User Guide

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 15
System overview 16
EDA Client 16
Schematic Sheet Editor 16
Schematic Library Editor 17
Design capabilities 17
File, Netlist and output format options 18
View multiple sheets -- run multiple servers 18
Hierarchical and multi-sheet support 19
Guided Wiring 19
Flexible selection 20
Powerful editing options 20
Library system 21
Special strings 21
Font support 21
Array placement options 21
Alignment tools 22
Design verification tools 22
Windows support for printing and plotting 22
Windows display options 22
Advanced Schematic documentation 23
Advanced Schematic User Guide 23
Advanced Schematic Reference Manual 24
Using this guide 24
On-line help 25

INSTALLATION 27
Assumptions made by this guide 27

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System Requirements 27
Minimum 27
Recommended 28
Installing the Software 28
Enabling the Software 28
Installing the Hardlock 28
Unlocking the Software 29

A QUICK TOUR OF EDA CLIENT 31

The Client / Server Environment 31
What is EDA Client? 33
What is an EDA Client Server? 33
The EDA Client Environment 34
Tool Tips 34
Client Menu 35
EDA Editor Tabs 35
EDA Editor Panel 35
Project Manager 36
Client Status Bar 36
Resources 36
Processes 36
Process Launchers 37
Customizing The EDA Workspace 37
Resources 37
Assigning a Process to a Process Launcher 39
Editor panel 41
Project Manager 41
Client Status Bar 41
Editor Tabs 41
Installing and Starting a Server 42
Opening a document 42
Opening a New Document 42
Opening an Existing Document 43
Text Expert 43
Languages 44
Syntax Highlighting 44
Document Options 45

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Resetting Defaults 45
Macros 45

THEORY 47

FUNDAMENTALS OF SCHEMATIC CAPTURE 48

The computer model of a circuit 48
The Advanced Schematic component model 49
Libraries of component models 50
Connectivity 51
Net Identifiers 53
Using connectivity 53
Methods 53
Physical connectivity 54
Logical connectivity 54
General rule for connectivity 54
Special rules for connectivity 55
Design verification 56
Checking sheets and projects 57
Generating reports 57
Bill of Materials 57
Project Hierarchy report 58
Cross Reference report 58
Electrical Rules Check report 58
Netlist Compare report 59
Linking to other Servers and other Applications 59
Netlists 59
Special links to PCB systems 60

GENERAL TOPICS 63

CONFIGURATION 64
Advanced Schematic Preferences 64
Schematic Tab 64
Graphical Edit Tab 64

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Default Primitives Tab 65

Database Links Tab 66
Schematic Sheets 66
Sheet Options 66
Choosing a sheet size 66
Borders 68
Title block 68
Grids 68
Units 69
Organization 69

OPENING, SAVING AND CLOSING FILES 71

Opening schematic files 71
File-Open dialog box 71
Opening multi-sheet projects 73
Save Options 74
File-Save 74
File-Save As 74
Save Project 74
Save All 74
Close Options 75
File-Close 75
File-Close Project 75
Windows-Close All 75

COMPONENTS AND LIBRARIES 77

What are Advanced Schematic libraries? 77
What is a Component and what is a Part? 78
Accessing Components 78
Adding and Removing Libraries 79
Placing Parts 81
Part Attributes 82
About component text 82
Library Reference 83
Footprint 83
Designator 83

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Part type 83
Sheet Path 84
Library text fields 84
Part text fields 84
Description 85
Colors 85
Hidden pins 85
How Parts are Saved with the Design 86
Project Libraries 87
Updating Parts 87

LIBRARY EDITOR 89
Libraries 89
Opening Libraries 90
Creating 90
Components and Parts 91
Creating and Editing 92
Component Pins 92
Component Description 93
Grouping Components 94
Copying Components 95
Updating Your Schematic 95
Reports 96
Component 96
Library 96
Component Rule Check 97

WORKING IN ADVANCED SCHEMATIC 99

Organizing the Workspace 100
Changing Your View of the Sheet 100
Moving around the Sheet 101
Panning 101
Browsing 102
Jumping 103
Location Markers 103
Jumping to locations 104

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Moving Around the Project 104

Frequently Used Shortcut Keys 105

PROCESSES 107
What is a Process? 107
Launching a Process 108
Mode 109
Parameters 109
Menu bar 110
Pop-up menus 110
Menus 110
File 110
Edit 111
View 111
Place 111
Tools 111
Options 111
Reports 111
Window 112
Help 112
Toolbars 112
Schematic Editor, Library Editor main toolbars 113
Wiring tools 113
Drawing tools 114
Library tools 114
IEEE tools 114
Mouse and keyboard shortcuts 115
Keyboard Shortcut keys 115
Keyboard shortcuts Autodisplay 116
Process Containers 116
Placing 116
Configuring 116
Executing 117
Reports 117

OBJECTS 119
Placing 119

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Example; Placing a Wire 119

Wire/bus placement mode 120
Automatic junctions 121
Creating graphical objects 121
Editing 121
While Placing 122
Graphically 122
Quick-Copy Attributes 135
Moving and Dragging 136
Moving Objects 136
Dragging Objects 137
Working With Text 138
Arrays 140
Placement Variables 141
Aligning Objects 142

MULTI-SHEET DESIGNS AND PROJECT

MANAGEMENT 145
Overview 145
Managing multiple sheet projects 146
Structure of a multi sheet schematic 147
Master sheets and sub-sheets 147
Understanding hierarchy 148
Net identifiers 148
The scope of net identifiers 150
Five models of hierarchy 151
Model 1 - Global ports define intersheet connections 152
Model 2 - Global net labels and ports 153
Model 3 - Sheet entries define simple hierarchy 154
Model 4 - complex hierarchy defined by sheet entries 156
Using sheet symbols to implement hierarchy 157
Model 5 - Sheet parts to represent hierarchy 158
More about hierarchical design 158
Tools for working with Hierarchy 159

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Project Manager display options 159

Navigating through a project 160
Creating sheet symbols and sub-sheets the easy way 161
Adding and removing individual sheets from a project 162
Rebuild Button 162

DESIGN VERIFICATION 163

Suppress ERC symbols 164
Verification Options 164
Setup Electrical Rules Check 165
Other Options 166
Net Identifier Scope 166
Electrical Rules Matrix 167
Error Report Format 168
Resolving Errors 168

NETLISTS 171
Overview 171
Connectivity 172
About netlists 173
Netlist formats 173
Generating netlists 174
Output Format options 174
Scope of Net Identifiers 175
Options 176
Protel netlist format 177
Protel 2 netlist format 178
Protel netlist parameters 180
Other netlist formats 180
Advanced PLD netlist output 181

FONTS 183
Font management 183
Font Technology 183
Font Style dialog box 184

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Organization of Fonts in Advanced Schematic 185

Changing Fonts 185

PRESENTATION QUALITY SCHEMATICS 189

Why presentation quality? 190
Capabilities of printers 190
Dot matrix impact printers 191
Plotters 192
Ink jet printers 194
Laser printers 194
PostScript imagesetters 194
Using color 195
Customizing display colors 195
More about color assignment 195
Image files 196

HARDCOPY 199
Overview 199
PostScript options 199
Generating a print or plot 199
Select Printer 200
Batch Type 201
Color mode 201
Margins 202
Scaling prints and plot 202
Tiling 202
Setup 203
Network 204
Preview 204
Large format and pen plots 205

REPORTS 211
Bill of Materials 211
Text BOM format 211
CSV text BOM format 212

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Cross reference 213

Project hierarchy 214

LINKS WITH ADVANCED PCB 215

Netlists 215
Routing Directives 215
Bi-directional cross probing 216
Annotation 216
Back Annotating 216
Netlist Load problems 217
Missing components or pins (PCB layout) 217

ADVANCED TOPICS 219

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 220

Advanced Schematic Resources 220
EDA Client Resources 221
Managing Resources 222
Customizing Resources 222
Editing Resources 222
Configuring Resources 223
Resetting Defaults 223

SHEET TEMPLATES 225

Special Strings 225
Creating a Template 226

RE-ENTRANT EDITING 231

GLOBAL EDITING 233

Cross-project global editing 234

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Global Editing Strategies 234

Using wildcards when globally editing text 235
Syntax for wildcard search and replace edits 236

LINKING TO DATABASES 239

Hot Linking to a Database 239
Establishing the Links 240
Updating the Data 241
Using an Index File 242
Importing and Exporting to a Database 242
Exporting to a Database 243
Importing from a Database 245

