELD ADDRESS = [A7, A6, A5, A4, A3, A2, A1, A0];
or
FIELD ADDRESS = [A7..0];
FIELD Mode = [Up, Down, Hold];
Using The FIELD Statement

343

PLD Design

Language Syntax
This section introduces the logic and arithmetic operators and functions that are needed
to create a design using the CUPL language.
Logical Operators
Four standard logical operators are available for use: NOT, AND, OR, and XOR. The
following table lists the operators and their order of precedence, from highest to
lowest.
Operator
!
&
#
$

Example
!A
A&B
A#B
A$B

Description
NOT
AND
OR
XOR

Precedence
1
2
3
4

Arithmetic Operators And Functions

Six standard arithmetic operators are available for use in $repeat and $macro
commands. The following table lists these operators and their order of precedence,
from highest to lowest.
Operator
**
*
/
%
+
-

Example

Description

2**3
2*i
4/2
9%8
2+4
4-i

Exponentiation
Multiplication
Division
Modulus
Addition
Subtraction

Precedence
1
2
2
2
3
3

One arithmetic function is available to use in expressions being used in $repeat and
$macro commands. The following table shows the arithmetic function and its bases.
Function

Base

LOG2
LOG8
LOG16
LOG

Binary
Octal
Hexadecimal
Decimal

The LOG function returns an integer value. For example:

LOG2(32) = 5 <==> 2**5 = 32
LOG2(33) = ceil(5.0444) = 6 <==> 2**6 = 64
Ceil(x) returns the smallest integer not less than x.

344

CUPL HDL Design Entry

Variable Extensions
Extensions can be added to variable names to indicate specific functions associated
with the major nodes inside a programmable device, including such capabilities as flipflop description and programmable tri-state enables. The Compiler checks the usage of
the extension to determine whether it is valid for the specified device and whether its
usage conflicts with some other extension used. The Compiler uses these extensions to
configure the macrocells within a device. This way the designer does not have to know
which fuses control what in the macrocells.
The figure below shows the use of extensions. Note that this figure does not represent
an actual circuit, but shows how to use extensions to write equations for different
functions in a circuit.
OUT_VAR.OE
IN_VAR1
OUT_VAR.SP
n

IN_VAR1
IN_VAR3.DQ
IN_VAR1

FUSE
ARRAY

SP

OUT_VAR.D
D

OUT_VAR

OUT_VAR.CK
OUT_VAR.AR

AR

OUT_VAR (default feedback)

OUT_VAR.IO (alternate feedback)

Circuit Illustrating Extensions

Logic Equations
Logic equations are the building blocks of the CUPL language. The form for logic
equations is as follows:
[!] var [.ext] = exp ;
where:
var is a single variable or a list of indexed or non-indexed variables defined
according to the rules for list notation. When a variable list is used, the expression
is assigned to each variable in the list.
.ext is an optional variable extension to assign a function to the major nodes inside
a programmable device.
exp is an expression; that is, a combination of variables and operators.

345

PLD Design

= is the assignment operator; it assigns the value of an expression to a variable or

set of variables.
! is the complement operator.
In standard logic equations, normally only one expression is assigned to a variable. The
APPEND statement enables multiple expressions to be assigned to a single variable.
The APPENDed logic equation is logically ORed to the original equation for that
variable. The format for using the APPEND statement is identical to defining a logic
equation except the keyword APPEND appears before the logic equation begins.
Place logic equations in the Logic Equations section of the source file provided by
the template file.
Using Set Operations
All operations that are performed on a single bit of information, for example, an input
pin, a register, or an output pin, may be applied to multiple bits of information grouped
into sets. Set operations can be performed between a set and a variable or expression,
or between two sets.
The result of an operation between a set and a single variable (or expression) is a new
set in which the operation is performed between each element of the set and the
variable (or expression).
When an operation is performed on two sets, the sets must be the same size (that is,
contain the same number of elements). The result of an operation between two sets is a
new set in which the operation is performed between elements of each set.
When numbers are used in set operations, they are treated as sets of binary digits. A
single octal number represents a set of three binary digits, and a single decimal or
hexadecimal number represents a set of four binary digits.
Equality Operations
Unlike other set operations, the equality operation evaluates to a single Boolean
expression. It checks for bit equality between a set of variables and a constant. The bit
positions of the constant number are checked against the corresponding positions in the
set. Where the bit position is a binary 1, the set element is unchanged. Where the bit
position is a binary 0, the set element is negated. Where the bit position is a binary X,
the set element is removed. The resulting elements are then ANDed together to create a
single expression.
The equality operator can also be used with a set of variables that are to be operated
upon identically. For example, the following three expressions:
[A3,A2,A1,A0]:&
[B3,B2,B1,B0]:#
[C3,C2,C1,C0]:$
are equivalent respectively to:
346

CUPL HDL Design Entry

A3 & A2 & A1 & A0

B3 # B2 # B1 # B0
C3 $ C2 $ C1 $ C0
Range Operations
The range operation is similar to the equality operation except that the constant field is
a range of values instead of a single value. The check for bit equality is made for each
constant value in the range.
First, define the address bus, as follows:
FIELD address = [A3..A0]
Then write the RANGE equation:
select = address:[C..F] ;
This is equivalent to the following equation:
select = address:C # address:D # address:E # address:F;
Truth Tables
Sometimes the clearest way to express logic descriptions is in tables of information.
CUPL provides the TABLE keyword to create tables of information. First, define
relevant input and output variable lists, and then specify one-to-one assignments
between decoded values of the input and output variable lists. Dont-care values are
supported for the input decode value, but not for the output decode value.
A list of input values can be specified to make multiple assignments in a single
statement. The following block describes a simple hex-to-BCD code converter:
FIELD
FIELD
TABLE
0=>00;
4=>04;
8=>08;
C=>12;
}

input = [in3..0] ;
output = [out4..0] ;
input => output {
1=>01; 2=>02; 3=>03;
5=>05; 6=>06; 7=>07;
9=>09; A=>10; B=>11;
D=>13; E=>14; F=>15;

State Machines
A state machine, according to AMD/MMI, is a digital device which traverses through
a predetermined sequence of states in an orderly fashion. A synchronous state
machine is a logic circuit with flip-flops. Because its output can be fed back to its own
or some other flip-flops input, a flip-flops input value may depend on both its own
output and that of other flip-flops; consequently, its final output value depends on its
own previous values, as well as those of other flip-flops.

347

PLD Design

The CUPL state-machine model, as shown below, uses six components: inputs,
combinatorial logic, storage registers, state bits, registered outputs, and non-registered
outputs. HelveticaCondensed
Inputs

Non-Registered Outputs

COMBINATORIAL
LOGIC

STORAGE
REGISTERS

Registered Outputs
State Bits

State Machine Model

Inputs

Signals entering the device that originate in some other device.

Combinatorial Logic

Any combination of logic gates (usually AND-OR) that produces an output signal
that is valid Tpd (propagation delay time) nsec after any of the signals that drive
these gates changes. Tpd is the delay between the initiation of an input or feedback
event and the occurrence of a non-registered output.
State Bits

Storage register outputs that are fed back to drive the combinatorial logic. They
contain the present-state information.
Storage Registers

Any flip-flop elements that receive their inputs from the state machines
combinatorial logic. Some registers are used for state bits, others are used for
registered outputs. The registered output is valid Tco (clock to out time) nsec after
the clock pulse occurs. Tco is the time delay between the initiation of a clock
signal and the occurrence of a valid flip-flop output.
To implement a state machine, CUPL supplies a syntax that allows the describing of
any function in the state machine. The SEQUENCE keyword identifies the outputs of a
state machine and is followed by statements that define the function of the state
machine. The SEQUENCE keyword causes the storage registers and registered output
types generated to be the default type for the target device. Along with the
SEQUENCE keyword are the SEQUENCED, SEQUENCEJK, SEQUENCERS, and
SEQUENCET keywords. Respectively, they force the state registers and registered
outputs to be generated as D, J-K, S-R, and T-type flip-flops. The format for the
SEQUENCE syntax is as follows:
SEQUENCE state_var_list {
PRESENT state_n0
IF (condition1) NEXT state_n1;
IF (condition2) NEXT state_n2
348

OUT

out_n0;

CUPL HDL Design Entry

DEFAULT
NEXT state_n0;
PRESENT state_n1
NEXT state_n2;
.
.
.
PRESENT state_nn statements ;
}
where

state_var_list is a list of the state bit variables used in the state machine block. The
variable list can be represented by a field variable.

state_n is the state number and is a decoded value of the state_variable_list and
must be unique for each PRESENT statement.

statements are any of the conditional, next, or output statements described in the
following subsections of this section.

Multiple State Machines

The CUPL syntax allows for more than one state machine to be defined within the
same PLD design. When multiple state machines are defined, occasionally the designer
would like to have the state machines communicate with each other. That is, when one
state machine reaches a certain state another state machine may begin. There are two
ways of accomplishing state machine communication: using set operations on the state
bits or defining a global register that can be accessed by both state machines.
In one state machine a conditional statement can contain another state machines name
followed by a state number or range of state numbers. The conditional statement will
become TRUE when the other state machine reaches that particular state or states. The
same case is true when using a register that is accessed by multiple state machines.
However, this way needs to use one of the devices output or buried registers.
Depending on the situation, the global register could also be combinatorial which may
make a difference as to when the state machine receives the information from another
state machine.
Condition Statement
The CONDITION syntax provides a higher-level approach to specifying logic
functions than does writing standard Boolean logic equations for combinatorial logic.
The format is as follows:
CONDITION {
IF expr0 OUT
.
.
IF exprn OUT

var ;

var ;

349

PLD Design

DEFAULT
}

OUT

var ;

The CONDITION syntax is equivalent to the asynchronous conditional output

statements of the state machine syntax, except that there is no reference to any
particular state. The variable is logically asserted whenever the expression or
DEFAULT condition is met.
Defining a Function
The FUNCTION keyword permits the creating of personal keywords by encapsulating
some logic as a function and giving it a name. This name can then be used in a logic
equation to represent the function. The format for user-defined functions is as follows:
FUNCTION name ([parameter0,....,parametern])
{
body
}
The statements in the body may assign an expression to the function, or may be
unrelated equations.
When using optional parameters, the number of parameters in the function definition
and in the reference must be identical. The parameters defined in the body of the
function are substituted for the parameters referenced in the logic equation. The
function invocation variable is assigned an expression according to the body of the
function. If no assignment is made in the body statements, the function invocation
variable is assigned the value of ho.

350

Compiling the Programmable Logic Design

Compiling the Programmable Logic Design

This chapter describes how to; select the target device, configure the PLD Compiler
options, and select the required output formats.

Selecting the Target Device

The PLD Compiler is like any compiler, in that it processes a source file and produces
output based on a target architecture. This compiler, however, has hundreds of
different target architectures. This allows a design to be implemented in many different
architectures without making significant changes to the source file.
The target device is specified in the Configure PLD dialog. The Options Tab displays
the current Target Device. To select a different target device click on the Change
button, the Target Device dialog will pop up.
When you compile you can also use the Virtual Device option. This allows
you to verify that the design will compile, as well as examine the maximum
number of product terms it will require (check the DOC file). The number of
product terms is often the reason a larger device must be used experiment with
the various compiler options and optimizations to reduce this number.
Specifying a Device in the Compiler Source File
The target device is also specified in the Compiler source file, in the DEVICE field
in the header section of the PLD file. This field is automatically updated whenever you
select a different device in the Configure PLD dialog.
Selecting a Device in the
Target Device Dialog
To access the Target Device
dialog press the Change button in
the Configure PLD dialog. The
Target Device dialog gives a
description of each supported
target device.
To change the target device,
select the Device Type, the
Device Name, and press OK.

351

PLD Design

The Device Library

The information displayed in the Target Device dialog is contained in the device
libraries. There is a device library (filename.DL) for each type shown in the Device
Type field. These binary files contain a description of each of the target devices
supported by the Compiler. The library describes the physical characteristics of each
device including; internal architecture, number of pins, valid input and output pins, and
also describes the logical characteristics, including registered and non-registered pins,
number of product terms, fuse map information, and download format information.
Device Mnemonics (Device Names)
There is a naming system used to identify the various device architectures, referred to
as device mnemonics. It is important to note that this naming system is for
architectures, not for the devices themselves. For example, Altera EP512 and Intel
5AC312 both have the same architecture. Therefore, if you were doing a design with
either of these devices from these manufacturers, you would tell the Compiler that your
target architecture is EP312.
A device mnemonic can reference multiple manufacturers. Locate the device
you require in the devhelp.TXT file to find its mnemonic, then refer to mnemonic
vs. manufacturer cross reference file, devices.TXT to see which manufacturer this
mnemonic is listed under in the Target Devices dialog. You can type this
mnemonic directly into the Target Device field of the Configure PLD dialog.
The mnemonic is composed of a device family prefix and industry standard part
number suffix. Following is a list of the device mnemonic prefixes:
Symbol

Meaning

EP
G
F
F
F
F
P
P
P
PLD
RA

Erasable Programmable Logic Device (EPLD)

Generic Array Logic (GAL)
Field Programmable Logic Array (FPLA)
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)
Field Programmable Logic Sequencer (FPLS)
Field Programmable Sequence Generator (FPSG)
Programmable Logic Array (PAL)
Programmable Logic Device (PLD)
Programmable Electrically Erasable Logic (PEEL)
Pseudo Logical Device
Bipolar Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM)

For example, the device mnemonic for a PAL10L8 is P10L8; for an 82S100 the device
mnemonic is F100. For bipolar PROMs, the suffix is the array size; for example, the
device mnemonic for a 1024 x 8 bipolar PROM is RA10P8, since there are 10 address
input pins and 8 data output pins.
352

Compiling the Programmable Logic Design

Virtual Device
The virtual device option allows the user to create digital designs for programmable
logic without regard to the target architecture. The virtual device is not a device at all.
It is simply a removal of the restrictions by the Compiler, allowing the design to
contain unlimited product terms and pins. With the virtual device, the Compiler allows
all register types to be used. The virtual device is useful for determining the resources
needed to implement your design.
When using the Virtual device the Compiler ignores the polarity in the pin declaration.
The pin number can be left out.

353

PLD Design

Compiler Options
The Options Tab of the Configure PLD dialog allows you to:

Select the Target Device.

Enable the Optimization Options.
Enable the Compile Options.
Set the Logic Minimization level.
Specify the schematic-based PLD compilation scope.

Following is a description of each option:

354

Option

Description

Use DeMorgan and polarity bit

Optimize product term usage for pin or pinnode

variables. This overrides the DEMORGAN statement
if it appears in the source file.

DeMorgan all equations

DeMorganize all pin and pinnode variables. This

overrides the DEMORGAN statement if it appears in
the source file.

Keep XOR

Do not expand XOR to AND-OR equations. This is

used for device-independent designs or designs
targeted for fitter-supported devices where the fitter
supports XOR gates.

Share Product Terms

Force product term sharing during minimization. This

is also referred to as group reduction.

Compiling the Programmable Logic Design

Secure Device

Adds the necessary code in the JEDEC download file

to automatically allow the device programmer to
blow the security fuse when programming, making
the device non-erasable. Not all programmers support
this option.

Deactivate unused OR terms

In IFL devices, the OR-gate output array is driven by

each of the AND-gate product terms. Normally,
unused OR-gate inputs are left connected to the
product term array so that new terms may be added.
However, with this option, the unused OR-gate inputs
are removed (deactivated) from the product term
array. The result is reduced propagation delay from
input to output.

Suppress product terms merging In IFL devices, each product term from the ANDgate array may be shared among any number of ORgate outputs. This option defeats this capability,
forcing identical product terms to be generated for
each output OR-array when required. The result is
reduced propagation delay from input to output. This
option will also force minimization to be performed
on each output individually (as opposed to
minimization on all outputs at once) when QuineMcCluskey or Expresso minimization is chosen.
One-hot-bit State Machines

This is an option for FPGA designers. Using this

option will cause the compiler to generate state
machine equations as one-hot-bit. This has some
distinct advantages in register-rich architectures such
as XILINX devices. The fanning is reduced making
routing much easier and timing problems associated
with variable length feedback paths from register to
register are eliminated. Try compiling with and
without this option to see the difference. Currently,
the Compiler treats all state machines in the design as
one-hot-bit if the option is used.

Net Identifier Scope

Specifies how the sheet-to-sheet connections are

created in a multi-sheet design. There are effectively
2 ways of creating connections: horizontally, (Net
Labels and Ports global and Only Ports Global)
where connections are created directly from one subsheet to another; or vertically (Sheet Symbol/Port
Connections), where connections are created from a
sub-sheet port to the matching sheet entry.

Current Sheet Only

Use this to compile the current sheet only.

355

PLD Design

Minimization Methods
The Minimization Methods are
the logic reduction algorithms the
compiler will use. There are four
minimization methods available:
Quick
Quine-McCluskey
Presto
Espresso
Minimization
levels
QuineMcCluskey and Presto will
perform
multiple
output
minimization in IFL devices.
This maximizes product term
sharing in these types of devices.
Selecting None defeats all
minimization
during
compilation. It is useful
working with PROMs, to
contained product terms
being eliminated.

logic
the
when
keep
from

Reduction
Efficiency

356

Quine-Mc

Presto

Expresso

Quick

Quine-Mc

Presto

Expresso

Quick

Quine-Mc

Presto

Expresso

Execution
Time

The diagram shows the relative

memory usage, speed, and
efficiency of the four minimization levels.
Boolean Logic
The table shows the Boolean
Logic rules for eliminating
excess product terms from the
expanded equations, used by the
logic reduction algorithms built
into the compiler.

Quick

Memory
Usage

Expression

!0
!1
A&0
A&1
A&A
A & !A
A#0
A#1
A#A
A # !A
A & (A # B)
A # (A & B)

Logic Minimization Levels

Result

1
0
0
A
A
0
A
1
A
1
A
A

Compiling the Programmable Logic Design

Output Formats
The PLD Compiler can produce the following types of output files:

Download formats, suitable for downloading to a programmer.

Output formats, which include formats for interfacing to third-party fitters and
error listings.

Documentation formats, which can include fuse plots and equations.

A simulation format, which is essentially a programmed virtual device. The

simulator then applies the
test vectors from your
test specification source
file (filename.SI) to this
virtual
device,
and
records the results in the
simulator listing file
(filename.SO).

To configure the Compiler

Output Formats select the
check boxes on the Output
Formats Tab of the Configure
PLD dialog.
Following is a description of each Output Format:
Output Formats

Description

JEDEC, POF, PRG

Generates a JEDEC-compatible ASCII download file

(filename.JED). The filename is specified by the NAME
statement in the header section of the logic description file.

HL

Generates an HL download file (filename.HL). This format is

available only for the Signetics IFL devices. The filename is
specified by the NAME statement in the header section of the
logic description file.

ASCII Hex

Generates an ASCII-hex download file (filename.HEX). This

format is available only for PROMs. The filename is
specified by the NAME statement in the header section of the
logic description file.

PALASM PDS

Generates a PALASM format file (filename.PDS), to the

standard set by Monolithic Memories in the PAL Handbook
(Third Edition).

357

PLD Design

Expanded Macro MX

Generates an expanded macro definition file (filename.MX)

which contains an expanded listing of all macros used in the
source file. It also contains the expanded expressions that use
the REPEAT command.

Berkeley PLA

Generates a Berkeley PLA file (filename.PLA) for use by the

Berkeley PLA tools, such as PLEASURE, or other PLA
layout tools which use the Berkeley PLA format. This format
is also used as an input to a number of the external fitters.

Error list LST

Generates an error listing file (filename.LST). Each line in

the original source file is numbered. Error messages are listed
at the end of the file and use the line numbers for reference.

XNF Xilinx

This can be used to create an input file for other logic design
tools and gate array fitters such as PDS2XNF from XILINX.

PDIF PDF

Generates a PDIF (P-CAD Database Interchange Format) file

(filename.PDF) which can be translated by the PDIFIN
program into a symbol for the PC-CAPS (P-CAD Schematic
Capture) program. The generated symbol will contain
packaging information for the PLD.

EDIF

Generates an EDIF format file.

Equations in DOC File Generates a documentation file (filename.DOC) which

contains an expanded listing of the logic terms in sum-ofproducts format and a symbol table of all variables used in
the source file. It includes the total number of product terms
and the number available for each output.
Fuse Plot in DOC File Generates a fuse plot in the documentation file. For PAL
devices, each output pin is listed and the associated product
term rows are shown with the starting JEDEC fuse number.
Fuses present are denoted with x. Fuses blown are denoted
with -. For IFL devices, the HL download format is used,
showing JEDEC fuse numbers with input terms denoted as
H, L, 0, or -.

358

Absolute ABS

Generates an absolute file (filename.ABS) used by the PLD

logic Simulator.

View PLD File

Automatically open the intermediate PLD file produced

during a schematic-based PLD compilation.

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

This chapter explains how to create a test specification source file to simulate the
programmable logic device under design. Test vectors specify the expected functional
operation of a PLD by defining the outputs as a function of the inputs. Test vectors are
used both for simulation of the device logic before programming and for functional
testing of the device once it has been programmed. The PLD Simulator can generate
JEDEC-compatible downloadable test vectors, which are appended to the .JED file
created during compilation.

Input to the Simulator

A test specification source file (filename.SI) is the input to the Simulator. It contains a
functional description of the requirements of the device in the circuit.
The input pin stimuli and output pin test values entered in the source file are compared
to the actual values calculated from the logic equations in the PLD source file. The
calculated values are contained in the absolute file (filename.ABS), which is created
during compilation when the absolute ABS format is specified. The absolute file must
be created during compilation before running the Simulator.

Output from the Simulator

The Simulator outputs are;

a simulation listing file

vectors appended to the JEDEC downloadable fuse link file

The simulation listing file (filename.SO) contains the results of the simulation. It has
the same filename as the input test specification file.
The simulation listing is an ASCII file. All header information is displayed in the
listing file with any header errors marked appropriately. Each complete vector is
assigned a number. Any output tests that failed are flagged with the actual (simulatordetermined) output value displayed. Each variable in error is listed along with the
expected (user-supplied) value. Any invalid or unexpected test values are listed along
with an appropriate error message.
The simulation results can be displayed as a series of waveforms, by double-clicking to
open the .SO file with the PLD Waveform Editor.
The Simulator appends the test vectors to an existing JEDEC downloadable fuse link
file (filename.JED) created during compilation. Enable the JEDEC option in the
Formats Tab of the Configure PLD dialog to create this file.

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PLD Design

Creating a Test Specification Source File

The test specification file (filename.SI) is an ASCII file, created with the Text Editor.
The filename is the same as the corresponding CUPL logic description source file,
except with the .SI extension. The test specification file should include the following:
Header information
For an example of
Comments
how to create a simulation
Variable ordering
test specification file, refer
Base sets
to the Sample PLD Design
Test vectors
Session chapter.
Simulator directives

Header Information
Header information which is entered must be identical to the information in the
corresponding CUPL logic description file (.PLD). If any header information is
different, a warning message appears, stating that the status of the logic equations
could be inconsistent with the current test vectors in the test specification file.
Following is a list of the keywords used for header information:
PARTNO
NAME
REVISION
DATE
DESIGNER
COMPANY
ASSEMBLY
LOCATION
DEVICE
FORMAT
The easiest way to begin creating a test specification file is to copy the header
information from the corresponding CUPL source file.

Specifying a Device
The Simulator accesses device information in the device libraries (LibraryName.DL).
The library describes the physical characteristics of each device including; internal
architecture, number of pins, type of registers available, the logical characteristics
(including registered and non-registered pins), feedback capabilities, register power-on
state and register control features.
Reference the target device using device mnemonics. Each mnemonic is composed of a
device family prefix and industry-standard part number suffix. The table below lists the
device mnemonic prefixes.

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Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

Prefix

Device Family

EP
G
F
F
F
F
P
P
P
PLD
RA

Erasable Programmable Logic Device (EPLD)

Generic Array Logic (GAL)
Field Programmable Logic Array (FPLA)
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)
Field Programmable Logic Sequencer (FPLS)
Field Programmable Sequence Generator (FPSG)
Programmable Logic Array (PAL)
Programmable Logic Device (PLD)
Programmable Electrically Erasable Logic (PEEL)
Pseudo Logical Device
Bipolar Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM)

For example, the device mnemonic for a PAL10L8 is P10L8; for an 82S100 the device
mnemonic is F100. For bipolar PROMs, the suffix is the array size. For example, the
device mnemonic for a 1024 x 8 bipolar PROM is RA10P8, since there are 10 address
input pins and 8 data output pins.
The target device can be specified either in the test specification source file
(filename.SI), or selected in the Options Tab of the Configure PLD dialog.

Comments
Comments can be placed anywhere within the test specification file. Comments can be
used to explain the contents of the specification file or the function of certain test
vectors. A comment begins with a slash-asterisk (/*) and ends with an asterisk-slash
(*/). Comments can span multiple lines and are not terminated by the end of a line.
However, comments cannot be nested.

Statements
The Simulator provides the keywords, ORDER, BASE, and VECTORS to write
statements in the source file that determine the simulation output and how it is
displayed. The following sections describe how to write statements with the CUPL
keywords.
ORDER Statement
Use the ORDER keyword to list the variables to be used in the simulation table, and to
define how they are displayed. Typically, the variable names are the same as those in
the corresponding CUPL logic description file. Place a colon after ORDER, separate
each variable in the list with a comma, and terminate the list with a semicolon. The
following is an example of an ORDER statement:

361

PLD Design

ORDER: inputA, inputB, output ;

Only those variables that are actually used in the simulation must be listed.
The polarity of the variable name can be different than was declared in the CUPL logic
description file, allowing simulation of active-LO outputs with an active-HI simulation
vector. The variable names can be entered in any order; the Simulator automatically
creates the proper order and polarity of the resulting vector to match the requirements
of the JEDEC download format for the device. When indexed variables are used in the
ORDER statement, they can be expressed in list notation format. However, since the
ORDER statement is already in list form, square brackets are not needed to delimit the
ORDER set. The following is an example of two equivalent ORDER statements; the
first statement lists all the variables, and the second is written in list form.
ORDER: A0, A1, A2, A3, SELECT, !OUT0, !OUT1;
ORDER: A0..3, SELECT, !OUT0..1 ;
In list notation format, the polarity of the first indexed variable (!OUT0 in the above
example) determines the polarity for the entire list. Bit fields that are declared in the
CUPL logic description file can be referenced by their single variable name. Bit fields
can also be declared in the test specification file for the Simulator, using FIELD
declaration statements. The FIELD statement must appear before the ORDER
statement.
The ORDER statement can be used to specify the format of the vector results in the
simulator listing file. By default, variable values are displayed without spaces between
columns. For example, the following ORDER statement
ORDER: clock, input, output ;
generates the following display in the output file (using sample values):
0001: C0H
0002: C1L
Spaces can be inserted between columns by using the % symbol and a decimal value
between 1 and 80. For example, the following ORDER statement
ORDER: clock, %2, input, %2, output ;
generates the following display in the output file:
0001: C 0 H
0002: C 1 L
Note that the ORDER statement must be terminated by a semicolon.
Text can be inserted into the output file by putting a character string, enclosed by
double quotes (" ",) into the ORDER statement. For example, the following ORDER
statement

362

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

ORDER: "Clock is ", clock,

" and input is ", input,
" output goes ", output ;
produces the following result in the output file:
0001: Clock is C and input is 0 output goes H
0002: Clock is C and input is 1 output goes L
Multiple ORDER statements

Several ORDER statements can be defined in a single SI file. For example, if the file
TEST.SI has the following contents:
Name
Partno
Date
Revision
Designer
Company
Assembly
Location
Device

test;
XXXXX;
XX/XX/XX;
XX;
XXXXX;
XXXXX;
XXXXX;
XXXXX;
g16v8;

Order: A, %1, B, %1, X, %1, Y;

Vectors:
0 0 H L
0 1 H H
1 0 H H
1 1 L L
0 X H X
X 0 H X
1 X X X
X 1 X X
Order: A, B, X;
Vectors:
0 0 H
0 1 H
1 0 H
1 1 L
0 X H
X 0 H
1 X X
X 1 X

363

PLD Design

The file TEST.SO will look like this:

CSIM: CUPL Simulation Program
Version 4.2a Serial# ...
CREATED Wed Dec 04 02:14:12 1991
LISTING FOR SIMULATION FILE: test.si
1: Name test;
2: Partno XXXXX;
3: Date XX/XX/XX;
4: Revision XX;
5: Designer XXXXX;
6: Company XXXXX;
7: Assembly XXXXX;
8: Location XXXXX;
9: Device g16v8;
10:
11: Order: A, %1, B, %1, X, %1, Y;
12:
================
A B X Y
================
0001: 0 0 H L
0002: 0 1 H H
0003: 1 0 H H
0004: 1 1 L L
0005: 0 X H X
0006: X 0 H X
0007: 1 X X X
0008: X 1 X X
25: Order: A, B, X; 26:
============
ABX
============
0010: 00H
0011: 01H
0012: 10H
0013: 11L
0014: 0XH
0015: X0H
0016: 1XX
0017: X1X

364

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

BASE Statement
In most cases, each variable in the ORDER statement (except for FIELD variables) has
a corresponding single character test value that appears in the test vector table of the
output file. Multiple test vector values can be represented with quoted numbers. Use
single quotes for input values and double quotes for output values. Enter a BASE
statement to specify how each quoted number is expanded. The format for the BASE
statement is:
BASE: name;
where
name is either octal, decimal or hex.
Follow BASE with a colon. Note that the base statement must be terminated by a
semicolon.
The default base for quoted test values is hexadecimal. The BASE statement must
appear in the file before the ORDER statement.
If the base is decimal or hexadecimal, quoted numbers expand to four digits; if the base
is octal, they expand to three digits. For example, a test vector entered as '7' is
interpreted as follows:
1 1 1

Base is octal

0 1 1 1

Base is decimal

or
or
0 1 1 1
Base is hex
More than one hexadecimal or octal digit may be entered between quotes. For
example, '563' expands to the following:
1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1

Base is octal

0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

Base is decimal

or
or
0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1
Base is hex
Quoted values may also be used with all other test values. For example, if the base is
set to octal
"XX"
"LL"
"45"

expands to X X X X X X
expands to L L L L L L
expands to H L L H L H

Note that quoted values cannot contain *.

Test values for FIELD variables can be expressed either individually (for example,
001, HHLL) or with quoted values (for example, '1', "C"). When quoted values are

365

PLD Design

used, the value is automatically expanded to the number of variables in the field. For
example, for the following address field
FIELD address = [A0..5] ;
A test value of
/*
A
A
A
A
A
A
5
4
3
2
1
0
--------------------------------*/
1
1
1
0
0
1
could be written using single test values, or'39' using quoted test values.
VECTORS Statement
Use the VECTORS keyword to prefix the test vector table. Following the keyword,
include test vectors made up of single test values or quoted test. Each vector must be
contained on a single line. No semicolons follow the vector. The following table lists
allowable test vector values:
Test Value
0
1
C
K
L
H
Z
X

N
P
R
*
''
""

366

Description
Drive input LO (0 volts) (negate active-HI input)
Drive input HI (+5 volts) (assert active-HI input)
Drive (clock) input LO, HI, LO
Drive (clock) input HI, LO, HI
Test output LO (0 volts) (active-HI output negated)
Test output HI (+5 volts) (active-HI output asserted)
Test output for high impedance
Input HI or LO, output HI or LO. NOTE that not all
device programmers treat X on inputs the same;
some put it to 0, some allow input to be pulled to 1,
and some leave it at the previous value.
Output not tested
Preload internal registers (value is applied to !Q
output)
Random input generation
Outputs only -simulator determines test value and
substitutes in vector
Enclose input values to be expanded to a specified
BASE (octal, decimal, or hex). Valid values are 0-F
and X.
Enclose output values to be expanded to a specified
BASE (octal, decimal, or hex.) Valid values are 0-F,
H, L, Z, and X.

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

Following is an example of a test vector table:

VECTORS:
0 0 1 1 1 'F' Z "H"
0 1 1 0 0 '0' Z "L"

/* test outputs HI */
/* test outputs LO */

Random Input Generation

The R vector can appear wherever a 0 or a 1 can appear. When encountered, a random
value ( either 0 or 1) is generated for the corresponding signal in that test vector.
An example of R in the SI file:
$repeat 10;
C
0 RRR 1RRRRRRR

********

Gives the following result in the SO file:

0035:
0036:
0037:
0038:
0039:
0040:
0041:
0042:
0043:
0044:

C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

000
000
110
111
101
101
010
000
001
001

10001011
11100111
10111101
11000100
10001011
10000110
10000001
10010000
11110100
10011110

HLLLHLHH
HHHLLHHH
HHHHLHHL
HLLLHLLH
LHLHHHLL
LLHHLHLL
LHHLLLLL
HLLHLLLL
LHHHHLHL
LHLLHHHH

Dont Care

Unlike many other simulators, the PLD Simulator treats the DON'T-CARE (state X) as
any other value. State X is not assumed to be 0 on input and N on the output. The X
state allows specific determination of which inputs affect the output value, according to
the rules listed in the truth tables below.

367

PLD Design

AND &

NOT : ones complement !

A

!A

A&B

0
1
X

1
0
X

0
0
0
1
1
1
X

0
1
X
0
1
X
X

L
L
L
L
H
X
X

A#B

A$B

0
0
0
1
1
1
X

0
1
X
0
1
X
X

L
H
X
H
H
H
X

0
0
0
1
1
1
X

0
1
X
0
1
X
X

L
H
X
H
L
X
X

OR #

XOR : exclusive OR $

Vector Truth Tables

Preload
Use the P test value on the clock pin of a registered device to preload internal registers
of a state machine or counter design to a known state, if the device does not have a
dedicated TTL-level preload pin. The device programmer uses a supervoltage to
actually load the registers. All input pins to the device are ignored and hence should be
defined as X. The values that appear for registered variables are loaded into the !Q
output of the register. These values (0 or 1) are absolute levels and are not affected by
output polarity nor inverting buffers. The following is an example of a preload
sequence for an active-LO output variable in a device with an inverting buffer between
the register Q output and device pin:
ORDER: clock, input1, input2 , !output ;
VECTORS:
P X X 1 /* reset flip-flop */
/* !Q goes to 1 */
/* Q goes to 0 */
0 X X H /* output is HI due to */
/* inverting buffer */
The Simulator can simulate and generate preload test vectors even for devices that do
not have preload capability. However, not all PLDs are capable of preload using a
supervoltage. Some devices have dedicated preload pins to use for this purpose. The
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Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

Simulator does not verify whether the device under simulation is actually capable of
preload because parts from different manufacturers exhibit different characteristics.
Before using the preload capability, determine whether the device being tested is
physically capable of supervoltage preloading.
Clocks
Most synchronous devices (devices containing registers with a common clock tied to
an output pin) use an active-HI (positive edge triggered) clock. To assure proper
Simulator operation for these devices, always use a C test value (not a 1 or 0) on the
clock pin. For synchronous devices with an active-LO (negative edge triggered) clock,
use the K test value on the clock pin.
Asynchronous Vectors
When writing test vectors for a circuit with asynchronous feedback, changing two test
values at once can create a spike condition that produces anomalous results. The circuit
shown below is a circuit with three inputs (A, B, and C), and an output at Y that feeds
back. HelveticaCondensed
A
B
C

Circuit with feedback

The equation for the output at Y is as follows:

Y = A & B & C # C & Y
The vectors table shows an expected low output at Y based on the specified input
values. HelveticaCondensed
0001
0002
0003

A
0
0
1

B
0
1
0

C
0
1
1

Y
L
L
L

Vectors table for circuit with feedback

Because one of the inputs is 0 in each of the vectors, the AND gate defined by A, B,
and C produces a low output. The low value feeding back from the Y output keeps the

369

PLD Design

other AND gate low also. Therefore, the OR gate (driven by the output of the two
AND gates) and consequently the output at Y remain low for the specified test vectors.
However, when the programmer operates on the test vectors, it applies values serially,
beginning with the first pin. Because two test values change between vectors, the
programmer creates intermediate results (labeled "a" in the table below).
0001
0001a
0002
0002a
0003

A
0
0
0
1
1

B
0
1
1
1
0

C
0
0
1
1
1

Y
L
L
L
H
H

Vectors table with intermediate results

The intermediate result, [0002a], produces a high value for the output at Y. This high
value feeds back and combines with the "1" value specified for input C in vector
[0003] to produce a high output for the AND gate and consequently for the OR gate
and for the output at Y. This high value conflicts with the expected low value specified
in the third test vector, and the result is a spike condition.
By taking care to always change only one value between test vectors, the spike
condition described above can be avoided. Also, in the source specification file, it is
possible to specify a TRACE value of 1, 2, or 3 (rather than the default value of 0) that
instructs the Simulator to display intermediate results in the output file (see "TRACE"
in the following topic, Simulator Directives).
I/O Pin simulation
When writing test vectors for a design that has input/output capability and a
controllable output enable (OE), the test vector value placed at the I/O pin will depend
on the value of the output enable. If the output enable is active, the I/O pin needs an
output test value (L, H, *,...). If the output enable becomes inactive, a Hi-Z (Z) will
appear on the I/O pin. At this time, input test values (0, 1, ...) can be placed on the I/O
pin allowing that pin to behave as an input pin. When the output enable is activated
again, the test values for that pin will reflect the output of the macrocell.
A

Array

I/O pin simulation

370

B
Macro
Cell

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

The following equations express the Boolean equation representation:

Y = B;
Y.OE = A;
When A is TRUE, the output of the macrocell (B) will appear at the pin (Y). When A
is FALSE, the output enable will be deactivated and a Hi-Z will appear at the pin (Y).
After the output enable is deactivated, input values can be placed on the pin. Here is an
example of what the simulation file will look like:
Order: A, %1, B, %3, Y;
Vectors:
1 0 L
1 1 H
0 0 Z
0 0 1
1 0

/* OE is ON */
/* OE is OFF */
/* a valid input value can be
placed on pin Y */
/* OE is ON again */

371

PLD Design

Variable Declaration (VAR)

Syntax:

VAR <var_name> = <var_list>;

<var_name> - string of up to 20 characters that can be letters, digits or (underscore),

but cannot end with a digit.
<var_list> - a list of symbols from the order statement (single, grouped or fields),
previously defined variables, separated by commas.
<var_list> = [!]<field> | [!]<group> | [!]<var> [..[!]<var> | ,<var_list>]
Action:
It groups all the entities contained in <var_list> under one generic name for further
references. It is similar to the FIELD statement, except this statement cannot appear
before the ORDER statement. It is used between the ORDER statement and the
VECTORS statement.
Example:
VAR Z = Q7..4;

Simulator Directives
The Simulator provides six directives that can be placed on any row of the file after the
VECTOR statement. All directive names begin with a dollar sign and each directive
statement must end with a semicolon. The Simulator directives are:
$MSG

$SIMOFF

$REPEAT

$SIMON

$TRACE

$EXIT

$MSG
Use the $MSG directive to place documentation messages or formatting information
into the simulator output file. For example, a header for the simulator function table,
listing the variable names, may be created. The format is as follows:
$MSG "any text string" ;
In the output table, the text string appears without the double quotes.
Blank lines can be inserted into the output, for example, between vectors, by using the
following format:
$MSG "" ;

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Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

$REPEAT
The $REPEAT directive causes a vector to be repeated a specified number of times. Its
format is:
$REPEAT n ;
where
n is a decimal value between 1 and 9999.
The vector following the $REPEAT directive is repeated the specified number of
times.
The $REPEAT directive is particularly useful for testing counters and state transitions.
Use the asterisk (*) to represent output test values supplied by the Simulator. The
following example shows a 2-bit counter from a CUPL source file, and a VECTORS
statement using the $REPEAT directive to test it.
From the Compiler:
Q0.d = !Q0 ;
Q1.d = !Q1 & Q0 # Q1 & !Q0 ;
In the Simulator:
ORDER: clock, input, Q1, Q0 ;
VECTORS:
0 0 X X /* power-on condition */
P X 1 1 /* reset the flip-flops */
0 0 H H
$REPEAT 4 ; /* clock 4 times */
C 0 * *
The above file generates the following test vectors:
0
P
0
C
C
C
C

0
X
0
0
0
0
0

X
1
H
L
L
H
H

X
1
H
L
H
L
H

The Simulator supplies four sets of vector values.

$TRACE
Use the $TRACE directive to set the amount of information that the Simulator prints
for the vectors during simulation. The format is
$TRACE n ;

373

PLD Design

where n is a decimal value between 0 and 4.

Trace level 0 (the default) turns off any additional information and only the resulting
test vectors are printed. When non-registered feedback is used in a design, the value for
the output feeding back is unknown for the first evaluation pass of the vector. If the
new feedback value changes any output value, the vector is evaluated again. All
outputs must be identical for two passes before the vector is determined to be stable.

prints the intermediate results for any vector that requires more than one
evaluation pass to become stable. Any vector that requires more than twenty evaluation
passes is considered unstable.

Trace level 1

identifies three phases of simulation for designs using registers. The first
phase is "Before the Clock," where intermediate vectors using non-registered feedback
are resolved. The second phase is "At the Clock," where the values of the registers are
given immediately after the clock. The third phase is "After the Clock," where the
outputs utilizing feedback are resolved as in trace level 1.

Trace level 2

Trace level 3 provides the highest level of display information possible from the
Simulator. Each simulation phase of "Before Clock," "At Clock," and "After Clock" is
printed and the individual product term for each variable is listed. The output value for
the AND gate is listed along with the value of the inputs to the AND array.
Trace level 4 provides the ability to watch the logical value before the output buffer.
Using $TRACE 4, the Simulator only reports the true output pin values, and assigns a
"?" to inputs and buried nodes. For combinatorial output, trace level 4 displays the
results of the OR term. For registered outputs, trace level 4 shows the Q output of the
register. The following example uses a p22v10:
pin 1 = CLK;
pin 2 = IN2;
pin 3 = IN3;
....
pin 14 = OUT14;
pin 15 = OUT15;
....
OUT14.D = IN2;
OUT14.AR = IN3;
OUT14.OE = IN4;

The simulation result file:

order CLK, IN2, IN3, IN4, OUT14, OUT15;
****** before output buffer ******
???? ..LL...0001:
0011 ..HH........
******before output buffer******
????
HH...0004
C100 ...ZZ.....

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Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

$EXIT
Use the $EXIT directive to abort the simulation at any point. Test vectors appearing
after the $EXIT directive are ignored. This directive is useful in debugging registered
designs in which a false transition in one vector causes an error in every vector
thereafter.
Placing a $EXIT command after the vector in error directs attention to the true
problem, instead of to the many false errors caused by the incorrect transition.
$SIMOFF
Use the $SIMOFF simulator directive to turn off test vector evaluation. Test vectors
appearing after the $SIMOFF directive are only evaluated for invalid test values and
the correct number of test values. This directive is useful in testing asynchronously
clocked designs in which the Simulator is unable to correctly evaluate registered
outputs.
$SIMON
Use the $SIMON simulator directive to cancel the effects of the $SIMOFF directive.
Test vectors appearing after the $SIMON directive are evaluated fully.

Advanced Syntax
All the following commands must be placed in the test vectors section of the SI file,
after the VECTORS keyword.
Assignment Statement ($SET)
Syntax: $SET <variable> = <constant>;
<variable> = <single_sym> | <field> | <defined_variable>
<constant> = <quoted_val> | <tv_string>
<quoted_val> = numbers enclosed in single/double quotes representing inputs/outputs.
They will be expanded according to the base in effect and should not contain don't
care values.
<tv_string> = string of test vector values. The number of values must be equivalent to
the number of bits in the variable that they are assigned to.
Action:
It assigns a constant value to a symbol, field or variable. It takes effect immediately,
but affects only the user values of the variable; the last simulation results are
unchanged. Can appear anywhere in the test vector section.
Example:

375

PLD Design

$set input = '3F'; /* single quotes for inputs */

$set output = "80"; /* double quotes for outputs */
$set Z = HHHH;
/* test vector values for a 4-bit
output variable */
Arithmetic and Logic Operations ($COMP)
Syntax: $COMP <variable> = <expression>;
<variable> = <single_sym> | <field> | <defined_variable>
<expression> = any logic or arithmetic expression in which the operands can be
variables (like above) or constants.
The allowed constants are decimal numbers (unquoted). Parentheses are permitted.
Operator
!
&
#
$

Function
NOT
AND
OR
XOR

Precedence
1
2
3
4

Function
multiplication
division
addition
subtraction

Precedence
1
1
2
2

Logic Operators

Operator
*
/
+
Arithmetic Operators

The logical and arithmetic operators can be mixed freely in an expression. Normally
the logical operators have a higher precedence, however, this rule can be overridden by
using parentheses.
Action:
It evaluates the expression and assigns the result to the variable. The current values of
the operands (user values) are used in evaluating the expression. Takes effect
immediately, but affects only the user values of the variable; the last simulation results
are unchanged. Can appear anywhere in the test vector section.
Examples:
$COMP A = (!B + C) * A + 1;
$COMP X = (Z / 2) # MASK;
Generate Test Vector ($OUT)
Syntax: $OUT

376

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

Action:
Triggers the simulation for the current values of the symbols and generates a test
vector. It is useful when used after the $set and $comp command because it allows the
previously assigned values to take effect in vector evaluation.
Example:
The following set of commands in the SI file:
ORDER: _CLOCK, %3, _OE, %3, shift, %1, input, %2, output;
VECTORS:
0 0 'X' XXXXXXXX LLLLLLLL /* power-on reset state */
$set _CLOCK = C;
$set shift = '0';
$set input = '80';
$set output = "80";
$out;

This will produce this result in the SO file:

0001: 0
0002: C

0
0

XXX XXXXXXXX
000 10000000

LLLLLLLL
HLLLLLLL

Conditional Simulation ($IF)

Syntax: $IF <condition> :
<block_1>
[ $ELSE :
<block_2> ]
$ENDIF;
<condition> = <var_list> <logic_operators> <constant>
logic operators :
= equal
# not equal
> greater than
< less than
>= greater than or equal to
<= less than or equal to
<constant> = <quoted_val> | <tv_string>
<block_1>,<block_2> = any sequence of statements, including test vectors
The $ELSE branch is optional.
Action:
The condition is evaluated using the current simulation value of the variable. If the
result is true, <block_1> is executed; otherwise, if $ELSE is present, <block_2> is
executed. $ENDIF marks the end of the IF statement.

377

PLD Design

Looping Constructs
FOR statement
Syntax: $FOR <count> = <n1>..<n2> :
<block>
$ENDF;
<count> = the counter of the FOR loop; it takes values between <n1> and <n2>
<n1>,<n2> = limits for <count> values; should be positive decimal numbers
<block> = any sequence of statements, including test vectors
Action:
Step 1. <count> is initialized with the first value, <n1>
Step 2. execute <block>
Step 3. if <count> = <n2> STOP;
otherwise <count> is incremented by 1 (if <n1> less than <n2>) or decremented by 1
(if <n1> greater than <n2>) then repeat steps 2 and 3.
WHILE Statement
Syntax: $WHILE <condition> :
<block>
$ENDW;
<condition> = same as IF condition
<block> = any sequence of statements
Action:
Step 1: Evaluate condition; if false then STOP
else continue with step 2
Step 2: Execute <block>
Step 3: Continue with step 1
DO..UNTIL Statement
Syntax: $DO:
<block>
$UNTIL <condition> ;
<condition> = same as IF condition
<block> = any sequence of statements
Action:
Step 1: Execute <block>
Step 2: Evaluate condition; if true then STOP,
else continue with step 1

378

IF
and
other
repetitive statements can
be nested; however, the
maximum number of
nested statements is 10.

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

MACRO and CALL Statements

Macro Definition

Syntax: $MACRO name(<arg_list>);

<macro_body>
$MEND;
name = the macro name
<arg_list> = symbolic names, separated by commas
<macro_body> = any sequence of statements, except $MACRO (including macro
calls)
Argument names can appear in the macro body wherever a variable name or a constant
is allowed. They cannot substitute operators, special characters or reserved words.
Macro Call

Syntax: $CALL name(<act_arg_list>);

name = the name of a previously defined macro
<act_arg_list> = actual arguments list
The actual arguments can be variable names, constants or even macro arguments, if the
CALL statement is placed within a macro body.
Action:
It executes the statements that form the invoked macro body by replacing any
occurrence of a macro argument with the corresponding actual argument.
In order to successfully complete a macro call, check if the actual arguments fit the
syntax of the macro body, that is they won't cause a syntax error by replacing the
corresponding formal argument.
Example:
$MACRO m1(a,b,c);
$set shift = a;
$set shift = b;
$set output = c;
$MEND;

/* Macro definition */

$CALL m1('0','80',********);

/* Macro call */

The following statements will be executed:

$set shift = '0';
$set shift = '80';
$set output = ********;
The following is a full example of how these statements work and how they can help
the user simulate his design without entering a lot of test vectors.
379

PLD Design

These two SI files produce the same output:

1. Old way:
Name
Barrel22;
Partno
CA0006;
Date
05/11/89;
Revision
02;
Designer
Kahl;
Company
ATI;
Assembly
None;
Location
None;
Device
g20v8a;
ORDER: _CLOCK, %3, _OE, %3, shift, %1, input, %2, output;
VECTORS:
0
0 'X' XXXXXXXX HHHHHHHH
/* power-on reset state */
C
0 '0' 10000000 HLLLLLLL
/* shift 0 */
C
0 '1' 10000000 LHLLLLLL
/* shift 1 */
C
0 '2' 10000000 LLHLLLLL
/* shift 2 */
C
0 '3' 10000000 LLLHLLLL
/* shift 3 */
C
0 '4' 10000000 LLLLHLLL
/* shift 4 */
C
0 '5' 10000000 LLLLLHLL
/* shift 5 */
C
0 '6' 10000000 LLLLLLHL
/* shift 6 */
C
0 '7' 10000000 LLLLLLLH
/* shift 7 */
C
0 '0' 01111111 LHHHHHHH
/* shift 0 */
C
0 '1' 01111111 HLHHHHHH
/* shift 1 */
C
0 '2' 01111111 HHLHHHHH
/* shift 2 */
C
0 '3' 01111111 HHHLHHHH
/* shift 3 */
C
0 '4' 01111111 HHHHLHHH
/* shift 4 */
C
0 '5' 01111111 HHHHHLHH
/* shift 5 */
C
0 '6' 01111111 HHHHHHLH
/* shift 6 */
C
0 '7' 01111111 HHHHHHHL
/* shift 7 */

2. New way:
ORDER: _CLOCK, %3, _OE, %3, shift, %1, input, %2, output;
VECTORS:
0 0 'X' XXXXXXXX LLLLLLLL /* power-on reset state */
$set _CLOCK = C;
$set shift = '0';
$set input = '80';
$set output = "80";
$for i = 1..16 :
$out;
$if shift = '7':
$set shift = '0';
$set input = '7f';

380

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

$set input = '7f';

$set output = "7f";
$else:
$comp shift = shift + 1;
$comp output = output / 2;
$if input = '7f':
$comp output = output # 128;
$endif;
$endif;
$endf;

or, using macros:

ORDER: _CLOCK, %3, _OE, %3, shift, %1, input, %2, output;
VECTORS:
$macro m1(x,y,z);
$set shift = x;
$set input = y;
$set output = z;
$mend;
$macro m2(a,b,c,d);
$call m1(a,b,c);
$for i = 1..8 :
$out; $comp shift = shift + 1;
$comp output = output / 2 + d;
$endf;
$mend;
0 0 'X' XXXXXXXX LLLLLLLL /* power-on reset state */
$set _CLOCK = C;
$call m2('0','80',"80", 0);
$call m2('0','7f',"7f", 128);

381

PLD Design

3. The Output:
CSIM: CUPL Simulation Program Version
4.2a Serial# ...
CREATED Wed Dec 04 03:00:11 1991
LISTING FOR SIMULATION FILE: barrel22.si
1: Name Barrel22;
2: Partno CA0006;
3: Date 05/11/89;
4: Revision 02;
5: Designer Kahl;
6: Company ATI;
7: Assembly None;
8: Location None;
9: Device g20v8a;
10:
11: FIELD input = [D7,D6,D5,D4,D3,D2,D1,D0];
12: FIELD output = [Q7,Q6,Q5,Q4,Q3,Q2,Q1,Q0];
13: FIELD shift = [S2,S1,S0];
14:
15: ORDER: _CLOCK, %3, _OE, %3, shift, %1, input, %2, output;
16:
17: var X = Q7;
18: var Y = Q7..4;
19:
=======================================
_
C
L
O
_
C
O
shi
K
E
ft input
output
=======================================
0001: 0
0
XXX XXXXXXXX LLLLLLLL
0002: C
0
000 10000000 HLLLLLLL
0003: C
0
001 10000000 LHLLLLLL
0004: C
0
010 10000000 LLHLLLLL
0005: C
0
011 10000000 LLLHLLLL
0006: C
0
100 10000000 LLLLHLLL
0007: C
0
101 10000000 LLLLLHLL
0008: C
0
110 10000000 LLLLLLHL
0009: C
0
111 10000000 LLLLLLLH
0010: C
0
000 01111111 LHHHHHHH
0011: C
0
001 01111111 HLHHHHHH
0012: C
0
010 01111111 HHLHHHHH

382

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

0013:
0014:
0015:
0016:
0017:

C
C
C
C
C

0
0
0
0
0

011
100
101
110
111

01111111
01111111
01111111
01111111
01111111

HHHLHHHH
HHHHLHHH
HHHHHLHH
HHHHHHLH
HHHHHHHL

There is one thing the user must keep in mind when creating a simulation input file
using the new syntax:
If one or more $SET or $COMP commands are placed right before some conditional
statement (IF, WHILE, UNTIL) without any intermediate $OUT statement, the values
set by those commands (user values) will not affect the condition value, as the
condition is evaluated using the last simulation values of the variables involved.
For example, let's assume that we want to generate the following simulation output:
ORDER: _CLOCK,clr,dir,!_OE,%2,count,%1,carry;
var mode = clr,dir;
VECTORS:
C 100 LLLL L /* synchronous clear to state 0 */
C 000 LLLH L /* count up to state 1
*/
C 000 LLHL L /* count up to state 2
*/
C 000 LLHH L /* count up to state 3
*/
C 000 LHLL L /* count up to state 4
*/
C 000 LHLH L /* count up to state 5
*/
C 000 LHHL L /* count up to state 6
*/
C 000 LHHH L /* count up to state 7
*/
C 000 HLLL L /* count up to state 8
*/
C 000 HLLH H /* count up to state 9 - carry */

The following sequence will generate a wrong output:

ORDER: _CLOCK,clr,dir,!_OE,%2,count,%1,carry;
var mode = clr,dir;
VECTORS:
C 100 LLLL L $set mode = '0';
$for i=1..9 :
$comp count = count + 1;
$if count="9":
$set carry = H;
$endif;
$out;
$endf;

383

PLD Design

that is:
0001:
0002:
0003:
0004:
0005:
0006:
0007:
0008:
0009:
0010:

C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C

100
000
000
000
000
000
000
000
000
000

LLLL
LLLH
LLHL
LLHH
LHLL
LHLH
LHHL
LHHH
HLLL
HLLH

L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
H
^
[0019sa] user expected (L) for carry

This is because the value for count used in the evaluation of the IF condition for vector
10 was the current simulation value (that is the one displayed in vector 9) and not the
one set by $comp command.
The correct sequence is:
C 100 LLLL L
$set mode = '0';
$for i=1..9 :
$if count="8":
$set carry = H;
$endif;
$comp count = count + 1;
$out;
$endf;

384

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

Virtual Simulation
Virtual simulation allows you to create a design without a target device and simulate it.
It is possible, therefore, to get a working design before deciding what architecture it
will be targeted to. This will be especially useful for designs that will be eventually
partitioned.
Usage of the virtual simulator is transparent. You do not need to learn any new
commands or syntax. Just use the VIRTUAL device mnemonic when compiling and
simulating to take advantage of the Virtual simulator.
Virtual simulation is also used to simulate FPGA designs. When a full architectural
simulation is not possible due to the proprietary nature of the device internals or the
level of complexity of the internal logic resources, Virtual simulation is the next best
alternative for your design verification phase.

Fault Simulation
An internal fault can be simulated for any product term, to determine fault coverage for
the test vectors. The format for this option is as follows:
STUCKL n ;
or
STUCKH n ;
where
n is the JEDEC fuse number for the first fuse in the product term.
The documentation file (filename.DOC) fuse map lists the fuse numbers for the first
fuse in each product term in the device.
Format 1 forces the product term to be stuck-at-0.
Format 2 forces the product term to be stuck-at-1. The STUCK command must be
placed between the ORDER and VECTORS statements.

385

PLD Design

Viewing the Simulation Waveforms

Simulation results are normally displayed as waveforms, using the Waveform Editor.
The ASCII simulation listing file (filename.SO) contains the results of simulation.
Time Base Scale

split the view

horizontally
State - unknown
Signals

Strength - High Z
Strength - Supply
Strength - Resistive
Strength - Driving

Bus

split the view vertically

The Waveform Editor window

Time Base

The Time Base is displayed in the scale at the top of the waveform window. By default
a change of event in the simulation listing file occurs at 1 ns intervals on the waveform.
A vertical marker appears on the Time Base Scale, indicating the current cursor
position. The exact time value appears on the left hand end of the Status Line.
Signal Name

Signal names are extracted from the simulation listing file. The name can be edited and
the font changed. Double-click on a name to edit.
Signal Value

The Value column reflects the state of each signal at the current time position. The
current time position is the left hand edge of the Time Base Scale. As you scroll across
the waveform you will notice that the contents of the Value column changes.
Each Value consists of two characters, which have the following meaning:
L
H

386

Signal State is Low

Signal State is High

Simulating the Programmable Logic Design

D
S
R
xx

Signal Strength is Driving

Signal Strength is Supply
Signal Strength is Resistive
Bus signals display the current value of the bus (in binary, decimal or hex)

Why do the Signals Look Different?

Signals are rendered differently, depending on their Strength. Refer to the figure on the
previous page for an example of how each Strength is rendered. Select the ViewLegend menu item for an example of each signal strength.
The strength of the displayed signal is determined from the signal type in the
simulation listing file.
Timing Marks

The Waveform Editor includes 10 timing marks which can be set at any point, select
the Edit-Set Timing Marks sub menu to set the Timing Mark of your choice. Use the
Edit-Jump sub menu to jump to the Timing Mark of your choice (shortcut: J, followed
by the timing mark number).
Creating a Bus

You can create a Bus from any set of adjacent signals. To do this:

Click and drag to select the signals that you wish to group as a Bus (they will
highlight in black).
Select the Insert-Bus menu item.
The Bus will be inserted just below the last signal in the selection. The Value column
will display the value of the Bus at the current time position. Each signal that was
included in the Bus represents one bit in the Bus, with the uppermost selected signal
representing the Least Significant Bit.
Editing a Signal

Double-click on a transition to edit it.

Click and drag a signal transition to graphically change the Start Time.

