Important Information
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Anti-Grain Geometry - Version 2.4
Copyright (C) 2002-2004 Maxim Shemanarev (McSeem)
Permission to copy, use, modify, sell and distribute this software is granted provided this copyright notice appears in all copies. This software is
provided "as is" without express or implied warranty, and with no claim as to its suitability for any purpose.
Anti-Grain Geometry - Version 2.4
Copyright (C) 2002-2005 Maxim Shemanarev (McSeem)
1. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
2. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
3. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
The name of the author may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
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Ultiboard is a registered trademark and Multisim and Electronics Workbench are trademarks of Electronics Workbench.
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Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
»
The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.
This icon denotes a tip, which alerts you to advisory information.
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.
This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take to
avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash.
bold
Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such
as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter
names.
italic
Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction
to a key concept. Italic text also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.
monospace
Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames, and extensions.
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Chapter 1
Main Toolbar...................................................................................................1-4
PCB Design Tab..............................................................................................1-15
Birds Eye View..............................................................................................................1-28
Filter Manager...................................................................................1-31
Spreadsheet View: Results Tab.......................................................................1-32
Spreadsheet View: Parts Tab...........................................................................1-33
Spreadsheet View: Part Groups Tab................................................................1-34
Spreadsheet View: Nets Tab ...........................................................................1-35
Spreadsheet View: Nets Groups Tab...............................................................1-38
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Contents
Spreadsheet View: THT Pads Tab.................................................................. 1-40
Spreadsheet View: Vias Tab........................................................................... 1-42
Spreadsheet View: Copper Areas Tab ............................................................ 1-43
Spreadsheet View: PCB Layers Tab............................................................... 1-45
Spreadsheet View: Statistics Tab.................................................................... 1-46
Commands Tab ............................................................................................... 1-47
Toolbars Tab ................................................................................................... 1-47
Menu Tab ........................................................................................................ 1-48
Chapter 2
Beginning a Design
Opening an Existing File............................................................................................... 2-5
Loading Technology Files............................................................................................. 2-6
Place and Select Modes................................................................................................. 2-8
Searching for Design Elements ..................................................................................... 2-8
Options for Viewing the Design.................................................................................... 2-9
Using the Full Screen...................................................................................... 2-9
Magnifying and Shrinking the View............................................................... 2-10
Refreshing the Design..................................................................................... 2-11
Chapter 3
Setting Up a Design
Working with Layers..................................................................................................... 3-1
Defining Copper Layers.................................................................................. 3-1
Accessing Layers ............................................................................................ 3-3
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Importing a DXF File......................................................................................3-6
Using the Board Wizard..................................................................................3-7
Setting the Board’s Reference Point..............................................................................3-8
Working with the Group Editor.....................................................................................3-11
Add Group dialog box.....................................................................................3-11
Working with Bus Groups...............................................................................3-15
Working with Differential Pairs......................................................................3-17
Net Group Settings............................................................................3-19
Chapter 4
Tools to Assist Part Placement........................................................................4-5
Dragging Parts...................................................................................4-7
Unplacing Parts ...............................................................................................4-15
Viewing and Editing Properties.....................................................................................4-15
Attributes.........................................................................................................4-15
Viewing and Editing Part Properties...............................................................4-17
Viewing and Editing Attributes.......................................................................4-19
Viewing and Editing Shape/Graphics Properties ............................................4-20
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Working with Jumpers.................................................................................... 4-23
Placing Jumpers................................................................................ 4-23
Placing Test Points ........................................................................... 4-24
Locating a Part in a Design............................................................................. 4-34
Adding Parts to the Database.......................................................................... 4-44
Adding Parts using the Database Manager....................................... 4-45
Merging and Converting Databases .............................................................................. 4-46
Chapter 5
Placing Traces ............................................................................................................... 5-1
Working with Traces....................................................................................... 5-2
Placing a Trace: Manual Method.................................................................... 5-2
Placing a Trace: Follow-me Method............................................................... 5-3
Placing a Trace: Connection Machine Method............................................... 5-4
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Placing a Bus...................................................................................................5-5
Working with Density Bars.............................................................................5-6
Placing Copper Areas......................................................................................5-10
Converting a Copper Shape to an Area ...........................................................5-12
Using the Nets Tab..........................................................................................5-19
Using the Netlist Editor...................................................................................5-20
Highlighting a Net...........................................................................................5-28
Copying a Copper Route .................................................................................5-33
Swapping Pins and Gates...............................................................................................5-34
Swapping Pins .................................................................................................5-34
Swapping Gates...............................................................................................5-35
Automatic Pin/Gate Swapping ........................................................................5-38
Real-Time Pin/Gate Swapping........................................................................5-39
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Contents
Chapter 6
PCB Transmission Line Calculator............................................................................... 6-1
Dual Stripline Trace Calculations................................................................... 6-6
PCB Differential Impedance Calculator........................................................................ 6-7
Embedded Microstrip Calculations................................................................. 6-9
Chapter 7
Pre-Placing Parts............................................................................................. 7-2
Placing Automatic Test Points........................................................................ 7-10
Routing Options: General Tab.......................................................... 7-11
Routing Options: Cost Factors Tab .................................................. 7-12
Routing Options: Rip-Up Tab .......................................................... 7-14
Routing Options: Optimization Tab ................................................. 7-15
Routing Options: Bus Autorouting Tab............................................ 7-16
Strategies to Achieve Better Routing Results................................................. 7-17
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Chapter 8
Placing a Comment........................................................................................................8-3
Viewing and Editing Export Properties...........................................................8-10
Setting NC Drill Properties...............................................................8-11
Working with SVG Properties ..........................................................8-11
Exporting the Desired File...............................................................................8-14
Printing your Design......................................................................................................8-14
Previewing the Printed Design .....................................................................................8-15
Chapter 9
Manipulating the 3D View ............................................................................................9-2
Controlling the Elements Viewed in 3D .........................................................9-3
Internal View...................................................................................................9-4
Creating Mechanical CAD Projects...............................................................................10-1
Creating Mechanical CAD Design Files .......................................................................10-2
Importing a DXF File......................................................................................10-3
Setting Mechanical CAD Properties and Options .........................................................10-3
Setting Mechanical CAD Properties ...............................................................10-3
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Contents
Controlling Workspace Elements for Mechanical CAD................................. 10-4
Setting Paths for Mechanical CAD................................................................. 10-5
File»Close Project........................................................................................... A-2
Edit Menu...................................................................................................................... A-3
Edit»Select All ................................................................................................ A-5
Edit»Select Entire Trace ................................................................................. A-5
Edit»Group Selection...................................................................................... A-5
Edit»Ungroup Selection.................................................................................. A-5
Edit»Lock........................................................................................................ A-5
Edit»Unlock .................................................................................................... A-5
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Edit»In-Place Part Edit....................................................................................A-7
View»Full Screen............................................................................................A-8
View»Redraw Screen......................................................................................A-8
View»Zoom Window......................................................................................A-8
View»Grid.......................................................................................................A-8
Place»From Database......................................................................................A-10
Place»Line.......................................................................................................A-10
Place»Connection Machine.............................................................................A-11
Place»Graphic»Bezier.....................................................................................A-12
Place»Bus ........................................................................................................A-12
Place»Keep-in/Keep-out Area.........................................................................A-13
Place»Group Array Box ..................................................................................A-13
Place»Pins........................................................................................................A-13
Place»Via.........................................................................................................A-13
Place»Test Point..............................................................................................A-13
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Contents
Tools»Board Wizard....................................................................................... A-17
Tools»Netlist Editor........................................................................................ A-18
Tools»Renumber Parts.................................................................................... A-18
Tools»Equi-space Traces ................................................................................ A-19
Tools»Change Shape....................................................................................... A-19
Tools»Update Shapes...................................................................................... A-19
Tools»Highlight Selection in Multisim........................................................... A-19
Tools»Capture Screen Area ............................................................................ A-19
Tools»View 3D............................................................................................... A-19
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Options»Global Preferences............................................................................A-20
Autoroute Menu.............................................................................................................A-20
Window»New Window...................................................................................A-20
Window»Close All..........................................................................................A-21
Window»Cascade............................................................................................A-21
Window»Tile Vertical.....................................................................................A-21
Window»Windows..........................................................................................A-21
Window»<open designs>................................................................................A-21
Help»File Information.....................................................................................A-21
Help»About Ultiboard.....................................................................................A-22
Context Menus...............................................................................................................A-22
Select Menu.....................................................................................................A-22
Place Trace Menu............................................................................................A-24
Archiving Data
Backing up the Corporate Database...............................................................................B-1
Backing up the User Database and Configuration files.................................................B-2
Technical Support and Professional Services
Glossary
Index
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1
User Interface
The following sections explain the basic components of the Ultiboard
Graphical User Interface (GUI) and show how to set up user preferences
and PCB properties.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
Introduction to the Ultiboard Interface
Ultiboard is the PCB layout application of National Instruments Circuit
Design Suite, a suite of EDA (Electronics Design Automation) tools that
assists you in carrying out the major steps in the circuit design flow.
Ultiboard is used to design printed circuit boards, perform certain basic
mechanical CAD operations, and prepare them for manufacturing. It also
provides automated parts placement and layout.
Note For more information on the Ultiboard interface, and information on the other
components of NI Circuit Design Suite, refer to Getting Started with NI Circuit Design
Suite.
Toolbars
The toolbars provide a quick, convenient way for you to access the most
common Ultiboard functions. You can toggle toolbars on and off using the
View»Toolbars menu.
Standard Toolbar
The Standard toolbar contains buttons for basic editing functions, and
appears by default when you run Ultiboard. The Standard toolbar buttons
are described in the table below.
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Chapter 1
User Interface
Button
Description
New File button. Creates a new project (if none are
Design sections of Chapter 2, Beginning a Design, for
more information.
Open File button. Opens an existing project. Refer to the
Opening an Existing File section of Chapter 2, Beginning
a Design, for more information.
Open Sample button. Opens the samples folder.
section of Chapter 2, Beginning a Design, for more
information.
Print button. Displays the Print dialog. Refer to the
Printing your Design section of Chapter 8, Preparing for
Manufacturing/Assembly, for more information.
Cut button. Cuts the selected element from the design and
places it on the Windows Clipboard.
Copy button. Copies the selected element from the design
and places it on the Windows Clipboard.
Paste button. Pastes the element from the Windows
Clipboard to the design.
Undo button. Undoes the last action.
Redo button. Redoes the last action (used after undoing).
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Chapter 1
User Interface
View Toolbar
The View toolbar contains buttons for modifying the way the screen is
toolbar buttons are explained in the table below.
Button
Description
Redraw the Screen button. Redraws the currently active
information.
Using the Full Screen section of of Chapter 2, Beginning
a Design, for more information.
Zoom In button. Zooms in on the design, providing a
closer view. Refer to the Magnifying and Shrinking the
View section of Chapter 2, Beginning a Design, for more
information.
Zoom Out button. Zooms out on the design, providing a
broader view.
Zoom Window button. Magnifies a selected part of the
design. Refer to the Magnifying and Shrinking the View
section of Chapter 2, Beginning a Design, for more
information.
Zoom Bounds button. Shows the entire design, including
objects that are outside of the board outline.
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Chapter 1
User Interface
Main Toolbar
The Main toolbar contains buttons for common board design functions. Its
buttons are described in the table below.
Button
Description
Select button. De-activates any selected mode (for
example, for placing traces) and allows you to select an
element on the board.
Show or Hide Design Toolbox button. Shows or hides
the Design Toolbox. Refer to the Design Toolbox section
for more information.
Spreadsheet View. Refer to the Spreadsheet View
section for more information.
Manager. Refer to the Managing the Database section of
Refer to the Using the Board Wizard section of Chapter 3,
Setting Up a Design, for more information.
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Place Part from Database button. Allows you to browse
Place Line button. Places a straight line on the design (or
places a trace, if the active layer is a copper one). Refer to
Method section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces and
Copper, for more information.
Follow-me button. Places a follow-me trace. Refer to the
Placing a Trace: Follow-me Method section of
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
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Chapter 1
Button
Description
Place Via button. Places a via on the design. Refer to the
Working with Vias section of Chapter 5, Working with
Place Copper Area button. Places a copper area on the
design.
Create Power Plane button. Places a powerplane on the
design. Refer to the Placing Powerplanes section of
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
Design Rule Check button. Runs the Design Rule
Check and places results in the Results tab.
Placing and Editing Text section of Chapter 8, Preparing
for Manufacturing/Assembly, for more information.
Show 3D button. Displays the current design in three
dimensions. Refer to the section of Chapter 9, Viewing
Designs in 3D, for more information.
Help button. Displays the helpfile contents page.
Select Toolbar
The Select toolbar contains the functions used to control selection filters,
and appears by default when you run Ultiboard. Please note that all filters
are not available in all versions of Ultiboard. The Select toolbar buttons are
explained in the table below.
Button
Description
Enable Selecting Parts button. Use to allow or prevent
selection of parts.
Enable Selecting Traces button. Use to allow or prevent
selection of traces.
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User Interface
Button
Description
Enable Selecting Copper Areas button. Use to allow or
prevent selection of copper areas.
Enable Selecting Vias button. Use to allow or prevent
selection of vias.
Enable Selecting Pads button. Use to allow or prevent
selection of pads.
Enable Selecting SMD Pads button. Use to allow or
prevent selection of Surface Mount Device pads.
Enable Selecting Attributes button. Use to allow or
prevent selection of attributes.
Enable Selecting Other Objects button. Use to allow or
prevent selection of other object on the PCB.
Draw Settings Toolbar
The Draw Settings toolbar lets you select the layer, thickness and unit of
measure of a line or object that is being drawn. It also contains buttons for
functions that control the appearance of lines and shapes drawn on any
layer, except a copper layer. The Draw Settings toolbar elements are
explained below.
Button
Description
Selects the layer for the line or object being drawn.
Sets the thickness and unit of measure of the line being
drawn, or of an object’s border. The maximum number of
values that can be stored here are set in the Line Width
Cache Size field of the General tab of the
Preferences dialog box.
Fill Color button. Sets the color of the layer’s fill.
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Button
Description
Fill Style button. Sets the fill style, either transparent or solid.
Line Color button. Sets the color of the layer’s line.
Line Type button. Sets the lines style, for example, solid,
dashed.
Edit Toolbar
The Edit toolbar contains the functions used for editing specific elements,
including in-place editing and orientation. The Edit toolbar buttons are
explained in the table below.
Button
Description
Toggle “In-Place” PCB Part Edit button. Activates
In-Place Edit for placed PCB parts. Refer to the Editing
a Placed Part (In-Place Edit) section of Chapter 4,
Toggle “In-Place” Edit Text or Attribute button.
Allows you to edit the selected text.
clockwise. Refer to the Orienting Parts section of
counter-clockwise. Refer to the Orienting Parts section
of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Swap Layer button. Places a part on mirror layer. Refer
to the Orienting Parts section of Chapter 4, Working with
Parts, for more information.
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Chapter 1
Align Toolbar
The Align toolbar contains the functions used to align and space design
elements. Refer to the Aligning Shapes and Partsand Spacing Shapes and
Parts sections of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
The Align toolbar buttons are explained in the table below.
Button
Description
Align Left button. Aligns the left sides of the selected
parts.
Align Right button. Aligns the right sides of the selected
parts.
Align Top button. Aligns the top edges of the selected
parts.
Align Bottom button. Aligns the bottom edges of the
selected parts.
Align Center Horizontal button. Shifts the selected
elements horizontally so their centers are aligned.
Align Center Vertical button. Shifts the selected
elements vertically so their centers are aligned.
Align to Coordinate button. Displays the Enter
coordinate dialog box where you enter new coordinates
for the selected element.
Space Across button. Spaces three or more objects beside
each other evenly.
Space Across Plus button. Increases horizontal space
between two or more objects.
Space Across Min button. Decreases horizontal space
between two or more objects.
Space Down button. Spaces three or more objects above
each other evenly.
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Chapter 1
User Interface
Button
Description
Space Down Plus button. Increases vertical space
between two or more objects.
Space Down Min button. Decreases vertical space
between two or more objects.
Place Toolbar
The Place toolbar contains the functions used to place elements such as
explained in the table below.
Button
Description
Place Comment button. Places a comment on the design.
Refer to the Placing a Comment section of Chapter 8,
Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly, for more
information.
Capture Area button. Captures a section of the screen
and places it on the system clipboard.
element on the board.
Shapes and Graphics section of Chapter 4, Working with
Placing Shapes and Graphics of Chapter 4, Working with
Refer to the Placing Shapes and Graphics section of
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
to the Placing Shapes and Graphics section of Chapter 4,
Working with Parts, for more information.
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Chapter 1
User Interface
Button
Refer to the Placing Shapes and Graphics section of
to the Placing Shapes and Graphics section of Chapter 4,
Working with Parts, for more information.
Graphics section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for
more information.
Refer to the Placing Shapes and Graphics section of
Refer to the Placing Shapes and Graphics section of
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Place Copper Area button. Places a polygon copper area
information.
Follow-me button. Places a follow me trace, a trace that
automatically draws a legal trace between two selected
for more information.
Place Multiple Traces as a Bus button. Use to connect
Refer to the Placing a Bus section of Chapter 5, Working
with Traces and Copper, for more information.
Place Group Array Box button. A group array box is
used to place parts in an array. Refer to the Placing a
Group Array Box section of Chapter 4, Working with
Parts, for more information.
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Description
Place Text button. Places text on the design. Useful for
Manufacturing/Assembly, for more information.
Place a Standard Dimension button. Places a dimension
Parts, for more information.
Place a Horizontal Dimension button. Places a
horizontally-oriented dimension between two selected
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
vertically-oriented dimension between two selected
points. Refer to the Working with Dimensions section of
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Place a Net Bridge button. Places a net bridge
connection. Refer to the Net Bridges section of Chapter 5,
Place a Hole button. Places a hole on your PCB.
Place Pins button. Places pins on the design when editing
or creating a part in In-place Edit mode or Footprint Edit
mode. Refer to the Editing a Placed Part (In-Place Edit)
and Using the Database Manager to Create a Part
sections of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
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Button
Description
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
Remove Copper Islands button. Removes copper
islands. Refer to the Placing Copper Areas section of
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
Wizard Toolbar
Button
the Working with the Board Outline section of Chapter 3,
Setting Up a Design, for more information.
Part Wizard button. Starts the Part Wizard. Refer to the
Using the Part Wizard to Create a Part section of
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Autoroute Toolbar
The Autoroute toolbar contains the autorouting and placement functions
supported by Ultiboard. The Autoroute toolbar buttons are explained in the
table below.
Button
Description
Begin Autoplacing button. Starts automatically placing
parts.
Autoroute Selected Buses button. Displays the Bus
Autorouting dialog.
Start Trace Optimization button. Starts trace
optimization.
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Button
Description
Start/Resume Autorouting button. Starts automatically
placing traces.
Stop/Pause Autorouter button.
Setting Preferences
This section explains general procedures for setting preferences. The
following sections describe details of setting specific options.
appears, offering you the following tabs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
General Tab
Paths Tab
Colors Tab
PCB Design Tab
Dimensions Tab
3D Options Tab
2. Select the desired tab.
3. Set the desired customization options. The specific options and
settings available in the tabs are described in the following sections.
4. Click OK to save your changes.
General Tab
Complete the following steps to change workspace options:
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences and select the General tab.
2. Set the Fullscreen mode, View, Crosshair and Mouse wheel
behavior settings as desired.
3. Set the following as desired:
•
(at the specified Time interval).
•
Minimum control point size—The size of the contol points on
vertices and other objects.
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•
Line width cache size—The number of recently used line widths
Ultiboard keeps in memory. Minimum cache size is 5.
•
•
Undo buffer size—The number of undo actions allowed.
Load last file on startup—Enable if you would like to continue
working on the last file you had open in your previous Ultiboard
session.
•
•
Unicode Settings box—If desired, enable the Save .TXT files as
plain text checkbox.
Language—Select the desired language from the list. You must
restart Ultiboard for all dialog boxes to reflect the new setting.
4. To apply your changes but leave the Preferences dialog box open,
click Apply. To apply your changes and close the Preferences dialog
box, click OK.
Paths Tab
The Ultiboard installation puts specific files in specific locations. If
necessary you can point Ultiboard to a new location to find, for example,
database files. You can also use this dialog box to create and specify user
settings files that contain individuals’ preferences for all options.
Complete the following steps to change file locations:
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences. The Preferences dialog box
appears.
2. Select the Paths tab.
3. Change the following as desired:
•
Circuit Default Path—This is where all new files are saved,
unless you manually navigate to a new location when saving.
•
User Button Images Path—This is where you store any
user-created button graphics.
4. Change the User Settings as desired:
•
•
Configuration File—Contains the user interface settings.
New User Configuration File—Click to create a new user
configuration file and select an item from the drop-down list.
5. Change the settings in the Database Files area as desired:
•
•
Master Database—The location of the Master Database.
Corporate Database—The location of the Corporate Database.
User Database—The location of the User Database.
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Colors Tab
Ultiboard allows you to set up color schemes for the workspace
background and other displayed elements.
Complete the following steps to set up color schemes:
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences. The Preferences dialog box
appears.
2. Select the Colors tab and complete the following as required:
•
To apply an existing color scheme, either the default or one you
have created, choose from the Color scheme drop-down list.
•
To modify an existing color scheme, choose it from the Color
scheme drop-down list. From the Color element drop-down list,
choose the element whose color you want to modify. Click the
color button (unlabelled) and choose a new color for that element.
Your change is stored with the color scheme when you click
Apply or OK.
•
To create a color scheme, click New scheme and provide a scheme
name. The element colors remain at the value they had in the most
recently loaded scheme. Modify the element colors as described
above, and save your changes by clicking Apply or OK.
•
•
To add a color element, click New element and enter a name. The
element appears in the Color element list, and you can choose a
color for the element.
Optionally, enable the Preview grayed out checkbox to switch
the preview visibility on or off and adjust and select the Grayed
out factor.
Your changes are reflected in the Preview area.
3. To apply your changes but leave the Preferences dialog box open,
click Apply. To apply your changes and close the Preferences dialog
box, click OK.
PCB Design Tab
Use the PCB Design tab of the Preferences dialog box to define a variety
of actions associated with the overall PCB design.
Complete the following steps to define the default actions:
appears.
2. Select the PCB Design tab.
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3. Set the viewing options in the View area:
•
Show pin 1 mark—Enable to display pin 1 of a device with a
unique marking.
•
Show Copper Areas—Enable to display copper areas. This
applies to copper areas only, not regular polygon shapes on
non-copper layers.
•
Show pin info in pin—Enable to display the pin number and hole
size when zoomed in.
4. In the On select entire trace area:
•
Select Across Layers—Enable so that when you choose
Edit»Select Entire Trace, the trace will be selected across all
layers, instead of just the active layer.
5. In the Part Drag area:
Re-route after move—Enable if you would like the traces that
are attached to a part to be re-routed if you move the part.
6. In the Default pin diameters area:
•
•
•
•
Units—Select unit of measurement from drop-down list.
Jumpers—Enter the default pin diameter for jumpers.
Testpoints—Enter the default pin diameter for testpoints.
7. In the Action on DRC error area, set the actions to be taken when
Ultiboard encounters a Design Rule Error:
•
•
•
Cancel the current action—Enable to prevent the current
operation from being completed. For example, placing a trace
over a pad that is part of a different netlist will not be permitted.
Ask for Confirmation—Enable so that if an invalid operation is
attempted a prompt is given asking if the operation should be
completed even though a Design Rule will be violated.
Overrule—Enable to permit the operation to be completed.
8. In the On trace deletion area:
•
Auto delete Via (standard)—Enable to have vias automatically
deleted when you delete the trace associated with that via.
•
Auto delete teardrop—Enable to have teardrops automatically
deleted when you delete the trace associated with that teardrop.
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9. In the On trace placement area:
•
Auto trace narrowing—Enable to allow traces to narrow as
necessary during routing.
•
Auto add teardrop—Enable to add a teardrop when a trace is
placed.
10. In the DRC & Net check area:
•
•
•
No Realtime Check—Enable to prevent a DRC and netcheck in
“real time” as you place objects, for example, parts.
Check on action end—Enable to perform a DRC and netcheck
after each action, for example, part placement.
Full Realtime Check—Enable to perform DRC checks and
ratnest updates to your work in “real time” (as you place objects,
for example, parts).
Continuous place—Enable to have the next trace begin from the
•
finish point of the previous trace when placing a “Follow-me”
trace. If this is not selected, you must click to start a new trace.
Working with Traces and Copper, for information about Follow-me
traces.
12. In the Crosshair area:
•
Trace snap—Enable to have the pointer snap to the nearest trace.
Refer to the Working with Traces section in Chapter 5, Working with
Traces and Copper, for information about using trace snap.
13. In the Post processing area:
•
Show fiducial marks—Enable to show fiducial marks when you
postprocess this design. Fiducial marks are used to align layers
with each other. As shown in the figure below, Ultiboard uses
three different types of cocentric circles as fiducial marks. These
are placed on three of the four corners of a design when it is
printed or exported to Gerber.
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14. To apply your changes but leave the Preferences dialog box open,
click Apply. To apply your changes and close the Preferences dialog
Dimensions Tab
Use the Dimensions tab of the Preferences dialog box to define the
characteristics to be used for any dimensions placed in the board. Refer to
the Working with Dimensions section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for
information about placing dimensions.
Complete the following steps to define the default dimension
characteristics:
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences. The Preferences dialog box
appears.
2. Click the Dimensions tab.
3. Set the following as desired:
•
•
•
•
Units—This is the unit of measure for Stub Length, Arrow Style
and Text Style.
Stub Length—This is the amount the end lines of the dimension
protrude above eacg arrowhead.
Arrow Style—This is where you adjust the size and appearance
of the arrow.
Text Style—This is where you adjust the size and appearance of
the text.
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•
Displayed Unit—Select the unit of measure to be displayed with
the dimension. If you select Use Design Settings, the unit of
measure selected in the Design Units field of the Grids & Units
tab of the PCB Properties dialog box are used. This setting also
appears in the Draw Settings toolbar.
•
•
Alignment and Position—These are where you set how the text
appears in relation to the arrow.
Orientation—This is where you select the angle at which the
dimension displays.
The results of your choices are previewed on the tab.
4. To apply your changes without closing the dialog box, click Apply.
Existing dimensions are not affected. To apply your changes and close
the dialog box, click OK.
3D Options Tab
Complete the following steps to set 3D viewer options:
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences and select the 3D Options tab.
2. To change the background color in the 3D viewer, click on the shaded
rectangle beside Background color. The Color dialog box appears.
3. Select the desired color and click OK in the Color dialog box.
4. Optionally, enable the Show Copper and Silkscreen while moving
checkbox.
5. Set the Internal View Options as desired.
Tip The more space that you set between the layers, the easier they will be to view when
you zoom in on the PCB in the 3D mode. Refer to the Internal View section of Chapter 9,
Viewing Designs in 3D, for more information.
6. To apply your changes but leave the Preferences dialog box open,
click Apply. To apply your changes and close the Preferences dialog
box, click OK.
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Setting PCB Properties
Many characteristics of your PCB design are controlled through the PCB
Properties dialog box including the number of layers, design rules and grid
settings. These settings are saved with the design and will be in effect when
the design is reopened.
Do one of the following to display the PCB Properties dialog box for the
board:
•
With nothing selected on the board, right-click on an empty portion of
the board and choose Properties from the context menu that appears.
•
Click on an empty portion of the board and choose Edit»Properties.
Attributes Tab
All properties dialog boxes for all design elements have an Attributes tab,
although a design’s PCB typically does not have any attributes. Refer to the
Attributes section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for information about
adding attributes.
Grid & Units Tab
Use the Grid & Units tab of the PCB Properties dialog box to control
Ultiboard grids and set the unit of measurement for your design.
Complete the following steps to set up the grid properties:
1. Choose the default units of measure from the Design Units list.
2. In the Grid area, set the following elements as desired:
•
Grid Type—Select Standard Grid for a rectangular grid, or
Polar Grid, for a circular grid.
•
Visible grid style—This is where you set the style for the Visible
Grid. (The Visible Grid provides a visual reference for you to
visually align parts and traces).
•
Visible grid—This is the distance between the grid’s elements
(dots, lines or crosses) that you set up in the Visible grid style
field.
Grid Step Name—Use this field to change the distance between
a grid’s elements. Select the desired grid: Part Grid; Copper
Grid; Via Grid; SMD Grid, and then enter the desired increment
in the Grid Step Value field.
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•
•
Degree Step—This field becomes active when Polar Grid is
selected in the Grid Type field. Enter the desired distance
between the grid’s elements (dots, lines or crosses). Select the unit
of measure in the drop-down list to the right of this field—choices
are: degrees, radians, or grads.
Grid start offset—This field becomes active when Polar Grid is
selected in the Grid Type field. Enter the distance to offset the
center of the polar grid: X is horizonatal offset; Y is vertical offset.
3. Click OK to close the dialog.
To show or hide the visible grid, select View»Grid.
Copper Layers Tab
Use the Copper Layers tab of the PCB Properties dialog box to determine
the layer pairs that are acceptable for blind, buried or micro vias. This is
used when you try to place a via. Your choices will affect the cost of the
board, and should be confirmed with the board manufacturer.
This tab also allows you to set the default clearance for the board—the
elements. For example, if you try to run a trace through a clearance, or try
to place a part so that a pad is put within a clearance, a design rule error
occurs.
Note If you used the Board Wizard, the layer information and clearance may already
have been set. Refer to the Using the Board Wizard section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a
Design, for more information.
Complete the following steps to set up the Copper Layers tab:
1. Set the number of layer pairs you intend to use by entering the value or
using the up/down arrows in the Layer Pairs field. There should be at
least one layered pair to act as a core.
2. Set the number of Single Layer Build-ups for both the top and
bottom. There should be at least one layered pair to act as a core.
3. Select the Micro Vias, Buried Vias, or Blind Vias checkboxes to use
these in your design.
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4. As you make changes to the layer settings, the Allowed Vias pane
shows the acceptable layer combinations for blind and buried vias or
microvias. Use the checkboxes to select the layer combinations you
want to allow in your design as shown in the example in the figure
below.
5. In the Allow Routing area, from the Copper Layer drop-down list,
select the copper layer for which you wish to assign routing properties
and click Properties to display the Copper Layer Properties dialog
box.
Enable the Routable checkbox to allow routing on the selected layer.
In the Trace Bias drop-down list, select one of Horizontal; Vertical;
or None.
Click OK to close the Copper Layer Properties dialog box.
6. In the Board area, enter the desired Board Outline Clearance and
Board Thickness.
Pads/Vias Tab
following:
•
•
•
•
•
Through Hole Pad Annular Ring
Vias
Microvias
Maximum Vias Per Net
Surface Mount Pads Oversize
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Through Hole Pad Annular Ring
Footprints in the database have been designed with pad sizes in accordance
with the manufacturers’ recommendations. To change these settings you
can edit the footprint in the database or directly on the design using the
In-place Part Edit command. Alternatively, you can apply a set of design
rules to specific footprints or to the entire design.
The annular ring setting (the ring of copper around the drill hole of a pad or
via) allows you to specify either a fixed value (for example, 50 mils) or a
relative value that depends on the radius of the drill hole size. For example,
a 50 mil drill hole (radius of 25 mils) with a relative value of .6 (60%) will
create an annular ring of 15 mils (60% of 25 mils). When using relative
settings, it is important to choose minimum and maximum values to ensure
that the annular ring will never go beyond those bounds.
Complete the following to enter an annular ring setting:
1. Click the button beside the desired field (Top, Inner or Bottom) in the
Pad/Vias tab. The Through Hole Pad Properties dialog box appears.
Choose Fixed and enter the fixed value.
Or
Choose Relative and enter the relative setting. Be sure to choose Min
and Max values.
Complete the following to apply the design rules to a footprint:
1. Select the footprint and choose Edit»In-Place Part Edit.
2. Select the pads to which the rule should apply.
3. Right-click and, from the context menu, choose Properties.
4. On the Pad tab of the properties dialog box, enable Use Design Rules.
Vias
The Vias setting sets the default Drill Diameter and Pad Diameter to be
used when a via is placed during trace placement. This setting also applies
to vias that have already been placed in the design.
Microvias
The Micro Vias area is where you set the default via dimensions to be used
when a microvia is placed during trace placement. This setting will also
apply to microvias that have already been placed in the design.
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The Capture Land Diameter field determines the land diameter where the
microvia starts, while Target Land Diameter determines the diameter
where the microvia ends. These terms are in accordance with the IPC and
JPCA joint standard IPC/JPCA-2315, Design Guide for High Density
Interconnects (HDI) and Microvias. The Maximum Layer Span is either
one or two layers.
Maximum Vias Per Net
The Nets area is where you set up the maximum number of vias allowed
per net.
Surface Mount Pads Oversize
Depending on the manufacturing process you are using, you may wish to
enlarge the size of all surface mount pads by a fixed amount. This can be
set independently for the Top and Bottom layers. The setting refers to the
amount that will be added to the pad. In the case of a circular pad this
amount is added to the radius. In the case of a rectangular or square pad the
amount will be added to the width and length.
General Layers Tab
Use the General Layers tab of the PCB Properties dialog box to control
which layers are available on the board.
Complete the following steps to control the numbers of layers in the board:
1. Add layers to the board by selecting the checkbox beside the layer
name.
2. Remove layers from the board by clearing the checkbox beside the
layer name.
Note You can have a layer available on the board, and temporarily dim or hide it. Refer to
the Accessing Layers section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for more information.
Note There are up to ten mechanical CAD layers in PCB design. These layers allow you
to provide information that is directly related to the PCB. You place elements on them to
represent the mechanical elements of your design – for example, cabinet casing or
mounting brackets.
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Complete the following steps to rename layers:
1. Click Rename in the Layer Names area. The Select Layer for
Renaming dialog box appears.
2. Select the layer that you wish to rename and click OK. The Layer
dialog box appears.
3. Enter the new Layer Name and click OK.
Design Rules Tab
Complete the following steps to set the design rules for the PCB:
1. Click on the Design Rules tab.
2. In the Design Rule Default Values area, set the following as desired:
•
•
•
•
Trace Width Settings—Set trace width and minimum and
maximum trace width.
Trace Length Settings—Set minimum and maximum trace
length.
Trace Neck Settings—Set minimum and maximum trace neck
length.
Clearance Settings—Set clearance to traces, pads, vias and
copper areas. For all of these clearances to be active, and display
in the Spreadsheet View, the Use multiple clearances checkbox
must be selected. Otherwise, only clearance to traces will be
operational.
•
Part Spacing Settings—Set minimum distance between parts.
This setting only applies to the spacing during part shoving.
Tip To set this option for an individual part, go to the Part tab of that part’s properties
dialog box. Refer to the Shoving Parts section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
•
Pin & Gate Swapping Settings—Set parameters for pin and gate
swapping.
•
•
Thermal Relief—Set the thermal relief shape.
Drill Technology—Set the minimum tool size for slot drilling.
For information on any setting, select it in the Design Rule Default Values
area. A description appears in the field at the bottom of the dialog.