SPICE INTERFACE 249

SPICE netlist support 249
SPICE Text Frames 250
Voltage and Current Sources 250
Spice Power Ports 250
Map files 251
Sample Text Frame 251

EESOF INTERFACE 253

EEsof Simulation support 253
Setting component parameters 253
Embedded text blocks 255
General simulation settings 256

XILINX INTERFACE 259

General 259
Libraries 259
Special Library Fields 260
Components 260
2000 AND 3000 Family CLB and IOB Components 260
Symbols 261
Pad Symbols 261

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Special Purpose Symbols 261

Tags 262
Pin Tags 262
Signal Tags 262
Simulation Information 264
Simulation Probes 264
Simulation Stimulus 264
Defining Timing Requirements 265
TIMESPEC 265
TIMEGRP 266
Specifying the Part Type 266
XNF netlists 266
structure 267
Supplied Example Projects 268

ORCAD COMPATIBILITY 269

Overview 269
SDT 3/4 sheet files 269
Backwards compatibility to OrCAD SDT 269
OrCAD Design Objects, terminology and conventions 271
Menu commands 272
Utilities 272
Loading Your OrCAD STD Designs 272
Transferring the Libraries 273
Transferring the Schematic Sheets 273
Editing the Design 275
Transferring the Design Back to OrCAD 276

PROTEL DOS SCHEMATIC COMPATIBILITY 277

Overview 277
Loading a multi-sheet Design 277
Library Differences 278

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Loading Schematic 3 designs 278

PROTEL.LIB 278
Extending PROTEL.LIB 279
Bringing Across Libraries 279
Pin Editing 280
Menu commands 281
Utilities 281
Block, highlighting, etc. 281

ASCII FILE FORMATS 283

Schematic Sheet Editor ascii file format 285
Schematic Library Editor ascii file format 307

GLOSSARY 311

INDEX 333

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Introduction

This guide provides an introduction to the Advanced

Schematic design system, including many of the features,
key concepts and terminology used throughout the
application. The Advanced Schematic User Guide is
intended to provide the information you need to get up and
running with the system and to learn to use the basic
features required to design a circuit, perform electrical rule
checks, generate a netlist and print out design
documentation. Additional, detailed information about
Advanced Schematic design objects and processes can be
found in the Advanced Schematic Reference Manual.

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Advanced Schematic

System overview
The Protel Design System has been created for today’s
preferred PC environment. This system combines the
natural advantages of Microsoft® WindowsTM with a
number of sophisticated tools to yield a sophisticated,
flexible schematic capture system with powerful links to
other Electronic Design Automation Tools. Advanced
Schematic now runs as a server in the Protel EDA Client™
Server environment. Advanced Schematic includes two
independent editors: the Schematic Sheet Editor and the
Schematic Library Editor.

EDA Client
EDA Client has been developed to fulfill the ongoing
demands of the electronics engineering industry. These
demands include a need for a standard user environment,
high integration of EDA tools with ease of expansion and
total support for networked distribution of EDA resources.
A customizable environment, where the user can create and
modify menus, toolbars and shortcut keys as well as create
and run macros is now expected by users of EDA tools.
All this, without being restricted to a single EDA vendor, is
what the EDA Client Server environment offers. Client
provides the standard user environment, and the platform
on which to run any number of EDA Servers. These servers
could include schematic capture tools, PCB design tools,
simulation tools, PLD / FPGA design tools, customized
documentation tools, in fact any tool which conforms to the
open architecture of EDA Client. These tools can all be
running concurrently within EDA Client.

Schematic Sheet Editor

The Schematic Sheet Editor is the primary document editor
in Advanced Schematic. This editor allows the user to

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create, edit, check and print the sheet files that comprise a
design project. All the tools and utilities needed to generate
valid netlists, perform electrical rule checks, design reports
and presentation quality schematic drawings are available
in the Schematic Sheet Editor.

Schematic Library Editor

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

Design capabilities
Advanced Schematic is a complete electronic circuit design
environment with many attractive features for productive
work. You can use Advanced Schematic by itself for circuit
design. When combined with simulation or board layout
tools, Advanced Schematic becomes the front-end of a fully
automated, integrated, end-to-end design system. However
you use Advanced Schematic, you’ll appreciate its power
and flexibility.
Advanced Schematic can generate single sheet, multiple
sheet and fully hierarchical designs of virtually any size,
limited only by the available memory and storage capacity
of your system. Sheet sizes include A, B, C, D, E (or metric
sizes A4-A0) plus user-defined sheets. Users can also create
custom sheet borders and title blocks and save custom
formats as templates for re-use. Advanced Schematic
standard component libraries include over 15,000 parts,

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Advanced Schematic

with ANSI, DeMorgan and IEEE display options (where

applicable).

File, Netlist and output format options

One unique feature of Advanced Schematic is its
unparalleled support for OrCAD® design files and libraries.
Advanced Schematic loads OrCAD SDT (version 3, 4 or
386+) files. Translation of imported drawings is 100% and
full support is provided for all OrCAD SDT design objects
and functions. De-compiled OrCAD SDT libraries can be
translated into Advanced Schematic format, as well. Special
support is also provided for Protel DOS Schematic 3.3
designs, including both file translation and conversion of
Protel DOS Schematic 3.3 bitmap component parts into
Advanced Schematic vector libraries.
Over thirty netlist formats are generated by Advanced
Schematic including industry standard EDIF 2.0 and EDIF
2.0 hierarchical formats, special formats for Spice and other
simulation environments, as well as Xilinx XNF
hierarchical netlists. Windows includes support for many
output devices including dot matrix printers, PostScript
printers and imagesetters, as well as plotters of many
different types.
Some key features and benefits of the Advanced Schematic
design system are described below. These items will be
detailed, in the relevant sections of this guide.

View multiple sheets -- run multiple servers

EDA Client and Advanced Schematic are Windows MDI
(multiple document interface) compliant. As well as being
able to run multiple applications in the Windows
environment, you can now run multiple servers in the EDA
Client environment. Have the schematic library open, the
schematic sheets open and the PCB open, all in the one
environment. Switch between each of these documents with

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a click of the mouse. Tile them to view them all

simultaneously.
Fixed file size and database limitations have been removed
by the use of Windows 386 Enhanced mode, which includes
virtual memory support.
You can use the Windows clipboard to Cut, Copy or Paste
sheet elements, text or graphics from one sheet to another.
Windows metafile (.WMF) support allows you to use the
clipboard to Paste selections from Advanced Schematic
sheets into other applications. You can also copy text from
other applications, via the Windows clipboard and paste
this text into Advanced Schematic text frames.

Hierarchical and multi-sheet support

Advanced Schematic supports single sheet, multiple sheet
and fully hierarchical designs including complex hierarchy
where multiple instances of a single sheet file can be used
in a project. Multi-sheet projects can be opened, closed or
saved with a single File menu item. Projects can be
navigated visually using the Project Manager, a special
panel that resembles the Windows File Manager. The
Project Manager displays all open files in a hierarchical
tree structure. Users can click on sheet icons to move from
sheet-to-sheet.

Guided Wiring
Special automation features speed the connection of
electrical items in the schematic sheets. An electrical grid
provides true “snap to” wiring of all electrical items: ports,
sheet entries, buses, bus entries, net identifiers, wires and
parts. When this feature is active, the cursor will jump to the
nearest electrical “hot spot” within the range of the
electrical grid and then change shape to indicate the
connection point. The user need only click (or release LEFT
MOUSE) to complete the connection.

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Options allow the user to turn the electrical grid off or on

and to automatically place junctions when terminating a
wire tangent to an existing wire. Junctions are also
automatically placed when wires cross pins of parts or
power objects.
Connections between electrical objects are maintained as
the objects are “dragged” to a new location on the sheet.
The system will even add or remove wire segments to
maintain orthogonal routing during complex moves.

Flexible selection
Groups of items can be selected by sheet, by physical
connectivity or by designating an area of the drawing.
Individual items can be added to or removed from the
selection. Selections can be manipulated using standard
Windows Edit menu items such as Cut, Copy, Paste or
Clear; moved; rotated; Imported or Exported as files. The
clipboard supports .WMF format selections which can be
pasted into other Windows applications. An Add Templates
to Clipboard option allows the user to Copy an entire sheet
to the clipboard, including the border and title block.

Powerful editing options

Design objects (parts, wires, graphical entities, etc.) can be
edited by double-clicking directly on the item to open its
type dialog box, which displays every editable object
attribute. These changes can be globally applied across a
sheet or across an entire multi-sheet project using specific
conditions to define the targets. For example, when editing
wires you can change the color or wire size or both
attributes. These changes can be globally applied to other
wires on the sheet, or to other open sheets. Similar global
options are provided for components and other objects.
Text editing is supported by powerful Find and Replace
processes which allow the user to define the scope of the
edit across multi-sheet projects.