Changing Your View

The Waveform Editor includes a number of features to help you examine the
waveform.
Scrolling Horizontally and Vertically

Use the scroll bars to scroll back and forth and up and down the waveform window.
Alternatively, use the arrow shortcut keys. To scroll up and down in larger steps, use
the PAGEUP and PAGEDOWN shortcut keys.
Zooming In and Out

You can change the Time Base Scale (zoom in or out) by selecting the View-Zoom In
(shortcut: +) or View-Zoom Out (shortcut: -) menu items. The Zoom In and Zoom Out

387

PLD Design

processes are relative to the current cursor position. Position the cursor prior to
pressing the shortcut keys.
Panning

Press the HOME key to pan across the waveform display. This shortcut key is also
relative to the current cursor position. Position the cursor prior to pressing the shortcut
key.
Creating Multiple Views

The Waveform Editor supports multiple views, allowing you to view different regions
of the waveform simultaneously. The view can be split vertically (to view different
points in time simultaneously) and horizontally (to bring together different signals that
cannot be viewed simultaneously). Refer to the previous figure for the cursor locations
used to split the view. Position the cursor as shown, then click and drag to split the
view.
The Waveform Editor Panel
Select the View-Panel menu item to display or hide the
Waveform Editor Panel. Use the Panel to step through the
transitions in the active signal and to hide and unhide signals.
The Active Signal

The box at the top of the Panel displays the name of the active
signal. The Jump Transition buttons allow you to jump (on the
active signal) to:
The First transition (shortcut: J, F)
The Previous transition (shortcut: J, P)
The Next transition (shortcut: J, N)
The Last transition (shortcut: J, L)
Hiding and Unhiding Signals

The Waveform Editor allows you to view a sub-set of signals

by hiding those signals you do not wish to view. Click and
drag to select the signals you wish to hide, then press the Hide
button on the Panel.
Use the Select button on the main toolbar to select all the signals, press the
Hide button to hide them all, then selectively Unhide those signals you wish to
view. To build up a selection in the Panel to unhide, hold the SHIFT and CTRL keys
as you click on the signal names.

388

Sample PLD Design Session

Sample PLD Design Session

This chapter gives step-by-step instructions on how to design a PLD. It shows how to
implement the same design, using both schematic capture and CUPL code. It also
describes how to create the simulation test specification source file, and simulate the
PLD.

The Design Steps

Examine the Design Task

Take a close look at the design that is needed. Remember that the design can be
captured either as a schematic, or in CUPL. If you use CUPL then state-machine,
Boolean equations, and truth tables are available for the design. Try to determine
which type of syntax best suits the design.
Create the Compiler Source File

Use the template file provided and remove the sections that do not apply. Remember to
edit the header to reflect the new file that is being created.
Formulate the Equations

Equations must be written in CUPL syntax to specify the logic desired. This can be in
Boolean, state-machine, or truth table format.
Choose a Target Device

Make sure that there is a sufficient number of input pins. Check that the number of
registered and non-registered output pins is sufficient for the design. Ensure that the
device has three-state output control, if needed. Check that the device can adequately
handle the number of product terms required. Select the target device in the Configure
PLD dialog.
Make Pin Assignments

Assign the inputs and outputs of the design to the pins of the device. Make sure that the
device is being used properly by consulting the reference material available from the
manufacturer.
Ready to Compile

Decide which file formats will be needed for downloading and simulation. A choice of
four minimizers are available. You are now ready to compile your design.

389

PLD Design

Step 1 - Examining the Design Task

A
READY
A !MEMR
!MEMW
RESET

RDY
RESET

ROM
D

CS
RAM1
A
D

PLD

R/W
CS

D
CPU_CLK

RAM2
D

R/W
CS

System diagram - Microprocessor-based system using a PLD

In this example a PLD provides a flexible

interface between the CPU and peripherals,
performing address decoding for chip selects,
and timing control functions.

FFFF

The memory map shows where the ROM and

RAM chips reside in the CPUs address
space. The PLD will decode these address
ranges to generate the chip selects.

3000
2FFF

Addresses are marked and shown in

hexadecimal in the memory map. From the
memory map the following table has been
created, which shows the state of the Address
lines for each address range that is decoded.
From the table it can be seen that the PLD
must include address lines A11 to A15 as
inputs.
Chip Select

390

RAM 1

2800
27FF

RAM 0

2000
1FFF

ROM

0000

Memory map

A15 A14 A13 A12 A11 A10 A9 A8

A7-A4 A3-A0

ROM (0000-1FFF)

RAM0 (2000-27FF)

RAM1 (2800-2FFF)

Sample PLD Design Session

Because the ROM chip is slow, the PLD must also be designed to perform a wait state
generation that adds at least one CPU clock period to the ROM access.
The worm arrows on the timing diagram show signals affected or created by other
signals.
(1)

(2)

(3)

CPU_CLK
A15..11

CPU ADDRESS VALID

IMEMR
WAIT1
WAIT2
!ROM_CS
READY

HI-Z

HI-Z

Wait State Generator timing diagram.

A description of the operation of the timing diagram follows. The numbers in

parentheses indicate the rising edge of the CLOCK signal.
A wait state sequence starts with the CPU address becoming valid prior to the memory
read strobe. Only the !MEMR signal needs to be considered, because the wait state is
generated only for the ROM.
When the !MEMR strobe is active for an address corresponding to the ROM, the
!ROM_CS signal is asserted and turns on the three-state buffer, driving the CPU
READY signal LO, (indicating not ready, or wait). The next rising edge of the CPU
clock (1) after !ROM_CS becomes active and sets the WAIT1 signal. After one CPU
clock period passes, the WAIT2 signal is asserted (2); the wait state period (one CPU
clock) is completed, causing the CPU READY signal to be driven HI, which causes the
CPU to continue its read cycle and remove the !MEMR strobe at the appropriate time.
The !ROM_CS signal is negated, disabling the three-state buffer driving the ready
signal and, at the next rising edge of the CPU clock (3), causing WAIT1 and WAIT2 to
be reset. The wait state generator is now prepared for the next CPU access time.

Step 2 - Creating the CUPL Source Code

In this step, a logic description file will be created to describe the design for the PLD.
This logic description file is written in the CUPL logic description language. The logic
description file serves as input to the Compiler, which compiles the design for
downloading to a device programmer.
Create the header section of the PLD file, as shown below. Following the header
section is a title block, with comment symbols (/* and */). In the title block, type in
information describing the design.
391

PLD Design

WAITGEN.PLD
Name
WaitGen;
Partno
P9000183;
Date
07/16/87;
Revision
02;
Designer
Osann;
Company
ATI;
Assembly
PC Memory;
Location
U106;
Device
; /* the device is selected later */
/******************************************************/
/* This device generates chip select signals for one */
/* 8Kx8 ROM and two 2Kx8 static RAMs. It also drives */
/* the system READY line to insert a wait-state of at */
/* least one cpu clock for ROM accesses
*/
/******************************************************/

Step 3 - Formulating the Equations

To make it easier to enter the specific equations for address decoding and wait state
generation, first enter equations for intermediate variables. Intermediate variables are
arbitrary names; that is, they do not represent specific pins. Enter the intermediate
equations in the space provided in the WAITGEN.PLD file for Declarations and
Intermediate Variable Definitions.
The first intermediate equation to enter is a bit field declaration to define the address
bus. Use the name MEMADR (memory address) to represent the address, and type the
equation as follows:
FIELD MEMADR = [A15..11] ;
In the system diagram shown previously you will notice that the chip select signals for
the static RAMs are not dependent solely upon address but must be asserted for either
the MEMW or MEMR data strobes.
To simplify the equations for the static RAM chip select signals, create a signal called
MEMREQ (memory request). Type the following:
MEMREQ = MEMW # MEMR ;
Whenever MEMREQ is used in other equations, the Compiler substitutes MEMW #
MEMR.
Notice in the timing diagram that the decoding of the address corresponding to the
ROM combines with the !MEMR strobe to produce the ROM chip select (ROM_CS),
and to initiate the wait state sequence.

392

Sample PLD Design Session

Create an intermediate variable, called SELECT_ROM, representing the combination

of the !MEMR strobe and the specific address decoding for the ROMs address space,
by typing the following:
SELECT_ROM = MEMR & MEMADR : [0000..1FFF] ;
After entering the above intermediate equations, the specific equations for address
decoding and wait state generation may be entered.
If the signal ROM_CS, which feeds back into the array, is being used to initiate the
wait state timing, an additional pass delay is incurred through the PLD. Because the
clock rate is relatively slow (4-8 MHz), in this example the additional delay is not a
problem. However, at higher clock rates it is better to recreate the same logic (using the
SELECT_ROM intermediate) in the registered logic equations.
Create the ROM chip select (ROM_CS) using the intermediate variable
SELECT_ROM, by typing:
ROM_CS = SELECT_ROM ;
The chip-selects for the two RAMs, RAM_CS0 and RAM_CS1, are dependent on
MEMREQ and the address bus being within the hexadecimal boundaries taken from
the memory map. Use the CUPL range operation with the lower and upper boundaries
of the desired address range to decode these signals. Type the following:
RAM_CS0 = MEMREQ & MEMADR : [2000..27FF];
RAM_CS1 = MEMREQ & MEMADR : [2800..2FFF];
Next, create the equations that relate to the wait state timing and generation. First, as
shown in the timing diagram, a signal called WAIT1 is required that responds to the
selection of the ROM chip by being set at the next rising edge of the CPU clock.
According to the rules for a D-type flip-flop, the logic level at the D input is transferred
to the Q output after the clock. Enter the equation for this signal, where WAIT1.D
represents the signal at the D input of the flip-flop within the PLD, by typing the
following:
WAIT1.D = SELECT_ROM & !RESET ;
Notice that in the equation for WAIT1.D, the !RESET signal has been ANDed with the
rest of the equation to perform a synchronous reset when the RESET signal is asserted.
Next, create the signal WAIT2 at the next clock edge following the one that causes
WAIT1 to set, by making the equation for WAIT2.D dependent on the signal WAIT1.
Since WAIT2.D must reset at the next clock edge following the removal of the CPUs
access of the ROM, AND the variable SELECT_ROM with WAIT1. Type the
following equation:
WAIT2.D = SELECT_ROM & WAIT1 ;
This creates the signal SELECT_ROM in accordance with the timing diagram, to
indicate that the three-state buffer should be turned on while the ROM is being

393

PLD Design

decoded, and the MEMR data strobe is active. Therefore, enter the equation for the
three-state output by typing the following:
READY.OE = SELECT_ROM ;
While this equation determines when the three-state buffer actually drives its output
and leaves the high impedance state, it does not determine which logic level the signal
is driven to. The equation for READY determines the logic level to which the signal is
driven; the signal should remain inactive at READY until the completion of a wait
state period equal to one full CPU clock cycle. As this condition does not occur until
WAIT2 becomes set, type the equation for READY as follows:
READY = WAIT2;

Step 4 - Choosing a Target Device

After the equations are completed, the next step is to identify a compatible,
commercially available PLD. Points to consider when choosing a target device are:

The number of input pins required.

The relative number of registered and non-registered output pins.

Three-state output control (if required).

The number of product terms required to implement the logic function for each
equation.

The smallest device with sufficient inputs and product terms is a PAL16R4, or
alternatively, a GAL16v8 could be used. The PLD package diagram below shows pin
assignments configured for this device.
PLD
A15
A14

2 I
3 I

A12

4 I
5 I

A11

6 I

!MEMW
!MEMR

7 I
8 I

!RESET

9 I

A13

I/O 19
I/O 18

!ROM_CS

RO 15
RO 14

WAIT1

11

Pin assignments for the PLD

394

WAIT2

I/O 13 !RAM_CS1
I/O 12 !RAM_CS0
OE

CPU_CLK

READY

Sample PLD Design Session

Notice that in the pin assignments the three chip select signals are assigned to I/O type
pins, that should always be in the output drive mode. The READY pin, attached to the
READY signal on the CPU bus, is used in a controllable three-state mode. The two
flip-flops that are needed to implement the wait state generator have been assigned to
output pins that are internally connected to registers.
One of the registered outputs could be used to drive the READY signal directly, since
the logical function of READY is the same as that of the signal WAIT2. However, use
of the dedicated three-state output enable signal connected to pin 11 of the target
device would be required. Since pin 11 controls the three state outputs of all four pins
connected to internal registers, this defeats the ability to use the other two registered
output pins for any purpose other than wait state generation.
It is better to keep options open by not using the dedicated three-state control, since it
is difficult to predict all the changes that might be made during the evolution of a
design. Therefore, pin 11 is tied to ground, which always enables the three-state
outputs coming from the registers.
The PAL16R4 has at least seven product terms available on all outputs, which is an
adequate number for this application. Alternatively, a GAL16V8 could be used.
With WAITGEN.PLD as the active document select PLD Configure from the menus,
then press the Target Device Change button to pop up the Target Device dialog. Scroll
down and select GAL in the Device Type list, then click on g16v8 in the Device Name
list. Click OK twice to close both dialogs. The DEVICE line in the Header section of
the PLD source will now read:
Device

g16v8;

Step 5 - Making the Pin Assignments

Match the pin assignments to those shown in the Pin Assignment diagram shown
previously.
To ensure consistent documentation when making the pin assignments, be certain that
the signal polarities (signal levels) assigned are the same as those in the logic
schematic. The pin assignments are shown below:
/**
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin

Inputs
1
=
[2..6] =
[7,8]
=
9
=
11
=

WAITGEN PIN ASSIGNMENTS

**/
cpu_clk
;
/* CPU clock
[a15..11] ;
/* CPU Address Bus
![memw,memr] ; /* Memory Data Strobes
reset
;
/* System Reset
!oe
;
/* Output Enable

/** Outputs **/

Pin 19
= !rom_cs
Pin 18
= ready

;
;

/* ROM Chip select

/* CPU Ready signal

*/
*/
*/
*/
*/

*/
*/

395

PLD Design

Pin 15
= wait1
;
Pin 14
= wait2
;
Pin [13,12] = ![ram_cs1..0]

/* Start wait state

/* End wait state
/* RAM Chip selects

The completed logic description file:

WAITGEN.PLD
Name
WaitGen;
Partno
P9000183;
Date
07/16/87;
Revision
02;
Designer
Osann;
Company
ATI;
Assembly
PC Memory;
Device
g16v8;
/******************************************************/
/* This device generates chip select signals for one */
/* 8Kx8 ROM and two 2Kx8 static RAMs. It also drives */
/* the system READY line to insert a wait-state of at */
/* least one cpu clock for ROM accesses
*/
/******************************************************/
/******************************************************/
/** Allowable Target Device Types : GAL16V8, PAL16R4 **/
/******************************************************/
/**
Inputs **/
Pin 1
= cpu_clk;
/* CPU clock
*/
Pin [2..6] = [a15..11];
/* CPU Address Bus
*/
Pin [7,8]
= ![memw,memr] ;
/* Memory Data Strobes (active low)*/
Pin 9
= reset;
/* System Reset
*/
Pin 11
= !oe; /* Output Enable (active low)
*/
/**
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin

Outputs
19
=
18
=
15
=
14
=
[13,12] =

**/
!rom_cs; /* ROM chip select (active low)*/
ready
;
/* CPU ready
*/
wait1
;
/* Wait state 1
*/
wait2
;
/* Wait state 2
*/
![ram_cs1..0] ;
/* RAM chip select (active low) */

/* Declarations and Intermediate Variable Definitions */

Field memadr = [a15..11] ;
/* Give the address bus */
/* the Name memadr */
memreq = memw # memr ;

396

/* Create the intermediate */

/* variable memreq */

*/
*/
*/

Sample PLD Design Session

select_rom = memr & memadr:[0000..1FFF] ; /* = rom_cs */

/** Logic Equations **/
rom_cs = select_rom;
ram_cs0 = memreq & memadr:[2000..27FF]
ram_cs1 = memreq & memadr:[2800..2FFF]

;
;

/* read as: when select_rom is true and reset is false */

wait1.d = select_rom & !reset ;
/* read as: when when select_rom is true and wait1 is true */
/* Synchronous Reset
*/
wait2.d = select_rom & wait1 ;
/* wait1 delayed
*/
ready.oe = select_rom ;
/* Turn Buffer off */
ready = wait2 ; /* end wait */

Step 6 - Compiling the PLD Source File

In this step, the logic description file WAITGEN.PLD is compiled for the target device
GAL20V8.
Specify the target PLD and other compiler options in the Configure PLD dialog.
Enable the following options:

Absolute ABS - Creates WAITGEN.ABS. This is the absolute file for later use by
the Simulator (This file is needed for step 8). It contains a condensed
representation of the logical function to be programmed into the device. The
Simulator compares this representation to test vectors in a user-created input file
to determine whether the response vectors in the input file are a correct response to
the stimulus vectors.

Fuse Plot in Doc File and Equations in Doc File - Creates WAITGEN.DOC. This
is the documentation file. It provides fully expanded product terms for both
intermediate and output pin variables, and a fuse plot and chip diagram.

Error List LST - Creates WAITGEN.LST. This is the list file. It is a recreation of
the description file, except line numbers have been added and any error messages
generated during compilation are appended at the end of the file.

JEDEC - Creates WAITGEN.JED. This is a JEDEC file for downloading to a

device programmer. It contains a fuse pattern. Test vectors will be added to the
JEDEC file during simulation. The name of the JEDEC file is determined by the
NAME field in the Header section.

397

PLD Design

Once you have configured the Compiler, press OK in

the Configure PLD dialog.
To compile the design make WAITGEN.PLD the
active document, and press the Compile button on the
PldTools toolbar.

Save the PLD source

code before you run the
Compiler.

The PLD - Compiling dialog will pop up. Press the Info button. The following
messages appear in the dialog, indicating how much time each Compiler module takes
for completion. The actual time will vary depending on the system being used.

The compiler will produce each of the output formats that have been enabled. If the
View Result option is enabled the LST, DOC and JEDEC files will be opened
automatically.
The list file, WAITGEN.LST, is essentially a recreation of the source file with line
numbers inserted and any error messages added to the end. The line numbers facilitate
the quick locating of error sources, if any are detected by the Compiler.
The documentation file, WAITGEN.DOC, includes the expanded product terms, the
symbol table, the fuse plot and a chip diagram detailing the pinouts.

398

Sample PLD Design Session

Step 7 Creating a Schematic-based version of the Design

Programmable logic designs implemented as a schematic must be based on the
symbols in the PLD Symbols.lib library, which is in the \Program
Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Pld.ddb Library Database.
This library includes a comprehensive range of symbols, suitable for both PLD, CPLD,
and FPGA design. It is important that you are familiar with the functionality of the
target device before implementing your design, and ensure that the design only
includes symbols that can be compiled into the chosen device.
HelveticaC

A
READY
RDY
RESET

A !MEMR
!MEMW
RESET

ROM
D

CS
RAM1
A
D

PLD

R/W
CS

D
CPU_CLK

RAM2
D

R/W
CS

System diagram

Chip Select Logic

There are numerous ways of implementing the chip select decoding logic. This
example uses a number of smaller logic symbols, so that it is easier to understand.
The table below shows the state of each of the address lines, for each of the chip selects
that the PLD decodes.
Chip Select

A15 A14 A13 A12 A11 A10 A9 A8

A7-A4 A3-A0

ROM (0000-1FFF)

RAM0 (2000-27FF)

RAM1 (2800-2FFF)

Using the information in the table and the system diagram, we could write the
following general equations:
ROM_CS

= !A15 & !A14 & A13 & !MEMR

RAM_CS0 = !A15 & !A14 & A13 & !A12 & !A11 & (!MEMR # !MEMW)
RAM_CS1 = !A15 & !A14 & A13 & !A12 & A11 & (!MEMR # !MEMW)

399

PLD Design

It is not possible to implement the RAM chip select equations directly as they contain a
mixture of ANDs and ORs, so we must first create intermediate signals.
From the table you will notice that all the chip selects require A15 and A14 to be low.
These can be combined using an AND2B2 from the Symbol library, giving the
following expression:
ADR_15_14 = !A15 & !A14
(when A15 and A14 are both low then assert ADR_15_14)
Both RAM selects require A13 to be high and A12 to be low. These can be combined
using an AND2B1, giving the following expression:
ADR_13_12 = !A13 & A12
(when A13 is high and A12 is low then assert ADR_13_12)
The memory read and write can also be used to create a memory request, which will be
used to qualify the 2 RAM chip selects. This is done with an OR2B2:
MEMREQ = !MEMR & !MEMW
(when either MEMR or MEMW is low then assert MEMREQ)
These intermediate signals can now be combined with the other address lines to create
the 3 chip selects. The circuit is shown below.
MEMR
U107
U102

INV

ROM_CS
MEMREQ
MEMW
NAND3
OR2B2
A15

U103
U108
ADR_14_15

A14

RAM_CS0
AND2B2
U104

NAND4

B
A13

U109

INV
U105

RAM_CS1
ADR_12_13
A12
NAND4

AND2B1
U106
A11

Chip select circuit

400

Sample PLD Design Session

Wait State Logic

Refer to the timing diagram as the wait state logic is described. HelveticaCondensed
(1)

(2)

(3)

CPU_CLK
A15..11

CPU ADDRESS VALID

IMEMR
WAIT1
WAIT2
!ROM_CS
READY

HI-Z

HI-Z

Wait State Generator timing diagram

WAIT1 is required to respond to the assertion of the ROM_CS, by being set at the next
rising edge of the CPU clock. Before this is implemented using flip-flops, note that the
system diagram shows that the PLD must also be able to be reset by the CPU Reset
signal. The active-high Reset can be incorporated into the wait state generator, by
ANDing it with ROM_CS. The equation that expresses this is:
START_WAIT = !ROM_CS & !RESET ;
The wait state generator must ensure that the READY line is not asserted for at least
one full clock cycle. WAIT1 will become active on the first rising edge of the
CPU_CLK after ROM_CS asserts, we now want a signal that asserts on the next rising
edge of the CPU_CLK. This is achieved by feeding the output of the first flip-flop, into
the D input of a second flip-flop. This 2nd flip-flops output (WAIT2) will go high on
the next rising edge of the CPU_CLK.
Note that the timing diagram shows that the READY signal back to the CPU must be
Hi-Z after completion of the ROM access. To achieve this a three-state buffer is used,
whose output is enabled by the ROM_CS. The following circuit diagram shows how
the wait state generator is implemented:
WAIT

U100
RESET

START_WAIT

U10
D

U10
Q

WAIT2
U113

AND2B2
F
CPU_CLK

READY

BUFT
ROM_CS

Wait State Generator circuit

401

PLD Design

Interfacing the Internal Logic to the Component Pins

The last step in implementing the design in a PLD is to interface from the internal logic
to the actual device pins. There are special PAD symbols in the Symbols library for
this, IPADs, OPADs, and IOPADs. Place one of the appropriate pads at each point that
connects to a component pin. The number of the
Refer to the topic,
component pin that the pad connects to is specified in
Interfacing from Internal
Part Field 1 of the pad symbol, using the following
Logic to Component Pins, in
syntax:
the chapter, Schematic-based
LOC=PIN[pin_number]
PLD Design Entry, for details
After placing the appropriate pad symbols and
on
using
the
PAD
numbering them according to what the target device
components.
supports, the completed circuit looks like:
RESET

LOC=PIN[9]

U15

WAIT1

U100

U9

U114
START_WAIT

IPAD

LOC=PIN[15

OPAD
U14

U115

WAIT2

LOC=PIN[14

OPAD
U113

AND2B2

FD

FD

READY
U1

CPU_CLK

LOC=PIN[1]

BUFT

IPAD

U7
LOC=PIN[7]

LOC=PIN[8]

U101
MEMR

LOC=PIN[2]

IPAD
U3
LOC=PIN[3]

U4

INV

ROM_CS
MEMREQ
NAND3

U103
U108
ADR_14_15

A14

RAM_CS0

LOC=PIN[6]

IPAD

LOC=PIN[12

NAND4
B

A13

U109

INV
U105
ADR_12_13

U13
LOC=PIN[13

OPAD

A12

IPAD
U6

U12
OPAD

AND2B2
U104

RAM_CS1
LOC=PIN[5]

LOC=PIN[19

OR2B2
A15

IPAD
U5

U19
OPAD

MEMW

IPAD

LOC=PIN[4]

U107
U102

IPAD
U2

LOC=PIN[18

OPAD

ROM_CS

IPAD
U8

U18

NAND4

AND2B1
U106
C

A11
INV

Notes:

402

The completed design is compiled in the same way as the CUPL-based version,
refer to Step 6 - Compiling the PLD Source File, for details.
All internal logic must have unique designators, there are no specific requirements
for assigning them.
Assigning net names to all internal nets can assist in debugging.
Internal net names must be unique, and cannot be the negated value of any other
net name.
You can find this circuit in the PLD examples.

Sample PLD Design Session

Step 8 - Creating a Simulation Test Vector File

In this step, a simulation will be performed to verify the compiled design for the
GAL16V8 device. Performing this step before downloading to a logic programmer
decreases the probability of programming a device with incorrect logic.
In this section a source specification file, WAITGEN.SI, is created. It contains test
vectors for input to the Simulator. The Simulator compares the test vector inputs and
expected outputs to the actual values contained in the WAITGEN.ABS file that was
created during Compiler operation, and flags any discrepancies.
The contents of a WaitGen source specification file.
Name
Partno
Date
Revision
Designer
Company
Assembly
Location

WaitGen;
P9000183;
07/16/87;
02;
Osann;
ATI;
PC Memory;
g20v8;

/******************************************************/
/* This device generates chip select signals for one */
/* 8Kx8 ROM and two 2Kx8 static RAMs. It also drives */
/* the system READY line to insert a wait-state of at */
/* least one cpu clock for ROM accesses
*/
/******************************************************/
ORDER:
cpu_clk, %2, a15,
a13, %2, a12, %2,
!memw, %2, !memr,
%4, !ram_cs1, %2,
wait1, %2, wait2,

%2, a14, %2,

a11, %2,
%2, reset, %2, !oe,
!ram_cs0, %2, !rom_cs, %2,
%2, ready;

VECTORS:
/* 123456-leave six blanks to allow for numbers in .SO file
$msg "
Power On Reset
O X X X X X 1 1 1 0
H H H * * Z
$msg "
Reset Flip Flops
C X X X X X 1 1 0 0
H H H L L Z
$msg "
Write RAM0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
H L H L L Z
$msg "
Read RAM0

*/
";
";
";
";

403

PLD Design

0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
H L H L L
Write RAM1
0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0
L H H L L
$msg "
Read RAM1
0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
L H H L L
$msg "
Begin ROM read
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
H H L L L
$msg " Two clocks for wait state, Then drive READY High
$repeat2;
C 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
H H L * *
$msg "
End ROM Read
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
H H H H H
$msg "
End ROM Read
C 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
H H H L L

$msg "

";
Z
";
Z
";
L
";
*
";
Z
";
Z

The source specification file contains three major parts: header information and title
block, an ORDER statement, and a VECTORS statement.
WAITGEN.SI must have the same header information as WAITGEN.PLD to ensure
that the proper files, including current revision level, are being compared against each
other. Save WAITGEN.PLD as WAITGEN.SI and delete everything in WAITGEN.SI,
except the header and title block. Below is the result.
Name
Partno
Date
Revision
Designer
Company
Assembly
Location

WaitGen;
P9000183;
07/16/87;
02;
Osann;
ATI;
PC Memory;
U106;

/******************************************************/
/* This device generates chip select signals for one */
/* 8Kx8 ROM and two 2Kx8 static RAMs. It also drives */
/* the system READY line to insert a wait-state of a */
/* least one cpu clock for ROM accesses
*/
/******************************************************/

In the ORDER statement, list the input and output variables from WAITGEN.PLD to
be included in test vectors. List the variables in the order in which they will be used in
test variables; that is, put the clock variable, CPU_CLK, first, followed by the other
input variables. Put the output variables to the right. Separate variables with commas.
Use the % symbol to insert spaces between the variables; put two spaces between each
variable, and four spaces between the last input variable in the list, !OE, and the first
output variable, !RAM_CS1. Type the ORDER statement as follows:

404

Sample PLD Design Session

ORDER:
CPU_CLK, %2, A15, %2, A14, %2,
A13, %2,A12, %2, ALL, %2,
!MEMW, %2, !MEMR, %2, RESET, %2, !OE,
%4, !RAM_CS1, %2, !RAM_CSO, %2, !ROM_CS, %2
WAIT1, %2, READY;
Following the ORDER statement, enter a VECTORS statement that creates a function
table containing eleven test vectors. To make the vectors easier to understand, a header
for the test vectors is generated and placed in the .SO file right after the ORDER
statement. It consists of the symbol names that appear in the ORDER statement,
aligned in a manner that increases the readability of the vector section.
Now enter the test vectors. Create the vectors by assigning a value to each of the input
variables and an expected value to each of the output variables.
Refer to the topic Creating a Test Specification Source File in the chapter
Simulating the Design for more information on defining text vectors.
Use the $MSG directive to describe the device function tested by the function. The
ORDER statement above specifies the spacing when creating the test vectors. For
example, create the first vector, Power On Reset, by typing:
$msg " Power On Reset
";
0 X X X X X 1 1 1 0 H H H * * Z
Note that the output value (*) has been used for WAIT1 and WAIT2 to instruct the
Simulator to calculate the power-on state of the registers, since some devices power-on
to X and some to H or L. Using the asterisk gives a more universal simulation file.
Type in the rest of the test vectors, as shown below.
/* 123456-leave six blanks to allow for numbers in .SO file
$msg "
Power On Reset
O X X X X X 1 1 1 0
H H H * * Z
$msg "
Reset Flip Flops
C X X X X X 1 1 0 0
H H H L L Z
$msg "
Write RAM0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
H L H L L Z
$msg "
Read RAM0
0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
H L H L L Z
$msg "
Write RAM1
0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0
L H H L L Z
$msg "
Read RAM1
0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
L H H L L Z
$msg "
Begin ROM read
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
H H L L L L
$msg " Two clocks for wait state, Then drive READY High
$repeat2;

*/
";
";
";
";
";
";
";
";

405

PLD Design

$msg "
$msg "

C
End
0
End
C

0 0 0 0
ROM Read
0 0 0 0
ROM Read
0 0 0 0

*
";
Z
";
Z

The $REPEAT directive in the test vectors causes the eighth vector to be repeated
twice. The asterisks in the eighth vector for WAIT1, WAIT2, and READY tell the
Simulator to compute the output based on the inputs and place the results in the output
file.
The value of the clock variable, CPU_CLK, is 0 in some vectors and C in others. A
value of 0 causes no clocking to occur. A value of C causes the Simulator to examine
the input values in the vector and also look back to the previous vector for any
registered outputs that would be fed back internally prior to the clock. Then, after a
clock is applied, the Simulator computes the appropriate expected outputs for
registered and non-registered variables.
After putting in the VECTORS statement, save the file. The next step is to run the
Simulator to perform the simulation.

406

Sample PLD Design Session

Step 9 - Simulating the Device

When the Simulator is run, it creates WAITGEN.SO, which contains the result of the
simulation. Error messages are listed following each vector, with the signal name in
error displayed.
To run the Simulator, make WAITGEN.PLD the current document and press the
Simulate button on the PldTools toolbar.
Press the Info button in the PLD - Simulate dialog to display simulation information.
Enable the View Results check box to automatically load the simulation results into the
Waveform Editor. WAITGEN.SO is an ASCII file, so it also possible to open it with a
text editor.
The contents of WAITGEN.SO.
WAITGEN.SO
CSIM:
CUPL Simulation Program
Version 4.XX Serial # XX-XXX-XXXX
CREATED Thur Aug 20 09:34:16 1990
1: Name
WaitGen;
2: Partno
P9000183;
3: Date
07/16/87;
4: Revision
02;
5: Designer
Osann;
6: Company
ATI;
7: Assembly
PC Memory;
8: Location
U106;
9:
10: /******************************************************/
11: /* This device generates chip select signals for one */
12: /* 8Kx8 ROM and two 2Kx8 static RAMs. It also drives */
13: /* the system READY line to insert a wait-state of at */
14: /* least one cpu clock for ROM accesses
*/
15: /******************************************************/
16:
17: ORDER:
18:
cpu_clk, %2, a15, %2, a14, %2,
19:
a13, %2, a12, %2, a11, %2,
20:
!memw, %2, !memr, %2, reset, %2, !oe,
21:
%4, !ram_cs1, %2, !ram_cs0, %2, !rom_cs, %2,
22:
wait1, %2, wait2, %2, ready;
23:
==============================================================
Simulation Results
==============================================================

407

PLD Design

! !
c
r r !
p
a a r
u
! ! r
m m o w w r
_
m m e
_ _ m a a e
c a a a a a e e s !
c c _ i i a
l 1 1 1 1 1 m m e o
s s c t t d
k 5 4 3 2 1 w r t e
1 0 s 1 2 y
____________________________
________________
Power On Reset
0001: O X X X X X 1 1 1 0
H H H X X Z
Reset Flip Flops
0002: C X X X X X 1 1 0 0
H H H L L Z
Write RAM0
0003: 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
H L H L L Z
Read RAM0
0004: 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
H L H L L Z
Write RAM1
0005: 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0
L H H L L Z
Read RAM1
0006: 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
L H H L L Z
Begin ROM read
0007: 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
H H L L L L
Two clocks for wait state, Then drive READY High
0008: C 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
H H L H L L
0009: C 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
H H L H H H
End ROM Read
0010: 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
H H H H H Z
End ROM Read
0011: C 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
H H H L L Z

Compare WAITGEN.SO to the WAITGEN.SI file. Note that vectors 8 and 9 were
created as a result of the $REPEAT directive, and that the Simulator has replaced the
asterisks from WAITGEN.SI with the appropriate logic levels (H and L) for the
WAIT1, WAIT2 and READY signals.
Now that a successful simulation has been completed, test vectors can be added to the
JEDEC file created while running the Compiler (in step 6). Run the simulation again
with the JEDEC option enabled in the Configure PLD dialog.
The contents of WAITGEN.JED, which now contains both programming and testing
information.
WAITGEN.JED
CUPL
Device
Created
Name

408

4.XX
Serial# XX-XXX-XXXX
p16r4 Library DLIB-d-26-11
Thur Aug 20 09:52:02 1990
WaitGen

Sample PLD Design Session

Partno
P9000183
Revision
02
Date
12/16/89
Designer
Osann
Company
ATI
Assembly
PC Memory;
Location
U106;
*QP20
*QF2048
*G0
*F0
*L00000 11111111111111111111111111111111
*L00032 10111011101111111111111110111111
*L00256 10111011101111111111111110111111
*L00288 11111111111111111111111011111111
*L01024 11111111111111111111111101111111
*L01056 01111111111111111111111111111111
*L01088 11110111111111111111111111111111
*L01120 11111111011111111111111111111111
*L01152 11111111111111111111111111110111
*L01280 11111111111111111111111101111111
*L01312 01111111111111111111111111111111
*L01344 11110111111111111111111111111111
*L01376 11111111011111111111111111111111
*L01408 11111111111111111110111111111111
*L01536 11111111111111111111111111111111
*L01568 10111011011110110111101111111111
*L01600 10111011011110110111111110111111
*L01792 11111111111111111111111111111111
*L01824 10111011011110111011101111111111
*L01856 10111011011110111011111110111111
*C4D50
*V0001 0XXXXX111N0HHXXXXZHN
*V0002 CXXXXX110N0HHLLXXZHN
*V0003 000100010N0LHLLXXZHN
*V0004 000100100N0LHLLXXZHN
*V0005 000101010N0HLLLXXZHN
*V0006 000101100N0HLLLXXZHN
*V0007 000000100N0HHLLXXLLN
*V0008 C00000100N0HHLHXXLLN
*V0009 C00000100N0HHHHXXHLN
*V0010 000000110N0HHHHXXZHN
*V0011 C00000110N1HHLLXXZHN
*3152

409

PLD Design

Step 10 - Viewing the Simulation Waveforms

You can view the simulation results at any time by double-clicking on the
WAITGEN.SO icon.. The simulation results will be displayed as a series of
waveforms, in a spreadsheet style window. For tips on using the Waveform Editor
refer to the topic Viewing the Simulation Waveforms in the chapter Simulating the
Design.

Summary
This chapter provided an example of how to move from a conceptual design, through
to a PLD source file (or schematic), compile the design, create a simulator test
specification file, and simulate the design. The important points were how to:

410

Examine the design task and extract the necessary information.

Choose a PLD and make pin assignments.
Write intermediate and logic equations to describe the design.
Run the Compiler.
Create a schematic-based version of the design.
Create and compile a test specification file to verify the design.
Run the Simulator to simulate a logic design.
View the Simulation Waveforms.

PLD Design Examples

PLD Design Examples

This chapter contains design examples that show how the CUPL language is used to
describe different types of designs. The examples are:
Example 1

Simple gates (GATES.PLD)

Example 2

Two-bit counter (FLOPS.PLD)

Example 3

Simple State Machine Design

Example 4

Decade up/down counter using state-machine syntax

(COUNT10.PLD)

Example 5

Seven-segment display decoder (HEXDISP.PLD)

Example 6

4-Bit Counter with Load and Reset

The logic description file for each design is shown in parentheses. Any of these files
can be compiled to generate documentation or download files.
A corresponding test specification file (filename.SI) is provided for each logic
description file, so that the Simulator can be run to verify the designs.

411

PLD Design

Example 1 - Simple Logic Gates

This section will explain in detail how to write a simple
gates program for a PLD. The diagram shows what gates
will be implemented.
This design gives a simple set of inputs and generates
output simulating some simple gates. The outputs are
labeled to reflect the function of their gate; for example,
the AND gate has an output labeled AND.
Below is the CUPL source code that describes the
design.

Name
Partno
Date
Designer
Company
Location
Assembly

b
xnor

a
b
xor

/* Outputs:

define outputs as active HI levels

412

nand

invb

nor

For PAL16L8 and PAL16LD8, De Morgans Theorem is

applied to invert all outputs due to fixed
inverting buffer in the device.
*/
Pin 12 = inva;
Pin 13 = invb;
Pin 14 = and;

or

inva

Simple Gates example

/******************************************************/
/*
*/
/* This is an example to demonstrate how the PLD
*/
/* compiler compiles simple gates
*/
/*
*/
/******************************************************/
/*
Target Devices: P16L8, P16P8, EP300, and 82S153 */
/******************************************************/
define inputs to build simple gates

and

GATES.PLD
Gates;
CA0001;
07/16/87;
G Woolheiser;
ATI;
San Jose, CA.;
Example

/* Inputs:
Pin 1 = a;
Pin 2 = b;

*/

PLD Design Examples

Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin

15
16
17
18
19

=
=
=
=
=

nand;
or;
nor;
xor;
xnor;

/* Logic:

examples of simple gates expressed in CUPL */

inva = !a;
/* inverters
*/
invb = !b;
and = a & b;
/* and gate
*/
nand = !(a & b);
/* nand gate
or
= a # b;
/* or gate
*/
nor = !(a # b);
/*nor gate
xor = a $ b;
/*exclusive or gate
xnor = !(a $ b);
/*exclusive nor gate

*/
*/
*/
*/

Simple Gates Source File (GATES.PLD)

The first part of the file provides archival information and a description of the intended
function of the design, including compatible PLDs. First, there is the Name line,
which the Compiler uses to name the output files by adding extensions. Partno
specifies the Companys proprietary part number, issued by manufacturing, for a
particular PLD design. The part number is not the type of the target PLD. Date is
used to specify the date of compilation. The date should be changed to the current date
as good documentation practice. Designer should be the designers name or the name
of the design team. Assembly is used to specify the assembly name or number of the
PC board on which the PLD will be used. Use the abbreviation ASSY if desired.
Location is supposed to be used to indicate the PC board reference or coordinate
where the PLD is located. The abbreviation LOC may also be used. This may be used
for other purposes.
Pin declarations are made corresponding to the inputs and outputs in the design
diagram. The gates in this example require two inputs, which are passed through the
gates as necessary. a and b are names for the input pins. Next, names are assigned
to the output pins. The names chosen are descriptive of the function being performed.
The use of descriptive names is encouraged, as it makes files easier to debug and
update at a later time.
In the Logic section of the file, equations describe each of the gates in the design.
Boolean syntax is used to specify each output pin as a function of the input pins a and
b.
For the PAL16L8 and PAL16LD8 devices, which contain fixed inverting buffers, the
Compiler applies DeMorgans Theorem to invert all outputs because they were all
declared active-HI in the pin list. For example, the Compiler converts the following
equation for an OR gate, on an output pin that has been declared as active-HI:

413

PLD Design

or = a # b ;
to the following single expanded product term (as shown in the documentation file):
or => !a & !b
The devices chosen for this design were selected because they fit the criteria, as
specified earlier, for choosing a device. They have an adequate number of pins, both
input and output. They have tri-state control. The number of registered and nonregistered pins fits our design, and the device can handle the number of product terms.
Compiling the Source File
In this section, the logic description file (GATES.PLD) is compiled. Files are created
for documentation, downloading to a device programmer and for later use by the
simulator.
To compile the file GATES.PLD:

From the Configure PLD dialog enable the following options:

Equations in Doc File

This will generate a documentation file (GATES.DOC)

that contains expanded logic equations, a variable symbol
table and product term utilization so that the expanded
listing generated by the Compiler can be viewed.

Fuse Plot in Doc File

This will add fusemap information to the .DOC file.

Absolute ABS.

This will create the file GATES.ABS for later use by the
Simulator.

Jedec.

This will generate the file GATES.JED for input to a

device programmer and later use by the Simulator.

Press the Change button to specify the target device. In the Target Device dialog
highlight Device Type 19 and select device P16L8.

Press OK to close the dialogs.

Make the source .PLD file (GATES.PLD) the current document

Press the Compile button on the PldTools toolbar to start the compile process.

The target device is a PAL16L8 and the source file is GATES.PLD. The output files
will be GATES.DOC, GATES.ABS and GATES.JEC.
After running the Compiler open the file GATES.DOC. GATES.DOC contains the
expanded listing generated. This shows how the Compiler expands the logic equations
when it compiles the design for the device chosen.
In order to see how the Compiler reports errors

414

Edit the source file GATES.PLD and remove the semicolon at the end of one of
the assignment statements.

PLD Design Examples

Save the file.

To create an error listing file, enable the Error list LST format in the Configure
PLD dialog, then run the Compiler.

After the Compiler has finished, examine the file GATES.LST. Notice that an error
line appears next to the error, and there are line numbers at the beginning of each line.
Simulating the Design
In this section the GATES.PLD logic design is simulated with the PLD Simulator. Test
vectors are appended to the GATES.JED file created during compilation.
A test specification source file (filename.SI) is the input to the Simulator. For this
example, the file GATES.SI is included in the example designs. This file has a
description of the function of the device in the circuit. For more information about
creating a test specification file refer to the Creating a Simulation Test Vector File
topic in the PLD Simulation chapter.
Test vectors specify the expected functional operation of a PLD by defining the outputs
as a function of the inputs. Test vectors are also used to do functional testing of a
device once it has been programmed, to see if the device functions as expected.
The Simulator compares the input pin stimuli and output pin test values entered in the
GATES.SI file (as shown below), with the actual values calculated from the logic
equations in the CUPL source file. These calculated values are contained in the
absolute file GATES.ABS, which was created during Compiler operation.
To simulate do the following:

Make Gates.PLD the active document in the Design Explorer. The file Gates.SI
must be present in the current directory. Do not attempt to run the Simulator with
the .SI file as the current document.

Press the Simulate button on the PldTools toolbar.

Structured test vectors generated by the simulation will automatically be appended

onto the JEDEC download file created during Compiler operation.
Simulator input file (GATES.SI).
Name
Gates;
Partno
000000;
Revision
03;
Date
9/12/83;
Designer
CUPL Engineering;
Company
ATI;
Location
None;
Assembly
None;
/**************************************************************/
/*
*/

415

PLD Design

/*
This is a example to demonstrate how the Compiler
*/
/*
compiles simple gates.
*/
/*
*/
/***************************************************************/
/*
Target Devices: P16L8, P16LD8, P16P8, EP300, and 2S153*/
/***************************************************************
/* Order: define order, polarity, and output
/* spacing of stimulus and response values */
Order:

*/

a, %2, b, %4, inva, %3, invb, %5, and, %8,

nand, %7, or, %8, nor, %7, xor, %8, xnor;

/* Vectors: define stimulus and response values, with header*/

/*
and intermediate messages for the simulator listing*/
/* Note:
Dont Care state (X) on inputs is reflected in
*/
/*
outputs where appropriate.
*/
Vectors:
$msg ;
$msg
Simple Gates Simulation;
$msg ;
$msg inverters and
nand
or
nor
xor
xnor
$msg a b !a !b
a & b !(a & b) a # b !(a # b) a $ b !(a $b);
$msg - -


;
00
01
10
11
1X
X1
0X
X0
XX

HHLHLHLH
HLLHHLHL
LHLHHLHL
LLHLHLLH
LXXXHLXX
XLXXHLXX
HXLHXXXX
XHLHXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Gates Simulator Input File (GATES.SI)

Below is the Simulator output file (GATES.SO). The inputs are listed with the
corresponding outputs.
1:Name
2:Partno
3:Revision
4:Date
5:Designer
6:Company
7:Location
8:Assembly

416

Gates;
000000;
03;
9/12/83;
CUPL Engineering;
ATI;
None;
None;

PLD Design Examples

9:
10:/**********************************************************/
11:/*
*/
12:/*
This is a example to demonstrate how the Compiler */
13:/*
compiles simple gates.
*/
14:/*
*/
15:/**********************************************************/
16:/* Target Devices:P16L8, P16LD8, P16P8, EP300, and 82S153 */
17:/**********************************************************/
18:
19:
20:/*
21; * Order: define order, polarity, and output
22: * spacing of stimulus and response values
23: */
24:
25:Order: a, %2, b, %4, inva, %3, invb, %5, and, %8,
26:
nand, %7, or, %8, nor, %7, xor, %8, xnor;
27:
28:/*
29: * Vectors: define stimulus and response values, with header
30: *
and intermediate messages for the simulator listing.
31: *
32: * Note: Dont Care state (X) on inputs is reflected in
33: *
outputs where appropriate.
34: */
35:
===============================================================
Simulation Results
===============================================================
Simple Gates Simple Simulation
inverters and
nand
or
nor
xor
xnor
a a
!a !b
a&b !(a&b) a#b !(a#b) a$b !(a$b)
-


0001: 0 0
H
H
L
H
L
H
L
H
0002: 0 1
H
L
L
H
H
L
H
L
0003: 1 0
L
H
L
H
H
L
H
L
0004: 1 1
L
L
H
L
H
L
L
H
0005: 1 X
L
X
X
X
H
L
X
X
0006: X 1
X
L
X
X
H
L
X
X
0007: 0 X
H
X
L
H
X
X
X
X
0008: X 0
X
H
L
H
X
X
X
X
0009: X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Gates Simulator Output File (GATES.SO)

417

PLD Design

Example 2 - Two-Bit Counter

This example demonstrates the implementation of a two-bit counter for a D-type flipflop. The timing diagram for the counter is shown below:
CLOCK
q0
q1
reset

Two-Bit Counter Timing diagram

As indicated by the arrows, the registers are clocked on the rising edge of the clock
signal.
Below is the CUPL source code that describes the two-bit counter design (refer to
FLOPS.PLD in the examples).
FLOPS.PLD
Name
Flops;
Partno
CA0002;
Revision
02;
Date
07/16/87;
Designer
G. Woolheiser;
Company
ATI;
Location
None;
Assembly
None;
/************************************************************/
/*
*/
/* This example demonstrates the use of D-type flip-flop
*/
/* to implement a two bit counter using the following
*/
/* timing diagram.
*/
/*
___
___
___
___
___
*/
/* clock |___|
|___|
|___|
|___|
|___|
*/
/*
_____
________
________
*/
/* q0
/// |_______|
|_______|
|__
*/
/*
_____
________________
*/
/* q1
/// |_______________|
|__
*/
/*
*/
/*
*/

418

PLD Design Examples

/* reset
|___________________________________
*/
/*
*/
/************************************************************/
/*
Target Devices: PAL16R8, PAL16RP8, GAL16V8
*/
/************************************************************/
Pin 1 = clock;
Pin 2 = reset;
/* Outputs: define outputs and output active levels
Pin 17 = q0;
Pin 16 = q1;

*/

/* Logic: two bit counter using expanded exclusive ors */

/*
with d-type flip-flop
*/
qo.d = !reset & (!q0 & !q1
# !q0 & q1);
q1.d = !reset & (!q0 & q1
# q0 & !q1);
/* ANDed !reset defines a synchronous register reset */

The first part of the file provides archival information and a description of the intended
function of the design, including compatible PLDs.
Pin declarations are made to correspond to each input and output in the design
diagram.
In the Logic section of the file, equations are written to implement the counter. The
equation for q0 is written to define when q0 asserts; that is, it defines the situation
immediately before the rising clock edge.
The !reset term is used in the equations for both q0 and q1 to initialize the circuit,
providing a synchronous reset. At power-on, the registers can be either high or low, as
indicated by the DONT CARE slashes in the timing diagram in the source file; the
reset signal is initially asserted. By ANDing !reset into the equation for each variable,
the conditions are not met at power-on, so the registers do not set. Because the reset
signal returns LO (false) after the power-on process is complete, !reset is then true and
does not affect the value of the registers at any other point in the circuit.
The .d extension in the equations specifies a D-type flip-flop. However, when an
output is used as feedback, the .d extension is dropped. For example, if q0 is fed back
to q1, an equation could be written as:
q1.d = q0 & !reset ;
not as:
q1.d = q0.d & !reset ;
or:
q1.d = q0.dq & !reset ;
419

PLD Design

Example 3 - Simple State Machine Design

The Subway Turnstile controller is the simplest state machine design. This controller
waits for a signal that a coin has been deposited. It then changes its state from locked to
open. In the open phase, it waits for someone to walk through the turnstile, then it
changes from open to locked. This two-state design cycles between open and locked
using a coin detector and a walk-through detector as inputs. The diagram below shows
the states, and the pulses that change the device from one state to the next. HelveticaCondensed
STATE DIAGRAM

CUPL SYNTAX

!COIN
Sequence LOCK {

LOCKED

Present LOCKED
If COIN
If COIN

Next OPEN
Next LOCKED

Present OPEN
If WALK_THRU Next LOCKED
Default
Next OPEN
Out CNT_PULSE
}

OPEN
CNT_PULSE

!WALK_THRU

Subway Turnstile Example

The corresponding CUPL state machine code is included on the right, so that the
relationship between the code and the design diagram is easily understood.

420

PLD Design Examples

/******************************************************/
/*
Target Devices: P16R4
*/
/******************************************************/
/* Inputs:
define inputs to Turnstile controller
Pin 1 = CLK;
Pin 2 = WALK_THRU;
Pin 3 = COIN;

*/

/* Outputs:
define outputs as active HI levels
...............................
*/
Pin 14 = CNT_PULSE;
Pin 15 = LOCK;
/* Logic: Subway Turnstile example expressed in CUPL */
$DEFINE LOCKED b0
$DEFINE OPEN b1
Sequence LOCK{
Present LOCKED
if COIN
if !COIN

Next OPEN;
Next LOCKED;

Present OPEN
if WALK_THRU Next LOCKED;
Default
Next OPEN;
Out CNT_PULSE;
}
TURNSTIL.PLD

421

PLD Design

Example 4 - Decade Up/Down Counter

This example describes a four-bit up/down decade counter with a synchronous clear
capacity. The counter also provides an asynchronous ripple carry output for cascading
multiple devices. The source file to implement the counter uses CUPL state machine
syntax.
Ck

Carry
Q0
Q1
Q2
Q3

Cir
Dir
Clear

OE
S0

S9
Carry

S1

S8

S2

S7

S3

S4

S6
S5

Up/Down Counter Diagram

The input signal dir determines the direction of the count. When dir is high, the count
goes down one on each clock; when dir is low, the count goes up one on each clock.
The clr signal performs a synchronous reset.

422

PLD Design Examples

The CUPL source code that implements the design is shown below (refer to
COUNT10.PLD in the examples).
Name
Partno
Revision
Date
Designer
Company
Location
Assembly
Device

COUNT10.PLD
Count10;
CA0018;
02;
07/16/87;
Kahl;
ATI;
None;
None;
p16rp4;

/***********************************************************/
/*
*/
/*
Decade Counter
*/
/* This is a 4-bit up/down decade counter with
*/
/* synchronous clear capability. An asynchronous
*/
/* ripple carry output is provided for cascading
*/
/* multiple devices. CUPL state machine syntax
*/
/* is used
*/
/***********************************************************/
/* Allowable Target Device Types: PAL16RP4, GAL16V8, EP300 */
/***********************************************************/
/** Inputs **/
Pin 1 = clk;
/* counter clock
*/
Pin 2 = clr;
/* counter clear input
*/
Pin 3 = dir;
/* counter direction input
*/
Pin 11 = !oe;
/* Register output enable
*/
/*

Outputs

Pin [14..17] = [Q3..0];

Pin 18 = carry;

*/
/* counter outputs
/* ripple carry out

/* Declarations and Intermediate Variable Definitions

field count = [Q3..0];
/* declare counter bit field
$define S0 b0000
$define S1 b0001
$define S2 b0010
$define S3 b0011
$define S4 b0100
$define S5 b0101
$define S6 b0110

*/
*/
*/
*/

423

PLD Design

$define S7 b0111
$define S8 b1000
$define S9 b1001
field node = [clr,dir];
up = mode:0;
down = mode:1;
clear = mode:[2..3];
/* Logic Equations */
sequence count {
/*
present S0

present S1

present S2

present S3

present S4

present S5

present S6

present S7

present S8

present S9

out

if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
carry;

up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear

/* declare filed node control */

/* define count up mode
*/
/* define count down mode
*/
/* define count clear mode
*/

free running counter

*/

next S1;
next S9;
next S0;
next S2;
next S0;
next S0;
next S3;
next S1;
next S0;
next S4;
next S2;
next S0;
next S5;
next S3;
next S0;
next S6;
next S4;
next S0;
next S7;
next S5;
next S0;
next S8;
next S6;
next S0;
next S9;
next S7;
next S0;
next S0;
next S8;
next S0;
/* assert carry output */

The first part of the file provides archival information and a description of the intended
function of the design, including compatible PLDs.

424

PLD Design Examples

Pin declarations are made corresponding to the inputs and outputs in the design
diagram.
The Declarations and Intermediate Variable Definitions section contains declarations
that simplify the notation.
The name count is assigned to the output variables Q3, Q2, Q1, and Q0.
The $DEFINE command is used to assign names to ten binary states representing the
state machine output. The state name can then be used in the logic equations to
represent the corresponding binary number.
The FIELD keyword is used to combine the clr and dir inputs into a set called mode.
Mode is defined by the following equations:
up = mode:0;
down = mode:1;
clear = mode [2..3];
Mode represents the inputs clr and dir, so the three equations above are equivalent to
the following equations:
up = !clr & !dir ;
down = !clr & dir ;
clear = (clr & !dir) # (clr & dir) ;
The three modes are defined as follows:
up - Both the dir and clr inputs are not asserted.
down - The dir input is asserted and clr is not asserted.
clear - The clr input is asserted and dir is either asserted or not asserted.
The Logic Equations section contains the state machine syntax that specifies the
states in the counter. In the first line, the SEQUENCE keyword identifies count (that is,
Q3, Q2, Q1, and Q0) as the outputs to which the state values apply.
Conditional statements have been written to specify the transition from each possible
present state to a next state, for each of the three modes. For example, when the present
state is S4, if the mode is up, the counter goes to S5; if the mode is down the counter
goes to S3; or if the mode is clear, the counter goes to S0. As example 4 shows, one
advantage of the state machine syntax is that it clearly documents the operation of the
design.
In Example 4, state 0 (binary value 0000) is defined, because it is the result of the clr
signal. It is recommended that all designs have a valid 0000 defined to avoid being
stuck at state 0. For example, in this design, if a state that hasnt been defined occurs at
power-on, such as hexadecimal A-F, none of the conditions described in the equations
is met, so the state goes to state 0 (hex value 0000). If 0000 has not been defined as a
valid state, the counter stays at state 0.

425

PLD Design

Below you can see how this example could have been written as a virtual design. It is
the same file, but it has been modified where necessary to show the difference between
a virtual design and a device specific design.

Name
Partno
Revision
Date
Designer
Company
Location
Assembly
Device

COUNT10.PLD
Count10;
CA0018;
02;
07/16/87;
Kahl;
ATI;
None;
None;
VIRTUAL;

/***********************************************************/
/*
*/
/*
Decade Counter
*/
/* This is a 4-bit up/down decade counter with
*/
/* synchronous clear capability. An asynchronous
*/
/* ripple carry output is provided for cascading
*/
/* multiple devices. CUPL state machine syntax
*/
/* is used
*/
/***********************************************************/
/* Allowable Target Device Types: PAL16RP4, GAL16V8, EP300 */
/************************************************************/
/** Inputs **/
Pin = clk;
/* counter clock
*/
Pin = clr;
/* counter clear input
*/
Pin = dir;
/* counter direction input
*/
Pin = !oe;
/* Register output enable
*/
/**

Outputs

**/

Pin
Pin

= [Q3..0];
= carry;

/* counter outputs
/* ripple carry out

*/
*/

/** Declarations and Intermediate Variable Definitions

**/
field count = [Q3..0];
/* declare counter bit field */
$define S0 b0000
$define S1 b0001
$define S2 b0010
$define S3 b0011
$define S4 b0100
$define S5 b0101
$define S6 b0110

426

PLD Design Examples

$define S7 b0111
$define S8 b1000
$define S9 b1001
field node = [clr,dir];
up = mode:0;
down = mode:1;
clear = mode:2..3];
/* Logic Equations */
sequence count {
/*
present S0

present S1

present S2

present S3

present S4

present S5

present S6

present S7

present S8

present S9

out

if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
carry;

/*
/*
/*
/*

up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear
up
down
clear

declare filed node control */

define count up mode
*/
define count down mode
*/
define count clear mode
*/

free running counter

next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
/* assert

*/

S1;
S9;
S0;
S2;
S0;
S0;
S3;
S1;
S0;
S4;
S2;
S0;
S5;
S3;
S0;
S6;
S4;
S0;
S7;
S5;
S0;
S8;
S6;
S0;
S9;
S7;
S0;
S0;
S8;
S0;
carry output */

427

PLD Design

It is possible to use some of the features of the CUPL preprocessor to considerably

shorten this PLD file. The sample file below shows how this same file could be written
with a $REPEAT structure, which reduces the file size considerably.
Name
Partno
Revision
Date
Designer
Company
Location
Assembly
Device

Count10;
CA0018;
02;
07/16/87;
Kahl;
ATI;
None;
None;
VIRTUAL;

/***********************************************************/
/*
*/
/*
Decade Counter
*/
/* This is a 4-bit up/down decade counter with
*/
/* synchronous clear capability. An asynchronous
*/
/* ripple carry output is provided for cascading
*/
/* multiple devices. CUPL state machine syntax
*/
/* is used
*/
/***********************************************************/
/* Allowable Target Device Types: PAL16RP4, GAL16V8, EP300 */
/***********************************************************/
/**
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin

Inputs
= clk;
= clr;
= dir;
= !oe;

**/

/**
Pin
Pin

Outputs **/
= [Q3..0];
= carry;

/*
/*
/*
/*

counter clock
counter clear input
counter direction input
Register output enable

/* counter outputs
/* ripple carry out

*/
*/
*/
*/

*/
*/

/* Declarations and Intermediate Variable Definitions

field count = [Q3..0];
/* declare counter bit field
field node = [clr,dir];
/* declare filed node control
up = mode:0;
/* define count up mode
down = mode:1;
/* define count down mode
clear = mode:2..3];
/* define count clear mode

/* state machine description */

sequence count {

428

*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/

PLD Design Examples

present 0
if up & !clear
next 1;
if down & !clear next 9;
if clear
next 0;
$REPEAT i=[1..9]
present i
if up & !clear
next {(i+1)%10};
if down & !clear next {(i-1)%10}
if clear
next 0;
$REPEND

In this variation, we removed the $DEFINE statements because we use the raw
numbers instead. The most significant change is that we used a $REPEAT loop to
define most of the states instead of defining each state individually. It is possible to do
this because all the states are identical except for the next state that each goes to.
Notice that we define state 0 by itself and then all the other states are defined in one
$REPEAT loop. The $REPEAT loop expands upon compilation to give a definition for
each state. Notice that the statement indicating the next state is given as a calculation
from the repeat variable i. In the loop, i represents the number of the current state.
The next state is therefore i+1. This will work for all states except the last state. In the
last state, the state machine must go back to state 0. To accomplish this, the formula to
calculate the next state is given as (i+1)%10. This means i+1 modulo 10. The
number 10 represents the number of states. Therefore, when in state 9 the next state is
calculated as 9+1 = 10 then modulo 10 which gives 0. A similar condition occurs in
calculating the previous state except that we subtract 1 instead of adding it. You might
have noticed that we defined state 0 separately. This was done because the $REPEAT
variables can only handle positive numbers. If we had defined state 0 in the $REPEAT
loop this would result in evaluating to next state -1 and the compiler would produce an
unexpected result.