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Setting Favorite Layers
You can assign shortcuts for up to ten layers using the Favorite layers tab.
These shortcuts can then be used to make a layer active. The active layer is
the layer where any new elements will be placed, or where any deletions
will be made.
Complete the following steps to assign shortcut numbers to layers:
1. Click on the Favorite layers tab.
2. Select the desired layer from the drop-down list beside each layer
number. For example, you may wish to assign Layer 2 to the
Copper Bottom layer.
3. Click OK.
To make a layer active, press <Ctrl-Alt-layer number> on your keyboard.
The layer becomes active and is highlighted in the Layers tab of the Design
Toolbox.
In the above example, pressing <Ctrl-Alt-2> on your keyboard makes the
Copper Bottom layer active.
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Design Toolbox
The Design Toolbox, shown in the figure below, is a vital part of the user
interface. You will use it often to manage your design efforts by controlling
major parts of Ultiboard’s functionality. To toggle it on or off, select
View»Design Toolbox.
The Design Toolbox is made up of two tabs:
•
The Projects tab lets you view the projects that are currently open.
Each project may contain one or more designs. Double-click to make
a particular design the current view.
•
The Layers tab lets you move between layers of your design, control
the appearance of layers, and perform several other functions.
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Birds Eye View
The Birds Eye View shows you the design at a glance and lets you easily
navigate around the workspace.
To magnify a specific area on the design, drag a rectangle around the
desired area on the Birds Eye View. The rectangle snaps to the same ratio
as the design space.
Note All layers appear in the Birds Eye View, whether or not they have been disabled in
the Layers tab of the Design Toolbox.
In the example in the figure below, the green rectangle that was drawn
encloses the four ICs in the middle of the Birds Eye View, and the design
has magnified to display only the items that are selected within this
rectangle.
To move the rectangle, hold down the right mouse button anywhere over the
Birds Eye View, and drag the rectangle to the desired location.
Tip You cannot resize the selection rectangle in the Birds Eye View. Instead, you must
draw another rectangle of the required size. When you do this, the original rectangle
disappears.
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Spreadsheet View
The Spreadsheet View allows fast advanced viewing and editing of
parameters including part details such as footprints, Reference Designators,
attributes and design constraints.
By default, the Spreadsheet View does not appear until you have
opened a project. To toggle the Spreadsheet View on and off, select
View»Spreadsheet View.
The following buttons are available in the Spreadsheet View.
Note The buttons do not appear in all tabs.
Button
Description
Export to Textfile button. Displays a standard Windows
Save dialog where you save the selection as a textfile.
Export to CSV File button. Displays a standard
Windows Save dialog where you save the selection as a
file with comma-separated values.
Export to Excel button. Click to open a Microsoft® Excel
spreadsheet with the selected data displayed. (You must
have Excel installed to use this function).
Sort Ascending button. Sorts the selected column in
ascending order.
Sort Descending button. Sorts the selected column in
descending order.
Print button. Prints the data in the selected tab.
Select All button. Selects all elements in the tab.
Copy button. Copies the selection to the clipboard.
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Button
Description
Find and Select the Part button. Zooms in on the
more information.
to the Using the Parts Tab for Other Functions section of
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Show preview button. Toggles the Spreadsheet View’s
Preview function on and off. Refer to the Using the Parts
Tab for Other Functions section of Chapter 4, Working
with Parts, for more information.
Note You can also access the above commands from a pop-up menu by right-clicking in
the Spreadsheet View.
Spreadsheet View: DRC Tab
The DRC tab displays errors (for example, Design Rule Errors) and
warnings as they occur while you work. Errors are labeled with red
triangles, and warnings are labeled with yellow circles, as shown in the
example in the figure below.
Double-click on an error or warning to go to its location on the workspace.
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When you right-click on an item in the DRC tab, a pop-up menu displays
with the following available selections:
•
•
•
•
Copy—Copies all items in the DRC tab and places them on the
clipboard.
Go to Error/Tag—Click to go to the highlighted error or warning on
the workspace.
type of error/warning will no longer show in the DRC tab.
Remove all filters—Click to remove all error/warning types from the
filter. All errors and warnings will now show in the DRC tab.
Start Filter Manager—Click to start the Filter Manager. Refer to the
Filter Manager section for more information.
Filter Manager
Use the Filter Manager to filter desired errors & warnings out of the DRC
tab in the Spreadsheet View.
Complete the following steps to use the Filter Manager:
1. Right-click in the DRC tab of the Spreadsheet View and select Start
filter manager from the pop-up that appears.
The Filter Manager dialog box appears with a list of errors and
warnings that are filtered out of the DRC tab. If this is the first time
you are accessing this dialog box, it will be empty.
2. Click Add Filter to display the Add Filter(s) dialog box.
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3. Select the error type(s) to add to the filter. You can use the Ctrl and
Shift keys to select multiple items.
4. Click OK to close the Add Filter(s) dialog box and add the selected
items to the Filter Manager.
5. Click Close to close the Filter Manager dialog box. The selected error
types no longer display in the DRC tab.
To remove an error type from the Filter Manager, select the error type and
click Remove Filter.
Refer to the Searching for Design Elements section of Chapter 2,
Beginning a Design, for more information.
It also displays the results of running a connectivity check. Refer to the
Design»Connectivity Check section of Appendix A, Menus and
Commands, for more information.
Double-click a line in this tab to zoom in on the corresponding area of the
design.
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You can also right-click an item to display a popup that contains Copy;
Clear Results; Go to.
Spreadsheet View: Parts Tab
Use the Parts tab to work with the parts in your design. Refer to the Using
the Parts Tab in the Spreadsheet View section of Chapter 4, Working with
Parts, for more information.
Column
Description
(unlabelled)
The colored circle indicates whether the part has been
placed on the board outline (bright green), or is off to
the side awaiting placement (dark green). Orange
indicates the part has been locked.
RefDes
Value
The part’s Reference Designator (unique identifier).
The part’s value, for example, 150 pF for a capacitor.
The physical footprint of the part.
Shape
Locked
Trace
Clearance
This is the minimum spacing allowed between the
part and any trace. You can enter a value here, or use
Design, for more information.
Part Spacing
This is the minimum spacing allowed between parts.
You can enter a value here, or use the Group Editor.
Refer to the Working with the Group Editor section of
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Column
Pin Swap
If enabled, allows like-pins to be swapped during the
routing process. You can choose either No (not
enabled), Yes or Use Group Settings. Refer to the
Working with the Group Editor section of Chapter 3,
Setting Up a Design, for more information.
Gate Swap
Only, which will swap gates within the same IC; No
Swapping; Advanced Swapping, which will swap
gates between ICs (both devices must be set to
Advanced Swapping); or Use Group Settings. Refer
Part Group
The group in which the part is placed. You can select
No Group or an existing group from the drop-down
list. Parts groups are created in the Group Editor.
Refer to the Working with the Group Editor section of
Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for more information.
Spreadsheet View: Part Groups Tab
below.
Column
Description
Part Group
This is the group in which the part is contained. Refer
Trace
Clearance
This is the minimum spacing allowed between the
parts in the group and any trace. You can enter a value
Design, section for more information.
Part Spacing
This is the minimum spacing allowed between parts in
the group. You can enter a value here, or use the
Group Editor. Refer to the Working with the Group
Editor of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, section for
more information.
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Column
Description
Pin Swap
If enabled, allows pins for like-parts to be swapped
during the routing process.
Gate Swap
If enabled, allows like-gates, to be swapped during the
routing process. You can choose Internal Gates
Only, which will swap gates within the same IC; No
Swapping; or Advanced Swapping, which will swap
gates between ICs (both devices must be set to
Advanced Swapping).
indicates that the part can be moved.
Spreadsheet View: Nets Tab
Use the Nets tab to work with the net lists in your design. Refer to the Using
the Nets Tab section for more information.
Column
Description
(unlabelled)
The colored circle indicates whether the copper for
the net has been routed, that is, placed on the board
outline (bright green), or is awaiting placement (dark
green). Orange indicates the copper for the net has
been locked. You cannot lock the net until it has been
routed.
Net Name
Locked
The net’s unique identifier.
a net until it has been routed.
Trace Width
Max Width
The “default” width of the trace that is placed during
routing. You can enter a value here, or use the Group
information.
The maximum width to which a trace will be laid
during routing. You can enter a value here, or use the
Editor of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, section for
more information.
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Column
Description
Min Width
The minimum width to which a trace will be laid
during routing. You can enter a value here, or use the
more information.
Topology
The topology of the net as set in the Netlist Editor.
Choices are Shortest, Daisy Chain and Star. Refer to
the Using the Netlist Editor section of Chapter 5,
Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information. This feature is not available in all
versions of Ultiboard.
Trace Length Length of the routed net.
Max Length
Maximum allowable length of copper in a net. Not
applicable (N/A) if Topology is set to Shortest.
Min Length
Trace
Clearance
This is the minimum spacing allowed between the
parts in the group and any trace. You can enter a value
here, or use the Group Editor. Refer to the Working
with the Group Editor section of Chapter 3, Setting
Up a Design, for more information.
Routing
Layers
The routing layers assigned to this net group. Click to
display the Layers to Apply dialog box, where you
set the layers to use for routing copper.
Routing
Priority
The routing priority for the selected net. 1 is the
not available in all versions of Ultiboard.
Net Group
This is the group in which the net is contained. You
can either enter the group name here, or use the
Group Editor. Refer to the Working with the Group
Editor section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for
more information.
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Column
Description
Bus Group
This is the bus group in which the net is contained.
Editor section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for
more information.
Differential
Pair
This is the differential pair to which the net belongs.
Refer to the Working with the Group Editor section of
Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for more information.
Shield Net
Use the drop-down list to select the net to use to shield
this net. This feature is not available in all versions of
Ultiboard.
Shield Width
Width of the net’s shield. This feature is not available
in all versions of Ultiboard.
Show
Ratsnest
This is where you can show or hide the ratsnest for the
selected net. Refer to the Working with Ratsnests
section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
Max Via
Count
This is the maximum number of vias allowed for the
selected net. You can use either the global settings, or
the group settings.
Via Drill
Diameter
This is the diameter of the via pad’s hole.
Via Pad
This is the diameter of the total via pad.
Diameter
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Spreadsheet View: Nets Groups Tab
Use the Net Groups tab to work with net groups.
Column
Description
Net Group
This is the group in which the net is contained. You
can either enter the group name here, or use the Group
information.
Trace Width
Max Width
Min Width
The “default” width of the traces in the group that are
placed during routing. You can enter a value here, or
section for more information.
The maximum width to which a trace in the group will
be laid during routing. You can enter a value here, or
The minimum width to which a trace in the group will
be laid during routing. You can enter a value here, or
use the Group Editor. Refer to the Working with the
Group Editor section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a
Design, for more information.
Max Length
Min Length
Maximum allowable length of copper in a net group.
Not applicable (N/A) if Topology is set to Shortest.
Trace
Clearance
This is the minimum spacing allowed between the
traces in the group and any other trace. You can enter
a value here, or use the Group Editor. Refer to the
Working with the Group Editor of Chapter 3, Setting
Up a Design, section for more information.
Routing
The routing layers assigned to this net group. Click to
display the Layers to Apply dialog box, where you
set the layers to use for routing copper.
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Column
Routing
Description
The routing priority for the selected net group. 1 is the
highest priority, 2 the second highest, etc. Leave as
None if priority routing is not required. This feature is
not available in all versions of Ultiboard.
Priority
Locked
Yes indicates that the part cannot be moved. No
indicates that the part can be moved.
Max Via
Count
This is the maximum number of vias allowed in the
net group.
Spreadsheet View: SMT Pads Tab
Use the SMT Pads tab to work with pad information for surface-mount
devices.
Column
Description
Pad Name
the device with RefDes U1.
Pad Shape
Pad Radius
Pad Width
Pad Height
The shape of the pad as set in the SMT Pin
Working with Parts, for more information.
The radius of the pad as set in the SMT Pin
Working with Parts, for more information.
The width of the pad as set in the SMT Pin
Working with Parts, for more information.
The height of the pad as set in the SMT Pin
Properties dialog box. Refer to the Viewing and
Editing SMT Pin Properties section of Chapter 4,
Working with Parts, for more information.
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Column
Trace
Description
The clearance of the trace to parts. You can use net
settings, or as set in the SMT Pin Properties dialog
box. Refer to the Viewing and Editing SMT Pin
for more information.
Clearance
Neck Length
The default length of the neck where the trace attaches
to the pin, as set in the SMT Pin Properties dialog
box. You can also enter the value here. Refer to the
Neck Max
Neck Min
Min Width
The maximum permitted length of the neck where the
trace attaches to the pin, as set in the SMT Pin
Properties dialog box. You can also enter the value
here. Refer to the Viewing and Editing SMT Pin
for more information.
The minimum permitted length of the neck where the
trace attaches to the pin, as set in the SMT Pin
Properties dialog box. You can also enter the value
here. Refer to the Viewing and Editing SMT Pin
Properties of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, section
for more information.
The minimum permitted trace width.
Spreadsheet View: THT Pads Tab
Use the THT Pads tab to work with pad information for through-hole
technology devices.
Column
Description
Pad Name
the part with RefDes U1.
Top Pad
Shape
The shape of the top layer pad as set in the Through
Hole Pin Properties dialog box. Refer to the Viewing
and Editing Through Hole Pin Properties section of
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
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Column
Description
Inner Pad
Shape
The shape of the inner layer pad as set in the Through
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Bottom Pad
Shape
The shape of the bottom layer pad as set in the
Through Hole Pin Properties dialog box. Refer to
information.
Annular Ring The size of the annular ring for this pad as set in the
Through Hole Pin Properties dialog box. Refer to
information.
Pad Diameter The diameter of the pad as set in the Through Hole
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Drill
Diameter
The diameter of the drill hole in the pad, as set in the
Through Hole Pin Properties dialog box. Refer to
information.
Trace
Clearance
The minimum clearance permitted between the pad
and traces, as set in the Through Hole Pin Properties
dialog box. Refer to the Viewing and Editing Through
Hole Pin Properties section of Chapter 4, Working
with Parts, for more information.
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Spreadsheet View: Vias Tab
Use the Vias tab to work with via information.
Column
Description
Assume Net
The unique identifier for the net to which the via is
connected. Can be changed by using the drop-down
list.
Lamination
Double-click to display the Select the lamination
This setting cannot be changed for micro vias.
Pad Diameter The diameter of the via as set in the Via Properties
and Copper, for more information.
Drill
Diameter
The diameter of the drill hole in the via, as set in the
Trace
Clearance
The minimum clearance permitted between the via
and traces, as set in the Via Properties dialog box.
Refer to the Viewing and Editing Via Properties
section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces and
Copper, for more information.
Locked
Soldermask
Type
Yes indicates that the via cannot be moved. No
indicates that the via can be moved.
The side of the board on which the solder mask for the
via is found. Choices are: Both; Bottom; None; Top.
The type of via. This field is read-only.
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Spreadsheet View: Copper Areas Tab
Column
Layer
Description
The layer on which the copper area is found, as set in
the Copper Area Properties dialog box. Refer to the
Viewing and Editing Copper Properties section of
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
Locked
Net
Yes indicates that the copper area cannot be moved.
No indicates that the copper area can be moved.
area is connected.
Trace
Clearance
The minimum clearance permitted between the
copper area and traces, as set in the Copper Area
Properties dialog box. Refer to the Viewing and
information.
Thermal
Relief Style
The style of thermal relief for the copper area, as set
in the Copper Area Properties dialog box. Refer to
information.
Spoke Width
The size of the spokes a thermal relief, as set in the
Copper Area Properties dialog box. Refer to the
Viewing and Editing Copper Properties section of
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
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Spreadsheet View: Keep-ins/Keep-outs Tab
Use the Keep-ins/Keep-outs tab to work with information for Keep-in or
Keep-out areas.
Column
Name
Name of the Keep-in or Keep-out. Can be entered
here, or in the Keep-in/Keep-out Properties dialog
Copper, for more information.
Type
Indicates whether the area is a Keep-in or a Keep-out.
Can be set here or in the Keep-in/Keep-out
Properties dialog box. Refer to the Working with
Keep-in/Keep-out Areas section of Chapter 5,
Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
Locked
Yes means that the Keep-in/out area cannot be moved
or edited. No means that the Keep-in/out area can be
moved.
Layers To
Apply
Double-click to display the Layers To Apply dialog
box, where you select the layers to which you wish to
apply the Keep-in/out. You can also set this in the
Keep-in/Keep-out Properties dialog box. Refer to
the Working with Keep-in/Keep-out Areas section of
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
Net Group
Double-click to display the Select Groups dialog
box, where you select the net group to which you wish
to apply the Keep-in/out. You can also set this in the
Keep-in/Keep-out Properties dialog box. Refer to
the Working with Keep-in/Keep-out Areas section of
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
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Column
Part Group
Double-click to display the Select Groups dialog
box, where you select the part group to which you
wish to assign the Keep-in/out. You can also set this in
Keep-in/Keep-out Properties dialog box. Refer to
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
Heights
Bigger Than
Assign a height (z-axis) value to theKeep-in/out. Can be
entered directly, or in the Keep-in/Keep-out
Properties dialog box. Refer to the Working with
Keep-in/Keep-out Areas section of Chapter 5, Working
with Traces and Copper, for more information.
Spreadsheet View: PCB Layers Tab
Use the PCB Layers tab to work with layer information.
Column
Layer Name
Routable
Description
The name of the layer, for example, Copper Top.
Select Yes to allow trace routing on the layer; select
No to prevent trace routing on the layer.
Trace Bias
Type
Set the trace bias by selecting Horizontal, Vertical or
None.
The type of layer. Choices are Ground, Power,
Signal or Unassigned.
Spreadsheet View: Parts Position Tab
Use the Parts Position tab to view and export part position information.
Column
RefDes
Description
The part’s Reference Designator.
Position X
Position Y
Side
The part’s position on the X axis.
The part’s position on the Y axis.
The side of the PCB on which the part appears.
The orientation of the part on the PCB.
Rotation
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Spreadsheet View: Statistics Tab
This tab displays the following statistics:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Total number of pins.
Pins in a net.
Not connected pins.
Test pins.
Jumpers.
Total number of vias.
Total number of connections.
Unrouted connections.
Completion.
Total number of parts.
Total number of nets.
Customizing the Interface
The Ultiboard user interface is highly customizable. Toolbars can be
docked in various positions and orientations. The contents of the toolbars
may be customized. New toolbars can be created. The menu system is fully
customizable, including all pop-up menus for the various object types.
The keyboard shortcut system is also customizable. This allows for any
keys or key combinations to be assigned to any command that may be
placed in a menu or on a toolbar.
following sections:
•
•
•
•
Commands Tab
Toolbars Tab
Keyboard Tab
Menu Tab
Options Tab
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Commands Tab
The Commands tab in the Customize dialog box is used to add commands
to menus and toolbar.
Complete the following steps to add a command to a menu or toolbar:
1. Drag the desired command from the Commands list to the desired
menu or toolbar. When a command is selected in the Command list,
its description is displayed in the Description field.
2. If you do not see the command that you require, click on another
selection in the Categories list to display more commands.
3. If you wish to add a button to a toolbar that is not showing, click on the
Toolbars tab and click in the checkbox beside the desired toolbar to
make it visible.
4. Click Close when customizations are complete.
To remove a command from a menu or toolbar, right-click on it and select
Delete from the pop-up that appears. The Customize dialog box must be
open when you do this.
To change the position of a command that is in a menu or toolbar, drag it to
its new location. The Customize dialog box must be open when you do
this.
Toolbars Tab
The Toolbars tab in the Customize dialog box is used to show or hide
toolbars, and to add new custom toolbars.
Complete the following steps to use the features in this tab:
1. To display a toolbar, switch on the checkbox beside the desired toolbar
in the Toolbars list.
2. Switch off a checkbox to hide a toolbar.
Note You cannot switch off the Menu bar.
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3. The buttons in this tab function as follows:
•
•
•
Reset All—Displays the Reset Toolbars dialog box, where you
select whether to reset the currently selected toolbars, or all
toolbars. You are prompted to select the configuration file you
wish to use, for example, “default.ewcfg”.
New—Displays the Toolbar Name dialog box, where you enter
the name for a new toolbar. When you click OK, a new toolbar
with the name that you entered is created. Follow the steps in the
Commands Tab section to add buttons to the toolbar.
Rename—Use to rename a toolbar that you have created yourself.
You cannot rename toolbars that are included in Ultiboard by
default.
•
•
Delete—Use to delete the selected toolbar. You cannot delete
toolbars that are included in Ultiboard by default.
Show text labels—Select this checkbox to show the text labels
(for example, “Save”) in the toolbar, along with the command’s
icon.
4. Click Close when customizations are complete.
Keyboard Tab
The Keyboard tab is used to set up keyboard shortcuts.
Complete the following steps to set up keyboard shortcuts:
1. Choose a menu from the Category drop-down list and the desired
command from the Commands list. If a shortcut is already assigned,
it appears in the Current Keys field.
2. Enter a new shortcut in the Press New Shortcut Key field.
3. Click Close when customizations are complete.
Menu Tab
The Menu tab is used to modify the various context-sensitive menus that
appear when you right-click from various locations in Ultiboard.
Complete the following steps to display the desired menu:
1. Select the desired menu set from the Select Context Menu drop-down
list.
2. Right-click on the menu that appears and edit as desired.
3. Select the desired menu effects using the Menu animations
drop-down list and the Menu shadows checkbox.
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Options Tab
Use the Options tab in the Customize dialog box to set up the appear of
Ultiboard’s toolbars—switch the checkboxes on or off as desired.
Customization of Pop-up Menus
To customize the appearance of toolbar buttons and menu items, a pop-up
menu is available when the Customize dialog box is open.
Complete the following steps to display the pop-up:
1. Be sure you have the Customize dialog box open.
2. Right-click on either a menu item or toolbar and select the desired
option.
3. When you select Button Appearance, the Button Appearance dialog
box appears, where you can change the appearance of the selected
toolbutton.
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2
Beginning a Design
The following sections explain how to start a design in Ultiboard.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
About Designs and Projects
Designs are stored inside projects, allowing you to group them together for
easy access. In this way, all designs that have a logical connection between
them (that is, they may all relate to a specific project) are conveniently
located in one file.
Creating a Project
Complete the following steps to create a new project file:
1. Choose File»New Project. The New Project dialog box appears.
2. Type the project name in the Project name field.
3. From the Design type drop-down list, select PCB Design. The other
option allows you to use Ultiboard’s CAD capabilities (for example,
front panels, enclosures). Refer to the Using Mechanical CAD section
for more information about these capabilities.
4. Indicate the folder where the file is to be kept. Either accept the default
shown in the Location field, or click the browse button to select a
different location.
5. Click OK. The New Project dialog box disappears, and a blank design
is opened, with the same name as that of the project file. The file you
just created is also shown in the Projects tab of the Design Toolbox,
along with its corresponding design.
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Creating a Design
A design is created automatically when you create a project file. You can
also create a design and assign it to an existing project file. Remember that
a design must always be associated with a project.
Complete the following steps to create a design file:
2. Choose File»New Design. The New Design dialog box appears.
3. Type the design name in the Design Name field.
4. From the Design Type drop-down list, select PCB Design. Refer to the
Using Mechanical CAD section of Chapter 10, Using Mechanical
CAD, for more information on the Mechanical CAD Design file type.
5. Choose which of the open projects is to contain the design. The Add
to project drop-down list shows only the open projects.
6. Click OK. The New Design dialog box disappears, and a blank design
with the name that you specified is opened. The Projects tab shows
that the new design is a part of the project file that you specified.
Creating a Design from a Netlist File
You can create a design based on a netlist file. A netlist contains
information about a given board's nets (the electrical connections between
pins) and parts. Multisim generates a .EWNET file which has all the details
required to import the schematic into Ultiboard.
Note If PCB constraints are set in the Multisim file, they will also be included in the netlist
file. The file also contains Trace Width Analysis results if you checked the Set Node
Trace Widths Using the Results from This Analysis check box when doing the analysis
in Multisim.
The following is an example of net information from a netlist file. A value
of -1.000000000000indicates that the Ultiboard default value will be
used for that parameter when the file is imported into Ultiboard.
(nets
(trackwidth "-1.000000000000")
(trackwidth_max "-1.000000000000")
(trackwidth_min "-1.000000000000")
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(tracklength_max "-1.000000000000")
(tracklength_min "-1.000000000000")
(clearance_to_trace "-1.000000000000")
(clearance_to_pad "-1.000000000000")
(clearance_to_via "-1.000000000000")
(clearance_to_copper "-1.000000000000")
(routing_layer "")
(settings_locked "0")
(net_group "")
)
The following is an example of component information from a netlist file.
(components
(instance "7SEG8DIP10A" "U1"
(device "SEVEN_SEG_DECIMAL_COM_A_BLUE")
(value "SEVEN_SEG_DECIMAL_COM_A_BLUE")
(gateswap "0")
(pinswap "0")
(component_space "0.00000000e+000")
(component_group "")
(settings_locked "0")
(comp_variants "Default1;")
(comp_variant_independent "0")
(pin "5"
(net "10")
(pintype "BIDIR")
(gategroup "")
(pingroup "")
(label "D")
(gate "")
)
(pin "4"
(net "11")
(pintype "BIDIR")
(gategroup "")
(pingroup "")
(label "E")
(gate "")
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Complete the following steps to import a netlist file:
1. Select File»Import»UB Netlist, navigate to the desired file (for
example, Getting Started 2.EWNET) and click Open. The Default
Trace Width and Clearance dialog box appears.
2. Enter the desired Units, Width, and Clearances values and click OK.
The Import Netlist Action Selection dialog box appears.
3. Select the desired actions, for example, Add New Net: VCCand click
OK. A board outline is placed on the workspace with the parts ready
to be placed.
Working with Projects
Designs and projects appear in the Projects tab of the Design Toolbox.
To open a project or design shown in the Projects tab, click on it or
right-click on it and, from the context menu, choose Open Window.
To rename a design, right-click on it and, from the context menu, choose
Rename. You can then type a new name for the design.
To delete a design shown in the Projects tab, right-click on it and, from the
context menu, choose Remove Design. (To delete a project file, delete it
from its current location on the system.)
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Opening an Existing File
Complete the following steps to open an existing file:
1. Choose File»Open. A standard file section dialog box appears, with
the Files of Type list defaulted to Ultiboard files.
2. In the Files of type list, choose the kind of file to open. You can open
the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ultiboard files (*.ewprj).
Orcad files (*.max, *.llb).
Protel files (*.pcb, *.ddb).
Gerber files (*.g).
DXF files (*.dxf).
Ultiboard 4 & 5 design files (*.ddf).
Ultiboard 4 & 5 libraries (*.l55).
Netlist files (*.ewnet, *.net, *.nt7).
Calay netlist files (*.net).
Note To view all files in the folder created by NI Circuit Design Suite software, and any
other software, select *.*.
3. Select a file from the list displayed and click Open. The file opens,
along with its associated project.
•
•
If you open an Ultiboard project file, you see the designs within
that project in the Projects tab
If you opened a .ddffile, you see the design appear in the
workspace. A file with the same name is created automatically.
Saving and Closing
To save a file, right-click on the project file name in the Projects tab and,
from the context menu, choose Save or choose File»Save. Saving a file
also saves the designs in the file. You can also select a file in the Projects
tab and click the save icon. Saving a design also saves a file (and therefore
any other designs in the file).
To save a file with a new name and/or location, choose File»Save As and
provide the new name and/or location. All designs in the file are saved in
the new location.
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To save all open file and designs, choose File»Save All.
To close the current file and its designs, choose File»Close. If you have any
unsaved changes in the file or designs, you are prompted to save the file
and/or designs.
To close all open projects and designs, choose File»Close All. If you have
any unsaved changes in the projects or designs, you are prompted to save
the projects and/or designs.
Saving Technology Specifications from a Design
You can save the technology specifications from the current design into a
technology file. This technology file can be used to import technology
settings into another design.
Complete the following steps to save a design’s technology specifications:
1. Have the desired design open in Ultiboard.
2. Select File»Save Technology. The Technology File Settings dialog
box appears.
3. Select the technology parameters you want to save and click OK.
A standard Windows Save dialog appears. Select the desired location
for the technology file, enter its name in the File name field and click
Save.
Loading Technology Files
You can load technology specifications from a technology file that you
saved earlier. Refer to the Saving Technology Specifications from a Design
section for more information.
Complete the following steps to load technology into the active file:
1. Select File»Load Technology. A standard Windows Open dialog
appears.
2. Navigate to the desired folder, highlight the desired technology file and
click Open. The Technology Import dialog displays.
3. Select the desired items to load into your open design file and click
OK.
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Selecting and Unselecting Elements
You can select and unselect single and multiple elements in a design such
as parts, holes, and traces.
To select a single element on a board, click the element. A dotted line
around the element, or running through the trace, indicates that it has been
selected.
Complete the following to select multiple elements on a board:
Hold down the Shift key while clicking the elements that you want to
select.
Or
Click and drag to draw a box around the elements you wish to select. When
you release the mouse button, the elements that were inside the box are
selected.
To select all elements on a board, choose Edit»Select All or press <Ctrl-A>.
Complete the following steps to select an entire trace, not just a trace
segment:
1. Select a segment belonging to the trace you want to select.
2. Choose Edit»Select Entire Trace. The entire trace is then selected.
To unselect one element, select another element or click outside of the
board outline.
To unselect one element in a group of selected elements, hold the Ctrl key
down and click the element to be unselected.
Using Selection Filters
As you add more parts and traces to a board, it can become more difficult
to select only those which you want to use. Ultiboard provides you with
selection filters to allow controlled selections. The selection filters are
found in Edit»Selection Filter and the Select toolbar. By default, all the
selection filters are on, that is, you can select any element. Use the filters to
select or not select specific elements by toggling the choices on and off. For
example, to select only traces, disable the other selection filters and enable
only the traces one. As you work through your design, you will find
different combinations of selection filters helpful to prevent accidentally
selecting (and potentially modifying) elements.
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Place and Select Modes
Ultiboard assumes that placing shapes, parts, or traces on a board are
actions you are likely to repeat. As a result, when you place items on the
board, you remain in “place mode” (the cursor has a small icon attached,
indicating what is being placed) so that you can continue to place the same
type of item repeatedly. After placing a shape, part, or trace on a board, the
pointer continues to carry the icon, and is ready to place another object like
the one you just placed. You must cancel this mode and return to “select
mode” in order to perform other functions.
Complete the following to cancel the place mode and return to select mode:
1. Right-click
Or
Press <ESC>
Or
Choose Place»Select.
Searching for Design Elements
To find out if an element exists in an open project, you can search for it with
the Edit»Find command. While this command works much like a Find
function in other applications, it also allows you to search for an element
by name, by number, by shape, by value, or by all variables.
Complete the following steps to find an element in an open design:
1. Choose Edit»Find. The Find dialog box appears.
2. In the Find what field, enter what you want to search for. You can
search for an element by specifying any of the values of its attributes
(for example, name, number, shape), with or without wildcards. If you
leave this field blank, you will find all elements in the design.
Note The Find what drop-down list shows all the searches you have made in this session.
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3. To constrain your search to only certain attributes, choose from the
Find special drop-down list. For example, if you enter “test” in the
Find what field, you will find all elements with the string “test” in any
of their attributes. However, if you choose Name from the Find
special drop-down list, you will find only elements with “test” in their
name.
4. Optionally, enable the Match case and/or Match whole word check
boxes.
5. Click Find. The search results appear in the Results tab of the
Spreadsheet View.
6. Click on the Results tab in the Spreadsheet View.
7. To navigate to one of the found elements, double-click it in the Results
tab.
Or
Right-click on the desired element and select Go to from the pop-up
menu that appears.
The element is selected and shown in the workspace.
To clear the information in the Results tab, right-click anywhere in the
Results tab and select Clear Results from the pop-up menu that appears.
Options for Viewing the Design
Your view of the design can be manipulated a number of ways to make
things easier to see while editing, as well as to see what the finished design
will look like.
Using the Full Screen
When you open Ultiboard for the first time, the program displays the
workspace with the menu and toolbars, the Birds Eye View and the
Design Toolbox. To get a better view of the workspace, you can either use
the zoom functions to magnify it, or have the workspace take up the full
screen. Refer to the Magnifying and Shrinking the View section for more
information about the zoom functions.
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When you display a design on the full screen, everything except the design
disappears (depending on your settings in the Preferences dialog box,
scrollbars may or may not appear). Menu functions can still be used
through their keyboard shortcuts—for example, you can use F8 to zoom in,
and F9 to zoom out. Again, depending on the Preferences dialog box
settings, you may be able to pan through the design by moving your cursor
over the outside edges.
To switch the workspace to a full screen display, choose View»Full
Screen.
Complete the following steps to return from the full screen display to the
multi-screen display:
1. Locate the Full Screen Close button. It will be floating over the
design.
2. Click the Full Screen Close button to return to the multi-pane display.
Magnifying and Shrinking the View
You can use the zoom functions to magnify or shrink all or part of the
design.
To magnify part of the design, choose View»Zoom In, or press <F8>. You
may need to adjust your view of the magnified design by using the scroll
bars.
Complete the following to magnify a selected area on the design:
1. Choose View»Zoom Window, or press <F6>, then click and drag a
rectangular area on the board to define the area to be zoomed in on.
Or
Define an area by clicking and dragging in the Birds Eye View.
To shrink the view of the design, choose View»Zoom Out, or press <F9>.
To return to the full view of the design after zooming in or out, press <F7>.
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Refreshing the Design
After adding and changing elements, the design can begin to look a little
confusing, with bits and pieces of elements looking like they have been left
behind on the design after being moved, for example. This can be for many
reasons, including the limitations of the computer monitor being used,
although it does not affect the design.
Complete the following to clean up the design, removing any extraneous
images that should not be there:
1. Choose View»Redraw Screen.
Or
Click Redraw in the View toolbar or press <F5>.
Tool-tip Label
Complete the following to change your cursor to include a tool-tip label
that contains object information:
1. Hold down the Ctrl key as you move your mouse over the workspace.
The information in the label changes depending on the object over
which it hovers.
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Setting Up a Design
The following sections explain the basic functions you must perform to get
your board set up. These tasks should be performed before you begin
placing parts and/or traces.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
Working with Layers
The following are discussed in this section:
•
•
Defining Copper Layers
Accessing Layers
Defining Copper Layers
Ultiboard lets you define boards from 2 to 64 layers thick. Your initial
design decisions are important because it is difficult to change the design,
for example, from a 6-layer design with blind and buried vias to a normal
feed-through design, after the board has been completed. Your decisions
are also important in terms of manufacturing cost. A 6-layer board with
blind and buried vias will cost significantly more to manufacture than a
4-layer board with normal feed-through vias.
When setting the number of copper layers you also select the lamination
settings that will be used when the board is manufactured. This is important
as these settings are used by Ultiboard’s internal design rule engine when
placing blind and buried vias or micro vias.
There are two methods of fabricating a PC board (both methods can be used
in combination):
•
The first method uses layered pairs of copper on a substrate (usually
cured fiberglass/resin) that have been etched and are then laminated
together with a partially cured fiberglass/resin substrate (prepreg).