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Library system
Advanced Schematic includes comprehensive tools for
managing component libraries. Any number of libraries can
be opened and accessed without leaving the sheet editor. A
wide range of standard manufacturers’ libraries are
included with Advanced Schematic. Components can be
browsed and placed directly from the Schematic Library
Editor. Simultaneous multi-user library access is supported
for network installations. Placed parts in sheets can be
globally updated to reflect library-level changes.
Components include eight read-only (library) text fields
and 16 sheet-level text fields of up to 255 characters that
can be edited for each instance of a part. Users can pre-
define these field names for a component type in the library
editor, for convenient reference.

Special strings
Special purpose pre-defined strings allow the user to place
date, sheet name, filename, component count and other
information to be interpreted at plot time. For example,
placing the string “.DATE,” on the sheet, places the current
system date on the plot. Special strings can be incorporated
in sheet templates.

Font support
A Font Manager lists and previews all available system and
printer fonts. Users can make intelligent font assignments
for both display and output. Windows TrueType fonts are
fully supported. A system font can be assigned for
component pins, port and power object names and sheet
reference text. Users can specify printer/plotter fonts for
on-screen display.

Array placement options

Linear array placement allows automated step-and-repeat
placement of objects in the sheet. This can include

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individual objects or complex selections of objects. The

users can specify the number of repeats and set pre-defined
x and y offsets, and text increments.

Alignment tools
Objects can be aligned by their left/right/top/bottom sides,
distributed horizontally or vertically or moved to the
placement grid.

Design verification tools

Electrical Rule Check allows quick verification of large or
complex drawings. ERC checks are performed in
accordance with user-specified physical and logical
properties. Options include flagging and reporting a wide
range of physical/logical violations including unconnected
net labels, unconnected power objects and floating input
pins.

Windows support for printing and plotting

Dot matrix and laser printing, color printing, pen plotting
and PostScript output are all controlled from a common
Print menu item. Any device supported by Windows can be
selected. Advanced Schematic graphical design tools
support the production of presentation quality artwork.

Windows display options

Advanced Schematic makes full use of 24 bit color graphics
cards and monitors supported under Windows. On standard
graphics adapters such as VGA, dithering can be used to
simulate colors beyond the standard 20 Windows solid
tones. 242 pre-defined colors on a special palette are
provided, along with the ability to define custom colors.
Advanced Schematic makes full use of the Windows
graphical environment, allowing the user to place TrueType
fonts, place graphical images of many formats and to assign
colors independently to all display items.

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Advanced Schematic documentation

The documentation for the Protel Design System and
Advanced Schematic is organized in the following manner:

Advanced Schematic User Guide

This User Guide has been designed to guide the new user
through the many features of Advanced Schematic and to
simplify the retrieval of specific information once you have
a working knowledge of the package.
EDA Client and Advanced Schematic are similar in
operation to other Windows applications. Once you have
mastered a few Windows basics you’ll be ready to learn the
Protel design system.
This guide provides a general introduction to the Advanced
Schematic package including some of the key fundamentals
of the sheet editor: wiring and drawing tools, shortcuts,
design verification, printing your designs and generating
reports. It also covers fundamentals of component parts
libraries and library management using the Schematic
Library Editor. The emphasis of this guide is on the key
concepts needed in order to use the sheet editor and library
editor effectively.
Some step-by-step procedures are provided to illustrate key
operations. Most process descriptions include step-by-step
procedures in the Advanced Schematic Reference Manual
described below.
This guide includes special terminology that is unique to
circuit design in the Advanced Schematic system. For
example, words like template, wire or probe have a specific
meaning within the Advanced Schematic environment.
Definitions for these words will be found in the Glossary, at
the end of this guide. Your Windows documentation
includes definitions for special Windows terminology. A
comprehensive index follows the glossary, making it easy
to search for specific information by topic or key word.

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Advanced Schematic Reference Manual

A separate Advanced Schematic Reference Manual includes
detailed descriptions of each process available in Advanced
Schematic. A comprehensive index is included, making it
easy to search for specific information by topic or key
word.

Using this guide

The following conventions are used to identify information
needed to perform Advanced Schematic tasks in this guide:

Windows refers to Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or

Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 or Windows NT;
DOS refers to MS-DOS or PC-DOS (version 6.2 or later
is recommended for best performance).
This manual generally follows the conventions used in the
Microsoft Windows Users Guide. Standardized presentation
includes:

italic Refers to special Advanced Schematic terminology. Most

of these unique terms are italicized at first use and are
defined in the Glossary, at the end of this guide. Italic text
is also used to indicate specific text the user is to type,
exactly as shown, into a dialog box.

bold Used as a place-holder for information the user is to

provide, e. g. a file name, etc.

CAPITALS Indicates directory or file names.

Initial Capital Signifies menu item names, process names, tool names,
dialog box names and dialog box option names. Nested
selections are hyphenated, for example: File-Save.

SMALL CAPS Used to indicate key names, such as ENTER or ESC.

SHIFT+ALT Means: hold down the SHIFT key and press the ALT key.

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F1, F2 Means: press and release the F1 key, then press the F2 key.

Used to highlight warnings and special advisory

information.

On-line help
Independent On-line Help is provided for both the
Schematic Sheet Editor and the Schematic Library Editor.
To search for information about the editor, simply go to the
Help menu.

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Installation

Assumptions made by this guide

Three assumptions are made about the user in this User
Guide:
That the user is familiar with the principles, terminology
and symbology of electronic circuit design. Wherever
possible, Protel EDA tools and documentation uses
standard electronic engineering principles and
terminology;
The guide also assumes that you are familiar with
Windows 3 icons, menus, windows and using the mouse
to make selections. It also assumes a basic
understanding about how Windows manages
applications (programs and utilities) and documents
(data files) to perform routine tasks such as starting
applications, opening documents and saving your work.
If you are new to Windows, please start with your
Microsoft Windows Users Guide;
That the user has a basic understanding of Microsoft
DOS and its use of directories, file naming conventions,
etc.

System Requirements
Minimum
• Microsoft Windows 3.1 running on an IBM PC or
compatible
• 386 processor
• 8 MB of RAM

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Advanced Schematic

• SVGA display, 16 color (800x600 resolution)

• 10 MB of hard disk space for minimum installation

Recommended
• 486 processor with numeric co-processor
• 16 MB of RAM
• SVGA display, 256 color (800x600 resolution or higher)
• 30 MB of hard disk space for complete installation

Installing the Software

Install the Protel Software by selecting the File-Run... menu
item in the Windows Program Manager. In the Run dialog
box, enter the following;

<drive_name>:\setup
Where <drive_name> is the drive you are installing from.
This is typically A or B when installing from floppies, or D
or E when installing from CD ROM.
Follow the installation instructions from there.

Enabling the Software

After installing your Protel software, it is important to enter
the Access Key Codes to enable all the features of the
package. Protel Software can be installed and run without
entering any Access Key Codes. However, without codes
the software is running in demo mode, so design files
cannot be saved.

Installing the Hardlock

If your Protel Software requires a hardlock, it will have
been supplied with the software (your Protel distributor will
inform you if a hardlock is required). The hardlock is not

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packed inside the shrink wrapped colored box. It will

probably be packed in a section of folded cardboard, which
is then packed together with shrink wrapped colored box
inside a larger box.
Once you have located the hardlock install it on the parallel
(printer) port of your computer. Turn your computer off
prior to connecting the hardlock. Be sure to plug the
hardlock on the right way around, as shown on the
hardlock. If you have a printer connected to the parallel
port, re-connect the printer cable to the other side of the
hardlock. The hardlock can be installed on any parallel
port, the software will locate it automatically.

Unlocking the Software

Un-locking the various features of the software is done by
entering the appropriate Access Key Codes.
Select the Help-About menu item to pop up the Security
Locks dialog box. All the features currently available will
be listed in the Locks section of the dialog box. If no
Access Key Code has been entered for a feature, its door
will be locked.
To un-lock a feature, select it and press the Un-Lock button.
The Lock dialog box for that feature will pop up. Enter the
appropriate Access Key Code for that feature and press the
Test button. If the Access Key Code has been entered
correctly the Access Rights will change, indicating
successful un-locking. Click OK to close the Locks dialog
box. When a feature has been successfully un-locked its
door icon will appear open.
Continue to select and un-lock each feature for which you
have Access Key Codes.

