Pads Professional: Quickstart Guide
Pads Professional: Quickstart Guide
®
2020
P RO FES SION A L
PADS PROFESSIONAL
STUDENT EDITION
QUICKSTART GUIDE
FOR VX 2.8 AND NEWER
PA DS ®
PROFE S S IO N A L
PADS Professional Quick Start Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS1
QuickStart Overview3
Installation & Licensing (Video Link)3
Lesson-1: Opening and populating a new project (Video Link)4
Opening a new project 4
Populating a new project 5
Lesson-2: Placing and Wiring Parts (Video Link)6
Searching and placing parts on your schematic sheet 6
Wiring your schematic 8
Catching and fixing potential wiring mistakes 9
Placing Net Labels 11
Constraint Manager 11
Lesson-3: Forward Annotate, Create a PCB file and Draw your board shape (Video Link)13
Forward Annotate to PCB 13
Define PCB board shape from 3D Step model 15
Lesson-4: PCB Physical Layout (Video Link)18
Placing footprints from schematics 18
Placing Footprint in 2D/3D Side by side 19
Lesson-5: Routing the PCB (Video Link)22
Adding Fanouts 22
Single Route 23
Sketch Route 23
Defining Internal Plane layers and nets 24
Add Layer Stackup Table 26
View Board in 3D 26
Lesson-6: Creating Fabrication and Assembly Files (Video Link)28
Adding Dimensions 28
Exporting STEP 3D output 29
Exporting 3D PDF output 30
Configuring Batch output file generation 31
Before proceeding, please make sure you’ve downloaded, installed and activated
PADS Professional evaluation software version VX.2.8 or newer.
tip: If you did not receive this email, please contact your local authorized Mentor
Graphics Distributor via https://www.pads.com/buy.
1. Double click the online installer to begin the software installation.
note: You will need to remain connected to the internet until the installation completes.
Installation time will vary depending on the speed of your internet connection.
2. Click "Next".
3. Review and accept the license agreement if you agree.
4. Click “Next” to accept the recommended installation location.
5. When the installation completes, click "Done".
You should now see the PADS Professional Schematic and PADS Professional Layout icons on
your desktop.
6. Download the license file named PADSPro.dat from the link provided to you via email,
and save this file in C:\PADS_Professional_QuickStart_VX.2.8.
7. Close all windows and proceed to Lesson 1.
6) This concludes Lesson 1: You’ve successfully added a new Schematic sheet to your
design and customized its Title Block.
7) Go to: File ► Close Project, keep PADS Designer open, then proceed to Lesson 2.
note: This project is prepopulated with an incomplete schematic page, which you will
complete as part of Lesson 2.
3) Within the Navigator panel, Double-click the Design sheet to view its contents.
tip: Within the schematic workspace, scroll the middle mouse button forward to zoom in,
backwards to zoom out. This will improve the visibility of objects on your schematics.
4) Within the Search panel search box, type: "NE555" and press Enter to see the NE555DR
component as shown below (you may need to click once on the search result to see
the part’s symbol and footprint).
note: Upon first opening PADS Designer, you may see the Output panel on top of the Search
panel. Simply click once on the Search panel tab to bring it into focus.
5) Drag and drop the NE555 part from the search area onto the Design sheet (try to
position your symbols as shown in images to facilitate the wiring process).
note: Press & hold the middle mouse button while moving your mouse to pan the schematic
workspace.
6) From the My Parts panel, scroll to locate the Special Component named Source_VCC.1.
7) Drag and drop Source_VCC.1 onto the Design sheet.
8) Repeat Step 7 to add a second Source_VCC.1 component to your schematic (Or hold
down the CTRL key while dragging the same symbol).
2) Click the Net icon on the top toolbar area (or Press lowercase n key) to activate
the wiring tool.
3) After your mouse cursor turns into a crosshair, Left-click and hold on Pin 6 (THRES) of the
NE555 symbol.
4) Then, move your mouse cursor 2 grid steps to the left and press the Spacebar.
5) While still holding down the left mouse button, move your mouse cursor down 4 grid
spaces and press the Spacebar again.