Heat and mechanical pressure are used to activate the prepreg and bond
layered pairs with other layered pairs.
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•
The other method typically uses a layered pair as a core to which single
layers of copper foil are added to build up the board. Prepreg is also
used to bond the layers. Build-up layers are usually added in equal
numbers to the top and bottom of the core to prevent warping of the
final product.
A via is a plated through-hole in a printed circuit board used to connect two
or more layers, as well as the top and bottom surfaces of the board.
•
Blind via—Any via that connects the top or bottom layer of a board to
one of the internal layers.
•
•
Buried via—Any via that connects internal layers.
Normal through-hole via—Any via that connects all layers (top,
bottom, and internal).
•
Micro via—A via that is less than 5 mils in diameter, that connects a
maximum of two build-up layers only.
The lamination sequence used determines the acceptable layer
combinations for placing blind and buried vias or microvias. For example,
if all layers are layered pairs then blind vias can only be placed between an
outer layer and completely through a layered pair (see diagram for an
example). Once the lamination sequence is determined, Ultiboard
calculates the acceptable layer combinations for blind and buried vias or
micro vias. You then choose which ones to use in your design from these
possible combinations.
The figure below shows a cross-section of a multi-layer PCB.
The number of copper layers in a board can be set in either the
Board Wizard or in the PCB Properties dialog box. Refer to the Using
the Board Wizard section and the Copper Layers Tab section of Chapter 1,
User Interface, for more information.
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Accessing Layers
The Layers tab of the Design Toolbox allows you to move through the
layers of your PCB design, and control their appearance.
To display the Layers tab, click the Layers tab in the Design Toolbox. The
tab appears, as shown in the figure below:
Layers with a check mark are displayed on the workspace. Layers with a
check mark in a grey box are displayed in the workspace, but are dimmed.
Layers with no check mark are not displayed in the workspace, but are
available to be used.
The highlighted layer is the active layer, that is, the one you are working
with.
Click the colored icons beside the checkboxes to control the layers’ colors.
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The Layers tab is divided into four sections:
•
PCB—These are the working layers of your design. Refer to the
Setting PCB Properties section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more
information about setting up the properties of the PCB layers.
•
Assembly—These are the layers associated with production of your
board. These are useful whenever you are using paste to hold joints or
glue (adhesive) to hold components on the board (mostly on SMDs).
•
information but are not part of the physical board itself.
Mechanical layers—These are the layers to be used for
documentation (for example, showing dimensions) or other
mechanical CAD-related properties. You can also set up projects
and files that contain CAD information. Refer to Chapter 10, Using
Mechanical CAD, for more information.
The layer highlighted in red is the active layer—The one which any
functions you choose will affect. Before you can work on a particular layer,
you must ensure that layer is active. Depending on what layer is active, your
available commands and toolbars may change.
Tip Ultiboard presents only those functions that are appropriate for the current layer.
For example, if you are on a Paste Mask layer, you cannot use the Place menu to place
a copper area.
To make a layer the active layer, double-click on the name of the layer in
the Design Toolbox.
You can also change the visibility of layers by making them visible,
dimmed or hidden.
To dim a layer in the workspace, making it easier to see the elements on
other layers, click the layer’s check box. The check box turns gray, and the
elements of that layer dim.
To hide a layer in the workspace, click the layer’s check box twice. The
check mark disappears, and the elements on that layer are hidden.
Note While this action removes the elements of the layer from view, neither the layer nor
the elements are deleted from the design.
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Tip You can show or hide individual ratsnests from the Show Ratsnest column in the
Nets tab of the Spreadsheet View, and also from the Net Edit dialog box. Refer to the
Using the Netlist Editor section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
To change the color of the elements in a layer, click the color box beside
the layer name and, from the dialog box that appears, choose a color. All
existing elements on that layer, and any elements added to that layer, are
displayed in that color, with the exception of shapes where you can chose
the line or fill color from the toolbar prior to placing them. Refer to the
Placing Shapes and Graphics section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for
more information.
The Board Outline layer is empty for new designs. You can create a board
outline in one of the following ways:
•
•
•
Import a DXF file. Refer to the Importing a DXF File section for more
information.
Place a pre-defined outline from the database. Refer to the Using a
Pre-Defined Board Outline section for more information.
Use the Board Wizard. Refer to the Using the Board Wizard section
for more information.
Using the Drawing Tools to Create a Board Outline
Complete the following steps to create a new board outline using the
drawing tools:
1. Double-click the Board Outline layer in the Layers tab of the
Design Toolbox.
2. Using Place»Shape, draw the shape you want for your board outline.
For example, choose Place»Shape»Rectangle and drag the mouse
until the rectangle is the desired height and length. Click to anchor it
in place.
Note To draw the shape based on precise coordinates, press the asterisk key (*) on the
X and Y coordinates and press OK. Continue to use the asterisk key (*) or <Shift-8> for
the remaining coordinates. You can mix the use of the asterisk key (*) or <Shift-8> and
clicking to position each corner.
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To edit the properties of the placed board outline, select the outline and
select Edit»Properties. (You must be on the Board Outline layer).
Importing a DXF File
Complete the following steps to import a DXF board outline from a CAD
program such as AutoCAD®:
1. Choose File»Import»DXF. A standard file selector appears.
2. Navigate to the correct location for the .dxffile, select it and click
OK.
3. The DXF import settings dialog box appears.
4. In the Layers box, set the following as desired:
•
Import layers from file radio button—Creates layer names that
correspond to the original DXF files
•
Merge import data into existing layer radio button—Merges
DXF file layers into the layer chosen from the drop-down list.
5. In the Units box, set the following as desired:
•
Interpret units in file as radio button—Select a unit of measure
from the drop-down list.
•
Scale import data to fit board outline—Select if you want to
scale the imported data to fit the current board outline.
6. Optionally, enable the Convert closed objects to filled checkbox.
This indicates if closed objects are to be converted to filled objects.
7. Click OK to import the file.
Using a Pre-Defined Board Outline
Complete the following steps to use a board outline from the Ultiboard
database:
1. Choose Place»From Database to display the Get a part from the
database dialog box.
2. Navigate to the Board Outlines section and select the outline you want
to use.
3. Click OK to close the dialog.
4. Click to place the board outline on the design.
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Using the Board Wizard
Complete the following steps to use the Board Wizard:
1. Choose Tools»Board Wizard. The Board Wizard... Board
Technology dialog box appears.
2. Enable the Change the layer technology option. Choose the board
technology and click Next. Refer to the Defining Copper Layers
section for more information about board technology.
The next step of the wizard depends on which type of technology you
chose.
3. If you chose Multi-layers constructed with double sided board
(layer pairs), define the lamination settings for the board:
•
•
Select Top Layer and Bottom Layer as desired.
Set the number of layer pairs you intend to use by entering the
value or using the up/down arrows in the Layer Pairs field. There
should be at least one layered pair to act as a core.
•
•
Select the Blind Vias or Buried Vias checkboxes to use these in
your design.
As you make changes to the layer settings, the information
window shows the acceptable layer combinations for blind and
buried vias. In this window, select the layer combinations you
want to allow in your design.
•
Click Next.
If you chose Multi-layers constructed with double sided boards
and single layer stack-ups, define the lamination settings for the
board as follows:
•
•
Select Top Layer and Bottom Layer as desired.
Set the number of layer pairs you intend to use by entering the
value or using the up/down arrows in the Layer Pairs field. There
should be at least one layered pair to act as a core.
•
•
•
Set the number of Single Layer Build-ups for both the top and
bottom. There should be at least one layered pair to act as a core.
Select the Blind Vias, Buried Vias, or Micro Vias checkboxes to
use these in your design.
As you make changes to the layer settings, the information
window shows the acceptable layer combinations for blind and
buried vias or microvias. In this window, select the layer
combinations you want to allow in your design.
•
Click Next.
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4. If you chose Single Sided or Double Sided, or upon clicking Next
after defining the lamination settings for a multi-layer board:
•
•
Define the default Units of measurement for the design.
Define the board Reference Point. This can be changed later.
Refer to the Setting the Board’s Reference Point section for more
information.
•
•
Define the Board Shape and Size.
Set the default Clearance for the board—This is the distance from
the edge of the board that is to be kept free of any other elements.
Trying to run a trace through a clearance, or trying to place a part
so that a pad is put within a clearance, for example, results in a
design rule error.
5. Click Finish. The board outline is placed on your design.
Setting the Board’s Reference Point
The reference point of the board is important for relating physical
dimensions to PCB layouts, since all measurements are shown relative to
this origin point. If you used the Board Wizard, this reference may already
have been set. Refer to the Using the Board Wizard section for more
information.
Complete the following steps to set a reference point:
1. Choose Design»Set Reference Point. The cursor changes as shown in
the figure below.
2. Click to place the reference point. In the example below, the reference
point has been placed at the lower left corner of the board outline.
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Enter coordinate dialog box
Complete the following steps to set the reference point at precise X, Y
coordinates:
1. Press the asterisk key (*) or <Shift-8> to display the Enter coordinate
dialog box.
2. Enter the X and Y coordinates and the desired units of measure.
3. Optionally, select Snap to grid to have the reference point snap to the
closest grid on the workspace.
Note If you do not have a part selected and you press the * key or <Shift-8>, the dialog is
populated with the coordinates of the mouse. Click OK to center the screen to these
coordinates. If you have a part selected when you press the * key or <Shift-8>, the dialog
is still populated with the coordinates of the mouse. Click OK to move the selected part to
that position.
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Design Rule Errors
Design rule errors appear in the DRC tab of the Spreadsheet View as they
occur, and disappear as they are corrected.
Double-click on an error in the DRC tab to zoom in on the affected area on
the design, which will be indicated with a red circle, as shown in the
example below.
Depending on what you are doing on the board, you may see the following
kinds of errors if you keep the DRC tab open while you work:
•
Part “[refdes]”(value) has an unknown shape (shape name)—The
given part has a shape defined that does not exist in the database.
•
Part “[refdes]” is Not On the design—The part with the given refdes
was specified in the netlist but is not present on the design.
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•
•
Pin “[Pin number]” from Part “[refdes]”(value) in Net “[Net
name]” is missing from shape “[shape name]”— A pin belonging to
the specified part was given in the netlist but does not exist in the shape
that was given for the part.
Unused Pin [Pin name] is {close to, connected to} {Unused Pin,
Copper}—The given pin that was not assigned to a net is close to or
connected to another unused pin or copper, for example, a trace,
powerplane, or copper area.
•
•
Design Rule Error: Net [Net1 name] { connected to} { Net2 name,
Unused pin, copper, Board outline }—The given net was connected
to another net, an unused pin, copper or the board outline.
[RefID:PIN#-netname]—The given net was too close to another net.
You can set up whether the design rule check runs in “real time”, and define
the actions to be taken when Ultiboard encounters a design rule error, such
as cancelling the current action, asking for confirmation, or overruling the
error. Refer to the PCB Design Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for
more information.
The Edit Groups dialog box is where you create and edit net groups, part
groups, bus groups and differential pairs.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
•
•
•
•
•
Add Group dialog box
Working with Net Groups
Working with Part Groups
Working with Bus Groups
Working with Differential Pairs
Add Group dialog box
box. Refer to the following subjects for more information:
•
•
•
•
Working with Net Groups
Working with Part Groups
Working with Bus Groups
Working with Differential Pairs
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Working with Net Groups
Complete the following steps to create a net group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Click the Net Groups tab.
4. Enter the desired name and click OK. The Change group settings
dialog box appears.
5. Change the settings in the Group Settings area as desired.
Note Refer to the Change Group Settings dialog box and Net Group Settings sections for
more information.
6. Click OK to return to the Net Groups tab. The newly created group
appears in the Groups list.
7. Highlight the new group to display a list of nets you can add to the
group in the Assign Nets list, as shown in the example below.
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8. Click checkboxes beside the desired nets in the Assign Nets list and
click Apply to add them to the group.
Note You cannot assign a net to more than one group. Therefore, nets that are already
assigned to another net group do not appear in the Assign Nets list.
9. Click OK to close the Edit Groups dialog box.
Complete the following steps to edit a net group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Select the Net Groups tab.
3. Highlight the desired group in the Groups list.
5. Optionally, highlight the desired group in the Groups list and click the
Properties button to display the Change group settings dialog box.
6. Make the required changes in the Group Settings area and click OK.
Note Refer to the Change Group Settings dialog box and Net Group Settings sections for
more information.
Complete the following steps to delete a group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Select the Net Groups tab.
3. Highlight the desired group in the Groups list and click Delete.
Working with Part Groups
Complete the following steps to create a part group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Click the Part Groups tab.
4. Enter the desired name and click OK. The Change group settings
dialog box appears.
5. Change the settings in the Group Settings area as desired.
more information.
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6. Click OK to return to the Part Groups tab. The newly created group
appears in the Groups list.
7. Highlight the new group to display a list of parts you can add to the
group in the Assign Parts list, as shown in the example below.
8. Click checkboxes beside the desired parts in the Assign Parts list and
click Apply to add them to the group.
Note You cannot assign a part to more than one group. Therefore, parts that are already
assigned to another group do not appear in the Assign Nets list.
9. Click OK to close the Edit Groups dialog box.
Tip When adding parts to a Part Group, you can select parts on the workspace and then
click Add Selected in the Part Groups tab—the selected parts are added to the group.
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Complete the following steps to edit a part group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Select the Part Groups tab.
3. Highlight the desired group in the Groups list.
5. Optionally, highlight the desired group in the Groups list and click the
Properties button to display the Change group settings dialog box.
6. Make the required changes in the Group Settings area and click OK.
Note Refer to the Change Group Settings dialog box and Net Group Settings sections for
more information.
Complete the following steps to delete a group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Select the Part Groups tab.
3. Highlight the desired group in the Groups list and click Delete.
Working with Bus Groups
Set up a bus group for traces that you wish to route as closely together as
possible.
Complete the following steps to create a bus group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Click the Bus Groups tab.
3. Click Add. The Add group dialog box appears.
4. Enter the desired name and click OK.
5. The newly created group appears in the Assign Nets list.
6. Highlight the new group to display a list of nets you can add to the
group in the Assign Nets list, as shown in the example below.
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7. Click checkboxes beside the desired nets in the Assign Nets list and
click Apply to add them to the group.
Note You cannot assign a net to more than one group. Therefore, nets that are already
assigned to another bus group do not appear in the Assign Nets list.
8. Click OK to close the Edit Groups dialog box.
Complete the following steps to edit a bus group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Select the Bus Groups tab.
3. Highlight the desired group in the Groups list.
4. Change the net assignments as desired and click Apply.
Complete the following steps to delete a group:
2. Select the Bus Groups tab.
3. Highlight the desired group in the Groups list and click Delete.
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Working with Differential Pairs
Complete the following steps to create a differential pair:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Click the Differential Pairs tab.
4. Enter the desired name and click OK. The Change group settings
dialog box appears.
5. Change the settings in the Group Settings area as desired.
Note Refer to the Change Group Settings dialog box and Differential Pair Settings
sections for more information.
6. Click OK to return to the Differential Pairs tab. The newly created
group (differential pair) appears in the Groups list.
7. Highlight the new group to display a list of nets you can add to the
group in the Assign Nets list, as shown in the example below.
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8. Click two checkboxes beside the desired nets in the Assign Nets list
and click Apply to add them to the group.
Note You cannot assign a net to more than one differential pair. Therefore, nets that are
already assigned to another differential pair do not appear in the Assign Nets list.
9. Click OK to close the Edit Groups dialog box.
Complete the following steps to edit a bus group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
2. Select the Differential Pairs tab.
3. Highlight the desired group in the Groups list.
5. Optionally, highlight the desired group in the Groups list and click the
Properties button to display the Change group settings dialog box.
6. Make the required changes in the Group Settings area and click OK.
Note Refer to the Change Group Settings dialog box and Differential Pair Settings
sections for more information.
Complete the following steps to delete a group:
1. Select Tools»Group Editor to display the Edit Groups dialog box.
3. Highlight the desired group in the Groups list and click Delete.
Change Group Settings dialog box
Access this dialog box from the Edit Groups dialog box. Refer to the
Working with the Group Editor section for more information.
Use this dialog box to change the group settings for net groups, part groups,
and differential pairs.
The options found in this dialog box depend on the type of group. Refer to
the following sections for more information:
•
•
Net Group Settings
Part Group Settings
Differential Pair Settings
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Net Group Settings
For net groups, the following Group Settings are available:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Group Name
Clearance Settings
Trace Width Settings
Trace Length Settings
Routing Layers
Routing Priority
Locked
As well as setting the clearance for a net group, you can set clearances for
individual nets within that group. You can, for example, set the clearance
for the net group to 10 mils, and the clearance for two or more nets within
that group to 5 mils. In this case, if any net from the group comes within 10
mils of any element that is not in the net group, a DRC error is generated.
If one of the traces that you set to a 5 mils clearance moves to 5 mils or less
from one of the other traces with the 5 mils clearance setting, a DRC error
occurs.
Note Set individual trace clearances in the Nets tab of the Spreadsheet View. To do this,
select the desired trace, and locate the Trace Clearance column. Highlight Use Group
Settings and type in the desired clearance for that trace. You can also edit a trace’s
clearance from the General tab of its properties dialog box.
For information on any setting, select it in the Group Settings list. A
description appears in the field at the bottom of the dialog. You may need
to make the dialog box larger to view some of the descriptions. Do this by
dragging the dialog’s lower-right corner.
Part Group Settings
For part groups, the following Group Settings are available:
•
•
•
•
Group Name
Clearance Settings
Part Spacing Settings
Pin & Gate Swapping Settings
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For information on any setting, select it in the Group Settings list. A
description appears in the field at the bottom of the dialog. You may need
to make the dialog box larger to view some of the descriptions. Do this by
dragging the dialog’s lower-right corner.
Differential Pair Settings
For differential pairs, the following Group Settings are available:
•
Length Constraints
Space Constraints
•
For information on any setting, select it in the Group Settings list. A
description appears in the field at the bottom of the dialog. You may need
to make the dialog box larger to view some of the descriptions. Do this by
dragging the dialog’s lower-right corner.
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4
Working with Parts
The following sections explain how to work with parts as you create and
edit designs. It covers the ways that you can place parts on the board, as
well as the tools included to help you with part location and placement. It
also includes information on Ultiboard’s parts database, and editing the
parts in the database and on the board.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
Placing Parts
•
by dragging them from outside the board outline. Refer to the
information.
•
•
the Spreadsheet View section for more information.
by importing a netlist. Refer to the Creating a Design from a Netlist
File section of Chapter 2, Beginning a Design, for more information.
by selecting parts from the database. Refer to the Placing Parts from
the Database section for more information.
Note Before placing a part, make sure that you are on the layer where the part is to be
placed. Refer to the Accessing Layers section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for more
information.
Dragging Parts from Outside the Board Outline
By default, parts are placed outside the board outline when you open a
netlist from Multisim or another schematic capture program. These can be
dragged to the appropriate location on the board.
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Complete the following steps to drag a part from outside the board outline:
1. Click on the part and drag it to the appropriate location. The placed part
remains highlighted.
2. Click anywhere on the workspace, or right-click, to de-select the part.
Using the Parts Tab in the Spreadsheet View
The Parts tab in the Spreadsheet View shows a list of all the parts in your
design.
The Parts tab is also where you select parts, lock parts so they cannot be
accidentally moved, and place parts on the board. It also contains functions
to help you find parts on the board, and preview a selected part.
1
2
3
4
Dark Green Indicator
Bright Green Indicator
Orange Indicator
Selected Part
5
6
7
Preview of Selected Part
Show or Hide Preview Button
Start Placing Unpositioned Parts
Button
8
9
Lock Selected Parts Button
Find and Select Part Button
The dark green indicator (1) shows that the part has not been placed within
the board outline. If all parts’ indicators are dark green, there may be no
board outline defined.
The bright green indicator (2) shows that the part has been placed within
the board outline.
The orange indicator (3) shows that the part has been locked in place.
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The selected part (4) appears in the preview area (5). Deselect the Show or
Hide Preview button (6) if you do not wish to see the preview.
Use the Start Placing the Unpositioned Parts button (7) to place unplaced
parts.
moved.
Use the Find and Select Part button (9) to quickly locate a part on the
design.
Note Refer to the Spreadsheet View section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for information
about the other buttons in the Spreadsheet View.
Using the Parts Tab to Place Parts
Complete the following steps to place a single part on the board:
1. Click-and-drag the part from the list to the design. The selected part is
attached to the pointer as you move it over the board.
2. Release the mouse button to drop the part onto the board. The part can
then be adjusted or moved further into position as needed. Refer to the
Tools to Assist Part Placement section for more information about
moving parts and adjusting their placement.
Complete the following steps to place a series of parts on the board using
the Parts Sequencer:
1. Click an unplaced part in the list (a part with a dark green button). The
Start Placing the Unpositioned Parts button is activated on the Parts
tab.
2. Click the Start Placing the Unpositioned Parts button.
3. Move the pointer over the board. The selected part is attached to the
pointer as you move it over the board.
4. When the part is in position, click to drop it on the board. The next part
in the list appears on the mouse pointer.
5. Continue clicking to drop a part and pick up the next until you have
placed as many as desired.
6. Right-click to drop the last part or to cancel the action.
Parts that you place this way can then be adjusted or moved as necessary.
Refer to the Tools to Assist Part Placement section for more information
about moving parts and adjusting their placement.
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Using the Parts Tab for Other Functions
The Parts tab of the Spreadsheet View can also be used to select a part,
lock parts in their current position, find and select a part, or preview a part.
To select a part using the Parts tab, double-click the part in the list. The part
appears selected in the design.
Complete the following steps to lock and unlock parts:
1. Click a part in the list to select it. To select multiple parts, click one
part, hold the Shift key down, then click the last part you want to select.
The two parts that you clicked, and any parts listed between them, are
now selected.
2. Click the Lock the Selected Part button to lock all selected unlocked
parts or to unlock the selected locked parts.
Complete the following steps to find a part in the design:
1. Click the part in the list.
2. Click the Find and Select the Part button. The view zooms in on the
part, which appears selected.
Complete the following steps to preview a part:
1. Click the Preview button to toggle the Preview function on, if
required.
2. Click the part in the list. A picture of the part displays.
You can use the Parts tab to place parts that are not on the board but are
or have been imported but not yet placed within the board outline. Parts that
are listed in the Parts tab but are not on the board are indicated with a dim
button, while parts that have been placed on the board are indicated with a
bright button.
Note Refer to the Spreadsheet View section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for information
about the other buttons in the Spreadsheet View.
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Tools to Assist Part Placement
The following sections tell you how to use the tools that Ultiboard provides
to help you place parts and other elements on the design.
Working with Ratsnests
A ratsnest is a straight line connection between pads, indicating their
connectivity. The ratsnest identifies the pads which should be connected
according to the netlist, but which are not yet connected with traces.
Because these represent logical connections, and not the physical copper
connections referred to as traces in Ultiboard, they are just straight line
In Ultiboard, ratsnests are represented by colored lines, although they can
be dimmed so that they appear gray. They appear by default, exist on their
own layer, and can be controlled through the Information section of the
of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for information about dimming and
hiding ratsnests in the Design Toolbox.
Tip You can also show or hide individual ratsnests from the Show Ratsnests column in
the Nets tab of the Spreadsheet View, and also from the Net Edit dialog box. Refer to the
Using the Netlist Editor section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
The figure below shows the ratsnests as they connect pads in a design
without regard to running through parts.
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Working with Force Vectors
Force vectors are powerful aids that help you place parts on the PCB. When
you place a part manually on the board, you should pay careful attention to
the force vectors coming from that part. They allow you to place the part as
close as possible to other parts that are attached to the same net.
Try to minimize the ratsnest distances from that part to other pads on the
board. Force vectors work by treating the force vector lines coming from
each part as if they were vectors, adding them together as a vector sum, and
producing a resultant force vector. The resultant force vector has a length
and direction. By moving the part in the direction of the force vector, and
trying to minimize the force vector length, you are moving the part to a
location that results in the shortest possible combination of ratsnest lines.
Note Force vectors are extremely valuable as a guide, but you should not follow them
blindly. By the nature of the algorithm, all force vectors have a natural tendency to point
if all parts were located directly on top of each other in the very center of the board.
In Ultiboard, force vectors are represented by colored lines, although they
can be dimmed. They appear by default, but can be controlled through the
Information section of the Layers tab in the Design Toolbox. Refer to the
Accessing Layers section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for more
information about dimming and hiding force vectors.
The figure below shows force vectors coming from parts.
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Dragging Parts
To drag a part, click and drag it to the location where you want it placed,
and release the mouse button.
To specify the x/y coordinates to which the part is to move, press the * key
on the numeric keypad or use the x/y coordinates on the status bar to get a
precise reading on the location of the cursor. When you are on the exact
location of the part, release the mouse button.
Depending on your settings in the PCB Design tab of the Preferences
dialog box, design rule checking may be enabled while you drag. This
monitors for potential short circuits and clearance errors. If the move would
cause short circuits or clearance errors, the connections are not made. If
connections are lost, they can be restored by putting the part’s pad back on
the trace to which it belongs (with the same net name).
Rubber Banding
When you move a part that has connected traces, its connections will be
maintained—this is called Rubber Banding.
Complete the following steps to enable rubber banding:
1. In the Autorouter Settings area of the General tab of the Trace
Properties dialog box, select Trace can be moved.
2. In the Part Drag area of the PCB Design tab of the Preferences
dialog box, select Re-route after move.
3. Unlock any locked traces by right-clicking on the trace and selecting
Unlock from the pop-up that appears.
Shoving Parts
Part shoving allows you to move one part and have Ultiboard automatically
push other parts on the board out of the way to create enough available
space for the part.
Note Shoving does not work if there is any copper connected to the part.
To toggle the shoving command on and off, choose Design»Part Shoving.
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Complete the following steps to adjust the shove spacing around a part:
1. Select the part.
2. Choose Edit»Properties. The Part Properties dialog box for the part
appears.
3. Click the Part tab. This tab allows you to adjust the distance of part
shove spacing.
4. Change the Part shove spacing as desired. If you choose Use Design
Rule Defaults, the setting from the Design Rules tab of the PCB
Properties dialog box is used.
5. In the Clearances box, set the following:
•
To Trace—Minimum allowable space between the part and
traces.
Complete the following steps to enter swapping parameters for the selected
part:
1. In the Swapping box:
•
Pin—Select Yes, No or Use Group Settings from the drop-down
list.
•
Gate—Select Internal Gates only to permit swapping of gates
between gates within the same part; No Swapping to prohibit gate
swapping for this part; Advanced Swapping to permit gate
swapping between this part and another (both parts must have
Advanced Swapping selected); Use Group Settings to use group
swapping options.
To assist you in setting the shove spacing and clearances, the Dimensions
(View Only) area displays a preview of the selected part with its
dimensions displayed:
Complete the following steps to change the dimensions that are displayed
in the Dimensions (View Only) area:
1. Click on the arrow beside Dimensions (View Only) to display the
pop-up menu and select/deselect the desired dimensions, as shown in
the example below.
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2. Your selections show in the preview area.
3. To manipulate the view of the part, click in the Dimensions area and
use any of the following:
•
•
•
Zoom In button—Click to zoom in on the part for more detail.
You can also press the F8 key.
Zoom Out button—Click to zoom out. Shows less detail and
more of the whole part. You can also press the F9 key.
Zoom Window button—Click (or press <F6>) and then drag a
rectangle around the portion of the part you want to enlarge. The
area inside the rectangle enlarges to fill the Preview panel.
•
•
•
Zoom Full button—Click to view the entire part. You can also
press <Ctrl-F7>.
Mouse Wheel—If your mouse has a center wheel, you can use it
to zoom in and out on the part.
Scroll bars—When the part has been enlarged beyond the borders
of the Preview area, scroll bars appear that you can move in the
usual manner to locate the desired section of a part.
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Working with Parts
Using Ruler Bars and Guides
Use the ruler bars to place guides on the design, or to measure distances.
Elements on the design will snap to the dotted lines representing the guides
on the design.
To toggle the ruler bars off or on, choose View»Ruler bars.
Complete the following steps to place a ruler guide on the workspace:
1. Click in the ruler bar at the measurement where you want the guide
placed, shown in (1) in the figure below. Guides and dotted lines
appear as shown in (2) & (3) below.
1
Ruler Bar
2
Placed Guides
3
Dotted Lines
To move a guide, click on it in the ruler bar, and drag it to a new location.
Note If a guide crosses elements on the design, moving the guide will also move the
elements.
To remove a guide, right-click on it in the ruler bar, and choose either Clear
(for a single guide) or Clear All (for multiple guides).
To use a guide to measure, click on it in the ruler bar. Measurements from
the edge of the window and other guides appear, and change if you move
the guide.
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Orienting Parts
Parts are placed on the board in a certain orientation, which may not be the
orientation in which you need them. You can, however, orient them by
rotating them, or by swapping them to another layer.
Complete the following steps to orient a part:
1. Select the part to be oriented.
2. Choose one of the following commands from the Edit»Orientation
menu:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Flip Horizontal—Flips the part from left to right.
Flip Vertical—Flips the part from top to bottom.
90 Clockwise—Rotates the part 90 degrees clockwise.
90 CounterCW—Rotates the part 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
Angle—Rotates the part at an angle that you define.
Swap Layer—Swaps the selected part to the mirror layer
(for example, from Silkscreen Top to Silkscreen Bottom).
Aligning Shapes and Parts
Shapes and parts can be aligned with other shapes and parts.
Complete the following steps to align shapes and/or parts:
1. Select the elements to be aligned.
2. Choose one of the following commands from the Edit»Align menu:
•
•
•
•
•
Align Left—Aligns the left edges of the selected elements.
Align Right—Aligns the right edges of the selected elements.
Align Top—Aligns the top edges of the selected elements.
Align Bottom—Aligns the bottom edges of the selected elements.
Align Center Horizontal—Shifts the selected elements
horizontally so their centers are aligned.
•
Align Center Vertical—Shifts the selected elements vertically so
their centers are aligned.
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Spacing Shapes and Parts
Shapes and parts can be spaced relative to each other on the board.
Complete the following steps to space shapes and/or parts:
1. Select the elements to be spaced.
2. Choose the following commands from the Edit»Align menu to space
the elements:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Space Across—Spaces three or more objects beside each other
evenly.
Space Across Plus—Increases horizontal space between two or
more objects.
Space Across Min—Decreases horizontal space between two or
more objects.
Space Down—Spaces three or more objects above each other
evenly.
Space Down Plus—Increases vertical space between two or more
objects.
Space Down Min—Decreases vertical space between two or
more objects.
Placing a Group Array Box
A group array box is used to place parts in an array, such as memory chips.
You create the array box first and then place the parts.
Complete the following steps to place a group array box:
1. Select Place»Group Array Box. The New group array properties
dialog box displays.
2. Enter the desired X Spacing and Y Spacing for the array.
Or
If you wish to enter the number of rows and columns instead of the x-y
spacing, enable Enter number of columns and rows, and enter the
desired number of Columns and Rows.
3. Optionally, enable Use group centers (will use reference point
otherwise).
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5. Begin selecting and dragging parts. As they are placed, the parts snap
to the array.
Place the part in the top left cell. The other parts will be placed at the
same relative position in the other cells, beginning in the top left row
and working to the right.
6. Continue placing parts.
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Working with Parts
Replicating a Group
The Group Replica Place function allows you to automatically apply the
relative placement of parts in one group to another group. This is especially
useful when duplicating the layout of channels in multi-channel PCBs.
This example uses the following design:
Note Refer to the Working with the Group Editor section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a
Design, for information about group creation.
Complete the following steps to replicate the positioning of a group of
parts:
1. Select Design»Group Replica Place to display the Select Groups for
Replica Place dialog box.
2. In the Primary Group drop-down list, select the group whose
positioning is to be copied.
3. In the Group to be Replicated drop-down list select the group whose
positioning you wish to change to match the Primary Group.
4. Click OK. The dialog closes and the Group to be Replicated (in this
example, group 2) is placed on your cursor in the shape of the
Primary Group.
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5. Drag your mouse to the desired location and click to place the group.
Complete the following steps to unplace all non-locked parts:
Unplacing Parts
1. Select Place»Unplace Parts. A dialog displays asking if you wish to
remove any left over copper after the unplace command.
2. Select either Yes or No. All unlocked parts are removed from the PCB
and positioned outside of the board outline.
If you chose Yes in the above dialog, the copper that was connected to
the unplaced parts is also removed. If you chose No, the copper
remains in place.
Viewing and Editing Properties
Once a shape or a part has been created, its properties can be viewed and
edited. This section explains how to display the property dialog boxes of
parts, attributes, and shapes, and what each tells you about the element.
Attributes
All properties dialog boxes for all elements have an Attributes tab. Parts
are, in general, the only elements that already have attributes, typically
including a name, a value, and a shape. For other elements, you can add
attributes. All attributes can be changed or added.
In the Attributes tab, you can change an attribute’s:
•
•
•
tag (the name for the attribute)
value (the value of the attribute)
visibility (invisible, value shows, value and tag show).
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Note You can sort attribute information by clicking on the column header.
If you are looking at the attributes of a part that was imported from
Multisim, and that part has variants assigned, the tab will also have a variant
attribute as shown below.
Note For complete information on variants, refer to the Multisim help file.
Complete the following steps to modify or add an attribute:
1. Select the attribute you want to modify and click Change. The
Attribute dialog box appears.
Or
Click New.
The Select layer for attribute dialog box appears. Select the desired
layer and click OK. The Attribute dialog box appears.
2. Do some or all of the following:
•
•
•
Change or set the attribute’s tag by choosing from the Tag list.
Change or set the attribute’s value by entering it in the Value field.
Choose the attribute’s Visibility by enabling the desired option.
Visible attributes are previewed in the Alignment area of the
dialog box.
•
•
Use the Alignment area to set the attribute’s alignment (when
visible) relative to the part footprint.
Use the Line Font area of this dialog box to specify the weight of
font used to display the attribute (when visible). Your choices are
reflected in the preview area.
Or
If you want to use unicode characters, enable the Windows Font
radio button, click the Font button, and select the desired font from
the Font dialog box that appears. Please note that “right-to-left”
fonts are not supported for copper attributes on the PCB.
•
•
Set the Height and Rotation of the attribute (when visible). Your
choices are reflected in the preview area.
Choose the color of the attribute when visible on a specific layer.
Choose the layer from the Layer drop-down list; the color by
clicking Color.
3. Click OK to save your changes.
To delete an attribute, select it in the Attributes tab and click Remove.
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Viewing and Editing Part Properties
Complete the following steps to view and edit the properties of a part:
1. Select the part.
2. Choose Edit»Properties. The part’s Part Properties dialog box
appears, consisting of four tabs: Attributes, Position, 3D Data,
and Part.
The Position tab is the default, and appears when you choose
Edit»Properties. It displays the coordinates of the selected part:
•
•
•
•
X—The x-axis coordinate.
Y—The y-axis coordinate.
Angle (degrees)—The angle of the part’s placement.
Board side—The side of the board on which the part is placed.