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A Quick Tour of EDA Client

The Client / ServerEnvironment

Client / server architecture is an attempt to more sensibly
partition the work performed by the various applications on
a PC. Traditionally, users source their suite of EDA tools
from various vendors. The schematic capture and PCB
design tools might come from one vendor, the simulation
tools from another, the PLD / FPGA tools from a third and
the PCB autorouter tool from a fourth. This means
designers must not only be competent in using numerous
packages, but be able to switch fluidly back and forth
between them, coping with the idiosyncrasies of each
design environment. As EDA design tools become more
powerful they are also becoming more complex to learn and

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Advanced Schematic

to operate. This compounds the problem of multiple user

environments.
Rather than this vertical approach, where each EDA vendor
develops their own proprietary user interface for their tools,
an alternative approach is for EDA vendors to partition
their tools into the user interface (client) portion, and the
“engine” or “services” (server) portion. This structure is
known as client / server architecture.
Essentially, the client provides the user environment; the
Windows, the menus, keyboard shortcut keys and toolbars,
as well as supporting any specialized panels that a server
may require.
The server then performs the tasks, for example creating a
netlist, simulating a circuit or autorouting a board.
This architecture has many advantages, these include;
• The user only needs to learn one (client) environment.
• From within this one environment a number of servers
can be run.
• Servers can be run remotely from the client. This could
be across the network, or even across the Internet.
• Users can easily bring together their own specialized tool
set, with servers from different vendors, into a highly
integrated environment.
• As servers are accessible across the network, a company
can purchase and position servers on their network to
suit their needs.
• Servers can be upgraded independently of the client.
• Vendors of EDA products can more easily develop
servers as they do not have to develop the user
environment.

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What is EDA Client ?

EDA Client is an application, or user environment,
developed specifically for the EDA (Electronic Design
Automation) industry. Within EDA Client, the user is able
to run their own suite of EDA Servers. These could include
a schematic capture server, a netlist server, an FPGA design
server and a digital simulation server. Another user might
run a PCB design server and an autorouter server on their
Client, perhaps also providing a remote site autorouting
service with their autorouter server.
Client provides the user resources, that is the menus,
keyboard shortcuts, toolbars, status bar and project
management panel (Project Manager). These are all user
definable. The user can easily modify or develop their own
menus, keyboard shortcuts, toolbars and macros. They can
also readily re-configure the EDA environment, positioning
and hiding resources to suit their needs.
Within Client, the user can have any number of documents
open, each supported by a different server.
As in any application that provides a Multiple Document
Interface, a simple click of the mouse takes you from one
document to another. Having mastered and tailored this
single environment, the user is then able to move easily
between their various design documents. These could be a
schematic and a PCB, or a schematic and an FPGA design.
Their focus can remain on the design task being performed
in each document, rather than attempting to recall which
keyboard shortcut keys to use in this application and where
that command lives in another application.

What is an EDA Client Server?

An EDA Server provides the “services” in the Protel EDA
Client environment. To provide these services, the server
will support a set of processes. A process carries out the
actual task, such as redrawing the screen, or generating a
Bill Of Materials.

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Advanced Schematic

A server may include an extensive set of processes, such as

a schematic server which needs to be able to place
components, wire, buses, generate reports and so on. Or it
may include only a single process, such as a netlist server.

Document Editors
To edit the documents that a server can create, the server
might provide one or more Document Editors. A Document
Editor allows the user to edit a particular type of document.
Some examples of the document editors a server may
provide are;
• A netlist server, which would have no document editors
(if necessary, the netlist would be edited in a text editor);
• A text editing server, which would typically have one
document editor for editing ascii documents (but could
include other document editors, perhaps a binary
document editor).
• A schematic server, which could have two document
editors, one for editing schematic sheets, the other the for
editing schematic components.

The EDA Client Environment

Tool Tips
For a tip on what a toolbar button does, or how to move or
size a panel, position the cursor and leave it stationary for
about a second. A Tool Tip will appear with a brief
description of what that button does, or how to re-size the
panel, or how to edit the menu bar.

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Client Menu

The Client menu is always available on the menu bar,

regardless of which Document Editor is currently active.
From the Client menu you control EDA Client. It allows
you to do things like install and remove servers, customize
and edit resources, set the user preferences and run a macro
or another Windows application.

EDA Editor Tabs

The EDA Editor Tabs initially appear down the left of the
Client workspace. These allow the user to readily identify
which Document Editors are available and which is the
active Document Editor.
Selecting an Editor by clicking on its EDA Editor Tab will
make it the active Editor and present the document that is
currently active in that Editor.

EDA Editor Panel

Client offers an Editor Panel, which Document Editors can
then use to provide the user with access to features and
information. An example is the Advanced Schematic

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Advanced Schematic

Document Editor Panel, which provides access to libraries

and their components and also allows you to browse
through the objects placed in the document.

Project Manager
The Project Manager displays all currently open documents
and any relationship between documents. A document can
be made active by clicking on it in the Project Manager.

Client Status Bar

The Client Status Bar includes the Status Bar and The
Command Status Bar. The Status Bar is dynamic, it provides
information about the cursor position in the workspace and
the current state of the process being executed.
The Command Status bar reports the current process being
executed and gives a description of that process.

Resources
Within the EDA Client Server environment you can perform
operations such as opening and closing documents, editing
these documents and generating output based on those
documents. This is done via the menus, toolbars and
keyboard shortcuts. Menus, toolbars and keyboard shortcut
lists are know as resources in the EDA Client Server
environment.

Processes
When you perform any action in the EDA Client
environment, such as opening a file or placing a wire, you
invoke a process. A process can be thought of as the
software executing a sequence of jobs, for example
refreshing the screen, zooming in, placing a net label, and
so on.

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 User Guide

Processes are provided by EDA Client and by the installed

Servers. Each process is invoked, or launched, by a Process
Launcher.
Each process is identified by its process identifier. An
example is Client:EditToolbars, another is Sch:PlaceWire.
Any process identifier can be linked to any process
launcher.

Process Launchers
When you select a menu item or click on a toolbar button,
you launch a process. Menu items are process launchers.
Toolbar buttons and shortcut keys are also process
launchers.

Customizing The EDA Workspace

Resources
Resources for each Document Editor can be customized by
selecting the Client Menu-Customize menu item. This will
pop up the Customize Resources dialog box. From here you
can edit any of the resources available in that editor. Menu
and shortcut key resources can also be edited by selecting
the appropriate menu item in the Client menu.

Toolbars
The easiest way to edit a toolbar is to double click
anywhere in the toolbar. This will pop up the Edit Toolbar
dialog box.

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Advanced Schematic

Here you can add, remove and re-position buttons. Select a

button and press Edit to pop up the Edit Button dialog box.
In this dialog box you can re-assign the button bitmap and
the process this button will launch.
If the Position of the toolbar is not fixed, it can be
repositioned in the workspace by simply dragging it so that
it floats in the document workspace, or dragging it to any of
the other edges of the workspace.
If a toolbar is hidden, its display status can be toggled in the
Customize Resources dialog box (Client Menu-Customize
menu item).

Keyboard Shortcut Keys

In the Client menu, select the Edit Shortcuts menu item.
This will pop up the Edit Shortcut Keys dialog box.

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Here you can create, edit and remove Shortcut keys. Select
a Shortcut key and press Edit to pop up the Edit Shortcut
Key dialog box. In this dialog box you can assign the
shortcut key(s) and the process this key will launch.

Menus
The easiest way to edit a menu is to double click anywhere
in the menu bar. This will pop up the Edit Menu dialog box.
Here you can create and remove menu items and change the
structure of the menus. The structure of the menu can be
changed graphically (simply click and drag) or by selecting
the menu item and pressing the appropriate direction
button.

Assigning a Process to a Process Launcher

When you create a new process launcher, such as a toolbar
button, you must assign a process for that button to launch.
To assign a process you need to know what process you
would like to be launched. EDA Client includes features to
assist in locating a particular process and learning what
each process does.
To create a new process launcher, edit the resource you
wish to customize as previously described.

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Advanced Schematic

The Edit Toolbar and Keyboard Shortcut Key Editor dialog

boxes will pop up with a list of all currently available
processes on the left of the dialog box. There are two ways
to filter this list so it displays a narrower range of processes
to choose from. Below the list is a drop down list box which
allows you to display the processes for a particular server.
Use this if you know which server the process is provided
by. Above the list of processes is a filter text box. To
display only those processes which contain a certain string,
type the string into the filter text box. The * (any
characters) and ? (any single character) wildcards can also
be used.
Click on a process to see a brief description at the bottom of
the dialog box. Press the Info button to pop up a complete
description of the selected process.