429

PLD Design

Example 5 - Seven-Segment Display Decoder

This example shows a hexadecimal-to-seven-segment decoder for driving commonanode LEDs. The design incorporates both a ripple-blanking input to inhibit the display
of leading zeroes, and a ripple-blanking output for easy cascading of digits.
HelveticaCondensed

rbi
a
D0

D1

D2

D3

e
f
g
rbo
a
f
e

g
d

b
c

Seven-Segment Display Decoder

The segments in the display, labeled a-g, correspond to the outputs in the diagram.
Below is the source code (HEXDISP.PLD in the examples):
HEXDISP.PLD
Name
Hexdisp;
Partno
CA0007;
Revision
02;
Date
07/16/87;
Designer
T. Kahl;
Company
ATI;
Location
None;
Assembly
None;
/**************************************************************/
/*
*/
/*
a
*/

430

PLD Design Examples

/* This is a hexadecimal-to-seven-segment
----*/
/* decoder capable of driving common-anode
|
|
*/
/* LEDs. It incorporates both a ripplef|
|b
*/
/* blanking input (to inhibit displaying
| g |
*/
/* leading zeroes) and a ripple blanking output
----*/
/* to allow for easy cascading of digits
|
|
*/
/*
e|
|c
*/
/*
|
|
*/
/*
----*/
/*
d
*/
/*
*/
/**************************************************************/
/* Allowable Target Device Types: 32 x 8 PROM (82S123 or
*/
/* equivalent
*/
/**************************************************************/
/** Input group (Note this is only a comment)
**/
pin [10..13] = [D0..3];
pin 14 = !rbi;
/** Output Group

/* data input lines to display

/* ripple blanking input

( Note this is only a comment)

*/
*/
**/

pin [7..1] = ![a,b,c,d,e,f,g];

/* Segment output lines
pin 9
= !rbo;
/* Ripple Blanking output
/** Declarations and Intermediate Variable Definitions
field data = [D3..0];
/* hexadecimal input field
field segment=[abcdefg];
/* Display segment field
$define ON b1
/* segment lit when logicallyON
$define OFF b0
/* segment dark when logically OFF

*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/

Display Decoder Source File (HEXDISP.PLD) Sheet 1 of 2

The first part of the file provides archival information and a description of the intended
function of the design, including compatible PLDs.
Pin declarations are made corresponding to the inputs and outputs in the design
diagram.
In the Declarations and Intermediate Variables section, field assignments are made to
group the input pins into a set named data and the output pins into a set named
segment. ON and OFF are defined respectively as binary 1 and binary 0.

431

PLD Design

/**

Logic
/*
segment =
/* 0 */
/* 1 */
/* 2 */
/* 3 */
/* 4 */
/* 5 */
/* 6 */
/* 7 */
/* 8 */
/* 9 */
/* A */
/* B */
/* C */
/* D */
/* E */
/* F */

Equations
a

#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#

[ ON,
[OFF,
[ ON,
[ ON,
[OFF,
[ ON,
[ ON,
[ ON,
[ ON,
[ ON,
[ ON,
[OFF,
[ ON,
[OFF,
[ ON,
[ ON,

**/
b
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
OFF,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
OFF,
OFF,
ON,
OFF,
OFF,

*/

ON,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
OFF,
OFF,

ON,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
OFF,

ON,
OFF,
ON,
OFF,
OFF,
OFF,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,

ON,
OFF,
OFF,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
ON,
OFF,
ON,
ON,

OFF]
OFF]
ON]
ON]
ON]
ON]
ON]
ON]
OFF]
ON]
ON]
ON]
OFF]
ON]
ON]
ON]

&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&

data:0 & !rbi

data:1
data:2
data:3
data:4
data:5
data:6
data:7
data:8
data:9
data:A
data:B
data:C
data:D
data:E
data:F;

rbo = rbi & data:0;

Display Decoder Source File (HEXDISP.PLD) Sheet 2 of 2

The logic equations are set up as a function table to describe the segments that are lit
up by each input pattern. Comments create a header for the function table, listing the
output segments across the top and the input numbers vertically down the side.
Each line of the table describes a decoded hex value and the segments of the display
that the hex value turns on or off. For example, the line for an input value of 4 is
written as follows:
[OFF, ON, ON, OFF, OFF, ON, ON] & data:4
The function table format expresses the intent of the design more clearly than
equations; that is, the example above shows that an input value of 4 turns segment a
off, segment b on, segment c on, and so on.

432

PLD Design Examples

Example 6 - 4-Bit Counter with Load and Reset

This example will present a counter that can be loaded and reset. The design is done
using the VIRTUAL device but it could easily be implemented in almost any PLD that
has four or more registers.
Name
Counter;
Partno
FL1201;
Revision
01;
Date
08/26/91;
Designer
RGT;
Company
LDI;
Location
None;
Assembly
None;
Device
VIRTUAL;
/*******************************************/
/* 4-bit counter
*/
/*******************************************/
/**
PIN
PIN
PIN
PIN

inputs **/
= clk; /* clock signal for registers */
= load;/* load signal */
= !ClrFlag;
= [LoadPin0..3]; /* pins from which to load data */

/** outputs **/

PIN = [CountPin0..3];
/* intermediate variables and fields */
field STATE_BITS = [Count0..3];
field LOAD_BUS = [LoadPin0..3];
/** state machine definition **/
SequenceD STATE_BITS {
/* build a repeated loop for the states */
$REPEAT i = [0..15]
Present h{i}
/* go to state 0 if clear signal is true */
/* if the load signal is false go to the */
/* next state. Note that the next state */
/* is (current state + 1) modulo 16.
*/
/* This causes the counter to wrap back */
/* to 0 when in the last state
*/

433

PLD Design

If !load Next h{(i+1)%16};

If !load & ClrFlag Nextb0;
$REPEND
/* Add the load capability by using the
/* APPEND statement. This has the effect of
/* adding more inputs to the OR gate for
/* this output. This equation states that if
/* the load signal is true then the counter
/* registers are loaded with data from the
/* load pins. This is why load was used in
/* the equations for the IF statements in
/* the state definitions.
*/
APPEND STATE_BITS.d = load & LOAD_BUS;

*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/

Since this is a virtual design, pin numbering can be ignored. The signals to be used are
declared without any pin numbers.
When the load signal is asserted, the values at the load pins are fed into the state bit
registers. When the Clear signal is asserted, the state machine is forced to state 0.
The $REPEAT loop is defined as [0 ..15]. Inside the loop, the present state is defined
as h {i}. This causes the numbers to be evaluated as hex numbers. The expansion that
results from this is a state machine with 16 states ranging from 0 to F in hexadecimal.
If the h was left off, the states would have been expanded as 0 to 15 in decimal. The
compiler would have interpreted these as hex anyway and states A-F would not have
been defined. Additionally, State 10 in hex cannot exist with this number of statebits
since that would require 5 statebits but all that we have is 4.
Notice that all the IF statements are anded with !load. This was done because we
want to give loading the highest possible priority. Also this removes any possible
conflict that could occur if load and some other signal were asserted at the same time.
The next state is calculated as (present_state + 1) modulo 16. This causes the counter to
wrap back to the zero state when it is in the last state. We use modulo 16 because this
is the number of states in the state machine.
The last part of this design involves adding the load capability to our design. For this
we use the APPEND statement. The append statement causes the expression given to
be ORed to the variable specified. This entire state machine eventually becomes a set
of equations for each of the state bits. Out intent is to add another condition where the
registers are loaded with the value from a set of input pins. Remember that we used
!load in all the IF statements. That was to make sure that the equations generated by
those IF statements, would not conflict with the APPEND statement.

434

PLD Design Examples

CountPin0.d = !load & ???.....

# !load & ???.....;
Equations Before APPEND

CountPin0.d = !load & ???.....

# !load & ???.....
# load & LoadPin0;
Equations After APPEND

As an exercise, try to add up/down capability to this example. Also, try implementing
it into an actual device.

435

Section 6

PCB Design
PCB Design Feature Highlights
Setting up the PCB Workspace
Creating, Opening and Saving PCB Documents
Working in the PCB Design Window
PCB Editing Shortcuts
PCB Design Objects
PCB Component Footprints and Libraries
Defining the Board
Specifying the PCB Design Requirements
Component Placement Tools and Techniques
Understanding Connectivity and Topology
Manually Routing the PCB
Autorouting the PCB
Including Testpoints and Teardrops on the PCB
Verifying the PCB Design
3 Dimensional PCB Visualization
Printing to a Windows Printing Device
Generating the Manufacturing Files
Passing Design Changes Back to the Schematic
Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

439
446
460
461
487
492
509
521
526
563
576
583
599
605
609
618
620
626
642
644

437

PCB Design

438

PCB Design Feature Highlights

PCB Design Feature Highlights

This section of the Protel Designers Handbook explains how to use Protel 99 SEs
PCB Editor and Autorouter to carry out the printed circuit board layout and routing
phase of the design process. As you read this section you will find all the information
you need to get up and running with the PCB Editor, and learn how to use the basic
features required to layout and route a printed circuit board, perform design rule
checks, generate PCB fabrication files and print out design documentation.
This section of the Handbook also includes information on how to perform a signal
integrity analysis, directly from the PCB layout. You can set up design rules to test for
out of spec performance, including net impedance, overshoot, undershoot, slope and
flight time. You can also analyze the exact behavior of the routing by performing
reflection and crosstalk analyses, producing accurate waveforms of the results. Refer to
the chapter, Verifying the PCB Design, for more information.

439

PCB Design

The PCB Layout Editor

The PCB Layout Editor is the primary PCB document editor in Protel 99 SE. This
editor allows you to create, edit and verify the PCB design. From the PCB Layout
Editor you can also generate the output files required to manufacture the printed circuit
board. Throughout this Handbook the PCB Layout Editor is simply referred to as the
PCB Editor.

The PCB Library Editor

The PCB Library Editor is the second PCB document editor in Protel 99 SE. It is used
to create, edit and manage libraries of component footprints. The PCB Library Editor
shares many common features with the PCB Editor, plus specialized tools and features
for library management tasks.

Shape-Based Autorouting
Protel 99 SE includes an easy-to-use, powerful, high quality, shape-based autorouting
server, which is tightly integrated with the PCB Editor. Although it plugs in as a
separate server in the Design Explorer, the Autorouter is set up and run in the PCB
Editor, and routes directly in the PCB window.
Protel 99 SEs Autorouter uses a combination of new routing technologies, as well as
time-proven developments. The new technology consists of a suite of Neural utilities
including a Neural Net, Neural Costs and Neural Shapes utilities that have grown
from the development of Artificial Intelligence. The well-proven technologies include
a variety of time-tested routing algorithms, that have been greatly enhanced to support
the objectives of Protel 99 SEs Autorouter.
The Autorouter has three objectives: 100% completion, routing speed and quality of
routing - like that of a professional board designer. Once you start routing with Protel
99 SEs Autorouter you will wonder how you ever survived without it.

Design Capabilities
The PCB Editor is a complete PCB layout environment with many attractive features
for productive design work. When you use the PCB Editor in combination with Protel
99 SEs Schematic Editor, Circuit Simulator, and PLD Compiler, the PCB Editor
becomes the backbone of a fully-automated, integrated, end-to-end PCB layout system.
PCB layout differs from other drawing-oriented tasks in its requirement for extreme
precision. As a result, Protels PCB Editor is more of a placing environment than a
freehand drawing environment.

440

PCB Design Feature Highlights

Another key difference is connectivity the systems ability to recognize connections

between track segments, tracks and component pads, and so on. For example, you can
delete a track segment, and the system will automatically add a connection line,
ensuring that the connective integrity of the design is always maintained.
PCB layouts are generated and displayed as a set of layers, which correspond to the
individual phototools used to fabricate the board, such as the top and bottom signal
layers or the silkscreen overlay layer. Some operations, such as manual track
placement, are layer-dependent you must first select the layer, then place the track.
Whether your design is a simple single-sided PCB, or a multi-layer board with multiple
internal planes, you will be able to layout every item exactly as it will be fabricated in
Protel 99 SEs PCB Editor.
Schematic-to-PCB Design Synchronization
Protel 99 SE includes a powerful design synchronization feature, which can
automatically match the schematic design data with the PCB design data. Previously,
schematic design changes were carried forward using a technique called forward
annotation, and PCB re-annotation information was taken back to the schematic using
backward annotation. Both of these functions are now carried out by the synchronizer.
When you run the synchronizer it separately examines the component and connectivity
information in both the schematic sheets, and the PCB, and then updates one to match
the other. When you run it you select either Update PCB from Schematic, or Update
Schematic from PCB from the menus, nominating which is the source, and which is the
target.
32-bit PCB Design Database
The PCB Editor uses a 32-bit design database and can generate through-hole and SMD
designs of up to sixteen signal layers, plus four mid-layer power planes. Four
mechanical drawing layers allow you to generate fabrication and assembly drawings
for your design. Boards can be as big as 100 inches (254 cm) by 100 inches. Placement
accuracy on the 0.001 mils grid system is 0.0005 mils.
The switchable metric/imperial grid system allows you to work accurately in both
measurement systems and can be toggled on-the-fly as you design.
Comprehensive Design Rules
Todays electronic designs impose more than simple mechanical and current/voltage
requirements on the PCB layout. They can also require that you apply specific
conditions to individual nets, components, or regions of the board, as well as
considering such issues as crosstalk, reflections and net lengths.
To specify these requirements the PCB Editor incorporates a large set of design rules.
These include clearances, object geometry, parallelism, impedance control, routing
priority and routing topology. Each rule can be applied to the board, to objects, nets,

441

PCB Design

net classes, from-tos, from-to classes, components, component classes, layers, or user
definable regions.
On-Line and Batch Design Rule Checking
The on-line DRC flags design rule violations as you route. The batch DRC allows
comprehensive verification of the board layout to user-specified physical and logical
design rules.
Automatic Component Placement
The Protel 99 SE design system includes two high-performance auto component
placement features.
The first autoplacer uses a component clustering algorithm, that attempts to place
components first by their connectivity (creating clusters of components), then by the
component geometry. This placer is suited to boards with a lower component count
(less than 100).
The second auto component placement feature uses an AI-based methodology called
simulated annealing. It analyzes the entire design as it places, considering the
connection length, the connection density on the board and the alignment of the
components, all in accordance with the design rules. As this placer uses a statistical
algorithm it is more suited to designs with a higher component count (100 or more).
Unbreakable Connectivity
A key feature of the PCB Editor is the way logical and physical (or electrical)
connections between the elements in your design are recognized and managed. At all
times the PCB Editor monitors the state of the connectivity, adding and removing
connection lines as you place and delete tracks.
Sophisticated Gridless Manual Routing
With the ever-increasing variety of component packaging technologies it is difficult for
todays designer to manually route in a grid-based design environment. To keep pace
with the changing demands of manual routing, tracks can be routed gridless in the PCB
Editor.
Combine the electrical grid (which snaps objects together) with the avoid obstacle
mode and the six track placement modes (with look-ahead), and you can predictively
route tracks to any object without creating a violation.
Flexible Selection
Groups of items can be selected by layer, by physical connectivity or by designating an
area of the board. Individual items can be added to or removed from the selection. The
PCB Editor also includes a Query Wizard, allowing you to create complex selections

442

PCB Design Feature Highlights

of different primitives, using standard query operators such as not equal to, less than,
and so on.
Selections can be manipulated using standard Windows Edit menu items like Cut,
Copy, Paste or Clear; moved; flipped on either axis or rotated in .001 degree
increments.
Powerful Global Editing Options
Attributes can be edited by double-clicking directly on the item to open a dialog. In the
PCB Editor changes made to one object can be globally applied across an entire design
using specific conditions to define the targets. For example, when editing tracks you
can change the track width, track layer or both the width and layer. These changes can
be globally applied to all tracks of the same width and/or layer; tracks which are not
the same width and/or layer; all selected tracks; all non-selected tracks. Similar global
options are provided for other design objects.
Linear and Circular Array Placement Options
Array placement allows selections to be placed in circular arrays, as well as straight
lines. Circular repeats are defined by radius and angular increment. Each repeated item
can be rotated around its own axis.
Undo and Redo
Multi-level Undo and Redo processes work for all physical changes to the board
layout. The designer can make multiple changes, backtrack using Undo, then reinstate
each Undo change with the Redo process.
Complete Component and Library Management
Multiple libraries can be opened simultaneously. Open libraries in the PCB Library
Editor while working on the board design in the PCB Editor. Over 300 component
patterns, including through-hole and SMD footprints are included in the standard PCB
design system library. Simultaneous multi-user library access is supported for network
installations.
The PCB Library Editor also includes a powerful component building Wizard. This
Wizard will ask a few questions and then build the component footprint for you, from a
simple two pin resistor, through to a Pin Grid Array with hundreds of pins.
Intelligent Polygon Planes
Solid or lattice polygon planes can be placed on any layer with optional automatic
connection to a specified net. The copper pours automatically, wrapping around all
placed objects, obeying any relevant design rules. Polygon shapes can be defined using
line or arc perimeters and vertices can be moved, added or deleted after the polygon is

443

PCB Design

generated. Polygons can be re-poured around new obstacles and you can redefine the
polygon parameters each time the polygon is re-poured.
Split Internal Power Planes
Internal power planes can be split to be shared between multiple power rails. Split
power planes are fully supported by the Design Rule Checker.
Thermal Relief Control
Where pins connect to polygons or power plane layers they can have thermal relief or
direct connections. Both the conductor path width and air-gap can be user-defined,
with a choice of 2 or 4 entry points.
Pad Stacks and Pad Removal
Multi-layer pads can be assigned independent size and shape attributes for the Top
(component side) layer, Mid layers (114) and Bottom (solder) side layer.
Unconnected multi-layer pads on Mid layers can be automatically removed when
printing or plotting artwork.
Blind and Buried Vias
Vias can either pass through the whole board or connect any two layers. Blind and
buried vias can be automatically placed during manual routing. Vias use layer colors to
indicate which layers are connecting. Blind and buried vias can also be used between
any two layers, supporting build-up fabrication technology.
Fractional Arcs
The PCB Editor has an arc placement resolution of .001 degree. Arcs can be placed on
any layer with full connectivity checking on signal layer arcs.
Component Rotation
Full rotation of components and their pads, down to .001 degrees. The same angular
resolution is available for the rotation of any selection.
Multiple Fonts
Three display fonts (default, Serif and Sans Serif) support vector plotting and
photoplotting.
Automatic Photoplot Generation
Fully-automatic Gerber plot file generation. Fully-automatic aperture file generation.
On-line aperture editing. Embedded aperture support for Gerber 274X format.
Composite photoplots of multiple layers. Automatically panelized plot files to
specified film size and border requirements.
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PCB Design Feature Highlights

The PCB Editor can import and display Gerber files, as well as batch load a set of
Gerber files, with each plot assigned to the appropriate PCB layer.
Windows Support for Printing and Pen Plotting
Dot matrix and laser printing, pen plotting and PostScript output are all controlled
from common Print options. Any device supported by Windows is available for output.
Plots or prints can either be panelized or generated as a composite of multiple layers,
with auto-centering on the sheet.
Automatic NC Drill File Generation
NC drill output is generated automatically without the need for user-defined tool files.
A report file is generated that lists each tool required, in both metric and imperial units,
and the travel distance for each tool. A fast sorting algorithm processes the NC drill
output file for efficient drilling.
Editable Drill Drawings
Drill drawings are fully user-editable with optional markers for each hole location,
including: coded symbol, alphabetical codes (A, B, C etc) or the assigned hole size.
Windows Display Options
Protels PCB design system allows full use of all 24-bit color graphics cards and
monitors supported under Windows. Zoom levels support the full 32-bit system
resolution (accurate to 0.0005 mils).
Import and Export DXF Format Files
Import DXF files (AutoCAD) and export PCB designs to DXF format files. Multilayer DXF files are supported.
Reports
The PCB Editor can generate the following reports; Bill of Materials (BOM); Back
Annotation files; NC Drill and Pick and Place reports for board fabrication and
assembly; a Netlist Status report; Engineering Change Order (ECO) reports and other
design reports.

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PCB Design

Setting up the PCB Workspace

Coordinate System
Coordinates displayed on the left end of the Status Bar indicate the position of the
cursor relative to the current workspace origin. The coordinates indicate the cursor
distance from the current origin in mils (thousandths of an inch) or millimeters,
depending on the units selected. The PCB Editor allows you to set a new current origin
anywhere in the workspace.
The absolute origin (the default position of the current origin) is the extreme lower left
corner of the workspace.
Setting the Current Origin
Select Edit Origin Set to set the current origin at the current cursor position. Once it
has been set the Status Bar will display X:0 mils Y:0 mils (or X :0 mm Y:0. mm if a
metric snap grid is used) at the current cursor position.
To set the current origin back to the absolute origin (extreme lower left corner of the
workspace) select Edit Origin Reset.

Workspace Size and Accuracy

Printed circuit boards are manufactured to very close tolerances. The PCB Editor
provides an absolute design resolution of 0.001 mils (.000001 inch or .00025 mm)
which will provide sufficient precision for any PCB design task. The workspace is 100
inches by 100 inches.

Switching from Imperial to Metric

The PCB Editor supports both imperial (mils) and metric (mm) measurement units and
dimensions. The unit of measure changes when you select the View Toggle Units menu
item, or press the Q shortcut key. When a metric snap grid is selected, workspace
coordinates and other dimensional information are displayed in millimeters (indicated
as mm on the Status Bar). This allows accurate dimensioning of boards in
millimeters or creation of new library components with metric pin spacing.
Measurement units can be switched at any time by pressing the Q shortcut key.

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Setting Up The PCB Workspace

Grids
The PCB Editor includes four user-definable grid systems. The first two are the snap
grid and the component grid, which control the placement of design objects in the
workspace. The third is the electrical grid, which defines a range of attraction within
which electrical objects attract to each other. The forth are the visible grids, which
provide a visual reference as you move around the workspace.
Snap Grid and Component Grid
The snap grid defines an array of points in the workspace which restrict cursor
movement and the placement of primitives, while the component grid restricts the
placement of components. When using the mouse to control the cursor, you will notice
that the cursor moves freely between snap grid points. If an edit function is being
performed, such as placing a component or selecting an object, a cross hair appears.
This cross hair will snap to the current snap grid for a primitive, or to the current
component grid for a component. When the cursor keys are used, the cursor always
snaps to the grid.
These grids can be changed at any time in the Options
Tab of the Document Options dialog (Design Options)
or via the Set Snap Grid button on the main toolbar
(shortcut: CTRL+G). Setting the snap grid to 100 mils will
mean the cursor can only be on points, 0.0 inch 0.1 inch
0.2 inch, etc. The snap grid can have a value between
0.0011000 mils (or 0.002525.0mm).

Hold SHIFT while

pressing a cursor key to
make the cursor jump 10
times the current setting
of the snap or component
grid.

The snap grid and component grid setting define where objects can be placed in the
workspace. It is vital that these grids are set appropriately for good board design. They
are typically set to either a multiple of the component pin pitch, or a fraction of it. For
example, while placing components with a pin pitch of 100 mil, a component grid of
50 or 100 mil could be used. To route one track between the pins of these components
a snap grid of 25 mil could be used. Working with appropriate grids will assist in
orderly component placement and provide the maximum amount of routing channels.
Electrical Grid
To ease the placement of electrical objects, such as tracks
and vias, the PCB Editor includes an electrical grid. This
grid defines a range within which a moving electrical
object (such as a track, pad or via) will attract, or snap to,
another electrical object.

The electrical grid

overrides the snap grid.
This allows you to
easily connect to an off
grid object. Toggle the
electrical grid on and
off as you work with
the SHIFT+E shortcut.

As you move an electrical object around the workspace

and it falls within the electrical grid range of another
electrical object, the object you are moving will snap to a
hot spot on the fixed object. The electrical grid is
configured in the Options Tab of the Document Options dialog (Design Options).

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PCB Design

Visible Grids
Two visible grids are provided as a visual reference for placing and moving items. You
can set the sizes of these grids independently. For example, you could select one
visible grid to be fine and the other coarse, or even separate metric and imperial visible
grids.
The visible grid displays a system of coordinate lines (or dots) in the workspace
background. The display of the visible grids is constrained by the current zoom level, if
you cannot see a visible grid you are either zoomed too far out or zoomed too far in.
Setting the Grids and Units
All grids are set in the Options Tab of the Document Options dialog. This Tab also
allows you to toggle the units and the visible grid kind (dots or lines).

Set all the grids, toggle the units and enable the ECO feature in the Options Tab

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Setting Up The PCB Workspace

Layers
The PCB Editor is a layered environment. You create
your board design by placing objects on these layers.
These layers are either physical layers, from which the
fabrication information is created, or system layers, such
as the Connect layer which displays the unrouted
connections. Physical layers include the signal layers,
internal plane layers, silkscreen, solder mask and paste
mask layers. Each of the layers can be assigned a unique
identifying color (select Tools Preferences to set the
color).

Signal and plane

layers are added in
the
Layer
Stack
Manager
dialog,
mechanical layers are
added in the Setup
mechanical
Layers
dialog.

This concept of multi-layered design distinguishes the PCB Editor from many other
drawing or design applications. Although all the layers in your design can be viewed
simultaneously, you will need to select individual layers for some tasks, such as
placing an object which belongs to a single layer; typically tracks, polygons, fills or
text strings.

Enable the required layers in the Layers Tab of the Document Options dialog.

Defining the Active Layers

Before you can access any of these layers, the layer must be available in the
workspace. Refer to the chapter, Defining the Board for information about making
layers available in the workspace. Once the layers are mode available in the workspace
their visibility is controlled in the Document Options dialog.
To display layers:

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PCB Design

1.

Select the Layers Tab in the Document Options dialog (Design Options).
Note how the layers are grouped by layer type. For each of the layers there is a
check box next to the layer name, which you can click (LEFT MOUSE) to turn the
layer on or off. A tick in the check box indicates that this layer is active. Any
layers that you have activated will be active the next time you open this design.

2.

Click in the layer check boxes to activate the required layers.

3.

Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.

A Tab for each active layer will appear at the bottom of the document window.

The Current Layer

One workspace layer is current at any given time. At the
bottom of the workspace there is a Tab for each active
layer. The Tab for the current layer will be displayed on
the top. Some items, such as tracks, text, fills or singlelayer pads are placed on the current layer. Other items,
such as components, multi-layer pads and vias can be
placed without regard to the current layer. Selection (for
moving, deleting, etc) is layer-independent you can
perform these operations on any primitives without
changing the current layer.

Click on a layer
tab to make that layer
the current layer, or
use the + and - keys
on
the
numeric
keypad to toggle
through all the active
layers. Press the * key
on
the
numeric
keypad to toggle
through active signal
layers.

Signal Layers
There are 32 signal layers for routing. Anything placed on
these layers will be plotted as solid (copper) areas in PCB artwork. As well as tracks,
other primitives (area fills, text, polygon planes, etc) can also be placed on these layers.
Signal layers are made available in the workspace by adding them in the Layer Stack
Manager dialog. These layers include:
Top

component side signal layer

Mid Layers
Bottom

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inner signal layers (numbered Mid Layer 130)

solder side signal layer

Setting Up The PCB Workspace

Internal Planes
Sixteen solid copper plane layers are available. Plane layers are made available in the
workspace by adding them in the Layer Stack Manager dialog. Nets can be assigned
and automatically connected to these planes and individual component pins can be
assigned to internal planes at any time. Special thermal relief pad shapes are an option
when plotting internal plane artwork. These planes are displayed (and printed/plotted)
in the negative for efficiency. In other words, placing any primitive on these layers will
create a void in the copper. These plane layers can also be split into two or more
regions for different nets, refer to the topic Creating a Split Power Plane in the
chapter, Manually Routing the PCB, for information on how to do this.
Silkscreen Overlay layers
Top Overlay and Bottom Overlay (or silkscreen) layers are typically used to display
component footprint outlines, and component text (designator and comment fields that
are automatically added to the footprint as it is placed from the Library). Component
footprints are normally built as Top Layer footprints in the PCB Library Editor. If the
component is placed or moved to the bottom layer, these items are automatically
mirrored and moved to the Bottom Overlay. You can also include other primitives,
such as free text strings, on the Overlay layers.
Mechanical Layers
Sixteen mechanical drawing layers are provided for fabrication and assembly details
such as dimensions, alignment targets, annotation or other details. Mechanical layer
items can be automatically added to other layers when printing or plotting artwork.
Mechanical layers are made available in the workspace by adding them in the Setup
Mechanical Layers dialog.
Mask Layers
Solder masks

Top and bottom masks are provided for photo or silkscreen solder masks. These
automatically generated layers are used to create masks for wave soldering, usually
covering everything except component pins and vias. You can control the expansions
for these masks when printing/plotting by including a Solder Mask Expansion rule.
Refer to the chapter, Specifying the PCB Design Requirements, for more information
on the Solder Mask Expansion rule. This chapter also includes tips on masking all the
vias. These layers are plotted in the negative, for efficiency.
Paste masks

Top and bottom masks are provided for photo or silkscreen masks of solder paste
locations for boards with surface mount devices (SMDs). You can control the
expansions (or contractions) for these masks by defining a Paste Mask Expansion
design rule. Refer to the chapter, Specifying the PCB Design Requirements, for further
information. These layers are automatically generated and are plotted in the negative,
for efficiency.

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PCB Design

Drill Layers
Drill Drawing

Coded plots of board hole locations, typically used to create a manufacturing drawing.
Individual layer pair plots are provided when blind/buried vias are specified. Symbols
are plotted at each hole location. Three symbol styles are available; coded symbol,
alphabetical codes (A, B, C etc) or the assigned size. A table of symbols, metric and
imperial hole sizes and hole counts can be included in the plot. Refer to the Generating
Output chapter for more information.
Drill Guide

Plots of all holes in the layout sometimes called pad masters. Individual layer pair
plots are provided when blind/buried vias are specified. These plots include all pads
and vias with holes greater than zero (0) size. Refer to the Generating Output chapter
for more information.
Other Layers
Keep Out

This layer is used to define the regions where components and routes can validly be
placed. For example, the board boundary can be defined by placing a rectangular
perimeter of tracks and arcs, defining the region within which all components and
routes must be placed. No-go areas for mechanical objects can be created inside this
boundary by blocking off regions with tracks, arcs and fills. Keep outs apply to all
copper layers. The basic rule is; components can not be placed over an object on the
Keep Out layer and routes can not cross an object on the Keep Out layer.
Multi Layer

Objects placed on the multi layer will appear on all copper layers when output is
generated. The multi layer is typically used for through-hole pads and vias.
Connect

This option controls the display of the connection lines. The PCB Editor creates
connection lines on the connection layer when it locates part of a net that is unrouted.
DRC Errors

This option controls the display of the DRC errors.

Visible Grids

Controls the display of the two visible grids. Grids can be displayed as either dots or
lines (set in the Options Tab).
Pad and Via Holes

Controls the display of pad and via holes. To be able to distinguish pads from vias in
draft mode, pad holes are outlined in the current Pad Holes color (set in the Colors Tab
of the Preferences dialog).

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Setting Up The PCB Workspace

PCB Workspace Preferences

User-definable workspace preferences are set in the Preferences dialog (select the Tools
Preferences menu item). The Preferences dialog is divided into four Tabs.
PCB Preferences - Options Tab

Editing Options
Online DRC

Enables online checking to ensure that the object currently being placed in the
workspace does not violate the design rules. The design rules are defined in the
Design Rules dialog (select the Design Rules menu item). The rules that will be
tested for are selected in the On-line Tab of the Design Rule Check dialog (select
Tools Design Rule Check).
Snap to Center

Snaps to the center when moving a free pad or via, snaps to the reference point of
a component, snaps to the vertex when moving a track segment. The object will be
held at the cursor location if this option is disabled.
Extend Selection

Selection is cumulative with this option enabled. With it disabled all currently
selected objects are de-selected each time a new selection is made.

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PCB Design

Remove Duplicates

With this option enabled a special pass is included when data is being prepared for
output. This pass checks for and removes duplicate primitives from the output
data.
Confirm Global Edit

Pops a dialog reporting the number of objects which will be altered by the global
edit and allows you to cancel.
Protect Locked Objects

If this option is enabled locked objects can not be moved, and are ignored if they
are part of a selection that you are moving.
Other
Rotation Step

When an object that can be rotated is floating on the cursor, press the SPACEBAR to
rotate it by this amount in an anti-clockwise direction. Hold the SHIFT key whilst
pressing the SPACEBAR to rotate it in a clockwise direction.
Undo/Redo

Set the stack size to specify how many of the previous operations can be undone.
Set the stack size to zero to empty the Undo stack.
Cursor Type

Set the cursor to small or large 90 degree cross, or small 45 degree cross.
Autopan Options
Style

If this option is enabled it is possible to autopan when the cursor includes a cross
hair. There are six Autopan modes:
Re-Center Re-centers the display around the location where the cursor touched
the Window edge. It also holds the cursor position relative to its location on the
board, bringing it back to the center of the display.
Fixed Size Jump Pans across in steps defined by the Step Size. Hold the SHIFT
key to pan in steps defined by the Shift Step Size.
Shift Accelerate Pans across in steps defined by the Step Size. Hold the SHIFT
key to accelerate the panning up to the maximum step size, defined by the Shift
Step Size.
Shift Decelerate Pans across in steps defined by the Shift Step Size. Hold the
SHIFT key to decelerate the panning down to the minimum step size, defined by the
Step Size.
Ballistic Panning speed is determined by the distance the cursor is moved
outside the workspace.

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Setting Up The PCB Workspace

Adaptive Panning speed is set either as the number of mils per second, or pixels
per second.
Step Size

Specifies the amount the display should shift each time the cursor touches the
Window edge. The numerical value is in the current measurement units.
Shift Step Size

Specifies the amount the display should shift each time the cursor touches the
Window edge when you are using one of the Shift autopan options. The numerical
value is in the current measurement units.
Interactive Routing
Interactive Routing Mode

Ignore Obstacle If you select this option you can

place primitives anywhere in the workspace. If the
Online DRC feature is enabled clearance violations
are flagged immediately.

Use the SHIFT+R

shortcut keys to cycle
through the modes as
you are routing.

Avoid Obstacle If you select this option you can

only place primitives where they do not violate any clearance design rules. This
feature is particularly useful when routing as it allows you to route hard up against
existing objects, without fear of violating any clearance rules. Refer to the Routing
Your Design chapter for more information about using this feature.
Push Obstacle If you select this option placed primitives will be pushed as you
route a net (in accordance with the design rules). If you tracks you are pushing can
no longer move the routing mode reverts to Ignore Obstacle.
Automatically Remove Loops

With this option enabled loops that are created during manual routing will be
automatically removed. Enable this whenever you need to reroute.
Plow Through Polygons

When this option is enabled you can route over the top of a polygon the polygon
is automatically repoured (depending on the Repour Polygon settings).
Component Drag

This option determines how tracks are dealt with when moving a component. The
Enclosed Tracks option will move tracks that pass under the component as well as
connected tracks. The Connected Tracks option will only drag tracks which
connect to the component.

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PCB Design

PCB Preferences Display Tab

Display Options
Convert Special Strings

Special strings, such as .LAYER_NAME or .PRINT_DATE, are interpreted on

screen as well as when output is generated. Refer to the Strings topic in the PCB
Design Objects chapter for information about using special strings.
Highlight in Full

Completely highlights the selected object in the current selection color. With this
disabled the selected object is outlined in the current Selection color.
Use Net Color For Highlight

Highlights the selected net in the net color (assigned in the Change Net dialog).
Use with the Highlight in Full option for better
results.
To redraw the
current layer only use
Redraw Layers
the ALT+END shortcut
Forces a screen redraw as you toggle through layers,
keys.
with the current layer being redrawn last.

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Setting Up The PCB Workspace

Single Layer Mode

Displays the current layer only. Provides a method of examining what will be
output on each layer. If the current layer is a signal layer, multi layer objects are
also displayed. Use the + and - keys to toggle through the layers, press END to
redraw the screen.
Transparent Layers

Gives layer colors a transparent nature by changing the color of an object which
overlaps an object on another layer. Allows objects which would otherwise be
hidden by an object on the current layer to be readily identified.
Show

Control the display of the pad numbers, net names, testpoint labels, the origin
marker and the Status bar info that appears when the cursor is held over a
workspace object.
Draft Thresholds

Tracks of this width or narrower will be displayed as a single line, tracks of greater
width will be displayed as an outline (when tracks are displayed in Draft Mode).
Strings which are this many pixels high or more (at the current zoom level) will be
displayed as text, text which are fewer pixels high will be replaced by an outline
box. Set these thresholds as required.
Layer Drawing Order

The PCB Editor allows you to control the order in which layers are redrawn. Press
the Draw Order button to pop up the Layer Drawing Order dialog. The order that
the layers appear in the list is the order they will be redrawn in. The layer at the
top of the list is the layer which will appear on top of all other layers on the screen.

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PCB Design

PCB Preferences Show/Hide Tab

Display Mode

The display mode sets how design objects will be displayed on the screen. There
are three possible modes; Final, where each object is displayed as solid; Draft,
where each object is displayed as an outline (influenced by the draft threshold);
and Hidden. Click to select the preferred display mode for each object type, or use
the All buttons to switch all simultaneously.

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Setting Up The PCB Workspace

PCB Preferences - Default Primitives

The default settings for each of the design objects available in the PCB Editor are
configured in the Default Primitives Tab of the Preferences dialog.

Refer to the PCB Design Objects chapter for details about setting the attributes of each
design object.
These defaults can be changed on-the-fly during object placement, by
pressing the TAB key while the object is floating on the cursor. The changes made
on-the-fly will not affect the defaults if the Permanent option is enabled in the
Default Primitives Tab.

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PCB Design

Creating, Opening and Saving PCB Documents

For general information about creating and saving documents in the Design Explorer
refer to The Design Explorer section. This chapter only discusses PCB specific
information.

Creating a New PCB

The PCB Editor includes a PCB Creation wizard. This wizard allows you to select
from one of the many industry standard board templates, or one of your own custom
templates.
To launch the PCB Wizard select File New, and then click on the Wizards Tab.
Double-click on the PCB Wizard icon to start the Wizard.

Save Copy As Option

To save the active document with a new name, or in the Protel Text format, select File
menus.

Save Copy As from the

Importing and Exporting older Protel PCB File Formats

Protel 99 SE can read all versions of older Protel PCB files. There are two approaches
to importing an older format Protel PCB design into Protel 99 SE.
You can import the PCB as a new document into the Design Database. If you are
unfamiliar with this process refer to the section, The Design Explorer for more
information on importing documents into a Design Database. Once the document has
been imported, double-click to open it. As the document opens all the design
information is translated into the Protel 99 SE PCB format.
The second approach is to import the PCB data into an open PCB document. To import
into an open PCB Document select File Import from the PCB Editor menus. In the
Import File dialog set the Files of Type field to the required Protel file format, then
locate and select the required PCB document. When you click the Open button the
PCB data is imported into the active PCB workspace.
The PCB file format has changed in Protel 99 SE, the file format is now referred to as
PCB 4.0. To save a PCB back to the previous format (PCB 3.0) which was used by
Advanced PCB V3, Protel 98, Protel 99 and Protel99 SP1, select File Save Copy As
from the PCB Editor menus.

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Working in the PCB Design Window

Working in the PCB Design Window

Protel 99 SEs PCB server includes two document editors, the PCB Layout Editor and
the PCB Library Editor. Working in either of these document editors is quite similar,
you build your design from the set of objects provided, placing these objects in the
workspace. The strategies used for placing objects, editing their attributes, positioning
and deleting them in the workspace, and so on, are common to both document editors.
In essence, the way you work in either editor is the same, what you do in each editor is
different.
In the PCB Library Editor you create, edit and validate components and component
libraries. In the PCB Editor you create, edit and validate Printed Circuit Boards.

Changing Your View of the Workspace

Each sheet you open will appear in its own window. You look through this window
to view your design. You can bring the design closer to you (zoom in), or move the
design away (zoom out). The PCB Editor Panel and the View menu provide a number
of ways of changing your view of the workspace.
The PCB MiniViewer
Use the MiniViewer in the PCB Editor
Panel to change your view of the
workspace. The dotted ZoomBox marks
the current zoom level in the main
document window (if the board has a
boundary on the Keep Out layer or one of
the mechanical layers). Click and drag on
one of the ZoomBox corners to change the
zoom level in the main document window.
Click anywhere within the ZoomBox and
drag it to change the region being viewed
in the main document window.

board
outline

ZoomBox

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PCB Design

Use the Magnifier to present a magnified view of the

board in the MiniViewer. Click on the Magnifier
button, then simply move the magnifying glass cursor
over the board in the main window to examine a
particular area in detail. The Configure button allows
you to change the magnification level. Alternatively,
press the SPACEBAR while using the magnifying glass
cursor to toggle through the three magnification
levels.

View Fit Document

Selecting this menu item will change the view to display all objects in the workspace.
(shortcut: V, F)
View Fit Board
Selecting this menu item will change the view to display the entire board, based on the
board keep out boundary. (shortcut: V, D)
View Area
Select this menu item to re-define the display area. Click to define the first corner, then
drag the dotted zoom window to define the new display area. (shortcut: V, A)
View Around Point
Select this menu item to re-define the display area. Click to define the center point,
then drag the dotted zoom window to define the new display area. (shortcut: V, P)
View Zoom Options
The View Zoom In menu item will bring the design
closer to you, relative to the cursor position on the
board (shortcuts; V, I or PAGEUP).
View Zoom Out will move the design away from you
(shortcuts; V, O or PAGEDOWN). This is also relative to
the cursor, so position the cursor first.

Hold the SHIFT key

while pressing PAGEUP or
PAGEDOWN to zoom in and
out in smaller increments.

The View Zoom Last menu item will return you to your last view of the screen
(shortcut: V, L). Repeatedly pressing V, L allows you to toggle back and forth between
views.

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Working in the PCB Design Window

Moving Around the PCB Workspace

Scrolling
Scroll bars allow you to scroll around the workspace. These scroll bars have a sliding
button, which you can click and drag to scroll up and down or left and right across the
workspace. The position of the sliding buttons gives an indication of where in the
workspace you are currently viewing. Click above or below the sliding button to scroll
across the workspace in large steps, or click on the arrows at each end of the scroll bars
to scroll in small steps.
Manual Panning
To pan across the workspace without using the scroll bars, select the View Pan menu
item (shortcut: V, N or HOME). This will re-center the screen around the current cursor
position. The cursor will remain where it was, allowing you to continue panning.
You can also pan across the workspace by pressing one of the arrow keys. The cursor
will move one snap grid increment with each press. Holding the SHIFT key as you press
an arrow key moves the cursor in steps of 10 times the current snap grid.
Autopanning
Autopanning is enabled whenever you have a cross hair cursor. You have a cross hair
cursor whenever you perform an edit type operation such as placing, selecting,
moving or deleting an object. This cursor can be moved either by moving the mouse or
pressing the arrow keys on the keyboard. If the cursor is moved such that it hits the
window frame, you will pan across the workspace. The PCB Editor has four Autopan
modes. The mode is set in the Options Tab of the Preferences dialog.

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PCB Design

Browsing the PCB Workspace

The PCB Editor Panel can be used for browsing through
the Current PCB. There are six Browse modes specifically
for this task; Nets, Components, Net Classes, Component
Classes, Violations and Rules.
If you browse by Net or Component the small
MiniViewer in the panel will display the selected net or
component.
Use the Zoom button to quickly locate and identify the
selected net or component in the main document
window.
When you select an item in a list information about that
item will appear on the Status Bar.
Jumping Around the PCB Workspace
The Edit Jump menu (shortcut: J) allows you to
conveniently locate a specific component, net, pad on a
component, text string or board location without having to
zoom, pan or scroll through multiple screens.
With all of these options, the PCB Editor will position the cursor on the target, only
redrawing the screen if the search target is outside the current display area. When a
redraw is needed, the target will be centered in the active window.
Jump options include:
Absolute Origin

Jump to the absolute origin. This is the lower-left corner of the workspace. (shortcuts;
J, A or CTRL HOME)
Current Origin

Jump to the current (or relative) 0,0 origin (shortcuts; J, O or CTRL END). This origin is
specified by selecting the Edit Origin Set menu item.
New Location

Jump to the specified location. Edit Jump New Location pops up the Jump To
Location dialog. The X and Y location text fields will contain the current cursor
position. The cursor will jump to the specified location. (shortcut: J, L)
Component

Jump to the specified component. Edit Jump Component pops up the Component
Designator dialog. Type in the designator and click OK. If you do not know the
designator, type ? and press ENTER or click LEFT MOUSE to scan the board for all placed
components. Choose from the Components Placed dialog and click OK. The cursor will
jump to the reference point of the selected component. (shortcut: J, C)
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Net

Jump to a pin on the specified net. Type the net name in the Net Name dialog and click
OK. If you do not know the net, type ? and press ENTER or click LEFT MOUSE to scan the
board for all nets. Choose from the Nets Loaded dialog and click OK. The cursor will
jump to the nearest pin that belongs to the selected net (shortcut: J, N).
Pad

Jump to the specified pin on the specified component. Type the component designator
and pin number in the Jump to Pin Number dialog (eg U1-6) and press ENTER. The
cursor will jump to the center of the pin. (shortcut: J, P)
String

The cursor will jump to the named string. The system will perform three searches:
First for a string that matches the specified string in both case, characters and length.
Then for a string with same characters in it but perhaps having more characters.
Finally for a string with same characters but ignoring case.
For example, typing component would find the string component first. If no match
is found it would next find the string components and finally CompONENT. When
the string is found, the cursor will be relocated to the specified string. (shortcut: J, S)
Error Marker

Select this menu item to jump to the first DRC error marker. Repeating will jump to a
second error marker, and so on. Removing the violation will clear the error from the
Jump to list. Otherwise, repeating will continue to cycle through all errors in the
current document window.
Selection

Select this menu item to jump to the first selected object. Repeating will jump to a
second selected object, and so on. Repeating will continue to cycle through all selected
objects in the current document window.
Jumping around the workspace can be a very efficient way of working in the
PCB Editor, as it allows you to reposition your view of the workspace without
zooming. To speed the process even more, all the Jump process launchers can be
executed by using the shortcut keys to pop the dialog. For example, to jump to the
location 1000, 1000, press the J, L shortcut keys. When the Jump To Location
dialog pops up the X-Location text box will be highlighted. Highlighted text is
replaced by whatever you type, simply type the new X-location in. To move to the
Y-Location text box, press TAB. Type the new Y-Location in. Press ENTER on the
keyboard. The dialog will close and the cursor will jump to the location 1000,
1000.

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Editing PCB Objects

There are two approaches to editing an object in the PCB Editor, either by changing its
attributes in its Change dialog or graphically modifying the object. Certain operations
(such as changing the color of a primitive) can only be performed by editing the
attributes, others (such as re-sizing a fill) can be done through the dialog or by
graphically modifying the object.
To edit the look of an object in the workspace it is generally easier to do it graphically.
To do this you must first bring the object into focus. To edit the object through its
Change dialog select the Edit Change menu item and then click on the object.
Editing While Placing
You can edit the attributes of an object while it is being placed. While the object is
floating on the cursor, press the TAB key. This pops up the objects dialog. The
advantages of editing during placement are:
Changes made to attributes can become the defaults for that type of object. These
changes are stored in the defaults file ADVPCB.DFT. Note this method of setting
defaults depends on the setting of the Permanent check box in the Preferences
dialog (Tools Preferences). If this is on, these changes will not become the
defaults and will only apply to the object floating on the cursor.
Objects that have a numeric identifier, such as pad designators, will auto-increment.
There is no need to edit the object after it has been placed, speeding the design
process.
Changing Placed Objects
The Edit Change menu item is used to modify a placed object. Each object has its own
range of editable attributes. You can change one object or extend changes across your
entire design using powerful global editing options.
To change any placed object select the Edit Change menu item, move the cursor over
the item and click LEFT MOUSE (shortcut: double-click LEFT MOUSE). If there is more
than one object under the cursor a selection list will pop up.
Refer to the PCB Design Objects chapter for details of the editable attributes
of each object and the Global Editing topic in this chapter for tips on Global
editing.
Editing Graphically Focus and Selection
One of the advantages of a graphical-based editing environment is the ability to make
changes directly to objects displayed on the screen. To be able to graphically edit an

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object or a group of objects you must first identify the objects. This is done through
focus or selection.
In other Windows applications selection is a single concept, the process of choosing or
designating objects as a prerequisite for modification. A typical example would be
selecting one or more objects to be copied to the clipboard and then pasted to another
location. Often selected objects can be modified directly. For example, selected objects
can be moved or re-shaped in most graphical applications.
Unlike other Windows applications, the PCB Editor uses two independent methods for
accomplishing selection oriented tasks. These methods, selection and focus are used
repeatedly when creating or editing your PCB. Breaking selection into these two
independent processes allows you to perform complex modifications, which would be
either difficult or impossible using the simple selection method described above.
Focus and selection provide two distinct and independent methods for
changing objects in the workspace. These two methods distinguish Protel 99 SEs
PCB Editor from other Windows applications, where focus and selection are
normally merged into a single operation.
Focus
When you position the cursor over a design object and click the LEFT MOUSE button,
the object then has the focus, and the way it is displayed changes. This is similar to
the way you can change the focus in Windows by clicking on an open window to make
it active.
Only one object can be in focus at a time. You can tell which object is currently in
focus because its graphical editing handles and/or a focus cross-hair are displayed. For
example, if you click LEFT MOUSE over a fill a re-sizing handle will appear at each
corner and along each side, and a rotation handle will appear near the center. If you
click LEFT MOUSE over a via a focus cross-hair will appear. To move the focus to
another object click on that object. Click in a clear area of the workspace to release the
focus.

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PCB Design
Graphical editing

Objects in focus, displaying their focus handles

When an object is in focus, you can move the object or edit its graphical
characteristics. For example, you can change the size or shape of a fill by dragging the
square re-sizing handles. Click LEFT MOUSE on the circular rotation handle to rotate a
fill or a string.
When you focus a track segment three editing handles appear, one at each end and one
in the center. Click on one of the end handles to move that end or click on the center
handle to break the original track segment into two segments.
Click anywhere on a focused object to move it. For strategies about moving or
dragging objects refer to the Moving and Dragging topic later in this chapter.
Focusing a Track Segment that Belongs to a Net

When you click on a track segment it

comes into focus. When you click on a
track segment that belongs to a net, as
well as the segment of track that you
clicked on coming into focus, all other
objects that belong to the same net will
highlight. This makes it very easy to
trace a net through your design.
Remember, this feature only operates
when the objects have a net name.

entire net is highlighted

focused track
segment

Summary

As illustrated in these examples, focus is a prerequisite to a number of graphical editing

functions that are performed on individual objects. Note that you cannot use the
clipboard menu items: Edit Copy, Cut, Paste or Clear with the focused object. These
Clipboard features work only on a selection.

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Working in the PCB Design Window

Selection
Selection provides a second, distinct method of
manipulating objects. Unlike focus, selection can be
used with both individual objects and with groups of
objects.

Selection works with

the Edit Copy, Edit Cut,
Edit Paste and Edit Clear
menu items.

Unlike focus, described above, selection does not

display an objects graphical editing handles or a cross-hair. Instead, the object is
outlined in the selection color (Tools Preferences).
Once selected, objects can be moved, grouped, un-grouped, exported to another file,
cut, copied, pasted into another window or location in the current window, or cleared.
Special Edit Move process launchers allow selections to be moved or rotated in a
single operation. Selection also works with the PCB Editors global editing feature,
which can limit global changes to selected or un-selected objects.

A handy feature of the PCB Editors selection options is the ability to click
without de-selecting objects that were previously added to the current
selection. This allows you to perform a wide variety of operations, without
effecting the current selection.
LEFT MOUSE

Selection in the PCB Editor can also operate in two modes. Selection can be
cumulative (extendible), where objects remain selected until specifically de-selected.
The other mode is non-cumulative. In the non-cumulative mode all currently selected
objects are de-selected when one of the Edit Select menu items is chosen. The extend
selection mode is toggled in the Options Tab of the Preferences dialog.
Selections are made in the following ways:
Direct selection, using SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE to add (or remove) individual items to
the current selection.
The click-and-drag-a-window-around shortcut.
Use the Edit Select and Edit DeSelect sub-menus to define a selection.
By using the Selection field in Change dialogs. This option allows you to use the
PCB Editors global editing feature to apply selection status changes to other
primitives in the current board window. Refer to the Global Editing topic in the
Working in the PCB Editor chapter for tips on global editing.
Care must be taken when manipulating selections to ensure that the current
selection includes only the desired objects. It is good practice to select Edit
DeSelect All from the menus (shortcut: X, A) to clear the current selection, prior to
making a new selection.
If something unexpected happens, select Edit Undo to restore the design to the
previous state. Multiple Undos can be performed.

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Displaying Selections
Selections are outlined in the selection color specified in the Display Tab of the
Preferences dialog. There are a number of ways of affecting the visibility of a
selection.
Draft Mode

If the primitive has its display mode set to Draft, it will be outlined in the selection
color and displayed in Final mode when it is selected. This makes it very easy to
identify. Set the display mode in the Show/Hide Tab of the Preferences dialog.
Highlight In Full

To display the entire primitive in the selection color, enable the Highlight In Full
option in the Display Tab of the preferences dialog.
Use Net Color For Highlight

Nets can also be highlighted in their net color. Set the net color in the Change Net
dialog (set the Browse mode in the panel to Nets, select the net and press the Edit
button). This option works well in combination with the Highlight In Full option.
Enable the Use Net Color For Highlight option in the Display Tab of the
preferences dialog.
Making Selections
Direct Selection of an Individual Object

Direct selection is the most flexible way to select an individual object. To select one
object at a time:
1.

Hold down SHIFT and click LEFT MOUSE with the cursor positioned over an object.
The item will be redrawn, outlined in the Selection color (Tools Preferences).
You can do this repeatedly, each time adding another item to the current selection.
If you hear a beep or nothing appears to be selected, try zooming in closer (press
and make sure that the cursor is directly over the item you wish to select. To
select a component, position the cursor within the component outline.
Components, especially complex components can take a moment to select.

PGUP)

To add another item to the current selection:

2.

Hold down SHIFT and click LEFT MOUSE over another item.
To release individual items from the selection:

3.

Hold down SHIFT and click on the selected item.

When released, the item will be redrawn in its original colors. Other selected items
remain selected until they are either individually released (SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE) or until
an Edit DeSelect is executed.

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Direct Selection of an Area

Direct selection can also be performed on an area. To select all objects within an area:
1.

Position the mouse where there are no

objects under the cursor.

2.

Click and hold the LEFT MOUSE button.

The Status Bar will prompt Select Second
Corner.

3.

The Extend Selection option

(Options Tab of the Preferences
dialog)
determines
whether
selection is cumulative, or noncumulative.

Drag the mouse diagonally away. Define the area with the selection rectangle and
release the LEFT MOUSE button.
Only objects that fall entirely within the rectangle will be selected. The selected
objects will highlight in the current selection color.

4.

Repeat the process to extend this selection or to make a new selection.

The Select and DeSelect Sub Menus

The Edit Select menu allows you to select all items inside or outside of an area, all
items on one layer, or all free primitives (all items other than components). You can
also select by physical net or off grid component pads.
Use the Select and DeSelect options to define complex grouping which can then be
moved, copied or deleted.
Use the S shortcut key to
The Select and De-select menus include:
pop up the Select sub menu, and
the X shortcut key to pop up the
Inside Area
DeSelect sub menu.
Allows you to define a rectangular selection area.
Only those objects that lie completely inside the area are included. Free pads or vias
are included in the selection if their center is inside the rectangle.
Outside Area

This option selects everything outside the selection rectangle. The rules for inclusion in
the selection are the same as for Select Inside Area. The procedure for defining the
selection rectangle is the same as for Inside Area.
All

Selects everything placed in the document window. This includes all objects which
have their display state set to hidden or are not visible because their layer is off.
Physical Net

This selection will include all primitives (tracks, vias, fills) that are in physical contact
with the point where you click. It will not include any part of a net that is not
physically connected, that is, connected by a connection line.
To use this feature:

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PCB Design

1.

Choose Edit Select Physical Net (shortcuts; CTRL+H or S, N).

You will be prompted Select Physical Net Starting Point.

2.

Position the cursor over any primitive within the desired net and press ENTER or
LEFT MOUSE.

The continuous physical net, extending from the selection point, will highlight in the
selection color.
All On Layer

This selection will include all primitives on the current layer. Multi layer items
(typically multi-layer pads and vias) are excluded from the selection.
Free Objects

This option selects all objects which are not part of a group (component, polygon,
dimension or coordinate). This feature is useful for stripping a routed, or partially
routed board back to its placed condition. Limit the selection by turning off layers
which contains objects you do not want selected.
All Locked

This will select all primitives and components that have their Locked attribute set.
Off Grid Pads

Choose Edit Select Off Grid Pads to select all component pads that do not fall on the
current snap grid. Use this prior to autorouting to check how many component pads are
off grid. Use the partner process, Tools Interactive Placement Move To Grid to bring
the components onto the current snap grid (shortcut: A, G).
Selecting PCB Components from the Schematic
To help in the process of working between the 2 views of your design the schematics
and the PCB you can directly select PCB components from the schematic. To do this
select the components on the schematic sheet, then choose Tools Select PCB
Components from the Schematic Editor menus. These components will be selected on
the PCB, and the PCB view zoomed to show the selection. With this set of selected
components you can now create a component class, which is described in more detail
on the following page.
Selecting from the Panel
As you manipulate your design one of the most commonly used tools is selection.
Selection can be used to move, copy or delete a group of objects, and is also a
convenient way of highlighting an object or a group of objects. As well as direct
selection (SHIFT+click) and selection from the menus, you can also select directly from
the Browse PCB Panel. The following selection operations are available:

472

Select the current net, and any node in that net

Select the current component, and any pad on that component

Working in the PCB Design Window

Select the current net class, and any net in that net class
Select the current component class, and any component in that class
Select objects targeted by a design rule

Set the Extend Selection option in the Preferences dialog to create multiple selections,
disable it to always replace the current selection with the new selection.
Creating Classes from Selections
Like selection, classes are an
excellent tool for working on a set
of objects. The advantage of
classes over selections is that they
are stored and can be used at any
time. Classes can be used as the
scope of a design rule, and also as
a method of selection. Classes can
be created for components, nets,
pads, and from-tos.
A convenient way of creating a
class is to create it based on the
current selection. Select pads,
components, or nets using the
Creating a new pad class from the selected pads
standard selection strategies, or the
selection buttons in the Browse PCB Panel.
To create a class from a group of selected pads select Design Classes to pop up the
Object Classes dialog, then click the Add button on the Pad Tab of the dialog to add a
new class. In the Edit Pad Class dialog click the take-over-selected objects button to
transfer the pads currently selected on the board from the Non-Members list to the
Members list. Follow the same process for nets and components.
Stepping through Selected Objects
After selecting the objects you need to work on, use the Find
Selection toolbar to quickly move from one selected object to
the next. To display the toolbar press the B shortcut to pop up
the Toolbars sub-menu and choose Find Selections from the
menu.