The 3D Data tab allows you to control the properties of the 3D image of
the selected part. Any changes to the 3D properties are reflected in the
Preview area. The Enable 3D for this object checkbox must be selected
for the part to appear in the 3D view.
Tip Enable the Automatic preview update checkbox to have the preview update as
changes are made in the General, Material, Pins or Cylinder tab. For slower computers,
disable the checkbox and click the Update button when you wish to refresh the preview.
To rotate the image in the Preview area, hold down and drag the left mouse
button.
General Tab
Complete the following steps to specify the distance between the part and
the board:
1. In the Height field, enter the distance to the top of the part from the
surface of the board.
2. In the Offset field, enter the distance from the part underside to the
board.
Complete the following steps to produce the 3D image by projecting the
silkscreen information upwards according to the height and offset specified
for the part:
1. Enable the Use 2D Data to create 3D shape option.
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2. Choose the type of object to be created:
•
For a hole, enable the Hole option (the hole extends from the
Offset to the Height)—If you want to make the selected part a
hole in the 3D view, the part must be completely enclosed (for
example, a circle or rectangle) and be contained within another
larger object. For example, this could be used to create a notch or
dimple in a DIP (dual-in-line package.) These settings should be
applied by first editing the part (using either In-place Edit or the
Database Manager) and choosing the object to which the settings
apply.
•
For a sphere, enable the Create Sphere option and enter a value
in the Radius field.
Material Tab
To choose the colors to display for the part, click on the color box beside
each of the following field labels, and choose a color from the dialog box
that appears:
•
•
•
Part—The color used when the part’s face is viewed at right angles to
a line from the viewer to the part.
Backlight—The color used on any part face for which the light source
is not directly incident.
Reflection—The color used for reflected light. This works in
conjunction with the Surface setting. The more shine, the more the
part will display reflected light.
•
Illumination—The color used when the part emits light, for example,
a light emitting diode.
Pins Tab
To choose the pin model to be used in the 3D rendering, choose from the
Type list. By default the pin will attach at the mid-point of the body of the
part. Enable the Height option and enter a height value to use a value other
than the default.
Cylinder Tab
Complete the following steps to model a part in a cylindrical package such
as a resistor or diode:
1. Enable the Cylinder between pins option.
2. If the part is a resistor, enable the Color code option.
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3. To place a band to indicate polarization (for example, for a diode),
4. To set an offset for the cylinder, enable Use custom cylinder offsets
and enter the Start Offset and End Offset values.
The Part tab is where you adjust the distance of part shove spacing, enter
pin and gate swapping settings, and enter trace clearances. Refer to the
Shoving Parts section for more information.
Viewing and Editing Attributes
The attributes associated with a part that are visible on the workspace
(typically this is the part’s Reference Designator) also have properties.
These are made up of three tabs: General, Position and Attribute.
Complete the following steps to view an attribute’s properties:
1. Select the attribute (for example, the Reference Designator).
2. Select Edit»Properties. The Attribute Properties dialog box
appears, containing three tabs: General, Position, and Attribute.
To edit an attribute’s display style, use the following from the Line area of
the General tab:
•
•
•
Style button—Sets the line style for the attribute’s text line.
Color button—Sets the attribute’s color.
Width fields—Set the width of the attribute’s text line and the units of
measurement.
To edit an attribute’s coordinates, angle and layer, use the following in the
Position tab:
•
•
•
•
•
•
X—Sets the X-axis coordinate.
Y—Sets the Y-axis coordinate.
Angle (degrees)—Sets the angle of the attribute on the PCB.
Layer—Sets the layer on which the attribute appears.
Locked—Enable to lock the attribute in place.
Units—Sets the unit of measurement.
To edit an attribute’s visibility, alignment, and so on, use the Attribute tab.
Refer to the Attributes section for more information.
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Viewing and Editing Shape/Graphics Properties
As with parts and traces, the properties of shapes can be viewed and edited.
Complete the following steps to edit the properties of a shape that you have
placed on the design:
1. Select the shape.
2. Choose Edit»Properties.
Or
The name of the dialog box that appears varies, depending on the
selected shape.
To edit a shape’s attributes, use the Attributes tab.
Refer to the Attributes section for more information about editing
properties in the Attributes tab.
Depending on the shape/graphic selected, the General tab lets you change
the width and the clearance of the selected element and define the units of
measurement; or change the line style, color and width.
To change the layer on which a shape exists, use the following from the
Position tab:
•
•
Layer drop-down list—Use to select the desired layer.
Locked checkbox—Locks the shape to the layer.
The fourth tab is used to change the selected shape’s size. The name and
Placing Other Elements
This section explains about placing the following elements:
•
•
•
•
•
Placing Mounting Holes and Connectors
Placing Holes
Placing Shapes and Graphics
Working with Jumpers
Working with Test Points
Working with Dimensions
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Placing Mounting Holes and Connectors
Mounting holes and connectors are placed from the database. Refer to the
Placing Parts from the Database section for more information.
Placing Holes
You can also place holes directly onto the workspace, without using the
database, as described below.
1. Select Place»Hole. The Through Hole Pin Properties dialog box
appears.
2. Select the desired Shape for the whole. The Hole Preview changes
accordingly.
If you select Custom, the Get a Part from the Database dialog box
displays, where you must navigate to the desired part in the database.
3. Enter the desired Units, Length, Radius and Width for the hole.
4. Optionally, enable Plated in the Drill Option area if you wish the hole
to be plated.
5. Click OK. The dialog closes and the hole is placed on the cursor.
6. Move the cursor to the desired location and click to place it on the
workspace.
7. You can continue clicking to place more instances of the same hole, or
right-click to cancel placement.
Placing Shapes and Graphics
Ultiboard allows you to place various shapes and graphics on your design,
and to move them once they have been placed. Depending on your active
layer, the set of available shapes and graphics for placement, and what they
represent, may differ.
Choose the following commands to place shapes and graphics:
Button
Command
Description
Place»Line
Left-click two points to draw a line between them.
Continue clicking to draw another segment of the same
line, or right-click to stop.
Place»Shape»Ellipse
Left-click two points that define the ellipse’s focuses, then
move the pointer to define the ellipse’s size.
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Button
Command
Description
Place»Shape»Rounded
Rectangle
Left-click to define the opposite corners of the rectangle,
then move the pointer towards the middle of the rectangle
to define the roundness of the corners.
Place»Shape»Circle
Place»Shape»Pie
Left-click two points that define the circle’s diameter.
Left-click to define two points that define the diameter of
the pie, then move the pointer back and forth to define
whether the shape looks like a single slice of pie or like a
pie with a slice missing.
Place»Shape»Rectangle Left-click to define the opposite corners of the rectangle.
Place»Shape»Polygon
Place»Graphics»Line
Left-click all points that are to define the polygon, ending
with the starting point.
Left-click two points to draw a line between them.
Continue clicking to draw another segment of the same
line, or right-click to stop.
Place»Graphics»Arc
Left-click two points to draw an arc between them, then
move the pointer to change the degree of arc.
Place»Graphics»Bezier
Left-click two points to draw a bezier curve between them,
then move the pointer to change the degree of arc.
After creating a shape/graphic, right-click to cancel the Place command.
Note Shapes and graphics can be moved, oriented, and aligned like parts, and their
properties can also be viewed and edited. Use the properties to change the line color, style,
and width, and fill color and style if applicable. Refer to the Viewing and Editing
Shape/Graphics Properties section for more information.
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Working with Jumpers
Placing Jumpers
Default jumper pin settings are defined in the PCB Design tab of the
Preferences dialog box. The default pad settings are based on the settings
defined in the Pads/Vias tab of the PCB Properties dialog box. They can
be manually set to use the annular ring specification or pad diameter
settings by setting the properties of the pad when the jumper has been
placed on the design.
Complete the following steps to place a jumper:
1. Be sure a copper layer is selected in the Design Toolbox.
2. Choose Place»Jumper.
3. Move the pointer over the design. The pointer has the first prong of the
jumper attached.
4. Click to drop the first prong of the jumper, then move the pointer to
where the second prong should be placed.
5. Click to drop the second prong of the jumper.
6. Click to drop the first prong of another jumper, or right-click to cancel
the Place»Jumper command.
Once both prongs have been placed, jumpers can be moved, oriented, and
aligned like parts.
Viewing and Editing Jumper Properties
Complete the following steps to edit the properties of a jumper that you
have placed on the design:
1. Select the jumper.
2. Choose Edit»Properties.
Or
Right-click, and select Properties from the context menu that appears.
The Jumper Properties dialog appears, consisting of three tabs:
Attributes, Line and Jumper.
To edit a jumper’s attributes, use the Attributes tab. Refer to the Attributes
section for more information.
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To control the coordinates for the jumper’s starting and ending points, use
the following from the Line tab:
•
•
•
•
•
X1—The X coordinate of the jumper’s starting point.
X2—The X coordinate of the jumper’s ending point.
Y1—The Y coordinate of the jumper’s starting point.
Y2—The Y coordinate of the jumper’s ending point.
Units—Units of measurement.
To control the jumper’s wire and pin type, use the following in the Jumper
tab:
•
•
Diameter—Sets the wire’s diameter.
Board Side buttons—Select the side of the board on which the jumper
appears.
•
•
Pin Type box—Choose the type of technology for the jumper pins,
either Through Hole Technology or Surface Mount Technology.
Units—Units of measurement.
Working with Test Points
Placing Test Points
Default test point pin settings are defined in the PCB Design tab of the
Preferences dialog box. The default pad settings are based on the settings
defined in the Pads/Vias tab of the PCB Properties dialog box. They can
be manually set to use the annular ring specification or pad diameter
settings by setting the properties of the pad when the test point has been
placed on the design.
Complete the following steps to place a test point:
1. Be sure a copper layer is selected.
2. Choose Place»Test Point.
3. Move the pointer over the design. The pointer now has a test point
attached.
4. Click to drop the test point on the design.
Test points can be moved, oriented, and aligned like parts. Refer to the
Tools to Assist Part Placement section for more information.
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Viewing and Editing Test Point Properties
Complete the following steps to edit a test point’s properties:
1. Select the test point and select Edit»Properties. The Testpoint
Properties dialog appears.
2. Select the Test Point tab.
3. In the Wire area, set the following as desired:
•
•
Drill Diameter
Board Side—The side of the board on which the test point
appears. Select Top or Bottom.
•
Rotation—The angle of rotation of the test point.
4. In the Pin Type area, choose either Through Hole Technology or
Surface Mount Technology.
5. Click OK.
To edit a test point’s attributes, use the Attributes tab. Refer to the
Attributes section for more information.
Working with Dimensions
Placing Dimensions
Dimensions can be placed on a silkscreen (top or bottom) layer.
To set dimension parameters, including arrow style, text style, position,
orientation, and alignment, choose Options»Global Preferences and
select the Dimensions tab.
Complete the following steps to place a dimension on the board:
1. Be sure you have selected the silkscreen (top or bottom) layer.
2. Choose Place»Dimension and choose the type of dimension to be
placed:
•
•
•
Standard—If the dimension is to be placed at an angle.
Horizontal—If the dimension is to be placed horizontally.
Vertical—If the dimension is to be placed vertically.
3. Click to define the starting point of the dimension.
4. Move the pointer to the end point of the dimension. Ultiboard
measures as you move the pointer.
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5. Click to indicate the end point. Ultiboard stops measuring the length,
and draws an arrow between your start and end points.
6. Move the pointer to position the stub line, and click when you’re done.
In the example shown below, the vertical dimension of part RPACK1
has been moved to the outside right of the board outline.
Viewing and Editing Dimension Properties
Dimension properties consist of five tabs: Attributes, General, Position,
To edit a dimensions’s properties, select the dimension and select
Edit»Properties.
To edit a dimension’s attributes, use the Attributes tab. Refer to the
Attributes section for more information.
To edit a dimension’s display style, use the following from the Line area of
the General tab:
•
•
•
Style button—Sets the line style for the dimension’s text line.
Color button—Sets the dimension’s color.
Width fields—Set the width of the dimension’s lines and the units of
measurement.
To change the layer on which a dimension exists, use the following from
•
•
Layer drop-down list—Use to select the desired layer.
Locked checkbox—Locks the dimension to the layer.
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To control the coordinates for the dimension’s starting and ending points,
use the following from the Line tab:
•
•
•
•
•
X1—The X coordinate of the dimension’s starting point.
X2—The X coordinate of the dimension’s ending point.
Y1—The Y coordinate of the dimension’s starting point.
Y2—The Y coordinate of the dimension’s ending point.
Units—Units of measurement.
To control the various aspects of the dimension, adjust the following from
the Dimensions tab as desired:
•
•
•
•
Units—Unit of measurement.
Stub Length—Length of dimension’s stub.
Arrow Style—The elements in this box set the arrow’s characteristics.
Text Style—The Width and Height of the text. Enable the Mirror
checkbox to display a mirror image of the dimension.
•
•
•
Alignment—The radio buttons in this box set the dimension’s
alignment: Auto; Left; Center; Right.
Position—The radio buttons in this box set the position of the
dimension: Outside; Inside; Above; Over; Below.
Orientation—The radio buttons in this box set the orientation of the
dimension: Auto; Horizontal; Vertical.
Placing Parts from the Database
Complete the following steps to place parts from the database:
1. Choose Place»From Database. The Get a Part from the Database
dialog box displays.
2. In the Database panel, expand the categories until you find the
category where the part is. The parts appear in the Available Parts
panel.
3. In the Available Parts panel, select the part you need. The part appears
in the Preview panel. To manipulate the view of the part, click in the
Preview area and use any of the following:
•
Show Dimensions button—Displays selected dimensions of the
change the displayed dimensions, click on the down-arrow beside
the Show Dimensions button.
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•
•
•
Zoom In button—Click to zoom in on the part for more detail.
You can also press the F8 key.
Zoom Out button—Click to zoom out. Shows less detail and
more of the whole part. You can also press the F9 key.
Zoom Window button—Click (or press <F6>) and then drag a
rectangle around the portion of the part you want to enlarge. The
area inside the rectangle enlarges to fill the Preview panel.
•
•
•
Zoom Full button—Click to view the entire part. You can also
press <Ctrl-F7>.
Mouse Wheel—If your mouse has a center wheel, you can use it
to zoom in and out on the part.
Scroll bars—When the part has been enlarged beyond the borders
of the Preview area, scroll bars appear that you can move in the
usual manner to locate the desired section of a part.
4. Click OK. The Get a part from the Database dialog box disappears,
and the Enter Reference Designation for Part dialog box appears.
5. Enter the part’s REFDES (Reference Designator) and Value (for
6. Move the pointer over the board. The selected part is attached to the
pointer.
7. When the part is in position, click to drop it on the board.
8. Optionally, adjust or move the part further into position. Refer to the
Tools to Assist Part Placement section for more information.
Tip When you place parts from the database you must add them to the netlist. Refer to the
Using the Netlist Editor section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information.
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Editing Parts and Shapes
Editing a Placed Part (In-Place Edit)
In-place part editing lets you add, delete, or change a part and the items that
make it up. You can add, delete, or move pads, change or move the lines
that define a part, or place new shapes or lines in the part.
Complete the following steps to use In-Place Edit on a part:
1. Select the part and choose Edit»In-Place Part Edit.
An editing window opens, showing the selected part. The window also
shows the surrounding area of the board and the other parts in a
dimmed view, which cannot be edited. In the example shown below,
the selected part U2 is bright, while the unselected parts are dimmed.
Note Refer to the Colors Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for information about
changing the degree of dimming displayed on the parts that are not being edited.
section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
3. To add a pin, choose Place»Pins. The Place Pins dialog box displays.
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4. Indicate the pad type (THT or SMD) and its dimensions and spacing.
Changes appear in the Preview panel. When you have made the
necessary settings, click OK. The pad is attached to the pointer. Click
on the part to place it.
5. When finished, choose Edit»In-Place Part Edit again to end the
In-Place Edit function. The part appears with its changes.
Note You can save your edited part in the database for future use. Refer to the Adding
Parts using the Add Selection to Database Command section for more information.
Editing a Polygon
A vertex is a point of a polygon. You can add or remove vertices from
polygons, whether copper or non-copper.
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Complete the following steps to add a vertex to any line segment of a
polygon:
1. Select the line (a selected line segment will have filled selection boxes
while the other selection boxes in the polygon will be open).
2. Select Edit»Vertex»Add Vertex. A vertex is added in the middle of
the segment.
You can now move that vertex to change the shape of the polygon.
Complete the following steps to remove a vertex:
1. Click on the point to be removed.
vertices on either side are joined by a straight line.
Complete the following to change the size of a design’s vertices:
1. Edit the Minimum control point size field in the General tab of the
Preferences dialog box. Refer to the General Tab section of
Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Viewing and Editing Through Hole Pin Properties
Complete the following steps to edit through hole pin properties:
2. The Through Hole Pin Properties dialog box appears, consisiting of
five tabs: Attributes, General, Pad, Layer Settings and Thermal
Relief.
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To edit a through hole pin’s attributes, use the Attributes tab. Refer to the
Attributes section for more information.
To edit a through hole pin’s display style, use the following in the General
tab:
•
•
•
•
•
X—The x-axis coordinate.
Y—The y-axis coordinate.
Net—The net this through hole pin is on (read-only)
Angle (degrees)—The angle for the pin.
Board side—Select the Top or Bottom radio button to set the side of
the board on which the through hole pin resides.
•
•
Units—The unit of measurement.
To Trace—The minimum space between the through hole pin and any
trace.
To control the shape and size of the through hole pin, use the Pad tab . The
preview in the Shape area of this tab shows the pad as it was created; the
Selection Preview shows how the pad appears on the workspace.
•
•
•
•
Shape box—Choose options to control the shape of the through hole
pin. Shape settings can be set differently for each layer if desired.
Pad Size box—Choose the appropriate option and, where necessary,
value for the pad size.
Solder Mask box—Choose the solder mask layer where the pad
appears.
Hole box—Choose the hole type. If you choose Advanced Hole, and
click Properties, the Through Hole Pin Properties dialog appears.
Refer to the Placing Holes section for more information.
Use the Layer Settings tab to add copper rings to through-hole pins or vias
on specified layers
1. Enable the Copper Ring checkbox for layers to which you wish to add
a connection to the through-hole pin or via.
2. Enable the Allows Autorouting checkbox for the desired layers. This
option is for autorouting only. It does not affect Netlist and DRC
checks. You cannot allow autorouting for layers that do not have a
copper ring.
to be used for the through-hole pin or via.
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Use the Thermal Relief tab to choose what type of thermal relief the pin
will use when connecting to a copper area or power plane.
1. Select the desired thermal relief in the Type box.
2. Select the desired width of the spokes in the thermal relief from the
Spoke Width drop-down list.
Viewing and Editing SMT Pin Properties
Complete the following steps to edit SMT (Surface Mount Technology)
properties:
1. Select the desired SMT pin and select Edit»Properties.
2. The SMT Pin Properties dialog box appears, consisiting of five tabs:
Attributes, General, Pad, Thermal Relief, and Pin Neck.
To edit an SMT pin’s attributes, use the Attributes tab. Refer to the
Attributes section for more information.
To edit an SMT pin’s display style, use the following options in the
General tab:
•
•
•
•
•
X—The x-axis coordinate.
Y—The y-axis coordinate.
Net—The net this SMT pin is on (read-only)
Angle (degrees)—The angle for the pin.
Board side—Select the Top or Bottom radio button to set the side of
the board on which the SMT pin resides.
•
•
Units—The unit of measurement.
To Trace—The minimum space between the SMT pin and any trace.
Use the Pad tab to control the Shape and size of the through hole pin. The
Pad Preview on this tab shows the SMT pin as it was created, the Selection
Preview shows how the SMT pin appears on the workspace.
Use the Thermal Relief tab to choose what type of thermal relief the SMT
pad will use when connecting to a copper area or power plane.
1. Select the desired thermal relief in the Type box.
2. Select the desired width of the spokes in the thermal relief from the
Spoke Width drop-down list.
Use the Pin Neck tab to enter dimensions for the pin necks.
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Searching For and Replacing Parts
Ultiboard allows you to search for parts in two ways:
•
•
Searching for parts in open designs. This method tells you if a specific
part exists in all of the designs that are currently open.
Locating a part in a design. This method finds a specific part in the
design where you are currently working, and zooms in on the part.
You can also replace a part with one from the database.
Searching for Parts in Open Designs
To find out if a part exists in the open designs, you can search for it with
the Edit»Find command. While this command works much like a Find
function in other applications, it also allows you to search for a part by
name, number, shape, value, or by all variables.
Complete the following steps to find out if a part exists in the open designs:
1. Choose Edit»Find. The Find dialog box opens.
2. Enter your search criteria from the selection below:
•
Find what—Enter all or part of the a RefDes, or variables that
define parts: name, number, shape, or value.
•
Find special—Select one of ALL TAGS, NUMBER, REFDES,
VALUE.
•
•
Match case.
Match whole word only.
3. Click Find. The search results appear in the Results tab of the
Speadsheet View.
4. Double-click an item in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet View to
zoom in and display that item in the workspace.
Locating a Part in a Design
To help you find specific parts in the open design, use the Parts tab.
Complete the following steps to find a part in the design:
1. Click the Parts tab in the Spreadsheet View.
2. Click the part in the list.
3. Click the Find and Select the Part button above the list of parts. The
view zooms in on the part, which appears selected.
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Replacing Parts
Complete the following steps to replace a part on the design with a part
from the database:
1. Select the part.
2. Choose Tools»Change Shape. The Get a Part from the Database
dialog box opens.
3. In the Database panel, expand the categories until you find the
category where the part is. The parts appear in the Available Parts
panel.
4. In the Available Parts panel, select the part you need. The part is
previewed in the Preview panel when it is selected.
5. Click OK to replace the selected part on the design with the part you
chose from the database.
Cross-probing
Cross-probing is the ability to highlight a selected part or group of parts in
Multisim.
Complete the following steps to perform cross-probing:
1. Launch Multisim and open the file that corresponds to the design you
have open in Ultiboard.
2. In Ultiboard, select the parts that you wish to highlight in Multisim.
3. Select Tools»Highlight Selection in Multisim. The parts are
highlighted in Multisim.
Creating New Parts
You can design your own parts if necessary, either through the
Database Manager, or using the Part Wizard.
Using the Database Manager to Create a Part
Complete the following steps to create a part:
1. Choose Tools»Database»Database Manager.
want to create dialog box appears.
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3. Select the type of part you want to create: a net bridge, custom pad
shape, PCB part or CAD part and click OK. The Edit mode window
opens.
4. Design your part using the Place and Draw tools. Refer to the
Toolbars section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
5. To add a pin to a PCB part or net bridge, choose Place»Pins. The
Place Pins dialog box opens.
Indicate the pad type (THT or SMD), its dimensions and spacing, and
click OK. The pin is attached to the pointer. Click on the part to place
it.
6. When finished designing the part, choose File»Save to database as.
7. Type a name for the new part. The name must be unique.
8. Click OK. The Insert the selected Item(s) into the database dialog
box disappears, but the edit mode window stays visible.
The part can be placed from the database. Refer to the Placing Parts
from the Database section for more information.
9. Click the design in the Projects tab of the Design Toolbox to return to
the design screen.
Using the Part Wizard to Create a Part
The Part Wizard steps you through the process of creating a part.
Complete the following steps to use the Part Wizard:
1. Choose Tools»Part Wizard. Step 1 of the Part Wizard appears.
2. Choose one of the following:
•
•
THT—Through Hole pin technology.
SMT—Surface Mount pin technology.
3. Click Next to display step 2 of the wizard.
If you chose TH in step 1 of the wizard, the Package Type choices
shown below appear:
•
•
•
•
DIP (Dual in Line Package)
PGA (Pin Grid Array Package)
SPGA (Staggered Pin Grid Array Package)
SIP (Single in Line Package)
ZIP (Zigzag in Line Package)
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If you chose SMT in step 1 of the wizard, the Package Type choices
shown below appear:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SOT (Small Outline Transistor)
TO (Transistor Outline)
SO-Gullwing (Small Outline, SOIC, SOP, TSSOP)
SO-J (Small Outline J Lead)
PLCC (Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier Package)
QFP (Quad Flat Package)
BGA (Ball Grid Array Package)
SBGA (Staggered Ball Grid Array Package)
SIP (Single in Line Package)
ZIP (Zigzag in Line Package)
4. Choose the desired Package Type and click Next to display step 3 of
the wizard.
The following Package Dimension choices appear:
•
•
•
•
Units—Select the unit of measure from the drop-down list.
X—The “x” dimension of the part (displayed on the preview).
Y—The “y” dimension of the part (displayed on the preview).
3D Height—The height of the the part, as displayed in the 3D
view.
•
3D Offset—The distance between the PCB and the bottom of the
part.
•
•
Corner Cutoff - Notch (A)—The size of the notch on the part.
Corner Cutoff - Left Top—Places the notch on the left top of the
part.
•
•
•
•
Corner Cutoff - Right Top—Places the notch on the right top of
the part.
Corner Cutoff - Left Bottom—Places the notch on the left
bottom of the part.
Corner Cutoff - Right Bottom—Places the notch on the right
bottom of the part.
Circle Pin 1 Indicator—Enable to show a circle around pin 1 of
the part.
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•
•
Diameter—The diameter of the circle around pin 1 of the part.
Becomes active when Circle Pin 1 Indicator is selected.
Distance from Edge—The distance between the circle around pin
1 and the edge of the part. Becomes active when Circle Pin 1
Indicator is selected.
Note Depending on the Package Type selected in step 3 of the wizard, some settings may
not be available.
5. Make the desired Package Dimension settings and click Next to
display step 4 of the wizard.
The following 3D settings appear:
•
Shininess—Use the slider to adjust the shininess of the part when
seen in the 3D view.
•
Colors—Click on the button beside each of the following
parameters and select the desired color: Background Light;
Direct Light; Reflection Light; Emit Light.
6. Make the desired 3D settings and click Next to display step 5 of the
wizard. The options available will depend on whether you selected
THT or SMT in step 1 of the wizard.
If you chose THT, the following options appear:
•
•
Units—The unit of measure for the settings.
Drill Hole - Diameter—Diameter of the through-hole pin’s drill
hole. This is displayed in the lower right preview
(dimension “D”).
•
Shape area—Use to set the shape for the Top, Bottom and Inner
sections of each pad. For each of these sections of the pad, you can
Custom. As you make your selections, they are reflected in the
lower right preview area, which displays the currently active
settings. If you choose Custom, the Get a Part from the
Database dialog box appears, where you can select any
previously-created pad shapes. Refer to the Using the Database
Manager to Create a Part section for more information.
•
•
Pad Size—Select Use Design Rules if you wish to use the default
values set up in the PCB Properties dialog box. Otherwise,
enable Pad Diameter and Annular Ring and enter the desired
values.
Settings Management—This is useful if you wish to have
different pad types and dimensions on the same part footprint.
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Click Add to create a new pad and then change the settings that
are detailed above. You can create as many of these as you like,
and choose between them by clicking on the “<<” and “>>”
buttons. Remove any undesired pad types by clicking Remove. To
change a pad type on the part, use the “<<” and “>>” buttons to
select the desired pad in the lower right preview area and click on
the pin you wish to change in the upper right part preview. The
part preview changes to reflect the new pad information.
Note Pad types that you make using the Add button are for the convenience of adding
unique pads to the current multiple pin part. If you create another part, these will not be
accessible from the Settings Management area.
If you chose SMT, the following options appear:
•
•
•
Circular—Enable to make the pads circular and enter the desired
Diameter. The changes are displayed in the lower right preview
area.
Rectangular—Enable to make the pads rectangular and enter the
desired X and Y dimensions. The changes are displayed in the
lower right preview area.
Y and Corner Radius settings. The changes are displayed in the
lower right preview area.
•
•
Custom Pad—Enable to display the Get a Part from the
Database dialog box, where you can selected any
previously-created pad shapes. Refer to the Using the Database
Manager to Create a Part section for more information.
Settings Management—This is useful if you wish to have
different pad types and dimensions on the same part footprint.
Click Add to create a new pad and then change the settings that
are detailed above. You can create as many of these as you like,
and choose between them by clicking on the “<<” and “>>”
buttons. Remove any undesired pad types by clicking Remove. To
change a pad type on the part, use the “<<” and “>>” buttons to
select the desired pad in the lower right preview area and click on
the pin you wish to change in the upper right part preview. The
part preview changes to reflect the new pad information.
Note Pad types that you make using the Add button are for the convenience of adding
unique pads to the current multiple pin part. If you create another part, these will not be
accessible from the Settings Management area.
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7. Make the desired pad settings and click Next to display step 6 of the
wizard.
The following Pins information appears:
•
•
•
Units—The unit of measure.
Number of Pins—The number of pins in the part.
Distances - Between pins (A)—The “A” distance between pins
as shown on the preview.
•
Distances - Between rows (B)—The “B” distance between rows
as shown on the preview.
Note Distances information changes depending on the Package Type you selected in
step 2 of the wizard.
8. Make the desired pin settings and click Next to display step 7 of the
wizard.
The following Pad Numbering information appears:
•
Type of Pad Numbering—Available options appear here. Many
parts only have the Numeric option; others are alpha-numeric;
numeric-alpha.
•
Direction of Pad Numbering—Displays the available options
for the selected package type.
numbers.
9. Make the desired Pad Numbering settings and click Finish.
10. The wizard closes, and the part is available for further editing in the
Footprint edit mode using the Place and Draw tools. Refer to the
Toolbars section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
11. When you are finished, choose File»Save to database as. The Insert
the selected Item(s) into the Database dialog box appears, with a
12. Type a name for the new part. The name must be unique.
13. Click OK. The Insert the selected Item(s) into the Database dialog
box disappears, but the Footprint edit mode screen stays visible.
The part can be now placed from the database. Refer to the Placing
Parts from the Database section for more information.
To return to the design screen, click the design in the Projects tab of the
Design Toolbox.
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Managing the Database
The Database Manager is where you add, organize, view, create, and
manage the parts that Ultiboard stores in its database.
Manager.
There are three panels in the Database Manager:
•
The Database panel, which lists the databases and their
sub-categories. The Database panel contains the following buttons.
Refer to the Working with Database Categories section for more
information.
Button
Description
New button. Creates a new database category or
sub-category.
Add button. Use to add parts to either the User or
Corporate database. Refer to the Adding Parts using the
Database Manager section for more information.
Delete button. Deletes a database category or
sub-category.
Rename button. Renames a database category or
sub-category.
Copy button. Copies a database category or sub-category.
Move button. Moves a database category or sub-category.
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•
The Parts panel, which lists the parts in the selected sub-category. The
parts:
Button
New button. Creates a new part. Refer to the Using the
Database Manager to Create a Part section for more
information.
Edit button. Edits a part. Refer to the Editing a Placed
Part (In-Place Edit) section for more information.
Delete button. Deletes a part.
Rename button. Renames a part.
Copy button. Copies a part.
Move button. Moves a part.
•
The Preview panel, which allows you to preview the part you selected
in the Parts panel. To manipulate the view of the part, click in the
Preview area and use any of the following:
–
Show Dimensions button—Displays selected dimensions of the
part (unit of measure is set from the Units drop-down list). To
change the displayed dimensions, click on the down-arrow beside
the Show Dimensions button.
–
–
–
Zoom In button—Click to zoom in on the part for more detail.
You can also press the F8 key.
Zoom Out button—Click to zoom out. Shows less detail and
more of the whole part. You can also press the F9 key.
Zoom Window button—Click (or press <F6>) and then drag a
rectangle around the portion of the part you want to enlarge. The
area inside the rectangle enlarges to fill the Preview panel.
–
Zoom Full button—Click to view the entire part. You can also
press <Ctrl-F7>.
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–
–
Mouse Wheel—If your mouse has a center wheel, you can use it
to zoom in and out on the part.
Scroll bars—When the part has been enlarged beyond the borders
of the Preview area, scroll bars appear that you can move in the
usual manner to locate the desired section of a part.
In addition, there are two functions that allow you to control the
information that appears in the Database and Parts panels:
•
The Filter drop-down list allows you to display only PCB parts,
custom PAD shapes, net bridges or CAD parts in the Parts panel.
•
The Show subtree contents checkbox lets you control the display of
the subtree contents from the Database panel.
Working with Database Categories
To make parts in the database easier to locate, the database organizes them
into categories and sub-categories. You can expand and collapse the
categories and sub-categories in the Database Manager just as you would
in similar Windows applications: click the plus (+) to expand a category or
subcategory, and click the minus (-) to collapse it.
While there are default categories and sub-categories, you can create new
ones if necessary. These are stored in the User Database.
You can copy any database category and its contents to another category or
sub-category. The sub-categories that appear by default cannot be deleted,
renamed, or moved, but you can delete, rename, or move the ones that you
have added.
Complete the following steps to create a new database category:
1. Open the Database Manager.
2. In the Database panel, click the root or a subcategory to indicate
where the new category belongs. The new category will be created as
a sub-category of the item you select.
3. Click the New button above the Database panel. A new category is
created with New Object-Group as the name.
4. Type a name for the new category and press ENTER.
Complete the following steps to copy a database category:
1. In the Database panel, select the category to be copied.
2. Click the Copy button above the Database panel. The Select
Destination in Database dialog box appears.
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3. Select the category or sub-category where the category is to be copied.
The copied category will go under the item you select.
4. Click OK. The category is copied to the location you specified, and the
Select destination in database dialog box disappears.
Complete the following steps to delete a database sub-category:
1. In the Database panel, select the sub-category to be deleted.
2. Click the Delete button above the Database panel. You are prompted
to confirm the deletion. The sub-category disappears from the list.
Complete the following steps to rename a database sub-category:
1. In the Database panel, select the sub-category to be renamed.
2. Click the Rename button above the Database panel. The name of the
sub-category is highlighted.
3. Change the name as desired.
Complete the following steps to move a database category or sub-category:
1. In the Database panel, select the category or sub-category to be
moved.
2. Click the Move button above the Database panel. The Select
destination in database dialog box appears.
3. Select the category or sub-category where the category is to be moved.
The moved category will go under the item you select.
4. Click OK. The category is moved to the location you specified, and the
Select destination in database dialog box disappears.
Adding Parts to the Database
Parts that appear on a design but do not exist in the database can be added
to the database two ways:
•
•
By using the Database Manager.
By using Tools»Database»Add Selection to Database.
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Adding Parts using the Database Manager
Complete the following steps to add parts from the design to the database
using the Database Manager:
1. In the Database panel, select the category (within the User or
Corporate Database) you want to add the part to.
2. Click the Add button above the Database panel. The Add new parts
to database dialog box appears.
If you selected one or more parts on the design before opening the
Database Manager, the Current selection as one part option is
selected at the top of the dialog box.
Otherwise, the Complete design contents option is selected. The
dialog box lists the parts in the design along with a preview of each.
3. Select the desired Target Database (where the parts will be saved).
4. Select the part(s) to be added.
To select all parts, click the Select All Items button
(or press <Ctrl-A>).
To deselect all parts, click the Unselect All Items button.
5. To rename a part, highlight it and click the Rename button. The part
name must be unique regardless of the database category you want to
place it in.