The Edit Menu, Edit Button and Edit Keyboard Shortcut

dialog boxes have a Browse button, which pops up the
Process Browser dialog box. This can also be used to locate
a process in the same way as described in the previous
paragraph.

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All the dialog boxes used for editing resources have an Info
button. Press this button to pop up a help window for a full
description of the process.

Editor panel
The Editor Panel display status can be toggled in either the
View menu, or the Preferences dialog box (Client Menu-
Preferences).

Project Manager
The Project Manager can positioned on either side of the
workspace and its width can be re-sized.
To move it to the other side of the workspace, position the
cursor within the frame around the Project Manager
window and click and drag it to the desired location.
To alter the width, position the cursor along the right hand
edge of the Project Manager. When the cursor changes to a
vertical bar with left and right arrows, click and drag to re-
size it.

Client Status Bar

The Client Status Bar can be positioned on either the
bottom or top of the workspace by dragging it to the desired
location. Its display status can be toggled in either the View
menu, or the Preferences dialog box (Client Menu-
Preferences).

Editor Tabs
The Editor Tabs can be positioned on any side of the
workspace by dragging them to the desired location. Their
display status can be toggled in the Preferences dialog box
(Client Menu-Preferences).

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Advanced Schematic

Installing and Starting a Server

Servers are run from within EDA Client. You must be
running EDA Client to be able to install and start a server.
To install and start a server;
• Go to the Client menu and select the Servers menu item.
The EDA Servers dialog box will pop up, with a list of all
currently installed servers.
• To install a new server, press the Install button. The EDA
Client Server Install dialog box will pop up.
• The installation file for each server has the file extension
INS. Locate and select the server you wish to install.
• Clicking OK will install the server. It will have a Status
of Not Started. When a server is Not Started it is not
occupying any memory. If you do not start it now it will
automatically be started the first time you use it. When
you close the EDA Servers dialog box an EDA Editor
Tab will appear for each Document Editor the Server
provides.

Opening a document
One of the powerful features of EDA Client is that it allows
you to have multiple documents open, documents which
may have been created by different servers. Having this
capability means you must have the server that created a
document installed before a document of that type can be
opened.

Opening a New Document

• Click on the desired Editor Tab to make that Editor
active.
• If the Editor has no documents open, it will automatically
open a new empty document for you.

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• Otherwise, Select File-New to create a new empty

document. The Select EDA Document Type dialog box
will pop up. Select the desired document editor and an
empty document will open.

Opening an Existing Document

The desired Document Editor does not need to be active but
it must be installed.
• Select File-Open. The File dialog box will be presented.
• In the Document Types section of the dialog box select
the desired Document Editor and file Type.
• Locate and select the file you wish to open and click OK.
• The document will be opened and presented in the
appropriate Document Editor.
• To open a project, the procedure is the same except for
checking the Project check box in the File dialog box.

Text Expert
Text Expert is a text editing server supplied with EDA
Client. Having a document editor for text editing in EDA
Client means there is no need to leave the EDA Client
environment to work with ascii files. Netlists and reports
can be viewed, macro scripts can be written. All general text
editing can be performed in Text Expert.
Text Expert includes the normal text editing facilities such
as cutting, copying and pasting, search and replace. It also
includes a feature known as Syntax Highlighting. Syntax
highlighting allows you to highlight different elements in
the document based on the syntax, where different words
types, symbols and identifiers are assigned unique colors.
This feature is an excellent document editing aid,
particularly when working with documents with a
repetitive, structured nature, such as macro scripts.

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Advanced Schematic

To broaden the usefulness of the syntax highlighting

feature, Text Expert allows the definition of multiple
languages. Syntax highlighting can be uniquely configured
for each of these languages.
Within each language, there is a set of six types of syntax
identifiers available; reserved word, symbol, string,
number, comment and identifier. The user can then define
the set of valid words or characters for each of these
identifiers and assign a unique color to each type of
identifier.

Languages
Text Expert includes a number of pre-defined languages as
well as the capability to create new languages. These
languages are not the language of a country or culture like
French or Mandarin, rather they are a language because
each can have their own syntax highlighting definition.
Languages can be created, edited and deleted in the
Languages dialog box (Options-Change Language menu
item, or the Change Language button on the panel).
Each document can have a language associated with it. The
language is selected in the Languages dialog box. A
language is associated with a document type by the file
extension. To associate a file extension with a language,
select the language in the Languages dialog box and press
the Edit button. The Edit Syntax dialog box will pop up. In
the Associated Files text box enter the file extension. For
multiple file extensions, separate each with a comma.

Syntax Highlighting
There are two distinct parts to Syntax Highlighting. The
first is editing the syntax, the second is assigning the
highlight colors to each type of syntax identifier.
To edit the syntax, select the Options-Change Language
menu item. This pops up the Languages dialog box. Select

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 User Guide

the language you wish to edit the syntax for and press the
Edit button. In the Edit Syntax dialog box you define the
set of reserved words, how comments and strings are
delimited, the valid set of symbols and any file extensions
to be associated with this language.
Highlight colors are then assigned in the Text Editor
Options dialog box (Options-Preferences menu item).

Document Options
Assigning of colors to each type of syntax identifier is done
in the Text Editor Options dialog box. There are also a
number of user editing preferences that can be enabled
here.

Resetting Defaults
EDA Client allows the user total freedom customizing the
menus, toolbars and shortcut keys. At any stage you can
restore the menus, toolbars and shortcut keys back to their
original state. To do this, select the Client Menu-Servers
menu item. In the EDA Servers dialog box select the server
and press the Configure button. The Configure Server
dialog box will list all the Document Editors provided by
this server. Resetting the defaults for this server will reset
the resources for all Document Editors provided by this
server. Press the Default button to restore the server’s
resources back to their defaults.

Macros
EDA Client is supplied with a Macro server. The macro
server supports two macro scripting languages, Macro
Pascal and Macro Basic.
Macros provide a powerful mechanism to enhance
productivity when working in EDA Client. The macro

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Advanced Schematic

server supports all the processes available in the EDA

Client environment and allows passing of parameters to
those processes. Macros can be written to work with any
server running in EDA Client.
Macros can be written to perform anything from a repetitive
sequence of processes, through to complex wizards which
pop up dialog boxes and respond to user choices. The
macro server also supports OLE automation, a feature
where operations can be performed in other Windows
applications (which support OLE automation).
Macro Basic and Macro Pascal are interpreted rather than
compiled, so macros can be run as soon as they are written.
Like all processes in the EDA Client environment, macros
can be launched from any process launcher.
The macro server includes a comprehensive error flagging
mechanism. When an error is encountered, the script file is
opened in Text Expert, the line in error is displayed and
highlighted, and a dialog box pops up with a description of
the error condition.

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Theory

Fundamentals of Schematic Capture

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Advanced Schematic

Fundamentals of Schematic Capture

Schematic capture is the process of capturing a ‘schema’, or

diagram, in a computer aided design environment and
capturing the connective elements of the design in the form
of a netlist. Defining the circuit at the schematic level
allows the engineer to work with a logical model of the
design while maintaining the integrity of the physical
model that will become the finished product.

The computer model of a circuit

Outwardly, the use of schematic capture is similar to the
traditional drafting process, where graphical symbols for
circuit elements (parts, wires, etc.) are rendered in
drawings, which become a record of the design. Using
computer aided design provides many benefits by
automating the drafting process and allowing easy editing
of the design layout.

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However, it’s the capture part of the schematic capture

process that provides the main benefit -- creating an integral
link between conceptual design of a circuit and its physical
expression. By capturing the “logic” of a circuit, this
approach allows the integration of simulation and physical
layout into the design process. The schematic design
process then becomes the design entry point for a number
of technologies, from IC design to FPGA and PLD
programming, to PCB design.
Advanced Schematic incorporates many data management
facilities that exploit the capabilities of computerized
design. For example, each Advanced Schematic sheet is an
independent design file. An automated system links these
sheets when they are used together in a hierarchical project.
By recognizing these links, it is possible for the designer to
globally edit and perform design verification across project
sheets, produce a project netlist or generate a bill of
materials for an entire project in a single operation.
Another example is the way that parts libraries are managed
in Advanced Schematic.

