Allegro® User Guide: Getting Started with Physical Design

Product Version 16.6 October 2012

Preface
This set of user guides describe design methodologies and concepts for:
Physical layout systems of printed circuit boards (PCBs)
Packaging of single die
Packaging of one or more die components and any number of discrete components

Note: Many features are common to all three layout editors: Allegro PCB Editor, Allegro
Package Designer, and System-in-Package tools. When a feature is not common to all editors, it
is noted in the heading. If an illustration shows only one of the editors, it is also noted. When
the documentation does not note a specific editor, this means that the feature applies to all three
layout editors.
This preface contains the following sections:
Design Tools
Online Documentation Information
User Guide Conventions
Late-Breaking Information
Cadence Customer Response Center

For information on new features, see the What's New document in the user documentation.

Design Tools
Based on the licenses you have purchased and the product choices made by the installer, you
may have access to these tools. .
Tool Used For...
Allegro PCB Editor Creating graphic symbols that represent packages, mechanical
elements, drawing formats, and custom pads
Performing placement, interactive routing, and manufacturing output
processes
Preparing the design (for example, defining properties, constraints
and other design rules, creating keepin and keepout areas, and so on)
Allegro Package Designer A tool that uses the SpiderRoute autorouting technology for complex,
(APD) high-density interconnect IC packages. APD SpiderRoute
complements the already robust IC packaging routing environment,

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 which includes the Allegro PCB Router, by providing innovative
algorithms for supporting all chip-attach technology. APD
SpiderRoute provides IC package designers with true any angle,
multi-layer routing capability, concurrent routing, preroute feasibility,
and on-the-fly pin swap.
System-in-Package (SiP) One of a suite of tools that helps you streamline the integration of
Layout multiple high-pin-count chips onto a single substrate. The product
suite targets the major challenges of SiP level connectivity definition
and management, physical concept prototyping of the SiP floorplan,
including multi-chip die stacks, and die I/O planning to optimize and
minimize substrate connectivity routing and signal integrity
challenges.
You use Cadence SiP Layout for constraint and rules-driven, detailed
physical substrate construction and manufacturing preparation.
Padstack Editor A graphical user interface that lets you create and visualize multi-
layer padstacks. This tool eases the definition of complex padstack
geometries by visualizing the padstack from the cross-section and
plane views.
Allegro Design Entry HDL, Assigning Allegro PCB Editor properties to schematic symbols and
Allegro Design Entry CIS, nets that drive Allegro PCB Editor in placement and routing
third-party, or OrCAD
Capture CIS schematic or Generating the information necessary for backannotation to a
netlist schematic by running backannotation

Allegro PCB Router A tool that handles high-density designs requiring complex design
rules. The Allegro PCB Router uses powerful, shape-based
algorithms to efficiently use the routing area. In addition, the Allegro
PCB Router integration with Allegro PCB Editor layout, Allegro
PCB SI, and APD provides high-speed constraint management across
the entire design flow.
SigNoise Obtaining timing delay estimates for unrouted connections and noise
reflection data before routing
EMControl Checking compliance to electromagnetic interference rules
Allegro Constraint Manager A spreadsheet-based product, which acts as a command center for the
correct-by-design process. Constraint Manager establishes, manages,
reviews, and validates physical and spacing constraints as well as
electrical design rules or constraints that control interconnect signal
quality. As of 16.0, Constraint Manager (specifically the Physical and
Spacing worksheets) is available for all PCB Editor tiers. This
powerful tool allows you to graphically create, edit, and review
topology templates or electronic blueprints. It provides real-time
updates of the spreadsheets, and automatically integrates the results
for you.
Allegro PCB SI A tool that offers an integrated high-speed design and analysis
environment for creating digital PCB systems and integrated circuit

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 (IC) package designs. Allegro PCB SI allows you to explore and
resolve electrical performance-related issues in all stages of the
design cycle. By exploring and making trade-offs among timing,
signal integrity, crosstalk, power delivery, and EMI, you can optimize
electrical performance before committing to final design for
manufacture.
AXL-SKILL (Allegro Creating programming constructs that let you access design databases
Extension Language) and create custom interactive commands.

Also installed is a number of programs that you can run from an operating system prompt.
These programs may display graphical user interfaces when run, or may require that you enter
arguments and options from the keyboard.

Online Documentation Information

Many Cadence products are sold and licensed in different configurations based on features and
price. However, the online documentation describes the full set of features. Therefore, the
information in the online documentation may contain information on features not supported in
the configuration you are using.
Use the online documentation to learn about the Cadence products and how they work together
to achieve a design objective. Online books document design flow methodology, aspects of
design, and details on how the tool performs specific design tasks. You can view and print the
books independently of Cadence applications.