6. Click OK to add the part(s) to the database.
Adding Parts using the Add Selection to Database
Command
To add a part to the database using the Add Selection to Database
command:
1. In the design, select the part to be added. You can also select multiple
parts that will be added as a group.
2. Choose Tools»Database»Add Selection to Database. The Insert the
Selected Items into the Database dialog box opens, with the part
illustrated in the Preview panel, and the part’s name in the
Existing parts field (unless multiple parts were selected).
3. If necessary, enter or edit the part’s name. The part name must be
unique for the selected database, regardless of the category it will be
stored in.
4. Select the database category or sub-category where the selected part is
to be kept.
5. Click OK.
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Note If you selected multiple parts, you can save them to the database as one item. When
a part that has been saved to the database in this manner is placed on the workspace, it will
become separate items again, including any parts and traces that were in the original
selection.
Merging and Converting Databases
You can merge parts from one database into another or convert parts that
you created in your old User Database to Ultiboard 10 format.
Details follow.
Merging Databases
You can merge parts from one database into another. For example, you may
have created a number of parts on your home computer that you wish to
merge into a part database on your office computer.
Complete the following steps to merge databases:
1. Select Tools»Database»Merge Database. The Database Merge
dialog box appears.
2. Click on Select a Component Database Name in the Source
Database area. The Select a Component Database Name dialog box
displays.
3. Navigate to the location of the database that you wish to merge (your
source database) and select the type of database that you wish to merge
in the Files of type drop-down list:
•
•
User (Usrcomp_s_*.usr)—User database.
Corporate (Cpcomp_s.prj)—Corporate database.
4. Highlight the source database file (the one you wish to merge) and
click Open. You are returned to the Database Merge dialog box.
5. Select the Target Database. This is the database into which you will
merge the parts from your Source Database.
•
•
Corporate Database—Parts from the source database will be
merged into the Corporate Database.
User Database—Parts from the source database will be merged
into the User Database.
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6. Click Start. A dialog box displays with the following options:
•
Auto-Rename—Parts will be saved with modified names in the
new database.
•
•
Overwrite—Parts will overwrite new parts with the same name.
Ignore—Parts with the same name will nobe be merged.
7. Select the desired option and click OK. The parts from the source
database are merged into the target database, based on the option
selected above.
8. Click Close to close the Database Merge dialog box.
Converting Databases
If you are a user of an earlier version of Ultiboard, your User Database and
Corporate Database must be converted to Ultiboard 10 format if you wish
to use their components in Ultiboard.
Note The option to convert the Ultiboard Master database is not available, as a new
Ultiboard Master database is loaded when you install Ultiboard.
Complete the following steps to update your databases to Ultiboard 10
format:
1. Select Tools»Database»Convert Database. The Select Type dialog
box appears.
2. Select either Convert V6/V7 database or Convert V8/V9 database
and click OK. The Convert Database dialog box appears.
3. Click Select a Database File Name in the Source Database area. The
Select a Database File Name dialog box displays.
4. Navigate to the location of the database that you wish to convert (your
source database), select the database type in the Files of type
drop-down list, select the database and click Open. You are returned
to the Convert Database dialog box.
5. Select the Target Database. This is the database into which you will
merge the converted parts from your Source Database.
•
•
Corporate Database—Parts from the source database will be
converted and added to the Corporate Database.
and added to the User Database.
6. Click Start. The Duplicate Part Name dialog box displays.
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7. Select one of the following options:
•
•
•
Auto-Rename...—Imports and automatically renames the
duplicate parts.
Overwrite...—Replaces the Ultiboard 10 parts with your old
parts.
Ignore...—Does not import parts with duplicate names.
8. Click OK.
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5
Working with Traces and Copper
The following sections describe how to work with traces and other copper
elements in Ultiboard.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
Placing Traces
You can place the traces on the board by using one of the methods
explained here, or by using the methods described in Chapter 7,
Autorouting and Autoplacement.
The manual methods used to place traces are:
•
•
Manual trace—This method allows you the maximum control in trace
placement. You select the pads and vias to be connected, and dictate
the path the trace takes to the next connection.
Follow-me router—This method allows you to select the next pad or
via to be connected by having Ultiboard follow your mouse movement
as it places a trace. Ultiboard routes the resulting trace around most
obstacles.
•
Connection Machine—This method connects two pads or vias with a
trace that is automatically routed around obstacles.
All methods of placing traces support the ratsnest selection method. This
method starts the trace when the ratsnest is selected and auto-connects the
trace to the nearest destination pad.
All methods except Connection Machine support continuous trace
placement; when a trace is placed between two pads, the trace placement
will continue from the last pad connected.
As you place a trace, and before you click to place it, you can always
remove a segment by backing up over it. Each time you click while placing
a manual trace, or each time a Connection Machine trace changes
direction, a separate segment of that trace is created. When performing
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operations on traces, be sure to select either the appropriate segment or, if
you wish, the whole trace.
traces that is to be kept free of any other elements. Trying to run a trace
through a clearance, or trying to place a part so that a pad is put within a
clearance, for example, results in an error. The board outline clearance is
defined in the PCB Properties dialog box. Clearances for other copper
elements are defined in the General tab of the element’s properties. Refer
to the Viewing and Editing Copper Properties section for more
information.
To view clearances, choose View»Clearances. The clearances are shown
as fine blue lines around pads and traces.
Working with Traces
Ultiboard’s default trace measures 10 mil wide and has a clearance of
10 mil. Clearances are measured from the outside edge of an object: a
10 mil trace with a 5 mil clearance would measure 20 mil across from edge
to edge (5 mil clearance on one side, the 10 mil trace, and 5 mil clearance
on the other side).
Placing a Trace: Manual Method
When you place a trace manually, you click pads and vias, and you must
also click the trace’s pivot points. This means that you have the most
control over where the trace lies, but you must avoid placing the trace
through parts and over other traces. If you try to place a manual trace
through a part or over another trace, an error is generated in the DRC tab
of the Spreadsheet View.
Complete the following steps to place a trace manually:
1. Choose a copper layer.
2. Select or enter the desired trace size in the Draw Settings toolbar.
3. Choose Place»Line.
4. Click a pad on the board. The net the pad is a part of is highlighted, and
the pads in the net are each marked with an X.
5. Make your way to the next pad in the net. Remember to avoid parts and
other traces. Click to fix the trace to the board each time you change
direction.
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6. Click the next pad in the net. Continue in this way from pad to pad,
clicking the points on the board where you must route the trace around
obstacles.
7. When you place the final trace in the net, cancel trace placement by
either pressing <ESC> twice or by right-clicking and selecting ESC
from the pop-up menu that appears twice.
Narrowing/Widening Trace Width On-the-Fly
On occasion, it may be necessary to change the width of a trace segment
(for example, when placing it in a narrow area between pins). You can
change the width of a trace segment on-the-fly as detailed below.
Complete the following steps to change the trace width on-the-fly:
1. Begin placing the trace as detailed above.
2. Click to place a trace segment, right-click and select either Widen or
Narrow from the pop-up that appears.
3. Continue placing the trace and left-clicking to anchor trace segments.
The width of the trace segments either increases or decreases by 10%
of the width of the previous trace segment, depending on whether you
selected Widen or Narrow.
Tip If you want to increase or decrease the next segment by more than 10%, right-click
and select either Widen or Narrow multiple times.
Note You will not be able to exceed the Max Width value for the net as set in the Nets
tab of the Spreadsheet View, or set a width lower than the Min Width value.
Placing a Trace: Follow-me Method
While you must avoid obstacles such as other traces when placing a manual
trace, a Follow-me trace avoids most of the obstacles that lie along a trace’s
route.
Note Refer to the Placing a Trace: Manual Method section for information about manual
trace placement.
Complete the following steps to place a Follow-me trace:
1. Choose a copper layer.
2. Choose Place»Follow-me.
3. Click a pad on the board. The net the pad is connected to is highlighted,
and the pads in the net are each marked with an X.
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4. Move the mouse pointer to the next pad in the net. The trace follows
the pointer, routing itself around most obstacles.
5. When you place the final trace in the net, cancel trace placement by
either pressing <ESC> or by right-clicking.
Tip Use <Ctrl-Shift-W/N> to widen/narrow the trace. You can also change the trace width
during routing by typing the desired value in the Draw Settings toolbar. Otherwise, trace
size is determined from the net settings. If you attempt to change to a net width that is too
big (DRC errors appear), the trace width will not change.
Placing a Trace: Connection Machine Method
The Connection Machine is the simplest and fastest way to connect
two pads, but it cannot be used to connect more than two pads at a time.
Complete the following steps to place a Connection Machine trace with
default routing:
1. Choose a copper layer.
2. Choose Place»Connection Machine.
3. Click a segment of a ratsnest on the board. The two pads connected by
the segment of the ratsnest are connected with a trace that has been
routed around obstacles.
4. Press <ESC> twice to end trace placement.
Complete the following steps to place a Connection Machine trace with
custom routing:
1. Choose a copper layer.
2. Choose Place»Connection Machine.
3. Click a segment of a ratsnest on the board. The two pads connected by
the segment of the ratsnest are connected with a trace that has been
routed around obstacles.
4. Drag the trace segment to change the default routing around obstacles.
The middle of the trace will move, although the trace remains anchored
to the two specified pads.
5. Click to lock the moved trace segment in place.
6. Press <ESC> twice to end trace placement.
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Tip Use <Ctrl-Shift-W/N> to widen/narrow the trace. You can also change the trace width
during routing by typing the desired value in the Draw Settings toolbar. Otherwise, trace
size is determined from the net settings. If you attempt to change to a net width that is too
big (DRC errors appear), the trace width will not change.
Placing a Bus
Use to connect multiple traces between multi-pinned devices such as ICs.
The procedure below uses the following example.
Complete the following steps to place the copper for the bus in the above
example:
1. Be sure that you have not selected any pins.
2. Select Place»Bus. The cursor changes to a bus symbol. Click on a pin
on each of the nets that you wish to place in the bus and then move the
cursor towards the target IC.
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3. Move the cursor toward the bus’s destination pins and double-click to
complete copper placement.
Working with Density Bars
Density bars use color to indicate the density of pins and pads at
cross-sections of your board. The higher their density at any given
cross-section, the more difficulty you will have routing traces through that
section of the board and the more copper is used in that area. When placing
parts you should strive to achieve relatively equal density distributions to
avoid difficult-to-route areas.
As the design’s pin/pad density gets heavier, the color of the density bars
changes from green to red.
When you start Ultiboard, the density bars are toggled off by default. If you
toggle the density bars on, they appear on the right side and underneath the
design.
To toggle the density bars on, or off again, choose View»Density Bars.
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Working with Keep-in/Keep-out Areas
A Keep-in area is a polygon that you set so that when objects are moved
outside of it, a DRC error is generated. Conversely, a Keep-out area
generates a DRC error when objects are moved into it.
Placing Keep-in/Keep-out Areas
The Keep-in/Keep-out properties dialog box lets you place a polygon that
will act as either a Keep-in or a Keep-out area. By default, a Keep-out is
placed.
Complete the following steps to add a restricted area:
1. Choose Place»Keep-in/Keep-out Area.
2. Left-click all points that are to define the polygon, ending with the
starting point.
Viewing and Editing Keep-in/Keep-out Properties
To display the Keep-in/Keep-out properties dialog box, select the desired
keep-in/out and select Edit»Properties. (The Keep-in/out layer must be
active).
The Keep-in/Keep-out properties dialog box consist of two tabs:
Attributes and Keep-in/keep-out.
The Attributes tab allows you to edit the properties of the selected area.
For more information on editing properties in the Attributes tab, refer to
the Attributes section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts.
The Keep-in/Keep-out tab lets you set specific parameters.
Complete the following steps to set Keep-in/Keep-out parameters:
1. In the Type box, select either Keep-out or Keep-in.
2. In the Layers box, check the layers to which the Keep-in/out applies.
3. Optionally, enter the a Name for the Keep-in/out area.
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4. Optionally, click on one of the following checkboxes in the Advanced
options area and then click the Options button when it becomes
active:
•
•
Net Group—Displays the Select Groups dialog box where you
select the net groups to which you wish to apply the Keep-in/out.
Part Height—Displays the Part Height Ranges dialog box
where you enter the height of parts to which you wish the
Keep-in/out area to apply.
•
Part Group—Displays the Select Groups dialog box where you
select the part groups to which you wish to apply the Keep-in/out
area.
5. Click OK in the Keep-in/Keep-out Properties dialog box.
If no Advanced options are set:
•
A DRC error is reported if an object is moved outside of a Keep-in
area.
•
•
A DRC error is reported if an object is inside a Keep-out area.
If there are multipleKeep-ins or Keep-outs, the objects may be divided
amongst the different areas at your discretion. Multiple areas then
behave as a single disjointed area.
If any Advanced options are set:
•
A DRC error is reported if an object is moved outside of a Keep-in
area.
•
A DRC error is reported if an object is inside a Keep-out area.
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Equi-Spacing Traces
This option lets you set the spacing between traces to be equal.
Complete the following steps to equi-space traces:
1. Select two traces that surround at least one other trace, as shown in the
figure below.
2. Select Tools»Equi-space Traces. The spacing between the traces is
made equal, as shown in the example in the figure below.
Note The selected traces must be between two objects (that is, two pins, two traces); initial
spacing between traces must not be equal; traces must belong to a net in the same layer.
Rubber-banding does not work with this feature, hence some traces may become
disconnected.
Deleting a Trace
Traces can be deleted like other objects. When you delete a trace, you are
not asked to confirm the deletion, but you can undo the deletion by
choosing Edit»Undo immediately after making the deletion.
vias associated with a trace will be deleted when that trace is deleted.
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To delete a trace that you have just placed, choose Edit»Undo Place Trace
Segment.
Complete the following steps to delete an existing trace:
1. Select the trace.
2. Choose Edit»Delete.
Or
1. Select the trace.
This section contains the following subjects:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Placing Copper Areas
Placing Powerplanes
Splitting Copper
Converting a Copper Shape to an Area
Deleting All Copper
Adding and Removing Teardrops
Placing Copper Areas
Use the Place»Copper Area command to define copper polygons.
Complete the following steps to place a copper area:
1. Choose a copper layer.
2. Choose Place»Copper Area. The pointer has a polygon shape
attached.
3. Left-click all points that are to define the copper area, ending with the
starting point.
4. Optionally, right-click to cancel the Place command.
Complete the following steps to delete a copper area:
1. Choose Edit»Copper Delete»Copper Island.
2. Click on the copper area you want to delete.
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Placing Powerplanes
Powerplanes are copper areas that cover the entire plane.
Complete the following steps to place a powerplane:
1. In the Layers tab, select the layer to be used as a powerplane.
2. Choose Place»Powerplane. The Choose Net and Layer for
Powerplane dialog box appears.
3. Specify the Net and Layer for the powerplane.
4. Click OK. The Choose Net and Layer for Powerplane dialog box
disappears and the powerplane is placed on the layer that you
specified.
Splitting Copper
The Polygon Splitter is used to split copper areas or powerplanes.
Complete the following steps to split a copper area or powerplane:
1. Choose Design»Polygon Splitter.
2. Move the pointer to the polygon you want to split.
3. Click at the point where you want to begin the split.
4. Move the pointer over the polygon. A line appears to indicate where
the split will occur. Move the line to the desired place and click to
finish the split.
5. Right-click to cancel the Polygon Splitter function.
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Converting a Copper Shape to an Area
Use to convert a copper shape to a polygon that supports voiding around
unconnected nets.
Complete the following steps to shape a copper shape to an area:
1. Select a copper shape in your workspace. The figure below shows a
coppers shape (green) that straddles two pins and traces.
2. Select Design»Shape to Area. The copper is cut out to avoid the other
elements within its area, as in the example shown below.
Deleting All Copper
To delete all copper elements (traces, copper areas, and powerplanes) and
start over, choose Edit»Copper Delete»All Copper. This deletes all
copper elements in the design.
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Adding and Removing Teardrops
A teardrop is a flair that you can add to a trace where the trace connects to
a pad. This is typically used with very small sized traces, to prevent
possible breakage in the copper between the trace and the pad.
Complete the following steps to add teardrops:
1. Select Design»Add Teardrops. The Teardrops dialog box displays.
2. Select the Units for the teardrop length.
3. In the Length box, enter the Preferred and Minimum length for the
teardrops. The preview area changes as the lengths are changed.
4. In the Apply to box, select the following as desired:
•
Selected pads radio button—Teardrops will be added to the pads
that are currently selected on the workspace.
•
All of the following radio button—When selected, enables the
SMT pins, THT pins and Standard vias checkboxes; check as
desired.
5. In the On DRC error box, select the desired radio button. Choices are
Do not create teardrop; Ask for confirmation; Create teardrop.
6. Enable or disable the Ignore pad without net checkbox as desired.
7. Click OK to add the teardrops are added.
To remove all teardrops select Edit»Copper Delete»All Teardrops.
Viewing and Editing Copper Properties
All copper elements (traces, copper areas, and powerplanes) share the same
three properties tabs (Attributes, General, and Position). The fourth tab
for traces is Line, and the fourth tab for copper areas and powerplanes is
Copper Area.
The General tab is where you edit the properties of the selected copper
element.
Complete the following steps to edit the contents of the General tab:
1. In the Measurements box, set the desired Width. Net shows the net
to which the element is connected, if any. It is read-only.
can be Moved. User-placed traces are fixed (default setting) so that
they will not be moved when autorouting is performed.
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3. Optionally, change the Units (of measurement).
object to traces in the To Trace field.
The Attributes tab is where you edit the attributes of the selected copper
element.
Refer to the Attributes section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
The Position tab is where you change the layer the selected copper element
is on, from the Layer drop-down list. You can also use this tab to lock the
copper element on the layer.
The Line tab is the default when the selected copper element is a trace.
Complete the following steps to control the coordinates for the trace’s start
and end points:
1. Enter the following in the Points box:
•
•
•
•
X1—The X coordinate of the trace’s starting point
X2—The X coordinate of the trace’s ending point
Y1—The Y coordinate of the trace’s starting point
Y2—The Y coordinate of the trace’s ending point
When a copper area is selected, the Copper Area Properties dialog box
includes a Copper Area tab.
Complete the following steps to set a copper area’s net and parameters:
1. In the Thermal Reliefs box, select the thermal reliefs and styles
desired using the following:
•
•
SMD Pads checkbox—Enable to have thermal relief applied to
SMD pads.
Padstacks checkbox—Enable to have thermal relief applied to
padstacks.
•
•
Vias checkbox—Enable to have thermal relief applied to vias.
Style to Use when Referenced by Pad drop-down list—The
thermal relief shape to use when referenced by a part’s pad.
Spoke Width to Use when Referenced by Pad drop-down
list—The size of the spokes a thermal relief will have when it is
referenced by a part’s pad.
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2. In the Remove Islands box, set the parameters to remove islands using
the following (an island is a section of copper within the copper area
that is not connected to any other copper):
•
Smaller than checkbox—Enable the checkbox and enter the
desired setting. Any copper islands with length and width smaller
than this value are automatically deleted.
•
•
Not connected to outer edge checkbox—Any unconnected
copper within the coppe area will be removed.
Reset all manual removed islands checkbox—Select to replace
all islands that you removed manually (that is, by selecting and
deleting).
3. Select Enable voiding if you wish the area around traces and pins not
to be connected to the copper area.
4. If you wish to connect the copper area to a net, enable Connected to
Working with Vias
This section contains the following topics:
•
•
Placing Vias
Viewing and Editing Via Properties
A via is a plated through-hole in a printed circuit board used to connect two
or more layers, as well as the top and bottom surfaces of the board.
Once placed, a via can be moved like a part. Refer to the Tools to Assist
Part Placement of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, section for more
information.
Complete the following steps to place a via:
1. Choose Place»Via and click on the board where you want to place the
via. The Select the lamination that is to be used for this via dialog
box appears.
2. Select the layers that the via is to run between (From Layer and
To Layer).
3. Click OK. The dialog box disappears.
4. Right-click to cancel the Place Via command, or click in another
location to place another via.
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Note Depending on your setting in the PCB Design tab of the Preferences dialog box,
vias associated with a trace may be deleted when the trace is deleted.
Viewing and Editing Via Properties
Via properties consist of five tabs: Attributes, General, Via, Layer
Settings and Thermal Relief.
The Attributes tab allows you to edit the properties of the selected via.
Refer to the Attributes section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
The General tab is the default, and appears when you choose
Edit»Properties. It allows you to change the X/Y coordinates, the size of
the clearance, the via angle, the side of the board the via is on, and to define
the units of measurement.
Complete the following steps to change the settings in the General tab:
1. In the Measurements box, set the following as desired:
•
•
•
•
X,Y—The X and Y coordinates of the via.
Net—The net the via is connected to (read-only).
Angle(degrees)—Leave at 0.00.
Board side—Select either Top or Bottom radio button
(read-only).
2. Optionally, enable the Locked checkbox to lock the via in place, and
change the Units of measurement.
3. In the Clearances box, enter the desired clearance of the selected via
to traces in the To Trace field.
Complete the following steps to change the settings in the Via tab:
1. Enable the Assume net checkbox to assign a specific net to the via,
then select the net from the drop-down list.
2. In the Via Settings box, set the following as desired:
•
Use Design Rules radio button—Select to use the settings in the
Pads/Vias tab of the PCB Properties dialog box.
•
Pad Diameter radio button—Select to enter the diameter of the
selected via’s pad in the drop-down list. The Drill Diameter
drop-down list is also activated; enter the desired value.
•
Plated checkbox—Check to plate the inside of the via’s drill hole.
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3. In the Autorouter Settings box, select either Via is Fixed or Via can
be Moved (during autorouting).
4. In the Solder Mask box, select the following as desired:
•
Top checkbox—Enable to place a solder mask on the top of the
PCB.
•
Bottom checkbox—Enable to place a solder mask on the bottom
of the PCB.
If the via that you have selected is a micro via, the Micro Via tab displays
instead of the Via tab.
Complete the following steps to change the settings in the Micro Via tab:
1. Enable the Assume net checkbox to assign a specific net to the micro
via, then select the net from the drop-down list.
2. In the Autorouter Settings box, select either Via is Fixed or Via can
be Moved (during autorouting).
3. In the Solder Mask box, select the following as desired:
•
Top checkbox—Enable to place a solder mask on the top of the
PCB.
•
Bottom checkbox—Enable to place a solder mask on the bottom
of the PCB.
4. In the Via Settings box, set the following as desired:
•
Use Design Rules radio button—Select to use the settings in the
Pads/Vias tab of the PCB Properties dialog box.
•
Pad Diameter radio button—Select to enter the diameter of the
selected via’s pad in the drop-down list. The Landing Pad and
Drill Diameter drop-down lists are also activated; enter the
desired values in these.
5. In the Layer Settings list, enable which layers to Allow Autorouting.
Complete the following steps to change the settings in the Thermal Relief
tab:
1. Set the width of the thermal relief’s spokes in the Spoke Width area.
2. Enable the desired radio button in the Type area to se the shape of the
thermal relief. If you do not wish to use thermal relief for the via, select
No thermal relief.
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Placing SMD Fanouts
The Fanout SMD command attaches vias to each pin of either a selected
surface mount device (SMD) or all SMDs on the board.
Complete the following steps to place SMD fanouts:
1. Optionally, select the part(s) to which you wish to apply fanouts, as in
the example shown in the figure below.
2. Select Design»Fanout SMD. The Fanout Options dialog box
appears.
3. In the Fanout Type box, select one of:
•
•
Fanout Board—Fanout action will apply to the entire board.
Fanout Selected Part—Fanout action will apply to the selected
part only.
4. In the Fanout Via Configuration box, enter the following as desired:
•
•
•
Via Drill Diameter—The diameter of the placed vias’ holes.
Via Pad Diameter—The diameter of the placed vias’ pads.
Via Spacing Factor—This is for PGA parts only (it does nothing
for non-PGA parts); determines how far apart the vias are placed.
For example, if the distance between the SMT pins is 2mils, and
the Via Spacing Factor is 2, then the distance between the vias
will be 2mils × 2 = 4mils. The direction of this distance depends
on where the via is placed, but basically, if the SMT pin is at the
top, the the via will also be at the top, and the distance is the Y
distance between each row of vias will be 4mils. The distance also
depends on the particular part - each part may have different SMT
spacing, so the distance may vary.
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5. Click Start Fanout. The Fanout Options dialog box disappears and
the fanout vias are placed on the design, as circled in the figure below.
Working with Nets
This section contains the following subjects:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Using the Nets Tab
Using the Netlist Editor
Highlighting a Net
Shielding Nets
Net Bridges
Copying a Copper Route
Using the Nets Tab
The Nets tab buttons in the Spreadsheet View allow you to preview a net
in relation to the board, find a net, highlight a selected net, lock and unlock
a selected net, set the width and clearance of a selected net, and remove the
copper of a selected net.
Complete the following steps to preview a net:
1. Click the Show preview button to toggle the Preview function on if it
is not already.
2. Click the net in the list. A picture of the path the net makes on the board
displays in the preview area.
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Complete the following steps to find a net in the design:
1. Click the net in the list to select it.
2. Click the Find the selected net button. The view zooms in on the net
and selects it.
Complete the following steps to highlight a selected net:
1. Click the net in the list to select it.
2. Click the Highlight selected nets button. The selected net is
highlighted on the design. (You can change the highlight color from
the Color Element drop-down list in the Colors tab of the
Preferences dialog box).
Complete the following steps to lock and unlock any copper placed for a
net:
1. Click the net in the list to select it.
2. Click the Lock the selected net button to lock an unlocked net, or to
unlock a locked net.
Complete the following steps to remove the copper of a selected net:
2. Click Remove Copper. You are prompted to confirm the removal.
3. Click Yes to remove the copper. The copper is deleted and the ratsnest
reappears.
Note Refer to the Spreadsheet View section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for information
about the other buttons in this tab.
Using the Netlist Editor
You can use the netlist editor to view the nets in the design and to view the
pins in the nets. You can also use it to add and delete nets from the design,
add/delete pins from an existing net, adjust trace widths in a net, set high
speed parameters and adjust a net’s via diameters and via drill hole size.
To open the netlist editor, choose Tools»Netlist Editor. The Net Edit
dialog box opens.
Complete the following steps to lock a net in place:
2. Click the Lock Net button.
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Complete the following steps to add new pins to a locked net:
1. Select the desired net in the Net drop-down list.
2. Click the Lock Net button to unlock the net.
3. Add the necessary pins and connections. Refer to the Adding a Net
section for more information.
5. Click the Lock Net button.
To show or hide a ratsnest, click the Show/Hide Ratsnest button. When
depressed, this button shows the ratsnest for the net selected in the Net
drop-down list. Refer to the Working with Ratsnests section of Chapter 4,
Working with Parts, for information about ratsnests.
Adding a Net
Complete the following steps to add a net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and click the Pins tab.
2. Click New. The Add Net dialog box displays.
3. Enter a name and click OK. The new net name displays in the Net list.
The light green “lamp” indicates that there are no pins connected to the
net. The field in the middle of the pins tab is blank because the new net
has no pins connected. See below to add pins to a net.
Complete the following steps to add a pin to a new or previously existing
net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and click the Pins tab.
2. Select the desired net from the Net drop-down list in the Net edit
dialog box.
Tip You can also select the net by clicking on the button to the right of the drop-down list
and then clicking on one of the pins from that net in the workspace. To do this, there must
already be pins connected to the net.
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The remainder of this section uses the example shown in the figure
below. The parts shown are not connected any net.
3. Click the Add pins button and click the desired pin in the workspace.
Continue until all pins for the net are listed in the Pins area.
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Or
Click Add. The Add Pins to the Net dialog box displays.
and the Net edit dialog box shows the added pins in the list of pads for
the displayed net.
4. Click OK in the Net edit dialog box. The dialog box closes and the net
information is added in the workspace, including its ratsnest and force
vectors. Refer to the Working with Ratsnests and Working with Force
Vectors sections of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
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Complete the following steps to change a net’s topology.
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and select the net from the Net drop-down
list in the Net edit dialog box.
2. Click either Shortest, Daisy chain or Star in the Topology area and
click OK. The ratsnest placement on the workspace changes to reflect
the new topology.
•
•
•
Shortest—When connections are made, the shortest distance
possible will be maintained. The order for the connection is not
considered. Refer to the figure below for an example.
Daisy chain—The connection between pins is based on the order
in which the pins are selected. The connection distance between
pins is not considered. Refer to the figure below for an example.
Star—Pins are connected with a reference point, which is the first
selected pin. Other pins will only be connected to the reference
source. The effect is like a star, with connections radiating out to
other pins. Orders in which the pins are selected or the distance
between pins are not considered. If the first pin is deleted from the
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net, then the pin below the reference point will become the source.
Refer to the figure below for an example.
Renaming a Net
Complete the following steps to rename a net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and select the desired net from the Net
drop-down list in the Net edit dialog box.
2. Click Rename in the Net edit dialog box. You are prompted for the
new net name.
3. Type a name for the net.
4. Click OK to save the new name.
The new net name appears in the Net drop-down list in the Net edit
dialog box, and in the Nets tab in the Spreadsheet View.
Deleting a Net
Complete the following steps to delete a net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and click Delete in the Net edit dialog
box. The Select the net to delete dialog box appears.
2. Select the net to be deleted.
3. Click Delete to delete the net. The Select the net to delete dialog box
closes, and the net no longer appears in the Net drop-down list of the
Net edit dialog box, or the Nets tab in the Spreadsheet View. The net
is also removed from the board, but while the net disappears, the traces
stay on the board.
Note There is no deletion confirmation. To cancel the deletion before you click Delete,
click Close.
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Deleting a Pin from a Net
Complete the following steps to delete a pin from a net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor, click the Pins tab and select the desired
net from the Net drop-down list in the Net edit dialog box.
2. Highlight the pin you wish to delete in the list in the Pins tab and click
Remove.
The pin disappears from the list of pins for the net displayed.
Note There is no deletion confirmation.
3. Click OK to close the Net edit dialog box.
Setting Net Widths
Complete the following steps to set net widths:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and select the desired net from the Net
drop-down list in the Net edit dialog box.
2. Click on the Width tab.
3. Enter the Minimum trace width, Default trace width, Maximum
trace width, and Trace clearance, or choose Use Group Settings
from the drop-down lists.
4. Click OK to save changes.
Setting High Speed Parameters
Complete the following steps to set high speed parameters for a net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and select the desired net from the Net
drop-down list in the Net edit dialog box.
2. Click the High Speed tab.
Enter the following as required:
•
Parallelism check—Enable checkbox and enter Maximum
length that traces can run in parallel. Enter size of Gap (allowable
distance) between parallel traces on Same layer and Adjacent
layer. In the Against net field, select the net against which the
parallelism check is done.
•
Route length check—Enable checkbox and enter Minimum and
Maximum lengths for the length of copper between connected
pins for Daisy chain and Star topologies (this checkbox is only
active for these topologies).
3. Click OK to close dialog box and accept changes.
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Setting Miscellaneous Net Parameters
Complete the following steps to set miscellaneous parameters for a net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and select the desired net from the Net
drop-down list in the Net edit dialog box.
2. Click on the Misc tab.
3. In the Routing Layers area:
•
Select layers to use for routing copper for the selected net.
Note If the selected net is part of a net group, the Use Group Settings checkbox will be
checked. Turn this off if you wish to make changes in the Routing Layers area.
4. In the Priority field:
•
Enter the routing priority for the selected net. “1” is the highest
priority, “2” the second highest, etc. Leave as None if priority
routing is not required.
5. In the Net Shielding area:
Select which Net is used for the shield. Width becomes active -
change as desired.
•
Note Shields are copper that is placed around a selected net to act as a buffer or to shield
the net from signal interferance.
6. Enter desired parameters and click OK.
Setting Group Parameters
Complete the following steps to enter group information for a net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and select the desired net from the Net
drop-down list in the Net edit dialog box.
2. Click on the Groups tab.
3. Select the desired Net group from the drop-down list.
4. Optionally, to enter a group for a bus and/or differential pair for the
selected net, click the Bus or Differential pair radio button and select
the group from the drop-down list. These groups are created in the Edit
Groups dialog box. Refer to the Working with the Group Editor
5. Enter desired group parameters and click OK.
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Setting Via Parameters
Complete the following steps to edit via information for a net:
1. Select Tools»Netlist Editor and select the desired net from the Net
drop-down list in the Net edit dialog box.
2. Click on the Via tab.
3. Set desired Via Drill Diameter and Via Pad Diameter and click OK.
Highlighting a Net
Complete the following steps to highlight a net:
1. Click on a segment of the net that you wish to highlight.
2. Select Design»Highlight Selected Net. The entire net is highlighted
on the workspace and also in the Preview area of the Nets tab of the
Spreadsheet View.
Tip You can change the highlight color from the Color Element drop-down list in the
Colors tab of the Preferences dialog box.
Shielding Nets
1. Select Design»Shield Nets. The Net Shielding dialog box appears.
2. Select one of the following in the Width box:
•
•
Use Net Settings radio button—Select to use net settings. Refer to
the Spreadsheet View: Nets Tab section of Chapter 1, User
Interface, and the Using the Netlist Editor section for more
information.
(unlabelled) radio button—Select and enter a width for the
shielding that differs from the net settings.
3. Enter the desired size for the gap between net and shield in the Gap
box.
Note The Preview changes as parameters are adjusted.
4. Click Advanced to display the Advanced Net Shielding Options
dialog box.
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5. Select the net to use for the shield in the Shield net area:
•
Use Net Settings—Select to use the shield set in the Spreadsheet
View (also set in the Net edit dialog box).
•
GND—Select to activate the drop-down list, where you can pick
the net to use for the shield.
6. In the On DRC Error area, select the action to take when a DRC error
occurs.
7. In the On Other Failures area, select the action to take when other
errors occur.
8. In the Nets area, select the nets you wish to shield.
9. In the Layers area, select the layers on which you wish to place the
shielding.
10. Click OK. You are returned to the Net Shielding dialog box.
11. Click OK.
The shielding appears as illustrated below:
12. Results appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet View. You may
click on an error to go to the problem area.
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Net Bridges
The net bridge functionality permits connections between different nets
(for example, digital and analog grounds) without losing the properties of
either net.
Creating a Net Bridge
Complete the following steps to create a net bridge:
1. Select Tools»Database»Database Manager.
2. Click the Create New Part button in the Parts area, select Net bridge
and click OK. The Net Bridge Edit Layer displays on your
workspace.
3. Select Place»Net Bridge Pins to display the Place Net Bridge Pin
dialog box.
4. Enter the desired parameters for the first pin of the net bridge, click
OK and place the pin on the workspace.
5. Select Place»Pins again, enter the parameters for the second pin of the
net bridge, click OK and place the pin on the workspace in the desired
location.
6. Connect the two pins by selecting Place»Shape»Rectangle and
drawing a rectangle between them, being sure to overlap the two pins.
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7. Close the Net Bridge Edit Layer, and when prompted, Click Save.
8. The following dialog box appears. Enter the name for the new
netbridge (Netbridge2 in the following example):
9. Click OK.
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Placing a Net Bridge
This example connects two traces - one is on net “DGND” and the other is
on net “GND”.