Use the Find Selections

toolbar to step through
the selected objects

The top row of buttons are used to step through the currently
selected primitive objects (tracks, pads, vias, arcs, fills and
strings), the bottom row of buttons are used to step through the selected group objects
(components, dimensions, coordinates and polygons).

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PCB Design

Creating Selection Queries

Complex PCB selection queries can be created and stored with the new Query
Manager. Select Edit Query Manager to pop up the Query Manager dialog. To create a
new query, first type in a Name then click the Add button to pop up the Statement
dialog. Each statement specifies if an Objects Property is equal to (or not equal to) a
Value. Define the statement and click OK to return to the Query Manager. Multiple
statements can be added to a query, these are logically ANDed together.
When the query has been defined click the Apply button to select all objects that
satisfy the query conditions.
Using the Selection Wizard to Create Complex Selections

The PCB Editor also includes a Selection Wizard, which you can use to create complex
sets of selections. This Wizard allows you to
Click on the Wizard
simultaneously select different types of primitives,
button in the Query
based on a set of user-definable selection criteria. For
Manager dialog to launch
example, you could select all pads and vias with a hole
the Selection Wizard.
size <= 0.5 mm, or all tracks whose width <> 8 mils.
Working with a Selection
The PCB Editor uses a special proprietary clipboard format that supports PCB data
such as connectivity and layer attributes of primitives. This internal Protel clipboard is
not the same as the standard Windows clipboard that allows you to move selections,
such as text, between various Windows applications. The Windows MetaFile (.WMF)
graphics format is not supported in the PCB clipboard.
Use the clipboard in the PCB Editor the same as you would in any Windows
application. The sequence is; select the objects to perform the operation on, cut or copy
the selection to the clipboard, then paste the clipboard contents to the desired location.
Notes on Using the Clipboard

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The PCB Editor includes a Clipboard Reference

Location option. A reference location is a
coordinate you nominate when you copy or cut the
items. When you paste the selection, you will be
holding it by this reference location, allowing
you to accurately position the pasted objects. You
will be prompted to Choose Clipboard Reference
Location when performing a Copy or Cut.

Edit Copy

Edit Cut

Select Edit Paste to paste the selection back into any open PCB document.

clipboard.

copies the current selection to the

You can copy PCB

data to the Windows
clipboard in the Power
Print tool refer to the
chapter Printing to a
Windows Printing Device
later in this section of the
Handbook
for
more
information.

clears the current selection from the workspace and copies it to the

clipboard.

Working in the PCB Design Window

Make sure that the selection includes only those items you wish to copy or cut. To
ensure that nothing is selected before making a new selection use the deselect all
shortcut: X, A.

Use the shortcut SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE to add or remove items from the current
selection.

The clipboard holds the last selection only, each time you select Cut or Copy you
overwrite the clipboard contents.

Select Edit Clear to delete the current selection from the workspace without
copying it to the clipboard (shortcut: CTRL+DELETE).

Special Paste Options

Paste Special allows you to control what happens to the attributes of the objects that
are in the clipboard when they are pasted back into the workspace.
To control the attributes as you paste the current clipboard contents:
1. Choose Edit Paste Special.
The Paste Special dialog will appear. Paste Special includes the following options:

Paste on current layer

If this option is disabled all single layer objects such as tracks, fills, arcs and single
layer pads keep their existing layer assignments. If this option is enabled then all
single layer objects are pasted onto the current layer.
Keep net name

If this option is enabled then all objects which have a net name will keep the
assigned net name. If this option is disabled the net attribute is set to No Net.
Duplicate designator

This option supports the creation of a PCB panel, where you wish to copy and
paste the entire design. Typically the Keep net name option would be disabled if
this option is enabled.

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PCB Design

Add to component class

Pasted component(s) are added to the same class as the component(s) they were
copied from.
2.

Click OK after setting the options in the dialog.

3.

Position the selection in the workspace and click LEFT MOUSE or press ENTER.

Creating a Panel

The PCB Editor can be used to create a panel of PCBs. This panel could be multiple
copies of the same PCB, or be made up of different PCBs. To create a panel, first copy
the PCB to the clipboard. Then use the Paste Special feature to copy the PCB the
required number of times. If you have difficulty positioning accurately as you paste,
use the Jump Location process (shortcut: J, L) while the paste is floating on the cursor.
This allows you to position the paste without using the mouse. Remember, you can
move through fields in a dialog by pressing the TAB key (SHIFT+TAB to go back through
fields) and press ENTER instead of clicking OK.
When you paste a PCB that includes a polygon you will be prompted to repour
polygons generally there is no need to repour polygons as you have not modified
the polygon, or any of the objects that it is poured around. If you do repour the
polygons you will loose all the polygon connections unless you enabled the Keep
Net Names option in the Paste Special dialog this option should be disabled for a
multi-PCB panel to prevent the net data from the different PCBs being merged.
Pasting an Array of Objects

When you use Edit

you are
placing a copy of the
current selection in
the clipboard. Edit
Paste Array provides
a powerful way to
place multiple copies
of the clipboard
contents back into
the workspace.

Cut (or Copy)

To paste an array of
the current clipboard
contents select Edit
Paste Special from
the menus. Set the
Paste Special dialog
Define the array criteria in the paste Array dialog
as required and press
the Paste Array button. The Paste Array dialog will appear.

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Working in the PCB Design Window

Placement Variables
Item Count

The number of repeat placements to be performed. For example, typing 4 will

place 4 of the current clipboard contents.
Text Increment

This option is used for designators on pads and components. Setting this to 1
(default) will increment the designators in series, for example U1, U2, U3 etc.
Both alpha and numeric increments other than 1 are also supported. By setting the
designator of a pad prior to copying it to the clipboard and setting the Text
Increment field, the following types of pad designator sequences can be placed:
Numeric (1, 3, 5); Alphabetic (A, B, C); Combination of alpha and numeric (A1,
A2, or 1A, 1B, or A1, B1 or 1A, 2A, etc).
To increment numerically, set the Text Increment field to the amount you wish to
increment by. To increment alphabetically set the Text Increment field to the letter
in the alphabet that represents the number of letters you wish to skip. For example,
if the initial pad had a designator of 1A and the Text Increment field was set to C
(the third letter of the alphabet), the pads would have the designators 1A, 1D
(three letters after A), 1G (three letters after D), and so on.
Array Type
Circular

Repeat placements are made in a circular array using the rotation and spacing
values specified under Circular Arrays.
Linear

Repeated items are placed in a linear array, using the spacing values specified
under Linear Array.
Circular Array
Rotate Item to Match

Array items will be rotated by the same angular amount as their Spacing.
Spacing

Specifies the angular spacing between each pasted item. The PCB Editor has an
angular resolution of 0.001 degrees.
Linear Array

These values specify the X and Y distance between each item as it is placed.
Enter the desired values into the Setup Paste Array dialog and click OK. Follow the
prompts on the Status Bar to paste the array.

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PCB Design

Global Editing
As well as being able to edit the attributes of a single object, the PCB Editor also
allows you to apply these edits to other objects of the same type. These may be other
objects in the current component or in the current document.
Additionally, you can further define conditions that either extend or restrict global
changes. For example, changes can be applied to all objects that are selected or all
objects that are not currently selected. If desired, you can create a complex set of
conditions for applying changes.
Virtually every attribute of an object can be globally edited. A simple example would
be changing the size of pads associated with a specific component. In another instance
you may wish to change the width of tracks for a particular net. These options (and
many more) are possible with global editing. The possible applications for global
changes are limited only by the imagination of the designer.
Each objects dialog may contain different options since each object type may have
unique attributes.
The large number of global change options may make this feature appear
somewhat complex at first. However, the principles of applying global changes are
reasonably simple, once understood. When mastered, this feature can be an
important productivity tool that can save a great deal of manual editing of a PCB.
Global Editing Strategies
While the presentation of global change options may appear differently in the various
object dialogs, the strategy used is always the same. This description will outline the
approach to global editing.
Current Attributes

When you double-click on an object, you are presented with the Change dialog for that
type of object. This dialog contains the current values or settings of the objects
attributes.
Change the attributes you would like to alter.
Pressing the Global button will extend the dialog. It will now contain three distinct
regions; Attributes, Attributes to Match By and Copy Attributes.

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Working in the PCB Design Window

Note the three columns or regions each dialog has when the Global button is pressed.
Attributes to Match By

In the center of the dialog there will now be a column titled Attributes To Match By. In
the Attributes To Match By column you define how to identify the other objects in the
design which the global change is to apply to.
The Attributes To Match By column will contain either a choice field for each attribute
or a text field which you can type in.
The choice field has three options: Same (apply global changes if this attribute is
matched in the target object); Different (apply global changes if this attribute is not a
match in the target object) and Any (the default) which applies the change irrespective
of whether the attribute has the same value in both objects.
Use combinations of Match By attributes to define a particular set of objects to apply
the change to.
If the Match By attributes are all set to any, and the text fields contain the
wildcard symbol (*), then the global change will apply to all objects of this type.
Copy Attributes

The third column in the dialog is titled Copy Attributes. This column will contain
either a check box for each attribute or a text field which you can type in.
In this column you specify which of the attributes in the matched objects you want to
copy the changes to, and if the attribute has a text field what new text value to copy to
the matched objects.
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PCB Design
Change Scope

The last parameter to set is the change scope. There are two options here; All
primitives or All FREE primitives. The PCB Editor identifies any primitive which
is not part of a group object as a free primitive.
Examples of Global Changes
The following examples will give you some idea of the potential scope of global
changes that can be performed on components and primitives:
Example 1 Swapping Track Layers

To move all Top layer tracks to the Bottom layer, regardless of track width or selection
status:
1.

Double-click on any Top layer track to open the Change Track dialog.

2.

Set the Layer attribute to Bottom Layer.

3.

Click the Global button to display the global edit parameters.

4.

Under Attributes to Match By set Layer to Same. All other attributes should be set
to Any.
This tells the PCB Editor to apply this change to all tracks on the same layer. Note
that the match by condition is based on what the Layer was, not what you just
changed it to.

5.

In the Copy Attributes column the Layer attribute will have been automatically
activated.
This tells the PCB Editor to copy the change made to the Layer attribute to all
tracks that meet the Match By criteria.

6.

Set the Change Scope to All FREE primitives. If your routing includes arcs then
enable the Include Arcs option. Click OK or press ENTER.
The initial track that was edited will be changed to the Bottom layer first. The
Confirm Global Change dialog will then pop up.

7.

Click YES to accept the global change.

All Top layer tracks will be swapped to the bottom layer. You may need to redraw
the screen (press END) to refresh the display.

If you wish to change a particular net to another layer, select the Edit Select Physical
menu item and click anywhere on the desired net. Now repeat the global edit
process as described, except in the Attributes To Match By column set the Selection
attribute to Same and all others to Any. Only the selected net will move to the Bottom
Layer.

Net

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Example 2 Changing Via Sizes

To change all vias on a board to 40 mils:

1.

Double-click on any via to open the Change Via dialog.

2.

Type 40 in the Diameter field under Attributes.

3.

Click on the Global button.

4.

Set all the Attributes To Match By to Any (all vias will be changed).

5.

In the Copy Attributes column the Diameter attribute will have been automatically
activated.
Leave the other attributes disabled.

6.

Set the Change Scope to All primitives and click OK or press ENTER.
The initial via selected will be redrawn with the new diameter and the Confirm
Global Change dialog will open.

7.

Click OK.
All vias in the document window will change to reflect the new size setting.

Example 3 Locking a Net

To prevent the autorouter from modifying a particular net that was manually routed,
lock it in place. To do this:
1.

Select the net. To select a net choose the Edit Select Physical Net menu item and
click on the net.
All the track segments that make up the net will highlight in the selection color.

2.

Double-click on one of the selected track segments.

The Change Track dialog will pop up.

3.

Enable the Locked attribute in the Change Track dialog.

4.

Press the Global button.

5.

In the Attributes To Match By column set the Selection attribute to be Same.

6.

Set the Change Scope to All FREE primitives. If your routing includes arcs then
enable the Include Arcs option.
The global change will be applied to all selected track segments that are not part of
a group object.

7.

In the Copy Attributes column the Locked attribute should be set.

This instructs the PCB Editor to copy the changes made to the Locked attribute of
this track segment to all track segments that meet the Match By criteria.

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8. Click OK.
The initial track selected will be changed and the Confirm Global Change dialog
will open.
9.

Click OK to lock the remaining selected track segments.

Summary
The three examples above show the most basic application of the global change
options. With care and planning you will experience significant productivity benefits
from this powerful feature. However, the very power of these options can contribute to
some unanticipated results particularly when complex selections are globally edited.
When in doubt, its always safest to DeSelect All (X, A), then, rather than using the
global edit to change the target objects, set it up to simply select the target objects.
Visually confirm that the match by criteria has targeted the correct objects, then re-do
the global edit, using Selection as the match-by criteria.
Use the auto-backup feature included in Protel 99 SE, and always archive your design,
particularly if you intend to perform complex changes. Finally, remember that the
Undo/Redo features can allow you to recover several operations, if required.

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Moving and Dragging

To move an object is to reposition it without regard to objects in contact with it. For
example, if you move a component, all the tracks connected to its pads will not move.
If you drag the component, all the tracks will remain connected to the pads as you
reposition it. Move operations can be performed on a selection or on individual objects.

The concept of dragging is only applicable when the objects are part of a net.

Move Shortcut
To select and move any object or selection:
1.

Position the cursor over the object to be moved.

2.

Click and hold LEFT MOUSE.

The Status Bar will report what is being moved.

3.

Move the object to the new location.

Drag Shortcut
To drag an object that is part of a net:
1.

Position the cursor over the object to be dragged.

2.

Click LEFT MOUSE to focus the object.

If the object is part of a net the entire net will highlight. If no other objects
highlight then this object does not have the same net attribute as the joining
objects and can not be dragged.

3.

Click LEFT MOUSE on the object again.

If you click on one of the sizing handles of the focused object, you will drag that
handle rather than the entire object. For more information on the behavior of a
focused object refer to the Focus topic in the Editing section of this chapter.

4.

Drag the object to the new location.

Dragging a Component
To drag a component:
1.

Select the Edit Move Drag menu item (shortcut: M, D).

2.

Click on the component you wish to drag and move it to the new location.

The behavior of the tracks that connect to and pass under the component are influenced
by the Component Drag option in the Preferences dialog (Tools Preferences). Edit
Move Drag can also be used to drag any primitive object.
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Selection Moves
Once selected, an individual item or a complex selection containing many items can be
moved as a single entity. Select Edit Move or press the M shortcut key to pop up the
Move sub-menu. This sub-menu includes:
Move Selection

This option allows you to select a new location for the selection, which will move as a
block (shortcut: M, L). When you invoke this process you will be prompted for a
reference point.
Flip Selection

This option flips the selection around the vertical axis. Pressing the X or Y keys during
a Move Selection can also be used to flip a selection.
Rotate Selection

Selecting this option will pop the Rotation Angle dialog. Enter the rotation angle,
which has an angular resolution of .001 degrees. You will then be prompted to select a
reference point, about which to pivot the rotation.
Selections can also be rotated during a Move Selection by pressing the SPACEBAR. The
spacebar rotation angle is set in the Options Tab of the Preferences dialog.
For Gerber plot final artwork, the target photoplotter may not allow rotated primitives.
Rotated rectangles (such as rectangular component pads) are automatically painted
using a round aperture during Gerber generation.
Moving Individual Items
The other Edit Move process launchers work with items that have not been previously
selected. Because these Move process launchers manipulate specified items, it is easy
to control the selection in a dense layout, where many items overlap.
Moving or deleting one or more items can leave a hole in the display under the
moved/deleted primitives. This is because the PCB Editor does not continuously
redraw the screen during moves or deletions, as this would significantly slow system
performance. Click the Redraw button on the Tool bar, or press END to refresh the
screen.
Rotatable objects, such as components, pads and text strings, can be rotated in
anti-clockwise steps during moves by pressing SPACEBAR, or in clockwise steps by
pressing SHIFT+SPACEBAR. The Rotation Step is set in the Preferences dialog.
Break Track

Break Track converts a single track segment into two connected segments. To break a
track:
1.

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Choose the Edit Move Break Track menu item (shortcut: M, B).

Working in the PCB Design Window

You will be prompted to Choose a track.

2.

Position the cursor over the track segment and press ENTER or click LEFT MOUSE.
The track will be displayed in draft mode.

3.

Move the cursor to drag the break point to a new location.

4.

Press ENTER or click LEFT MOUSE again to complete the move.

You will be prompted Choose a track again. During the drag, you can abort the
move by clicking RIGHT MOUSE or pressing ESC once. Note that the Select track
prompt is still displayed.

5.

Select another track or press ESC (or click RIGHT MOUSE) a second time to quit
from the break track mode.

Polygon Vertices

The boundary of a polygon plane can be reshaped by moving the vertices. For
information on moving the polygon vertices refer to the Refer to the Polygons topic in
the PCB Design Objects chapter.

Deleting
Select the Edit Delete menu item to remove objects from the PCB workspace. Delete
differs from the Cut or Clear processes described previously. With Cut or Clear you
identified the objects first (selected them), then picked the action (Cut or Clear). To
Delete you pick the action first (Delete), then click on the object.
If more than one object is under the cursor when you click to delete, a pop up menu
will appear allowing you to choose exactly which object to delete.
Delete is also independent of selection. For example, when deleting individual tracks,
tracks that are part of the current selection will be left undisturbed.
All deletions can be restored by using Edit Undo (or ALT+BACKSPACE). If you have
deleted a series of items, they will be restored one-at-a-time starting with the last
deleted item. Edit Redo uses the same first-in/last-out logic. Redo reverses the Undo
operations, one-at-a-time.

Press the DELETE key to delete the focused object.

Press the CRTL+DELETE keys to delete the current selection.

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Measuring Distance in the PCB Workspace

Measure Distance
Use this feature when you need to perform an accurate measurement in the PCB
workspace. After selecting the Reports Measure Distance menu item you will be
prompted to Select Measure Start Point. Position the cursor, click LEFT MOUSE, move
the cursor to the end point and click LEFT MOUSE again. A dialog will report; the pointto-point distance measured, the X distance and the Y distance.
Tips on using the Measure Distance feature:

Change the snap grid if you cannot accurately position the cursor at the required
points (shortcut: G).

You may need to temporarily disable the Electrical Grid if you find that the cursor
snaps to the center of electrical objects (shortcut: SHIFT+E to toggle the electrical
grid on and off).

Toggle the workspace units to do a measurement in metric (shortcut: Q to toggle

between imperial and metric).

Measure Primitives
As you are designing your PCB you will often want to know the clearance between
two primitives. The Measure Primitives feature provides a quick and easy way of
finding the shortest distance from the edge of one primitive to the edge of another
primitive.
Select Reports Measure Primitives, click on the first primitive, then click on the second
primitive. A dialog will report; the type, coordinates and layer of each primitive, and
the shortest distance between their closest edges.

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PCB Editing Shortcuts

PCB Editing Shortcuts

Re-entrant Editing
The PCB Editor includes a powerful feature which allows you to perform a second
operation, without having to quit from the operation you are currently carrying out.
This facility is known as re-entrant editing.
Re-entrant editing allows you to work more flexibly and intuitively. For example, you
start placing a track, then realized that another track segment must be deleted. There is
no need to drop out of Place Track mode. Simply press the Delete shortcut keys (E, D),
delete the required track segment and click RIGHT MOUSE or ESC to terminate the Delete
process. You are now back in the Place Track process, ready to place the new segment.
Accessing another process while executing a process is
only possible using the shortcut keys.
The number of times another process can be launched before the current process is
complete depends on the demands each of these incomplete processes is placing on the
software. For graphical type processes approximately ten processes can be nested. A
dialog will pop up if the limit has been reached.

Canceling a Screen Redraw

Whenever you change the size and/or position of your view of the screen, the contents
of the workspace will be redrawn to reflect the change. You can terminate the
redrawing process by pressing the SPACEBAR anytime while the redraw is in progress.
This saves time whenever you wish to immediately scroll or zoom again, without
waiting for the redraw to complete. Use the solid (not transparent) layer display option
to make redraws faster (Options Tab of the Preferences dialog). Working with the
Display mode options set to Draft for all primitives will also slightly improve redraw
speed (Show/Hide Tab of the Preferences dialog).

Use the ALT+END shortcut keys to redraw the current layer only.

Mouse Shortcuts
As you read through this Handbook, you will notice several mouse and keyboard
shortcuts that are used to speed-up or simplify frequently performed operations. For
example, pressing P, P allows you to place a pad without having to go to the Place
menu and choose the Pad menu item. Using the left mouse button for ENTER and the
right mouse button for ESC will allow you to perform many operations without using
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the keyboard. The opposite can also be done, press ENTER or ESC on the keyboard
rather than clicking OK or Cancel in a dialog. Sometimes keyboard actions provide the
only practical way of performing an operation when you do not wish to move the
mouse in the workspace, such as setting a new grid while placing an object, or
changing the zoom level while moving a selection.
You can also create your own custom shortcut keys. Refer to the Design Explorer
section for clues on creating your own shortcut keys.
If you double-click on any placed item, the Change dialog for that item will be
opened, allowing you to edit its attributes.
To move an item simply click and hold LEFT MOUSE, hold on the object and
drag the mouse to the new position.
To delete a primitive from the design, click on the primitive you wish to delete
to focus it, then press the DELETE key.

Slider Hand
The PCB Editor includes a powerful mouse shortcut for
changing your view of the workspace, the Slider Hand.
Click-and-hold the right mouse button, and the cursor
will change to a hand symbol. You can now slide your
view of the PCB design around in the window.

Use the Slider hand to quickly

change your view of the PCB

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PCB Editing Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts
There are two ways of creating shortcuts invoked through the keyboard. The first is
through the Keyboard Shortcut Editor (Client menu Edit Shortcuts). These are known
as Keyboard Shortcuts. They launch a process directly. For example, pressing CTRL+G
will pop up the Snap Grid dialog, allowing you to change the snap grid.
Processes can also be launched through the keyboard via the menu keyboard shortcuts.
Underlined menu items which lead to a sub-menu will pop up that sub-menu,
underlined menu items which do not pop up a sub-menu will launch the process tied to
that menu item. For example, press P to pop up the Place menu, then press V to present
the current via on the cursor, ready for placing. Press T to pop up the Tools menu,
followed by R to pop up the Auto Route sub-menu.
If the same keyboard key has been assigned as a keyboard shortcut
and also as a menu shortcut the keyboard shortcut will take precedence.
Menu Shortcuts include:
A
B
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Z

Auto Route menu

View Toolbars sub-menu

menu
menu
File menu
Snap Grid pop-up menu
Help menu
Interactive placement options sub-menu
Edit Jump sub-menu
Edit Move sub-menu
Netlist pop-up menu
Options pop-up menu
Place menu
Reports menu
Edit Select sub-menu
Tools menu
Tools Unroute sub-menu
View menu
Window menu
Edit DeSelect menu
Zoom pop-up menu
Design
Edit

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Keyboard Shortcuts include:

L
Q
CTRL+D
CTRL+G
CTRL+H
CTRL+L
CTRL+M
CTRL+O
PGUP

Edit Select Connected Copper

Layers Tab of Document Option dialog

Measure Distance
Options Tab of the Preferences dialog
View Zoom In

PGDN

View Zoom Out

CTRL+PGUP/PGDN
SHIFT+PGUP/PGDN

Zoom maximum / minimum

Zoom at 0.1 zoom step rate

HOME

View Pan

END

View Refresh

CTRL+HOME

Jump Absolute Origin

Jump Current origin

CTRL+END
CTRL+ INS

Edit Copy

CTRL+DEL

Edit Clear

SHIFT+INS

Edit Paste

SHIFT+DEL

Edit Cut

ALT+BACKSPACE

Undo
Redo
Toggle Electrical grid on/off
Toggle single layer mode on/off
Cycle through the Routing Modes
Cascade Windows
Tile Windows
Toggle active signal layers
Next / previous active layer
Help Index
Move one snap grid point, vertically
Move 10 snap grid points, vertically
Move one snap grid point, horizontally
Move 10 snap grid points, horizontally

CTRL+BACKSPACE
SHIFT+E
SHIFT+S
SHIFT+R
SHIFT+F4
SHIFT+F5
*

+ or F1
UP, DOWN
SHIFT+UP, DOWN
LEFT, RIGHT
SHIFT+LEFT, RIGHT

490

Layers Tab of Document Option dialog

Toggle Units
Display Tab of the Preferences dialog
Snap Grid dialog

PCB Editing Shortcuts

Special Mode-Dependent Keys

TAB

SPACEBAR

SHIFT
SHIFT+SPACEBAR
N
CTRL
CTRL+SPACEBAR

Opens a dialog for the object currently being placed. Allows

you to edit attributes when placing any object. Use the TAB
key to edit on-the-fly.
Toggles between Start and End track placement modes;
rotate item anti-clockwise during move (set step value in
Preferences dialog); abort screen redraw; change the
MiniViewer magnification level.
Control acceleration during Autopan (set mode in
Preferences dialog).
Toggle track placement modes; rotate item clockwise during
move.
Hide the connection lines while moving a component.
Temporarily suspend the Electrical grid while editing.
Cycle through each connection line on a pad during routing.

Locating Components
Often you will know what component you wish to edit or move, but can not currently
see it on the screen. For example, you might want to place a particular component
where you are currently working but do not want to scroll or zoom to find it. Select the
Edit Move Move Component menu item (shortcut: M, C). Click somewhere in the
workspace where there is no component under the cursor and the Component
Designator dialog will pop up. If you know the designator type it in and click OK. If
the component is off screen the view will start to scroll so move the mouse to bring the
cursor and component into view.
When the Component Designator dialog pops up you can also leave the ? and click
OK. This will pop up the Components Placed dialog, allowing you to select any
component that is in the workspace.

Undo and Redo

The PCB Editor includes a full multi-level Undo and Redo facility. Each procedure is
stored in a stack-like arrangement. When Undo is chosen, the last operation is undone.
Choosing Undo again will undo the next-to-last operation, and so on.
The Redo facility will reverse a previous Undo. Every time you undo something, the
operation is stored in memory, in a stack-like arrangement. If you then select Redo the
last undo operation that you did will be reversed, then the next-to-last, and so on.
Check in the Edit menu to confirm exactly what action will take place when you select
Undo or Redo. While Protel 99 SEs PCB Editor has been optimized to ensure that
Undo and Redo operations are not memory intensive, you can clear the Undo stack by
temporarily setting the Stack Size to zero in the Preferences dialog.

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PCB Design Objects

Protel 99 SEs PCB layout environment, whether creating and editing PCBs, or
working in the library editor, consists of two basic features: objects that are placed in
the workspace to build up the design, and processes, which are used by the system or
the user to create, modify, save and report on the objects.
There are two types of objects in the PCB Editor, Primitive Objects and Group
Objects. Primitive objects are the most basic elements, and include; tracks, pads, vias,
fills, arcs and strings. Anything that is made up of primitives and identified as a design
object is a group object. Examples of group objects include; components, dimensions,
coordinates and polygons.

Your design is built up from the set of PCB design objects

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PCB Design Objects

PCB Primitive Objects

Tracks
Tracks are the basic PCB line element. Tracks can be placed on any layer, with any
width from 0.001 to 10000 mils wide. Tracks can be used to route connections on
signal layers, to define the board outline on a mechanical layer, to create a component
outline on the silkscreen layer, or to define no-go regions on the keepout layer. Use
tracks whenever you need to define a straight line in the PCB workspace.

If you are placing tracks on a non-electrical layer, select Place

from the menus instead of Place Interactive Routing. You will still
be placing track segments, the difference is that the Line parameters are
constrained by the Default Primitives (Preferences dialog), whereas the
Track parameters are constrained by the Design Rules.
Line

Activity - Placing Tracks

A track is a layer-dependent object. Click on the required Layer Tab at the bottom of
the PCB workspace before you start placing tracks. To place track segments on the
current layer:
When you are already in track
1. Select Place Interactive Routing from
placement mode you can:
the menus (shortcut: P, T or click the
- Press * on the numeric keypad to
Track button on the PlacementTools
toggle signal layers
toolbar).
- Press the + or keys on the numeric
The prompt Choose start location is
keypad to toggle all layers
displayed on the Status Bar.
2.

Click LEFT MOUSE (or press ENTER) once to define a start point for the track.
The Status Bar will display the net assigned to this
track, the current segment length and the total
track length in brackets.

3.

Move the cursor in any direction. As you do you

will notice two track segments, one solid track and
one outline track. The solid track is the segment
you are currently placing, the outline segment is
the look-ahead segment. Refer to the chapter,
Manually Routing the PCB, for more information
on how to use the look-ahead feature.
By default you will be in the 45 Degree End track
placement mode. In this mode the first segment
you place will be vertical or horizontal, the second
at 45 degrees. If you press the SPACEBAR the mode

45 degree end mode

current segment
being placed
look-ahead
segment

45 degree start mode

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PCB Design

will toggle to 45 Degree Start, where the current segment is diagonal and the lookahead is vertical or horizontal. Press the SPACEBAR a second time to revert to the
45 Degree End mode.
4.

Move the cursor until the end of the solid track segment is
where you would like it, and click LEFT MOUSE (or press
ENTER) to place this first segment.

5.

Move the cursor to continue with a new track segment,

which will extend from the placed track segment.
Experiment with the behavior by moving the cursor and
pressing the SPACEBAR. Click LEFT MOUSE each time you wish to define a track
segment.

6.

Click RIGHT MOUSE to end this series of connected track segments.

Note that Choose start location is still displayed
on the Status Bar. This allows you to end one
series of connected tracks segments and begin a
new series of track segments elsewhere in the
workspace without having to choose Place
Interactive Routing again.

7.

To exit track placement, press ESC or RIGHT

MOUSE a second time.

Track Placement Modes

If you make a
mistake
press
BACKSPACE
to
remove the last
track segment.

To edit the track

attributes during placement
press the TAB key to pop
up the Track dialog. If the
Track is part of a net, you
can only change the width
between the Min and Max
values specified in the
Width Constraint design
rule that applies to that net.

The PCB Editor provides six track placement modes.

The mode specifies how the corner is created when placing tracks.
The track placement modes include:
45 Degree (Start and End)

Constrains track placement to a 45 degree segment and a horizontal/vertical

segment.
45 Degree with Arc (Start and End)

Constrains track placement to a 45 degree segment and a horizontal/vertical

segment, joined by a 45 degree arc.
90 Degree (Start and End)

Constrains track placement to a horizontal segment and a vertical segment.

90 Degree with Arc (Start and End)

Constrains track placement to a horizontal and vertical segment, joined by a 45

degree arc.
Any Angle

Allows track segment to be placed at any angle.

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PCB Design Objects

Arc Start and Arc End

Constrains track placement to a 90 degree arc and a horizontal/vertical segment.

The six track placement modes

Press the SPACEBAR to toggle between the Start and End placement modes
while placing a track. Hold the SHIFT key and press the SPACEBAR to toggle through
the six different types of track placement modes.
Press the . shortcut key to increase the arc size in the with arc modes,
press the , key to decrease the arc size.
Placing Tracks to Route a Connection

When you place a track that starts on an object with a net name, such as a pad, you are
routing that net. The track you are placing will adopt the net name of the pad and the
design rules that apply to that net will be observed. Placing tracks to route a net is
supported by a number of features, such as the
track placement modes, that simplify this task. For
Click on the Whats This
a complete discussion of these refer to the chapter,
Help icon at the top of the
Manually Routing the PCB.
dialog for information on each
Changing Tracks
attribute in the Track dialog.

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PCB Design

Tracks can be changed both individually and globally. Select the Edit Change menu
item to edit an existing track. Click on a track to pop up the Change Track dialog,
where you can change the attributes.
Default Track

The attributes of the track currently being placed can be changed during placement by
pressing the TAB Key. This will pop up the Track dialog, where you can edit the track
attributes. The default track attributes are set in the Defaults Tab of the Preferences
dialog. If the Permanent option in the Defaults Tab is not set, changes made during
placement become the new defaults.
Note: if the track is part of a net, you can only change the width between the Min and
Max values specified in the Width Constraint design rule that applies to that net.

Pads
Pads can be either multi-layer or placed on any individual layer. For example, surface
mount components and edge connectors have single layer pads on the Top and/or
Bottom layers. Pads shapes can be circular, rectangular, rounded rectangular (circular
with different X and Y sizes), or octagonal with X and Y size definable from 1 to
10000 mils. Hole size can range from 0 (SMD) to 1000 mils. Pads can be identified
with a designator up to 4 characters long.
On a multi-layer pad the Top layer, Mid layers and Bottom layer pad shape and size
can be independently assigned to define a pad stack. Pads can be used individually as
free pads, or they can be incorporated with other primitives into components.
Placing Pads

Free pads (pads that are not grouped in a library component) can be placed anywhere
in your design. Through-hole pads (and vias) are multi-layer objects which occupy
each signal layer of the PCB and can be placed without regard to the current layer
setting. Single layer pads can be placed on any layer.
Press TAB to change
To place a pad select Place Pad from the menus
the default pad attributes
(shortcut: P, P or click the Pad button on the
during placement.
PlacementTools toolbar).
Pad Designator

Pads can be labeled with a designator (usually representing a component pin number)
of up to four alphanumeric characters. Spaces are not allowed but the designator can be
left blank if desired.
Pad designators will auto-increment by 1 during placement if the initial pad has a
numeric designator. To set the designator prior to placing the first pad, press the TAB
key while the pad is floating on the cursor.
To achieve alpha or numeric increments other than 1, use the Paste Array feature. By
setting the designator of the pad prior to copying it to the clipboard and setting the Text

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PCB Design Objects

Increment field in the Paste Array dialog, the following types of pad designator
sequences can be placed;
numeric (1, 3, 5)
alphabetic (A, B, C)
combination of alpha and numeric (A1, A2, or 1A, 1B, or A1, B1 or 1A, 2A, etc).
To increment numerically set the Text Increment field to the amount you wish to
increment by. To increment alphabetically set the Text Increment field to the letter in
the alphabet that represents the number of letters you wish to skip. For example, if the
initial pad had a designator of 1A and the Text Increment field was set to C (the third
letter of the alphabet), the pads would have the designators 1A, 1D (three letters after
A), 1G (three letters after D), and so on.
Changing Pads

Both free pads and component pads can be

individually and globally edited. To edit a pad
select the Edit Change menu item. The Status
Bar will prompt Change Any Object. Click on a
pad to pop up the dialog, where you can edit the
pad attributes.

Click on the Whats This

Help icon at the top of the
dialog for information on each
attribute in the dialog.

Default Pad

The attributes of the pad currently being placed can be set by pressing the TAB Key as
soon as you select the Place Pad menu item. The default pad attributes are set in the
Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog. If the Permanent option is not set in the
Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog then changes made during placement will
become the new defaults.
Vias
When tracks from two layers need to be connected vias are placed to carry a signal
from one layer to the other. Vias are like round pads, which are drilled and usually
through-plated when the board is fabricated.
Vias are either multi-layer, blind or buried, and can be any diameter from 2 to 10000
mils wide. Vias can be placed manually using the Via button on the PlacementTools
toolbar or by selecting the Place Via menu item; they can be placed automatically by
the auto via feature when placing tracks, or by the autorouter. The hole size can be set
from 0 to 1000 mils.
Via Type

Vias can be multi-layer, blind or buried. A multi-layer via passes from the Top layer to
the Bottom layer and allows connections to all internal signal layers. A blind via
connects from the surface of the board to an internal layer, a buried via connects from
one internal layer to another internal layer.

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PCB Design
Blind and Buried Vias

Before using blind or buried vias it is important to establish the level of support
provided by the manufacturer. Most manufacturers support blind and buried vias
between what are termed layer pairs. Using this technology, a multi-layer board is
fabricated as a set of thin double-sided boards which are then sandwiched together.
This allows blind and buried vias to connect between the surfaces of these thin doublesided boards, which become the layer pairs. The layer pairs are defined by the layer
stack you configure in the Layer Stack Manager dialog. It is important to note that the
layers pairs are dependant on the layer stackup style read the chapter Defining the
Board, and contact your manufacturer to ensure you select the correct stackup style,
before you start designing with blind and buried vias.
Once you have established the correct stackup style, you should define the valid drill
pairs. Drill pairs are set up in the Drill Pair Manager dialog, click on the Drill Pair
button in the Layer Stack Manager dialog to open the Drill Pair Manager dialog. If you
define a drill pair for each layer pair in your design the PCB Editor will automatically
insert the correct via type (thru-hole, blind, or buried) as you toggle layers during
routing.
Default Via

The attributes of the via currently being placed can be set by pressing the TAB Key as
soon as you select the Place Via menu item. The default vias attributes are set in the
Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog. If the Permanent option is not set in the
Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog then changes made during placement will
become the new defaults.
Placing Vias

Vias can be placed by the Autorouter, by the Auto Via feature, or manually.
Autorouter Vias

The autorouter will obey the via defined by the Routing Via Style design rule
which has a scope set to board (select Design Rules). Refer to the chapter,
Specifying the PCB Design Requirements, for more information on design rules.
Auto Via Feature

If the * key is used to toggle to another signal layer when a track is being placed, a
via is added automatically. This via will obey the appropriate Routing Via Style
design rule and the drill pair definitions. The routing via style parameters can be
changed during routing by pressing the TAB key while routing.
Manually Placed Vias

To manually place a via select the Place Via menu item. The current default via
will appear on the cursor. Click to place a via in the workspace.

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Changing Vias

To edit a via, select the Edit Change menu

item and click on the via. The Change Via
dialog will pop up, where you can change the
via attributes.

Click on the Whats This

Help icon at the top of the
dialog for information on each
attribute in the dialog.

Connecting Vias to Power Planes

Like pads, vias automatically connect to a internal power plane layer that is assigned
the same net name. The via will connect in accordance with the applicable Power Plane
Connect Style design rule.
If you do not want vias to connect to power planes, add another Power Plane Connect
Style design rule with a connection style of No Connect. Refer to the topic Examples of
Using Design Rules in the Specifying the PCB Design Requirements chapter for an
example of how to set this rule up.
Fills
Fills (or area fills) are rectangles which can be placed on any layer. When placed on a
signal layer they become areas of solid copper and can be used to provide shielding or
to carry large currents. Fills of varying size can be combined to cover irregularly
shaped areas. They can be combined with track or arc segments and be recognized as
electrically connected when running the design rule check (DRC) feature.
Fills can also be placed on non-electrical layers. For example, place a fill on the Keep
Out layer to designate a no-go area for both autorouting and auto component
placement. Place a fill on a Power Plane, Solder Mask, or Paste Mask layer to create a
void on that layer.
Activity - Placing a Fill

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

To Place a fill, select the Place Fill menu item.

The Status Bar will prompt Select First Corner.
Position the cursor and click LEFT MOUSE.
Move the cursor to position the diagonally opposite corner.
Click LEFT MOUSE to define the second corner.
Continue placing fills, or click RIGHT MOUSE to stop.

A fill will
adopt a net
name if the first
corner is placed
on an object
which has a net
name.

Changing Fills

To edit a fill, select the Edit Change menu item and click on the fill. The Fill dialog
will pop up, where you can edit the fill attributes.
Default Fill

The attributes of the fill currently being placed can be set by pressing the TAB key as
soon as you select the Place Fill menu item. The default fill attributes are set in the
Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog. If the Permanent option is not set in the
Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog then changes made during placement will
become the new defaults.
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PCB Design

Arcs
Arcs are essentially circular track segments. They can be placed on any layer with a
radius between 0.001 to 16000 mil and width from 0.001 to 10000 mils wide. The
angular resolution is 0.001 degrees. Arcs can be placed using the Arc button on the
PlacementTools toolbar, the Place Arc menu items, or as part of a track using the
Place Track process. Arcs are also used when generating polygon fills.
Arcs have a variety of uses in PCB layout. For example, they can be used to indicate
component shapes on the Overlay layers, or on a mechanical layer to indicate the board
outline, cut outs, and so on. Arcs can be open, or closed to create a circle.
Arcs can also be placed on signal layers as part of a track. These arcs can be
generated on-the-fly while placing tracks if the Track Placement Mode is set to one
of the modes that includes arcs. Press SHIFT+SPACEBAR during track placement to
toggle through the placement modes. Once you have selected the desired arc mode,
press the SPACEBAR to toggle between the Start and End modes.
Activity - Place Arc (starting at the center)

To place an arc on the current layer using the arc center as the starting point:
1.

Select Place Arc (Center) (shortcut: P, A) or the Arc tool button.

The prompt Select Arc Center is displayed on the Status Bar. You can change
layers at any time during this operation by pressing * (to toggle active signal
layers); + or (to toggle up and down through all active layers).

2.
3.
4.
5.

Position the cursor to set the center of the arc and click LEFT MOUSE. As you move
the mouse a highlighted arc will be displayed.
To render the
Position the cursor to set the radius and click LEFT
arc in the other
MOUSE.
direction, press the
Position the cursor to define the start point of the arc and
SPACEBAR
before
click LEFT MOUSE.
defining the end
point.
Position the cursor to define the end point of the arc and
click LEFT MOUSE.
If you are drawing a 360 degree arc, click to define the Start and End points
without moving the cursor.

6.

Start a new arc, or press ESC or RIGHT MOUSE to stop placing arcs.

Activity - Place Arc (starting at the edge)

To place an arc on the current layer starting at one of the arc end points:

500

1.

Select Place Arc (Edge) (shortcut: P, E).

2.

Position the cursor to set the start point of the arc and click LEFT MOUSE once.

PCB Design Objects

3.

Position the cursor to set the end point of the arc and click LEFT MOUSE.

4.

Start a new arc, or press ESC or RIGHT MOUSE to stop placing arcs.

Activity - Place Arc of any angle (starting at the edge)

You can also place an arc starting at an end point, of any angle:
1.

Select Place Arc (Any Angle) (shortcut: P, N).

2.

Position the cursor to set the start point of the arc and click LEFT MOUSE once.

3.

Position the cursor to set the radius and the center point of the arc and click LEFT

MOUSE.

4.

Position the cursor to set the end point of the arc and click LEFT MOUSE.

5.

Start a new arc, or press ESC or RIGHT MOUSE to stop placing arcs.

Activity - Place Circle

To place a full circle (closed arc):

1.

Select Place Full Circle (shortcut: P, U).

2.

Position the cursor to set the center point of the circle and click LEFT MOUSE once.

3.

Position the cursor to set the radius of the circle and click LEFT MOUSE once.

4.

Start a new circle, or press ESC or RIGHT MOUSE to stop placing circles.

Changing Arcs

To edit an arc, select the Edit Change menu item

and click on the arc. The Arc dialog will pop up,
where you can edit the arc attributes.
Default Arc

Click on the Whats This

Help icon at the top of the
dialog for information on each
attribute in the dialog.

The attributes of the arc currently being placed

can be set by pressing the TAB key as soon as you select one of the Place Arc menu
items. The default arc attributes are set in the Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog. If
the Permanent option is not set in the Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog then
changes made during placement will become the new defaults.
Strings
Text strings of up to 254 characters (including spaces) can be placed on any layer with
any height from 0.010 to 10000 mils. Strings can placed with the Text String button, or
by the selecting the Place String menu item.
Text is rendered using one of three special fonts. The Default style is a simple vector
font which supports pen plotting and vector photoplotting. The Sans Serif and Serif
fonts are more complex and will slow down vector output generation, such as Gerber.
These fonts are built into the software and cannot be changed. All fonts have the full

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PCB Design

IBM extended ASCII character set that supports English and other European
languages.
All text strings (component designators, component comments, and free text strings)
have the same attributes, and can be moved and edited in the same way. Free text can
be placed on any layer. Component text is automatically assigned to the Top or Bottom
Overlay layer when the component is placed, but can be moved to any layer.
Free Text strings can be moved or edited like other primitives. Component text can be
moved independently of the component (Edit Move). If the component is moved,
component text will move relative to the component.
The PCB Editor includes Special Strings. These are strings which are interpreted
when output is generated. Special strings are discussed below.
Default String

The attributes of the string currently being placed can be set by pressing the TAB key as
soon as you select the Place String menu item. The default string attributes are set in
the Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog. If the Permanent option is not set in the
Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog then changes made during placement will
become the new defaults.
Activity - Placing a String

To place a free string:

1.

Select the Place String menu item. The current default

string will appear floating on the cursor.

2.

Press the TAB key to pop up the Change String dialog.

3.

Type the string into the Text field or select one of the
special strings from the drop down list.

4.

Set the Height, Width and Font as required.

5.

Click OK. The string will appear floating on the cursor.

Click to place the string.

6.

Click RIGHT MOUSE or ESC to stop placing strings.

While
placing a string
press the X or Y
keys to mirror
along these axes,
press
the
SPACEBAR
to
rotate the string.

Changing Strings

Free text strings and component text (designators

and comments) can be changed both individually
and globally. Double-click on a string to pop up
the string dialog, where the string attributes can
be edited.

502

Click on the Whats This

Help icon at the top of the
dialog for information on each
attribute in the dialog.

PCB Design Objects

Special Strings

Special strings allow you to place generic, non-specific text which is interpreted when
printing, plotting or generating Gerber files. For example, the string .PRINT_DATE
will be replaced by the current date when output is generated. The available special
strings are:
.PRINT_DATE
.PRINT_TIME
.PRINT_SCALE
.LAYER_NAME
.PCB_FILE_NAME
.PCB_FILE_NAME_NO_PATH
.PLOT_FILE_NAME
.ARC_COUNT
.COMPONENT_COUNT
.FILL_COUNT
.HOLE_COUNT
.NET_COUNT
.PAD_COUNT
.STRING_COUNT
.TRACK_COUNT
.VIA_COUNT

Add the .DESIGNATOR

and .COMMENT special strings
to the component in the library.
Use these if you need to predefine the location and layer of
these strings for the component.
The standard designator and
comment can be hidden if
desired.
Place the .LEGEND string
on the Drill Drawing layer. It
will be replaced by a drill table
when the output is generated.
To interpret special strings
on screen enable the Convert
Special Strings option in the
Display Tab of the Preferences
dialog. Note that not all special
strings can be interpreted on
screen.

.DESIGNATOR
.COMMENT
.LEGEND
.NET_NAMES_ON_LAYER

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Group Objects
A group object is any set of primitives which has been defined to behave as an object.
These may be user defined, such as components and polygons, or system defined, such
as coordinates and dimensions. A group can be manipulated as one object they can be
placed, selected, copied, changed, moved and deleted.

Select Tools Convert Explode Polygon to Free

to convert a polygon into a set of tracks and arcs.

Primitives

Polygons
Polygons are special areas of copper formed when you use the Place Polygon Plane
process. Polygon planes (or copper pours) can fill irregularly shaped areas of a board
and can connect to a specified net as they are poured.
Although polygons consist of tracks and arcs, polygons
can be manipulated as a unit. Polygon boundaries can be
re-shaped and polygons can be re-poured around new
obstacles after placement, and any of their attributes,
such as grid and track size, can be changed. By adjusting
the grid and track size, a polygon plane can be either
solid (copper) areas or a cross-hatched lattice.
When placed in occupied board space polygon planes
pour copper around any tracks, pads, vias, fills or text
while maintaining the clearances specified in the design
rules. If you are working with a netlist-based layout the Polygons pour around existing
in accordance with the
plane can automatically connect to any component pads objects,
design rules
on the specified net that are within the polygon plane.
Polygons can be poured to create a multi-sided shape on any layer. If a polygon is
placed on a non-signal layer it will not be poured around existing objects as these
objects are not assigned to a net and therefore do not belong to anything.
Activity - Placing a Polygon Plane

To place a polygon plane:

1.

Choose Place Polygon plane (shortcut: P, G).

The Place Polygon Plane dialog will pop up. Set the attributes as required. Each
attribute is defined below.

504

2.

Click to define the starting point of the polygon.

3.

Continue to click at each vertex of the polygon until the boundary of the polygon
plane is defined. Press the SPACEBAR to change polygon boundary track placement
modes.

PCB Design Objects

The polygon will pour when it is closed. If you do not actually close the polygon, when
you press ESC or RIGHT MOUSE the polygon will automatically be closed, from the last
vertex to the initial vertex.

Options in the Place Polygon Plane dialog include:

Net Options
Connect To Net

If a netlist has been loaded, one of the nets in the netlist can be selected in the
Connect To Net drop down. If the polygon is being connected to a net, the other
two Net Options can be applied.
Pour Over Same Net

If the Pour Over Same Net option is enabled any existing tracks within the
polygon which are part of the net being connected to will be covered by the
polygon.
Remove Dead Copper

Dead copper is copper placed by the Place Polygon Plane process which can not
be connected to the selected net. Regions of dead copper are created when existing
tracks, pads and vias prevent the plane pouring as one continuous area. These can
be removed if desired. If this option is enabled and the polygon does not enclose a
pin on the selected net, the entire polygon is removed as it is all dead copper.

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PCB Design
Plane Settings
Grid Size

This is the grid on which the tracks within the polygon are placed. To allow the
most effective placement of the polygon tracks this will ideally be a fraction of the
component pin pitch.
Track Width

This is the width of the tracks which are placed to form the polygon. If the track
width is smaller than the grid size the polygon will be hatched. If the track size is
equal to or greater than the grid size the polygon will be solid. For a solid plane set
the track width slightly larger than the grid size.
Layer

This is the layer the polygon is to be placed on. Polygons can be placed on both
copper and non-copper layers.
Hatching Style
90 Degree Hatch

Fill the polygon with tracks running both horizontally and vertically.
45 Degree Hatch

Fill the polygon with tracks running at 45 degrees (in both directions).
Vertical Hatch

Fill the polygon with tracks running vertically.

Horizontal Hatch

Fill the polygon with tracks running horizontally.

No Hatching

Define all the outlines of the polygon but do not place any tracks inside the
polygon. Use this option if you want to place the polygon, but do not want it to
slow system performance. It can be re-poured later with the desired hatching.
Surround Pads With

Pads can be surrounded with either Arcs or Octagons. Octagons give smaller
Gerber files and faster photoplotting.
Minimum Primitive Size
Length

The length field allows you to limit the minimum size of primitives used in the
polygon. When polygons are poured they can contain many short pieces of tracks
and arcs, placed to create smooth shapes around the existing objects on the board.
By limiting the length of primitives used you will get faster pour times, screen
redraws and output generation. This will be at the expense of the smoothness of
the polygon edges.

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PCB Design Objects

How the Polygon will Connect to Pads

To control how a polygon connects to pads when the Connect To Net option is used,
include a Polygon Connect Style design rule (select Design Rules). This rule allows
you to select between a direct connection and a thermal relief connection. It also allows
you to set the conductor width and connection angle if you select relief connection.
Refer to the chapter, Specifying the PCB Design Requirements, for more information
on the Polygon Connect Style design rule.
Activity - Re-pouring a Polygon

To re-pour a polygon select the Edit Change menu item. Click on the polygon you
wish to re-pour and the Place Polygon Plane dialog will pop up (shortcut: double-click
on the polygon). Change the attributes as desired and click OK. You will be asked if
you wish to re-pour the modified polygon. Click Yes to re-pour the polygon with the
new settings.
Activity - Changing the Shape of the Polygon Boundary

The boundary of a polygon plane can be reshaped by moving the vertices, deleting the
vertices, and breaking the boundary tracks.
To modify the shape of the polygon:
1.

Select the Edit Move Polygon Vertices menu

item.
The Status Bar will prompt Choose a Polygon.

2.

Click on the polygon to be edited.

The internal polygon tracks will disappear,
replaced by the initial boundary that you defined
for the polygon.

click on a handle to modify the

polygon shape

3.

Each track segment that defines the boundary will

have 3 handles, 2 small squares at each end, and a cross in the middle. Click on a
corner handle to reposition the corner, click on the center handle to break the
polygon boundary track.

4.

Press DELETE to remove the vertex you are currently moving.

5.

Click RIGHT MOUSE or press ESC when you have finished modifying the polygon.
After modifying the polygon you will be asked if you wish to re-pour the modified
polygon. Click Yes to re-pour the polygon with the new settings.

Dimensions
Dimensions are special entities consisting of text and track segments. They are
automatically generated when you indicate the starting and ending points after
choosing the Place Dimension menu item. Imperial or metric units will be calculated,
depending upon the current Snap grid setting.

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PCB Design
Activity - Placing a Dimension

1.

Select the Place Dimension menu item.

2.

Click to define the start point.

The Status Bar will prompt Select Measure End
Point.

3.

Click to define the end point.

The dimensioning information will then be placed.

To modify a
placed dimension
select
Tools

Convert Explode
Dimension to Free
Primitives to convert

a dimension into a
set of tracks and
strings.

Changing Dimensions

Dimension attributes such as string height, font, etc, can be changed during placement
(press the TAB key), or after the dimension has been placed. Select the Edit Change
menu item and click on the dimension to pop up the Change Dimension dialog, where
the attributes can be edited.
Moving a Dimension

Dimensions can be moved, or adjusted, after they have been placed. To move or
adjust a dimension, click once anywhere on the dimension to bring it into focus (the
square focus handles will appear). A second click anywhere on the dimension moves
the dimension, a second click on a focus handle allows you to adjust the dimension. If
you re-size a dimension the distance will be automatically updated.
Default Dimension

The attributes of the dimension currently being placed can be set by pressing the TAB
key as soon as you select the Place Dimension menu item. The default dimension
attributes are set in the Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog. If the Permanent
option is not set in the Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog then changes made
during placement will become the new defaults.
To move the
coordinate
string
Coordinates
without
moving
the
Use a coordinate marker to indicate the coordinates of a
marker
select
Tools
specific point in the workspace. A coordinate marker
Convert Explode
includes a point marker (cross made of two tracks) and the
Coordinate to Free
X, Y coordinates of the position. They can be placed on any
Primitives to convert
layer.
the coordinate into
a pair of tracks and
Default Coordinate
a string.
The attributes of the coordinate currently being placed can
be set by pressing the TAB key as soon as you select the
Place Coordinate menu item, or press the button on the PlacementTools toolbar. The
default coordinate attributes are set in the Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog. If the
Permanent option is not set in the Defaults Tab of the Preferences dialog then
changes made during placement will become the new defaults.

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PCB Component Footprints and Libraries

PCB Component Footprints and Libraries

Comprehensive libraries of over 1600 predefined through-hole and SMD component
footprints are included with Protel 99 SE. PCB footprints are created and modified in
the PCB Library Editor. Refer to The PCB Library Editor topic later in this chapter, for
information on using the PCB Library Editor to create component footprints and
libraries.

What is a Footprint and what is a Component?

In the Protel 99 SEs PCB layout environment, a footprint is what exists in the PCB
library. When this footprint is placed from the library into the PCB workspace, it is
assigned a designator and comment. It is then referred to as a component.

Where are the PCB Footprint Libraries?

In Protel 99 SE, the PCB footprint libraries are stored within a set of Library Design
Databases. The Protel 99 SE PCB Library Databases are in the \Program Files
\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Pcb folder.
In Protel 99 SE you can still access the PCB footprints
in the older .LIB format libraries. These libraries can be
added to the list of available libraries in the normal way.

Accessing Component Footprints

To access the component footprints in libraries, the libraries must first be added to the
current library list in the PCB Editor. Libraries are added and removed by selecting
Add/Remove Library in the Design menu, or by pressing the Add/Remove button in the
PCB Editor Panel (when the Browse mode is set to Libraries). This pops up the PCB
Libraries dialog, where new libraries can be added, and open ones removed from the
Selected Files list.
Once a library has been added, footprints from that library can be placed in the
workspace. The only limit to the number of libraries that can be added is the memory
available in your computer.

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PCB Design

Adding and Removing Libraries

Use the PCB Libraries dialog to access components in the libraries. The Selected Files
window at the bottom of the dialog lists all the currently added libraries.

After locating the required Library Database, double-click on it to add it to the list. Double-click
on a Library Database in the Selected Files list to remove it.

Use the Look in field at the top of the dialog to browse to the folder where the Library
Databases are located. The Protel 99 SE PCB Library Databases are stored in the
\Program Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Pcb folder.
Libraries are stored in standard Protel 99 SE Design Databases, which means
you can easily create your own Library Databases. These databases can even be a
mix of schematic and PCB libraries.
To access components in libraries that are stored inside a Project Design
Database, simply add the Project Design Database to the Selected Files list in the
PCB Libraries dialog.

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PCB Component Footprints and Libraries

Finding and Placing Components

To browse the components in a library, set the
Browse mode in the PCB Editor Panel to Libraries
and click on the desired library in the list. When you
click on a component in the Components list it will be
displayed in the MiniViewer.
Placing in the PCB Editor
To place a component footprint:
1.

Set the Panel Browse mode to Libraries.

2.

Select the desired library from the list.

3.

Select the component from the list in the Panel

and press the Place button (shortcut: double-click
LEFT MOUSE).
The Component will appear floating on the
cursor.

4.

Press the TAB key to edit the designator and

comment prior to placing the component, then
click OK to return to the component floating on
the cursor.
Press PAGEUP to zoom in. Press the SPACEBAR to
rotate and the L shortcut key to flip the
component to the bottom of the board. Use the
Jump shortcut keys to jump to an exact location.

5.

Click LEFT MOUSE to place the component.

Placing from the PCB Library Editor

Components can also be placed from the PCB Library
Editor. The Library Editor Panel has a Place button.
Select the component from the list and press Place.
The component will be placed in the last active PCB window. Placement then follows
the same sequence as placing from within the PCB Editor.

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PCB Design

PCB Components Attributes

Once a footprint is placed in the workspace, it becomes a component. It has a
designator, such as R3 and a comment, say 10K. It also behaves as a single object
rather than a collection of tracks, pads, arcs, etc, and can be moved, flipped and rotated
as such. To edit a component, select the Edit Change menu item or double-click inside
the component outline. The Change Component dialog will pop up.
The Change Component dialog is divided into three Tabs. Component attributes which
can be edited include:
Properties Tab
This Tab contains the commonly used component attributes.
Designator/Comment

The value of the component

designator and comment can
be changed here. Use the
designator and comment Tabs
to change the text attributes
such as the font, text height
and text width.
Footprint

The current footprint of the

component can be changed to
any other available footprint
in any open component
library. If you type the name
of a different footprint in the
Footprint field, when you exit
the dialog the PCB Editor will
search the current open
libraries to try and locate the
new footprint.
Layer

Components can be assigned

to either the top or bottom
layer of the PCB. To change
the layer assignment, click in
the Layer box and choose Top
layer or Bottom layer.
Changing the layer status
swaps the component to the
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PCB Component Footprints and Libraries

opposite layer. For example, when moving a Top layer component to the Bottom
layer, primitives on the Top Overlay layer will be automatically reassigned to the
Bottom Overlay layer. The orientation of the component will be flipped along the
x axis and the component overlay text will read from the bottom. Single layer pads
are also swapped between the Top layer and Bottom layer. You can extend this to
do global swaps of components from one layer to another.
Rotation

Components can be rotated to any angle, with an angular resolution of 0.001

degrees.
Lock Prims

Normally it is desirable to manipulate a component as one object. In this state the

primitives that make up a component are locked together. However, if required
you can unlock the primitives and modify or manipulate them. Component
primitives should then be re-locked. Component pad attributes can be modified
without un-locking the primitives.
Locked

The Locked attribute determines whether a component is fixed in the workspace or

is free to move. If the Locked attribute is set the autoplacer will not move the
component. If you attempt to manually move the component the warning message
Object is locked, continue? will pop up, allowing you to move the component
without unlocking it. The locked attribute remains set after this move.
Selection

Components can be selected or de-selected. Use this attribute to help qualify

components for a global edit operation.