6) Finally, move your mouse cursor onto the bottom pin of R8 and release you left mouse
button.
7) Press the Escape key to cancel the command.
8) You should end up with a wire similar to the one shown below.
While working on your design, you can customize the type of conditions that should
tip: be monitored and how they should be reported in PADS Designer by adjusting options
shown in the Verify panel (accessible via Tools ► Verify).
13) Fix these errors by repeating Steps 2-6 of this section, to finish wiring the rest of the
design as shown.
tip: You can also place "No Connect" special components on pins that are purposefully
left unconnected without changing your design verification rules.
4) Click any empty space in your schematic workspace to clear all filters.
Constraint Manager
Using the constrain manager, you can predefine design rules that will get forward annotated
to the PCB layout workspace.
1) Click Tools ► Constraint Manager.
2) Within the Constraint Manager’s Navigator panel, select Net Classes ► PWR.
3) Expand Master, then PWR, and set the Trace Width (th) ► Expansion values to “20”.
Note that everything under PWR in the Expansion column in Master will be changed.
tip: At any time, you can toggle between English and Metric units within the Schematic
Editor properties accessible from: Setup ► Settings ► Schematic Editor.
4) Check the box to not show warning again in the same session, then click OK.
5) Close the Constrain Manager window.
6) Right-click and close the Output panel.
note: The following steps only need to be performed once. PADS Professional Layout
interface will automatically open and load your base PCB file.
8) Check the box to not show the prompt to forward annotate again, then click “Yes”.
tip: The PCB file name is automatically set to the PADS Designer project name.
10) Within the Project Integration window, click the top amber button to forward
annotate.
You may see a series of notifications about tasks being processed. They will
note: automatically disappear when finished. You may also see a note that Forward
Annotate completed with warnings. Simply close the output panel.
tip: The top face outline will turn pink on mouse-over, to indicate which face you are
about to select.
7) Position your cursor as show. Left click once when the pink outer circle appears. This will
define the board origin.
8) Within the Map Hole Features window: Check the box next to “Route Border”, then set
New Clearance to 20 and click “OK”.
11) Click once on the view tab named 1:LED_Flasher to view the board outline in 2D View.
12) Press CTRL + B key combination to fit your board outline to the PCB layout space.
13) Go to: File ► Save, then Close the PADS Professional Layout interface.
14) Proceed to the next exercise.
note: Although not required, guiding footprint placement from the schematic workspace
can speed up the board layout in projects with higher component counts.
tip: Displaying the schematic view within your layout space does NOT consume a
schematic license. This method allows users to place parts on their board in an
organized manner. The following settings are already enabled for you. Windows ►
Add Schematic View. Within the Component Explorer panel the following options
are enabled.
Parts can also be placed as groups or sequentially by first selecting them from the
Component Explorer Panel.
If steps 4-6 don’t work for you, toggle the Component Explorer visibility by clicking
note: its bookmark icon twice.
4) Within the Schematic window, use the middle mouse button to zoom into the
component J1.
5) Left click J1 once such that it is selected (no need to hold down the mouse).
6) Move your mouse cursor over to the PCB layout space and notice how the associated
footprint to J1 is appended to the cursor and ready to be placed.
7) Press the F3 key to rotate J1’s footprint, position, and left click to place the footprint as
shown.
5) Within the Component Explorer list, drag R9 onto the board in 3D View, as shown below.
tip: You can view your board in 3D and 2D side by side simultaneously. This can facilitate
alignment and placement of more complex 3D geometry, especially if placing multi-
body STEP assemblies. STEP model color information will be imported if defined from
within your MCAD program. Zooming IN/OUT or Panning will move both 2D/3D views.
6) Within the Component Explorer, drag the “LEDS” group onto the 3D view.
7) Within the 2D view, right-click the group object’s perimeter and click Place Parts
Sequentially.
8) Press "F3" to rotate LEDs before placing. Make sure the notch (visible in 3D) is facing the
top left corner.
Part grouping can be defined from the schematic workspace to simplify part
tip: placement during layout. You can also select a part and use arrow keys to precisely
position its footprint.
tip: Parts that are not yet placed are written in bold text in the Component Explorer.