Complete the following steps to place a net bridge:
1. Select Place»Net Bridge. The Place Net Bridge dialog box appears.
2. Click Select Net Bridge From Database. The Get a part from the
database dialog box appears.
3. Select the desired net bridge in the Available Parts area and click OK.
You are returned to the Place Net Bridge dialog box.
4. Map the pins of the net bridge to the desired nets in the Pin 1 and Pin 2
area. In the example below, digital ground (DGND) and analog ground
(GND) are mapped together.
5. Click OK and place the netbridge across the two nets as in the example
below.
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Copying a Copper Route
You can copy the routing of traces between two identical parts groups that
have been set up using the Group Replica command.
Complete the following steps to copy copper routing between groups:
1. Create two identical part groups. Refer to the Replicating a Group
section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
2. Route the traces for one of the groups. In the example below, Part
Group A consists of U7 and U8. Part Group B consists of U9 and U10.
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3. Select Design»Copy Route. The Copy route dialog box appears.
4. Select the group you have already routed in the Source group field,
and the group you wish to have the same routing in the Destination
group field and click OK. The routing is duplicated for the destination
group.
Swapping Pins and Gates
Pin and gate swapping are done between like pins and gates to reduce the
amount of copper needed to route a given net.
The following sections document manual pin swapping, manual gate
swapping and automatic pin/gate swapping. For these functions to work,
the pin groups must be set up in the Footprint tab of the Component
Properties dialog box in Multisim, before the circuit is exported to
Ultiboard. Refer to the Multisim User Manual for details.
Swapping Pins
This feature works between allowed pins in the same gate (section of an
IC). Swapping of pins between gates in the same IC or between similar ICs
is not allowed.
Complete the following steps to swap pins between gates:
1. Select Design»Swap Pins.
2. Click on the first pin that you wish to swap.
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3. Click on the second pin to complete the action.
Note Error messages will display if the selected pins cannot be swapped, or if there is no
PINGROUP information for a pin.
Swapping Gates
This feature allows you to swap similar gates, and works for the following,
which are set in the Pin & Gate Swapping Settings area of the Design
Rules tab of the PCB Properties dialog box:
•
•
Internal Gates Only—Allows gate swapping in the same IC only.
Advanced Swapping—Allows gate swapping internally and between
similar ICs.
Group settings for swappable gates can be set into part groups in Ultiboard.
Each new part group will have its own swapping information, which
Ultiboard will follow.
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The following design is used in this example:
Complete the following steps to swap gates between parts:
1. Select Design»Swap Gates. The workspace changes to reflect the
gates.
2. Select the first gate that you wish to swap by clicking on the
corresponding letter.
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3. Click on the letter corresponding to the gate with which you want to
exchange the gate you selected above. The ratsnest changes to reflect
the swap.
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Automatic Pin/Gate Swapping
This feature lets you swap pins and/or gates after moving part(s) on the
workspace.
Note For this feature to function, you must allow pin/gate swapping in the
Spreadsheet View, and in the Design Rules tab of the PCB properties dialog box.
Complete the following steps to swap pins and gates automatically after a
part move:
1. Move desired parts on the workspace.
2. Select Design»Automatic Pin Gate Swap. Pins and gates are
swapped to achieve the most efficient routing of nets possible.
The above figure shows U1 before the automatic pin/gate swap. Note
the position of the ratsnests.
The figure below shows U1 after the automatic pin/gate swap. Note the
new position of the ratsnests.
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Real-Time Pin/Gate Swapping
This feature allows you to swap pins and/or gates automatically in real-time
as you move parts on the workspace.
Note For this feature to function, you must allow pin/gate swapping in the Spreadsheet
View, and allow real-time swapping in the Design Rules tab of the PCB properties dialog
box.
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6
PCB Calculators
The following sections explain how to use Ultiboard’s PCB Calculators.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
PCB Transmission Line Calculator
To control reflections on high-speed PCBs, it is necessary to make the
traces appear as if they are transmission lines. This is done by calculating
the characteristic impedance of the trace (Zo) and then terminating it with
its characteristic impedance. This makes the trace appear like an infinitely
long transmission line, and it will therefore have no reflections, even
though in reality it has a finite length. (What actually occurs is that all of
the energy that travels down the trace is absorbed, and there is no energy
left to reflect back). Once you have calculated Zo, you can use it to design
the trace’s termination.
There are a number of methods used to terminate transmission lines, for
example, series termination, diode termination, which are beyond the scope
of this manual. We recommend that you refer to any number of available
texts on the subject.
Note Equations used are based on the IPC-D-317A document from the IPC organization
(www.ipc.org).
In addition to Characteristic Impedance (Zo), you can use the PCB
Transmission Line Calculator to calculate the following parameters for
typical printed circuit board trace geometries:
•
•
•
Per unit length Capacitance (Co)
Per unit length Inductance (Lo)
Propogation Delay (tpd).
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The PCB Transmission Line Calculator supports:
•
•
•
•
•
Microstrip Trace Calculations.
Embedded Microstrip Trace Calculations.
Centered Stripline Trace Calculations.
Asymmetric Stripline Trace Calculations.
Dual Stripline Trace Calculations.
Microstrip Trace Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform microstrip trace calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
2. Select Microstrip in the Type drop-down list.
3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired.
•
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
Results area. They also appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet
View.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
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Microstrip Equations
The equations used to perform the microstrip calculations are:
Z0 = 87/(sqrt(Er + 1.41)) * ln(5.98*H/(0.8*W+T))
Tpd = 58.35247*sqrt(Er+1.41)
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
Embedded Microstrip Trace Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform embedded microstrip trace
calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
2. Select Embedded Microstrip in the Type drop-down list.
3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Height (H1)—Refer to the figure below.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
Results area. They also appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet
View.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
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Embedded Microstrip Equations
The equations used to perform the embedded microstrip calculations are:
Z0 = 56*ln(5.98*H/(0.8*W+T))/sqrt(Er*(1-exp(-1.55*H1/H)))
Tpd = 84.66667*sqrt(Er*(1-exp(-1.55*H1/H)))
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
Centered Stripline Trace Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform centered stripline trace
calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
2. Select Centered Stripline in the Type drop-down list.
3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired:
•
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
Results area. They also appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet
View.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
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Centered Stripline Equations
The equations used to perform the centered stripline calculations are:
Z0 = 60*ln(4*(2*H+T)/(0.67*3.1415926*(0.8*W+T)))/sqrt(Er)
Tpd = 84.66667*sqrt(Er)
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
Asymmetric Stripline Trace Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform asymmetric stripline trace
calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
2. Select Asymmetric Stripline in the Type drop-down list.
3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Height (H1)—Refer to the figure below.
Dielectric Height (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
Results area. They also appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet
View.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
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Assymetric Stripline Equations
The equations used to perform the asymmetric stripline calculations are:
Z0 =
(1-H/(4*H1))*80*ln(4*(2*H+T)/(0.67*3.1415926*(0.8*W+T)))/sqrt(Er)
Tpd = 84.66667*sqrt(Er)
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
Dual Stripline Trace Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform centered stripline trace
calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
2. Select Dual Stripline in the Type drop-down list.
3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Trace Separation (C)—Refer to the figure below.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
View.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Transmission Line Calculator.
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Dual Stripline Equations
The equations used to perform the dual stripline calculations are:
Z0 = 30*( ln(8*H/(0.67*3.1415926*(0.8*W+T)))+
ln(8*(H+C)/(0.67*3.1415926*(0.8*W+T))))/sqrt(Er)
Tpd = 84.66667*sqrt(Er)
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
PCB Differential Impedance Calculator
To control reflections on high-speed PCBs, it is necessary to make the
traces appear as if they are transmission lines. This is done by calculating
the characteristic impedance of the trace (Zo) and then terminating it with
its characteristic impedance. This makes the trace appear like an infinitely
long transmission line, and it will therefore have no reflections, even
though in reality it has a finite length. (What actually occurs is that all of
the energy that travels down the trace is absorbed, and there is no energy
left to reflect back.) Once you have calculated Zo, you can use it to design
the trace’s termination.
If two traces in a differential pair are placed closely together, the
differential impedance (Zdiff) of the pair must be calculated for proper
trace termination. (This is the Differential Impedance Rule.)
There are a number of methods used to terminate transmission lines, for
example, series termination, diode termination, which are beyond the scope
of this manual. We recommend that you refer to any number of available
texts on the subject.
Note Equations used are based on the IPC-D-317A document from the IPC organization
(www.ipc.org).
The PCB Differential Impedance Calculator performs calculations for
two traces that carry signals that are exactly equal and opposite (a
differential pair).
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You can use the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator to calculate the
following parameters for differential pairs:
•
•
•
•
•
Characteristic Impedance (Zo).
Per unit length Capacitance (Co).
Per unit length Inductance (Lo).
Propogation Delay (tpd).
Differential Impedance (Zdiff).
The PCB Differential Impedance Calculator supports:
•
•
•
•
Microstrip Calculations.
Embedded Microstrip Calculations.
Centered Stripline Calculations.
Asymmetric Stripline Calculations.
Microstrip Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform microstrip differential impedance
calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Differential Impedance Calculator.
2. Select Microstrip in the Type drop-down list.
3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired:
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
•
•
•
•
Trace Spacing (S)—Refer to the figure below.
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
•
Or
If you wish to define the Characteristic Impedance (Zo) yourself, click
User Defined Zo and edit the following fields as desired:
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Spacing (S)—Refer to the figure below.
Characteristic Impedance (Zo)—Refer to the figure below.
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4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
Results area. They also appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet
View.
Note If you chose User Defined Zo in the previous step, the Per Length Unit and the
Differential Impedance are the only values that appear in the Calculation Results area
of the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator dialog and the Results tab when you click
Calculate.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator.
Microstrip Differential Impedance Equations
The equations used to perform the microstrip differential impedance
calculations are:
Z0 = 87/(sqrt(Er + 1.41)) * ln(5.98*H/(0.8*W+T))
Tpd = 58.35247*sqrt(Er+1.41)
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
Zdiff = 2*Z0*(1-0.48*exp(-0.96*S/H))
Embedded Microstrip Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform embedded microstrip differential
impedance calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Differential Impedance Calculator.
2. Select Embedded Microstrip in the Type drop-down list.
3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired.
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Height (H1)—Refer to the figure below.
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•
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
•
•
•
Trace Spacing (S)—Refer to the figure below.
•
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
Or
If you wish to define the Characteristic Impedance (Zo) yourself, click
User Defined Zo and edit the following fields as desired:
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Spacing (S)—Refer to the figure below.
Characteristic Impedance (Zo)—Refer to the figure below.
4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
Results area. They also appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet
View.
Note If you chose User Defined Zo in the previous step, the Per Length Unit and the
Differential Impedance are the only values that appear in the Calculation Results area
of the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator dialog and the Results tab when you click
Calculate.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator.
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Embedded Microstrip Differential Impedance Equations
The equations used to perform the embedded microstrip differential
impedance calculations are:
Z0 = 56*ln(5.98*H/(0.8*W+T))/sqrt(Er*(1-exp(-1.55*H1/H)))
Tpd = 84.66667*sqrt(Er*(1-exp(-1.55*H1/H)))
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
Zdiff = 2*Z0*(1-0.48*exp(-0.96*S/H1))
Centered Stripline Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform centered stripline differential
impedance calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Differential Impedance Calculator.
2. Select Centered Stripline in the Type drop-down list.
3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired:
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
•
•
•
•
Trace Spacing (S)—Refer to the figure below.
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
•
Or
If you wish to define the Characteristic Impedance (Zo) yourself, click
User Defined Zo and edit the following fields as desired:
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Spacing (S)—Refer to the figure below.
Characteristic Impedance (Zo)—Refer to the figure below.
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4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
Results area. They also appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet
View.
Note If you chose User Defined Zo in the previous step, the Per Length Unit and the
Differential Impedance are the only values that appear in the Calculation Results area
of the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator dialog and the Results tab when you click
Calculate.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator.
Centered Stripline Differential Impedance Equations
The equations used to perform the centered stripline differential impedance
calculations are:
Z0 = 60*ln(4*(2*H+T)/(0.67*3.1415926*(0.8*W+T)))/sqrt(Er)
Tpd = 84.66667*sqrt(Er)
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
Zdiff = 2*Z0*(1-0.347*exp(-2.9*S/(2*H+T)))
Asymmetric Stripline Calculations
Complete the following steps to perform asymmetric stripline differential
impedance calculations:
1. Select Tools»PCB Differential Impedance Calculator.
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3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desired:
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Height (H1)—Refer to the figure below.
Dielectric Height (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Width (W)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Spacing (S)—Refer to the figure below.
Relative Permittivity (epsilon r)—Refer to the figure below.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Or
If you wish to define the Characteristic Impedance (Zo) yourself, click
User Defined Zo and edit the following fields as desired:
•
•
•
•
Input Length Unit—Select mils or millimeters.
Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below.
Trace Spacing (S)—Refer to the figure below.
Characteristic Impedance (Zo)—Refer to the figure below.
4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation
Results area. They also appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet
View.
Note If you chose User Defined Zo in the previous step, the Per Length Unit and the
Differential Impedance are the only values that appear in the Calculation Results area
of the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator dialog and the Results tab when you click
Calculate.
5. Click Close to close the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator.
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Asymmetric Stripline Differential Impedance Equations
The equations used to perform the asymmetric stripline differential
impedance calculations are:
Z0 =
(1-H/(4*H1))*80*ln(4*(2*H+T)/(0.67*3.1415926*(0.8*W+T)))/sqrt(Er)
Tpd = 84.66667*sqrt(Er)
C0 = Tpd/Z0
L0 = C0*Z0*Z0
Zdiff = 2*Z0*(1-0.347*exp(-2.9*S/(H+H1+T)))
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Autorouting and Autoplacement
There are a number of autorouting and autoplacement tools that vary
depending on your edition of Ultiboard. These tools offer advanced
autoplacement with state-of-the-art autorouting for optimal layout of your
printed circuit boards, and are fully integrated with Ultiboard.
For details on the autorouting and autoplacement features found in your
edition of Ultiboard, refer to the release notes.
Autoroute Menu Items
Ultiboard’s autoplacement and autorouting functions are accessed through
the Autoroute menu.
Autoroute»Start/Resume Autorouter
Use to start or resume the autorouter. Refer to the Running the Autorouter
section for more information.
Autoroute»Stop/Pause Autorouter
Use to stop or pause the autorouter.
Autoroute»Start Autoplacement
Use to autoplace parts on your PCB. Refer to the Running the Autoplacer
section for more information.
Use to place part(s) that you have selected on the workspace.
Autoroute»Autoroute Selected Parts
Use for routing of all nets for the selected parts. Refer to the Pre-Placing
Parts section for more information.
Autoroute»Autoroute Selected Nets
Use to route net(s) that you have selected on the workspace.
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Note This is only active when an unconnected pad corresponding to that net is selected.
Autoroute»Autoroute Selected Buses
Use to autoroute selected buses. Refer to the Autorouting buses section for
more information.
Autoroute»Start Optimization
for more information.
Autoroute»Autoroute/place Options
Use to set up router and placer functions. Refer to the Controlling the
Routing Functions and Controlling the Autoplacer sections for more
information.
Autoplacement of Parts
The following sections explain how to use the autoplacer to place parts.
Pre-Placing Parts
You may wish to pre-place certain parts (for example, holes) before
autoplacing other parts.
Complete the following steps to lock any pre-placed parts so they will not
be moved by the autoplacer:
1. Select the pre-placed parts and choose Edit»Lock.
2. You can also lock parts in place from the Parts tab of the Spreadsheet
View. Refer to the Spreadsheet View: Parts Tab section of Chapter 1,
User Interface, for more information.
Understanding How the Autoplacer Works
The autoplacer automatically places all unplaced parts onto your board
according to group settings you can specify. It uses a rip-up and retry
algorithm to find the best part positioning. As the autoplacer runs, the status
line at the bottom of the screen indicates how many autoplacement passes
have been completed. It also indicates how many parts have been placed
and how many pins have been swapped (when the autoplacer performs
pin/gate swaps). If the autoplacer cannot place all the parts, it returns a
message indicating how many parts are still unplaced in the Results tab of
the Spreadsheet View.
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The autoplacer places parts as clusters. These clusters are generated by
grouping a multi-pin part with a series of connected parts, each of which
has fewer than four pins. Each cluster is then assigned a placement priority.
By arranging parts into clusters, the autoplacer can place together those
parts that have multiple connections. Block capacitors, which are
connected to power signals, are always excluded from clusters. Ultiboard
uses automatic block capacitor recognition to place block capacitors close
to their corresponding ICs.
Running the Autoplacer
To run the autoplacer, select Autoroute»Start Autoplacement.
Parts.
To view the results of any autoplacement, select the Results tab of the
Spreadsheet View.
Refer to the Controlling the Autoplacer section for information about
autoplaced parameters.
Controlling the Autoplacer
The autoplacer is controlled from the Autoplace tab of the Routing
Options dialog box.
Complete the following steps to enter autoplacer settings:
1. Select Autoroute»Autoroute/place Options.
2. Click on the Autoplace tab of the Routing Options dialog box.
3. In the Retries area:
•
Number of Retries—Enter a number from 1 to 10. This number
represents the portion of parts that will be placed in each pass. For
example, if set to “3”, the placer attempts to place one third of the
parts, then the next third, and so on.
4. In the Cost Factors area:
Part Pin Factor—Use to control cluster placement. When
•
determining which part should be placed next, the cluster placer
looks for a part that has many connections to parts that have
already been placed. This part can be either the one with the most
pins or with the greatest percentage of pins connected to parts that
have already been placed. Enter a number from 0 to 10. 0
prioritizes parts with the highest absolute number of pin
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connections. 10 prioritizes parts with the highest ratio of
connections to total pins. A high part pin factor value usually
results in a better distribution of nets than a low value. However,
high values may cause excessive placement area fragmentation on
high-density layouts by placing small parts prematurely and
preventing you from placing larger ones later on.
•
Segment Fit—Use to control the extent to which the autoplacer
puts parts with equal lengths side by side. Placing parts with
similar lengths beside each other results in neater and more
professional looking board layouts. It may also improve the
routability of the board by aligning the parts with bus connections.
However, for high-density boards with few bus connections,
aligning parts with similar lengths will not necessarily produce
better routing results. Enter a number from 0 to 10. If you enter 0,
there is no segment fit preference, so the autoplacer will not place
parts with similar lengths beside each other. 10 indicates a strong
preference for aligning parts with equal edge lengths, so the
autoplacer will place parts with similar lengths beside each other
whenever possible.
5. In the Parts area:
•
Part Rotation Mode—Determines how much the autoplacer is
able to rotate through-hole technology parts when placing them.
In general, when you restrict part rotation, you simplify your part
placement, consume less CPU time, and create a layout that is
easy to change later. However, when you choose unrestricted part
rotation, you may end up with a much more efficient board layout
than you would get with no part rotation. Select one of: None, for
no rotation; 90 Deg, for 90 clockwise rotation of all autoplaced
parts; 0 or 90 Deg, to have parts either not rotate, or rotate
90 clockwise; 90 Deg Steps, to have parts rotate either 90, 180, or
270 degrees clockwise.
•
SMD Mirroring—Lets you place surface mounted devices
(SMDs) on both the top and bottom sides of a board and relax the
part spacing. You can place SMDs on both the “parts” and the
“solder” sides of your boards using mirroring mode. Select Yes to
allow mirroring of all SMD parts or 2-Pin Parts Only to allow
only SMD parts with two pins to be placed on the solder side of
the board.
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•
•
SMD Rotation Mode—Used to set amount by which
surface-mount parts can be rotated during autoplacement. Select
one of None, for no rotation; 90 Deg, for 90 clockwise rotation of
all autoplaced SMD parts; 0 or 90 Deg, to have parts either not
rotate, or rotate 90 clockwise; 90 Deg Steps, to have parts rotate
either 90, 180, or 270 degrees clockwise.
Global Part Spacing—Enter the minimum allowed space
between parts.
6. In the Miscellaneous area:
•
Use Pin/Gate Swap—Check to enable pin/gate swapping during
autoplacement of parts. Exchanges the nets of gates and/or pins
and pin groups, where gates or groups can also be swapped
between different parts.
•
Use Part Swap—Check to enable part swapping during
autoplacement of parts. Mutually exchanges identical parts at
their insertion position in order to minimize trace lengths.
7. Click OK to apply settings.
8. If you wish to return the values to the default settings, click Default.
Caution The Default button sets default values for all tabs in the Routing Options dialog
box.
Strategies to Achieve Better Part Placement
Occasionally, the autoplacer is unable to place all the parts in a design. In
this case, try one or more of the following:
•
Reduce the part spacing. As part expansion values get larger, the area
in which the autoplacer can place parts gets smaller. Reducing the part
spacing allows the autoplacer to pack parts more densely.
•
Use part rotation. If you restrict part rotation, the autoplacer is not
able to reorient the parts for the most efficient fit on the board. Use a
less restrictive rotation mode setting to allow Ultiboard to reorient the
parts as necessary.
•
Allow SMD mirroring. Allows Ultiboard to place parts on both sides
of the board. This doubles the area on which the autoplacer can arrange
parts, and eases the space requirements on the top side of the board.
Refer to the Controlling the Autoplacer section for more information.
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•
Use smaller Keep-out or Keep-in areas. Often, a PCB with Keep-in
areas can be designed with an equivalent set of Keep-out areas, or
vice-versa. Whenever possible, choose a design strategy that
minimizes the total area of the board covered by these Keep-in or
Keep-out areas since each area radically decreases the autoplacement
algorithms’ effectiveness.
•
With very dense boards, the last few parts may need to be
hand-placed. The autoplacement algorithms have been carefully
tuned to optimize the routability of the final layout, rather than trying
to pack all the parts into the smallest possible area. If the autoplacer
places all but one or two parts, it may be faster to simply place them on
the board by hand—using Ultiboard’s part shoving facility (not
available in all versions) to ensure that parts do not overlap—than to
spend time trying to tune the autoplacement parameters to achieve
complete placement.
Autorouting
The following sections describe the autorouting functions in Ultiboard.
Understanding How the Autorouter Works
Ultiboard contains four fundamental trace-routing functions:
router preprocessing
initial routing
•
•
•
optimization.
Ultiboard uses combinations of these functions to route a board. They are
described in the Understanding the Four Fundamental Routing Functions
section. Information on how to use these functions can be found in the
Running the Autorouter section.
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Understanding the Four Fundamental Routing Functions
The following sections describe the four fundamental routing functions
used by Ultiboard.
Router Preprocessing
Before routing begins, Ultiboard analyzes the entire board, considering
trace widths, clearances, Keep-in, and Keep-out areas. The preprocessor
then adapts the router parameters and algorithms best suited for this
particular board, for example, routing grid size, pin clearance algorithms,
and connection routing order.
Note The routing algorithms use their own internal routing grid, which is not related to
Ultiboard’s grid.
Initial Routing
Initial routing automatically routes as many traces as possible in a single
pass without any rip-up and retry operations.
Ultiboard uses trace hugging to place traces as close together as possible,
and close to obstacles. It also uses copper sharing where appropriate, for
example, in a T-junction.
Rip-up and Retry Routing
The rip-up and retry router attempts to route all open connections. In some
cases, Ultiboard can place all traces in a single pass without rerouting any
traces. However, if Ultiboard does not achieve 100 percent completion,
then the rip-up and retry router rips up selected traces and reroutes them to
make room for other traces that could not be placed during the first pass.
The rip-up and retry router is guarded by a backtracking algorithm, which
not only prevents routing deterioration or deadlock during rip-up and
optimization, but is able to exploit better routing solutions. The rip-up and
retry router automatically activates an intermediate optimizer if a single
rip-up pass does not achieve 100 percent routing success.
Part of Ultiboard’s rip-up and retry procedure is to analyze dense board
areas and adopt routing strategies in these areas, which decrease
manufacturing costs. The cost factors Ultiboard uses can be adapted to your
current routing problem; thus, you can control the routing strategies that
Ultiboard uses and keep production costs within acceptable limits. It is
strongly recommended that you do not modify these routing strategies
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unless you achieve poorer routing results than you expect. When changing
cost factors, even slight adjustments can have large effects on routing
success, either improving or worsening the results.
Optimization
The optimizer is usually applied after the autorouter achieves 100%
completion. It eliminates unnecessary vias and smooths wire bends to
reduce manufacturing costs. It also routes any remaining open connections.
You can prevent Ultiboard from calling the optimizer by unchecking
Optimization Pass in the General tab of the Routing Options dialog box.
The optimizer can also be run separately by selecting Autoroute»Start
Optimization. This also optimizes user-placed traces and vias, provided
that Trace can be Moved is selected in the General tab of the trace’s
properties dialog box. For vias, Via can be Moved must be selected in the
Via tab of the Via Properties dialog box.
Routing Selected Parts and Nets
Complete the following to place traces on a selection of parts:
1. Select the desired parts and select Autoroute»Autoroute Selected
Parts.
Complete the following to route selected nets:
1. Select the desired nets and select Autoroute»Autoroute Selected
Nets.
Note You can also pre-place traces and vias before running the autorouter. Refer to the
Placing Traces section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
information. Once a trace is placed, lock it by selecting Trace is Fixed in its properties
dialog in Ultiboard. Lock vias with Via is Fixed. Any traces set this way are treated as
locked when you run the autorouter. The autorouter can also be stopped during placement
to allow you to place some fixed traces, and then be restarted.
Running the Autorouter
The full autorouter runs an end-to-end autorouting process that includes all
four routing functions, applied in the following order:
1. Preprocessing.
2. Initial routing.
3. Rip-up and retry passes.
4. Optimization.
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To perform a full autoroute, choose Autoroute»Start/Resume
Autorouter.
Ultiboard begins routing your board and displays its progress in the status
line. When the process is complete the results are displayed in the Results
tab of the Spreadsheet View.
Interactivity
Ultiboard provides complete interactivity, letting you stop the routing
process as desired to manually place items and then continue autorouting
when ready.
To stop autorouting, select Autoroute»Stop/Pause Autorouter.
To restart, select Autoroute»Start Autoplacement.
Autorouting buses
The circuit shown below is used in this example. Bus 1 consists of the five
nets that connect the two ICs.
Note To autoroute buses, the topology for the nets, as set in the Net edit dialog box, must
be set to either Daisy chain or Star and the nets must be part of a Bus Group (in the
Groups tab of the Net edit dialog box). Refer to the Setting Group Parameters section of
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more information.
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Complete the following steps to autoroute selected bus(es):
1. Select Autoroute»Autoroute Selected Buses. The Bus autorouting
dialog box displays.
2. Select the desired buses to route in the Defined bus groups area and
click OK. The buses are routed as in the following example.
Placing Automatic Test Points
You can automatically place a test point on each net on your design.
Note Testpoints may be placed either before or after autorouting the entire board.
Complete the following steps to automatically place test points:
1. Select Place»Automatic Test Points.
2. Enter the following as desired:
•
•
•
•
Diameter drop-down list—Sets the wire’s diameter. The Preview
area changes accordingly.
Board Side radio buttons—Select Top or Bottom to indicate
which side of the PCB the points appear on.
Rotation drop-down list—Sets the rotation for the test point. The
Preview area changes accordingly.
Pin Type box—Choose Through Hole Technology or Surface
Mount Technology.
3. Click Start.
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4. The Automatic Testpoint Placement Setup dialog box disappears
and one test point is placed on or near each net on your board. If placed
near an existing net, the test point will be automatically connected.
5. Results of testpoint placements, including a list of any nets which the
router could not connect, will appear in the Results tab of the
Spreadsheet View. You can click on an error to go to the unrouted
testpoint.
Controlling the Routing Functions
Router functions are controlled through the Routing Options dialog box,
which is displayed when you choose Autoroute»Autoroute/place
Options.
Routing Options: General Tab
Complete the following steps to set up general routing options:
1. Select the General tab in the Routing Options dialog box.
2. Complete the following fields in the Routing area:
•
•
Routing Mode—Select Gridbased, to place the traces on a grid;
Gridless to place them off the grid; or Progressive which will
attempt to place the traces on a grid, and then place those that
remain off the grid.
Grid Type—Select English - the router grid will be some
sensible number of mils (10 mils, 20 mils, etc.); or Metric - the
router grid will be some sensible number of millimeters (0.2 mm,
0.3 mm, etc.); or Board Settings - Ultiboard will choose either
English or Metric, depending on the units Ultiboard is using. This
setting is independent of the Routing Mode setting in the
Routing area.
•
Optimization Pass checkbox—Enable to permit router passes
that will optimize the placement of the traces.
3. Complete the following fields in the Settings area:
•
Via Grid—Select 100 mil standard, which places the vias on a
100 mil grid; 50 mil standard, which places the vias on a 50 mil
grid; 25 mil standard, which places the vias on a 25 mil grid; or
None, which will not place the vias on any grid. The optimal grid
size is determined on-the-fly by Ultiboard during the routing
at the grid point closest to the 100, 50 or 25 mil setting.
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•
Pin Contact Mode—Select Allow Pin Corners to allow traces to
connect to pins diagonally.
•
•
Place Vias Under SMD Pads—Select Yes or No as desired.
Auto Adjust Trace Width checkbox—Enable to allow the router
to narrow the trace to its minimum width as set in the Nets tab of
the Spreadsheet View or the Width tab of the Net edit dialog box.
•
BGA (Ball Grid Array) parts. If the DRC checkbox is enabled, a
design rules check is performed before fanouts are placed. In cases
where attaching a via to a specific pin would violate a design rule,
the via is not attached. This does not affect the attachment of vias
to pins where there is no design rule violation. Refer to the Design
Rules Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for information
about design rules.
Use Pin/Gate Swap checkbox—Enable to allow pin/gate
swapping while routing to swap equivalent pins/gates to result in
more optimal trace connections.
4. In the Screen Refresh During Routing area, adjust the slider as
desired to set the relative number of times the screen is refreshed
during routing.
5. If you wish to return the values to the default settings for Ultiboard,
click Default.
Caution The Default button sets default values for all tabs in the Routing Options dialog
box.
Routing Options: Cost Factors Tab
You may adjust cost factor settings to control how the router “costs” its
various routing strategies.
The default values are chosen carefully to give you the best balance of
routing characteristics, except in exceptional circumstances. In general,
leave the cost factors at their default values unless the autorouter is not
producing the results you want. Any adjustments that are not carefully
considered can actually worsen autorouter performance.
Therefore, if you decide to change cost factors, adjust no more than two
cost factor variables at a time and make your changes in small increments.
Large adjustments to many variables will almost certainly cause poor
results. Also remember that many variables share strong mutual
dependencies. For example, any increase in via placing costs compromises
the router’s ability to route using preferred directions.
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Complete the following steps to set up cost factor parameters:
1. Select the Cost Factors tab in the Routing Options dialog box.
2. Edit one or more of the following fields in the Routing and
Optimization area:
•
Via Cost Factor—A high via cost factor results in fewer vias than
a low via cost factor, but also results in relatively complex circuit
traces. A low via cost factor permits the router to place vias up to
the maximum number you specify with the Maximum Via Count
per Trace function.
•
•
Maximum Via Count per Trace—This is the maximum number
of vias that the router can place between two connected pins.
Counter Direction Cost Factor—a high counter direction cost
factor forces a strict adherence to the layer-specific preferred
routing directions, while a low factor permits deviations from the
preferred direction.
•
•
Off-Grid Routing Cost Factor—Is considered only when you
activate the half-grid option. A high off-grid routing cost factor
limits the use router’s use of the sub-grid, while a low factor
permits frequent use of the sub-grid.
Trace Crossing Cost Factor—Sets the trace transition cost
factor, which the router and optimizer use to control cleanup
pattern recognition during multi-net optimization. A high trace
crossing cost factor permits complex routing with many traces
crossing each other. This creates a relatively large number of vias.
A low factor leads to more intensive and time-consuming analysis
during cross-net optimization. Relatively few vias are produced.
•
Adjusted Width Cost Factor—When Auto Adjust Width is
selected in the General tab, a high adjusted width cost factor
limits the router’s use of narrow trace widths.
3. Edit one or more of the following fields in the Routing area:
•
•
•
Pin Channel Cost Factor—A high pin channel cost factor results
in infrequent use of pin channels, the regions between adjacent
part pins. A low value allows frequent use of pin channels.
Packing Cost Factor—A high packing cost factor instructs the
router to bundle circuit traces wherever possible. A low factor
results in a wider distribution of circuit traces across the board.
Dynamic Density Cost Factor—Controls the global distribution
of traces. A high dynamic density cost factor explicitly tries to
create an even or wide distribution of traces across the board, rather
than letting the other costs determine how traces should be placed.
A low factor lets trace distribution be determined by routing cost.
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4. Edit one or both of the following fields in the Optimization area:
•
Change Direction Cost Factor—A high direction cost factor
limits the number of trace corners the optimizer creates. A low
factor allows frequent changes in routing direction.
•
Equi-Space Trace Cost Factor—A high value here indicates that
traces will be spread out more during optimization, with a
resultingly higher cost.
5. If you wish to return the values to the default settings for Ultiboard,
click Default.
Caution The Default button sets default values for all tabs in the Routing Options dialog
box.
Routing Options: Rip-Up Tab
Complete the following steps to set up rip-up parameters:
1. Select the Rip-Up tab in the Routing Options dialog box.
2. Edit one or more of the fields in the Rip-up Trees area:
•
Maximum Rip-Up Trees—Sets the maximum number of traces
that can be ripped up during each rip-up cycle.
•
Maximum Rip-Up Depth—Controls the persistence of the
rip-up process. The higher the value you set, the greater the
persistence each rip-up cycle has (that is, the more ways the
placement is analyzed before a final placement is made).
•
Maximum Rip-Up Retries—Sets the maximum number of
rip-up retries for each trace. The higher the number of retries you
set, the greater the rip-up intensity in each trace.
Note In general, high rip-up control values increase the persistence and intensity of the
rip-up and routing process. Thus, high values are especially useful for special tasks, such
as achieving 100 percent completion without intermediate router passes.
•
Distance-1 (0 or 1 Grid) Cost Factor—Controls the use of
channels left by ripped-up traces in the near distance (0-1 grid
point, trace-to-trace). A high value results in infrequent use of
these channels, forcing relatively more local changes during
rip-up and retry routing. A low factor permits the router to use
these channels freely.
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•
Distance-2 (2 Grid) Cost Factor—Controls the use of channels
left by ripped-up traces in the far distance (2 or more grid points,
trace-to-trace). A high value results in infrequent use of these
channels, forcing relatively more global changes during rip-up
and retry routing.
3. Optionally, enable the Memory Cleanup During Routing checkbox
in the Router Housekeeping area to purge the memory of unneeded
information.
4. If you wish to return the values to the default settings for Ultiboard,
click Default.
Caution The Default button sets default values for all tabs in the Routing Options dialog
box.
Routing Options: Optimization Tab
Complete the following steps to set optimizer options:
1. Select the Optimization tab in the Routing Options dialog box.
2. Edit one or both of the fields in the Optimizer area:
•
Optimizer Passes—Use to set the number of optimizer passes
that are automatically activated after the autorouter achieves
100 percent completion.