Types of Information
The following types of information are available:
Overviews: Design methodologies and concepts
Command Reference: Definitions, syntax, and procedures associated with each command
Command Browser using the helpcmd command: Access to complete selection of
keyboard commands and any associated online documentation
Technical Definitions: General terminology associated with development and design

The topic-based, application-specific, context-sensitive Cadence® Help online documentation

system enables you to navigate, search, and display the contents of multiple document libraries.
Cadence Help supports application types that let you run Flash-based multimedia in Web
browsers or media viewers and PDF files in Adobe Acrobat.

Printing Documentation on Unix

If you are using a UNIX workstation, you may have to set the PRINTER variable in your
environment file to the desired printer; for example:
setenv PRINTER <printer_name>

Your system uses that printer for all print jobs.

User Guide Conventions

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This user guide employs certain conventions to describe the Allegro user interface.

Running Commands
The user interface uses toolbars (menu items and icon buttons) to run commands. It also
provides a console window prompt (>) from where you can enter commands. This user guide
documents the menu selection followed by the console command that activates the command.
In most cases, the console command is formatted as a hot link that, when you click on it, brings
up procedural information on the command in the Allegro PCB and Package Physical Layout
Command Reference. For example, the convention used in this document is: choose Route -
Gloss - Parameters (gloss param command).

This means that you choose the menu selection in the user interface or type in the command

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name as it is written in the user guide at the tool command prompt.

Default Values in Dialog Boxes

Dialog boxes are usually shown with the system default selections:
Filled buttons are the default selections
Filled-in fields are the default values

Figure shows the Test Prep Parameters dialog box.

Default Values in Dialog Boxes

Command Syntax Conventions

Although you can run most commands by menu selection from the user interface, you must
enter some commands in a Run dialog box or on a command line (for example, extracta).
This list describes the command line syntax conventions used in this documentation. For
information on command syntax for the Allegro Extension Language (AXL) see the Allegro
User Guide: SKILL Reference.

Courier This guide shows all Run/command line names and examples in
Courier font.
nonitalic Nonitalic words indicate keywords that you must enter literally. These
keywords represent command (function, routine) or option names.
<variable> Words in italics indicate variables for which you must substitute a
name or value. Names are case sensitive. Angle brackets (<variable
may also enclose variables.
For example
Use the switch option -s <symfile> to refresh specified symbols.
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| Vertical bars (OR-bars) separate possible choices for a single
argument. They take precedence over any other character.
For example
command argument | argument

[] Brackets denote optional arguments. When used with OR-bars, they

enclose a list of choices. You can choose one argument from the list.
{} Braces are used with OR-bars and enclose a list of choices. You must
choose one argument from the list.
... Three dots (...) indicate that you can repeat the previous argument. If
you use the dots with brackets, you can specify zero or more
arguments. If they are used without brackets, you must specify at least
one argument, but you can specify more.
argument...: specify at least one, but more are possible

[argument]...: you can specify zero or more

,... A comma and three dots together indicate that if you specify more than
one argument, you must separate those arguments by commas.

Product Installation Information

Cadence ships installation and licensing instructions with the product.

Late-Breaking Information
Information about Cadence products that becomes available after the product has been shipped
may be published in a Release Alert on Cadence Online Support,
http://www.support.cadence.com

or the Cadence ftp site. See Using Cadence Online Support for more information. For
customers without access to Cadence Online Support, contact your Cadence Channel partner.

Cadence Customer Response Center

Technical support is available for customers who have a maintenance agreement with Cadence.
If you need to report a problem in the software or documentation, submit a request from your
Cadence Online Support account, or contact your Cadence Channel partner. Contact Cadence
Customer Support at:
http://support.cadence.com

Using Cadence Online Support

Cadence Online Support (COS) can be accessed by customers who have a COS account with
Cadence. For customers without access to COS, contact your Cadence Channel partner. The
details of how to contact Cadence by phone, fax or e-mail from locations throughout the world
are available at the Web page:

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 http://support.cadence.com/wps/myportal/cos/psa?uri=deeplinkmin:contacts

You can also use COS to:

Search the Customer Response Center Solutions Database.
Create Service Requests directly with the Customer Response Center.
Check the status of Service Requests and Cadence Change Management System (CCMS)
Change Requests (CCRs).
Get information on current and upcoming releases.
Read technical application notes.
Get SKILL code written by application engineers and other customers.

Education Services
Cadence offers many education services for customers including traditional classes and web-
based training, and will customize training for specific needs. OrCAD customers can contact
their local Cadence Channel Partner for training services offered. For a description of classes
and their schedules, visit the Cadence Education Services web site.
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For support, see Cadence Online Support service.

Copyright © 2012, Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

All rights reserved.