You may notice some LEDs turning yellow during placement. Live DRC is activated
note: and currently set to prevent you from placing parts in positions that violate
any relevant placement DRC rule. Components with violations will turn yellow.
10) Go to: File ► Close, and click “Yes” when prompted to save.
tip: If the Net Explorer tab is not available Go to: Route ► Net Explorer. Then drag and
drop the Net Explorer panel onto the Component Explorer to tabulate them.
4) Within the Net Explorer panel, select the PWR Net Class and notice that all objects
assigned the DGND and VCC nets are highlighted on your board.
5) Go to: Route ► Fanout Patterns, ensure the settings are as shown, then click “Fanout
Selected”.
6) Click “OK” to dismiss the Fanout report, then click close to exit the Fanout Patterns
window.
tip: You can group your components by creating the appropriate class type. Then select
the class and run the Fanout command.
Single route
Next, let’s route the connection between Pad 8 of component U1 and Pad 1 of R1.
1) Left click once in the empty black space to clear any selection filter.
2) Zoom into U1.
3) Go to: Route ► Add Routes ► Plow (or Press CTRL+Q) to launch single trace routing.
4) Left click once on Pad 8 of U1, move your cursor down, then click on Pad 1 of R1 to
complete the trace.
When the route command is active, right-click to access a drop down menu to
tip: change trace width, routing layer, routing modes, and more. Interactive route tuning
tools are available from the route menu.
Sketch Route
Sketch Route allows you to select a set of nets, draw a sketch path, then let the routing engine
route the selected nets based on the user defined path.
1) In the bottom left panel area, click the Net Explorer tab.
2) Within Net Explorer, under user groups click the LEDS group to select all LED nets
(Alternatively, draw a selection rectangle across the LED1-6 ratsnests directly in the PCB
workspace).
3) Click Draw Sketch on the bottom toolbar area (Or press F8 key). Then left click once to
start drawing the sketch path and once again to stop drawing.
4) Click Sketch Route (Or press F9 key).
3) Click the dotted box next to “Layer 2” table entry, then assign it the DGND net as shown
below.
4) Check the radio button to automatically add Pullbacks, then set the Plane Data State
to Dynamic.
5) Repeat steps 2-4 to define Layer 3 as a Plane layer assigned to the VCC net.
6) Click “OK” to apply your changes and dismiss the Plane Assignment window.
7) Go to: View ►Fit Board (Or Press CTRL + B).
8) You should have results similar to the image show below.
View Board in 3D
1) Click the 2:3D View document tab to see a 3D rendering of your board.
While in 3D mode, you can also place parts including multi-body mechanical
tip: assemblies (such as product enclosures and mounting brackets). Live DRC rules can
be customized to enforce desired placement behavior.
Adding Dimensions
1) Within PADS Professional Layout, go to: File ► Open.
2) Navigate to C:\PADS_Professional_QuickStart_VX.2.8\Lesson 6 - Creating Fabrication and
Assembly Files\LED_Flasher.prj, select the file named LED_Flasher.PCB, and click Open.
3) Go to: Draw ► Dimension ► Stacked.
4) Left click once on the top left corner of the board, then nearest edge to the right.
5) Move your cursor up to a desired height and click once again to place the dimension.
6) While the command is still active, click the furthest top right edge of the board and
move your cursor up to place a second stacked dimension.
4) Click “Save” to export the 3D Step file to the Output directory of your project.
5) When the indicator stating “Export succeeded” appears, your STEP files have been
successfully generated.
6) Click “Close”.
tip: In PADS Professional, simply setup your output configuration for each output type
(For example go to: Output ► Gerber or Bill of Materials and setup then save your
desired options. You can later batch generate all configurations by going to Output
► Manufacturing Output, and click Generate.
You can also go to: Output ► ODB++, then click Generate. This method will
tip: automatically preview the ODB++ files for you to review before sending to the
fabrication house.
7) The system will begin generating the appropriate files and store them in your project
output directory.
note: For experienced PCB designers looking for an in-depth evaluation of this product,
please access the full evaluation manual from here C:\PADS_Professional_Eval\
PADSProfessionalEvaluationGuide.pdf
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