•
Optimization Direction—Select Normal to instruct the
optimizer to ignore layer-specific preferred routing directions to
keep the number of vias to a minimum; Preferred Direction to
instruct the optimizer to consider layer-specific preferred routing
directions. This may increase the number of vias on your board;
45 Degrees to instruct the optimizer to prefer 45 degree routing
where appropriate.
3. Optionally, enable the Memory Cleanup During Optimizing
checkbox in the Optimizer Housekeeping area to purge the memory
of unneeded information.
4. If you wish to return the values to the default settings for Ultiboard,
click Default.
Caution The Default button sets default values for all tabs in the Routing Options dialog
box.
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Routing Options: Bus Autorouting Tab
To autoroute buses, the topology for the nets, as set in the Net edit dialog
box, or the Spreadsheet View, must be set to either Daisy chain or Star
and the nets must be part of a Bus Group as set in the Edit Groups dialog
box. You can also add new Bus Groups from the Bus Autorouting tab in
the Routing Options dialog box.
Complete the following steps to set Ultiboard bus routing options:
1. Select the Bus autorouting tab in the Routing Options dialog box.
2. Select the desired buses to route in the Defined bus groups area. Click
Select All to select all available buses for routing or Clear All if you
wish to clear all of the checkboxes in the Defined bus groups area.
3. If you wish to add or delete bus groups, or change a bus group’s
Assigned Nets, click Edit. The Bus Groups tab of the Edit Groups
dialog box appears where you can Add or Delete bus groups. You can
also change the nets assigned to a specific bus group from here by
selecting or de-selecting the group’s checkbox in the Assign Nets list.
4. When you start autorouting, the buses are routed as in the following
example.
5. If you wish to return the values to the default settings for Ultiboard,
click Default.
box.
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Strategies to Achieve Better Routing Results
Speed and completion may be trade-offs. Many of the suggestions for
routing completion will greatly increase the time needed to complete
routing. While it may be tempting to try to guarantee completion by using
all possible completion tricks for all layouts, many non-dense boards can
be completely routed without them, and they will be routed much faster.
Set alternating layer biases. By default, each new Ultiboard project will
have trace biases that alternate between horizontal and vertical with each
successive layer. This setting greatly increases routing speed and
completion rates and should not normally be changed. The exception is if
you have placed several powerplanes. Because the router does not route
traces on powerplane layers, these layer biases may need to be adjusted to
preserve this alternating pattern so that it skips over those powerplane
layers.
Try gridless routing. The default setting for routing is grid-based, which
is the fastest routing algorithm. If this fails to achieve completion, then next
step should almost always be to try gridless routing.
Make sure there is no via grid. The via grid increases routing speed by
limiting the costly via placement calculations, but it can decrease routing
completion since vias may not be placed in crowded areas of the board.
Try auto adjust trace width. If your design permits, set a smaller
minimum width for some nets and turn on the “Auto Adjust Trace Width”
feature.
Check your minimum/maximum lengths. Sometimes traces may not be
routed because the pins are too far away to be routed with your specified
maximum length, or too close together to be routed with your specified
minimum length (the router can only increase the length of a trace by about
sixty percent over optimum). Similar routing failures may occur with
differential pairs when one leg of the pair is much longer than the other. In
these cases, you should either change your minimum or maximum length
settings, or route these problematic connections with Ultiboard’s
follow-me router to achieve the desired length.
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Preparing for
Manufacturing/Assembly
The following sections explain the basic functions you need to perform to
prepare your board for manufacturing.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
Placing and Editing Text
Text can be placed anywhere on the design and on any layer, regardless of
what element is selected.
Complete the following steps to place text on the design:
1. Choose Place»Graphic»Text. The Text dialog box opens.
2. Type the text in the Value field. As you type, the text appears in the
preview dialog box.
3. Define the following parameters for the text as desired:
•
•
Line Font radio button—Enable and select one of Thin, Normal,
or Bold.
Or
Windows Font radio button—Enable if you wish to use a
Windows font. Click the Font button and select the desired
Windows font.
Note Ultiboard supports multi-byte fonts so that Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other
users can make full use of Microsoft fonts for special characters.
•
•
Select the desired Height, Layer and Color.
one of Top, Center, or Bottom.
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4. Optionally, in the Next Label area:
•
Increment—Enable to increase a number that you placed at the
end of the text with each successive placement of that text. You
must also enter a value in Step Size. For example, if you enable
this checkbox and enter “1” in Step Size, and the Value you
entered was “Resistor1”, the first placement of the text will say
“Resistor1”, the second will say “Resistor2”, the third will say
“Resistor3”, and so on.
•
Decrement—Similar to the Increment setting, except that the
number will decrease by the Step Size with each successive
placement. (The number will not go below 0).
5. Click OK. The Text dialog box disappears; the cursor now has your
text on it.
6. Move the cursor where you want the text placed, and click to drop the
text.
7. Right-click to cancel the Place»Graphics»Text command.
Complete the following steps to edit text:
1. Double-click the text. The Copper Attribute Properties dialog box
opens.
2. Click on the Attribute tab.
3. Edit the text.
4. Click OK. The Copper Attribute Properties dialog box disappears
and your changes are applied to the text in the design.
Capturing Screen Area
You can capture an area of the screen and then manipulate the image as you
would any other screen capture contained in the system clipboard.
Complete the following steps to copy a section of your screen to the
clipboard:
1. Select Tools»Capture Screen Area. A selection frame appears on
your workspace.
2. Optionally, to move the frame to a different location:
•
Move your cursor to the border of the frame. A crosshair is added
to the cursor, indicating that the selection frame can be moved to
a different location.
Drag the selection frame to the desired location.
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3. Optionally, to re-size the selection frame:
• Move the cursor to one of the sizing handles.
•
Drag the cursor to re-size the selection frame.
4. Click on the copy button at the top left corner of the selection frame.
The image inside the selection frame is copied to the system clipboard.
5. Click on the x at the top right corner of the selection frame to close it.
6. Open the desired application, for example, MS Word, and click on
Paste to paste the image.
Placing a Comment
Adding a comment permits “redlining”, which can be used to show
engineering change orders, to facilitate collaborative work among team
members, or to allow background information to be attached to a design.
You can “pin” a comment to the workspace, or directly to a part. When a
part with an attached comment is moved, the comment also moves. The
figure below shows a comment pinned to a part with its contents displayed.
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Complete the following steps to pin a comment to a part or the workspace:
1. Double-click on the Comment layer in the Design Toolbox to make it
the active layer.
2. Select Place»Comment. The Comment dialog box appears.
3. If desired, enable the Show Comment checkbox to show the contents
of the comment on the design.
4. Type the comment in the area below the Show Comment checkbox.
5. Optionally, modify the information in the Color box:
•
Background—Click to change the color of the placed comment’s
background.
•
Text—Click to change the color of the placed comment’s text.
When you click either Background or Text, the Select color dialog
box displays.
Enable the Use named color checkbox and select an element from the
Name drop-down list.
Or
Disable the Use named color checkbox and select a color from the
Colors pallette.
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6. In the Size area:
•
Auto-Resize checkbox—Enable to have the size of the displayed
comment automatically resized to fit the text. Disable if you wish
to set the size of the displayed comment by typing values into the
Width and Height fields.
7. In the Font area, set the font Name, Style and Size as desired.
8. Click OK to close the dialog and double-click at the desired location
on the design to place the comment.
To change a placed comment’s properties, select the comment (you must be
in the Comment layer), and select Edit»Properties.
To delete a placed comment, select the comment and press DELETE on your
keyboard.
Renumbering Parts
As parts are added to, moved, and deleted from the design, their numbering
changes. Renumbering parts automatically renames all parts in the order
that you specify. It is easier to produce, service, and troubleshoot boards
when parts are ordered in a logical manner. Renumbering is primarily for
assembly, to help locate all the elements.
Using the Renumber parts dialog box, you can select the corner of the
board in which you want the renumbering to start, and whether you want
the parts to be renumbered incrementally in a vertical or horizontal fashion.
You can preview your renumbering strategy and change it before applying
it.
Complete the following steps to renumber the parts in the design:
1. Optionally, select the parts you want renumbered.
2. Choose Tools»Renumber Parts. The Renumber parts dialog box
appears.
3. Use the drop-down lists to select the Direction and Start corner for
the renumbering and enter a value in Part mask if you want to
renumber only certain parts. For example, you can put R* or C* in that
box if you only want to renumber resistors or only capacitors; the
default = * so everything gets renumbered.
corner as you define the settings.
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4. If you only want to renumber parts you selected prior to opening this
dialog box, select the Change selected parts only option.
5. To apply your changes and keep the dialog box open, click Apply.
To apply your changes and close the dialog box, click OK.
Backannotation to Multisim
Backannotation is a highly automated process which ensures that
modifications made to an Ultiboard design are transferred to the board’s
schematic in Multisim. This process helps keep your schematics and board
layouts consistent with one another.
Backannotation is an important feature of CAD software. Part renaming or
removing cause inconsistencies between the schematic and the PCB
design. Backannotation can overcome these inconsistencies. To
backannotate, Multisim reads the log file in which Ultiboard reports all the
changes that are made to a PCB. The log file has the same name as the
project, but with the extension .log.
Not all changes that are made to the PCB can be backannotated to
Multisim. The following changes can be backannotated:
•
•
•
part removing
part renaming
netlist renaming
Complete the following steps to backannotate your revisions:
1. Save and close your design in Ultiboard.
2. Open Multisim.
3. Follow the Back Annotation procedure documented in the Multisim
User Manual.
Mitering Corners
Corner mitering is used to reduce or remove sharp angles for placed traces
by creating 135° angles in their place. This is important for manufacturing
purposes. You can apply corner mitering to the entire design or just the
currently selected traces.
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Complete the following steps to miter the corners of traces prior to
manufacturing:
1. Optionally, select the traces to which you want mitering to apply.
2. Choose Design»Corner Mitering. The Corner Mitering dialog box
appears.
3. To apply the changes to just the selected traces, enable the Current
Selection option. To apply the changes to the whole design, enable the
Whole Design option.
4. To set a minimum length for the mitering, enable the Minimum
Length option and enter a length and units of measurement.
Any corner that is to be mitered will have two trace segments forming
the corner. The Minimum Length refers to the shortest length of a
segment that should be mitered. For example, assume a corner is
formed from a 6 mm segment and an 8 mm segment. A minimum
length setting greater than 2 mm will cause the trace to not be mitered.
The default is 0, that is, all traces will be mitered regardless of the
minimum length of any one segment.
5. To set a maximum length for the mitering, enable the Maximum
Length option and enter a length and units of measurement.
The Maximum Length setting refers to the maximum length of the
mitered segment. The longest length of the mitered segment in the
horizontal or vertical direction will not exceed the Maximum Length
or one third of the shortest segment. Using the example of a corner
formed from a 6 mm segment and an 8 mm segment, a Maximum
Length setting of 3 mm will cause the trace to be mitered to 2 mm (that
is, one third of 6 mm).
The default is 0, that is, all traces will be mitered regardless of the
maximum length of any one segment.
6. To set the angle of corners to be affected by mitering, enable the
Angle Maximum option and enter a value. For example, a setting of
95° will mean that all angles less than 95° will be mitered to 135°.
7. To have an arc placed when doing the mitering, enable the Place Arcs
option.
8. To save your changes and miter the corners, click OK. To cancel them,
click Cancel.
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Manually Re-Running the Design Rules and Netlist
Check
The design rules and netlist check normally runs automatically, but you
may want to force a final check of the board's integrity prior to saving or
exporting the design.
To do this, select Design»Netlist and DRC Check. The results of the
check appear in the Results tab of the Spreadsheet View.
Cleaning up the Board
Before sending the board for manufacturing, you should remove any open
trace ends and unused vias that have been left on the board.
Deleting Open Trace Ends
Open trace ends are trace segments that do not have any terminating
connections in the design.
To delete open trace ends, make sure the design is open and choose
Edit»Copper Delete»Open Trace Ends. This deletes all open trace ends
in the design.
Deleting Unused Vias
Normally, you would delete unused vias after deleting any open trace ends.
To delete any unused vias, make sure the design is open and choose
Design»Clean Unused Vias to delete all vias that do not have any trace
segments or copper areas connected to them.
Exporting a File
Exporting a file refers to producing an output from Ultiboard in a format
that can be understood by the equipment at the board manufacturer. An
exported file contains complete information describing how a finished
board is to be manufactured. There are many different manufacturing
techniques used to produce printed circuit boards and Ultiboard can
produce a wide variety of outputs to meet these needs.
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It is important to talk to your production house and identify all the files and
•
•
DXF
3D DXF (refer to the Exporting to 3D DXF section of Chapter 9,
Viewing Designs in 3D, for information)
•
•
3D IGES (refer to the Exporting to 3D IGES section of Chapter 9,
Viewing Designs in 3D, for information)
IPC-D-356A Netlist (refer to the Exporting the Desired File section
for information)
•
•
NC drill
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)
You can also export text files that contain:
•
•
•
Board Statistics
Part Centroids
Bill of Materials
You can also create reports on:
•
•
•
Copper Amounts
Test Points
Layer Stackup
Exporting a file begins by opening the Export dialog box. You can also use
the Export dialog box to create and delete export settings, and to view and
edit the properties of the export settings.
Using Export Settings
Export settings are useful for establishing different parameters as required
by different manufacturers or for different purposes (for example, to export
only copper layers, or mechanical drawings).
Complete the following steps to create a new export setting:
1. Choose File»Export. The Export dialog box appears.
2. Click New. The New settings dialog box appears.
3. Enter the new name and click OK. The New settings dialog box
disappears and the new setting is displayed in the Export settings
drop-down list.
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The new setting uses the same properties as the Default setting, or the
setting that was last loaded. Refer to the Viewing and Editing Export
Properties section for information about changing the properties stored in
the new setting.
Complete the following steps to delete an export setting:
1. Choose File»Export. The Export dialog box appears.
2. Select the setting to be deleted from the Export settings drop-down
list.
3. Click Delete. The setting is deleted from the Export settings
drop-down list.
Viewing and Editing Export Properties
Properties can be viewed and edited for each device or type of export. This
is done through the property dialog boxes that correspond to the devices or
types listed in the Export dialog box:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gerber RS-274D
Gerber RS-274X
DXF
Board Statistics
Bill of Materials
Parts Centroids
NC Drill
Complete the following steps to display the properties dialog box for a type
of export:
1. Select the item in the list displayed in the Export dialog box.
2. Click Properties. The item’s property dialog box appears.
Setting Gerber Properties
The Gerber properties (RS-274X or RS-274D) dialog box allows you to
select the layers to be exported, the number of digits in numerals, and the
kind of measurements:
•
Available layers list—Select the layers to export in this list and click
the -> button to move them to the Export Layers and Merged Layers
list (RS-274X only).
•
•
Units box—Select measurement system (Imperial or Metric).
Digits box—Define the number of integers and decimal places.
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•
•
Oversize box—Define the parameters for solder mask and solder
paste.
Options box—Select the desired options.
Setting DXF Properties
The DXF export settings dialog box allows you to select the layers to be
exported and the units of measurement to be used:
•
•
Available layers list—Select the layers to export in this list and click
the -> button to move them to the Layers to process list.
File Units box—Choose the units of measurement.
Setting NC Drill Properties
The Drill export properties dialog box allows you to specify measurement
units, and to specify the number of digits for integers and decimals:
Complete the following steps to change the NC drill properties:
1. Select NC Drill in the Export dialog box and click properties. The
Drill export properties dialog box appears.
2. In the Units box, select either the Imperial or Metric radio button.
3. Enter the following in the Digits box as required:
•
•
Integer—The number of integers to the left of the decimal point.
Decimal—The number of decimal places.
This option aids the export of NC drill files for objects such as
rectangle and squares which have no radius.
4. Click OK to accept the changes.
Note When a pad is used with an Advanced Hole, and only when a square or rectangle
shape is used, export to NC Drill calculates the edge of the hole minus the radius of the
minimum tool size for the slot drill. Refer to the Viewing and Editing Through Hole Pin
Properties section for more information.
Working with SVG Properties
The SVG Export Properties dialog box allows you to specifiy whether
Scaleable Vector Graphic (SVG) files will be compressed or not when they
are exported. You can also select the minimum stroke width for exported
objects like circles.
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Complete the following steps to change the SVG export properties:
1. Select Scalable Vector Graphics in the Export dialog box and click
Properties.
2. In the SVG File Format box, select one of:
•
Compressed svg—The SVG file will be compressed when it is
exported.
•
Uncompressed svg—The SVG file will not be compressed when
it is exported.
3. Enter the Minimum stroke width in the SVG Options box. This is the
minimum width of an object’s border, in micrometers.
4. Click OK to accept the changes.
Working with other Properties
Working with Board Statistics Properties
The Board Statistics dialog box allows you to view the statistics on the
board being exported as well as to filter the file types to be exported and to
define the units of measurement in the statistics:
•
Statistics list—The list at the top of the dialog displays the board
statistics, including DRC violations.
•
•
File type box—Select any of TXT, CSV, and HTML.
Units box—Select the unit of measurement.
Working with Bill of Materials Properties
The Bill of Materials dialog box displays the bill of materials, and includes
facilities for sorting the information displayed:
•
Columns—Click column headers in the bill of materials list to sort the
columns.
•
•
File type box—Select any of TXT, CSV, and HTML.
Add column button—Other attributes that have been defined for
objects can be assigned to columns for reporting purposes (for
example, preferred part supplier). Click to define a new column.
•
Remove column button—Select a column to remove in the drop-down
list and click this button.
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Working with Parts Centroids Properties
The Parts Centroids dialog box provides a list of all parts on the boards
and their coordinates, and includes facilities for sorting the information
displayed:
•
•
•
•
Columns—Click column headers in the list to sort the columns.
File type box—Select any of TXT, CSV, and HTML.
Units box—Select the unit of measurement.
Add column button—Other attributes that have been defined for
objects can be assigned to columns for reporting purposes (for
example, preferred part supplier). Click to define a new column.
•
Remove column button—Select a column to remove in the drop-down
list and click this button.
Working with Test Point Properties
The Test Points Report dialog box provides a list of all test points on the
boards and their coordinates:
•
•
•
•
ColumnsClick column headers in the list to sort the columns.
File type box—Select any of TXT, CSV, and HTML.
Units box—Select the unit of measurement.
Add column button—Other attributes that have been defined for
objects can be assigned to columns for reporting purposes (for
example, preferred part supplier). Click to define a new column.
•
Remove column button—Select a column to remove in the drop-down
list and click this button.
Working with Copper Amount Properties
The Copper Amounts Report dialog shows the amount of copper used on
the board:
•
•
•
•
Columns—Click column headers in the list to sort the columns.
File type box—Select any of TXT, CSV, and HTML.
Units box—Select the unit of measurement.
Add column button—Other attributes that have been defined for
objects can be assigned to columns for reporting purposes (for
example, preferred part supplier). Click to define a new column.
•
Remove column button—Select a column to remove in the drop-down
list and click this button.
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Working with Layer Stackup Properties
A Layer Stackup Report shows you a board’s layers, the layer type
(ground, power, signal or unassigned) and the types of vias that are between
layers. The Layer Stackup Report dialog lets you set which file types to
export when you run a Layer Stackup Report.
Exporting the Desired File
Complete the following steps to export a file:
1. Select File»Export to display the Export dialog box.
2. Select the export setting to be used.
3. If desired, change any properties stored in the export setting.
Note When exporting an IPC-D-356A netlist, there are no user-settable properties.
4. Select the type of export from the list.
5. Click Export. A dialog box opens where you can define the export
file’s name and path. If you are exporting more than one file, you must
define the name and path of each file.
6. Select the path that defines the export file’s location and type the file’s
name.
7. Click Save. The file has been exported.
Printing your Design
Complete the following steps to print a design file:
1. Choose File»Print. The Print dialog box appears.
2. Choose from the list of available printers and, if necessary, set the
printer’s properties appropriately.
3. To print a negative image, enable the Print Negative Image option.
4. To print the reflection (mirror image), enable the Print Reflection
option.
5. To leave drill holes open, enable the Leave Drill Holes Open option.
6. Select the layers you want to print in the Available layers list and click
the arrow to move them to the Layers to print list.
7. For each layer you choose to print, you can enable or disable the
Outline option to specify whether or not to include the board outline
with the layer.
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Once you have more than one layer selected, you can choose to print
layers on separate sheets. You can also choose to print a header at the
top of each page, containing the design name, date, and layer name.
Finally, you can use the arrows to change the order in which layers will
be printed.
8. When you have finished setting the print parameters, click Print.
Complete the following steps to print a 3D image of your design:
1. Select Tools»View 3D. The 3D view of the design appears.
2. Scale the image to the desired size and orientation. For details, refer to
the Viewing Designs in 3D section of Chapter 9, Viewing Designs in
3D.
3. To set up the printing of the 3D image, select File»Print Setup.
4. To preview the printing of the 3D image, select File»Print Preview.
5. Select File»Print and click OK.
Previewing the Printed Design
Complete the following steps to preview the way a design will look when
printed:
1. Choose File»Print. The Print dialog box appears.
2. Click Preview. (At least one layer must be in the Layers to print
column to enable the Preview button). The Preview screen appears,
displaying an image of what the printed file will look like.
Tip A blank page in a preview dialog box usually indicates an empty layer is being
previewed. If the preview displays a blank page, go back and make sure that you are
previewing a layer that has something on it.
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If you elect to enlarge the size of your printout in the Zoom Options area,
each layer will be tiled onto as many pages as required to print the whole
layer.
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9
Viewing Designs in 3D
Ultiboard allows you to see what the board looks like in three dimensions
(3D) at any time during the design.
The following sections explain how to set up the options for 3D viewing,
how to view the board in 3D, and how to manipulate the view.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
Viewing the Board in 3D
To view the board in three dimensions, choose Tools»View 3D.
A new window opens displaying a 3D representation of the board:
The Projects tab in the Design Toolbox indicates that you have a 3D view
open, in addition to the design from which the 3D view was taken.
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Viewing Designs in 3D
choose Close Window from the context menu.
Note If you loaded a file from Ultiboard 2001, before you can use the 3D view you must
use Tools»Update Shapes. The 3D appearance of individual parts is controlled by the 3D
properties of those parts. Refer to the Viewing and Editing Part Properties section of
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Manipulating the 3D View
When you choose Tools»View 3D, the view appears so that you are
looking at a three dimensional rendition of the top of the board on an angle.
You can manipulate this view to show you all points on the board, top and
bottom, at any angle you choose.
You manipulate the 3D view with the mouse pointer, which represents your
viewing position and the light source that illuminates the part. You can click
and drag the mouse to rotate the board, and you can change the angle at
which it displays, allowing you to flip it over to see the bottom. The view
rotates around the center of the board. When you let go of the mouse button,
the board stays in its most recent view.
Complete the following steps to manipulate the 3D view:
1. Select Tools»View 3D Position.
2. Click and hold the mouse button down on the board in the 3D view.
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3. Continue holding the button and move the pointer as follows:
•
•
to the bottom of the screen to view more of the top of the board.
to the top of the screen to view the edge and then the underside of
the board.
•
to the left or right to view the board from either end.
Complete the following steps to pan the 3D view:
1. Hold down your mouse wheel. The pointer becomes a four-headed
arrow.
2. Move the pointer in any direction.
Complete the following steps to turn the board over:
1. Click and hold on the board.
2. Move the pointer up, towards the top of the screen. As the view of the
edge passes, release the mouse button and catch the underside of the
board.
3. Continue until you can see the underside of the board fully.
To zoom in a 3D design do one of the following:
•
•
Click and hold the right mouse button. Roll the mouse up to zoom in
and down to zoom out.
Or
Use View»Zoom In and View»Zoom Out. You can also use your
mouse wheel, if available.
Controlling the Elements Viewed in 3D
The Design Toolbox in the 3D view also has a Layers tab. The layers on
this tab do not necessarily correspond to the layers in the design, but they
work the same way as the Layers tab does in designing: the 3D Layers tab
allows you to dim or remove elements from the board. Refer to the
Accessing Layers section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for more
information.
A typical 3D Layers tab has a Parts, Silkscreen, Copper, Board and Pins
layer.
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Showing an Object’s Height
While in the 3D view, you can show an object’s height, as shown in the
figure below.
Complete the following steps to show an object’s height:
1. Select Tools»Show or Hide Height.
2. Click the cursor on a 3D part. A callout with the part’s height appears.
To hide a part’s height, click on the part. The callout with the height
disappears.
To rotate or magnify the board, select Tools»View 3D Position. Refer to
the Manipulating the 3D View section for more information about this
command.
Internal View
You can use the Internal View to look between the layers of a multi-layer
PCB.
Complete the following steps to view the 3D internal view of a PCB:
2. Zoom in and out on the Internal View as desired.
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The figure below shows the normal 3D view of a sample PCB.
The figure below shows the internal 3D view of the same PCB.
Note Internal View options are set in the 3D Options tab of the Preferences dialog box.
Refer to the 3D Options Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Exporting to 3D DXF
Ultiboard can export a 3D DXF file for your design.
Complete the following steps to export a design’s 3D properties:
1. Select File»Export to display the Export dialog box.
2. Highlight 3D DXF and click Properties. The DXF export settings
dialog box appears.
3. Select the desired parameters to export and click OK. You are returned
to the Export dialog box.
4. Click Export. A standard Windows Save dialog appears.
extension must be .DXF).
6. Click Save.
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Exporting to 3D IGES
3D IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) is a file format for the
exchange of CAD information (both 2D and 3D). A 3D IGES file contains
surface information and details of a part.
Complete the following steps to export a design’s 3D IGES properties:
1. Select File»Export to display the Export dialog box.
2. Highlight 3D IGES and click Properties. The IGES export settings
dialog box appears.
3. Select the desired parameters to export and click OK. You are returned
to the Export dialog box.
4. Click Export. A standard Windows Save dialog appears.
5. Selected the desired filepath and enter the 3D IGES filename (the file
extension must be .igs).
6. Click Save.
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10
Using Mechanical CAD
Ultiboard’s mechanical CAD function can be used to design enclosure
boxes, front panels, or any other mechanical part associated with your PCB
design. Mechanical CAD functionality in Ultiboard takes two forms:
•
•
You can create multi-layer mechanical CAD design files.
You can have mechanical CAD layers as part of your PCB design files.
Design files can include up to 10 mechanical CAD layers. These are
accessed through the Layers tab of the Design Toolbox and can be
used in the same way as other layers in your design. Refer to the
Accessing Layers section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for more
information.
For the most part, you work with mechanical CAD designs the same way
that you do with PCB designs, although you cannot place traces or use the
Autoroute function in mechanical CAD designs.
Some of the described features may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
Creating Mechanical CAD Projects
To create a new project :
1. Choose File»New Project. The New Project dialog box appears.
2. Type the project name in the Project name field.
3. From the Design type drop-down list, select Mechanical CAD.
4. Indicate the folder where the file is to be kept. Either accept the default
shown in the Location field, or click the Browse button to select a
different location.
5. Click OK. The New Project dialog box disappears, and a blank
unnamed mechanical CAD design is opened in that project.
The project you just created is also shown in the Projects tab.
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Creating Mechanical CAD Design Files
To create a new mechanical CAD design, you can either use the new design
that appears when you create a mechanical CAD file, or you can create a
new design and assign it to an existing file. To create a new design and
assign it to an existing file:
1. Open the file that the new design is to be added to.
2. Choose File»New Design. The New Design dialog box appears.
3. Type the design name in the Design name field.
4. From the Design type drop-down list, select Mechanical CAD.
5. Indicate the file where the design is to added. The drop-down list
shows only the open files. To include this design in another project,
open the file so that it appears in the Add to project drop-down list.
6. Click OK. The New Design dialog box disappears, and a blank
mechanical CAD design with the name that you specified is opened as
a separate window.
The Projects tab shows the mechanical CAD design is a part of the
open project that you specified during the design’s creation the dialog
box. In the example shown below, “test” is the mechanical CAD
design.
Note Mechanical CAD designs can be part of a project containing PCB designs. Project
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Importing a DXF File
Complete the following steps to import a DXF file into a mechanical CAD
design:
1. Choose File»Import»DXF. A standard file selector appears.
2. Navigate to the correct location for the .dxffile, select it and click
OK.
Setting MechanicalCAD Properties and Options
Setting Mechanical CAD Properties
To set mechanical CAD properties:
Choose Edit»Properties.
Or
Right-click on an empty area of the design and choose Properties from the
context menu.
Working with mechanical CAD properties is done the same way as with
PCB properties, except that mechanical CAD designs have only two grids.
Setting Mechanical CAD Colors
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences. The Preferences dialog box
appears.
2. Click the Colors tab.
3. Adjust the following as required:
•
•
Color scheme drop-down list—Select the desired color scheme.
Color element drop-down list—Select the element from the
drop-down list. Click the colored button beside this field to
•
Grayed out factor slider bar—Move the slider to adjust the
appearance of grayed-out items on the design.
Except for default elements being slightly different, this dialog box works
the same way as for PCB designs. Refer to the Colors Tab section of
Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
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Controlling Workspace Elements for Mechanical CAD
The General tab allows you to control whether or not invisible attributes
or cross hairs are shown in normal view, and options for full screen view.
This tab also allows you to have Ultiboard load your last project
automatically, and to have Ultiboard automatically save your project at
specified intervals.
Complete the following steps to view or change workspace options:
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences. The Preferences dialog box
appears.
2. Click the General tab.
3. Adjust the View box settings as desired:
•
Show invisible attributes—These are set up in the Attributes tab
(Visibility column) of the element’s properties dialog.
•
Show crosshair—Displays a large crosshair that is attached to
your mouse’s pointer.
4. Adjust the Crosshair box settings as desired:
•
Keep always on grid—Makes sure that the crosshair will always
snap to grid points even when you are not placing any parts or
traces (normally when you are not placing parts or traces the
crosshair moves gridless.
•
Drop on left mouse button—Changes the way moving of objects
works. Normally when you start a move, the object will be
dropped when you release the left mouse button. When this option
is enabled, releasing the mouse button will not drop the part - only
pressing the left mouse button will.
5. Adjust the Fullscreen mode box settings as desired:
•
Show scrollbars—Places vertical and horizontal scrollbars in the
fullscreen view. Use these to move to the desired area on the
workspace.
•
Autopan—Automatically moves the view of the workspace as
you move the cursor offscreen.
6. Increase or decrease the Undo buffer size as desired. The number here
is the number of undo actions allowed.
7. In the File box, enable Load last file on startup if you would like to
continue working on the last file you had open in your previous
Ultiboard session.
8. Select the desired settings in the Mouse Wheel Behavior box.
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9. In the Auto save settings box:
•
Enable auto save—Activates the autosave function. When
activated, you can also change the time between autosaves in the
Time interval (minutes) field.
10. Edit the following as desired:
•
•
•
•
Minimum control point size—The size of control points on
vertices and other objects.
Line width cache size—The number of recently used line widths
Ultiboard keeps in memory. Minimum cache size is 5.
Unicode Settings box—If desired, enable the Save .TXT files as
plain text checkbox.
Language—Select the desired language from the list. You must
restart Ultiboard for all dialog boxes to reflect the new setting.
Setting Paths for Mechanical CAD
The Ultiboard installation puts specific files in specific locations. If
necessary you can point Ultiboard to a new location.
Complete the following steps to set up file locations for mechanical CAD
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences. The Preferences dialog box
appears.
2. From the Preferences dialog box, click the Paths tab.
This tab works the same way as the one for PCB designs. Refer to the
Paths Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Setting Mechanical CAD Dimensions
1. Choose Options»Global Preferences. The Preferences dialog box
appears.
2. Click the Dimensions tab and set the parameters for dimensions.
This tab works the same way as the Dimensions tab for PCB designs.
Refer to the Dimensions Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for
more information.
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A
Menus and Commands
The following sections contain brief descriptions for the commands in the
Ultiboard menus.
Some of the described menu items may not be available in your edition of
Ultiboard. Refer to the NI Circuit Design Suite Release Notes for a list of
the features in your edition.
File Menu
File»New Design
Creates a new design (if a project is open) or project (if no project is open).
Design, for more information.
File»New Project
File»Open
Chapter 2, Beginning a Design, for more information.
Opens an existing project and/or design file. Refer to the Opening an
Existing File section of Chapter 2, Beginning a Design, for more
information.
File»Open Samples
Displays the samplesfolder.
File»Save
Saves the current design file and project.
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Menus and Commands
File»Save As
Saves the current design file with a name and location that you specify in
the Save As dialog box.
File»Save All
File»Close
Saves all open design files and projects.
Closes the current design file.
File»Close Project
File»Import
Closes the current project.
Closes all open design files and projects.
Use to import an Ultiboard Netlist or DXF file. Refer to the Creating a
more information.
File»Export
Exports Ultiboard files for post-processing. Refer to the Exporting a File
section of Chapter 8, Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly, for more
File»Save Technology
Lets you save a technology file based on the current design that contains the
design rules and configuration options for Ultiboard. Refer to the Saving
File»Load Technology
Lets you load a technology file that contains the design rules and
configuration options for Ultiboard. Refer to the Loading Technology Files
section of Chapter 2, Beginning a Design, for more information.
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Menus and Commands
File»Print Setup
Sets up the printing paramaters required to print the Ultiboard design file.
Refer to the Printing your Design section of Chapter 8, Preparing for
3D view only.
File»Print Preview
File»Print
more information. This is found in the 3D view only.
Prints the Ultiboard design file. Refer to the Printing your Design section
of Chapter 8, Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly, for more
information.
File»Recent Designs
Displays a list of the most-recently-opened projects. Click on the desired
item in the list to open it.
File»Exit
Exits Ultiboard. You are prompted to save any unsaved design files and/or
projects.
Edit Menu
The subjects in this section describe the commands found in the Edit menu.
Edit»Undo
Undoes your most recent action (for example, undoes the last part move).
The command name changes to reflect what will be undone.
Edit»Redo
Redoes your most recent “undo” action. The command name changes to
reflect what will be redone.
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Edit»Cut
Removes the selected element(s) from the board. The element is placed on
the Windows Clipboard and can be pasted again.
Edit»Copy
Edit»Paste
Copies the selected elements and stores them on the Windows Clipboard so
they can be pasted again.
Pastes the item on the Windows Clipboard to its original layer (regardless
of what layer is currently active). Creates new duplicate object(s) without
the netlist information. New parts will have Reference Designators that
increment from the next available for that part type. For example, if the last
resistor was R34, and a resistor is pasted, its Reference Designator will be
R35.
Edit»Paste Special
•
•
Paste with Net—Pastes the item on the Windows Clipboard into the
design with the same connectivity as the source. New parts will have
Reference Designators that increment from the next available for that
part type.
Paste to Active Layer—Pastes the item on the Windows Clipboard to
the active layer (regardless of what layer it originally resided on).
Edit»Delete
Use to delete the selected design elements. You are prompted to confirm the
deletion.
Edit»Copper Delete
•
All Copper—Use to delete all copper in the design, including traces,
copper areas, and powerplanes. Refer to the Deleting All Copper
section for more information.