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PCB Design

Designator and Comment Tabs

These two Tabs contain the text attributes for the designator and comment.
Text

The component designator or

comment. The designator attribute
is not globally editable as each
component must have a unique
designator. The Comment attribute
is globally editable. Designator
and comment strings can be a
maximum of 255 characters in
length.
Height

Text size can be set in mils (.001

in) or mm. Range is 0.01 to 10000
mils. The character width used to
display / print the text is
automatically proportioned to the
height. A minimum text height of
36 mils will allow strings to be
legibly photoplotted.
Width

The text stroke width can be set in

mils (.001 in) or mm. Range is
0.001 to 255 mils.
Font

Three fonts are available. Click the Font button to choose the Default font, Sans
Serif font or Serif font.
Layer

Component text can be assigned to any layer. Click the Layer button to scroll the
selection bar through the layer options. The selected layer will be displayed in the
Layer box.
Rotation

Component text can be moved and rotated independently of the component. Click
and hold on the component text and drag the mouse to reposition the text. Press
the SPACEBAR to rotate the text while it is floating on the cursor.
X, Y Location

Location of the text in the workspace, relative to the current (relative) origin.

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PCB Component Footprints and Libraries

Hide

Component text can be displayed or hidden. Hidden text will not be printed.
Mirror

Component text can be mirrored independently of the component.

To flip a component during placement, press the L key while the component is
floating on the cursor. This will mirror the footprint, convert top layer pads to
bottom layer pads and mirror the overlay onto the bottom overlay layer. Do not use
the X or Y keys, as these will flip the component, but not change its layer.

Changing the Footprint a Component is Using

To change an existing component from one footprint to another, double-click inside the
component outline to pop up the Component dialog. Type the new footprint name into
the Footprint field of the Attributes Tab.
The current component footprint can be changed to any other available footprint in any
open library, or library currently listed in the Panel. When you type a different name in
the Footprint field and click OK to exit the dialog, the PCB Editor will search the
current open libraries, then the libraries listed in the panel, to locate the new footprint.
Component footprints can be changed freely. However, if there are netlist connections
to the pads the new footprint must have the same used pin numbers available as the
previous one. If it does not the warning message cannot match pads with new
footprint will be displayed and the substitution will be aborted. For example, changing
a DIP16 to an SMD16A is a legitimate change as the pin numbers match. Changing a
DIP16 to a TO-3 would generate a warning and the change would be aborted. If the
change is successful the connection lines will also be updated to remain connected to
the appropriate pads.

Modifying a Component Footprint on the Board

Generally, if a component footprint requires modification the footprint is edited in the
library and then all instances of the footprint on the PCB are updated click the
Update PCB button in the Library Editor panel to do this.
Component primitives can also be added, modified and deleted from a component
footprint in the PCB workspace. To modify component primitives on the board you
must first unlock them to do this double-click on the component and disable the Lock
Prims option. Once you close the dialog you can edit and delete the existing primitives.
Re-enable the Lock Prims check box when you have finished.
You can also add new primitives to a component footprint to do this first disable the
Lock Prims option as before. Now place the new primitives as required, select the new
primitives (but not the existing component primitives), then select Tools Convert
Add Selected Primitives to Component from the menus. You will be prompted to click on

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the component that you want to add the selected primitives to when you click on the
component the new primitives are added, and then deselected. When you have finished
adding primitives re-enable the Lock Prims option. Note that these changes only affect
this component, they do not affect the component footprint in the library.
Polygon primitives can also be included in a component footprint. To include polygon
primitives in a component footprint the polygon must be added in the PCB workspace.
The method of adding primitives to a component is described above. There is an extra
step in adding polygon primitives to a component after placing the polygon and
selecting it (shortcut: SHIFT+click), select Tools Convert Explode Polygon to Free
Primitives from the menus and click on the polygon to explode it. Now add these
polygon primitives as you would add any new primitive to a component.

Including Routing in Component Footprints

Library components can include routing primitives. If your components include routing
primitives there is an option that automatically updates the net name of these primitives
as the netlist is transferred from the schematic to the PCB. Enable the Assign Net to
Connected Copper option in the Update Design dialog when you select Design Update
PCB from the Schematic Editor menus.
Net names can also be applied to routing primitives that are built into components at
any time by selecting Design Netlist Manager from the PCB Editor menus. Select the
Update Free Primitives from Component Pads option from the Menu button at the bottom
of the dialog to reapply the pad net names to all connected copper.

Un-Grouping a Component
If necessary, a placed component can be converted back into the original set of
primitive parts. Select the Tools Convert UnGroup Component menu item. When you
launch this process you will be prompted, Select Component. The prompt Confirm
convert Component To Primitives will be displayed. If you click YES the component
designator and comment will be removed from the component and it will become a set
of primitives. This is a one-way process, it is not possible to re-group an un-grouped
component. Un-group has no effect on the component footprint stored in the library
only on the individual instance of the component placed in the document window.

Copying Components from the PCB to a Library

Components can copied directly from the PCB workspace into an open library first
select the component(s), choose Edit Copy from the PCB Editor menus, click when
you are prompted to select a reference location, change to the target library, right-click
in the component list in the Browse PCBLib panel, and select Paste from the floating
menu. Each of the selected components will be added to the library.

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PCB Component Footprints and Libraries

The PCB Library Editor

The PCB Library Editor is the second PCB Document Editor provided by Protel 99
SEs PCB server. Where the PCB Layout Editor is used to design the printed circuit
board, the PCB Library Editor is used to create and modify the component footprints
used on those PCBs. It is also used to manage the PCB libraries.
The PCB Library Editor includes a complete set of processes for creating, editing and
placing library footprints. Custom libraries can be created and any number of
component libraries can be opened at the same time, limited only by available memory.
There is no limit to the number of component footprints that each library can hold.
Components generally include one or more pads (corresponding to component pins and
numbered accordingly) plus track and/or arc segments on the overlay (silkscreen) layer
to define the component body.
The Altium Library Development Center is constantly developing new
libraries check www.protel.com to download the latest PCB footprint libraries.

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Working with Libraries

In Protel 99 SE PCB footprint libraries are stored within a Design Database, just like
all the other design documents. In this Handbook they are referred to as PCB Library
Databases, but these databases are exactly the same as the Design Databases you store
your design documents in.
The Protel 99 SE PCB Library Databases are stored in the \Program Files
\Design Explorer 99 SE\Library\Pcb folder.
Opening an Existing Library

Libraries are opened in the PCB Library Editor in the same way all documents are
opened in the Design Explorer, by first selecting File Open to open the PCB Library
Design Database, then browsing through the database and opening the library for
editing. Each open library appears on a separate Tab in the integrated Design Window.
Creating a New Library

Before you create a new library you must open the Design Database that you want to
store the library in, then browse through the database and open the folder that you want
to create the library in.
To create the new PCB library right-click in the folder window, and select New from
the floating menu that appears. The New Document dialog will pop up, double-click on
the PcbLib icon to create a new library.

Right-click in the folder where you

want to create the new library,
select New, then double-click on
the Pcblib icon.

An icon for the new library will appear in the folder, with a name like Pcblib1. To
rename the new library click once to select the icon, then press F2 to highlight the

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PCB Component Footprints and Libraries

name, ready for typing. Type in the new name and press ENTER on the keyboard.
Double-click on the icon to open the new library.
Creating a Component Footprint with the Component Wizard
The PCB Library Editor includes a powerful component creation Wizard. This Wizard
will ask a few questions, and then build the component footprint for you, from a simple
two pin resistor through to a Pin Grid Array with hundreds of pins.
To launch the Component Wizard press the Add button on the Library Editor panel or
select the New Component menu item in the Tools menu.
Manually Creating a Component Footprint
Footprints are created in the PCB Library Editor using the same set of design objects
available in the PCB Editor. Anything can be saved as a PCB footprint, including
corner markers, phototool targets, mechanical definitions, and so on. The typical
sequence for manually creating a component footprint is:
1.

New component Open the desired library in the Library Editor. Select the Tools
New Component menu item. The Component Wizard will automatically start,
press Cancel to manually create a component. You will be presented with an
empty component footprint workspace, called PCBComponent_1. Select Tools
Rename Component to change this to the required name, of up to 255 characters.

2.

Place the pads place the pads according to the component requirements. When a
pad is floating on the cursor select Edit Jump Reference (shortcut: J, R) to
position the cursor at the workspace 0, 0 coordinate. Prior to placing the first pad,
press the TAB key to define all the pad attributes.
Always build surface mount footprints on the top layer. Use the L shortcut
key to flip them to the bottom layer during placement.

3.

Component outline Use the track tool to create the component outline on the
Top Overlay layer. Use the SPACEBAR to change between the Start and End
placement modes. Press SHIFT+SPACEBAR to change track placement modes.

4.

Save the library. You can now return to the PCB Editor and place this component.
Always build the component around the workspace 0,0 reference point. The
Reference is the point you will be holding the component by when you place it.
Use the Reference options in the Edit menu to move the Reference if it needs to be
changed.
The special strings, .DESIGNATOR and .COMMENT can be added to the
component in the Library Editor if you require control over their layer, location
and text attributes prior to placing the component. These will be in addition to the
standard designator and comment which can be hidden if required.

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Copying Components between Libraries

Components can be copied and pasted between libraries,
from a library to a PCB, and from a PCB to a library. To
copy between libraries, or from the library to a PCB,
select the component(s) in the Library Editor panel using
the standard Windows selection keys (left-click,
SHIFT+click and CTRL+click). Once the components have
been selected click the right mouse button to pop up the
floating menu and select Copy. Change to the target
library, right-click in the Library Editor panel, and select
Paste to add them to the target library. If you are pasting
directly onto a board select Edit Paste from the PCB
Editor menus.
Updating a Footprint
After editing a footprint in the PCB Library Editor, use
the Update PCB button in the PCB Library Editor Panel
to update all instances of this footprint in all open
designs.
Checking the Components
Select Reports Component Rule Check to pop up the
Component Rule Check dialog. The Component Rule
Checker tests for duplicate primitives, missing pad
designators, floating copper and inappropriate
component references.

Use the floating menu in the

panel to copy and paste
components between libraries

Creating a Project Library

The PCB Editor can create a library of all components currently placed in the
workspace. To use this feature select the Design Make Project Library menu item. Enter
the library name in the Save Project Library dialog and click OK. All components in
the workspace will be added to the library.

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Defining the Board

Defining the Board

The first step in the PCB design process is to define the board boundaries and layers.
While the finished board is a 3 dimensional object, it is effectively designed and
fabricated as a set of flat, 2 dimensional layers. To manufacture the board these layers
are sandwiched together (with layers of insulation separating them), to create the 3
dimensional PCB.
Everything you design in the PCB workspace is done by placing design objects (from
the Place menu) on the various layers available in the workspace the physical outline
of the board is created with tracks on a mechanical layer, components and routing are
placed on the top and bottom signal layers, and so on.
If the board outline has been defined in a mechanical
package, such as AutoCAD, you can transfer it into the PCB
Editor using the Import DWG/DXF feature.
Protel 99 SE includes a powerful Board Wizard that guides you through the complete
process of creating a new PCB document and board definition. The Wizard include a
number of pre-defined board templates, and also allows you to create your own
templates.

Creating the mechanical definition of the PCB

The exact detail required for the mechanical definition of a board will depend on
company and manufacturer requirements, and could include a mechanical outline,
keepout boundaries, cutout details, dimension
details, photo tool targets and so on. Generally,
manufacturers require board corner markers, a
reference hole location, and external dimensions
as a minimum. Contact your PCB manufacturer
for details of their requirements.
The actual physical boundary of
defined by placing tracks on
mechanical layers. Select Design
Layers to enable and name
mechanical layers.

the board is
one of the
Mechanical

the

required

To create the board boundary first make the

appropriate layer the active layer by clicking its
Tab at the bottom of the PCB Window (select
Design Options from the menus to display/hide a
layer). Then select Place Line from the menus to
start defining the boundary, refer to the Tracks

Example board outline the outer box

is the physical board boundary, defined
on a mechanical layer, the inner box is
the placement and routing outline on
the keepout layer

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PCB Design

topic in the PCB Design Objects chapter for more information on track placement
techniques. It is good practice to design the physical board outline starting in the lower
left region of the workspace. One inch in, one inch up from the absolute origin is often
used as a position for the lower left corner of the board.
The content of any mechanical layer can be added to all output
layers during output generation use this feature to include common
information such as boundaries, dimensioning, photo tool targets and
a title block on each of the output layers.

Defining the Placement and Routing Outline

The placement and routing outer limits are defined by placing tracks and arcs on the
Keepout layer to define the electrical outline of the board. Typically this boundary is
set slightly in from the physical edge of the board, ensuring that tracks and components
do not get too close to the edge. This boundary is used by the Design Rule Checker, the
autoplacer and the autorouter to limit placement and routing within the boundary.
Refer to the example files supplied with Protel 99 SE for examples of how the physical
and keepout boundaries can be defined.
You can also define "no go" regions within this outline where components and/or
tracks are to be excluded. This can include zones for mounting hardware and regions
required for board profiling. These zones are created by placing design objects such as
tracks, arcs and fills on the Keepout layer, within the outer boundary.
Keepout regions defined on the Keepout Layer apply to all signal layers. The basic rule
when using the Keepouts is that routing on signal layers will not cross over design
objects on the Keepout layer.
Layer-specific keepout regions can also be defined, these are created by placing
Keepout objects from the Place Keepout sub-menu on the required layer.

Defining the PCB Layer Stack

Once the mechanical definition is complete the next step is to define the set of
electrical layers that will be used to make up the actual board this set of layers is
referred to as the layer stack.
There are 2 types of electrical layers signal layers, which contain the signal
interconnect paths, and power planes, which are layers of unbroken copper used to
distribute current to power the components.
The layer stack is defined in the Layer Stack Manager dialog (Design Layer Stack
Manager). The image in the center of the dialog shows the current layer stack, the
default is for a double-sided board. New layers can be added to the design by clicking
on the Add Layer and Add Plane buttons. Each new layer is added below the layer that
is currently selected. Double-click on a layer name to edit the properties of that layer.
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Defining the Board

The electrical layers are added and their order defined in the Layer Stack Manager right-click
on the image to copy it to the Windows clipboard and include in your documentation

The Menu button at the bottom of the dialog includes a number of pre-packed example
layer stacks. Note that these example layer stacks are not fixed, you can start with one
of these and easily modify it. Once the required layers have been added, use the Move
Up and Move Down buttons to configure the layer stack. New layers can be added at
any point in the design process.
There are a total of 32 signal layers available (top layer, bottom layer, and 30 midlayers) and 16 plane layers. Layer visibility is controlled in the Document Options
dialog (Design Options).
Selecting the Layer Stack-up Style
As well as the electrical layers, the stack-up includes the non-electrical insulation
layers. There are typically 2 kinds of insulation used in the fabrication of a PCB, these
are often referred to as core and prepreg layers.
The stack-up style refers to the order of the insulation layers through the layer stack.
Three default stack-up styles are supported layer-pairs, internal layer-pairs, and build
up. Changing the layer stack-up style changes the way that the core and prepreg layers
are distributed through the layer stack.

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PCB Design

Select the preferred stack-up style at the top left of the Layer Stack Manager dialog.
Defining the stack-up style is only required if you plan to use blind and buried vias,
and for signal integrity analysis. If you are planning to use blind and buried vias you
must consult with your PCB manufacturer to ensure that that they can fabricate the
design, and that the correct stack-up style is selected.
Defining the layer properties
There are 3 kind of layers added to the layer stack in the Layer Stack Manager; signal
layers, plane layers and insulation (substrate) layers. The information in these dialogs
must be correctly specified if you intend to perform a signal integrity analysis (Tools
Signal Integrity).
Signal Layers

Name user-defined layer name

Copper thickness this value is required for signal integrity analysis
Plane Layers

Name user-defined layer name

Copper thickness this value is required for signal integrity analysis
Substrate and Dielectric Layers

Material material kind, this is entered for reference

Thickness the dielectric (substrate) thickness is required for signal integrity analysis
Dielectric constant dielectric constant of the substrate, required for signal integrity
analysis

Defining the drill pairs

Part of defining the layer stack-up is to specify the drill-pairs. The term drill-pairs
refers to the 2 layers that a drilling operation starts from, and stops at. Unless the board
includes blind and buried vias only one drill-pair is required, comprising the Top and
Bottom layers. This drill-pair is on by default and can not be deleted or modified.
Drill-pairs are defined in the Drill-Pair Manager dialog, click on the Drill-Pairs button
in the Layer Stack Manager dialog to display this dialog.
If the design includes blind and buried layers then the drill pairs must be defined to suit
the layer stack-up style. This should be done in consultation with your board
manufacturer to ensure that your design matches their fabrication technology.

Using The Board Wizard

The PCB Editor includes a board Wizard, which allows you to select from a large
number of industry-standard board templates. The templates include; a title block,
alignment markers, reference rulers, dimensions, and standard edge connectors. The

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Defining the Board

Wizard also enters text into the title block, and lets you specify the number of routing
layers and the track/pad technology. Start the PCB Wizard from the Wizards Tab of the
New Document dialog.
The Wizard includes an option to create a custom board. If you select this you define
the size and shape of the outline, and can also include cutouts. On the last setup page of
the Wizard there is a check box to save this board as a template if you do, this
template will appear at the bottom of the list of pre-defined templates the next time you
run the Wizard.

Use the PCB Wizard and select an industry-standard template, or create and save a custom template

If you enable the Save the Board as a Template option the board is saved in the
\Program Files\Design Explorer 99 SE\System\Templates.Ddb
design database. You can edit this PCB at any time to modify the template. You can
also include a custom bitmap for the template create the image as a 64x32 pixel (16
color) bitmap file, save it with the same name as the PCB template, then import it into
the \Boards folder in the Templates.Ddb design database.

Transferring the Design from the Schematic

Once you have defined the board outline and mechanical details, you are ready to
transfer the design information from the schematic, to the PCB. Refer to the chapter,
Transferring the Design Information to the PCB, in the Schematic Capture section of
the Handbook, for details on how to do this.

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PCB Design

Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

PCB design is no longer a matter of simply placing tracks to create connections. High
speed logic combined with smaller and more complex packaging technologies place
new demands on the PCB designer. It is no longer possible to satisfy all the design
requirements by only considering the clearance between tracks, pads and vias. Todays
designs can also require that you apply specific requirements to individual nets,
components or regions of the board as well as considering such issues as crosstalk,
reflections and net lengths. To successfully complete designs such as these you need a
tool that can be configured to monitor and test for these requirements. Protel 99 SE
allows you to do this by defining design rules.
The PCB Editor incorporates a large set of design rules. These include clearances,
object geometry, placement, parallelism, impedance control, signal integrity, routing
priority and routing topology.
Each rule has a rule scope that defines how it is applied. The rule scope defines exactly
what objects that rule is to apply to this scope can be as broad as the whole board, or
as narrow as an individual pad. Multiple rules of the same kind can be defined for
example a clearance constraint that applies to the whole board, then a second clearance
constraint that applies to an individual net the rule system resolves these rules in a
hierarchical fashion, only applying the highest priority rule to the objects covered by
that rule.

What are Design Rules?

You design your PCB by placing components, tracks, vias and other design objects.
These objects must be placed in the workspace with regard to each other. Components
must not overlap, nets must not short, power nets must be kept clear of signal nets,
different nets must be routed at different widths, certain nets must have equal lengths,
and so on.
To allow you to remain focused on the task of designing the board, the PCB Editor can
monitor these design requirements for you. You instruct the PCB Editor of your
requirements by setting up a series of design rules. The PCB Editor monitors the
placement of objects in the workspace, and as soon as an object is placed in violation
of a design rule it is highlighted.
The PCB Editor allows you to create classes (sets) of objects, which
are very handy for setting up and managing the design rules. Refer to the
Creating Object Classes topic later in this chapter for details on how to
create a class of Nets, Components, or From-Tos.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Defining the Design Rules

Where are Rules Defined?
Rules are listed, added and edited in the Design Rules dialog. Select the Design Rules
menu item to pop up this dialog.
The set of rules available in the PCB Editor is divided into six groups, with each group
on a separate Tab in the Design Rules dialog. On each Tab there is a set of rules listed
on the left click to select a different rule. Next to this list is a description of the
currently selected rule.
The lower half of the dialog lists all instances of that rule that have been defined for
this PCB (including rules that are automatically created for a new PCB). Note that
rules that have been created can be individually disabled use this feature when you
do not want a rule to be applied, but you do not want to delete it.

Examine and edit the rules in the Design Rules dialog

Current rules in the lower half of the Design Rules dialog are
listed from the highest priority rule, down to the lowest priority rule.
527

PCB Design

Adding a Rule
Locate and select the rule you require in the Design Rules dialog and press the Add
button (shortcut: double-click LEFT MOUSE on the rule). After pressing the Add button a
dialog for that particular rule will pop up. This is where you configure the rule and set
the scope.
Note that each rule has a Rule Name, when a new rule is created it is assigned a default
name. The rule name is displayed in the panel when the Browse mode is set to Rules,
use the name to simplify the process of managing the rules.

Each rule is configured in its own Rule dialog

What is the Rule Scope?

The scope, or extent of each Rule is determined by the Rule
Scope. The rule scope defines the set of target objects that a
particular instance of a rule is to be applied to. By setting the
scope you could apply a rule to the whole board, or you
could target a particular net, a set (class) of nets, a
component, or a pad.

528

The rule scope

defines exactly what
objects the rule is to
apply to.

Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Description of each Scope

Following is a summary of each rule scope.
Whole Board

This is the lowest priority scope available it targets all objects on the board that this
rule can be applied to.
Layer

Targets all objects on the specified layer. Note that objects are not targeted by this
scope. An Example of when this scope could be used includes defining different paste
mask openings for the top layer surface mount components from the bottom layer
surface mount components.
Object Kind

Targets the enabled object types. Examples of when this scope could be used include
when you need a different track to pad/via clearance, or when you need different
clearance for polygons from all other routing.
Footprint

Targets all components that use the specified footprint. An advantage of this scope is
that as new components that use the specified footprint are added to the design, they
are automatically covered by the rule. Examples of when this scope could be used
include footprint-specific rules such as mask and paste expansions, or the component
clearance rule.
Component Class

Targets all components that belong to the class. Examples of when this scope could be
used include grouping components for placement (using the Room Definition rule), or
for specifying allowable component orientations (Component Orientations rule).
Component

Targets the specified component. Examples of when this scope could be used include
solder and paste mask rules, and placement rules.
Net Class

Targets all the objects that belong to each of the nets in the class (including tracks,
arcs, fills, pads and vias). Examples of when this scope could be used include clearance
constraints and width constraints (applies to the tracks and arcs), as well as high speed
and signal integrity rules.
Net

Targets all the objects that belong to the net routing (including tracks, arcs, fills, free
pads and vias). Examples of when this scope could be used include clearance
constraints and width constraints (applies to the tracks and arcs), as well as high speed
and signal integrity rules.

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PCB Design
From-To Class

A from-to is a user-defined connection in a net, going from a specific pad to another

specific pad (Design From-To Editor). This scope targets all the routing tracks, arcs
and vias that belong to the from-tos in the class. Examples of when this scope could be
used include clearance constraints and width constraints (applies to the tracks and
arcs), as well as high speed and signal integrity rules.
From-To

A from-to is a user-defined connection in a net, going from a specific pad to another

specific pad (Design From-To Editor). This scope targets all the routing tracks, arcs
and vias that belong to the from-to. Examples of when this scope could be used include
clearance constraints and width constraints (applies to the tracks and arcs), as well as
high speed and signal integrity rules.
Pad Class

Targets all pads that belong to the pad class. Examples of when this scope could be
used include mask expansions, polygon connection styles, plane connection styles, and
hole size constraints.
Pad Specification

Targets all the pads that satisfy the enabled pad criteria. Click the Specification button
in the Rule dialog to display the Pad Specification dialog. Each of the enabled
attributes is used in the scope, disable the attributes that are not required and configure
those attributes that will be used to test against. Examples of when this scope could be
used include mask expansions, polygon connection styles, plane connection styles, and
hole size constraints.
Via Specification

Targets all the vias that satisfy the enabled via criteria. Click the Specification button
in the Rule dialog to display the Via Specification dialog. Each of the enabled
attributes is used in the scope, disable the attributes that are not required and configure
those attributes that will be used to test against. Examples of when this scope could be
used include mask expansions, polygon connection styles, and hole size constraints.
Another example could be a power plane connection style rule, a via specification can
be used to prevent vias connecting to a power plane. Refer to the examples later in this
chapter for an example of how to do this.
Footprint Pad

This scope allows a design rule to target a specific pad (or pads if wildcards are used)
in the specified footprint.
Pad

Targets the specified pad. Examples of when this scope could be used include mask
expansions, polygon connection styles, plane connection styles, and hole size
constraints.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Region

Targets a specific region of the board. The region is defined by clicking the small
Define button that appears on the rule dialog when you set the scope to region. An
object is considered to be within the region if any part of the objects bounding
rectangle (the smallest rectangle that could be drawn to completely encompass the
object) lies within the region. Examples of when this scope could be used include
polygon and power plane connection styles, and width constraints.
Unary and Binary Rules, and Setting Their Scope
There are two types of design rules, unary rules and binary rules. Unary rules apply to
one object, or each object in a set of objects. Binary rules apply between two objects,
or between any object in one set to any object in the second set.
An example of a unary rule is the solder mask expansion rule. This rule applies
individually to each pad identified by the rule scope. An example of a binary rule is the
clearance constraint, which applies between any copper object in the first set and any
copper object in the second set, as identified by the two rule scopes. When you
configure a unary rule you set up one rule scope, when you configure a binary rule you
set up two rule scopes.
Using Classes and Wildcards in the Rule Scope
There are many ways of using the design rules to satisfy your design requirements. To
help keep the set of rules manageable there are 2 powerful ways of defining rule scopes
that target sets of objects.
You can create user-defined sets of objects, referred to as Classes, and then configure
the design rule to target that class of objects. Supported classes include net class,
component class, pad class and from-to class. Refer to the Creating Object Classes
topic later in this chapter for details on how to create a class of objects.

Using a wildcard to identify a set of nets

531

PCB Design

Wildcards can also be used to define a set of objects. Both the any single character (?)
wildcard and the any characters (*) wildcard are supported. In the adjacent figure the
Width requirement for all the Data nets (starting with the letter D) is set to 10 mils. The
rule specifies that all nets, whose net name starts with the letter D, must have a width
of 10 mils.
Compound Rule Scopes
Sometimes you will need to target a set of objects that are a subset of what you can
target with a single rule scope. An example would be a net that must be routed at a
certain width, except on one layer, where it must be routed at a different width.
To allow more specific rules to be created, each design rule allows you to create a
compound rule scope for that rule. A compound scope is where you logically AND
together more than one scope, thereby narrowing down the set of objects that the rule
will target.

Using a compound scope to set the width of the GND net to 20 mils on the top layer

If you are attempting to set up a rule with a compound scope, it is important to

remember that for the rule to apply, all of the scope conditions must apply to the
object, if one does not, then the rule does not apply. To check if a rule is correctly
defined to apply to an object use the Applicable Rules options in the right-click menu
if the rule is not listed then it is not applicable, and must be reconfigured. Refer to the
topic Working with Design Rules layer in this chapter for more information on the
Applicable Rules feature.
Refer to the Examples of Using Design Rules topic later in this chapter for examples of
compound rule scopes.

532

Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Multiple Rules of the Same Kind and their Order of Precedence

The Rule Scope allows you to identify exactly what you want to apply a particular rule
to. For example, you can apply a clearance constraint to a net, to an individual
connection on the net (a From-To), or to an individual pad.
As well as using the scope to define the set of objects that you want to apply the rule
to, you can also use the scope to override one rule with another rule of the same kind.
Each rule can be applied as many times as you require. For example, you can apply a
solder mask expansion rule to the whole board, apply a second solder mask expansion
rule to a particular component, and apply a third solder mask expansion rule to an
individual pad on the same component. So that the PCB Editor knows which of these
three rules to apply to this pad, there is an order of precedence for rules of the same
kind, which have different scopes. The order of precedence for rule scopes from
highest priority to lowest is:
Region (highest priority)
Pad
Footprint-Pad
Via Specification
So that you do not have
Pad Specification
to remember the order of
Pad Class
precedence when setting the
From-To
scope, the rule scopes are
From-To Class
ordered from lowest priority
Net
to highest priority in the drop
Net Class
down selection lists.
Component
Component Class
Footprint
Object Kind
Layer
Whole Board (lowest priority)
This allows you to use a most-general to most-specific strategy when you apply
rules. Apply general rules to the whole board, then build up your requirements by
applying more specific rules with a higher scope precedence. The PCB Editor will
analyze the rules applied to each design object, and identify and apply only the rule
with the highest precedence.
Contentions Due to Duplicate Rules
When an object is covered by more than one rule with the same scope (for example a
pad covered by two solder mask expansion rules, both with the scope set to region, but
whose regions overlap) a contention exists. The PCB Editor has pre-defined strategies
to resolve each possible contention. The basic approach is to choose the rule that gives
the greatest margin of safety (for example, the largest clearance). How this is
interpreted for each rule is documented with each rule description.

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How Rules are Applied

As mentioned previously, multiple design rules of the same kind can be defined. It is
important to note that only one design rule of any kind can apply to an object the
rules system automatically resolves the applicable rules to determine which rule
applies. Read the following topic, Working with Design Rules for information on
strategies on determining which rule is being applied to an object.
It is also important to note that not all the design rules are applied in all situations.
Certain rules are specifications for the autorouter (eg routing layers), others are
specifications for creating manufacturing output (eg solder mask expansion), and
neither of these rules are tested by the DRC feature. The PCB Editor applies the rules
in the following situations.
On-line Design Rule Check (DRC)

A violation of the rule is flagged as soon as the violation occurs during placement. It is
flagged by outlining the objects in violation in the current DRC color. The On-line
DRC feature can be disabled in the Options Tab of the Preferences dialog.
Batch DRC

Selecting the Tools Design Rule Check menu item will pop up the Design Rule Check
dialog. Enable those Rule Types you wish to test and press the OK button. All
instances of the enabled rule types will be tested.
Note that you can set the number of violations to report. Use this to keep the report
manageable.
During a Software Operation

Certain rules are monitored during a software operation including; polygon pour,
autorouting, autoplacement and output generation. Examples of these include; the mask
expansion rule which is monitored during output generation and the routing via style
rule which is monitored during autorouting.
Exported with the Design

Certain rules are included to support features in the SPECCTRA autorouter. The
requirements specified by these rules are exported with the design.
Refer to the Rule Definitions
later in this chapter for details on
when each rule is applied.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Working with Design Rules

Design Rules are the basis of design specification and control in the PCB Editor.
During the different phases of the board design you will be focused on different design
requirements for example during component placement component clearances will be
important, during routing the routing clearances will be important. The PCB Editor
includes a number of features to help you manage the various design rules.
Monitoring the Design Rules as You Work
Many of the design rules can be monitored as you work. Enable the rules you want
monitored on-line in the On-line Tab of the Design Rule Check dialog (select Tools
Design Rule Check). Apart from the Un-Routed Net Constraint, any design rule
violation that is created during the design process is immediately highlighted in green
(the default DRC error color). Each violation is also listed in the PCB panel, set the
Browse mode to Violations to display them.
Read the chapter Verifying the PCB Design for more information on design rule
checking and monitoring.
Working with Rules from the PCB Panel
The rules that are currently defined for the PCB can
be displayed in the PCB panel, set the Browse mode
to Rules to do this. Use the buttons on the panel to
Edit a rule, Select all the objects that this rule
applies to, or Highlight all the objects that this rule
applies to. Note that the Select and Highlight
features resolve the rule precedence and only
select/highlight objects that this rules applies to.
Disabling Rules
Rules can be individually disabled in the Design
Rules dialog. Disabling a rule has the same effect as
deleting the rule in terms of how it is handled by the
on-line and batch DRC routines. Disabled rules are
displayed in the panel with a line drawn through
their name.
Set the Browse mode to Rules to
easily examine and edit the rules

Importing and Exporting Rule Sets

Rule sets can be exported and imported, allowing you to store and retrieve favorite rule
sets. To import or export a rule set click on the Menu button at the bottom of the
Design Rules dialog. When importing rules you can either Overwrite or Add them by
clicking the appropriate button in the rule Import Options dialog. Overwrite occurs
when a rule with the same rule name is encountered.
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Checking which Rules Apply

You can easily check which design rules are being applied to any object. There are 2
applicable rules options in the right-click floating menu, after selecting either
Applicable Unary Rule or Applicable Binary Rule from the floating menu you will be
prompted on the Status bar to select either one primitive (Applicable Unary Rule) or 2
primitives (Applicable Binary Rule) click on the primitives(s) of interest.

The Applicable Rules dialog details all rules that apply to the primitive(s)

The Applicable Rules dialog then appears, displaying all design rules that apply to this
primitive(s). Note that all current design rules that could be applied to the selected
primitive(s) are analyzed and listed in the Applicable Rules dialog. Each rule that is
listed in the dialog will have either a tick or a cross next to it. A tick indicates that this
is the highest priority rule out of all applicable rules, and is the rule being applied.
Lower priority rules of the same kind are listed with a cross next to them, indicating
that they are applicable but as they are not the highest priority rule they are not
currently applied.
On a more global level you can examine what objects each rule applies to by setting
the browse mode in the Panel to Rules, and then using the Highlight and Select buttons
to show which objects any rule applies to.
When you want to know why an object is flagged as being in violation right click on it
and select Violations from the floating menu. The Violation Inspector dialog will
appear, detailing which design rule(s) this object is not complying with.

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Object Classes
A class is a set of objects that you wish to treat as a group. For example, you may wish
to group all the power supply components into a class, and the memory chips into
another class. You can then work with the entire group of components targeting the
class with various design rules, or selecting the class, then moving them to position
them on the board.
Uses
classes
to
Four types of classes can be defined; net classes,
easily identify a group of
component classes, from-to classes and pad classes.
objects. Classes make
Component classes and net classes can be selected
design rules easier to set
directly from the PCB Editor panel.
up and manage.
Classes are not mutually exclusive, an object can
belong to more than one class. This allows you to put objects in more than one class,
with each class being used for a different purpose. For example, you could have a
component in one class to identify it as belonging to a group of components that must
be placed in a certain region of the board (using a room definition), the same
component in a second class where it is grouped by footprint, where that class of
footprints have a rotation rule applied, and in a third class for a group of components
that have a specific solder mask expansion.
Creating a Class
All 4 types of classes are created in the same way in the Object Classes dialog (select
Design Classes from the menus). Click on the appropriate Tab at the top of the dialog
to select the type of class, then click the Add button at the bottom of the dialog. When
the Edit Class dialog appears select the required objects in the Non-Members list
(multiple selections are supported), then use the Arrow buttons to transfer the objects
to the Members list. Note that the dialog includes buttons to transfer objects that are
currently selected on the board.

Creating a pad class from pads that are currently selected on the board

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PCB Design

Component Class
Component classes can be easily created with the assistance of the Component Class
Generator, which allows you to identify a set of components based on common
component attributes.
Press the Class Generator button in the Edit Component Class dialog to display the
Component Class Generator dialog. Use the filters on the left to identify components
by attribute, then click the > button to add all the components that have that attribute
value. Set the Class Name at the top of the dialog, then click OK to add this new Class.

Use the class generator to quickly create a class of

components based on common component attributes

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Routing Rule Definitions

Clearance Constraint
Definition

Defines the minimum clearance allowed between any two primitive objects on a
copper layer. Use the Clearance Constraint to ensure that routing clearances are
maintained.
Connective Checking

Typically this would be set to Different Nets. An example of when Any Net could be
used is to test for vias being placed too close to pads or other vias on the same net, or
any other net.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the largest clearance is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line DRC, Batch DRC and during autorouting.

Routing Corners Rule
Definition

Specifies the corner style to be used during autorouting. The corner style can be a 45
degree chamfer or rounded (using an arc). The setback specifies the minimum and
maximum distance from the corner location to the start of the corner chamfer or arc.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The order that duplicate rules are obeyed is; Rounded, 90/45 degrees, 90 degrees.
Rule Application

Export to SPECCTRA.
Routing Layers Rule
Definition

Specifies the layers to be used during autorouting.

How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the minimum number of layers is obeyed.

Rule Application

During autorouting.

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PCB Design

Routing Priority Rule

Definition

Assign a routing priority from 0 to 100. 100 is the highest priority and 0 is the lowest.
The Routing Priorities are relative values which are used to set the order that the nets
will be autorouted.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the highest priority is obeyed.

Rule Application

During autorouting.
Routing Topology Rule
Definition

The topology of a net is the arrangement, or pattern of the pin-to-pin connections. By

default the PCB Editor arranges the pin-to-pin connections of each net to give the
shortest overall connection length. A topology is applied to a net for a variety of
reasons; for high speed designs where signal reflections must be minimized the net is
arranged with a daisy chain topology; for ground nets a star topology could be applied
to ensure that all tracks come back to a common point. The following topologies can be
applied with the Routing Topology rule:
Shortest

This topology connects all the nodes to give the shortest overall connection length.
Horizontal

This topology connects all the nodes together, preferring horizontal shortness to
vertical shortness by a factor of 5:1. Use this method to force routing in the
horizontal direction.
Vertical

This topology connects all the nodes together, preferring vertical shortness to
horizontal shortness by a factor of 5:1. Use this method to force routing in the
vertical direction.
Daisy-Simple

This topology chains all the nodes together, one after the other. The order they are
chained is calculated to give the shortest overall length. If a source and terminator
pad are specified then all other pads are chained between them to give the shortest
possible length. Edit the pad to set it to be a source or terminator. If multiple
sources (or terminators) are specified they are chained together at each end.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Daisy-Mid Driven

This topology places the source node(s) in the center of the daisy chain, divides
the loads equally and chains them off either side of the source(s). Two terminators
are required, one for each end. Multiple source nodes are chained together in the
center. If there are not exactly two terminators a simple daisy topology is used.

Daisy-Balanced

This topology divides all the loads into equal chains, the total number of chains
equal to the number of terminators. These chains then connect to the source in a
star pattern. Multiple source nodes are chained together.

Star

This topology connects each node directly to the source node. If terminators are
present they are connected after each load node. Multiple source nodes are chained
together, as in the daisy-balanced topology.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rules are obeyed in the following order; Star, Daisy-Balanced, Daisy-Mid Driven,
Daisy-Simple, Horizontal, Vertical, Shortest.
Rule Application

During autorouting.

541

PCB Design

Routing Via Style Rule

Definition

Specifies the routing via diameter and hole size.

How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the largest via size is obeyed.

Rule Application

The preferred via attributes are used during manual routing when you press the *
shortcut key and toggle routing signal layers, or when you press the / shortcut key to
connect to a plane layer. The preferred settings can be changed on-the-fly during
manual routing by pressing the TAB key.
The autorouter also uses the preferred via attributes (board scope rule only). The
maximum and minimum via attributes are checked by the on-line and batch DRC.
SMD Neck-Down Constraint
Definition

Specifies the maximum ratio of the track width to the SMD pad width, expressed as a
percentage.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first rule in the list is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line DRC and Batch DRC.

SMD to Corner Constraint
Definition

Specifies the minimum distance from the center of the surface mount pad to the first
routing corner.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the largest distance is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line DRC and Batch DRC.

SMD to Plane Constraint
Definition

Specifies the maximum routing length from the SMD pad center to the plane
connection pad/via.
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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first rule in the list is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line DRC and Batch DRC.

Routing Width Constraint
Definition

Defines the width of tracks and arcs placed on the copper layers.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the tightest range is obeyed.

Rule Application

The preferred setting is obeyed during manual and auto routing. It can be changed onthe-fly during manual routing by pressing the TAB key.
The minimum and maximum settings are obeyed by the on-line and batch DRC.

543

PCB Design

Manufacturing Rule Definitions

Acute Angle Constraint
Definition

Specifies the minimum angle permitted at a track corner. Acute angles can be a
problem when manufacturing, resulting in over-etching of the copper at the corner.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the largest angle is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

Hole Size Constraint
Definition

Specifies the maximum and minimum hole size, expressed either as exact numeric
values, or as a percentage of the pad/via size.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the largest minimum and smallest range is obeyed.
Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

Layer Pairs
Definition

This rule checks to ensure that the used layer-pairs match the current drill-pairs. The
used layer-pairs are determined from the vias and pads found in the board, one layerpair for each Start Layer-End Layer combination that is found.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first rule with the enforced layer pairs attribute enabled is obeyed.
Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

Minimum Annular Ring
Definition

Specifies the minimum annular ring allowed on a pad. The annular ring is measured
radially, from the edge of the pad hole to the edge of the pad.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the largest annular ring is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

Paste-Mask Expansion Rule
Definition

The shape that is created on the paste mask layer at each pad site is the pad shape,
expanded or contracted radially by the Expansion specified in this rule.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which specifies the smallest expansion is obeyed.

Rule Application

During output generation.

Polygon Connect Style
Definition

Specifies the style of the connection from a component pin to a polygon plane. Three
connection options are available; direct connections (solid copper to the pin), thermal
relief connections, or no connection.
If Relief Connect is selected you then define; how wide the thermal relief copper
connections are, the number of connections and the angle of the connections.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first rule which specifies direct connection is obeyed first.

Rule Application

During polygon pour.

Power Plane Clearance
Definition

Specifies the radial clearance created around vias and pads that pass through but are
not connected to a power plane.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which specifies the largest expansion is obeyed.

Rule Application

During output generation.

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PCB Design

Power Plane Connect Style

Definition

Specifies the style of the connection from a component pin to a power plane. Three
connection options are available; direct connections (solid copper to the pin), thermal
relief connections, or no connection.
If Relief Connect is selected you then define; how wide the thermal relief copper
connections are, the radial width of the expansion measured from the edge of the hole
to the edge of the air-gap, and the width of the air-gap. Note that power planes are
constructed in the negative, so a primitive placed on a power plane layer creates a void
in the copper.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first rule which specifies Direct Connections is obeyed.

Rule Application

During output generation.

Solder-Mask Expansion Rule
Definition

The shape that is created on the solder mask layer at each pad and via site is the pad or
via shape, expanded or contracted radially by the amount specified by this rule. To tent
a via set the Expansion to a negative value equal to or greater than the via radius. To
tent all vias when the design includes different size vias, set the Expansion to a
negative value equal to or greater than the largest via radius.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which specifies the largest expansion is obeyed.

Rule Application

During output generation.

Testpoint Style
Definition

Specifies the allowable physical parameters of pads and vias that are flagged as
testpoints.
The Find Testpoint feature and the Autorouter use the Allowed Side settings in the
following order of preference (highest to lowest):

546

Bottom (surface mount)

Top (surface mount)
Bottom via
Top via

Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Bottom thru-hole
Top thru-hole

How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first instance of the rule is obeyed.

Rule Application

This rule is obeyed by the Find Testpoint feature, the autorouter, and the on-line and
batch DRC. The on-line and batch DRC test all attributes of the rule except the
Preferred Size and Preferred Hole Size - these settings are used by the autorouter to
define the size of testpoint pads that the autorouter places.
Testpoint Usage
Definition

Specifies which nets require a testpoint. The DRC report is used to identify each net
that fails this rule, and the Testpoint report feature in the CAM Manager is used to
identify the location of valid testpoints.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first instance of the rule is obeyed.

Rule Application

This rule is obeyed by the Find Testpoint feature, the autorouter, and the on-line and
batch DRC.

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PCB Design

High Speed Rule Definitions

Daisy Chain Stub Length
Definition

Specifies the maximum permissible stub length for a net with a daisy chain topology.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which specifies the smallest stub length is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

Length Constraint
Definition

Specifies the minimum and maximum lengths of a net.

How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which specifies the tightest range is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

Matched Net Lengths
Definition

Specifies the degree to which nets can have different lengths. The PCB Editor locates
the longest net (based on the scope) and compares it to each of the other nets specified
by the scope.
The Matched Length Rules dialog also allows you to specify how you would like to
match the length of nets which fail the matched length requirements. The PCB Editor
will add accordion sections to the nets to equalize their lengths.
If you would like the PCB Editor to attempt to match net lengths by adding accordion
sections, set up the Matched Length Rules dialog and then select the Tools Equalize
Nets menu item. The matched lengths rule will be applied to the nets specified by the
rule and accordion sections will be added to those that fail. The degree of success
depends on the amount of space available for the accordion sections and the accordion
style being used. The 90 degree style is the most compact and the Rounded style is the
least compact.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which specifies the smallest tolerance is obeyed.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

Maximum Via Count
Definition

Specifies the maximum number of vias permitted.

How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which specifies the smaller number of vias is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

Parallel Segment Constraint
Definition

Specifies the distance two track segments can run in parallel, for a given separation.
Note that this rule tests track segments, not collections of track segments. Apply
multiple parallel segment constraints to a net to approximate crosstalk characteristics
that vary as a function of length and gap.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

Duplicate rules do not create contentions for this rule.

Rule Application

On-line and batch DRC.

Vias Under SMT Constraint
Definition

Specifies whether vias can be placed under SMD pads during autorouting.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which specifies that vias are not allowed is obeyed.
Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

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PCB Design

Placement Rule Definitions

Component Clearance Constraint
Definition

Specifies the minimum distance that components must be from each other.
The Check Modes are:
Quick Check use the components bounding rectangle to define their shape. The
bounding rectangle is the smallest rectangle that encloses all the primitives that make
up the component.
Multi Layer Check also uses the component bounding rectangle, but considers
through-hole component pads on a board with components on both sides, allowing
surface mount components to be placed under a through-hole component.
Full Check use the exact shape that encloses all the primitives that make up each
component. Use this option if the design includes a large number of circular or
irregular shaped components.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with a tighter gap is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC (Quick Check and Multi-Layer Check modes). Also during
autoplacing with the Cluster Placer.
Component Orientation Rule
Definition

Specifies allowable component orientations. Multiple orientations are permitted,

allowing the autoplacer to use any of the enabled orientations.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule which allows less rotation is obeyed.

Rule Application

During autoplacing with the Cluster Placer.

Nets to Ignore
Definition

Defines which nets should be ignored during autoplacing with the Cluster Placer.
Ignoring power nets can assist in placement speed and quality. If the design has a large
number of two pin components that connect to a power net, ignoring the power net will

550

Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

result in these components being clustered based on their other net, rather than the
power net.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

Contentions are not possible.

Rule Application

During autoplacing with the Cluster Placer.

Permitted Layers Rule
Definition

Specifies which layers components can be placed on during placement with the Cluster
Placer. The Cluster Placer does not change the layer a component is on, you must set
the component layer prior to running the placer.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the smaller number of layers is obeyed.

Rule Application

During autoplacing with the Cluster Placer.

Room Definition
Definition

Specifies a rectangular region where components are either allowed in, or not allowed
in. Rooms can be placed by selecting Place Room from the menus. They can be
modified by clicking once to focus, then clicking on a handle to resize.
Components can be moved into their room by clicking on the Arrange Components
within Room button on the Component Placement toolbar. Once a component class is
assigned to a room all components in that class will move when the room is moved,
disable the Room Definition rule to stop this.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

All rules are obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line DRC, Batch DRC and during autoplacing with the Cluster Placer.

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PCB Design

Signal Integrity Rule Definitions

To use the signal integrity analysis feature there must be a Signal Stimulus rule and
appropriate Supply Nets rules defined, and the Designator Mapping must be configured
in the Signal Integrity Tab of the Preferences dialog.
Impedance Constraint
Definition

Specifies the minimum and maximum net impedance allowed. Net impedance is a
function of the conductor geometry and conductivity, the surrounding dielectric
material (the board base material, multi-layer insulation, solder mask, etc) and the
physical geometry of the board (distance to other conductors in the z-plane).
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the tightest impedance specifications is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

Overshoot Falling Edge
Definition

Specifies the maximum allowable overshoot (ringing below the base value) on the
falling edge of the signal.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the smallest allowable overshoot is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

Overshoot Rising Edge
Definition

Specifies the maximum allowable overshoot (ringing above the top value) on the rising
edge of the signal.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the smallest allowable overshoot is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Signal Base Value

Definition

The base value is the voltage that a signal settles to in the low state. Use this rule to
specify the maximum allowable base value.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the lowest allowable base value is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

Signal Flight Time Falling Edge
Definition

Flight time is the signal delay time introduced by the interconnect structure. It is
calculated as the time it takes to drive the actual input to the threshold voltage, less the
time it would take to drive a reference load (connected directly to the output) to the
threshold voltage.
This rule specifies the maximum allowable flight time on signal falling edge.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the smallest flight time is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

Signal Flight Time Rising Edge
Definition

Flight time is the signal delay time introduced by the interconnect structure. It is
calculated as the time it takes to drive the actual input to the threshold voltage, less the
time it would take to drive a reference load (connected directly to the output) to the
threshold voltage.
This rule specifies the maximum allowable flight time on signal rising edge.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the smallest flight time is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

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PCB Design

Signal Stimulus
Definition

Specifies the characteristics of the stimulus signal that is used in the signal integrity
analysis. This is the signal that is injected at each output pin on the net under-test. The
worst-case result is returned during design rule checking.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first rule in the list is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

Signal Top Value
Definition

The top value is the voltage that a signal settles to in the high state. Use this rule to
specify the minimum allowable top value.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the highest allowable top value is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

Slope Falling Edge
Definition

Falling edge slope is the time it takes for a signal to fall from the threshold voltage
(VT), to a valid low (VIL).
This rule specifies the maximum allowable slope time.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the minimum slope value is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

Slope Rising Edge
Definition

Rising edge slope is the time it takes for a signal to rise from the threshold voltage
(VT), to a valid high (VIH).
This rule specifies the maximum allowable slope time.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the minimum slope value is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Undershoot Falling Edge

Definition

Specifies the maximum allowable undershoot (ringing above the base value) on the
falling edge of the signal.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the smallest allowable undershoot is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

Undershoot Rising Edge
Definition

Specifies the maximum allowable undershoot (ringing below the top value) on the
rising edge of the signal.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule with the smallest allowable undershoot is obeyed.

Rule Application

During Signal Integrity analysis.

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PCB Design

Other Rule Definitions

Short Circuit Constraint
Definition

Include this rule to test for short circuits between primitive objects on the copper
(signal and plane) layers. A short circuit exists when two objects that have different net
names touch.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The rule that does not allow short circuits is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and batch DRC.

Un-Connected Pin Constraint
Definition

Detects pins that have no net assigned and no connecting tracks.

How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first instance of the rule is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and batch DRC.

Un-Routed Nets Constraint
Definition

The Un-Routed Nets Constraint tests the completion status of each net identified by the
scope. If a net is incomplete then each completed section (sub-net) is listed along with
the routing completion. The routing completion is defined as the (connections
complete)/(total number of connections) x 100.
How Duplicate Rule Contentions are Resolved

The first instance of the rule is obeyed.

Rule Application

On-line and Batch DRC.

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Examples of Using Design Rules

Using the Net Class Rule Scope
Consider the case where you have two groups of nets, signal nets (Signal class) and
low voltage power nets (LV Power class). In this case you want to keep 50 mils
between the two classes of nets, and 10 mils between any nets within a class.
Initially you might think that you could set up one 10 mils clearance rule with rule
scopes of Whole Board-to-Whole Board, and a second 50mils clearance rule with rule
scopes of Net Class-to-Whole Board. However, this will not work because it will
maintain a clearance of 50 mils between all the nets in the LV Power class.
To overcome this you need to create two net classes, and setup the 50mils clearance
rule with rule scopes of Net Class-to-Net Class. The first 10mils rule with scopes of
Whole Board-to-Whole Board will create the 10 mils clearance between each net in the
two classes, while the second rule with Net Class-to-Net Class rule scopes will create
the clearance between the two net classes. The figure below shows these two rules.

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PCB Design

Handling the Mask Expansions for Fiducial Marks

Fiducial marks are copper features used for the optical alignment of a PCB by an
automatic assembly machine. It is very important to ensure that the solder mask and
paste masks are as per your assembly plants requirements for fiducial marks.
To use fiducial marks in your design:
1.

Create the fiducial mark as a component in the library. Use a single layer pad and
give the pad the designator name FID. Save the component with a name of your
choice.

2.

Place the fiducial components as required in your design.

3.

Create a Fiducials component class, that includes all the fiducial components.

4.

Add a Solder Mask Expansion rule in the Design Rules dialog. Set the rule scope
Filter kind to Component Class, and select Fiducials in the Component Class field.
Set the appropriate expansion value in the attributes section.

This will ensure that all components in the Fiducials component class will have this
expansion applied to the solder mask. If you need a different expansion value for an
individual fiducial component, remove this fiducial component from the Fiducials
component class and apply another rule to just that fiducial component.

Setting the solder mask expansion for all fiducial pads

You will also need a Paste Mask Expansion rule for fiducials, to ensure that solder
paste is not applied to them. To close the opening in the paste mask:

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Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

5.

Add a Paste Mask Expansion rule in the Design Rules dialog. Using the same
approach as before set the rule scope to component class and select the Fiducials
class.

6.

Set the expansion value to a large negative number, greater than the radius of the
largest fiducial used in the design.

Setting the paste mask expansion for all fiducial pads

Using a negative number in the Expansion field instructs the PCB Editor to radially
contract the opening in the mask by this amount. As long as you supply a contraction
value greater than the radius of the largest fiducial, there will be no openings in the
paste mask at the fiducials.

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PCB Design

Applying a Clearance Rule to Part of a Net

Design rules can be applied to a particular part of a net.
1.

Identify the critical parts of the net by defining From-Tos for those parts of the
net.

To create a From-To select the Design-From-To Editor menu item. Define the FromTos necessary to identify the critical parts of the net. For more information on defining
From-Tos, refer to the chapter, Working With a Netlist.
If there is more than one From-To required to identify all critical parts of the net, create
a From-To Class. Classes are created in the Object Classes dialog, select DesignClasses to pop up this dialog. Once you have identified the critical parts of the net you
are ready to add the design rule.

Defining a separate clearance requirement for a critical part of a net

560

2.

Add a Clearance Constraint in the Design Rules dialog.

3.

Set the scope Filter kind to From-To, or From-To Class if you created a class.

4.

Set the Clearance as required. This specifies the minimum distance allowed
between any object in this part of the net, to any other object on the board.

Specifying the PCB Design Requirements

Preventing Vias from Connecting to Plane Layers

Protel 99 SE supports connecting vias to plane layers. When a via is placed and it has a
net name the same as the net assigned to a plane layer, it is automatically connected to
the plane. You can prevent this behavior by setting up a Power Plane Connect Style
design rule.
The rule scope is set to Via Specification, and in the Via Specification dialog all the
attributes are disabled meaning that this rule will apply to all vias of any diameter,
with any hole size, from any layer, to any layer, on any net in other words, all vias.
The connection style for the rule is then set to No Connect, meaning any via that
satisfies the rule scope must not connect to a plane layer.

Disable all attributes in the via specification dialog for the rule to target no vias

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PCB Design

Specifying Different Top Layer Object Clearances

Your design requires that top layer tracks can be 6mils away from each other, but they
must be 8 mils away from pads and vias. The 6 mil track-to-track clearance
requirement can be covered by the general Board scope clearance constraint. The
specific top layer requirement is covered by the rule shown in the figure below.

Using a compound rule scope to set a larger track-to-pad/via clearance

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Component Placement Tools and Techniques

Component Placement Tools and Techniques

Once the board boundaries and keep out requirements have been defined and the netlist
successfully loaded into the workspace, the components can be laid out. When the
netlist is initially loaded the components are arranged in rows to the right of the board
outline (if one exists), or at the center of the workspace (50000, 50000). The
components can then be arranged manually, with the aid of the interactive placement
tools, via the autoplace tools, or by using a combination of techniques.
In this Handbook, the term component placement refers to the process of arranging or
positioning components in the workspace.
Good component placement is fundamental to a well designed board.
The manufacturability and routability of the board is highly dependent on
the component placement.

Important Placement Options

There are a number of options which affect the behavior of the PCB Editor during
placement.
Snap to Center (Preferences dialog)

When this is enabled components will be held by their reference point during a
move, with it disabled they will be held wherever the cursor is clicked. If the
component reference point is off-screen when it is selected, the cursor jumps to the
reference point if Snap to Center is on, otherwise it pulls the component to the
cursor if Snap to Center is off.
Protect Locked Objects (Preferences dialog)

If this option is enabled you can not move components that have their Locked
attribute enabled, any they are ignored during multiple-component moves. If the
option is not enabled you will be prompted to confirm moving a locked object.
Rotation Step (Preferences dialog)

Amount a component (or selection of components) will rotate when the SPACEBAR
is pressed during a component move.
Draft Thresholds (Preferences dialog)

The Strings threshold determines at what zoom level the component designators
will change from text to an outline rectangle. To display designators as text when
zoomed further out, set this to a smaller number.

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PCB Design

Component X and Y Grids (Document Options dialog)

These grids define the points in the workspace that the component reference point
will snap to as the component is moved.
Locking Components

Placement-critical components, such as edge connectors, can be locked in place.

To lock a component in place, double-click on the component to pop up the
Component dialog, then enable the Locked check box in the Attributes Tab.
Component Clearances

Set up suitable Component Clearance Constraint design rules (Placement Tab of

the Design Rules dialog). This rule is obeyed by both on-line and batch DRC,
enable these in the Design Rule Check dialog (Tools Design Rule Check).

Moving Components
To arrange the components manually, select Edit Move Component from the menus.
The Status Bar will prompt Select Component. Click on the component you wish to
move. The component will float on the cursor and can now be positioned on the board.
You can also click and hold to move a component.
Rotating and Flipping Components to the Other Layer
Components can be rotated in a number of ways. They can be rotated when they are
floating on the cursor. Press the SPACEBAR to rotate anti-clockwise, hold SHIFT while
pressing the SPACEBAR to rotate clockwise. The angle the component rotates is
specified in the Options Tab of the Preferences dialog.
To rotate a group of components, first select the components. The selection can be
rotated by choosing Edit Move Rotate Selection from the menus. This will first
prompt for a rotation angle, and then for a Reference Point about which to rotate the
selection. The selection can also be rotated by selecting the Move Selection process
launcher and then rotated with the SPACEBAR.
To flip a component so that it can be placed on the bottom of the board, press the L
shortcut key while the component is floating on the cursor. To flip a placed component,
double-click to edit the component and change the Layer attribute.
Dynamic Reconnect with Smart Connection Line Display
Your basic guide to selecting suitable positions for each component are the connection
lines from the moving component to the other components on the board. Ideally each
component is placed to minimize the overall length of the connection lines, helping
minimize the finished routing paths.
However, on a dense board it can be difficult to make sense of the maze of connection
lines, which are often referred to as the ratsnest. The other important fact to be aware
of is that as you move a component around the board, the connection lines may no
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Component Placement Tools and Techniques

longer
accurately
reflect
the
connectivity, it could be that the
connection lines could connect to other
pins on the same net that are closer to
the new component location.
Protel 99 SE includes a dynamic
reconnect
feature
with
smart
connection-line display. When you
move a component, a group of selected
components or a union of components,
all connection lines are temporarily
hidden except for those that connect
from a moving component to a
component on the board. These nets
are analyzed and reconnected as you
move the components across the
board, making it easy to select the
appropriate placement location.