The Advanced Schematic component model

In Advanced Schematic, component parts are organized
into families of libraries that correspond to manufacturer’s
data books.
A component stored in the library comprises of one or more
component parts descriptions that become the
representation of the component on the schematic sheet.
Because components can have multiple parts (e.g., the
individual gates in TTL logic components), it is extremely
convenient to be able to work with each part of a multi-part
component individually while laying out the design.

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Advanced Schematic

Libraries of component models

A single library component can include multiple graphical part

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

While an image of the component part is “placed” into the

schematic, the component information is always stored in
the library. Component creation and editing are always
performed at the library level, not on the sheet. This
approach maintains library integrity and allows library
changes to be used to globally update components in
existing designs.
As parts are placed in sheets, a back-up image of each
component is placed in a special cache, attached to each

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 User Guide

sheet file. This back-up library allows the user to distribute

the schematic sheet files without having to supply the
complete set of libraries used to create the design. The
back-up library also allows the user to generate a
permanent project library for the design. The component
images stored in the back-up library can be updated from
the source libraries at any time while the sheet is loaded in
the Schematic Editor. When they are updated a report is
generate listing updated parts in the cache library.

Connectivity
An additional major feature of Advanced Schematic is the
system’s use of connectivity. Connectivity is the ability of
the software to recognize the physical links between objects
inside the sheet and the ability to associate the logical
connections that exist between various sheets in a multi-
sheet design. Connectivity is also used to anchor certain
objects together. For example, you can drag connected
electrical items (parts, buses, wires, ports, etc.) without
breaking existing connections.
More importantly, connectivity allows the schematic to
generate netlists and perform electrical rules checks.

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Advanced Schematic

The Place menu and Wiring Tools palette include all Advanced
Schematic “electrical” objects, which define both logical and physical
connectivity.

The process of placing electrical objects in the sheet is

often referred to as wiring. This is because the connectivity
features allow you to work with electrical objects as though
you were physically hooking-up the circuit.
Basic electrical objects, used in wiring your schematic
include special connective lines that carry signals or power
between components, called wires; buses graphically
represent grouped nets; bus entries graphically attach wires

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 User Guide

to buses; junctions connect tangent or crossed wires and

parts that represent the component devices and their pins.
Two other special classes of electrical objects are provided
as well. Directives, which are used to indicate simulation
points, unconnected pins (No ERC) and PCB layout
attributes on individual nets and net identifiers, which are
used to indicate electrical connections that are not
physically wired together, for example, connections that
continue from one schematic sheet to another in a multi-
sheet design.

Net Identifiers
As described above, net identifier objects support
connections that are not physically joined by wires. These
objects include: net labels that identify common nets on a
sheet (or globally, across multiple sheets if the user
specifies); ports that identify net connections between two
sheets; sheet entries that identify net connections into a
sub-sheet (referenced by a sheet symbol); and power ports
which are special symbols placed to represent a global
power (or another user-specified) net.
Hidden pins on parts are a special fifth type of net identifier
that function similarly to power ports. Hidden pins connect
to all other hidden pins with the same name and connect to
a net of the same name, if present. If “un-hidden” these pins
are not deemed to be connected and must be manually
wired to be included in a netlist.

Using connectivity
Methods
Connectivity is derived from the placement of certain
electrical objects in the sheet and from the placement of net
identifiers. However, not all electrical objects used
placement to define connective behavior. Some objects use

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Advanced Schematic

their physical geometry to establish connections. Other

objects include logical connectivity in their behavior.

Physical connectivity
Physical connectivity is derived by placing the “hot spots”
of any two electrical objects in physical contact. In the
simplest example, a wire touching a component pin is
deemed to be connected to that pin, and Advanced
Schematic can extract that logical connection from the
physical contact between the two items.
In general terms, when the hot spots of any two connective
objects “touch” they are deemed to be connected. However,
there are some special rules that apply to certain classes of
connections.

Logical connectivity
Logical connectivity depends upon the presence of net
identifiers (net labels, ports, sheet entries, power ports and
hidden pins) on the sheet. Logical connectivity does not
require special placement or physical contact but relies on
the matching of the net names that associate these objects
within a single sheet or across multiple sheets in a project.
Refer to the chapters Multi Sheet Designs and Project
Management and Netlists for further information about
using logical connectivity.

General rule for connectivity

Electrical objects are connected when their electrical “hot
spots” are touching. Special cases of connectivity are
described below. When the electrical grid is enabled
(Options-Document Options) the cursor will jump to the
nearest hot spot and change into a “dot” shape. When
placing or moving electrical objects, clicking LEFT MOUSE
(or releasing LEFT MOUSE when dragging) will establish a
connection when the hot spot is displayed.

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Special rules for connectivity

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

Wire to bus Buses are graphical representations of grouped signals

only, and do not have any special connective properties for
netlisting. Although buses display hot spots when wiring
and maintain connections during drags, they so not
simulate electrical connections. Wires are graphically
connected to buses using bus entry symbols. Net labels
must be used to indicate logical connectivity on either side
of the bus connection.

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

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

connected.

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

Bus to object Buses are graphical representations of grouped nets only

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

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Advanced Schematic

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

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

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

Pin to pin Pins are deemed to be connected if they are in contact at

any angle.

No ERC No ERC objects are deemed to be connected to pins or

wires if they are in contact.

Design verification
Design verification is a general term for validating the
physical (or electrical) and logical connections in your
design. A number of tools are provided that allow you to
perform design verification from within the Schematic
Editor, by generating reports and by running the Electrical
Rule Check (ERC) feature.

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 User Guide

Working in the multi-server EDA Client environment

allows you to easily switch between your schematic
and text files. You can generate netlists, reports and
Electrical Rules Checks and examine these side by
side with your schematic.

Checking sheets and projects

While creating a schematic, a number of useful design
verification features are available directly from the sheet
workspace. The Edit-Select-Net and Edit-Select-Connection
process launchers can be used to highlight all objects
associated with a net or a single connection (component
pins do not select in these cases). These process launchers
are useful in verifying connections. The Info-Selected Pins
process launcher displays a list of all pins connected to the
current selection.

Generating reports

Advanced schematic features built-in report generators,

which provide design verification and documentation.
Details about the processes for generating these reports and
the report formats can be found in the Reports chapter.

Bill of Materials
The Reports-Bill of Materials (BOM) feature generates a
report for the current active project. Two versions of the
BOM report are available. A condensed format that lists
part type fields, description fields, quantities of each type
and the designator fields associated with each type. The
Condensed version is produced in a tabulated ASCII
format.
The Expanded BOM format is user-defined and can include
several additional fields: eight (internal) library component
text fields, 16 part text fields and four package description
fields. This Bill of Materials can be generated in CSV
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Advanced Schematic

(comma separated value) format, CSV format files can be

read directly into spreadsheet or database cells.
Advanced Schematic allows you to designate a CSV Editor
(under the Tools menu) which will automatically launch the
CSV editor application (e.g. Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, dBase, etc.)
and open the CSV format report at the time they are
generated.

Project Hierarchy report

The Project Hierarchy process launcher generates a listing
of project files for the current active sheet, hierarchical or
multi-sheet flat project. This report outputs in ASCII text
format.

Cross Reference report

The Reports-Cross Reference process launcher (shortcut: R,
C) generates a listing of part types and designator labels,
and the sheet location (filename) for each item. The report
is generated for the current active sheet, hierarchical or
multi-sheet flat project. This report outputs in ASCII text
format.

Electrical Rules Check report

Electrical Rules Check (ERC) report is a listing of electrical
(and certain logical) violations and warnings for the current
active project. A wide variety of basic electrical errors are
reported. Errors that can be reported include instances of
open input pins on parts or “shorts” between two different
nets. Users can select the specific rules for a project.
“Suppress ERC” symbols can be placed on intentionally
unused pins or at other locations where the user prefers
violations to be ignored by the ERC system.
Users can specify either an “error” or “warning” using a
graphical matrix of pin, port and sheet entry conditions.

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The way net identifiers are used in the design can impact
the electrical validity of connections. For example, global
net labels (Net Labels and Ports Global option) will join all
nets with the same label across multiple sheets, where local
net labels (Only Ports Global option) will only join
electrical items within a single sheet. Users can specify the
“scope” of these net identifiers for electrical rules checks,
the same way that they are specified for generating a valid
netlist.
Special symbols are overlaid on the sheet, indicating the
location of the reported conditions when the user specifies
Add Error Markers. These symbols are cleared from the
sheet when the error condition is corrected.

The process of running an ERC is integral to

producing a valid netlist for a project. The presence
of electrical or logical violations will not prevent
Advanced Schematic from generating a netlist,
however incomplete or invalid. Carefully check and
resolve all reported errors prior to netlist generation.