•
All Teardrops—Use to delete all teardrops on your design. Refer to
the Adding and Removing Teardrops section of Chapter 5, Working
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Menus and Commands
•
•
Open Trace Ends—Use to delete all open trace ends in the design.
Use to clean up the design after design completion. Refer to the
Deleting Open Trace Ends section of Chapter 8, Preparing for
Manufacturing/Assembly, for more information.
for more information.
Edit»Find
Edit»Select All
Use to select everything on a board, no matter what layer the elements are
on. Refer to the Searching for Design Elements section of Chapter 2,
Beginning a Design, for more information.
Edit»Select Entire Trace
Use to select a whole trace when one or more segments of the same trace
are selected.
Edit»Group Selection
Groups selected elements together. Grouped elements can be moved
together.
Edit»Ungroup Selection
Ungroups the individual elements in a group.
Locks the selected elements in place so they cannot be moved.
Unlocks the selected elements.
Edit»Lock
Edit»Unlock
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Edit»Selection Filter
Use these commands to prevent accidentally selecting a particular type of
element, for example, selecting a part when you meant to select a trace:
•
•
Enable Selecting Parts—When enabled, allows parts to be selected.
Enable Selecting Traces—When enabled, allows traces to be
selected.
•
Enable Selecting Polygons—When enabled, allows polygons to be
selected.
•
•
•
Enable Selecting Vias—When enabled, allows vias to be selected.
Enable Selecting Pads—When enabled, allows pads to be selected.
Enable Selecting SMD Pads—When enabled, allows surface mount
device pads to be selected.
•
•
Enable Selecting Attributes—When enabled, allows attributes to be
selected.
Enable Selecting Other Objects—When enabled, allows other
objects on the PCB to be selected.
Edit»Orientation
Use these commands to adjust the orientation of parts as they are placed on
a design:
•
•
•
•
Flip Horizontal—Flips the selected elements horizontally.
Flip Vertical—Flips the selected elements vertically.
90 Clockwise—Flips the selected elements 90 degrees clockwise.
90 CounterCW—Flips the selected elements 90 degrees
counter-clockwise.
•
•
Angle—Allows you to specify the angle of rotation for the selected
elements.
Swap Layer—Swaps the selected elements from a layer to its mirror
layer (for example, from Copper Top to Copper Bottom).
Refer to the Orienting Parts section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for
more information.
Edit»Align
Use these commands to align the edges of the elements:
•
•
Align Left—Aligns the left edges of the selected elements.
Align Right—Aligns the right edges of the selected elements.
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Menus and Commands
•
•
•
Align Top—Aligns the top edges of the selected elements.
Align Bottom—Aligns the bottom edges of the selected elements.
Align Center Horizontal—Shifts the selected elements horizontally
so their centers are aligned.
•
•
Align Center Vertical—Shifts the selected elements vertically so
their centers are aligned.
Align to Coordinate—Displays the Enter coordinate dialog box
where you enter new coordinates for the selected element.
•
•
Space Across—Spaces three or more objects beside each other evenly.
Space Across Plus—Increases horizontal space between two or more
objects.
•
Space Across Min—Decreases horizontal space between two or more
objects.
•
•
Space Down—Spaces three or more objects above each other evenly.
Space Down Plus—Increases vertical space between two or more
objects.
•
Space Down Min—Decreases vertical space between two or more
objects.
Edit»Vertex
You can add or remove vertices from all polygons, whether copper or
non-copper:
•
•
Add Vertex—Adds a vertex to a polygon segment.
Remove Vertex—Removse a vertex from a polygon.
Edit»In-Place Part Edit
Use to edit a part that has already been defined and placed on the board.
Refer to the Editing a Placed Part (In-Place Edit) section of Chapter 4,
Working with Parts, for more information.
Edit»Properties
Displays the properties of the selected element. Results will differ,
depending on what is selected. If no element is selected, displays the board
properties. Properties are described throughout this guide.
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Menus and Commands
View Menu
The subjects in this section describe the commands found in the View
menu.
View»Full Screen
Use to fill the screen with the design only (hide menus, toolbars, other
windows). Click the Close Full Screen button to return to normal view.
View»Redraw Screen
Use to refresh the screen.
View»Zoom In
Use to zoom in to see more details.
View»Zoom Out
Use to zoom out to see more of the design.
View»Zoom Window
Use to magnify a selected part of the board. Use this command when you
want precise control over the workspace view.
View»Zoom Full
Use to return to the full view of the design after zooming in or out. Ctrl-F7
zooms out so that the entire design is visible and centered. This includes the
board outline and any objects that may be either inside or outside the board.
the board outline will be outside the visible region.
View»Clearances
Use to toggle the clearances around pads, traces and other objects on and
off. Refer to the Placing Traces section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces
and Copper, for more information.
Use to toggle the visual grid on and off.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
View»Ruler Bars
Use to toggle the ruler bars on and off. Refer to the Using Ruler Bars and
Guides section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Use to toggle the status bar on and off.
View»Density Bars
information.
View»Birds Eye
section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
View»Design Toolbox
section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
View»Spreadsheet View
Use to toggle the Spreadsheet View on and off. Refer to the Spreadsheet
View section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
View»3D Preview
View»Toolbars
•
Standard—Use to toggle the Standard toolbar on and off. Refer to
information.
•
•
View—Use to toggle the View toolbar on and off. Refer to the View
Toolbar section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Main—Use to toggle the Main toolbar on and off. Refer to the Main
Toolbar section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
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Menus and Commands
•
Draw Settings—Use to toggle the Draw Settings toolbar on and off.
Interface, for more information.
•
•
Toolbar section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Toolbar section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Toolbar section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Select—Use to toggle the Select toolbar on and off. Refer to the Select
Wizard—Use to toggle the Wizard toolbar on and off. Refer to the
Wizard Toolbar section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more
information.
•
Autoroute—Use to toggle the Autoroute toolbar on and off. Refer to
the Autoroute Toolbar section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more
information.
Place Menu
menu.
Place»From Database
Use to place parts from the database onto the workspace. Refer to the
Place»Line
Use to place a line or a trace, depending on the active layer. Refer to the
Placing Shapes and Graphics of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, and the
Placing a Trace: Manual Method section of Chapter 5, Working with
Traces and Copper, for more information.
Place»Select
Use to change from placing elements to selecting elements.
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Menus and Commands
Place»Follow-me
Place»Connection Machine
Use to place a trace between two pads. Refer to the Placing a Trace:
Connection Machine Method section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces
and Copper, for more information.
Place»Shape
Use to place shapes of different types:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ellipse—Use to place an ellipse.
Rounded Rectangle—Use to place a rounded rectangle.
Pie—Use to place a pie shape.
Rectangle—Use to place a rectangle.
Polygon—Use to place a polygon.
Refer to the Placing Shapes and Graphics section of Chapter 4, Working
with Parts, for more information.
Place»Dimension
Use to place different dimension types:
•
Standard—Use to place a standard dimension (a dimension to be
placed at an angle).
•
•
Horizontal—Use to place a horizontal dimension.
Vertical—Use to place a vertical dimension.
more information.
Place»Graphic»Line
Use to place a line or a trace, depending on the active layer. Refer to the
and the Placing a Trace: Manual Method section of Chapter 5, Working
with Traces and Copper, for more information.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Place»Graphic»Arc
Use to place an arc or a trace, depending on the active layer. Refer to the
Placing Shapes and Graphics section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts,
Place»Graphic»Bezier
Use to place a bezier or a trace, depending on the active layer. Refer to the
Placing Shapes and Graphics section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts,
and the Placing a Trace: Manual Method section of Chapter 5, Working
with Traces and Copper, for more information.
Place»Graphic»Picture
Use to place a bitmap picture on the design. Displays a standard Open
dialog.
bitmap to the desired size, and click the mouse again to place it.
Place»Graphic»Text
Place»Copper Area
Place»Powerplane
Use to place text on the design. Useful for annotation purposes. Refer to the
Manufacturing/Assembly, for more information.
Use to define a copper area polygon. Refer to the Placing Copper Areas
section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more
Use to define layers as Power/Ground planes or to clear layers that were
previously defined as Power/Ground planes. Refer to the Placing
Use to connect multiple traces between multi-pinned devices such as ICs.
Refer to the Placing a Bus section of Chapter 5, Working with Traces and
Copper, for more information.
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Menus and Commands
Place»Keep-in/Keep-out Area
Use to define a polygon to restrict elements from either exiting or entering
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more information.
Place»Group Array Box
Place»Pins
Parts, for more information.
Place»Via
Working with Traces and Copper, for more information.
Place»Test Point
Place»Jumper
Place»Net Bridge
Place»Hole
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more information.
Places a hole on the workspace. Refer to the Placing Holes section of
Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
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Place»Automatic Test Points
Use to automatically place a test point on each net on your design. Refer to
Autoplacement, for more information.
Place»Unplace Parts
of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Place»Comment
Places a comment on the design. Refer to the Placing a Comment section
of Chapter 8, Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly, for more
information.
Design Menu
The subjects in this section describe the commands found in the Design
Design»Netlist & DRC Check
Use to run the design rules and netlist check utility. Results are displayed
in the DRC tab of the Spreadsheet View. Refer to the Spreadsheet View:
DRC Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Depending on your settings in the PCB Design tab of the Preferences
dialog box, this utility may run automatically. You can use this command
to force a check of the board's integrity, and may want to use it prior to
saving or exporting the design.
Design»Connectivity Check
Runs a connectivity check on the design.
When this command is selected, the Select a Net dialog box displays.
Select the net on which you wish to run the connectivity check and click
OK.
the Spreadsheet View: Results Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for
more information.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Design»Polygon Splitter
Use to split a copper area or powerplane. Refer to the Splitting Copper
information.
Design»Shape to Area
Chapter 5, Working with Traces and Copper, for more information.
Design»Swap Pins
Copper, for information.
Design»Swap Gates
and Copper, for information.
Design»Automatic Pin Gate Swap
Refer to the Automatic Pin/Gate Swapping section of Chapter 5, Working
Design»Part Shoving
Use to toggle shoving on and off. When shoving is on, parts shove any
Parts section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Design»Set Reference Point
more information.
Design»Shield Nets
Use to shields nets. Refer to the Shielding Nets section of Chapter 5,
Working with Traces and Copper, for more information.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Design»Fanout SMD
information.
Design»Add Teardrops
Use to add teardrops to pads. Refer to the Adding and Removing Teardrops
information.
Design»Corner Mitering
Use to apply corner mitering before production. Refer to the Mitering
Corners section of Chapter 8, Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly, for
more information.
Design»Remove Unused Vias
Use to delete all vias that do not have any trace segments or copper areas
connected to them. Use this command after Edit»Copper Delete»Open
information.
Design»Group Replica Place
section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Design»Copy Route
Use to copy copper routing between groups. Refer to the Copying a Copper
Design»Highlight Selected Net
Use to select and highlight an entire net when you have selected one trace
segment of that net. Refer to the Highlighting a Net section of Chapter 5,
Working with Traces and Copper, for more information.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Tools Menu
menu.
Tools»Board Wizard
Tools»Part Wizard
Assists you in creating a part and adds it directly to the user database. Refer
Working with Parts, for more information.
Tools»Database»Database Manager
Managing the Database section for more information.
Tools»Database»Add Selection to Database
Use to place the selected part in the database. Refer to the Adding Parts to
the Database section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
Tools»Database»Set Database Password
Use to set a password for access to database functions that make any
changes to a database.
Complete the following steps to set a password for a database:
1. Select Tools»Set Database Password.
2. Select the desired database from the Database drop-down list.
3. Enter the new password in the Password field and re-enter it in the
4. Click OK to save the password.
Tools»Database»Merge Database
Use to convert existing part databases to Ultiboard 10.1 format. Refer to the
Merging Databases section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
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Appendix A
Tools»Database»Convert Database
Use to update your old User and Corporate databases to Ultiboard 10
Tools»PCB Transmission Line Calculator
Use to calculate parameters for typical printed circuit board trace
Tools»PCB Differential Impedance Calculator
Use to perform calculations for two traces that carry signals that are exactly
information.
Tools»Netlist Editor
information.
Tools»Group Editor
Use to set up and edit various group types. Refer to the Working with the
Group Editor section of Chapter 3, Setting Up a Design, for more
information.
Tools»Quick Layer Toggle
Tools»Renumber Parts
Use to renumber parts in preparation for production. Refer to the
Renumbering Parts section of Chapter 8, Preparing for
Manufacturing/Assembly, for more information.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Tools»Equi-space Traces
Use to equally space selected traces. Refer to the Equi-Spacing Traces
information.
Tools»Change Shape
Use to substitute a part from the database for the current selected part. Refer
to the Replacing Parts section of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more
information.
Tools»Update Shapes
file.
Tools»Highlight Selection in Multisim
of Chapter 4, Working with Parts, for more information.
Tools»Capture Screen Area
for more information.
Tools»View 3D
section of Chapter 9, Viewing Designs in 3D, for more information.
Tools»View 3D Position
This is only available when viewing the design in the 3D mode. Refer to the
Manipulating the 3D View section of Chapter 9, Viewing Designs in 3D, for
Tools»Show or Hide Height
Shows or hides the height of selected objects in 3D mode. This is only
available when viewing the design in the 3D mode. Refer to the Showing
an Object’s Height section of Chapter 9, Viewing Designs in 3D, for more
information.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Options Menu
menu.
Options»Global Preferences
section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for more information.
Options»PCB Properties
Use to define the general parameters of your PCB design. Refer to the
information.
Options»Customize User Interface
Use to customize your menus, toolbars and context menus. Refer to the
information.
Autoroute Menu
Refer to the Autoroute Menu Items section of Chapter 1, User Interface, for
information about the commands in this menu.
Window Menu
The subjects in this section describe the commands found in the Window
menu.
Window»New Window
Use to display a new window containing a full view of the design currently
open.
Window»Close
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Window»Close All
Window»Cascade
Use to close all open windows.
Use to cascade the open windows, so they are arranged one on top of the
next while remaining separately selectable.
Window»Tile Horizontal
Use to adjust two or more windows so that they sit one on top of the other.
Window»Tile Vertical
Use to adjust two or more windows so that they sit beside each other.
Window»Windows
Displays the Windows dialog box where you can show or close the files
that you currently have open
Window»<open designs>
Shows all open design windows.
Help Menu
The subjects in this section describe the commands found in the Help
menu.
Help»Ultiboard Help
Use to display the contents of the online help.
Help»Release Notes
Use to display the Ultiboard release notes.
Help»Patents
Displays a file with a list of National Instruments software-related patents.
Help»File Information
Displays the File Information dialog box.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Help»About Ultiboard
Use to display the version numbers of your copy of Ultiboard.
Context Menus
Depending on the action, the following context sensitive menus display
when the right mouse button is clicked:
•
Select Menu
•
•
Right-drag Menu
Place Trace Menu
Select Menu
When you select an object or objects in a design and then right-click your
mouse, a context menu with the following options displays.
Cut
Removes the selected element(s) from the board. Element is placed on the
Windows Clipboard and can be pasted again.
Paste
Pastes the item on the Windows Clipboard to its original layer (regardless of
what layer is currently active). Creates new duplicate object(s) without the
netlist information. New parts will have Reference Designators that increment
from the next available for that part type. For example, if the last resistor was
R34, and a resistor is pasted, its Reference Designator will be R35.
Copy
Copies the selected elements and stores them on the Windows Clipboard so
they can be pasted again.
Delete
Deletes the selection from the design.
Select All
Selects all items on the design.
Select Entire Trace
Use to select a whole trace when one or more segments of the same trace
are selected.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Quick Layer Toggle
Use to toggle between the last copper layer or to the opposite copper layer
if the last layer was not copper.
Lock
Locks the selected elements in place so they cannot be moved.
Unlock
Unlocks the selected elements.
Place
Displays a number of elements that you can place on the design.
Shape
Displays a number of shapes that you can place on the design.
Orientation
Use these commands to adjust the orientation of parts as they are placed on
a design.
Align
Use these commands to align the edges of the elements.
Vertex
Use to add or remove vertices from all polygons, whether copper or
non-copper.
In-Place Part Edit
more information.
Properties
Displays the properties dialog box for the type of element selected. Refer
to the Viewing and Editing Properties section of Chapter 4, Working with
Parts, for more information.
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Appendix A
Menus and Commands
Right-drag Menu
When you select an area by dragging and releasing the right mouse button,
a context menu appears with the following selections.
Select all in rectangle
Selects all objects in the rectangle that you “drew” by dragging and
releasing the right mouse button.
Select objects on active layer
Selects only those objects in the rectangle that you “drew” by dragging and
releasing the right mouse button that are on the active layer as defined in
the Layers tab of the Design Toolbox.
Select objects on specified layers
Displays the Select layer(s) dialog box.
Complete the following steps to select the layers on which you wish to
select the objects:
1. Highlight the desired layers in the Select layer(s) dialog box and click
OK.
2. All items that are on the selected layers that appear within the rectangle
that you “drew” by dragging the right mouse button are selected.
Place Trace Menu
If you click the right mouse button when you are placing a trace a context
sensitive menu displays with the following options.
Cancel
Cancels the placement of the trace segment being drawn.
Widen
Widens the trace that you are drawing. Should be within Minimum Width
when set.
Narrow
when set.
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B
Archiving Data
National Instruments recommends that you regularly back up the files
created within the Multisim and Ultiboard components of NI Circuit
Design Suite. Additionally, you should back up internal files that store
user-created data, such as database components. This section provides
information on where to find these files in order to properly back them up.
NI Circuit Design Suite stores program and user data in two possible
locations. Files that need to be accessed on a per-machine basis are stored
in different locations, depending on the operating system. Files that are
created on a per-user basis are stored in the Windows per-user folder.
Multisim and Ultiboard share the same three database files: Master,
Corporate, and User.
Backing up the Corporate Database
Windows XP and Windows 2000
The default Corporate database location for Windows XP and
Windows 2000 is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\
Application Data\National Instruments\Circuit Design
Suite\10.1\database\.
The file name for the Corporate database is CPCOMP_S.PRJ.
The Application Datafolder is a system folder and thus may be hidden.
Complete the following steps to view this folder:
1. Open a standard Windows explorer window.
2. Select Tools»Folder Options.
3. Select the View tab, Show hidden files and folders, OK.
Windows Vista
The default Corporate database location for Windows Vista is
C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Circuit Design
Suite\10.1\database\.
The file name for the Corporate database is CPCOMP_S.PRJ.
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Appendix B
Archiving Data
The ProgramDatafolder is a system folder and thus may be hidden.
Complete the following steps to view this folder:
1. Open a standard Windows explorer window.
2. Select Organize»Folder & Search Options.
3. Select the View tab, Show hidden files and folders, OK.
Note The default location for the Corporate database can change if the database has been
configured to be shared across a network drive. Check the Preferences dialog box to find
the location of this database. Refer to the Paths Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface
for more information.
Backing up the User Database and Configuration files
Windows XP and Windows 2000
For Windows XP and Windows 2000, the User database is stored at:
C:\Documents and Settings\<User_Name>\Application
Data\National Instruments\Circuit Design
Suite\10.1\database\.
The file name for the User database is UsrComp_S_<user name>.usr.
The user’s configuration file is stored at:
C:\Documents and Settings\<User_Name>\Application
Data\National Instruments\Circuit Design
Suite\10.1\config\.
The Application Datafolder is a system folder and thus may be hidden.
Complete the following steps to view this folder:
1. Open a standard Windows explorer window.
2. Select Tools»Folder Options.
3. Select the View tab, Show hidden files and folders, OK.
Windows Vista
For Windows Vista, the User database is stored at:
C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\National
Instruments\10.1\database\.
The file name for the User database is UsrComp_S_<user name>.usr.
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Appendix B
Archiving Data
The user’s configuration file is stored at:
C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\National
Instruments\10.1\config\.
The AppDatafolder is a system folder and thus may be hidden.
Complete the following steps to view this folder:
2. Select Organize»Folder & Search Options.
3. Select the View tab, Show hidden files and folders, OK.
Note You can change the locations of the configuration files and User database from the
Preferences dialog box. Refer to the Paths Tab section of Chapter 1, User Interface for
more information.
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C
Technical Support and
Professional Services
Visit the following sections of the award-winning National Instruments
Web site at ni.comfor technical support and professional services:
•
Support—Technical support resources at ni.com/supportinclude
the following:
–
Self-Help Technical Resources—For answers and solutions,
visit ni.com/supportfor software drivers and updates, a
searchable KnowledgeBase, product manuals, step-by-step
troubleshooting wizards, thousands of example programs,
tutorials, application notes, instrument drivers, and so on.
Registered users also receive access to the NI Discussion Forums
at ni.com/forums. NI Applications Engineers make sure every
question submitted online receives an answer.
–
Standard Service Program Membership—This program
entitles members to direct access to NI Applications Engineers
via phone and email for one-to-one technical support as well as
exclusive access to on demand training modules via the Services
Resource Center. NI offers complementary membership for a full
year after purchase, after which you may renew to continue your
benefits.
For information about other technical support options in your
area, visit ni.com/services, or contact your local office at
ni.com/contact.
•
•
Training and Certification—Visit ni.com/trainingfor
self-paced training, eLearning virtual classrooms, interactive CDs,
and Certification program information. You also can register for
instructor-led, hands-on courses at locations around the world.
System Integration—If you have time constraints, limited in-house
technical resources, or other project challenges, National Instruments
Alliance Partner members can help. To learn more, call your local
NI office or visit ni.com/alliance.
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Appendix C
Technical Support and Professional Services
If you searched ni.comand could not find the answers you need, contact
your local office or NI corporate headquarters. Phone numbers for our
worldwide offices are listed at the front of this manual. You also can visit
the Worldwide Offices section of ni.com/niglobalto access the branch
office Web sites, which provide up-to-date contact information, support
phone numbers, email addresses, and current events.
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Glossary
Symbol
Prefix
pico
Value
10–12
10–9
10– 6
10–3
103
p
n
nano
micro
milli
kilo
μ
m
k
M
G
T
mega
giga
106
109
tera
1012
A
Active Layer
All Angle Routing
Aperture Code
The layer on which any actions you choose will be performed.
Routing that allows both 90° and 45° angles.
Identifies the type of aperture to be used by the Gerber output.
B
Birds Eye View
The small window that appears, by default, at the top left of the screen.
Gives you an overview of your complete PCB, with parts shown as outlines.
Allows you to quickly navigate through your board or display a specific
area of the design, sized as you wish.
Blind Via
A via that connects the top or bottom layer with any inner layer.
A via that connects inner layers.
Buried Via
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Glossary
C
Chamfer Corners
Copper Area
Copper Island
Corners at an increment of 45º on the trace routes.
A copper polygon.
A copper area that is not connected to any other copper.
D
Design Toolbox
By default, appears on left side of screen. Consists of multiple tabs used to
manage a design.
DRC
Design Rule Check.
F
Feedthrough Via
A normal via that connects all layers, top, bottom and inner.
Force Vector
A line that indicates the optimal location for a part, considering all the
connections of the part to achieve the shortest possible connections.
G
Grid
Determines the increments by which traces can be placed on the board.
M
Mouse Grid
Controls the increments by which the cursor moves and where items are
placed.
N
Net
A network of traces, to which you can add pins and copper areas.
Contains connectivity information about pins and parts.
Any via that connects all layers (top, bottom, and internal).
Netlist
Via
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Glossary
O
Output Window
Gives you useful information on the status of your design. By default, is
turned off.
P
Pad Stack
The connections between layers of the board.
Part Grid
Determines the increments by which elements (parts and shapes) can be
placed on the board.
Prepreg
Prepreg is fiber glass that is pre-impregnated with resin to make it
semi-rigid. Prepreg sheets can then be placed between the copper foil and
heated under pressure to activate and set the resin.
R
Ratsnest
Visual display showing linear connections between pins, using the shortest
possible line. A guide for pin connections, not a realistic representation of
the board.
RefDes
Reference designator, the unique name given to a net.
Reference Point
The point from which coordinates are calculated, in normal mode. Set
using Design»Set Reference Point.
S
SMD Pad
A pad without a drill hole (drill diameter property in the pad code set to 0).
Displays useful and important information at the bottom of your screen.
Status Bar
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Glossary
T
Thermal Relief
Area around a pin where no copper appears, but which is crossed by copper
lines to make connections. A thermal relief is used to dissipate heat during
the soldering process.
Through-Hole Via
Trace Code
Normal via.
The system provides 32 trace codes, each with a width and clearance.
“Clearance” describes the space required between pads and pads, between
traces and pads, and between traces and traces. This free space is
continuously checked by the real-time design rule check. Trace code
specifications can be exported as part of the design rules.
V
Vertex
A vertex is a point of a polygon. A side of a polygon connects two vertices.
Via
A plated through-hole in a printed circuit board used to route a trace
vertically (from one layer to another).
Visual Grid
Provides a visual reference for you to visually align parts and traces.
The part of the screen where you build your design.
W
Workspace
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Index
Numerics
3D view
backannotation, 8-6
Bill of Materials
controlling elements in, 9-3
manipulating, 9-2
using, 9-1
Viewer options, 1-19
exporting, 8-12
birds eye view, 1-28
adding layers, 1-24
cleaning up before manufacturing, 8-8
number of layers, 1-24
removing layers, 1-24
statistics export properties, 8-12
board outline
A
Add groups dialog box, 3-11
Add Net dialog, 5-21
Adding teardrops, 5-13
Advanced Net Shielding Options dialog, 5-28
Align command, A-6
Align toolbar, 1-8
alignment of parts, 4-11
attribute
creating, 3-5
drawing, 3-5
from database, 3-6
importing, 3-6
names, 4-15
using wizard, 3-7
properties, 4-19
values, 4-15
about, 1-20
visibility, 4-15
displaying, 1-20
attributes
Button Appearance dialog, 1-49
about, 4-15
deleting, 4-15
autoloading, 1-13
automatic testpoints, 7-10
autoplacer
C
Change group settings dialog box, 3-18
Choose Net and Layer for Powerplane dialog,
5-11
about, 7-2
autoplacing parts, 7-2
Autoroute menu items, 7-1
autorouter
circles
placing, 4-21
about, 7-6
Close All command, A-2
Close command, A-2
Close Project command, A-2
clusters, 7-2
autosaving, 1-13
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Index
color
Database Manager, 4-45
categories, about, 4-43
categories, copying, 4-43
categories, creating, 4-43
managing, 4-41
controlling, 1-15
mechanical CAD design, 10-3
schemes, setting up, 1-15
configuration files
back-up, B-2
placing parts from, 4-27
sub-categories, deleting, 4-44
database categories
about, 4-43
connection machine trace
custom routing, 5-4
placing, 5-4
using, 5-4
copying, 4-43
creating, 4-43
Database Manager
about, 4-41
Connectivity check, A-14
Connectivity tab, 1-32
connectors
placing, 4-21
panels of, 4-41
conventions used in the manual, vi
copper
using to create parts, 4-35
Database merge, 4-46
database sub-categories
deleting, 4-44
deleting, 5-12
sharing, 7-7
splitting, 5-11
Delete command, A-4
density bars, 5-6
copper areas
placing, 5-10
design
copper polygons
placing, 5-10
adding parts to database, 4-45
adding to project, 2-2
closing, 2-5
Copy command, A-4, A-22
corner mitering, 8-6
corporate database
back-up, B-1
cross-probing, 4-35
Customize dialog
Commands tab, 1-47
Keyboard tab, 1-48
Menu tab, 1-48
Options tab, 1-49
pop-up menus, 1-49
Cut command, A-4, A-22
creating, 2-2
preview print, 8-15
printingprint negative, 8-14
refreshing, 2-11
saving, 2-5
viewing in 3D, 9-1
design rule check
running, 8-8
type of errors, 3-10
using, 3-10
design rule errors
viewing, 3-10
Design Toolbox
D
overview, 1-27
using, 4-2
database
adding parts to from design, 4-45
diagnostic tools (NI resources), C-1
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Index
dimensions
default, 1-18
settings, 8-9
Export command, A-2
placing, 4-25
properties, 4-26
type, 4-25
Fanout Options dialog, 5-18
fiducial marks, 1-15
documentation
conventions used in the manual, vi
NI resources, C-1
export properties, 8-10
export settings, 8-9
exporting, 8-14
exporting - about, 8-8
locations, 1-14
File menu, A-1
files
DRC
running, A-14
DRC tab, 1-30
Duplicate Component Name dialog, 4-46
DXF
export properties, 8-11
importing, 3-6
closing, 2-5
opening, 2-4, 2-5
removing design from, 2-4
renaming, 2-4
importing into mechanical CAD design,
10-3
saving, 2-5
E
Filter Manager, 1-31
Find command, A-5
Find tab, 1-32
follow me trace
about, 5-3
Edit Groups dialog, 3-11
Bus Groups tab, 3-15
Differential Pairs tab, 3-17
Net Groups tab, 3-12
Part Groups tab, 3-13
Edit menu, A-3
placing, 5-3
force vectors
Edit toolbar, 1-7
about, 4-6
editing net widths, 5-26
elements
full autorouter
running, 7-8
searching for, 2-8
selecting, 2-7
about, 7-8
unselecting, 2-7
ellipses
placing, 4-21
Enter coordinate dialog, 3-9
equi-space traces, 5-9
examples (NI resources), C-1
Exit command, A-3
export
Gerber export properties, 8-10
grid
visible, 1-20
Group command, A-5
properties, 8-10
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Index
guides
multi--layered boards, 3-1
number on the board, 1-24
PCB layers, 3-3
removing from board, 1-24
swapping parts on, 4-11
tab, using, 3-3
moving, 4-10
placing, 4-10
removing, 4-10
using, 4-10
Layers tab
H
using, 3-3
leave drill holes open, 8-14
help, technical support, C-1
highlighting in Multisim, 4-35
placing, 4-21
I
initial routing, 7-7
M
in-place edit
using, 4-29
manual trace
In-Place Part Edit command, A-7
instrument drivers (NI resources), C-1
interface elements, 1-1
placing, 5-2
measurement guides, 4-10
colors, 10-3
dimensions, 10-5
paths, 10-5
properties, 10-3
J
jumper properties, 4-23
jumpers
workspace elements, 10-4
mechanical CAD design
creating, 10-2
default pin diameters, 1-15
placing, 4-23
importing DXF file, 10-3
mechanical CAD files
creating, 10-1
mitering corners, 8-6
K
Keep-in/Keep-out areas
placing, 5-7
properties, 5-7
mounting holes
KnowledgeBase, C-1
placing, 4-21
L
lamination settings, 3-1
layers
N
National Instruments support and
services, C-1
choosing how many, 3-1
lamination settings, 3-1
NC drill properties, 8-11
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Index
net
adding, 5-21
deleting, 5-25
deleting pad from, 5-26
renaming, 5-25
adding to database using Database
Manager, 4-45
aligning, 1-8, 4-11
angle of, 4-11
Net Edit dialog
Groups tab, 5-27
Via tab, 5-28
Net edit dialog
centroids properties, 8-13
creating using Database Manager, 4-35
creating using the Part Wizard, 4-36
dragging, 4-7
High Speed tab, 5-26
editing (once placed), 4-29
finding, 4-4
flipping, 4-11
Misc tab, 5-27
Net Shielding dialog, 5-28
netlist
locating in open design, 4-34
locking, 4-4
importing, 2-2
netlist check
orienting, 4-11
running, 8-8, A-14
Netlist Editor
placing from the database, 4-27
placing multiple, 4-3
placing single, 4-3
about, 5-20
opening, 5-20
placing using Design Toolbox, 4-2
position, 4-17
Nets tab
using, 5-19
pre-placing, 7-2
previewing, 4-4
properties, 4-17
relocating, 4-7
New command, A-1
New Project command, A-1
NI support and services, C-1
renumbering, 8-5
replacing, 4-35
rotating, 4-11
searching for in open designs, 4-34
spacing, 4-12
swapping layer, 4-11
unlocking, 4-4
O
Open command, A-1
open trace ends, deleting, 8-8
optimization, 7-8
Options command, A-20
Orientation command, A-6, A-23
Parts tab
using, 4-4
Paste command, A-4, A-22
PCB
P
pads
layers, 3-3
deleting from net, 5-26
Part Wizard
using, 4-36
parts
toolbar, 1-4
PCB design
default actions, 1-15
viewing options, 1-15
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Index
PCB Differential Impedance Calculator, 6-7
PCB Properties
Board Default tab, 1-25
PCB Transmission Line Calculator, 6-1
pin type
test point, 4-25
Place toolbar, 1-9
placement
ratsnest
about, 4-5
placing, 4-21
redlining, 8-3
Redo command, A-3
reference point, 3-8
Renumber parts dialog, 8-5
rip-up and retry
strategies, 7-5
placing a comment, 8-3
placing powerplanes, 5-11
Placing SMD Fanouts, 5-18
placing traces, 5-1
placing vias, 5-15
polygon
algorithm, 7-2
routing, 7-7
cleanup, 7-7
router pin/gate swap, 7-11
router preprocessing, 7-7
routing
editing, 4-30
placing, 4-21
placing copper, 5-10
splitting, 5-11
initial, 7-7
routing functions
running together, 7-8
Routing Options dialog
Autoplace tab, 7-3
Bus Autorouting tab, 7-16
Cost Factors tab, 7-12
General tab, 7-11
Optimization tab, 7-15
Rip-up tab, 7-14
Routing strategies, 7-17
rubber banding, 4-7
position
of parts, 4-17
powerplanes
placing, 5-11
preferences
Preferences dialog, 1-13
pre-placed traces, 7-8
pre-placing parts, 7-2
print
leave drill holes open, 8-14
negative, 8-14
reflection, 8-14
toggling on and off, 4-10
using, 4-10
Print command, A-3
print reflection, 8-14
programming examples (NI resources), C-1
project files
creating, 2-1
Save All command, A-2
projects
Save As command, A-2
Save command, A-1
renaming, 2-1
Select a Net dialog, A-14
Select All command, A-5
Select Groups for Replica Place dialog, 4-14
properties
shape, 4-20
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Select toolbar, 1-5
selection filtering, 2-7
shape
trace ends, deleting open, 8-8
trace hugging, 7-7
trace spacing
equi-space, 5-9
traces
deleting, 5-9
shapes
placing, 4-21
shoving
toggling on and off, 4-7
SMT pin
Unlock command, A-5, A-23
unused vias, deleting, 8-8
user database
user settings files, 1-14
software (NI resources), C-1
spacing of parts, 4-12
strategies for 100% part placement, 7-5
support
technical, C-1
swap
router pin/gate, 7-11
via properties, 5-16
T
about, 5-15
Teardrops dialog, 5-13
technical support, C-1
Technology File Settings dialog, 2-6
test points
deleting unused, 8-8
placing, 5-15
view
full screen, 2-9
magnifying, 2-10
shrinking, 2-10
visible grid
pin type, 4-25
placing, 4-24
properties, 4-25
wire type, 4-25
setting, 1-20
testpoints
default pin diameters, 1-15
text
W
placing, 8-1
wire type
test point, 4-25
Wizard toolbar, 1-12
workspace
through hole pin
properties, 4-31
tolerance oversize value, 1-24
Tool-tip label, 2-11
trace
options, 1-13
deleting open ends, 8-8
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