Connection lines that are part of the move are

automatically displayed

With this feature it is easier to hide all the connection lines, then as you move the
components the appropriate connection lines are automatically displayed and updated.
Connection lines can be hidden by selecting View Connections Hide All from the
menus.
Note that you can also temporarily hide all the connection lines during component
moves (including those normally displayed by the smart connection-line display
feature) by pressing the N shortcut key. Doing this temporarily disables the
connectivity analyzer.
As you move components the new dynamic connection length analyzer continually
assesses placement quality based on connection lengths, and displays a green (strong)
or red (weak) vector indicating current placement quality. The far end of the vector
indicates a location for the component(s) that would minimize overall connection
lengths.

Select View Connections Hide All from the menus to hide all connection lines.

During manual placement the netlist is automatically re-optimized as the

component is moved, updating the connection lines to the current component
position. If you are moving a component with a large number of pins (over 500) and
you find the update too slow, you can temporarily disable the re-optimization by
hiding the connection lines press the N shortcut key to do this.

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PCB Design

Working Between the Schematic and PCB

Transferring the design from the schematic editor to the PCB editor is more than a
process of transferring component and connectivity information. There is also
structural information about the design embodied in the schematic a multi-sheet
schematic breaks the design into logical groups of components, and the components
are often arranged on these sheets in a manner that reflects how closely they connect to
each other. This information makes the schematic an ideal platform from which to
guide the PCB placement process. Protel 99 SE incorporates features that help you
transfer these design requirements from the schematic to the PCB.
Creating Classes and Rooms from the Schematic
On many designs the way the components are grouped on the schematic sheets directly
reflects the way they should be grouped on the PCB. Protel 99 SE includes features
that help you transfer this grouping information from the schematic to the PCB.
PCB component classes can automatically be created from each schematic sheet when
the design is transferred from the Schematic Editor to the PCB Editor. To do this
enable the Generate Component Classes and Placement Rooms for all Schematic
Sheets in Project option in the Update Design dialog (select Update PCB from the
Schematic Editor menus).
A PCB component class is created for each sheet in the schematic, the class includes
all the components on that schematic sheet. Each component class is given the same
name as the schematic sheet it is created from, with any spaces removed. Multipart
components that span more than one sheet are included in the class of the sheet that
contains the first part of the component. A placement room is also created for each
component class. For information on working with placement rooms refer to the topic
Working with Placement Rooms later in this chapter.
Selecting PCB Components from the Schematic
Another feature that helps you transfer component relationship information from the
schematic to the PCB is the ability to directly select PCB components from the
schematic. To do this select the components on the schematic sheet, then select Tools
Select PCB Components from the Schematic Editor menus. These components will be
selected on the PCB, and the PCB view zoomed to show the selection. With this set of
selected components you can now create a component class, or a component union.
Refer to the PCB Selection topic later in this supplement for details on how to create a
component class from a selection. Refer to the following topic for information on
creating component unions. You can also use the Arrange Within Rectangle feature to
quickly pull the selected components out of a large group of components and arrange
them in a group. Refer to the topic Using the Interactive Placement Tools later in PCB
Placement section for information on how to do this.

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Component Placement Tools and Techniques

Cross Probing from the Schematic to the PCB

You can also move from an individual schematic component to the
corresponding PCB component using the Cross Probe feature. Click on the
Cross Probe button on the main toolbar, then click on the component on the
schematic sheet. The PCB component will be located and centered in the
window. You can also cross probe from a component pin, and from a net identifier, as
well as perform the same cross probe options from the PCB back to the schematic.

Using Component Unions

Create component Unions unions are sets of components that you want to work with
as a block. Components in a union maintain their relative positions within the union as
they are moved, making it a valuable placement aid.
Creating a Component Union
To create a union select the components that you want in the union and click
on the Create Union button on the Component Placement toolbar. Note that a
component can only belong to one Union at a time.
Removing Components from a Union
Unions can be broken by clicking on the Break Union button on the
Component Placement toolbar, then clicking on one of the components in the
union. Select the component(s) that you want to remove from the union in the
Confirm Break Component Union dialog and click OK.
Breaking a Union
Select Tools Convert Break All Component Unions to break all current component
unions.

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PCB Design

Working with Placement Rooms

Create placement rooms to help with the placement process

Placement rooms are rectangular regions that assist in the placement of components.
Components are assigned to rooms and can be automatically moved into their room,
they also move with the room whenever the room is moved.
Room Definitions are part of the design rule system, and compliance with room
definition rules can be checked by the on-line and batch DRC. Rooms can also be used
by the cluster-based autoplacer, by selectively locking components you can also
autoplace on a room-by-room basis.
Creating Placement Rooms
Rooms can be placed from the Place menu, through the Placement Tab of the
Design Rules dialog, or the Place Room button on the PlacementTools
toolbar. Rooms can exist on the top or bottom layers, they are placed on the
top layer by default. Once a room has been placed its properties can be defined
by double-clicking on the room.
Assigning Components to a Room
The scope of the Room Definition design rule defines the set of components that are
assigned to that room. Edit the rule to set the scope and assign the components to the
room.

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Component Placement Tools and Techniques

Positioning and Sizing Rooms

A room can be modified graphically at any time, click once to focus it, then click on a
handle to resize it. The entire room can be moved by clicking and dragging.
Note that when a room is moved the components assigned to the room are
automatically moved with it. To prevent this and move a room without moving the
components, disable the Room Definition rule in the Design Rules dialog (disable a
rule by unchecking the Enabled option). Rooms can also be locked in the Room
Definition dialog, lock a room to prevent accidentally moving it.
Placing within Rooms
You can quickly pull all the components that are assigned to a room into that
room by clicking the Arrange Within Room button on the Component
Placement toolbar.

Using the Interactive Placement Tools

The Component Placement toolbar includes a number of
alignment and spacing tools to help you quickly arrange the
components.
Alignment Tools
Align left edge of selected components

Using the left edge of the left-most component as a reference, slides the selected
components to the left, packed as tightly as the component clearance rule allows.
Align right edge of selected components

Using the right edge of the right-most component as a reference, slides the selected
components to the right, packed as tightly as the component clearance rule allows.
Align vertical centers of selected components

Places selected components in a single column, aligned by their vertical centers. After
clicking the button you are prompted to select a reference component, the other
selected components are placed above this component.
Align top edge of selected components

Using the top edge of the top-most component as a reference, slides the selected
components up, packed as tightly as the component clearance rule allows.
Align bottom edge of selected components

Using the bottom edge of the bottom-most component as a reference, slides the
selected components down, packed as tightly as the component clearance rule allows.
Align horizontal centers of selected components

Places selected components in a single row, aligned by their horizontal centers. After
clicking the button you are prompted to select a reference component, the other
selected components are placed to the right of this component.

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PCB Design

Spacing Tools
Make horizontal spacing equal for selected components

Distributes selected components equally between the left-most and right-most

components in the selection. Their vertical position is not changed.
Increase horizontal spacing for selected components

The horizontal distance between the component reference points is increased by the
amount specified in the X component placement grid.
Decrease horizontal spacing of selected components

The horizontal distance between the component reference points is decreased by the
amount specified in the X component placement grid.
Make vertical spacing equal for selected components

Distributes selected components equally between the top-most and bottom-most

components in the selection. Their horizontal position is not changed.
Increase vertical spacing of selected components

The vertical distance between the component reference points is increased by the
amount specified in the Y component placement grid.
Decrease vertical spacing of selected components

The vertical distance between the component reference points is decreased by the
amount specified in the Y component placement grid.
Moving Tools
Move to Rectangle

This tool arranges the selected components within the defined rectangle. Click on the
button, then click once to define the first corner of the rectangle, move the mouse and
click a second time to define the opposite corner of the rectangle. The selected
components are arranged within the rectangle, working across and down.
Move to Room

This tool arranges the components that are assigned to a room within that room. Click
on the button, then click on the room the components associated with that room by
the rule scope are arranged within the room, working across and down.
Move to Grid

Move the components to the nearest point on the component placement grid. The
component X and Y placement grids are defined in the Options Tab of the Document
Options dialog. Locked components are not moved.

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Component Placement Tools and Techniques

Automatic Component Placement

Placement is a critical process in the design phase of a printed circuit board. The effort
to route your design, and its ultimate manufacturing cost, are highly dependent on
placement quality.
Placement involves specifying the exact location and orientation of each component on
the PCB, given the board size and the area of the board on which placement is
permissible. The most important objective in placement, after the fitting of all the
components on the board without violating any design rules, is to make the job of
routing easier, or in certain cases, possible.
In short, the main goals in placement of a PCB are :

Fitting all the components on the board.

Avoiding design rule violations.
Placing components to allow routing completion.
Meeting any requirements for board assembly and board testing. It is advisable to
always consult with your board assembler during the design phase to ensure that
their requirements are met.

Selecting an Autoplacer
Protel 99 SEs PCB Editor has access to two autoplacement tools:

The Cluster Placer groups components into clusters based on their connectivity,
and then places these clusters geometrically. The algorithms in this autoplacer are
more suited to designs with a lower component count (less than 100).

The Global Placer uses a statistical algorithm to place the components in an

attempt to minimize the connection lengths. As it uses a statistical algorithm it is
best suited to designs with more than 100 components.

Board Area For Placement

Define the board area available for component placement prior to running the Global
Placer Server. This is done by placing tracks on the keep-out layer to define a boundary
within which all components are to be placed.
To keep certain regions of the board free of components, create keep-out zones. Place
tracks, fills, arcs and polygons on the Keep Out layer to create these keep-out zones.
Refer to the chapter, Defining the Board, for further information.
Before performing an autoplacement, set the current origin back to the
absolute origin by selecting the Edit Origin Reset menu item. This can be
important because the autoplacement routines use the absolute origin as a reference
point and may place components off grid relative to the current (relative) origin
you created.

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PCB Design

Setting up and Running the Cluster Placer

The Cluster Placer follows the Placement rules defined in the Design Rules dialog. The
rules include; component clearances, component rotation rule, nets to ignore rule, and
the permitted layers rule. The rules are explained in the chapter, Specifying the PCB
Design Requirements.
Once the rules are defined, select Tools Auto Place from the menus to pop up the Auto
Place dialog. Click on the option to enable the Cluster Placer, then click OK to start the
autoplacement process.
Setting up the Global Placer
The Global Placer is easy to use, despite the underlying complexity. All you need to
know are some very basic facts about the design. No special configuration is required,
as the system has been finely tuned over a wide spectrum of boards for optimal
performance.
To set up the Global Placer, select the Tools Auto Place menu item to pop up the Auto
Place dialog. Click on the option to enable the Global Placer, then set up the Global
Placer options, as described below.
Group Components

If this option is enabled the Global Placer will go through all the components on the
board and group together those which are tightly connected. The main criteria for
grouping is the number of connections between components. The weight given to this
criteria is influenced by the number of pins these components have.
The system then performs a relative placement on each group. These groups are treated
as super components and their relative placement is kept untouched during the main
placement cycle.
Although this option is generally useful, it can be counter-productive if there is not
going to be enough space on the board. This is because the relative placement within
each group is not changed during the main placement cycle and space might be wasted
in order to accommodate the group.
Rotate Components

If component rotation is allowed, components will be rotated in order to find an

optimal orientation. Four orientations are considered, 90, 180, 270 and 360 degrees.
This option must be used with caution, as footprint rotation can have a direct impact on
the manufacturability of the design. For example, some pick-and-place equipment
cannot handle rotated components. Enabling Rotate Components also makes the
placement job more difficult and time consuming particularly if the design is very
dense. Given that, it can also produce a superior result, so some degree of trial-anderror is normally required.

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Component Placement Tools and Techniques

The PCB Editor also allows you to freely rotate components after placement to 0.001
degree accuracy, using the Edit Move, Edit Paste Array or the Rotation field in the
Change Component dialog.
Automatic PCB Update

The Global Placer will automatically pass the current component positions to the board
in the PCB editing window each time the optimization status is updated (approximately
every 10 seconds). You can also manually update at any time while the Placer is
running by selecting File Update PCB.
Placement Grid

This is the grid each component reference point will be placed on. It is typically set to a
fraction of the common component pin pitch, and/or a multiple of the intended routing
grid. The PCB Editor includes a tool to move all components to a new grid if the
component placement grid needs to be altered at a later stage (Tools Interactive
Placement Move To Grid).
Power Nets

The Power Nets option performs two functions:

1.

Nets that are specified in the Power Nets fields are no longer considered by the
placement algorithm, which can greatly speed the placement process.

2.

To associate a bypass capacitor with each large component, specify the names of
the nets which the capacitors are across. For example, if your design uses the nets
VCC and GND as the power nets, enter VCC in the first field and GND in the
second. The Global Placer will attempt to associate a two pin component that is
connected across the specified power nets (VCC and GND) with each large
component (14 pins or more).
More than one power net can be specified in each text box. Separate net
names by a single blank space (total of 28 characters per line maximum).

Running the Global Placer

Once you have configured the Global Placer options, press the OK button to start the
placement process.
The Global Placer Window

The Global Placer Server displays the placement progress in its own window. This
includes the components and the keep-out areas.
The main menu for the Global Placer is very short. Options include: File, View,
Window and Help. As the Global Placer has its own data structure the PCB database is
not changed during the placement process. The File Update PCB menu item can be
used to pass the current placement back to the PCB Editor. This allows you to
periodically switch back to the PCB editing window to check the placement quality
and use the Density Map tool to examine the routability of the design.

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PCB Design

The placement window has its own Status Bar, within which the following information
is available:
Elapsed time

Time since start of placement.

Optimization

There are a total of 70 cycles in any placement task. The first 40-50 cycles are
very fast as most moves are accepted. However, as the temperature decreases,
more and more moves are made in order to satisfy the requirements of a cycle.
This means the cycles get slower towards the completion. Optimization refers to
the percentage of completion toward an "ideal" set of costs. Refer to the Theory
topic at the end of this chapter for a discussion of optimization.
Number of Moves

The Number of Moves, displayed in the status bar, is the total number of times that
the system has moved a component to a new position in order to improve the
routability of the board.
During the placement process small purple squares will appear on the
board. The size of these squares reflect the connection density in that region.
Placement Results

The placement process will make smaller and smaller moves as it progresses towards
its optimal solution. It is not necessary to run it to completion. Select File Close to
terminate the placement process. You will be asked if you wish to update the PCB
before closing the placement window.
Tips for Better Autoplacement Results
Pre-Placing Components

You can pre-place any component before running one of the Autoplacers. Enable the
Locked attribute in the Component dialog to prevent these components from being
moved.
Apart from those components which have to be placed in certain locations on the
board, such as edge connectors, heat sinks, or a group of analog components, it can be
useful to pre-place components which need no restriction on their placement. For
example, it might be desirable to pre-place the memory chips. This could facilitate the
placement of the other components.
Use of Keep-Out Zones

To keep certain regions of the board free of components, create keep-out zones. These
could be placed next to connectors, or in regions which must be kept clear for
mechanical reasons. Place tracks, fills, arcs and polygons on the Keep Out layer to
create these keep-out zones.

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Component Placement Tools and Techniques

Autoplace and Larger Nets

Large nets can affect the speed and quality of the Autoplacers. The reason for this is
that the computation involved with rearranging a net is exponentially proportional to
the net size. An interesting observation is that large nets, such as power and ground,
can play an insignificant role in the overall placement process. Therefore, it can help
the placement process by instructing the Autoplacer to ignore these large nets.
To do this for the Cluster Placer you need to define a Nets to Ignore Design Rule in the
Placement Tab of the Design Rules dialog.
To do this for the Global Placer you must specify the nets in the Power Nets region of
the Auto Place dialog.
Remember, automatic component placement is a productivity tool not a
replacement for the judgment and experience of the designer. A little guidance
from the designer for example, pre-placing important components and locking
them, and realistic placement grids and clearances, can all go a long way toward
ensuring that the Autoplacer will both speed up and ease the design process.
Post Autoplacement Tools
The outcome of the Global Placer is a board in which the relative positions of the
components are optimal. Due to its global nature, the Global Placer often produces
boards which are not entirely polished. For instance, there could still be some
overlaps after the placement is completed, or some components might not be aligned
properly. The interactive placement tools are specifically designed to facilitate the
process of tidying up the placement. Refer to the Interactive Placement topics earlier in
this chapter for information on using the interactive placement tools.

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PCB Design

Understanding Connectivity and Topology

Electronic design tools provide the platform on which an electronic design can move
from the conceptual stage in the designers mind, right through to producing the files
required to manufacture the printed circuit board. By capturing the design
electronically, the power and efficiency of a computer can be harnessed to transfer the
design rapidly and accurately through the various design phases.
Through these phases the design is held in a number of forms. It begins as a schematic,
a collection of components which are wired together. It ends as a printed circuit
board, manufactured from a set of files produced from the PCB design tool.
The essence of the design in each of these phases is the information about the
components, and the information about how the components are wired (connected).
To transfer the design from the schematic editing phase to the PCB layout phase there
is a mechanism that extracts the component and connective information from the
schematic, and passes it into the PCB workspace. The component information that is
passed includes; the designator, the value, and the physical component package
(footprint). The connective information is transferred as a set of nets, where each net is
a list of component pins that are electrically connected.
In the PCB Editor you translate this component and connective information into a
physical layout, with physical connectivity. This includes; placing the components
to meet any mechanical constraints, and translating each logical net connection into a
physical connection, fulfilling the electrical parameters required for that connection.

How the Component and Connectivity Information is Transferred

Protel 99 SE includes a powerful design synchronization tool, that makes it very easy
to transfer design information from the schematic to the PCB, and back again. The
synchronizer analyzes both the schematic and PCB, and identifies any differences.
When you run the synchronizer you nominate which is the target document by
selecting either Update PCB, or Update Schematic, from the menus. This can be done
from either the PCB Editor or the Schematic Editor. When you do this the synchronizer
attempts to update the design data in the target document, to match the data in the
source document. It produces a Synchronization report, which details each change, as
well as listing any problems that were encountered.
Refer to the chapter, Passing Design Information between the Schematic and the PCB,
for information on using the Synchronizer.

576

Understanding Connectivity and Topology

How the Net Connectivity is Displayed

U5

From-To

From-To

U6

U7

A net with one connection unrouted and the other partially routed.

When the Synchronizer loads components and connective information into the PCB
workspace, the PCB Editor displays the pin-to-pin connections in each net as a series
of thin lines. The line that connects each pin in the net to another pin in the net is called
a From-To going From one pin in the net To another pin. The complete set of FromTos are commonly referred to as the Ratsnest.
The pattern or arrangement of the From-Tos in a net is called the net topology. If a net
has not been assigned a user-defined topology, then the PCB Editor arranges the FromTos to give the shortest possible connection distances for the entire net, based on the
current arrangement of the components.
If the net has a topology applied, the From-Tos are added to maintain the topology.
When you route a net that has a topology applied, the From-To is shown as a dotted
line, indicating that the net should be routed between these two points to maintain the
topology.
A topology is applied to a net either through a Topology Rule, or by defining fixed
From-Tos. There is more information on net topology and fixed From-Tos later in this
topic. For more information on the Routing Topology design rule refer to the chapter,
Specifying the PCB Design Requirements.
577

PCB Design

Net Topology
When the components and connective information has loaded, the pin-to-pin
connections are displayed for each net. The arrangement, or pattern of the pin-to-pin
connections is called the net topology. By default, the PCB Editor arranges the pin-topin connections of each net to give the shortest overall connection length (this topology
is called Shortest). A different topology can then be applied to a net.
The topology of a net can be re-defined for a variety of reasons. High speed designs
require that signal reflections must be minimized. To achieve this the high speed nets
are arranged with a daisy chain topology, where all the pins are connected one after the
other, with the source pin at one end and a terminator pin at the other end of the chain.
Another requirement of your design may be that all ground pins in the ground net
connect back to a common point. A star topology could be applied to the ground net to
ensure this.

Changing the Net Topology

There are two techniques to apply a particular topology to a net in the PCB Editor. The
first is at the net level and the second is at the individual pin-to-pin connection, or
From-To level. If your design contains nets that require a certain topology, apply a
Routing Topology design rule to those particular nets. Refer to the chapter, Using
Design Rules, for further information about the Routing Topology design rule. If you
wish to manually specify part or all of the topology of a particular net, then define
From-Tos for that part of the net you wish to control the topology of.

User-defined From-Tos
To give you total control of the arrangement, or pattern, of the pin-to-pin connections
in a net, the PCB Editor allows you to define your own set of From-Tos. A From-To
instructs the PCB Editor, I want to connect From this pin To that pin.
You can define one From-To for a net, a few From-Tos for a critical part of the net, or
specify the entire topology of the net by defining From-Tos for all the pin-to-pin
connections. If you create From-Tos for only part of a net the PCB Editor will set the
remaining pin-to-pin connections to the shortest topology.
As well as using From-Tos to create a specific net topology, From-Tos can also be
used as the scope for a design rule. The scope of a design rule designates exactly what
the rule is to apply to. Using a From-To as the scope allows you to apply a rule to an
individual pin-to-pin connection. This gives you total control over how rules apply to a
net. You could specify that a net be routed at 25 mils, except for one From-To which
you want to have routed at 40 mils. Refer to the chapter, Using Design Rules, for more
information about design rules and their scope.

578

Understanding Connectivity and Topology

Creating From-Tos
To specify From-Tos for a net select the Design-From-To Editor menu item. The
From-To Editor will be displayed.

Create and remove From-Tos in the From-To Editor.

Select the Net you wish to specify From-Tos for. All the pins in this net are displayed
in the graphical window to the right. Any existing From-Tos are displayed as a thin
line connecting the two pins in the graphical window, and they are also listed below the
net name. Below the graphical window there are tips on how to quickly add and
remove From-Tos.
Auto-Generated From-Tos
To quickly create a set of From-Tos for the entire net, use the Auto-Generate buttons at
the bottom of the From-To Editor. These buttons create a set of From-Tos for the entire
net, arranged in that particular topology.
Shortest

By default, the PCB Editor arranges the pin-to-pin connections in the net to give the
shortest overall connection distance. Pressing this button will remove any user or autogenerated From-Tos, instructing the PCB Editor to arrange the pin-to-pin connections
with the shortest topology.

579

PCB Design
Daisy-Simple

In a simple daisy chain topology all the nodes (pins) are chained together, one after the
other. The order they are chained is calculated to give the shortest overall length. If a
source and terminator pad are specified then all other pads are chained between them to
give the shortest possible length. Edit the pad (double-click on it) to set it to be a
source or terminator. If multiple sources (or terminators) are specified they are chained
together at each end.

Daisy-Mid Driven

In a mid driven daisy chain topology the source node(s) are placed in the center of the
daisy chain and the loads are divided equally and chained off either side of the
source(s). Two terminators are required, one for each end. Multiple source nodes are
chained together in the center. If there are not exactly two terminators a simple daisy
topology is used.

Daisy-Balanced

In a balanced daisy chain topology all the loads are divided into equal chains, the total
number of chains equal to the number of terminators. These chains then connect to the
source in a star pattern. Multiple source nodes are chained together.

Star

This topology connects each node directly to the source node. If terminators are present
they are connected after each load node. Multiple source nodes are chained together, as
in the balanced daisy topology.

580

Understanding Connectivity and Topology

Displaying Pin-to-Pin Connections

To make working with the ratsnest more manageable, the PCB Editor allows you to
selectively show and hide the pin-to-pin connection lines. Select the View Connections
sub-menu;
Net

Show/Hide the entire set of pin-to-pin connections for the selected net. When you
choose this option, a cross hair cursor appears. If you know the location of a pad
on the net, click on that pad. If you do not, click in free space and a dialog will pop
up, prompting for the net name. If you are unsure of the net name type ? and click
OK to list all loaded nets.
Component Nets

Show/Hide the entire set of pin-to-pin connections for all nets which connect to
the selected component.
All

Show/Hide all currently loaded (unrouted) connections.

If your design includes a large net with many nodes, or there are a large
number of primitives (tracks, vias, etc) on the net, you may find that the
automatic connectivity monitoring will take a long time to analyze this net. To
disable the connectivity monitoring for a particular net you can hide the net.
When you select View Connections Hide Net to hide the net connection lines,
it is also hidden from the connectivity checker.

Managing the Netlist

During the course of the design process there may be times when you need to make
changes to the netlist. Netlist changes are made in the Netlist Manager dialog select
Design Netlist Manager to display the dialog. Click the Menu button to display a menu
of options available in the Netlist Manager.
Adding and Removing Pads from a Net

To add or remove pads from a net, locate the net in the Nets in Class column, then
double-click on it to open the Edit Net dialog. Use the buttons in the center of the
dialog to add or remove pads from this net.
Update Free Primitives From Component Pads

Use this option when you have performed design changes on the schematic that change
the netlist. When you transfer the changes to the PCB, DRC violation may occur if the
routing net names no longer match the pad net names. When you select this option the
net attribute for each primitive is set back to no-net, then starting at each pad, the
routing is traced and the pad net name applied to all the routing primitives.

581

PCB Design

Note that this process is performed starting from every pad, if there is routing which
joins 2 pads that belong to different nets then the last pad that is analyzed will have its
net name applied to the routing. To control this behavior, delete a track segment to
break the routing from any pads that the net should not connect to.
Export Netlist from PCB

Export the internal netlist from the PCB to a netlist file. The internal netlist is the list of
nets displayed in the Netlist Manager dialog.
Create Netlist from Connected Copper

Analyze the connectivity created by the routing (copper) and create a netlist listing this
connectivity. If a net name is found on a pad this is used to name that net.
Compare Netlists

You will be prompted to select a netlist, then prompted again to select a second netlist.
The 2 netlists are compared, and nets are matched based on them having common
nodes. The report file details any differences found in the 2 netlists.
Compare Netlist File to Board

Performs a netlist compare on the internal PCB netlist against a user-selected netlist.
After performing a DRC to ensure that the routing matches the internal netlist, use this
option to confirm that the PCB matches the original schematic netlist.

Changing Net Attributes

Like pads, tracks, vias and other design objects, each net has a set of attributes. To edit
the attributes of a net set the Browse mode of the PCB Panel to Nets, select the net and
press the Edit button. The Change Net dialog will pop up, allowing you to edit the
attributes of the selected net. The editable attributes include:
Each net will be assigned the default net color when the netlist is loaded. The
color for this net can be changed here.

Color

Hide Selectively hide the connection lines for this net, or combine with a global edit
to hide the connection lines for a number of nets.

The Layers Tab of the Document Options dialog includes a check box to
turn the Connect layer on or off. If this is off no connections are shown,
regardless of the Hide attribute of each net.

Identifying Nets
Comprehensive information about each object on the board, including the physical
parameters, and the net name, is displayed on the Status Bar when the cursor is
positioned over the object. This Status Into can be disabled in the Display Tab of the
Preferences dialog.
582

Manually Routing the PCB

Manually Routing the PCB

Routing your design is the process of translating the logical connections into physical
connections. These physical connections can include; tracks, vias, pads, arcs, fills,
polygons and power planes. Typically, the majority of physical connections are created
with tracks and vias.
Protel 99 SEs PCB Editor includes features specifically tailored to speed this process
of translating a logical connection into a physical connection. These features include;
Intelligent manual routing

Place the tracks to create the connections where you choose, you do not have to
route the connections along the path shown by the connection lines. Route to a
different pin on the net, or create a T-Junction. When you terminate a track the net
is analyzed and connection lines are added and removed as required.
Electrical grid

To ease the accurate placement of electrical objects such as tracks and vias, the
PCB Editor includes an electrical grid. The electrical grid defines a range within
which a moving electrical object (such as a track, pad or via) will attract to another
electrical object. The electrical grid overrides the snap grid, allowing you to easily
connect to an off grid object.
Violation-free object placement

The PCB Editor includes a routing mode where you can only place primitives such
that they do not violate any clearance design rules. This feature allows you to route
hard up against existing objects, without fear of violating any clearance rules.
On-line Design Rules

Most of the design rules can be monitored as you route. Enable the rules that you
want monitored during routing in the On-line Tab of the Design Rule Check dialog
(select Tools Design Rule Check). Violations are flagged immediately.
Automatic Loop Removal

Existing tracks can be quickly re-routed. Simply route new track segments and the
redundant segments are automatically removed.
Multiple track placement modes with look-ahead

The track placement mode defines the way track corners are placed, and includes
arcs and 45 degree tracks. Each mode includes a look-ahead segment which you
can use to predict the placement of the next segment and accurately terminate the
current segment.

583

PCB Design

Automatic Via Insertion

Toggle to another copper layer while routing by pressing the *, + or shortcut

keys. A via is inserted automatically.

How the PCB Editor Manages the Connectivity as you Route

Protel 99 SEs PCB Editor is a
connectivity driven design environment.
At all stages of routing your design the
PCB Editor monitors and manages the
netlist connectivity.
Consider the net RD shown in the figure
above. RD is the net name given to the
connections between pin 5 of U7, pin 32
of U6 and pin 21 of U5. On the schematic
this connectivity is represented with wires
which join these three pins together. When
the netlist is loaded into the PCB
workspace the PCB Editor analyzes the
nets, and creates two From-Tos for the net
RD, represented by two thin lines on the
Connection Layer, as shown in the figure
above.

RD
U7-5
U6-32
U5-21

Your task as the designer is to translate

these two From-Tos from symbolic
connections on the Connection Layer into
physical connections on the signal
layers. You do this by placing tracks to
The nodes in net RD, and how that net is
displayed on the unrouted PCB
create the physical connections. Whenever
you stop placing tracks, the PCB Editor
examines the entire net to determine what
parts of the net are complete, and if the net is still broken. If any breaks are found it
inserts From-Tos to join the sub-nets, maintaining the connectivity of the net.
Because the PCB Editor monitors the completion status of the net you are routing
automatically, you can route without regard to the arrangement of the From-Tos. For
example, you might have commenced routing at U7-5 and then decided to route to U632 instead of U5-21. Once you complete this connection, the PCB Editor analyzes the
entire RD net and adds a new From-To from the unrouted pin to the closest point on
the other sub-net, as shown in the figure below.

584

Manually Routing the PCB

To review, your task is to translate

connections from symbolic connection
lines to physical tracks, and the PCB
Editors task is to monitor your progress
and update the From-Tos as required.
There are two distinct advantages to this
methodology. The first is that you can route
a track to any primitive on the net, you do
not have to route between the two pins
connected by the From-To. The PCB Editor
monitors your progress and adds and
removes the From-Tos automatically. The
second is that the net connectivity is
unbreakable, you cannot accidentally
break it into two unconnected parts. If you
delete a track segment the PCB Editor
detects the break and immediately adds a
From-To to restore the net connectivity.
When the PCB Editor analyzes the net and
determines that it must add a From-To, it
adds it based on the topology of the net. By
default, all nets have their topology set to
shortest. For these nets the From-To is
added where the two sub-nets are closest.

U5

From-To

U6

U7
After analyzing the net, the PCB Editor
adds the Broken Net Marker

If the net has a topology applied, the From-To is added to maintain the topology, and is
shown as a dotted line, indicating that the net should be routed between these two
points to maintain the topology.
A topology is applied to a net either through a Topology Rule, or by defining fixed
From-Tos. For more information on net topology and fixed From-Tos refer to the
Working With a Netlist topic and the Routing Topology design rule in the chapter,
Specifying the PCB Design Requirements.
If your design includes a large net with many nodes, or there are a large
number of primitives (tracks, vias, etc) on the net, you may find that the automatic
connectivity monitoring will take a long time to analyze this net. To disable the
connectivity monitoring for a particular net you can hide the net. When you
select View Connections Hide Net to hide the net connection lines, it is also
hidden from the connectivity checker.

585

PCB Design

Preparing to Route
Preparing the design for routing is an important part of the design process. Use these
tips to improve the routing process.
Setting the Grids
Traditionally PCBs were designed on a standard grid. The grid was calculated to allow
objects to be placed quickly and accurately, without the possibility of violating the
design requirements. For example; a design that used through-hole components with
pins spaced in multiples of 100 mils could be routed on a 25 mil grid. This allowed for
12 mil tracks, 13 mil clearances and one track to pass between the pins of an IC.
Changes in packaging technologies, where both imperial and metric pin spacing are
used, make it difficult for todays designer to specify a standard grid that fits all the
component and design requirements. This has become a major shortcoming of the
traditional grid-based PCB design environment.
The PCB Editor includes a number of features to aid the designer in overcoming this
limitation. These include: an electrical grid which allows one electrical object to snapto the hot spot of another electrical object, even if it is off grid; look-ahead track
placement, allowing you to predict where you want the next track segment to go and
accurately terminate the current segment; and violation-free object placement with
automatic clipping. With these features the PCB Editor behaves as a shape-based
manual router, allowing you to route quickly and accurately to any object, at any point
in the workspace.
While these features may initially sound complex, they are quite easy to work with. If
your design is not suitable for one of the traditional routing setups, or the density
requires you to pack the tracks and vias more tightly than a grid based routing model
allows, then set the snap grid to a small value, such as 5 mils or 1 mil. Continue
reading this chapter for an explanation of how to route in this mode.
For more information about setting the snap grid, component grid and the electrical
grid refer to the Grids topic in the chapter, Setting Up the PCB Workspace.
Move Components onto the Grid
To maximize the number of routing channels available, as many component pads as
possible should be on the snap grid. Check if the components are on grid by selecting
the Edit Select Off Grid Pads menu item (shortcut: S, G). To move all the components
onto the snap grid, select the Tools Interactive Placement Move To Grid menu item
(shortcut: I, G). The Component Move dialog will pop up allowing you to specify the
grid.

586

Manually Routing the PCB

Check the Routing Density

To help in the process of determining how the board should be routed, that is, the track
and grid sizes, the via size, the number of layers, and so on, the PCB Editor includes a
Density Map feature. Select the Tools Density Map menu item. After a few moments
the board will be painted with a colored map. The green color represents cool, or
less dense regions, the red color represents hot, or most dense regions. If there are
large areas of red you may wish to analyze the current component placement and try to
remove these hot zones. If this is not possible your design may require more routing
layers.
Enable the Routing Layers
The PCB Editor has 32 signal layers (top, bottom, and 30 mid layers), as well as 16
internal power plane layers. If your design requires the use of internal signal layers and
you intend to use blind and buried vias, then the signal layers are normally used as
layer pairs. Read the chapter Defining the Board, for information about defining the
Layer Stack, and the Vias topic in the PCB Design Objects chapter for more
information on using blind and buried vias.
Set up the Design Rules
The PCB Editor is a rules-driven environment as you place routing objects in the
workspace the PCB Editor checks the rule system to see which rules apply to that
object.
When you create a new PCB, there will be a number of default rules created, including
a track width constraint (set to 10mils), a clearance constraint (set to 10mils), routing
layers (top-horizontal, bottom-vertical) and a routing via style (50mils).
Before you begin routing you should set these to suit your design. If you have not
already done so, review the chapter, Specifying the PCB Design Requirements, and set
up the appropriate rules.

587

PCB Design

Manually Routing the PCB

Before you commence routing, review the Tracks Placement Modes topic in
the PCB Design Objects chapter. A good understanding of all the track placement
features is essential to utilize the full routing potential of the PCB Editor.
If your design includes large nets with many nodes, you may find that the
automatic connectivity monitoring takes a long time. To disable the connectivity
monitoring for a particular net you need to hide the net. When you select View
Connections Hide Net to hide the net connection lines, it is also hidden from the
on-line connectivity checker.
Because the PCB Editor monitors the net connectivity for you, routing is very
straightforward. You place tracks, vias, fills and arcs to create the physical
connectivity, the PCB Editor monitors the connectivity and updates the connection
lines accordingly.
If you select Place Interactive Routing and then click on a design object that has a net
name, the track you are placing will adopt the net name, becoming part of that net. If
you click on a connection line, the PCB Editor will jump to the nearest pad, and then
keep the connection line attached to the end of the track you are placing.
When you quit from placing tracks, the PCB Editor examines the net and updates the
connection lines. The connection line may or may not stay on the end of the track. The
PCB Editor adds the connection lines between all the parts of the net that are not
physically connected, based on the net topology. The default topology is shortest, so
the connection lines will be added between the closest points on the sub-nets. For more
information on net topology refer to the chapter Understanding Connectivity and
Topology, and the Routing Topology design rule in the chapter, Specifying the PCB
Design Requirements.
The track width that is used when you click on a pad to start routing is defined by the
Width Constraint design rule. When you create a new PCB document it will have a
number of default rules, including a 10 mil Width Constraint applying to the whole
board. If you would like a particular net to have a different track size, apply a Width
Constraint to that net. Refer to the chapter, Specifying the PCB Design Requirements,
for information on applying design rules.
Changing the Routing Parameters During Routing
During manual routing the track width and routing via parameters can be changed onthe-fly by pressing the TAB key. This pops up the Interactive Routing dialog where you
can change the track width, the via diameter and the via hole size. Changes made to
these settings updates the Preferred attributes of the applicable Width Constraint and
Routing Via Style design rules. If the values are changed to be outside the current
maximum and minimum settings of the applicable rule, they are automatically clipped.

588

Manually Routing the PCB

Press the Tab while routing to change the track width and via parameters

Routing Shortcuts
Use the following shortcuts to speed the routing process:

Press the BACKSPACE key to remove the last corner during routing.

Press the * key to toggle through the routing layers while routing and insert a via.

Press the / shortcut key to place a via connecting to a power plane.

Use the SPACEBAR to change between the Start and End placement modes. Press
SHIFT+SPACEBAR to change track placement modes.

Press the CRTL+SPACEBAR to cycle through each connection line that connects to
the pad you just started routing from.

Press the END shortcut key to refresh the display while routing.

Hold the CTRL key to temporarily suspend the electrical grid

Press the SHIFT+E shortcut keys to toggle the electrical grid on and off.

Hold the ALT key to temporarily switch from Avoid Obstacle mode to Ignore
Obstacle mode.

Press the SHIFT+R shortcut keys to cycle through the 3 Interactive Routing modes.

589

PCB Design

Placing Tracks and Looking-Ahead

The PCB Editor incorporates a sophisticated look-ahead feature that operates as you
place tracks. The track segment that is connected to the cursor is a look-ahead segment
(shown in outline/draft mode). The segment between this look-ahead segment and the
last-placed segment is the current track that you are placing (shown in final mode).
This is shown in the following diagram.

Use the look-ahead feature to predict the next segment, and accurately position the current one

Use the look-ahead segment to work out where you intend to place the next segment
and to determine where you wish to terminate the current segment. When you click to
place the current segment, its end point will be positioned exactly where you need to
commence the next segment. This feature allows you to quickly and accurately place
tracks around existing objects and plan where the next track segment can be placed.
590

Manually Routing the PCB

As you use the look-ahead segment to guide your routing, you will notice that the track
end does not always remain attached to the cursor. It avoids electrical objects that
belong to another net. This feature allows you to only place primitives where they do
not violate any clearance design rules, as shown in step 2 of the previous diagram. In
step 2 the cursor has been moved to the right of the pads, but the look-ahead segment is
clipped back to the point where no violations would exist. As soon as the cursor is
moved up to a point where the look-ahead segment can pass between the pads without
causing a violation, it extends across to the cursor. Routing Modes are discussed in
more detail in the next topic.
Consider another example of manual routing shown in the following diagram. You
wish to route horizontally across, and then diagonally down to a pad. Previously this
was a process of trial and error, judging exactly where to terminate the horizontal
segment and commence the diagonal one. The look-ahead segment allows you to bring
the cursor down onto the target pad, clicking once to terminate the horizontal segment,
then clicking a second time to terminate the new diagonal segment.
Remember, the segment displayed as an outline is the look-ahead segment, not
the segment you are currently placing. If you are trying to place a segment and
nothing happens when you click, you are probably trying to place the look-ahead
segment. This can happen when you have the placement mode set to End when it
should be Start, or it is set to Start when it should be set to End. Press the
SPACEBAR to toggle between the Start and End placement modes.

Using the look-ahead feature to predictively place tracks

591

PCB Design

Interactive Routing Modes, including Push and Shove

The PCB Editor has three different interactive routing modes; Ignore Obstacle, Avoid
Obstacle, and Push Obstacle. These modes define the behavior of the track you are
placing, in relationship to the existing objects on the board. All three modes work in
conjunction with the Loop Removal feature.
Ignore Obstacle
In this mode you can route tracks anywhere in the workspace. If the track you are
placing violates one of the design rules, then the new track and the existing object will
both be highlighted as an error, assuming on-line DRC is on (Tools Design Rule Check
and Tools Preferences). This mode is useful when you are rerouting and you need to
temporarily create a violation, which will be removed by subsequent routing.
Avoid Obstacle
In this mode you can not route a track to create a
Hold the ALT shortcut
violation. When you move the cursor to a location where
key to temporarily switch
a violation would be created, the track segment
from the Avoid Obstacle
automatically clips back to the point where it complies
mode to the Ignore
with the design rules. Working in this mode makes the
Obstacle mode.
task of routing very easy you do not need to carefully
place tracks, always watching to avoid creating errors
the PCB Editor only allows tracks to be placed where they do not create violations.
This is the suggested mode for manual routing.
Plowing Through Polygons

If the Plow Through Polygon option is enabled in the Preferences dialog you can route
over the top of a polygon when the Interactive Routing Mode option is set to Avoid
Obstacle.
When you finish routing the polygon automatically repours, depending on the settings
of the Polygon Repour options. The Repour option defines when a repour should
occur. If Threshold is selected, then polygons with more than the Threshold number of
primitives will prompt to confirm before performing the repour.
Push Obstacle
In this mode, the track you are placing pushes existing tracks out of the way as you
move the cursor. It can not push immovable objects, such as vias, pads and locked
tracks. If the track(s) that you are pushing can no longer move (because they have been
pushed up against an immovable obstacle) then the routing mode reverts to Ignore
Obstacle. This mode is ideal for rerouting. There may be a large number of changes to
the contents of the screen as you work in this mode press the END key on the
keyboard to refresh the display as you route.

592

Use the SHIFT+R shortcut keys to cycle through the modes as you are routing.

Manually Routing the PCB

Re-routing
Re-routing is a normal part of the design process. Perhaps a new component has been
added, a footprint changed, or you are tidying up after autorouting. The PCB Editor
includes powerful features to assist in the process of re-routing tracks the Push
Obstacle routing mode, and automatic loop removal. Both of these options are
configured in the Options Tab of the Preferences dialog (Tools Preferences).
To re-route an existing track:

Loop removal
and
the
Push
Obstacle mode are
enabled
in
the
Options Tab of the
Preferences dialog.

1.
2.

Select the Place Interactive Routing menu item.

Click on a track or pad to commence re-routing.
The net will highlight, and a track segment will appear
attached to the cursor.
3. Re-route the track along its new path, pushing existing
tracks as required, bringing the new routing back to meet the old track. This can be
anywhere along its length, or at a pad.
4. When you have finished the re-route, click RIGHT MOUSE or press ESC.
This new track will create a loop. The PCB Editor will now remove the old part of the
loop. The re-route can include new vias, and the automatic removal of existing vias.

Note the path of this connection

Starting to reroute

The wide track is pushed away

The route approaches the pad,

pushing the wide track further

The reroute is complete,

press ESC to exit

The old routing is

automatically removed

593

PCB Design

Using Internal Power Planes

Power planes are special solid copper internal layers. The PCB Editor supports up to
16 internal power planes. If your design is netlist-based, you can assign a net to each of
these layers. It is also possible to share a power plane between a number of nets by
splitting it into two or more isolated areas.
There are two styles of connecting each pin to a power plane: either a direct connection
or a thermal relief connection. Thermal relief connections are used to thermally isolate
the connected pin from the solid copper plane when the board is soldered. The PCB
Editor allows you to define the thermal relief shape of each or all pads connecting to
the power plane.
Special support is also provided for connecting SMD power pins to power plane layers.
SMD pads on a net that is connected to a power plane are automatically tagged as
connected to the appropriate plane. The autorouter completes the physical connection
for these pads by placing an SMD stringer a short track and via which is relief or
direct connected to the plane layer.
Assigning a Net to a Power Plane
To assign a net to a power plane:
1.
2.

3.
4.

Select the Design Layer Stack Manager from the menus to pop up the Layer Stack
Manager dialog.
Add a new plane to the layer stack (if one has not already been added) to do this
click in the picture on the layer name that you want the plane to be underneath,
then click the Add Plane button. Note that PCBs are fabricated from an even
number of copper layers (for example, you can not normally have a 3 layer
board), so you may need to add another signal or plane layer to return to an even
number of layers.
Double-click on the new plane layer to assign the net, you can also change the
layer name if you want to.
Close the Layer Stack Manager dialog.

All the From-Tos for that net will disappear. A small cross will appear at each pad on
the net, on the appropriate power plane layer. The cross will look like a + for a relief
connection, or an x for a direct connection.
The properties of the pad-to-plane and via-to-plane connections are controlled
by the Power Plane Connect Style design rule. Refer to the chapter, Specifying the
PCB Design Requirements, for information on using this rule.
Pins that Do Not Connect to a Power Plane
Pads not connecting to the plane are isolated from the plane by a region of no-copper.
This region of no-copper is specified as a radial expansion around the pad hole by the
Power Plane Clearance design rule. Refer to the chapter, Specifying the PCB Design
Requirements, for more information on using this rule.
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Connecting Vias to Power Planes

Like pads, vias automatically connect to an internal power plane layer that is assigned
the same net name. The via will connect in accordance with the applicable Power Plane
Connect Style design rule.
If you do not want vias to connect to power planes, add a Power Plane Connect Style
design rule with a connection style of No Connect. Refer to the topic Examples of
Using Design Rules, in the chapter Specifying the PCB Design Requirements, for an
example of how to set this rule up.
Viewing a Power Plane
Power planes are created in the negative. Objects placed on the power plane layer
become voids in the copper, while the unfilled regions on your screen will become
solid copper. To view how the pins connect to a
power plane:
1.

Enable only the plane layer, pad holes layer and

the multi layer.

2.

Click on the power plane layer Tab at the

bottom of the workspace.

3.

If necessary, redraw the screen by pressing the

END key.

expansion
air
gap
pad
hole

conductor
width

Relief connected pads are displayed as shown in the

adjacent figure. As direct connected pads have solid copper to the pin, they simply
show black up to the pad hole. Note that in this book, the white page represents copper
and the black represents no-copper.
Creating a Split Power Plane
When you wish to share an internal power plane between two or more nets, you divide,
or split the plane into regions. Typically the net with the greatest number of pins is
first assigned to the internal plane, then regions are defined (split off) for the other nets
that you wish to connect via this plane. Each region is defined by placing special
boundary tracks to encompass all the pins on that net. Any pins which cannot be
encompassed in the split plane region continue to display a connection line, indicating
that these pins must be connected on a signal layer.
Power planes are constructed in the negative, so the special boundary tracks that you
place become a strip of no-copper, creating the separation between this net and the
adjacent net(s) on the plane.
Before attempting to define a split plane read the topic Tips for Defining a Split Plane
later in this chapter. To create a split plane:
1.

First assign the net with the greatest number of pins to the plane, refer to the topic
Connecting to an Internal Plane on the previous page for details on this.
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PCB Design

2.

Make the internal plane the current layer by clicking on its layer Tab at the bottom
of the workspace.

3.

Select the Design Split Planes menu item to pop up the Split Planes dialog.

4.

To add a Split Plane press the Add button. The Split Plane dialog will pop up. Set
the Track Width, Layer and Connect to Net as required.

5.

Click OK when the Split Plane dialog is set up. The dialog will disappear and a
cross hair will appear on the cursor.

6.

Click to define each point on the boundary, coming back to the start to create a
closed boundary.

Once the boundary is closed the Internal Planes dialog will reappear. The new split
plane will appear in the Split Planes list, click on it to display the region.
Use the SPACEBAR to change between the different split plane
boundary placement modes. The boundary can also include arcs.
Splitting a Plane to Support More than Two Nets

If the plane is to connect to more than two nets, continue to add split planes to create
the other regions on the plane. Adjacent boundary tracks can be placed on top of each
other if desired. Typically they would be placed with the tracks overlapping by a small
amount to create a continuous no-copper region.
To define a split region within another split region, the outer split region must wrap
around the inner split region, as shown in the following figure.

A split region within a larger split region note how the larger region wraps around the inner
region. In this example there are now three nets sharing this power plane, the original net
associated with the plane, plus the two nets using these split regions. The boundary tracks
have only been made thinner to clearly show the two split regions, normally they would
overlap slightly.

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Manually Routing the PCB

Tips for Defining a Split Plane

To make the pads that you wish to encompass within each split plane easily visible, the
following is suggested:
1.

Display only a minimum of layers the Keep Out layer, the multi layer, any
mechanical layers needed and the power plane which is being used.

2.

Set the display mode of pads to draft mode in the Show/Hide Tab of the
Preferences dialog.

3.

Enable the Highlight In Full option and the Use Net Color For Highlight option in
the Options Tab of the Preferences dialog.

4.

Set the color attribute of each net on the split plane to a different color. To do this,
set the Browse mode in the Panel to Nets, select the net in the list and press the
Edit button to pop up the Change Net dialog.

5. Select the Edit Select Net menu item and click on one of the pads on the net.
Repeat this for the other net connecting to the plane. Extend Selection must be
enabled to select more than one net at a time (Options Tab of the Preferences
dialog). These two sets of pads will appear in different colors and should now be
easy to identify.
6. You are now ready to define the split region(s).
Assign the most common net to the internal plane,
then define a split region for each of the other nets
sharing the plane.

A split region must

not overlap into another
region, always wrap one
around the other.

Modifying a Split Plane

The boundary of a split plane can be modified after it has been defined. The following
modifications are supported:
1.

The boundary track width, the layer that the split plane is on, and the net that is
connected can all be changed. To change one of these attributes double-click
inside the boundary of the split plane to pop up the split plane dialog.

2.

The location of the boundary tracks can be changed. Select the Edit Move Split
Plane Vertices menu item. You will be prompted to Choose a Polygon (a split
plane is just an empty polygon), click inside the split plane to be modified. The
boundary track editing handles will be displayed. Click on an editing handle to
move the handle.
For more information on modifying a polygon (a split plane is an
empty polygon), and an activity which takes you through the steps of
modifying a polygon boundary, refer to the Polygons topic in the PCB
Design Objects chapter.

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PCB Design

Creating a Copper Plane on

a Signal Layer
A common part of a PCB design is a copper
plane on a signal layer. This may be a hatched
ground plane on an analog design, it may be a
solid power supply plane for carrying heavy
currents, or it may be a solid ground plane for
EMC shielding.
You can create a copper plane on any signal
layer, by placing a polygon plane. The copper
plane is created by interactively defining the
boundary, which the PCB Editor then fills in,
avoiding existing objects in accordance with
the design rules.

Polygon with 90 degree hatch

There are a number of options that define how

a polygon is filled in. These include 90 degree
hatching, 45 degree hatching, horizontal
tracks, vertical tracks, and completely filled in.
Polygons are created by selecting Place
from the menus. The polygon
can be attached to a net if it is, it will connect
to each pad on this net in accordance with the
Polygon Connect Style design rule. Select
Design Rules from the menus and click on the
Manufacturing Tab to change the connect
style.
Polygon Plane

Polygon with 45 degree hatch

The default polygon settings will give a

hatched polygon, because the grid size is larger
than the track size. To completely fill the
polygon make the track size smaller than the
hatch size.
Refer to the Polygons topic in the
PCB Design Objects chapter for
complete details of the Polygon Plane
dialog, and activities on placing and
modifying a polygon plane.
Solid polygon

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Autorouting the PCB

Autorouting the PCB

Protel 99 SE includes an easy-to-use, powerful, high quality, shape-based autorouting
server, which is tightly integrated with the PCB Editor. Although it plugs in as a
separate server in the Design Explorer, the Autorouter is set up and run in the PCB
Editor, and routes directly in the PCB window.
Using the Autorouter is easy. Simply define the appropriate PCB design rules, and
select Autoroute All. While the Autorouter is routing your board, you might like to
browse this chapter to learn more about the power and capabilities of Protel 99 SEs
shape-based Autorouter.

Setting Up to Autoroute
Protel 99 SEs Autorouter is tightly integrated with the PCB Editor. Although it is a
separate Design Explorer server, it routes your board in the PCB window. The
Autorouter will route the board in accordance with the current design rules.
Setting Up the Design Rules
Select Design Rules from the menus to set up the routing rules prior to running the
autorouter. The autorouter obeys most of the routing design rules, there are some rules
that are not obeyed with certain scope settings. Rule compliance is reported at the
bottom of the Design Rules dialog to check if a rule is followed by the router click on
the rule to select it, a message will appear stating if that rule will be followed by the
router.
Protecting Pre-Routes
Often you will want to manually pre-route certain nets, then autoroute the remainder of
the board. You can protect the pre-routes from being ripped up and rerouted by the
Autorouter by enabling the Lock All Pre-routes option in the Autorouter Setup dialog.
The board should be free of design rule violations before
autorouting. This means that all pre-routed tracks should be covered by
appropriate design rules. For example, if you have pre-routed the
ground net using a mixture of 20mil and 50mil tracks, your Width
Constraint for the ground net must have a Minimum Width of 20mils,
and a Maximum Width of 50mils.

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PCB Design

Routing Passes
To set up the routing passes select Tools Autoroute Setup Autorouter to pop up the
Autorouter Setup dialog. Enable the required routing passes.

Enable the routing passes in the Autorouter Setup dialog

Unless you have good reason for so doing, we recommend that you always use the
default router pass setup, which runs all the algorithms. The description of each pass
includes notes about when it is better to not run all passes.
Memory

This pass selects all Memory or Memory-like nets on the board. This algorithm is both
Heuristic and Search. Always run it, even if you do not have memory components on
the board.
If you have a true memory bank on your board and are concerned with where
it should be placed, how the components should be oriented, and so on, select
Memory only to evaluate the memory pattern.

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Autorouting the PCB

Fan Out

This pass is used to fan out or disperse vias from surface mount component pads. A
short segment of track is routed out from each surface mount component pad and a via
is placed at the end. The Fan Out pass is both Heuristic and Search and should always
be used if there are single-sided components on either top, bottom or both layers. Fan
Out fails are shown as a small yellow circle with an X in the center of the circle.
Very dense boards with SMD parts on both the top and bottom layers may
have difficulty during Fan Out. We suggest you make a trial run with only the Fan
Out pass active before you commit to autorouting the entire board. If you find that
about 10% of the total pins to be fanned out fail, then it is highly likely that 100%
completion will not be achieved. If this happens you should consider repositioning
the components in the area of the board where the Fan Out fails occurred.
Pattern

On virtually every board you can find connection patterns. The success in routing these
patterns depends upon the sequence that the connections are selected while routing the
pattern. The Pattern router has a collection of different algorithms, each addressing a
particular type of pattern. The Pattern router is a Search router. It should always be
utilized during autorouting.
Push and Shove

The Push and Shove router is the main routing pass within the Autorouter. It is
considerably advanced over the conventionally available Push and Shove routers, in
that it pushes and shoves on a diagonal, has no limits on how far it can push other
tracks, can hop over vias and pads, and in general, represents a new level of
sophistication and power in Push and Shove algorithms.
Rip Up

The Autorouter is a contention cleanup router. Upon completion of the Push and
Shove Pass there may be spacing violation contentions remaining. Contentions are
shown on the monitor as a small yellow circle. Generally, successive passes of the
various routing algorithms will remove these contentions. In very difficult boards there
may be contentions remaining after all the algorithms have been completed. The Rip
Up router is then used to rip up the routed tracks associated with the contentions and
reroute them so as to eliminate the contention.
Manufacturing Passes

These passes evenly space tracks, miter track corners and add testpoints to each nets.
They can be included in the initial router setup, in which case they will be run upon
completion of the primary routing passes. Alternatively, you can run only the primary
routing passes, examine the board and then activate the Manufacturing Improvement
Passes and run them.

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PCB Design
Cleanup Passes

There are 2 cleanup passes the first runs during the routing sequence, at the end of
each routing pass, the second runs after all the routing passes are complete. The
cleanup passes are designed to be used in conjunction with the main routing passes,
they focus on straightening the routing connections and cleaning the pad entries.
Evenly Space Tracks

This pass is used to evenly space tracks between pads in the following situation. When
the routing parameters allow for two tracks between IC pads but only one track is
routed between two particular pads, it may be placed on a 20 mil channel near one or
the other of the IC pads. Running Evenly Space Tracks will shift this track to the center
of the space between the IC pads.
Add Testpoints

Enable this pass to instruct the autorouter to attempt to add a testpoint to each net.
Before adding any new testpoint pads, the board is scanned for existing pads/vias that
could be defined as testpoints. The autorouter will then attempt to place a test point pad
for any net that does not have a testpoint, in accordance with the Testpoint design
rules. Refer to the following chapter, Including Testpoints on the PCB for more
information on testpoints.

Autorouting Options
As well as being able to route the entire board, there are a number of other selective
routing options.
Autoroute All
To route the entire board with the current routing setup select Autoroute All.
Autoroute Connection
Autoroute Connection allows you to select the order in which you want the Autorouter
to route, on a connection-by-connection basis. Not all of the full Autorouter algorithms
are used by Autoroute Connection, so you may not want to attempt to route the entire
board with this option.
Autoroute Net
Select Autoroute Net, place the cursor over any connection in the net and click. All
connections in the net will be routed, using all the routing passes.
Autoroute Component
Select Autoroute Component. Click on a component pin and all connections
Starting/Ending on that component will be routed. Note that within a net, only the
connections starting and ending on the selected component will be routed.
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Autorouting the PCB

Autoroute Area
Select Autoroute Area. Using the cursor, draw the area to be routed. All connections
starting and ending in the designated area will be routed.

Inside Protel 99 SEs Autorouter

Why is Protel 99 SEs Autorouter a Better Autorouter?
Protel 99 SEs Autorouter is the most recent generation of board autorouters in a long
history of autorouter development that spans nearly three decades - but with a
difference. Prior to the Protel 99 SE Autorouter, autorouters have had two prime
objectives: (1) to route boards to 100% completion, and (2) to route boards in the
minimum amount of time. The Protel 99 SE Autorouter also has completion and fast
route time as two of its objectives and is one of, if not the most powerful and fastest
autorouter available in desktop EDA today. However, Protel 99 SEs Autorouter has a
third objective. This characteristic is quality of routing.
Historically, most professional board designers have held the opinion that an
autorouted board does not provide the classical quality associated with a designerinteractively routed board. Complaints are many and include: too many vias; tracks
wander around the board; vertical layers contain too many horizontal segments and
vice versa; tracks not evenly spread and autorouted boards being too difficult to edit.
The most often expressed comments are about X-Y Orthogonal routing versus
Diagonal routing. Experienced designers instinctively route using diagonals, whereas
autorouters usually route in an X-Y orthogonal fashion. Routing on a diagonal not only
presents a more pleasing, aesthetic appearance, but in a given area, diagonal routing
can include more track segments than routing in an X-Y fashion. Hence the probability
of finishing a more difficult board may be increased by routing on a diagonal.
To summarize, the Protel 99 SE Autorouter has three objectives: 100% completion,
routing speed and quality of routing (like a professional board designer). To meet these
objectives, the Autorouter uses a combination of new technologies as well as timeproven developments.
Angled Direction By Layer - What Is It?
Routing in a specific non-orthogonal direction per layer of a multi-layer board is a
concept practiced by experienced professional board designers. Before this autorouter
it has not been available in a board autorouter.
Simply stated, routing with direction per layer means ordering a connection to a
layer based upon the user-assigned layer direction and the connections slant or
tangent, and then routing the track along the slant or approximate hypotenuse of a
triangle as opposed to routing orthogonally along the X and Y legs of the hypotenuse.
The advantages of routing a direction per layer include: (1) the approximate
hypotenuse track length is shorter than the X-Y leg length, and (2) there are fewer vias.