Netlist Compare report

This report lists the differences between two netlist.
Normally, you would generate this report to document
changes made to a project from one revision to another.
This feature works with Protel, Protel 2 and Tango format
netlists. Among other details, the report lists matched nets,
partially matched nets, extra nets in the first or second
netlist, total nets in each netlist. Output is in ASCII text.

Linking to other Servers and other Applications

Netlists
Netlists provide the “capture” of the schematic capture
process. Netlists are normally ascii text files. They include;
component information (designator, part type and package

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Advanced Schematic

information) and all the connectivity information. They can

also include other information, such as simulation
parameters or PCB layout information, depending on the
netlist format chosen.

Special links to PCB systems

Advanced Schematic supports a number of links to PCB
systems beyond basic netlisting.

Back annotation
Advanced Schematic supports back annotation of
designator updates based on a “was-is” list generated by the
PCB layout package. Advanced PCB and a number of other
layout packages allow you to re-annotate the PCB on a
positional basis, with these new designator assignments
then being back annotated to the schematic. The “was-is”
information is supplied by a .WAS file. This file is in ASCII
text format.

Forward annotation
Forward annotation is the process of implementing changes
to an existing PCB layout from the schematic editor. This
system will allow users to move, add or delete connections
on the schematic sheet. Adding, removing or re-naming of
parts or nets in the schematic is also supported. When the
updated netlist is loaded into Advanced PCB, the system
will compare the new netlist with the physical design and
update the PCB to reflect all netlist level changes. This can
include substitution of component footprints and removal
of obsolete routed tracks with conversion back into
unrouted (ratsnested) PCB connections.

PCB Layout directive

The PCB Layout object (supported by OrCAD SDT and
PCB) allows the engineer to specify topology, priority and
design rules for routing on a net-by-net basis. User
definable fields for the PCB Layout object include routing
track width and via size, layer and route priority. Directives

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are included in the Protel 2 netlist format. Advanced PCB is

fully-compatible with the Protel 2 netlist format.

Cross probing
In the EDA Client environment, you can run both Advanced
Schematic and Advanced PCB at the same time.
When a schematic sheet (or project) and its PCB layout are
open at the same time, Advanced Schematic and Advanced
PCB support bi-directional cross probing.
For example, the user can select a part in the schematic, and
the PCB editor will jump to and display the corresponding
component. The corresponding PCB-to-Advanced
Schematic cross probe is also supported: pick a component
on the PCB and display the corresponding schematic part.
Schematic pin-to-PCB pad cross probing and net label-to-
physical net cross probing are also supported.

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General Topics

Configuration

Opening, saving and closing files

Components and libraries

Schematic Library Editor

Working in Advanced Schematic

Processes

Objects

Multi-sheet designs and project management

Design verification

Netlists

Fonts

Presentation quality schematics

Hardcopy

Reports

Links with Advanced PCB

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Configuration

Advanced SchematicPreferences
Preferences for the Schematic Sheet Editor are accessed via
the Options-Schematic Preferences menu item. The
Preferences dialog box is divided into four Tabs.

Schematic Tab
The Pin Options allow the pin name and number to be
moved. The number specified is the distance from the end
of the pin (the end closest to the component body). The
units are hundredths of an inch.
Auto-Junction can be enabled and disabled here. Auto
junction will automatically place a junction when you
terminate a wire onto another wire.
When you drag components, the wiring is keep orthogonal
(corners at 90 degrees). Turning Drag Orthogonal off
allows the wires to move at any angle.
The Copy Footprint From / To and the OrCAD Ports check
box are discussed in the Advanced Topics - OrCAD
Compatibility.
Select a Default Template File if you want to specify what
sheet template will be used when you open a new schematic
sheet.

Graphical Edit Tab

Options in this Tab include;
• Clipboard Reference - when you do an Edit-Copy or an
Edit-Cut, if this is on, you will be asked to select a

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reference point. This is useful when copying a section of

circuit which is to be pasted back into a schematic sheet.
This reference point will be the point where the section
of circuit will be held when pasting.
• Convert Special Strings - enable this check box to see
the contents of the special strings on screen, as they will
be printed. For more information on using special strings
refer to Advanced Topics - Sheet Templates.
• Display Printer Fonts - Not all fonts are supported on all
output devices (and Windows will automatically
substitute). To see what the text is going to look like on
the printout enable this check box.
• Center of Object - if enabled, when you move or drag an
object you will hold it by its reference point (for objects
that have one, such as library components or ports), or its
center (for objects which do not have a reference point
such as a rectangle).
• Object’s Electrical Hot Spot - to further aid in ease of
moving and dragging objects, if this check box is
enabled and the object is electrical you will hold it by an
electrical hot spot. These two options can both be
enabled if desired.
• Auto Zoom - used in conjunction with jumping to a
component.
• Undo Stack Size - you can undo this many edits. Set to
what you feel is appropriate (remember, these undo-able
edits are being held in memory).

Default Primitives Tab

The default primitives for every object that can be placed in
the Schematic Sheet Editor can be defined here. Default
values are help in the SCH.DFT file. User DFT files can be
created and loaded. Use the permanent check box to
prevent these defaults being altered.

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Database Links Tab

Advanced Schematic supports “hot linking” to databases.
This feature allows information in databases to be mapped
to component part fields. For more information refer to
Advanced Topics - Linking to Databases.

Schematic Sheets
When you choose the File-New menu item, a window is
opened with an empty sheet displayed in it. Sheet windows
are titled with the current path and file name.
Advanced Schematic gives you extensive control over
sheets, including customized sheets and re-usable sheet
templates. These sheet controls allow users to easily create
and use sheets customized for specific organizations or
purposes.
To set sheet options, select the Options-Document Options
menu item. This will pop up the Document Options dialog
box.

Sheet Options
The Document Options dialog box provides control over
the attributes of a sheet, including the sheet style and sheet
options, the grids, organization information and access to
the system font.

Choosing a sheet size

Advanced Schematic allows you to choose from 10
standard imperial and metric sheet sizes, or to define a
custom sheet size. The maximum custom sheet size is 65
inches by 65 inches.
Schematic sheets are conventionally displayed and printed
in “landscape” (wide) rather than “portrait” (tall)
orientation. Advanced Schematic allows you to display and

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print your drawings in either orientation. Standard sheet

sizes in landscape orientation include:
sizewidth x height (in)width x height (mm)
A 11.00 8.50 279.42 215.90
B 17.00 11.00 431.80 279.40
C 22.00 17.00 558.80 431.80
D 34.00 22.00 863.60 558.80
E 44.00 34.00 1078.00 863.60
A4 11.69 8.27 297 210
A3 16.54 11.69 420 297
A2 23.39 16.54 594 420
A1 33.07 23.39 840 594
A0 46.80 33.07 1188 840
ORCAD A 9.90 7.90 251.15 200.66
ORCAD B 15.40 9.90 391.16 251.15
ORCAD C 20.60 15.60 523.24 396.24
ORCAD D 32.60 20.60 828.04 523.24
ORCAD E 42.80 32.80
LETTER 11.00 8.50 215.90
LEGAL 14.00 8.50
TABLOID 17.00 11.00

The maximum available work area in a sheet (with the

border hidden) will depend upon the output device. Many
printers and plotters cannot print to the edge of the sheet, so
some trial and error may be necessary to determine the
exact available work area. Because of this, the standard
ANSI and ISO border specifications cannot be applied
when targeting these devices. Advanced Schematic can
compensate for this by allowing you to scale the output
during printing or plotting.
A smaller work area will be available when sheet borders
are displayed. The default sheet boarder removes 0.2 to 0.4
inch (approximately 5 to 10 mm) from the working area,
depending upon the sheet size selected.
To choose a sheet size from one of the 10 ANSI or ISO
(metric) standard sizes, choose the Options-Document
Options menu item to open the Document Options dialog

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box, then select from one of the available sheet sizes or

define a custom sheet size up to 65 inches by 65 inches.

Borders
Protel provides two pre-defined borders. Choose either the
default border or an ANSI standard border that follows the
ANSI reference grid convention (for additional
information, please refer to ANSI standard Y14.1-1980).
Custom borders can be defined in the Document Options
dialog box. These custom borders can be incorporated into
custom sheet templates which can be saved and applied to
sheets at any time.
When defining sheet borders, you should be aware that not
all devices can print all the way to the edge of the page. For
example, laser printers typically reserve a margin of about
0.15 inches (4.0 mm) outside the printable area. This can
make it impossible to include all of the standard or ANSI
borders when printing at 100% scale using standard sheet
sizes, such as “A” or “A4.” You can change the print scale
to accommodate the maximum printable area of your
printer.