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PCB Design

This shorter track length provides considerably more flexibility in the placement of
parts, and together with fewer numbers of vias per connection, are important
considerations for High Speed Logic autorouting.
Additionally, an advantage of angled direction per layer for non-High Speed Logic
boards (as well as for High Speed Logic) is the increased probability of routing to
100% completion.
The choice of which direction to use per layer is entirely that of the designer and in
fact, may be limited to conventional horizontal/vertical, if desired. During the
autorouting sequencing, the sequencer selects those connections that most nearly match
each layer direction and routes the selected track in the selected direction on that layer.
The basic movement utilizes long 45o diagonal segments with incremental orthogonal
steps that bring the primary direction in alignment with the selected direction.
Contention Routing
The term contention is a new word in autorouting vocabulary and its significance is
as follows. All the routing algorithms included in Protel 99 SEs Autorouter are
contention routers. That is to say, it is permissible for the algorithm to place a track or
via in such a position that it will create a spacing violation with other tracks, vias and
pads. This spacing violation is a contention between an existing track, via or pad and
the location where the autorouter would like to place the track being routed.
A contention can be of the following form. A track segment crossing a track segment
of a different net, a track segment being placed on top of a track segment of a different
net, a track segment that violates space with an existing via or pad, or a via that
violates space with another via, pad or track segment.
When a contention is created, a small hollow circle is created at the point of contention
and maintained until the contention is cleared. Subsequent router passes will attempt to
remove the contention by either pushing and shoving or rerouting the track that caused
the contention while being routed, or else pushing, shoving or rerouting the existing
track where the contention was created. In those rare instances when there is simply
not enough room to push and shove or reroute a track to eliminate the contention, the
contention will remain at the completion of routing.
The number of contentions is shown on the Status line. At certain times the number of
green circles (contentions) on the screen may differ from the number shown on the
Status line. This is because the screen is updated instantly as a connection is routed,
while the Status line is updated after a major routing pass.

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Including Testpoints and Teardrops on the PCB

Including Testpoints and Teardrops on the PCB

Printed circuit board testpoints are locations on the board that can be used to test the
correct function of the board. Testpoints are used to validate the board before the
components are added ensuring that the connectivity and isolation requirements of
the routing is correct, and after the board is assembled ensuring that the circuit
functions within the design specifications.
Each testpoint is a location where a test probe can be connected to the PCB. Test
probes can be connected by automated test equipment (typically by a bed-of-nails type
test jig), or they can be connected by a person during manual testing.
The automated test equipment applies voltages and currents to each testpoint in turn,
and simultaneously takes measurements at the other testpoints. On an unloaded board
the PCB can be tested for correct continuity between every node in each net, for shorts
between different nets, and the isolation resistance between nets can be measured. On
an assembled board the testpoints are used to measure the performance of the circuit.
The steps you go through to add testpoints to your design include:
Defining what is a valid testpoint
Defining which nets require testpoints
Finding existing pads and vias that can be used as testpoints
Adding testpoints during the autorouting process
Reporting the location of each testpoint
Reporting any nets that failed to receive a testpoint

What is a Testpoint?
Both pads and vias can be used as testpoints, by enabling one or both of their testpoint
attributes. These attributes allow any pad or via to be nominated as a top layer
testpoint, a bottom layer testpoint, or as a top layer and bottom layer testpoint.
Keep the testing method in mind when you choose the side of the board that testpoints
will be allowed on will the board be probed from the bottom side only, or the top side
only, do some points need to be on the bottom for automated testing and others on the
top for infield testing, and so on.
Defining the properties of pads and vias that can be used as Testpoints is done by
configuring the Testpoint Style design rule.

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PCB Design

Setting up the Testpoint Design Rules

Testpoint Style Design Rule

The testpoint style design rule defines the properties of the pads/vias that can be used as testpoints

The Testpoint Style design rule specifies the allowable physical parameters of pads and
vias that are used as testpoints. The attributes of the rule include:
If this option is enabled testpoints are allowed under
a component, on the same side of the board that the component is mounted on.
Testpoints that are under a component, but on the opposite side of the board, are
always permitted. Normally the only time you would allow a testpoint under a
component would be when that testpoint is used for testing the board prior to assembly.

Allow testpoint under component

The Min and Max settings define the minimum and maximum pad/via diameter
and hole diameter of a valid testpoint. These settings are used by the Testpoint Find
feature, and by the on-line and batch DRC. The Preferred settings define the size of
testpoint pads placed by the autorouter. Set the Style settings to suit your testpoint
requirements.

Style

Allowed Side These options define the side of the board the testpoint must be on, and
whether the testpoint can be pads/vias with a hole, or single-sided pads. These settings
are used as preferences by the Testpoint Find feature when it searches for possible

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Including Testpoints and Teardrops on the PCB

testpoints, and by the Autorouter when it places testpoints. The Testpoint Find feature
and the Autorouter use the options in the following pre-defined order:
Bottom bottom layer surface mount pad
Top top layer surface mount pad
Bottom thru-hole bottom side of a via
Top thru-hole top side of a via
Bottom thru-hole bottom side of a pad with a hole
Top thru-hole top side of a pad with a hole
Each setting is only considered if it is enabled. The bottom thru-hole option enables
both bottom side thru-hole pads and vias (and likewise for the top thru-hole option)
they are listed separately to show that vias have a higher priority during testpoint
searching by the Testpoint Find feature.
Grid Size The grid is used by the Testpoint Find feature when it attempts to locate
possible testpoint sites.

Testpoint Usage Design Rule

This rule is used to specify which nets must have a testpoint, or which nets must not
have a testpoint. Set the rule scope to target those nets that must have a testpoint.

Locating Existing Testpoint Sites

The Testpoint Find feature searches for existing pads and vias that can be used as
testpoints. Select Tools Find and Set Testpoints from the menus to run the Testpoint
Find feature. Obeying the Testpoint Usage and Testpoint Style rules, this feature will
analyze the PCB and attempt to find a pad or via that complies with the Testpoint Style
rule, for each net covered by the Testpoint Usage design rule, and set the appropriate
testpoint attribute for that pad or via. When it has finished, a dialog will appear
reporting how many pads and vias were found and set to testpoints (found testpoints
are left selected once it has finished). All Testpoint attributes can be cleared at any time
by selecting Tools Clear all Testpoints from the menus.
If the pre-defined Allowed Side order is not appropriate for your design when you are
using the Testpoint finder, run multiple passes with different allowed side settings.

Adding Testpoints with the Autorouter

Enable the Add Testpoints option in the Autorouter Setup dialog to instruct the
autorouter to attempt to add testpoints once it completes all other routing passes, in
accordance with the Testpoint Style and Testpoint Usage design rules.
If the Add Testpoints option is enabled the autorouter first scans the board for possible
existing testpoint pads/vias, then attempts to place a testpoint pad in each net which
still needs one.

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PCB Design

Reporting the Location of Each Testpoint

The CAM Manager testpoint report includes complete details about each testpoint on
the board. Select File CAM Manager from the menus to create a new CAM document,
where you can set up a Testpoint report. Refer to the chapter, Generating the
Manufacturing Files, for complete details on using the CAM Manager to generate a
Testpoint report.

Reporting Nets that Failed to Receive a Testpoint

The DRC report can list each net that failed to receive a testpoint in accordance with
the Testpoint design rules. Enable the Testpoint Usage rule on the Report Tab of the
Design Rule Check dialog (select Tools Design Rule Check), enable the Create Report
File option at the bottom of the dialog, then click the Run DRC button at the bottom of
the dialog to generate the report. The report will include a list of nets that do not
include a testpoint.
Enable the Testpoint Style rule in the Design Rule Check dialog to ensure that the pads
and vias that are flagged as testpoints fit within the requirements of the Testpoint Style
design rule.

Clearing all Testpoints from the Board

The Testpoint attribute for all pads and vias can be cleared at any time by selecting
Tools Clear all Testpoints from the menus.

Adding Teardrops to Pads and Vias

Teardrops can be added to pads and vias by selecting Tools Teardrops from the
menus. This will pop up the Teardrop Options dialog, where you configure the
teardrop requirements. The dialog includes the following options.
All Pads Add teardrops to all pads, in accordance with the Selected Objects Only and
Force Teardrops options.

Add teardrops to all vias, in accordance with the Selected Objects Only and
Force Teardrops options.

All Vias

Add Teardrops to selected pads and vias only. Use this option
when you need to teardrop some pads/vias, but not others. Use the global editing
feature to change the selection status of the pads/vias that need to have teardrops.

Selected Objects Only

Place teardrops on all pads/vias, including those where the teardrop

tracks/arcs will create a DRC violation.

Force Teardrops

Create a report file which lists the number of pads and vias that
teardropping was attempted on, as well as each pad and via that was not teardropped,
or not completely teardropped.
Create Report

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Verifying the PCB Design

Verifying the PCB Design

Design verification is the process of ensuring that your design is correct and complete.
It is a fundamental and integral part of the board design process. The verification
process must ensure that the board logically matches the schematic. It must also ensure
that the board will be physically functional electrical objects such as tracks, pads,
vias, etc, must not violate their clearances.
The PCB Editor includes a powerful Design Rule Check feature which verifies that the
design meets the requirements specified by the design rules. It tests for routing
violations such as clearance errors, unrouted nets, width errors, length errors, and also
conditions that effect manufacturing.
To enhance productivity while designing the board, the PCB Editor includes an online
DRC feature, which tests for enabled design rules as you route. To clear the violation
simply move the object causing the problem and continue routing.
To be able to verify that your design is correct and complete, you must have
some reference to test against. The reference that the PCB Editor uses is the set of
design rules defined in the Design Rules dialog, and the netlist that was loaded at
the start of the design process. Refer to the chapter, Specifying the PCB Design
Requirements, for further information on design rules.

What is the Design Rule Checker?

Design Rule Checking (DRC) is a powerful automated feature that checks both the
logical and physical integrity of your design. This feature should be used on every
routed board to confirm that minimum clearance rules have been maintained and that
there are no other design violations. Because the PCB Editor allows you to make
changes to the layout at any time, it is particularly important that you always perform a
design rule check prior to generating final artwork.

Online DRC
The online Design Rule Check feature is enabled in the Options Tab of the Preferences
dialog. Turn this on when manually routing to immediately highlight violations as you
work. You can configure the rules that are checked as you work in the On-Line Tab of
the Design Rule Check dialog (select Tools Design Rule Check).
If a rule is not available (appears grayed out) it means that you have not
created a rule of this type for the PCB Editor to test against. Select Design Rules
to configure the design rules.

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PCB Design

If you are working on a design with large nets, which are routed using polygons and
power planes, you may find that the on-line connectivity checker takes a long time to
analyze these nets. To disable connectivity checking for these nets hide them from
the connectivity checker by selecting View Connections Hide Net. You will be
prompted to click on a point on the net.

Setting Up for a Batch Mode Design Rule Check

Select the Tools Design Rule Check menu item to pop up the Design Rule Check
dialog.

Design rule checking validates both physical and logical layout integrity prior to artwork generation

The batch DRC includes the following features:

Rules

Enable the set of rules that you wish to test. Refer to the Design Rules chapter for a
description of each rule.
Create Violations

Enable this to highlight primitives with clearance or parallel segment violations in the
current DRC Errors color.
You can set the Panel to browse by Violations. Use this
feature to quickly locate and correct violations.
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Verifying the PCB Design

Sub-Net Details

This option works with the Unrouted Net Rule. Enable this option if you require subnet details.
The Unrouted Net Rule should only be enabled when all connections
have been routed, as a connection line is effectively an open circuit.
Stop When Found XX Violations

The PCB Editor will stop testing the design after finding this many violations.
Create Report File

Enable the Create Report File option to automatically create a DRC report file and
open it in the text editor. If no filename is specified the report will be created with the
name filename.DRC.

Running the Batch DRC

Once you have configured the Design Rule Check dialog press the Run Batch button to
start the DRC process. Once the check is complete the report file will be opened in the
text editor.

The DRC Report

The DRC report lists each rule that was tested, as specified in the Choose Rule Set to
Check dialog (rules that are not present in the design are not tested). Each violation that
was located is listed with full details of any reference information; such as the layer,
net name, component designator and pad number; as well as the location of the object.
Clearance, length and width errors are highlighted by outlining the object in the current
DRC color.

Resolving Design Rule Violations

DRC reports can appear quite daunting to the new PCB Designer. The secret to
keeping the process manageable is to develop a strategy. One strategy is to limit the
number of violations that are reported. Set the Stop When Found feature in the Choose
Rule Set to Check dialog to a small number, say 10. Another strategy is to run the DRC
in a number of stages. If you find that the design contains a large number of violations,
begin by enabling the rules one at a time. With experience you will develop a preferred
approach to testing the various design rules.
Cross Probe Between the Report and the PCB
Use Cross Probing to work between the PCB file and the report file. Split the
Design Window to show both documents, select the desired reference in the
report file, and press the Cross Probe button on the text editor toolbar. The

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PCB Design

reference can be the component designator, the pin, an X Y location, or a string. The
cross probed object will appear centered in the PCB window.
Jump Quickly to Objects in the Workspace
Use the Jump shortcuts to quickly locate components, pads, nets, error markers and
specific locations. Press the J shortcut key to pop up the Jump menu.
Use the Browse for Violations Feature
Set the Browse mode in the panel to Violations. All the violations will be listed. Use
the Details button to pop up the Violations Details dialog, which includes information
about which rule has been violated, and the primitives that are causing the violation.

Tracking Down Broken Nets

A broken net is effectively an open circuit. Broken into two sub-nets indicates one
break, broken into three sub-nets indicates two breaks, and so on. Use the following
steps to help you find the open circuit.

612

1.

Set the Browse method in the PCB Editor Panel to Violations.

2.

Press the Jump button to change the zoom level to show the entire net, then use the
Highlight button to flash the net.

3.

To clearly identify the entire net select Edit Select Net (shortcut: S, N) and click
on any point in the net.

4.

To identify one sub-net select Edit Select Connected Copper (shortcut: S, P) and
click on an object in the net.

Verifying the PCB Design

Select Connected Copper will only highlight the sub-net, whereas Select Net will
highlight the entire net. Use this difference to quickly locate the break in the net. You
must disable the Extend Selection option in the Preferences dialog for this technique to
work.

Resolving Extra Pins on a Net

If your report has one net broken into many sub-nets and a second net reporting extra
pins that should be on the first net, there is probably a short between the two nets.

Checking the Signal Integrity

As PCB designs become more sophisticated, with higher clock speeds, higher device
switching speeds, and higher density, the need to analyze the signal integrity before the
design is manufactured becomes more pressing.
Protel 99 SE includes a sophisticated Signal Integrity Simulator, which can analyze the
PCB layout and check that it functions within the design parameters, testing such
things as overshoot, undershoot and impedance requirements.
The Signal Integrity Simulator uses the characteristic impedance of the traces,
calculated through a transmission line calculator, and I/O buffer macro-model
information, as input for the simulations. It is based on a Fast Reflection and Crosstalk
Simulator which produces very accurate simulations, using industry-proven algorithms.
If the board fails any of the design requirements (specified as design rules), you can
then run a reflection or crosstalk analysis from the PCB, to see exactly how it is
behaving.
If the design does not include a power plane the analysis will still be
performed, but the results can not be considered accurate.
Setting up the Signal Integrity Design Rules
To set up the Signal Integrity Simulator design rules, Select
Design Rules from the menus, then click on the Signal
Integrity Tab of the Design Rules dialog. Each rule includes a
description of what that rule tests.

You
must
include a Layer
Stack rule to be
able to perform a
signal
integrity
analysis.

Once you have configured the signal integrity design rules

select Tools Design Rule Check from the menus to display the
Design Rule Check dialog. Press the Signal Integrity button in
the center of the dialog to enable checking of the signal integrity design rules.

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PCB Design

Running a Signal Integrity Check

If there are signal integrity rules to be tested, when you press the Run DRC button in
the Design Rule Check dialog the Signal Integrity Simulator will run. A small status
box will appear, showing the progress of the analysis.
Once the analysis is complete set the PCB Editor Panel to browse by Violations. You
can then examine each violation click the details button to display details about the
net name, and the actual value (eg, the amount of overshoot).

Set the Panel to browse by violations

The DRC tests are worst-case each net is simulated from all possible output
pins, and the worst result is used.

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Verifying the PCB Design

Running a Reflection or Crosstalk Analysis

If the design fails one of the signal integrity design rule checks, you may want to do a
reflection or crosstalk analysis. To run an analysis select Tools Signal Integrity from
the PCB Editor menus. The board will be analyzed, and the Protel Signal Integrity
Analyzer will appear.

The Reflection and Crosstalk analyses are performed in the Protel Signal Integrity Analyzer

When the Protel Signal Integrity Analyzer appears it will include all the nets in the
design, listed on the left. To analyze a net, or set of nets (use the numbers in the figure
above to guide you):
1.

Select the net in the list of nets.

It is not advisable to run a reflection analysis on a large number of nets it will
take a long time, and the waveform window will be crowded with waveforms,
making it difficult to read any meaningful results.

2.

Press the Take Over Selected Nets button on the toolbar.

3.

The net is listed at the top of the Simulation region, and each node in the net is
listed below. Note that if the net includes a number of potential pins that could be
driving the net (bidirectional pins), the first in the list is assumed to be driving. To
change a node direction, select the desired node and click the In <-> Out button.
Press the Reflection Simulation button to run a reflection analysis on this net.

To run a crosstalk analysis you need to Take Over at least two nets from the list of nets.
You then nominate one of these nets to be either the aggressor, or the victim. The
aggressor is the net that the stimulus pulse is injected in, the victim is the net that
receives the crosstalk. When this is done press the Crosstalk Simulation button.
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PCB Design

Analyzing the Waveforms

Reflection and crosstalk waveforms are displayed in the Protel WaveAnlayzer

When you press the Reflection Simulation button the net is analyzed, and the reflection
waveform displayed in the Protel WaveAnalyzer. You can perform a number of
measurements directly from the waveforms, simply click on a node in the list to the
right of the waveforms, and select an option from the Analyze menu.
If you find that the waveform does not seem to match the result given during
the design rule check (for example, the DRC gave an overshoot of 1.2 volts, but the
waveform has minimal ringing), it is because the Out node that was used for the
reflection analysis is not the worst-case node.
Running a Pre-analysis Net Screening
As well as running reflection and crosstalk analyses, you can also perform a
net screening for signal integrity effects such as overshoot, delay, impedance,
etc. Net screening produces a spreadsheet-like table of results, which can be
sorted to quickly identify problem nets. To run a net screening, Take Over as
many nets as required, and press the Net Screening button.
Refer to the On-line help and the Readme.txt file for further
information about the Signal Integrity Simulator.

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Verifying the PCB Design

Generating Reports
The PCB Editor can generate a number of reports that can help as you verify the status
of the design. The following reports are available:
Selected Pins
All the selected pins are listed in the Selected Pins dialog. This provides a convenient
way to verify the connections within a net. Use the Mask to narrow the list of pins
being displayed. Press the OK button to generate a report file.
Board Information
General Tab

This Tab includes a tally of each primitive type used in the design, the dimensions of
the board (based on the most distant primitives in the workspace), the total number of
pad and via holes and the number of clearance errors on the board.
Components Tab

Lists all components currently placed on both top and bottom layers. Includes
designator and comment, if any.
Nets Tab

Lists all currently loaded nets, by name. Includes a tally of nets loaded.
Pwr / Gnd

Press the Pwr/Gnd button to pop up the Internal Plane Information dialog. Each Tab
lists the nets connecting to that plane. Select a net to display the pins on that net which
are connected to this plane.
Netlist Status
For each net this report lists the layers used for routing, and the routed net length.

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PCB Design

3 Dimensional PCB Visualization

The 3D Viewer is a visualization tool that allows you to preview and print a 3D image
of your PCB. The 3D Viewer is built around an OpenGL-based rendering engine, a
standard graphics language supported by most graphics cards. It uses a run-time
component modeling algorithm that uses the component designator prefix, footprint
and outline shape to automatically select model and texture information and construct a
suitable component model. Components that can not be recognized are automatically
extruded.
Creating a 3D View of the Board
To create a 3 dimensional view of your board select View Board in 3D from the PCB
Editor menus. The board is analyzed and a 3D view is created in a new Window.
Changing the View of the Board
The 3D Viewer supports full rotational and zoom
control, making it possible to display the board at any
angle. The board can be rotated by clicking-anddragging in the MiniViewer window in the panel.
The standard PCB Editor display shortcuts are also

618

The
rendering
process can be canceled
at any time by leftclicking on the 3D
image as it is being
redrawn.

3 Dimensional PCB Visualization

supported press the PAGEUP and PAGEDOWN keys to zoom in, the END key to redraw
the view, and right-click and drag on the 3D image to display the slider hand and slide
the 3D view around.
You can also selectively hide the components, silkscreen outlines, copper, and text
strings. These options can be enabled in the panel, or the Preferences dialog (select
View Preferences).

Use the display options in the panel to control what is shown on the board

The Browse PCB 3D panel also includes a highlight feature, click on a net name and
click the Highlight button to highlight that net on the board. There is also an Animate
option, which flashes the net that is being highlighted. The highlight color and the
animate feature are set up in the Preferences dialog.
Printing the 3D View
The 3D view can be printed by selecting File Print from the 3D Viewer menus. This
will print what is currently displayed in the 3D window.
Three print qualities are supported, Draft, Normal and Proof. The print quality is
selected in the Preferences dialog (select View Preferences).

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PCB Design

Printing to a Windows Printing Device

Preview and configure the printouts before printing

An essential part of the design process is producing printed documentation about the
PCB design. This could include a manufacturing drawing detailing the fabrication
information, check plots for verifying the contents of each fabrication layer, and
assembly drawings detailing component location information and loading order.
In Protel 99 SE printed output is created by preparing a preview of the required
printouts, then printing them with the new Print/Preview feature. Using this approach
you can define precisely what mix of PCB layers you want to print, set the scaling and
orientation, and see exactly how it will look on the page before you print it.
Protel 99 SEs new print engine also supports printing the current screen area and
copying the current preview to the Windows clipboard, making it easy to include PCB
information in your documentation.
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Printing to a Windows Printing Device

The Print/Preview feature works by creating a Power Print Configuration document

(*.PPC). This PPC document details: which PCB is being previewed, the target printer,
the set of printouts, and the PCB layers to include on each printout. When you open a
PPC document this setup information is read, the PCB is analyzed, and the previews of
the PCB are displayed in a separate Tab in the database window. You can then print
the printouts as required.
Because the actual PCB data is not stored in the PPC document it must be extracted
from the PCB when you create, modify, or open a PPC document. This analysis
happens automatically if you prefer you can disable automatic rebuilding in the
Preferences dialog and then use the Rebuild button (when you change the preview
configuration), or Process PCB button (when you modify the PCB) in the Browse
PCBPrint panel to update the previews.

Setting up a Print Preview

To perform a preview of a PCB select File Print/Preview from the PCB editor menus.
A PPC document will be created and opened, displaying the PCB as it will appear on
the printed page(s). The default PPC document name for a PCB called MyDesign.PCB,
is Preview MyDesign.PPC. Note that you can rename this document in the same way
you rename any document in the Design Explorer.
If a Power Print document with the default name of Preview MyDesign.PPC
already exists when you select File Print/Preview it is automatically opened. To
create a second PPC document rename the default PPC document.
Once the preview appears, click on the Browse PCBPrint Tab in the Design Manager to
display the current configuration of printouts. The default PPC is configured for a
single composite printout, targeting your default Windows printer.

What is a Printout?
A Printout is a set of one or more PCB layers that will
be printed as a single print job. Depending on the
scaling, this may be on a single piece of paper, or tiled
(spread) over a number of pieces of paper.
Each printout is represented as a page icon in the
Browse PCBPrint panel.

This PPC
document
includes 2
printouts

Any combination of PCB layers can be included in a

printout, and you can define as many printouts as you
like in each PPC document.

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PCB Design

Changing the set of Printouts

When you select File Print from the PCB editor menus and the preview pages appear,
the default configuration is a composite printout. A composite printout is a drawing
with all the main layers overlaid on one another, simulating the real PCB.
There are a number of predefined printout sets, click on the Tools menu to display the
list. When you select a different printout set the current configuration is replaced with
the new configuration. You can easily create new printouts, select Edit Insert Printout
to add a new printout to the current Print/Preview document. By default a new printout
includes the top layer.
Specifying the Layers in a Printout
To display the set of layers in a printout
click once on the small + symbol next to
the printout icon. The order the layers are
displayed in the panel is the order they are
rendered on the actual printout.
To add and remove layers from a printout
right-click on the printout icon and select
Properties from the small floating menu.
The Printout Properties dialog will pop up.
The Layers region of the dialog displays
the current set of layers that will be
included in this printout. Use the buttons
at the bottom of the Layers region to
modify the layer set.
To add a new layer:
Add layers to a printout in the
Printout Properties dialog

1.

Click the Add button to display the

Layer Properties dialog.

2.

Select the layer you would like to add in the drop down Print Layer Type list.

3.

Set the display mode for the primitives as required. Refer to the topic, Configuring
the Layer Properties, for more information on the primitive display mode.

4.

Click OK to close the Layer Properties dialog.

The new layer is added at the bottom of the layer list. This means that this layer will be
drawn first in the printers memory when the image is rendered. Each layer above is
then rendered on top in turn. Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change its
position in the render order.
As well as adding mechanical layers individually to a printout, you can also
automatically include them in all printouts. Enable the required mechanical layers
in the Mechanical Layers Tab of the Properties dialog.

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Printing to a Windows Printing Device

Configuring the Layer Properties

As well as being able to include any PCB
layer on a printout, you can also control the
way the primitives on that layer are
displayed on the printout. This gives you
complete control over what appears on the
printed page. For example, consider an
assembly drawing which includes the
component overlay, the top layer (for the
surface mount pads) and the multi-layer (for
the thru-hole pads). The top layer would be
configured to display the component
primitives, so the surface mount pads were
Control the display of primitives in the
visible, and hide the free primitives, so the
Layer Properties dialog
routing is not visible. The multi-layer would
also be configured to display the component primitives, so the thru-hole component
pads were visible, and hide the free primitives so that the vias were not visible.

Changing the Target Printer

When you create a new PPC
document it is automatically
configured to target the default
Windows printer. To change the
target printer, select File Setup
Printer from the Print/Preview
menus. Alternatively, right-click
on the printer icon in the panel and
select Properties from the popup
menu that appears.
Right-click on the printer icon to select a different printer

Setting the Paper Orientation, Scaling and other Printer Options

Printing options such as paper orientation, scaling and margins are configured in the
PCB Print Options dialog (right-click on the printer icon and select Properties).
There are 3 default scaling modes, click the Print What arrow to display these.
Standard Print print the board at the scaling defined by the current Print Scale
amount.
Whole Board on Page automatically scale the board to fill the page.
PCB Screen Region fit the current screen region onto the page. Note that any spare
space on the page will be filled as well.

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PCB Design

Printing
Once the printouts are correctly configured in the preview window you are ready to
print. There are a variety of printing options available, click on the File menu to display
these different options. The options include:
Print All select this option to print all printouts in the current PPC document. Each
printout is sent to the printer as a separate print job, with the same name as the printout.
Print Job select this option to print all printouts in the current PPC document, with
all printouts sent in the same print job. The print job has the same name as the PPC
document.
Print Page print the current page. If the printout is tiled over a number of pages a
dialog will appear prompting you to type in the page number, or the page range. As a
reference, each page of a multi-sheet tile printout includes a small red preview page
number at the top left of the page. The numbers are not included on the printout, they
can also be turned off by disabling the Preview Page Numbers option in the
Preferences dialog.
Print Current print all pages in the current printout.
Printouts can be reordered by clicking and dragging the printout in the PrintPCB
Panel.

Tip:

Copying from the Preview Window to other Applications

Select Edit Copy from the Print/Preview menus to copy the current printout to the
Windows clipboard. You can then paste the image into other applications that support
the Windows clipboard, such as Microsoft Word.
The image is copied from the preview to the clipboard as an enhanced metafile.
You can also export the printouts as either standard or enhanced WMF files.

Note:

Exporting the Printouts as WMF files

To export the current set of printouts as WMF files select File Export from the
Print/Preview menus. The Export Options dialog will pop up. The WMF files are saved
in a folder in the design. There are 2 output folder options: overwrite folder, where the
files are written into the same folder each time you export; or create time-stamped
folder where the files are written into a new folder each time you export.
You can also save a copy of the PCB into the folder each time you export by enabling
the Save a Copy of the PCB File option. This will save a copy of the last saved version
of the PCB.
To export the files directly onto the hard disk enable the Export Copy To option. Use
the enhanced metafile option to specify if the metafiles are to be written as standard
metafiles (16 bit), or enhanced metafiles (32 bit).

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Printing to a Windows Printing Device

Color, Font and other Preferences

To set the layer color, font substitutions and other Print/Preview options select Tools
menus to display the Preferences dialog.

Preferences from the

Color and Gray Scale Assignments

Each layer in a printout can be assigned a different shade of gray (or color). To change
the gray shade for a layer, click once on the gray box next to the layer name, then
select the new gray shade from the dropdown palette. To change the color for a layer,
click once on the color box next to the layer name to display the Choose Color dialog.
Use the Color Set options in the Printout Properties dialog to select Gray Scale or
Color for each printout.

Note:

Font Options
Each of the 3 PCB Editor fonts can be substituted for a different Windows font on each
printout. Use these options to specify the font that you want substituted for each of the
PCB Editors 3 fonts (Default, Serif, and San Serif).
Once the substitute fonts are specified and substitution is enabled, open the Printout
Properties dialog to enable font substitution for that printout.
Overlap for Tiled Print
This option defines the amount of printed information that is duplicated on adjacent
pages when a printout is tiled (printed over a number of pages).
Automatic Rebuild Option
Each time you change the setup options in one of the Print/Preview dialogs the data is
re-analyzed to ensure that the previews are accurate. Disable this option to stop
automatic rebuilding.
Select Tools Rebuild Preview (or click on the Rebuild Preview button in the panel) to
force a rebuild if you have changed a setup in one of the dialogs. Select Tools Process
PCB to force a rebuild if you have modified the PCB (or click on the Process PCB
button in the panel).
Mechanical Layers
As well as adding mechanical layers individually to a printout, you can also
automatically include them in all printouts.

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PCB Design

Generating the Manufacturing Files

Completing the PCB layout is only the first part of the process that culminates in the
fabrication and assembly of your PCB. The link between your design and the finished
board are the print, Gerber and NC drill fabrication files, as well as the Bill of
Materials, testpoint report, and pick and place assembly files. Apart from printed
output, all the PCB manufacturing output files are generated by the CAM Manager.
For background information on photoplotting refer to the topic What is Artwork? later
in this chapter. For information on printing from the PCB editor refer to the topic
Printing to a Windows Printing Device earlier in this supplement.

Working With the PCB Manufacturer

When you start designing, you should have a clear idea of the output requirements of
the PCB technology and production methods you will be using.
If you intend to use the services of a plotting bureau or PCB manufacturer take the time
to consult with them before you start generating artwork. Bureaus and manufacturers
often have specific requirements that must be reflected in the files or artwork that you
submit. For example, you may wish to either step and repeat or panelize your Gerber
files for efficient quantity fabrication.
To accomplish this, you have to know the film size accepted by the photoplotter,
clearance requirements, etc, as well as the manufacturing tolerances involved. Planning
for Numeric Control (NC) drilling, requires similar consideration.
In some instances, the bureau or fabrication facility will prefer to work directly with
raw Gerber files (or even PCB files) rather than panelized Gerbers. Understanding
these requirements will help you to plan the entire design process for efficient and
trouble-free completion.

Generating Manufacturing Output with the CAM Manager

The CAM Manager is an independent editor that operates in the Design Explorer,
alongside the PCB Editor, Schematic Editor, and other editors. The CAM Manager
gives you total control over the setup and creation of the manufacturing output files,
including Gerber, NC drill, pick and place, Bills of Materials, testpoint reports and
DRC reports. The setups are saved in the design in a CAM Output Configuration
document (.CAM) and can be modified at any time. CAM documents can also be
copied from one design to another, making it easy to transfer your preferred
manufacturing output file configurations.
The CAM Manager includes a CAM Output Wizard, which takes you through the steps
to create each of the different output setups.
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Generating the Manufacturing Files

All enabled outputs can be generated at any time with a single command. The output
files that are generated are written to a separate CAM Outputs folder, which can be
time-stamped if required. There is also an option to automatically export the CAM
outputs directly to a disk drive.
The CAM Manager supports the following output types:

Gerber files
NC Drill files
Testpoint reports
Pick and Place files
Bill of Materials (BOM)
Design Rule Check (DRC) reports

Creating a new CAM Document

To create a new CAM document for the current PCB select File CAM Manager from
the PCB Editor menus. A blank CAM document will be created, and the Output
Wizard will automatically start. The Wizard can be used to create an output setup for
each type of supported output. You can also create the various output setups directly by
selecting the required type in the Edit menu.
How the CAM Documents are Named
When you select File CAM Manager from the menus the new CAM document is
automatically named CAM Outputs for MyDesign.CAM, for a PCB named
MyDesign.PCB. If a CAM document with this name already exists then this document
is reopened. To create a second CAM document, first rename the original CAM
document, then select File CAM Manager from the PCB Editor menus.

Adding Output Setups to a CAM Document

There are 2 ways to add a new output setup to the current CAM document, you can use
the CAM Output Wizard, or select the required output type in the CAM Manager Edit
menu.
Using the CAM Output Wizard
The Wizard can be run by selecting Tools CAM Wizard from the menus, or by rightclicking in the CAM document and selecting CAM Wizard from the floating menu. All
of the output types can be set up from the Wizard, select the required type on the
second page of the Wizard. If you are unsure of an option as you step through the
Wizard leave it on the default setting any setting can be changed later by doubleclicking on the output setup in the CAM document to display the setup dialog. You can
then use the Whats This help icon (at the top right of each dialog) for information on a
specific option in the different setup dialogs.

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PCB Design

Directly Adding an Output Setup

Each CAM document can store multiple output setups, including multiples of the same
kind of output setup. For example, one CAM document might include the Gerber and
NC drill output setups for the prototype run, as well as a second set of output setups for
the production run.
To add a new setup select the required type from the CAM Managers Edit Menu, or
from the right-click menu. The Setup dialog for that type will appear, configure the
setup as required and click OK to close the dialog.

Right-click in the CAM document to add a new output setup

Modifying, Duplicating and Deleting an Output Setup

Double-click to modify an existing output setup. To delete or duplicate a setup rightclick and select the appropriate choice from the floating menu.

Configuring the CAM Generation Options

CAM options are configured in the CAM Options dialog, select Tools Preferences to
display the dialog. Each option is described below.

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Generating the Manufacturing Files

CAM Output Folder

CAM outputs are written to a sub-folder that is created in the same folder as the PCB.
If the Overwrite folder option is enabled, the folder will be called CAM for MyDesign
(for a PCB called MyDesign.PCB), and the outputs written to this folder each time you
select Generate CAM Files from the menus.
If the Create Time-Stamped Output Folder option is enabled the date and time is
appended to the end of the folder name, and a new folder created each time you select
Generate CAM Files from the menus.
CAM Output Files Destination
If the One Folder For All Outputs option is enabled all output documents are written to
the main CAM folder. If the Separate Folder for Each Output Type option is enabled,
sub-folders are created within the main CAM folder in which to store the separate
output types.
Archive PCB File Option
If the Save a Copy of the PCB option is enabled the last-saved version of the PCB is
copied to the CAM folder when the CAM outputs are generated.
Export CAM Outputs
Enable the Export CAM Outputs option to automatically export the output files to the
specified location on the hard disk.

Generating the Output Files

Output can be generated for any of the current output setups at any time. To generate
output, first enable the setups you require by clicking on the small square next to the
setup name in the CAM document. When the required outputs are enabled select Tools
Generate CAM Files from the menus (shortcut: F9). The outputs will be created
according to the current setups in the CAM Options dialog.

Gerber File Output Setup

What are Gerber Files?
A PCB is fabricated as a series of layers that the manufacturer assembles into a board
through a variety of chemical and mechanical processes. To fabricate each physical
layer in the PCB the manufacturer uses an image of that layer this image is referred
to as a phototool. A phototool is a piece of clear film, with black lines, circles and other
shapes forming exactly the same patterns as the content of that layer in Protel 99s
PCB Editor.

629

PCB Design

Once the PCB design process is complete and the design has passed all the design rule
checks, the Gerber files are generated, one for each layer needed in the fabrication
process. The Gerber language is the standard language format used to transfer PCB
layout data from the PCB design software to the phototool creation process. These
Gerber files are then sent to the manufacturer, who loads them into a photoplotting
machine and creates the phototools.
Each phototool is created by exposing the film to build up the image required for that
layer. The information needed to form the image includes the shape and size of the
objects on that layer, and the coordinates of these objects. The shapes are specified in
the Gerber file as apertures, and typically these apertures are created from the board
and included in each Gerber file, when they are referred to as embedded apertures. If
the apertures are not embedded then they must be stored in a separate aperture file and
supplied with the Gerber files.
Setting up the Gerber File Options
To include a Gerber setup in a CAM output configuration document select Edit Insert
Gerber from the CAM Manager menus to pop up the Gerber Setup dialog. Click on the
Whats This help icon at the top right of the dialog for detailed information about each
of the options in this dialog.
Note that when you enable the Embedded Apertures option in the Apertures Tab of the
Gerber Setup dialog the aperture list is created automatically, each time you generate
the Gerber files. The apertures are then embedded in the Gerber files, according to the
RS274X standard. This feature means that you do not need to worry if the current
aperture list includes all the required apertures unless your PCB manufacturer does
not support embedded apertures it is highly recommended that you use this option. For
more information on apertures refer to the topic What is Artwork? later in this chapter.
To ensure that the finished PCB meets your design and manufacturing requirements it
is important that you contact the fabrication house and discuss their requirements
before generating the Gerber files.
Some of the requirements you should discuss include:
Any apertures restrictions most modern photoplotters are raster plotters which can
accept any size aperture. Generally they also accept Gerber files with embedded
apertures. In this situation enable the Embedded Apertures option in the Apertures Tab
of the Gerber Setup dialog.
Mask expansions mask expansions are required for the solder and paste mask layers.
The solder mask layer defines where the manufacturer must apply a thin layer of solder
to the bare copper on the board, typically on component pads. The paste mask layers
define where solder paste is applied to the board during the assembly process, and is
normally only required for surface mount components. Solder and paste mask
expansions are specified in the Manufacturing Tab of the Design Rules dialog in the
PCB Editor.

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Generating the Manufacturing Files

Power plane clearances if the design includes internal power planes the
manufacturer will specify the clearance required for thru-hole component pads and vias
that do not connect to the plane. The physical connection parameters used for pads and
vias that do connect to a plane must be set to suit the requirements of the design. Power
plane clearances and connection styles are also set up in the Manufacturing Tab of the
Design Rules dialog in the PCB Editor.
The units and format of the Gerber files the units can be either inches or millimeters.
The format specifies the precision of the coordinate data, this must be selected to suit
the placement precision of the objects in the PCB workspace. For example, the 2:3
format has a resolution of 1 mil (1 thousandth of an inch). If your design has objects
placed on a sub 1 mil grid then this format will not be adequate. Conversely, the higher
precision formats may be more difficult and expensive to photoplot and manufacture.
If the plots should be centered on the film the Gerber data can be automatically
centered on the specified film by enabling the Center Plots On Film option in the
Gerber Setup dialog. Note that Gerber coordinates are referenced from the absolute
origin if the Center Plots on Film option is turned off.
The drilling requirements the drilling information is normally supplied in the form of
NC drill files, refer to the NC drill Output Setup topic for more information.
File Extensions used to Identify each Gerber File
When you generate the Gerber output a series of files are created, each one
corresponding to one of the layers enabled in the Gerber setup. These files are then
loaded into a Gerber photoplotter, which produces the necessary phototools for PCB
manufacture.
Each Gerber file is given the name of the PCB document, with a unique extension that
identifies that layer and plot type. For example, the Top Layer Gerber file for a PCB
called MyDesign will be saved as MyDeisgn.GTL, to indicate "Gerber Top Layer".
Because each design normally generates numerous Gerber files, these extensions help
identify each file.
We recommend that you follow this convention which conforms to general industry
practice. The following table shows the extensions that are used:
Top Overlay
Bottom Overlay
Top Layer
Bottom Layer
Mid Layer 1, etc
Power Plane 1, etc
Mechanical Layer 1, etc
Top Solder Mask
Bottom Solder Mask
Top Paste Mask

.GTO
.GBO
.GTL
.GBL
.G1, .G2, etc
.GP1, GP2, etc
.GM1, .GM2, etc
.GTS
.GBS
.GTP
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PCB Design

Bottom Paste Mask

.GBP
Drill Drawing
.GDD
Drill Drawing Top to Mid 1, Mid2 to Mid 3, etc .GD1, GD2, GD3, etc
Drill Guide
.GDG
Drill Guide Top to Mid 1, Mid 2 to Mid 3, etc .GG1, GG2, GG3, etc
Pad Master, Top
.GPT
Pad Master, Bottom
.GPB
Keep Out Layer
.GKO
Gerber Panels
.P01, .P02, etc

NC Drill Output Setup

Numeric Control (NC) drill file requirements are configured in the NC Drill Setup
dialog. This dialog appears when you edit an existing NC drill setup in a CAM output
configuration document, or when you select Edit Insert NC Drill from the CAM
Manager menus to add a new NC drill setup to the current CAM output configuration
document.
NC drill files are used to program a drilling machine with the information required to
drill the holes in the blank PCB during the PCB fabrication process. Drill files specify
the drill sizes, drill tool assignments and hole locations. Drill hole coordinates are
referenced from the user-defined relative origin.
Three types of drill files are produced:
MyPCB.DRR - drill report, detailing the tool assignments, the hole sizes, hole count
and the tool travel.
MyPCB.TXT - ASCII format drill file. For a multi-layer PCB which uses blind and/or
buried vias a separate drill file for each layer pair is created, with a unique file
extension.
MyPCB.DRL - binary format drill file. For a multi-layer PCB which uses blind and/or
buried vias a separate drill file for each layer pair is created, with a unique file
extension.
Setting the NC Drill Options
The NC Drill files should be created with the same format, or precision, as the Gerber
files. For example, if the Gerber setup has been configured to use the 2:4 format, then
the corresponding NC drill setup should use the same format. Click on the Whats This
help icon at the top of the NC Drill Setup dialog for information on a specific feature in
the dialog.

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Generating the Manufacturing Files

Bill of Materials Output Setup

Bill of Materials (BOM) file requirements are configured in the Bill of Materials Setup
dialog. This dialog appears when you edit an existing Bill of Materials setup in a CAM
output configuration document, or when you select Edit Inset Bill of Materials from the
CAM Manager menus to add a new Bill of Materials setup to the current CAM output
configuration document.
Three BOM formats are supported, Text, CSV (Comma Separated Values) and
Spreadsheet. The Text and CSV formats group the BOM listing by component
comment and value. The Spreadsheet option allows you to specify the format of the
BOM.
Setting the Bill of Materials Options
Enable the output format that you want the BOM created in. More than one format can
be enabled, each of the 3 BOM formats is given a different file extension. Click on the
Whats This help icon at the top of the Bill of Materials Setup dialog for information
on a specific feature in the dialog.

Set up the Bill of Materials output requirements in the Bill of Materials Setup dialog

Pick and Place Output Setup

Pick and place file requirements are configured in the Pick and Place Setup dialog.
This dialog appears when you edit an existing pick and place setup in a CAM output

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PCB Design

configuration document, or when you select Edit Insert Pick and Place from the CAM
Manager menus to add a new pick and place setup to the current CAM output
configuration document.
Pick and place files are used to program machines that automatically load components
onto the PCB during assembly. They are called pick and place because they pick the
required component from a feeder tube and place it in the correct location on the PCB.
Once a PCB has the components loaded it is then passed through another machine that
solders all the connections.
The pick and place file includes the following information for each component:

Designator
Footprint
Location - expressed in 3 formats; by geometric center, component reference
point, and pad 1 location
Side of board
Rotation
Component comment
Pick and place component location files can be generated in Spreadsheet, CSV and
Text formats, and in imperial or metric units. Pick and place coordinates are referenced
from the user-defined relative origin.
Setting the Pick and Place Options
Enable the output format that you want the Pick and Place file created in. More than
one format can be enabled, each of the 3 formats is given a different file extension.
Click on the Whats This help icon at the top of the Pick and place Setup dialog for
information on a specific feature in the dialog.

Testpoint Report Output Setup

Testpoint report requirements are configured in the Testpoint Setup dialog. This dialog
appears when you edit an existing testpoint setup in a CAM output configuration
document, or when you select Edit Insert Testpoint from the CAM Manager menus to
add a new testpoint setup to the current CAM output configuration document.
Testpoints are identifiable points on the board that are used to analyze the board. There
are typically 2 types of analyses carried out on a board: bare-board testing, to test for
shorts between the routed tracks; and assembled board testing, which tests for correct
performance of the finished board. These tests are carried out by placing the board on a
bed of nails, where testpoint probes (nails) contact the testpoints on the board.
A PCB testpoint is simply a pad or via that has one of its testpoint attributes enabled.
Pads and vias can be specified to be a top layer, bottom layer, or both top and bottom
layer testpoint.

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Generating the Manufacturing Files

Testpoints can be defined manually, searched for by the Testpoint Find feature, or
placed by the autorouter. They are placed according to, and tested against, the
Testpoint Style and Testpoint Usage design rules. The Testpoint Style rule reports
testpoints that do not comply with the required physical parameters (size, etc), and the
Testpoint Usage rule reports those nets which have not had a testpoint correctly
assigned. Refer to the Design Rules chapter for information on setting up these rules.
The testpoint report is then used to find all pads and vias that have one or both of their
testpoint attributes enabled. The testpoint report includes:

Net name
Testpoint name
X and Y coordinates referenced from the user-defined relative origin
Side of board
Hole size
Testpoint type thru-hole or surface layer

Setting the Testpoint Options

Enable the output format that you want the Testpoint report created in. More than one
format can be enabled, each of the 4 formats is given a different file extension. Click
on the Whats This help icon at the top of the Testpoint Setup dialog for information on
a specific feature in the dialog.

Design Rule Check Output Setup

Design Rule Checking requirements are configured in the DRC Setup dialog. This
dialog appears when you edit an existing DRC setup in a CAM output configuration
document, or when you select Edit Insert DRC from the CAM Manager menus to add
a new DRC setup to the current CAM output configuration document.
DRC testing and reporting can be performed directly in the PCB workspace by
selecting Tools Design Rule Check from the menus. The CAM Manager DRC report
runs the same testing routines, it is included to simplify the process of preparing the
necessary output files when the design phase is complete and the design is ready for
release to manufacture. For detailed information on design rule checking refer to the
chapter, Verifying the PCB Design.
Setting the DRC Options
Enable the rules that you want tested in the DRC Setup dialog. Click on the Whats
This help icon at the top of the DRC Setup dialog for information on a specific feature
in the dialog.

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PCB Design

Transferring the CAM Document to Another Design

CAM documents can be copied from one design to another like any other design
document. Close the CAM document prior to copying, right-click on its icon in the tree
or the folder it is stored in to display the floating menu, and select Copy. Right-click in
the target folder in the second design and select Paste from the floating menu. Like the
Windows File Explorer you can also use drag and drop to copy from one design to
another.
When you copy a CAM document from one design to another you may need to reset
the target PCB. This can be done at any time when a CAM document is open by
selecting Tools Set Target Board from the CAM Manager menus.
If you do change the target PCB and you are not using the Embedded Apertures
option for the Gerber setup, you must ensure that the aperture list is appropriate for the
new PCB before generating the Gerber files.

Note:

What is Artwork?
Artwork is the name give to the pieces of film that are used by the PCB manufacturer
to fabricate the PCB. These pieces of film, one for each fabrication layer, are normally
created by a photoplotter, from the Gerber files generated from the PCB.
Artwork can also be generated by high-resolution Postscript imagesetters, that are
used by graphic design and typesetting bureaus. These machines are capable of
producing film positives at resolutions at 2540 dpi (dots per inch) or higher.
However, users should be aware that there are some limitations to using this approach
for PCB artwork. The resolution of these systems does not necessarily translate into
positional accuracy or linearity, particularly when measured over a large area. There
are also film size restrictions. Postscript output files can be generated by the PCB
Editors Power Print feature.
Photoplotted Artwork
Gerber format photoplotting provides the highest resolution output and is generally
considered the method of choice for production PCB tooling as it provides the best
quality artwork for board production. Photoplots will be required when the design is
either large in total area, or of high-density with fine line details. Gerber outputs are
generated by the PCB Editors CAM Manager.
About Photoplotters

Photoplotters are similar to pen plotters in many ways, the primary difference being
that photoplotters use light to plot directly onto photosensitive film. The many
advantages of this approach has led to the widespread adoption of photoplotting in the
electronics industry.
Because the etching of printed circuit boards is generally based upon photographic
techniques, the production of positive and negative photo-tools (or films) is an inherent
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Generating the Manufacturing Files

part of the process. When the original artwork is a pen plot, a number of intermediate
steps have to be performed to produce the final tools. Pen plots are generally plotted at
least 2:1 scale to achieve reasonable accuracy and then photographically reduced.
Photoplotters provide sufficient accuracy to generate a precision 1:1 plot in a single
operation. Photoplotting bureau services are widely available and all designers should
carefully consider its advantages. To make the best use of photoplotting, its helpful to
understand some key concepts.
Vector vs. Raster Plotters

Photoplotters fall into two general categories, vector and raster.

Vector plotters generally use an aperture wheel or slide to create the combination
of flashes and strokes to draw an image. These make images in much the same
way as pen plotters. They select a drawing instrument (or aperture) and describe a
vector in the drawing space. The result can be seen as a line the width of which is
defined by the aperture. Apertures are a collection of defined shapes which allow the
plotter to plot varying track widths, pad shapes, etc. Flashes occur when there is no
movement of the light source, strokes occur whenever there is movement while the
light source is on. Some plotters use separate apertures for strokes and flashes in order
to maintain consistent exposure. Others control the light intensity all apertures
serving for both uses.
Raster plotters do not use a system of fixed apertures. They read the Gerber file,
storing an image of the whole plot, which is then scanned onto the film, line-by-line,
not unlike a television image. Raster photoplotters can synthesize a virtually unlimited
variety of different apertures, providing a great amount of flexibility to the designer.
Some photoplotters use the Postscript language. Photoplot files for these devices are
prepared using an appropriate Postscript driver. For information about Postscript
printing, see the Postscript Printing Tips topic later in this chapter.
You will want to know something about the target photoplotter, in order to make
efficient use of its capabilities when you design.
Contact your photoplot bureau before generating any photoplots. Matching
available plotting options at the edit level can save considerable time and expense
when generating Gerber phototools.
Photoplotter Languages

Nearly all photoplotters are controlled by a vector-based plotting language, developed

specifically for this task, generically referred to as Gerber a registered trademark of
the Gerber Scientific Company. This language has become an industry standard (also
known as RS-274). While the language has evolved to accommodate changes in both
plotting equipment and design tasks, a number of potential difficulties and limitations
must be considered by the designer when planning a job for Gerber output.
A Gerber format file describes a plot as a series of draft codes (or commands) and
coordinates. The draft codes control the aperture to be used, turning the light on or
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PCB Design

off and so on. Coordinates define the position of the various flashes and strokes on
the plot. This information is stored as an ASCII text file.
The structure of Gerber files can vary due to a number of optimizations that have
been added to the format over time, to address the changing capabilities of plotting
hardware. Your photoplot bureau may need to know details regarding Protels use of
Gerber format, so we have described it in some detail below.
Protel Gerber files are divided into individual commands, followed by carriage return
code then a line feed code. Each record is terminated by the character *.
The records may refer to an absolute location or a draft code which changes apertures.
Thus a record might be X800Y775* which instructs the plotter to move to a
particular coordinate or D16* which is a draft code or command, such as a new
aperture selection.
Some plotters reserve draft codes D01D09 for uses other than aperture selection, for
example:
D01
Turns the light source on.
D02
Turns the light source off.
D03
Flashes the light source.
On some older plotters the special code G54 needs to be sent before each change of
aperture code. The last Gerber record is terminated by the special record M02*, which
is followed by another block, containing the character hex 08, then 509 spaces
(hex 20), then a carriage return and a line feed.
You can inspect any Gerber file with a text editor or word processor capable of loading
an un-formatted text file.
About Apertures

All Gerber format photoplotters use apertures. Apertures describe the available tools
used to draw on film. In the case of a vector plotter these apertures correspond to
various sizes and shapes of holes in an aperture wheel or slide. Light is projected
through these apertures onto the film emulsion.
Raster plotters are not limited to a set of specific aperture sizes and shapes. Raster
imaging systems interpret the aperture information in the generated Gerber file and the
entire plot image is synthesized and represented by a bitmap and plotted line-by-line,
not unlike a television image.
Using Apertures

The apertures that will be used to translate your PCB file into a set of Gerber files are
stored in a file with the extension .APT. Apertures can be regarded like plotter pens.
Aperture descriptions include a shape, such as a 50mm square, and use flash, stroke
or anything (either flash or stroke).
Before you can generate a Gerber file, you can either load an aperture file that matches
the capabilities of the target plotter, or you can let the PCB Editor automatically create

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Generating the Manufacturing Files

an aperture file, extracted from the primitives (tracks, pads, etc) in the current PCB file.
When targeting a vector plotter, the apertures in the .APT file must correspond to the
apertures available on the actual aperture wheel or slide to be used. The photoplotting
bureau will supply the aperture table to suit their vector plotter. Raster plotters use the
aperture file to translate draft codes directly into an image map. If the target plotter is
a raster device, you can generate the apertures from the PCB and supply the generated
aperture table with the Gerber files. Your photoplotting bureau will supply the required
file generation details.
When you use an existing aperture file, the PCB Editor scans the primitives (tracks,
pads, etc) in the PCB file and matches these with aperture descriptions in the loaded
.APT file. If there is no exact match of aperture to primitive, the PCB Editor will
automatically paint the primitive with a suitable smaller aperture. If there is no
aperture suitable to paint with, a .MAT match file will be generated listing the
missing apertures and Gerber file generation will be aborted.
If targeting a vector plotter, use primitives (track and pad sizes and shapes) for which
there is a matching aperture. If the designer is familiar with the aperture set supported
by the target photoplotter and tailors the choice of objects placed on a PCB design
accordingly, the photoplotter will be able to faithfully reproduce the file in the most
efficient manner.
Loading and Editing Apertures

Select
Aperture

the

Design

Library
menu

item to load, create, or

edit the apertures used by
the
photoplot
output
routines.
When
you
choose this menu item the
Apertures dialog will pop
up. Any currently loaded
apertures will be listed.
These apertures would be
used if you generated a
photoplot at this time. If
there are no apertures
loaded, the list is empty.
Options allow you to
work with new or existing
aperture files. Changes are
applied to the aperture file
currently loaded into
memory. These changes
do not become permanent
until you use the Save to
APT File button.

All aperture manipulation is done in the Apertures dialog

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PCB Design

You can define up to a maximum of 1000 different draft

codes, in the range D00-D9999, although some of these codes
(usually D00-D09) may be reserved when targeting some
plotters, so use of these codes is not generally recommended.
When creating new apertures do not include the D in the
Draft Code Number dialog.
Postscript Output
High-resolution Postscript imagesetter output is now widely available from graphic
design and typesetting bureaus. This equipment is capable of producing film positives
at resolutions as high as 2540 dpi (dots per inch) and can provide a low-cost alternative
to Gerber plots.
However, users should be aware that there are some limitations to using this approach
for PCB artwork. The resolution of these systems does not necessarily translate into
positional accuracy or linearity, particularly when measured over a large area. There
are also film size restrictions. Postscript output files can be generated by the PCB
Editors Power Print feature, refer to the topic Printing to a Windows Printing Device
for information on printing from the PCB Editor.
Postscript Printing Tips

Postscript printers and imagers generally produce output between 300 and 2540 dpi.
Because of the high resolution obtainable from these devices, many users are interested
in producing artwork quality Postscript prints as a lower-cost alternative to Gerber
plots. However, there are a few limitations which should be considered before printing.
High-resolution laser imagers print directly onto film or sensitized paper. While these
devices are quite accurate horizontally, they do not always achieve consistent linearity,
particularly on devices where the film or paper moves off a roll, then through the
printing mechanism via a series of rollers.
Some typesetting / graphic arts bureaus now use Postscript imagers that use cut, rather
than roll film, mounted on a large drum. These imagers suffer much less from linearity
problems and may provide a suitable alternative to Gerber plots for non-critical
designs.
To test any Postscript device, create a file with vertical and horizontal tracks of known
length and carefully measure the output with a rule of known accuracy. This will allow
you to apply a correction factor scale setting to either axis, which should minimize the
problem. The amount of linearity error may not always be constant, so you should
check each final artwork print for accuracy before committing the art to fabrication.
Another problem with 300 or 600 dpi desktop laser printers is the overspray and
bleed effects created when the toner is fused to the paper. Small particles adhere to
the paper on either side of lines, etc, creating the potential for unwanted effects in your
artwork.

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Generating the Manufacturing Files

When designing for laser print artwork, you should keep the clearances generous, and
again, print at a reasonable scale to minimize scale and bleed effects.
The print quality obtainable with a laser printer is largely determined by the paper. A
number of special papers are currently available (primarily for the graphics arts trades)
which reduce this toner bleed into the paper, hence making the outline sharper. Some
of these special papers are slightly heavier and treated to resist the waxes and glues
used for paste-up, making them easier to handle. Be especially careful to keep these
paper laser prints clean.
Postscript compatible photo-typesetting equipment has the advantage of being able to
provide output at very high resolutions (up to 2540 dpi). These devices can also print a
direct film positive to A3 (or B) size.
However, the concern with linearity, described above, applies to these devices as well.
The problem of linear accuracy will already be familiar to imagesetting bureaus who
provide color separations to the graphics arts industry.
Some Postscript printers will time out and discard the current data when they do not
receive the end of page marker within a specified time. This can cause problems where
you seem to be missing pages from your plots. If you experience this problem using a
Postscript printer or any other printing device then you should go to the Control Panel,
select the printer icon, select the printer and click the Configure button. Change the
Transmission Retry to 500 seconds, or some larger number. This will allow the printer
sufficient time to catch up before the Print Manager gives up.
Pen Plotting
You can plot to a pen plotter via a Windows plotter driver. This should not be a
problem for newer devices that use raster, rather than vector plot routines, such as the
newer large format ink jet type plotters. There are also true vector plotter drivers
available, contact your plotter supplier for further information.

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PCB Design

Passing Design Changes Back to the Schematic

Printed circuit boards are often designed with their designators assigned so that they
increment in a logical fashion across the board. This make it easy to quickly locate a
component on the board. The PCB Editor can do this re-annotation of designators
automatically. Once this is done, you can pass these changes back to the schematic.

Re-assigning the Component Designators

In the PCB Editor, the components on the board can have their designators re-assigned
on a positional basis (they can be re-annotated). To re-annotate the PCB, select the
Tools Re-Annotate menu item. The Positional Re-Annotate dialog will pop up. In this
dialog you specify the starting point, and the direction of annotation. The four
directional options work as follows:
1. Numbers from bottom to top, starting in the lower left corner.
2. Numbers from top to bottom, starting in the upper left corner.
3. Numbers from left to right, starting in the lower left corner.
4. Numbers from left to right, starting in the upper left corner.
When a board is re-annotated the designators are re-assigned so that there are
no gaps in the designation sequence.
The annotation routine uses a band width of 100 mils, stepping across in bands as
specified by each option. For example, the first option is titled Ascending X then
Ascending Y. This option sets the first band 100 mils wide in the X direction, then
scans up the band in the Y direction. It then sets the next band in the X direction and
again scans up the band in the Y direction, and so on. The bottom left corner of the
component bounding rectangle (the smallest rectangle that encloses all the component
primitives) is used as its location reference. Top layer components are annotated first,
the bottom layer components.
When you select Tools Re-Annotate from the menus the
designator changes are written into a was/is file. This is a
simple ASCII file which lists what each designator was,
followed by what it now is. Protel 99 SE does not need this
file to transfer designator changes back to the schematic, it
simply provides a record of the changes that were made.

Select Design

Update

Schematic

from the menus to

transfer designator
changes back to the
schematic.

Updating the Schematic from the PCB

After re-annotation has been performed on the PCB, the designator changes can be
transferred back to the schematic. In Protel 99 SE this is easy, simply select Design
Update Schematic from the menus. The Synchronizer will open all the schematic sheets,
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Passing Design Changes Back to the Schematic

and update the schematic component designators. There are no restrictions on how
many times you can re-annotate the PCB before updating the schematic. You can also
manually change the PCB designators if you wish, then update the schematic by
selecting Design Update Schematic.
As well as transferring designator changes, Protel 99 SEs Synchronizer can also pass
other design changes from the PCB, back to the schematic. The following changes are
fully supported:
Refer to the chapter,
Component designator changes
Transferring the Design
Component comment changes
Information to the PCB, in
Footprint changes
the Schematic Capture
Component deletions
section of the Handbook,
for complete details of the
When you select Design Update Schematic from the
menus the Update dialog appears, with the name of the
Synchronizer.
target schematic project in the title. Macros are created
for each design change that can be transferred back to the schematic. When you press
the Execute button any components on the schematic sheets that have their component
attributes changed are automatically updated.

The synchronizer passes design changes from the PCB, back to the schematic

The Synchronizer compares the connectivity in the schematic, with the

connectivity in the PCB. It does not modifying the schematic wiring, any changes
to the net connectivity that you have made in the PCB are logged in a report. Press
the Report button at the bottom of the Changes Tab to create the report, then use
this as a check list as you update the schematic wiring.

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PCB Design

Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

The PCB Editor supports a number of methods of transferring design information into,
and out of, the PCB workspace.

Loading a Netlist
If you are doing both the schematic and PCB design in Protel 99 SE, you do
not need to use a netlist to transfer the design information. Protel 99 SE includes a
powerful design synchronization tool that automates the transfer of design
information from schematic-to-PCB, and from PCB-to-schematic. Refer to the
chapter, Transferring the Design Information to the PCB, in the Schematic Capture
section, and the chapter Passing Design Changes Back to the Schematic in the PCB
Design section of the Handbook for more details.
Netlists come in many different formats, but are usually generated as ASCII text files
which carry at least two types of information:
1.

Descriptions of the components in the design.

2.

A list of all pin-to-pin connections in the design.

Some netlist formats combine both sets of data in a single description, Others,
including Protel, separate the two data into separate sections.
As straightforward text files, netlists are readily translated into other formats using a
simple, user-written program. Netlists can also be created (or modified) manually using
a simple text editor or word processor.
The PCB Editor can load Protel, Protel2 and Tango format netlists.
Locating the Netlist
To load a netlist select Design Netlist from the PCB
Editor menus. The Load/Forward Annotate Netlist
dialog will pop up. Press the Browse button, locate and
select the netlist, and click OK to return to the
Load/Forward Annotate Netlist dialog.

Ensure the required

component
libraries
have been added to the
current library list prior
to loading the netlist
(Design Add/Remove
Library).

The PCB Editor will then analyze both the netlist, and
any PCB design data present in the workspace. For each
difference detected between the netlist and the existing
design data, a Netlist Macro is created. This Macro tells the PCB Editor what action
must be performed to update the design data to match the netlist.

644

Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

If you are loading a netlist for the first time, Netlist Macros will be created for the
entire netlist. If you are forward annotating your design, Netlist Macros are created for
each design change.
Examine the Macros, and when you are satisfied that they will carry out the actions
you require, press the Execute button.
It is good practice to resolve any Macro errors prior to Executing the Macros.
Refer to the topic Resolving Netlist Macro Errors later in this chapter for tips.
Working with Netlist Macros
After the PCB Editor has analyzed the netlist and any PCB design data present in the
workspace, it will create the Netlist Macros and list them in the Load/Forward
Annotate Netlist dialog, in the order that they will be executed. The Macro Commands
include:

Remove Node
Remove Net
Remove Component

645

PCB Design

Add Component
Add Net
Change Net Name
Change Component Footprint
Change Component Designator
Add Node
Change Component Comment
As well as allowing you to examine exactly what will happen when you load a netlist,
you can also Add, Edit and Delete netlist macros.
Adding, Editing and Deleting Netlist Macros

Use these options when you wish to omit or include certain design changes. You can
also use them when you wish to modify the PCB netlist, without returning to the
schematic. Points to be aware of when editing Netlist Macros include:
Be consistent with the case of all text, such as Designators and Nets.
A netlist node is specified as the ComponentDesignator-PinNumber. An example
is J3-2. As per the PCB Library Editor requirements, the pin number can have a
maximum of four alpha/numeric characters with no spaces.
The footprint must match the name of a footprint in one of the libraries in the
current library list.
Refresh the screen after executing the Netlist Macros.
Validating Netlist Macros

After editing Macros you should always Validate them. This is particularly important if
you have manually created Macros. Pressing this button instructs the PCB Editor to
examine each Macro, check if it can be executed, and report any error condition.
Regenerating Netlist Macros

When you press Regenerate the PCB Editor will clear all existing Macros, then reanalyze the netlist and the PCB design data and create new Macros.
Resolving Netlist Macro Errors
Prior to executing the Netlist Macros it is good practice to resolve any errors or
warnings. Following is a description of each error/warning. The description includes
which Macro can report that error and what has caused the error.
Net not found

A Netlist Macro is attempting to: add or remove a node; remove a net; or change a net
name when that net can not be found in the PCB netlist.
Component not found

A Netlist Macro is attempting to: add or remove a node when the component
designator is incorrectly specified in the Macro or the component can not be found in

646

Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

the PCB netlist; remove a component; or change a footprint, designator or comment

when the component can not be found in the PCB netlist.
Node not found

A Netlist Macro is attempting to: add or remove a node from a component which does
not have that pin; or remove a node which does not exist in the specified net.
Net already exists

A Netlist Macro is attempting to: add a net name when a net with that name already
exists in the PCB netlist.
Component already exists

A Netlist Macro is attempting to: add a component when a component with that
designator already exists in the PCB netlist.
New footprint not matching old footprint

A Netlist Macro is attempting to: change a component footprint when the used pins on
the old footprint do not match the used pins on the new footprint. This can occur if the
new component has fewer pins than the old, or if the pin numbering in the netlist
(which comes from the schematic component pin numbers) is different to the pin
numbering on the PCB component.
Footprint not found in Library

A Netlist Macro is attempting to: add a new component or change a component

footprint when the specified footprint could not be found in any of the libraries in the
current library list and no alternative library reference could be found in the Cross
Reference file (ADVPCB.XRF).
Alternative footprint used instead (warning)

A Netlist Macro is attempting to: add a new component or change a component

footprint when the specified footprint could not be found in any of the libraries in the
current library list. An alternative library reference was found in the Cross Reference
file (ADVPCB.XRF) and this component will be loaded from one of the libraries in the
current library list. Always confirm that the alternative footprint is appropriate before
executing a Macro with this warning.
When a Netlist Macro attempts to load or change a component footprint which
can not be located in any of the libraries, it then uses the component Comment to
look-up the Cross Reference file (ADVPCB.XRF). The Cross Reference file lists
components by their type against any appropriate footprint(s) for that component.
For example, if the component U1 was a 74LS00, but you had forgotten to include
the footprint, when the Macro to add this component was validated it would lookup 74LS00 in the XRF file. 74LS00 has DIP14 as a footprint, which would be
loaded from one of the libraries in the current library list.

647

PCB Design
Summary

Most problems with loading a schematic netlist generally fall into two categories.
1.

Component footprints missing components occur when: a footprint is missing

from the component information in the netlist; you have forgotten to add the
required PCB libraries to the current library list (Design Add/Remove Library); or
the footprint in the netlist is not available in any of the libraries in the library list.

2.

New footprint not matching old footprint the cause is usually that the pin
numbering on the schematic component differs from the pin numbering on the
PCB footprint.

Schematic libraries contain specific components and devices. The PCB libraries
contain generic footprints, which can belong to various specific components each
having different pin assignments.
For example, a transistor shape can represent various combinations of E, B and
C, each of which must be assigned to the correct pin number in the PCB Editor.
Diodes are a similar case, with pins often named A and K in the schematic.
You will need to either, modify the PCB footprint pin numbers to match the Schematic
pin numbers, or change the schematic component pin numbers to match the PCB
footprint.
Supported Netlist Formats
Protel 99 SEs PCB Editor can load Protel, and Protel2 format netlists. Refer to the
chapter, Interfacing to Third-Party Tools, in the Schematic Capture section of this
Handbook for details of the syntax of these netlist formats.
Netlists from schematic capture packages other than Protel usually have many
similarities to the Protel format. However, the order in which component or net
information is displayed may vary, and package names (eg DIP16), component
designators and pin identifiers may require editing to match the PCB Editor field
restrictions. Often, translation of the netlist is an option in the schematic package.
Netlists created using either a Protel or Tango output option will usually be fully
compatible with Protel 99 SEs PCB Editor.
Netlist Parameter Restrictions

Designators and Package Descriptions (Type) are limited to 12 alphanumeric

characters. Part Types can be up to 32 characters long. Net names can be 20 characters.
Pin numbers in netlists are limited to 4 alphanumeric characters. No blank spaces may
be used within these strings.
Any number of components or nodes can be included in a netlist, limited only by
available memory.

648

Interfacing to Third-Party Tools

Exporting the Netlist

There are two ways of exporting netlist data from the current PCB workspace. You can
either export the internal netlist, or generate one from the actual routing. Both can be
done in the Netlist Manager (select Design Netlist Manager).
Exporting the Internal Netlist
This exports the internal design netlist. The internal netlist is the connectivity
information that was transferred from the schematic. If the design is not routed this
connectivity is shown by the connection lines. To export the netlist click on the Menu
button in the Netlist Manager dialog and select Export Netlist from PCB from the menu.
The netlist is created inside the Design Database.
Generating a Netlist from the Routing
This generates a component and connectivity list (netlist) from the components, and
the routing (tracks and vias) on the actual board. To generate a netlist click on the
Menu button in the Netlist Manager dialog and select Create Netlist from Connected
Copper from the menu. The netlist is created inside the Design Database.

File Importers and Exporters

The PCB Editor can import from and export to a variety of other file formats.
Exporting options include older version Protel file formats and AutoCAD
DWG/DXF. Importing options include older version Protel file formats, Gerber files
and Orcad Layout PCB files.
To import a file select File Import from the PCB Editor menus. Select the required
format in the drop down file type list at the bottom of the Import File dialog.
Working with Older Protel Formats
The PCB file format has changed in Protel 99 SE, the file format is now referred to as
PCB 4.0. To save a PCB back to the previous format (PCB 3.0) which was used by
Advanced PCB V3, Protel 98, Protel 99 and Protel99 SP1, select File Save Copy As
from the PCB Editor menus.
Protel 99 SE can import all older version Protel PCB files. Import the file into the
design database in the normal way (shortcut: drag and drop the file from the Windows
Explorer into the Design Explorer), then double-click on it to open it.
Mechanical CAD Interface
Protel 99 SE includes full support for importing from and exporting to both DWG and
DXF format files. Select File Import or File Export from the PCB Editor menus and
set the file type to DXF/DWG at the bottom of the dialog.
Summarizing the Mechanical CAD Interface features:
649

PCB Design

Full support for DWG/DXF import/export to the PCB editor, all versions from 2.5
to R14.
User-definable layer mapping on import. The Import from AutoCAD dialog will
appear during the import process, where the layer mapping is defined.
Import from AutoCAD model space or paper space.
Automatic import scaling if the import data is larger than the PCB workspace.
Component to block and block to component translation.
Supports metric or imperial units.
Use the Help button and Whats This help in the dialogs for more details on the
import/export options.
Orcad Layout to Protel PCB Interface
Protel 99 SE can import binary format Orcad Layout V9.x design files. Select File
Import from the PCB Editor menus and set the file type to MAX at the bottom of the
dialog.
Summarizing the Layout Importer features:

Directly load Orcad Layout (V9.x) PCBs into the PCB editor.
User-definable layer mapping in the Orcad Layout Importer dialog. This dialog
appears during the import process.
Comprehensive, multi-level import reporting.
Import Layout (*.LLB) libraries into Protel 99 SEs PCB Library Editor.
Import a library directly from a Layout PCB file.

Use the Help button and Whats This help in the dialogs for more details on the import
options.

650

Index

Index
.
.IC................................................................... 210
.NS ................................................................. 210
3
3D PCB view ................................................. 618
A
Absolute ABS ................................................ 358
absolute PCB origin ....................................... 446
ABSTOL ........................................................ 257
AC analysis
setting up and running ................................ 188
access codes ....................................................... 7
ACCT ............................................................. 259
acute angle constraint..................................... 544
ADCSTEP...................................................... 260
adding PCB layers.......................................... 522
adding project sheets ...................................... 124
address range
PLD design................................................. 343
align
PCB components........................................ 569
schematic objects ......................................... 91
analog simulation
definition .................................................... 178
Analog simulation
running ....................................................... 182
analyses
setting up the circuit simulator ................... 183
analysis window
using ........................................................... 211
analyzing nets
switching off............................................... 581
angled routing ................................................ 603
annotation
backward .................................................... 642
forward ....................................................... 146
reassigning designators in PCB.................. 642

reassigning designators in schematic..........142

ANSI
sheet border ..................................................66
title block......................................................67
apertures
about...........................................................638
and Gerber files ..........................................637
loading and editing .....................................639
arc
changing in PCB.........................................501
PCB ............................................................500
placing in PCB ...........................................500
array
placing in PCB ...........................................476
placing on a sheet .........................................84
artwork
about PCB ..................................................626
which kind? ................................................636
ASCII
HL ..............................................................357
asynchronous
PLD simulation ..........................................369
auto wire placement mode................................76
auto-junction.....................................................77
enabling / disabling ......................................64
autopan
PCB ............................................................463
setting up in PCB........................................454
AUTOPARTIAL............................................259
autoplacement
in PCB ........................................................571
setting up the cluster placer ........................572
setting up the global placer.........................572
autoroute
area .............................................................603
component ..................................................602
net...............................................................602
options ........................................................602
setting up ....................................................599
avoid obstacle
651

Index

setting mode ............................................... 455

routing ............................................................ 592
B
back-annotation .............................................. 642
BADMOS3..................................................... 258
Berkeley
PLA format................................................. 358
Bill of Materials
schematic.................................................... 158
bit fields
PLD design................................................. 343
BJT
simulation................................................... 239
blind/buried vias
using ........................................................... 498
board
adding layers .............................................. 522
creating with the Wizard ............................ 524
defining ...................................................... 521
drill pairs .................................................... 524
layer properties........................................... 524
layer stack .................................................. 522
mechanical definition ................................. 521
placement and routing outline .................... 522
signal/insulation layer order ....................... 523
BOM
setting up in PCB ....................................... 633
boolean
excess product terms .................................. 356
Boolean expressions....................................... 258
BOOLH.......................................................... 258
BOOLL .......................................................... 258
BOOLT .......................................................... 258
borders
sheet ............................................................. 66
breaking a wire................................................. 80
broken net, finding ......................................... 612
browsing
PCB workspace .......................................... 464
schematic...................................................... 73
bureau, working with ..................................... 626
bus
about........................................................... 100

652

connectivity ..................................................60
creating connectivity ..................................100
bus entry
about...........................................................100
BYPASS.........................................................259
C
CAM Manager
BOM setup .................................................633
DRC setup ..................................................635
Gerber setup ...............................................629
NC drill setup .............................................632
pick and place setup ...................................633
testpoint report setup ..................................634
using ...........................................................626
capacitor
simulation ...................................................237
change
PCB object .................................................466
schematic object ...........................................78
changing the layer of a PCB component ........564
checking the schematic...................................136
CHGTOL........................................................257
child sheet.......................................................130
circuit
will not simulate .........................................252
circuit design
about.............................................................57
circuit simulator
features .......................................................177
class
creating from a selection ............................473
classes
creating from the schematic........................566
creating PCB classes ..................................537
clearance design rule ......................................539
clipboard
adding template to ........................................65
PCB ............................................................474
working with in schematic............................83
comment
PCB component..........................................514
compatibility
working with an older Protel design.............29

Index

compile
PLD design................................................. 351
compiler options
PLD design................................................. 354
compiling SimCode........................................ 265
complex hierarchy.......................................... 131
complex to simple .......................................... 131
component
creating for simulation ............................... 247
finding for simulation................................. 236
component
aligning PCB components.......................... 569
changing pads in......................................... 497
changing PCB footprint.............................. 515
color, changing........................................... 113
copying....................................................... 120
copying between libraries........................... 520
copying from the PCB to a library ............. 516
creating a PCB footprint............................. 519
creating a schematic component................. 117
default footprint.......................................... 119
finding in a PCB library ............................. 511
finding in schematic libraries ..................... 109
flipping and rotating ................................... 564
grouping ..................................................... 119
including routing in the footprint ............... 516
jump to in PCB........................................... 464
listing on board........................................... 617
locating....................................................... 491
modifying on the PCB................................ 515
orientation .................................................. 113
part type field ............................................. 112
PCB attributes ............................................ 512
PCB comment ............................................ 514
PCB component union ............................... 567
PCB designator........................................... 514
PCB placement........................................... 563
PCB project library .................................... 520
positioning on the board............................. 564
return to PCB primitives ............................ 516
schematic attributes .................................... 111
selecting a PCB component from the
schematic................................................ 566
sharing a common graphic ......................... 119

sheet path....................................................112
sheet path field ...........................................132
simulation-ready.........................................235
special PCB strings.....................................503
specifying footprint in schematic ...............111
text fields ....................................................113
updating the PCB footprint.........................520
component clearance constraint .....................550
component grid, PCB .....................................447
component orientation rule.............................550
component placement toolbar ........................569
component text
about...........................................................111
components
about.............................................................58
accessing in PCB ........................................509
accessing in schematic................................107
associating schematic to PCB.....................150
moving onto grid ........................................586
PCB ............................................................509
schematic....................................................106
where are the PCB components..................509
where are the schematic components .........107
conditional PLD simulation............................377
confirm global edit .........................................454
connection lines
displaying ...................................................452
hiding..........................................................581
connections
inter-sheet ...................................................125
wiring ...........................................................59
connectivity
about.............................................................59
between sheets............................................125
displaying ...................................................577
logical...........................................................60
physical ........................................................60
rules for ........................................................60
understanding in PCB.................................576
CONVABSSTEP ...........................................259
conventions
document ........................................................8
convergence
troubleshooting...........................................253

653

Index

convert special strings .................................... 456

converting
an older Protel design................................... 29
CONVLIMIT ................................................. 259
CONVSTEP ................................................... 259
coordinate
PCB ............................................................ 508
PCB coordinate system .............................. 446
copper clearance design rule .......................... 539
copper plane
creating....................................................... 598
copper trace layers.......................................... 450
copy
clipboard reference, enabling ....................... 65
component between libraries...................... 120
from PCB to the Windows clipboard ......... 624
morphing a schematic object........................ 88
corners, track placement mode....................... 494
coupled inductors, simulating ........................ 209
creating
schematic component ................................. 117
creating digital simulation models ................. 263
cross probe
from the schematic to the PCB................... 567
crystal
simulation................................................... 243
CUPL
language syntax.......................................... 344
syntax ......................................................... 336
current controlled current source.................... 230
current controlled voltage source ................... 230
current-controlled switch................................ 241
CURRENTMNS ............................................ 260
CURRENTMXS ............................................ 260
cursor
style ............................................................ 454
customizing
the Design Explorer...................................... 36
D
daisy chain stub length design rule................. 548
data points
displaying ................................................... 217
database

654

interfacing to from the schematic ...............159

Database, Design..............................................17
DC analysis
setting up and running ................................191
troubleshooting...........................................254
deactivate unused OR terms ...........................355
dead copper ....................................................505
debug
SimCode.....................................................271
decal
component default ......................................119
specifying in schematic ..............................111
DEFAD ..........................................................257
DEFAS ...........................................................257
default
designator ...................................................119
sheet template...............................................64
default primitives
PCB ............................................................459
schematic......................................................65
default resources
about.............................................................37
defaults
resetting PCB origin ...................................446
resetting server resources .............................38
DEFL..............................................................257
DEFW ............................................................257
delete
PCB Editor .................................................485
DeMorgan ......................................................354
deselect
before global editing.....................................88
PCB objects................................................469
schematic objects..........................................81
design
Design Database, what is it?.........................17
editing...........................................................21
new design....................................................18
new design document ...................................20
structuring the project.................................122
Design
Importing a document ............................22, 23
linking a document .......................................22
sharing a Design Database............................25

Index

working with an older Protel design............. 29

design example
4-Bit Counter.............................................. 433
decade counter............................................ 422
seven-segment decoder .............................. 430
subway turnstile controller ......................... 420
two-bit counter ........................................... 418
virtual device.............................................. 434
Design Explorer
about............................................................. 33
customizing .................................................. 36
getting started ............................................... 11
design rules
about........................................................... 526
acute angle constraint ................................. 544
adding......................................................... 527
checking which apply................................. 536
component clearance constraint ................. 550
component orientation................................ 550
compound scope......................................... 532
copper clearance......................................... 539
daisy chain stub length ............................... 548
disabling ..................................................... 535
duplicate ..................................................... 533
examples of using....................................... 557
high speed .................................................. 548
hole size constraint ..................................... 544
how they are applied .................................. 534
impedance constraint.................................. 552
import/export.............................................. 535
layer pairs................................................... 544
manufacturing ............................................ 544
matched net lengths.................................... 548
maximum via count.................................... 549
minimum annular ring................................ 544
monitoring .................................................. 535
net length constraint ................................... 548
nets to ignore .............................................. 550
overshoot.................................................... 552
parallel segment constraint......................... 549
paste mask expansion ................................. 545
permitted placement layers......................... 551
placement ................................................... 550
polygon connect style................................. 545

power plane clearance ................................545

power plane connect style ..........................546
precedence of the scopes ............................533
resolving contentions..................................533
room definition...........................................551
Routing.......................................................539
routing corners............................................539
routing layers..............................................539
routing priority ...........................................540
routing topology .........................................540
routing via style..........................................542
routing width ..............................................543
scope definitions.........................................529
setting the scope .........................................528
short circuit constraint ................................556
signal base value.........................................553
signal flight time.........................................553
signal integrity............................................552
signal stimulus............................................554
signal top value...........................................554
slope ...........................................................554
SMD neck down.........................................542
SMD to corner............................................542
SMD to plane .............................................542
solder mask expansion................................546
testpoint style..............................................546
testpoint usage ............................................547
unary/binary ...............................................531
un-connected pin constraint........................556
undershoot ..................................................555
un-routed nets constraint ............................556
vias under SMT constraint .........................549
design verification
PCB ............................................................609
schematic....................................................136
designator
default.........................................................119
pad ..............................................................496
PCB ............................................................514
schematic, about .........................................111
designators
reassigning in PCB .....................................642
reassigning in the schematic.......................142
device

655

Index

finding in PLD............................................ 352

mnemonic................................................... 352
name in PLD .............................................. 352
secure ......................................................... 355
secure PLD device...................................... 355
selection for PLD design ............................ 351
virtual device.............................................. 353
diagonal routing ............................................. 603
Digital
SimCode simulation language.................... 262
simulation................................................... 262
digital components
simulation................................................... 246
digital simulation
supply and ground ...................................... 257
dimension
changing in PCB ........................................ 508
PCB ............................................................ 507
placing in PCB ........................................... 508
diode
simulation................................................... 238
directives
about............................................................. 59
display
connection lines.......................................... 452
draft thresholds........................................... 457
DRC errors ................................................. 452
mode........................................................... 458
origin marker.............................................. 457
pad & via holes........................................... 452
pad numbers ............................................... 457
PCB layers.................................................. 449
visible grids ................................................ 452
displaying waveforms .................................... 211
DM-PL
plots, about ................................................. 626
document
copying......................................................... 24
deleting......................................................... 24
exporting ...................................................... 23
importing...................................................... 22
linking to ...................................................... 22
locking.......................................................... 28
moving ......................................................... 24

656

download file
PLD design.................................................357
draft code
about...........................................................637
draft thresholds...............................................457
drag
orthogonal in schematic................................64
PCB object .................................................483
PCB shortcuts.............................................483
schematic object ...........................................93
tracks with component................................455
draw order of layers........................................457
DRC
about...........................................................609
enabling online ...........................................453
errors, display of.........................................452
jump to error marker...................................465
online..........................................................609
report ..........................................................611
resolving violations ............................611, 612
setting up for...............................................610
setting up the DRC in the CAM Manager ..635
drill drawing
layer............................................................452
drill guide
layer............................................................452
drill pairs, PCB...............................................524
drive capacity
simulation ...................................................260
simulation override.....................................260
DRIVEMNS ...................................................260
DRIVEMXS ...................................................260
drivers
about, plotter ..............................................641
DRVMNTYMX .............................................260
DXF/DWG
import/export to PCB .................................649
schematic import/export .............................169
E
EDIF...............................................................358
editing
a document ...................................................21
PCB net attributes.......................................582

Index

PCB object ................................................. 466

PCB object graphically............................... 468
PCB shortcuts............................................. 487
schematic object ........................................... 78
schematic object graphically ........................ 79
Schematic shortcuts...................................... 95
while placing in PCB ................................. 466
while placing in schematic ........................... 78
electrical grid
PCB ............................................................ 447
Schematic Editor .......................................... 67
using ............................................................. 77
electrical objects............................................... 59
wiring ........................................................... 59
Electrical Rule Check
setting up .................................................... 136
equation-defined source ................................. 233
ERC
setting up .................................................... 136
error
circuit will not simulate.............................. 252
simulation netlist ........................................ 252
error list.......................................................... 358
error messages................................................ 255
errors
synchronizing, resolving ............................ 152
examples
PLD design................................................. 411
using design rules....................................... 557
excess product terms
eliminating ................................................. 356
expanded macro MX ...................................... 358
exponential simulation source........................ 226
exporting
a document from a Design Database ............ 23
extend selection.............................................. 453
F
fabrication & assembly layers ........................ 451
Failures
Transient Analysis...................................... 255
fault simulation
PLD design................................................. 385
fiducials, mask expansion .............................. 558

field
PLD keyword .............................................343
file
README .......................................................7
fill
about...........................................................499
changing .....................................................499
placing ........................................................499
find and replace
schematic text...............................................89
fit on page option, schematic..........................156
flat design .......................................................128
flipping a PCB component .............................564
focus
PCB Editor .................................................466
Schematic Editor ..........................................79
folders
using .............................................................14
font
changing system font....................................68
component text ...........................................111
fonts
rotating .......................................................155
schematic system font ................................105
using in Schematic Editor...........................105
footprint
component default ......................................119
creating .......................................................519
creating with the PCB Wizard....................519
specifying in schematic ..............................111
updating......................................................520
format, Gerber ................................................637
forward-annotation .........................................146
Fourier analysis
setting up and running ................................202
frequency and phase, viewing ........................216
frequency controlled voltage source...............231
frequency modulation simulation source........228
From-To
about...........................................................578
creating .......................................................579
using in a design rule..................................560
fuse
simulation ...................................................243

657

Index

statement, PLD design................................ 341

G
generating output
about........................................................... 626
Gerber
about........................................................... 637
apertures ..................................................... 638
plots............................................................ 626
setting up .................................................... 629
global editing
copy PCB attributes.................................... 479
copy schematic attributes ............................. 87
partial string substitutions ............................ 88
PCB attributes to match by......................... 479
PCB change scope...................................... 480
PCB Editor ................................................. 478
PCB examples ............................................ 480
schematic attributes to match by .................. 86
schematic change scope ............................... 87
Schematic Editor .......................................... 85
using the {} .................................................. 88
using wildcards in schematic........................ 87
global net identifiers......................................... 59
GMIN............................................................. 257
GMINSTEP.................................................... 259
graphic
adding to schematic.................................... 103
graphical editing
PCB object ................................................. 468
schematic object ........................................... 79
grid
about PCB .................................................. 447
electrical, Schematic Editor.......................... 67
electrical, using .................................... 77, 583
PCB component grid .................................. 447
PCB electrical grid ..................................... 447
PCB snap grid ............................................ 447
PCB visible grids........................................ 448
polygon....................................................... 506
snap, Schematic Editor................................. 67
using in PCB .............................................. 586
visible, Schematic Editor.............................. 67
group

658

component groups ......................................119

group object
PCB ............................................................504
H
hand
PCB slider hand..........................................488
handle
in focused PCB object ................................467
in focused schematic object..........................79
Hex download format.....................................357
hidden pin
creating connectivity ..................................126
hierarchy
about...........................................................123
complex ......................................................131
preferred method ........................................130
simple .........................................................130
tools for creating.........................................135
working in a hierarchical project................134
highlight in full...............................................456
HL download file ...........................................357
hole size constraint .........................................544
how to
global editing in PCB .................................480
How to
break a wire ..................................................80
create a custom template ..............................69
find and replace schematic text ....................89
place a wire...................................................75
remove a wire corner....................................80
select an individual schematic object ...........82
select schematic by area ...............................82
HP-GL
plots, about .................................................626
I
identify a net...................................................582
If ... Then
SimCode.....................................................281
ignore obstacle
setting mode ...............................................455
routing ............................................................592
IMNTYMX ....................................................260

Index

impedance constraint, signal integrity............ 552

impedance plot analysis
setting up and running ................................ 205
imperial units
changing PCB to ........................................ 446
importing
into a Design Database................................. 22
inductor
simulation................................................... 238
inductor
simulating coupled inductors ..................... 209
initial conditions
enabling...................................................... 187
specifying ................................................... 210
Initial Conditions device ................................ 210
input loading
simulation................................................... 260
simulation override..................................... 260
installing Protel 99 SE
entering access codes ..................................... 7
Installing Protel 99 SE
how to............................................................. 7
integration method
setting ......................................................... 256
when to change........................................... 255
intermediate variable
PLD design................................................. 338
inter-sheet connections................................... 125
ISO
sheet border .................................................. 66
iterations
increasing ................................................... 254
ITL1 ............................................................... 257
ITL2 ............................................................... 257
ITL3 ............................................................... 257
ITL4 ............................................................... 258
ITL5 ............................................................... 258
J
Jedec
producing ................................................... 357
JFET
simulation................................................... 239
jump

absolute PCB origin....................................464

current PCB origin......................................464
new PCB location.......................................464
PCB ............................................................464
PCB component..........................................464
PCB component pin....................................465
PCB error marker .......................................465
PCB net ......................................................465
PCB selection .............................................465
schematic......................................................74
string in PCB ..............................................465
junction
about...........................................................100
K
Keep XOR......................................................354
KEEPOPINFO ...............................................258
keyboard
PCB shortcuts.............................................489
schematic shortcuts.......................................96
L
labels, net..........................................................59
language
CUPL language elements ...........................342
language syntax
CUPL..........................................................344
SimCode.....................................................272
language, photoplotter ....................................637
languages
editing...........................................................48
layer pairs design rule.....................................544
layer stack-up .................................................457
layers
about PCB layers ........................................449
current PCB layer .......................................450
displaying PCB layers ................................449
draw order ..................................................457
drill .............................................................452
internal planes ............................................451
keep out ......................................................452
mechanical..................................................451
moving between .........................................450
multi ...........................................................452
659

Index

paste mask .................................................. 451

PCB active.................................................. 449
power planes............................................... 451
redrawing automatically in PCB ................ 456
signal .......................................................... 450
silkscreen overlay....................................... 451
single layer mode ....................................... 457
solder mask................................................. 451
transparent .................................................. 457
layout directives ............................................... 63
LDMNTYMX ................................................ 260
libraries
adding to the PCB library list ..................... 509
adding to the schematic library list............. 107
loading in schematic................................... 108
PCB ............................................................ 509
schematic.................................................... 106
where are PCB libraries ............................. 509
where are schematic libraries ..................... 107
working with older format libraries.............. 30
library
about components......................................... 58
component group........................................ 119
component text fields ................................. 119
creating a PCB project library.................... 520
creating new schematic library................... 115
editing PCB libraries .................................. 518
editing schematic libraries.......................... 115
sheet path field ........................................... 132
Library Editor
PCB ............................................................ 517
schematic.................................................... 114
library reference field, schematic ................... 111
library text fields ............................................ 113
line
about........................................................... 493
linear dependent simulation source ................ 230
linking
a document to a Design Database................. 22
schematic component to a sub-sheet .......... 112
LIST ............................................................... 259
loading
netlist.......................................................... 644
simulation................................................... 260

660

simulation override.....................................260
LOADMNS ....................................................260
LOADMXS ....................................................260
location
jump to on sheet ...........................................74
marking on the sheet.....................................74
locking
locking a design document ...........................28
logic equation
PLD design.................................................338
logic reduction
PLD compiler .............................................356
logical connectivity
about.............................................................60
loop removal
enabling ......................................................455
lossless transmission line................................245
lossy transmission line....................................245
M
macros ..............................................................50
mask
solder and paste ..........................................451
master sheet
about...................................................123, 124
matched net lengths design rule .....................548
mathematical analysis and plots .....................206
MAXEVTITER..............................................259
maximize product term sharing ......................356
maximum via count design rule .....................549
MAXOPALTER.............................................259
measurement cursors
using ...........................................................218
measuring distance in PCB.............................486
mechanical layer
about...........................................................451
menus
about.............................................................36
MESFET
simulation ...................................................241
messages
errors and warnings ....................................255
metric units
changing PCB to.........................................446

Index

mils
toggling PCB units ..................................... 446
MINBREAK .................................................. 259
minimization
individual ................................................... 355
memory vs speed vs efficiency................... 356
none............................................................ 356
minimization methods
PLD compiler ............................................. 356
minimum annular ring design rule ................. 544
MiniViewer, using.......................................... 461
mm
toggling PCB units ..................................... 446
mnemonic
device ......................................................... 352
mode
track placement .......................................... 494
model
simulation................................................... 235
modular design ............................................... 131
Monte Carlo analysis
setting up and running ................................ 194
morphing .......................................................... 88
MOSFET
simulation................................................... 240
move
break track.................................................. 484
PCB component reference point................. 453
PCB object ................................................. 483
PCB primitive............................................. 484
polygon vertices ......................................... 485
schematic object ........................................... 92
moving
object reference point ................................... 65
multipliers
problems with............................................. 253
simulation................................................... 181
multi-sheet design
managing.................................................... 123
methods of structuring................................ 127
multi-sheet projects
about........................................................... 122

N
Navigation Panel
using .............................................................13
NC drill, setting up .........................................632
net
identifying ..................................................582
jump to in PCB...........................................465
listing loaded ..............................................617
matched lengths design rule .......................548
power plane assignment .............................594
routed length constraint ..............................548
topology, about...........................................578
net identifier
scope...........................................................126
Sheet Symbols/Port Connections ...............130
net identifier scope
Net Labels and Ports Global.......................129
Ports Only Global.......................................128
Net Identifier Scope
setting for netlist creation ...........................170
net identifiers
about.............................................................59
net label
about...........................................................100
connectivity ..................................................61
creating connectivity ..................................125
negating ......................................................126
Net Labels and Ports Global...........................129
net topology
about...........................................................578
specifying ...................................................578
netlist
about...........................................................169
changing and updating................................581
character limits ...........................................648
creating .......................................................169
exporting.....................................................649
formats........................................................170
generating ...........................................170, 649
loading........................................................644
macros ........................................................645
Protel 2 format............................................172
Protel format...............................................172

661

Index

Nodeset device ............................................... 210

noise analysis
setting up and running ................................ 204
non-linear dependent simulation source......... 233
NOOPALTER................................................ 259
NOOPITER.................................................... 258
O
object
editing in PCB ............................................ 466
editing in schematic...................................... 78
PCB design object ...................................... 492
placing in schematic ..................................... 75
reference point when moving ....................... 65
schematic design objects .............................. 99
objects
adding to PCB selection ............................. 469
adding to schematic selection....................... 81
selecting in PCB......................................... 469
selecting on the schematic............................ 81
OLE Server
about............................................................. 34
One-hot-bit state machines............................. 355
online DRC, enabling..................................... 453
operating point analysis
setting up and running ................................ 193
Optimize product term usage ......................... 354
options
printer ......................................................... 156
schematic workspace.................................... 64
OPTS.............................................................. 259
Orcad
Capture, importing ..................................... 167
Layout, importing....................................... 650
organization
adding company details to the sheet............. 67
origin
autoplacement ............................................ 571
jump to in PCB........................................... 464
marker ........................................................ 457
PCB absolute.............................................. 446
relative........................................................ 446
orthogonal wire placement ............................... 76
output

662

generating ...................................................626
output drive capacity
simulation ...................................................260
Output drive capacity
simulation override.....................................260
output options
PLD design.................................................357
output options
Absolute ABS.............................................358
ASCII HL ...................................................357
Berkely PLA...............................................358
EDIF, PLD compiler ..................................358
error list LST ..............................................358
expanded macro MX ..................................358
Hex .............................................................357
Jedec...........................................................357
Palasm PDS ................................................357
PDIF PDF...................................................358
XNF............................................................358
overlay
layers ..........................................................451
overshoot
specifying for signal integrity.....................552
P
pad
about...........................................................496
changing .....................................................497
designator, incrementing ............................496
display of holes...........................................452
displaying pad info .....................................457
jump to .......................................................465
placing ........................................................496
rotated, limitations......................................484
pad numbers
showing ......................................................457
Palasm PDS....................................................357
pan
PCB slider hand..........................................488
setting up autopanning................................454
panel
creating a PCB panel ..................................475
Panel
MiniViewer ................................................461

Index

panning
PCB ............................................................ 463
schematic...................................................... 72
parallel segment constraint............................. 549
parameter sweep analysis
setting up and running ................................ 198
parent sheet .................................................... 130
part
default footprint.......................................... 119
footprint...................................................... 111
in schematic component ............................. 112
orientation .................................................. 113
placing on sheet.......................................... 110
schematic attributes .................................... 111
sheet path.................................................... 112
text fields.................................................... 113
part type
schematic.................................................... 112
partial derivatives, simulation ........................ 259
parts
about component .......................................... 58
parts list
setting up in PCB ....................................... 633
paste
creating a PCB panel .................................. 475
PCB array................................................... 476
schematic array............................................. 84
special in PCB ............................................ 475
paste mask
expansion design rule ................................. 545
layer, about................................................. 451
pattern
component default...................................... 119
specifying in schematic .............................. 111
PCB
3D view ...................................................... 618
adding layers .............................................. 522
back-annotation .......................................... 642
CAM Manager ........................................... 626
components and libraries............................ 509
copying from PCB to the Windows clipboard
................................................................ 624
defining ...................................................... 521
drill pairs .................................................... 524

information on the Schematic.......................63

layer properties...........................................524
layer stack...................................................522
layout directives, placing............................145
layout directives, transferring.....................150
loading older formats..................................460
mechanical definition .................................521
new .............................................................460
placement and routing outline ....................522
printing .......................................................620
reassigning designators...............................642
saving to older formats ...............................460
signal/insulation layer order .......................523
updating from the schematic ......................146
PCB Editor
features .......................................................439
working in ..................................................461
PCB layout directive
about...........................................................101
PDIF PDF.......................................................358
pen plotting, issues .........................................641
periodic pulse simulation source ....................222
permissions
defining ........................................................26
photoplotting
about...........................................................636
vector vs raster ...........................................637
physical connectivity
about.............................................................60
pick and place report ......................................633
piece-wise-linear simulation source ...............224
pin
about...........................................................102
connectivity ..................................................61
listing PCB component pins .......................617
moving schematic pin text............................64
placing on schematic component................118
PLD pin definitions ....................................342
showing hidden on sheet ............................112
pinnode
PLD design.................................................337
pins
interfacing to in PLD design.......................334
PIVREL..........................................................258

663

Index

PIVTOL ......................................................... 258

placement
component placement toolbar .................... 569
manual PCB ............................................... 563
PCB ............................................................ 563
PCB options which affect........................... 563
working between the schematic and PCB .. 566
placement rooms
working with rooms ................................... 568
placing a pad .................................................. 496
plane
defining a copper plane .............................. 598
PLD compiler
source file syntax........................................ 336
PLD design
CUPL HDL ................................................ 336
interfacing to pins....................................... 334
multi-sheet schematic................................. 334
schematic libraries...................................... 319
schematic symbols ..................................... 321
state machine.............................................. 347
PLD design
compiler options......................................... 354
compiler overview...................................... 317
compiling ................................................... 351
CUPL language syntax............................... 344
device selection .......................................... 351
download file.............................................. 357
examples..................................................... 411
features ....................................................... 313
finding the device....................................... 352
how to setup and compile........................... 318
output options............................................. 357
overview..................................................... 316
sample design session................................. 389
schematic-based ......................................... 319
setting up to compile .................................. 351
simulating................................................... 359
plotting
about........................................................... 626
polygon
changing the shape of................................. 507
connect style design rule ............................ 545
connecting to a net ..................................... 505

664

connecting to pads......................................507
defining a copper plane ..............................598
moving vertices ..........................................485
PCB ............................................................504
placing ........................................................504
plowing through .........................................455
repouring ....................................................507
polygons
plowing through .........................................592
port ...................................................................59
about...........................................................101
connectivity ..................................................61
creating connectivity ..................................125
cross referencing.........................................128
Ports Only Global...........................................128
Postscript printing
PCB ....................................................636, 640
tips ..............................................................640
power plane
clearance design rule ..................................545
connect style design rule ............................546
connecting a net to......................................594
connecting vias to.......................................595
defining a split plane ..................................595
listing pins assigned to ...............................617
using ...........................................................594
viewing .......................................................595
power port
about...........................................................100
creating connectivity ..................................126
power print .....................................................620
preferences
layers tab ....................................................449
PCB default primitives ...............................459
PCB layers tab ............................................449
setting .........................................................453
show/hide tab..............................................458
pre-routes
protecting....................................................599
previewing prints/plots ...................................156
primitive
arc, PCB .....................................................500
fill ...............................................................499
line..............................................................493

Index

moving in PCB........................................... 484

pad.............................................................. 496
PCB ............................................................ 492
PCB string .................................................. 501
schematic...................................................... 99
track............................................................ 493
via............................................................... 497
primitives
setting PCB defaults ................................... 459
setting schematic defaults............................. 65
printing
about........................................................... 626
changing the target PCB printer ................. 623
PCB print/preview...................................... 620
schematic.................................................... 154
setting the PCB printer options .................. 623
setting up a PCB printout ........................... 622
sheet borders ................................................ 66
process
about............................................................. 43
launching...................................................... 43
parameters .................................................... 44
process container
about........................................................... 104
product terms
number of ................................................... 358
unlimited .................................................... 353
Project Hierarchy report................................. 158
project management
about........................................................... 122
PROM
logic minimization ..................................... 356
propagation delay
simulation................................................... 259
simulation override..................................... 260
PROPMNS ..................................................... 259
PROPMXS ..................................................... 259
protecting pre-routes ...................................... 599
push and shove
enabling...................................................... 455
routing ........................................................ 592
push obstacle
setting mode ............................................... 455
routing ............................................................ 592

Q
quick copy schematic object.............................88
R
RAMPTIME...................................................259
random value
PLD simulation ..........................................367
raster photoplotters.........................................637
ratsnest
display of ....................................................452
README file.....................................................7
read-only fields, simulation............................247
Redo
PCB ............................................................491
schematic......................................................98
redraw
canceling in PCB ........................................487
canceling in schematic..................................95
PCB layers..................................................456
re-entrant editing
PCB ............................................................487
schematic......................................................95
registration, software ..........................................7
relative PCB origin.........................................446
relay
simulation ...................................................244
RELTOL ........................................................258
remove duplicates...........................................454
removing a corner in a wire..............................80
removing project sheets..................................124
report
board information .......................................617
measure distance in PCB ............................486
netlist status ................................................617
project hierarchy.........................................158
schematic Bill Of Materials........................158
schematic component .................................121
schematic component rule check................121
schematic library ........................................121
selected PCB pins.......................................617
reports
netlist compare ...........................................158
Reports ...........................................................158

665

Index

repour polygon ............................................... 507

re-routing existing tracks................................ 593
reset PCB origin ............................................. 446
resistor
shunt, simulation ........................................ 260
simulation................................................... 237
resolution
design database........................................... 441
resolving schematic errors.............................. 140
resource
about defaults ............................................... 37
editing, example ........................................... 40
resources
about............................................................. 36
room definition
creating from the schematic ....................... 566
design rule .................................................. 551
working with rooms ................................... 568
rotate
while moving objects ................................. 484
rotating a PCB component ............................. 564
rotation
setting step size .......................................... 454
routing
changing track and via parameters ............. 588
corners design rule ..................................... 539
density map ................................................ 587
diagonal autorouting................................... 603
layers design rule........................................ 539
maintaining connectivity ............................ 584
manually..................................................... 583
manually routing your design..................... 588
moving components onto grid.................... 586
plowing through polygons.......................... 592
predictive track placement ......................... 590
preparing for............................................... 586
priority design rule ..................................... 540
protecting pre-routes .................................. 599
push and shove ........................................... 592
re-routing.................................................... 593
setting the grid............................................ 586
shape-based routing, manual ...................... 586
shortcuts ..................................................... 589
SMD neck down design rule ...................... 542

666

SMD to corner design rule .........................542

SMD to plane design rule ...........................542
topology design rule ...................................540
updating......................................................581
via style design rule....................................542
width design rule ........................................543
routing directives............................................145
RSHUNT........................................................260
rule scope
about...........................................................528
how to narrow the scope (compound) ........532
strategies for setting....................................531
using wildcards...........................................531
S
scaling waveforms..........................................212
schematic
design verification ......................................136
forward-annotation .....................................146
PLD design.................................................319
PLD libraries ..............................................319
preparing for PCB layout ...........................142
reassigning designators...............................142
resolving errors...........................................140
updating component changes .....................120
updating from the PCB...............................642
schematic capture
fundamentals ................................................57
schematic components and libraries...............106
Schematic Editor
about.............................................................53
features .........................................................53
working in ....................................................72
schematic library editor ..................................114
scope
net identifier ...............................................126
secure device ..................................................355
select
PCB objects................................................469
schematic objects..........................................81
selection
creating a PCB array...................................476
creating an schematic array ..........................84
cumulative ..................................................453

Index

displaying in PCB ...................................... 470

from schematic to PCB .............................. 472
from the PCB panel.................................... 472
highlight in full........................................... 456
highlight with net color .............................. 456
jump to in PCB........................................... 465
PCB Editor ................................................. 466
PCB Selection Wizard................................ 474
Schematic Editor .......................................... 79
selecting a PCB component from the
schematic................................................ 566
strategies in PCB ........................................ 469
strategies in schematic.................................. 81
working with in schematic ........................... 83
servers
installing....................................................... 46
removing ...................................................... 47
starting and stopping .................................... 47
working with ................................................ 45
sessions
monitoring open documents ......................... 27
set PCB origin ................................................ 446
routing ............................................................ 455
setting up
AC analysis ................................................ 188
DC analysis ................................................ 191
DC operating point analysis ....................... 193
Fourier analysis .......................................... 202
impedance plot analysis ............................. 205
Monte Carlo analysis.................................. 194
noise analysis ............................................. 204
parameter sweep analysis ........................... 198
schematic workspace.................................... 64
simulation analyses .................................... 183
temperature sweep analysis ........................ 201
transfer function analysis ........................... 203
transient analysis ........................................ 185
share product terms ................................ 354, 355
sharing
a Design Database ........................................ 25
sheet
adding a sub-sheet ...................................... 124
borders.................................................... 66, 67
schematic sheet size ..................................... 66

schematic title block.....................................67

sheet entry ........................................................59
about...........................................................101
connectivity ..................................................61
creating connectivity ..................................125
sheet part filename .........................................119
sheet symbol
about...........................................................101
using ...........................................................124
Sheet Symbols/Port Connections ...................130
sheet template
creating .........................................................69
specifying a default ......................................64
sheet templates .................................................68
sheet units.........................................................68
sheets
connecting ..................................................125
shift step size ..................................................455
short circuit constraint ....................................556
shortcut
dragging a PCB object................................483
dragging a schematic object .........................93
shortcut keys
about.............................................................36
shortcuts
frequently used in schematic ........................98
locating a PCB component .........................491
PCB ............................................................487
PCB list ......................................................489
routing ........................................................589
schematic......................................................95
schematic list ................................................96
selection........................................................82
selection in PCB .........................................470
shunt resistor, simulation................................260
signal integrity
checking the rules.......................................614
design rules.................................................552
impedance constraint..................................552
overshoot, specifying..................................552
setting up to check......................................613
signal base value, specifying ......................553
signal flight time, specifying ......................553
signal slope, specifying ..............................554

667

Index

signal top value, specifying........................ 554

stimulus, specifying.................................... 554
undershoot, specifying ............................... 555
viewing the waveforms .............................. 615
signal layers.................................................... 450
silkscreen layers ............................................. 451
SimCode
compiling ................................................... 265
language definition..................................... 269
language syntax.......................................... 272
Simlist.TXT file ............................................. 265
simple hierarchy ............................................. 130
simulation
component, creating ................................... 247
components ................................................ 235
creating digital simulation models ............. 263
digital circuits............................................. 262
digital components ..................................... 246
fails to simulate .......................................... 252
models ........................................................ 235
read-only component fields ........................ 247
simulation
adding information to the netlist ................ 209
compiling a SimCode model ...................... 265
current sources ........................................... 219
displaying data points................................. 217
displaying waveforms ................................ 211
errors .......................................................... 255
getting started ............................................. 180
integration method ..................................... 255
interpreting sweep results........................... 218
limits........................................................... 179
mathematical analysis and plots ................. 206
model support............................................. 178
number notation ......................................... 181
PLD absolute (ABS) file ............................ 358
PLD design................................................. 359
PLD fault simulation .................................. 385
scale factors................................................ 181
setting up and running ................................ 183
SimCode example ...................................... 266
SimCode language definition ..................... 269
sources........................................................ 219
specifying the nodes ................................... 184

668

SPICE variables..........................................256
troubleshooting convergence......................252
using measurement cursors.........................218
viewing frequency and phase .....................216
virtual PLD.................................................385
voltage sources ...........................................219
warnings .....................................................255
simulation results window..............................211
SIMWARN ....................................................260
single layer mode ...........................................457
singular matrix error
resolving .....................................................260
sinusoidal simulation source ..........................220
size
schematic sheet.............................................66
Smart Technology
about.............................................................32
SmartDoc
about.............................................................34
SmartTeam
about.............................................................35
SmartTool
about.............................................................32
SMD
PCB components ........................................509
placing pads................................................496
SMD neck down design rule ......................542
SMD to corner design rule .........................542
SMD to plane design rule ...........................542
snap grid
PCB ............................................................447
Schematic Editor ..........................................67
software
registering.......................................................7
solder mask
expansion design rule .................................546
layer, about .................................................451
source
equation-defined.........................................233
exponential .................................................226
frequency modulation.................................228
linear dependent .........................................230
non-linear dependent ..................................233
periodic pulse .............................................222

Index

piece-wise-linear ........................................ 224

sinusoidal ................................................... 220
sources
constant .............................................. 210, 219
simulation, using ........................................ 219
special strings
converting on screen............................. 65, 456
entering their contents, schematic ................ 67
PCB list ...................................................... 503
schematic list................................................ 69
using in schematic ........................................ 68
SPICE
adding information to the netlist ................ 209
errors .......................................................... 255
Gmin stepping failed .................................. 253
iteration limit reached................................. 253
multipliers .................................................. 253
singular matrix ........................................... 253
source stepping failed................................. 253
suggested reading ....................................... 261
troubleshooting convergence...................... 252
variables, setting......................................... 256
warnings ..................................................... 255
SPICE compatibility....................................... 178
split power plane
creating....................................................... 595
SRCSTEP....................................................... 259
stacks, pad ...................................................... 496
state machine
PLD design................................................. 347
status bar
PCB coordinates......................................... 446
step size .......................................................... 455
STEP_OFF ..................................................... 271
STEP_ON ...................................................... 271
string
changing in PCB ........................................ 502
jump to in PCB........................................... 465
PCB ............................................................ 501
placing in PCB ........................................... 502
special, PCB list ......................................... 503
special, schematic list................................... 69
strings
converting on screen..................................... 65

sub-sheet
about...................................................123, 124
adding.........................................................124
supply current
simulation ...................................................260
simulation override.....................................260
suppress product terms merging.....................355
sweep results
interpreting .................................................218
synchronizer
errors, resolving..........................................152
using ...........................................................146
warnings .....................................................146
synchronous
PLD simulation ..........................................369
syntax
highlighting ..................................................49
system font, schematic ...................................105
system requirements ...........................................6
T
team
creating a team member ...............................25
sharing a Design Database............................25
teardrops
adding.........................................................608
TEMP .............................................................258
temperature sweep analysis
setting up and running ................................201
template
about.............................................................68
adding to clipboard.......................................65
changing .......................................................71
creating a schematic template.......................69
identifying current ........................................67
removing.......................................................71
setting preferred............................................71
updating........................................................71
testpoint
about...........................................................605
clearing all ..................................................608
finding ........................................................607
including on the PCB .................................605
placing automatically .................................607

669

Index

reporting location of ................................... 608

setting up the testpoint report ..................... 634
testpoint style design rule........................... 546
testpoint usage design rule ......................... 547
text
about PCB strings....................................... 501
adding company details................................ 68
component text fields ......................... 113, 119
editing on the sheet....................................... 78
find and replace on sheet.............................. 89
jump to in PCB........................................... 465
library component fields............................. 113
moving the pin text....................................... 64
schematic library fields .............................. 119
showing hidden on sheet ............................ 112
text editor
languages...................................................... 48
syntax highlighting....................................... 49
Text Editor ....................................................... 48
document options ......................................... 49
thermal relief
to power planes .......................................... 594
tiling prints/plots ............................................ 156
timestep too small .......................................... 255
options to change........................................ 258
timing violations
messages..................................................... 260
title block
adding company details to the sheet............. 67
TNOM............................................................ 258
toolbar
creating, example ......................................... 40
toolbars
about............................................................. 36
topology
design rule .................................................. 540
TPMNTYMX................................................. 260
track
about........................................................... 493
break track.................................................. 484
changing ..................................................... 496
corners........................................................ 494
dragging with component........................... 455
look-ahead segment.................................... 590

670

placement mode..........................................494
placing ........................................................493
polygon.......................................................506
routing width design rule............................543
TRANMNS ....................................................259
TRANMXS ....................................................260
transfer function analysis
setting up and running ................................203
transformer
simulation ...................................................244
transient analysis
setting up and running ................................185
Transient Analysis
troubleshooting failures..............................255
transistor
simulation ...................................................239
transition time
simulation ...................................................259
simulation override.....................................260
transmission line
simulation ...................................................244
transparent layers............................................457
Troubleshooting
SPICE convergence....................................252
TRTOL...........................................................258
TRYTOCOMPACT .......................................258
TTMNTYMX.................................................260
TURBO bit .....................................................341
tutorial
breaking a wire .............................................80
creating a custom template ...........................69
finding and replacing schematic text ............89
global editing in PCB .................................480
placing a wire ...............................................75
removing a wire corner.................................80
select schematic by area ...............................82
selecting an individual schematic object ......82
U
UIC option......................................................210
enabling ......................................................187
specifying ...................................................210
un-connected pin constraint............................556
undershoot

Index

specifying for signal integrity..................... 555

undo
setting schematic editor stack size................ 65
Undo
PCB ............................................................ 491
schematic...................................................... 98
setting PCB editor stack size ...................... 454
union
PCB component union ............................... 567
units
PCB coordinates......................................... 446
PCB resolution ........................................... 446
PCB workspace size ................................... 446
Schematic Editor .......................................... 68
toggling PCB between imperial and metric 446
un-routed nets constraint ................................ 556
update
schematic from PCB .................................. 642
update PCB
from the schematic ..................................... 146
update schematic
components ................................................ 120
from the PCB ............................................. 642
URC transmission line ................................... 245
Use DeMorgan ............................................... 354
use net color for highlight .............................. 456
V
vector photoplotters........................................ 637
verifying the schematic .................................. 136
vertex
adding........................................................... 80
removing ...................................................... 80
via
about........................................................... 497
changing ..................................................... 499
connecting to a plane.................................. 595
display of holes .......................................... 452
maximum via count design rule ................. 549
placing........................................................ 498
via style design rule.................................... 542
vias under SMT constraint ......................... 549
vias
blind/buried ................................................ 498

view menu
PCB options ...............................................461
violations
finding ........................................................612
virtual device ..................................................353
virtual PLD simulation ...................................385
visible grid
Schematic Editor ..........................................67
visible grids
display of ....................................................452
PCB ............................................................448
VNTOL ..........................................................258
voltage controlled current source ...................230
voltage controlled sine source ........................231
voltage controlled square wave source...........232
voltage controlled triangle wave source .........232
voltage controlled voltage source...................230
voltage-controlled switch ...............................241
W
warning messages...........................................255
displaying at run time .................................260
waveform analysis window
using ...........................................................211
waveforms
single cell, all cells .....................................215
waveforms
displaying ...................................................211
displaying data points.................................217
displaying together .....................................215
identifying ..................................................217
scaling ........................................................212
using measurement cursors.........................218
window
splitting.........................................................15
Windows
plotter drivers from.....................................641
wire
about...........................................................100
auto wire placement mode............................76
auto-junction.................................................77
breaking........................................................80
connectivity ..................................................60
placement modes ..........................................76

671

Index

removing a corner ........................................ 80

wiring
about............................................................. 59
Wizard
PCB Component......................................... 519
PCB Maker................................................. 524
PCB selection ............................................. 474
workspace
PCB coordinates......................................... 446

672

X
XNF................................................................358
XOR gates ......................................................354
XSpice ............................................................262
XSpice ............................................................246
Z
zoom
PCB ............................................................461