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

Grids
There are three grids in the Schematic Sheet Editor, the
snap grid, the visible grid and the electrical grid.
The snap grid is the grid that the cursor is locked to when
placing or manipulating objects on the sheet. This grid

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should be left on at all times except when specifically

placing or moving objects that need to be off grid, like text.
The visible grid is the grid you see on the sheet which acts
as a visual reference. Typically it is set to be the same as or
a multiple of the snap grid.
The electrical grid supports the Guided Wiring feature that
Advanced Schematic offers. As you move an electrical
object in the workspace and it falls within the electrical grid
range of another electrical object, such that a valid
connection could be made, the object you are moving will
snap to the fixed object and a Hot Spot or highlight dot will
appear. This dot guides you as to where a valid connection
can be made. The electrical grid should be set slightly
lower than the current snap grid or else it becomes difficult
to position electrical objects one snap grid apart.

Units
Both the Schematic Sheet Editor and Library Editor have a
resolution of 0.01”, or one hundredth of an inch. The units
displayed on the left of the status bar are always hundredths
of an inch, regardless of the sheet style.

Organization
Clicking on the Organization Tab in the Document Options
dialog box allows you to enter the organization details.
Each field here is linked to a special string. An explanation
and example of special strings is given in Advanced Topics
- Sheet Templates.

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Opening, Saving and Closing Files

Opening schematic files

Advanced Schematic can open any number of schematic
sheets into separate windows, limited only by available
memory. The following schematic file formats are
supported: Advanced Schematic (text and binary); Protel
Schematic (DOS version 3) and OrCAD SDT (version 3, 4
or 386+) files.

File-Open dialog box

Choosing the File-Open menu item pops up the Open
Document dialog box. This dialog box is used for opening
files for any of the Document Editors which are currently
installed.

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The correct server must be installed for a document of that

type to be opened in its document editor. For information
on how to install a server refer to the chapter A Quick Tour
of EDA Client.
Select the required document editor in the Editor pull down,
then set the file Type. Locate the file to be opened in the
correct directory, select the file and press the Open button.
Information about the specified file (the filename currently
highlighted by the selection bar in the File list), is displayed
in the bottom of this dialog box.
The File-Open dialog box features a number of control
options, including direct access to the Windows File
Manager (for browsing and modifying directories), and
networks (for accessing networks and network drives).

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File masks are non-restrictive when opening files.

You can use any file extension for schematic sheets.
Advanced Schematic identifies file types
independently of the extension and converts other file
types into Advanced Schematic format automatically.

Opening multi-sheet projects

The File-Open process launcher is used for all file opening,
whether it is a single sheet or a multi-sheet project. To open
all sheet files associated with a hierarchical or multi-sheet
project, click on the Project check box in the Open
Document dialog box. For convenience in identifying the
Master (top most) sheet in a multi-sheet project, the
extension .PRJ can be applied when saving the Master sheet
file. To open a previously created project:
Select the File-Open menu item. Click on the Project
check box. Select Sch in the Editor pull down. Choose a
file with the .PRJ extension and click OK. If the project
is hierarchical, you can choose any file in the project to
open that sheet and any sheet that is lower in the
hierarchy.
You can also double-click on the master sheet filename in
the Files list. To change directories, double-click on any of
the available options in the Directories list.
Any number of hierarchical, flat and single sheet projects
can be open simultaneously, limited only by available
memory.
As each sheet of the project loads, an icon for each sheet
file is placed in the Project Manager. The actual document
windows will cascade to reveal the sheet name in each title
bar.

Any number of projects and individual sheets can be

opened, limited only by available memory. If the
Project Manager window fills, a scroll bar is added.

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Save Options
File-Save
The File-Save process launcher will save the active
document with the same file name.

File-Save As
The File Save As process launcher pops up the File dialog
box. Select the required file type in the Document Types
pull down. Masks used to save files are restrictive in the
following instances:
.SCH Schematic sheet files (binary format)
also: OrCAD SDT 4 (binary format)
.ASC Individual sheet files (text format)
also: Schematic library files (text format)
.PRJ Project Master sheet files (optional, for
identification of master sheets, .SCH can be
substituted)
.LIB Schematic library files (binary format)
.DOT Schematic template files
.NET Schematic netlists (Protel, Protel 2)

Save Project
To save all the sheets that constitute a hierarchical or multi-
sheet flat project, use the File-Save Project process
launcher. To use this process launcher, first move the focus
to any sheet in the project by clicking directly on one of the
sheets, or the icon representing a sheet in the Project
Manager. Sheets will be saved using the default Protel
binary format. All sheets that belong to the project will be
saved.

Save All
The Save All process launcher can be used to save all of the
currently open documents (regardless of which document
editor created it). All

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files will be saved in the default format for their document

type.

Close Options
File-Close
The File-Close process launcher will close the active
document. If the file has been edited since the last save, the
Confirm dialog box will pop up, asking if you would like to
save before exit. It is also possible to cancel and not close
the document.

File-Close Project
The File-Close Project process launcher will close all files
associated with a project. If any of the files have been
edited since the last save, the confirm dialog box will pop
up, asking if you would like to save before exit. The
Confirm dialog box includes an Apply To All Documents
check box, so if you would like it to save all the documents
that need saving (without asking at each one), check this
box.

Windows-Close All
The Window-Close All process launcher will close all
currently open documents. If any of the files have been
edited since the last save, the confirm dialog box will pop
up, asking if you would like to save before exit. The
Confirm dialog box includes an Apply To All Documents
check box, so if you would like it to save all the documents
that need saving (without asking at each one), check this
box.

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Components and Libraries

Efficient use and management of Advanced Schematic

libraries requires an understanding of the relationship
between libraries, components and parts. Libraries are
databases which store component descriptions. Component
descriptions include all library level data about an
individual component and consist of one or more parts,
such as a 74LS00 which contains four parts, a capacitor
which has one part, or a relay which may be made up of a
coil part and a contact part.
Components are created and modified in the Schematic
Library Editor, an independent document editor that
includes tools for managing and editing libraries. The
Schematic Sheet Editor and the Schematic Library Editor
can have documents open simultaneously within the EDA
Client environment, with special features providing
convenient links between sheet and library processes. For
example, you can move directly from a part symbol on the
sheet to editing its component information inside the source
library.

What are Advanced Schematic libraries?

Advanced Schematic is delivered with extensive
component libraries that include conventional descriptions,
ANSI-IEEE and DeMorgan equivalents. The Schematic
Library Editor is provided to allow the user to manage
library data, create new components, move and copy
components between libraries, merge libraries, etc. The
chapter, Schematic Library Editor, documents the general
features and use of this editor.
Advanced Schematic libraries consist of component
descriptions, made up of the individual parts that are placed
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in schematic sheets. Components can have one or many

parts (e.g., the gates that comprise a multi-part component
like a 74LS00 in the TTL library).

What is a Component and what is a Part?

When a component part is placed in a schematic sheet, the
displayed version of the part is an instance (or image) of the
library version only. The actual component description
exists only in a library database. This means that
components and their parts are changed or edited only at
the library level -- never at the sheet level. Library level
changes are globally applied to each instance of a part
when a sheet is updated.

Restricting component editing to the Schematic

Library Editor helps to protect data integrity in
component libraries, particularly where common
libraries are shared by multiple users. Because
Schematic Library Editor access is “on-line” this
structure imposes no significant penalty on users.
Additionally, users can update all instances of a part
in open sheets with a single library editor action
(Tools-Update Schematic process launcher).

Accessing Components
To access the components in libraries, the libraries must
first be added in the Schematic Sheet Editor. Libraries are
opened and removed via the Add / Remove Library process
launcher (Tools menu or the button in the Schematic Sheet
Editor Panel). This pops up the Change Library List dialog
box where new libraries can be added and open ones
removed from the Current File List. The only limit on the
number of libraries that can be added is the memory
available in your computer.

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Once libraries have been added, parts from those libraries

can be placed on the sheet.

Adding and Removing Libraries

Launching the Add / Remove Library process pops up the
Change Library File List dialog box.
This dialog box includes the following features and options.

File Name
This window lists the name of the highlighted library
from the File window, described below. You can type
the desired library name, if known, directly into this
window. The current path and directory are also shown.
File
This window lists files in the current directory that
match the current file mask used in the File Name
window. You can use this feature to specify the file type,
by extension. Advanced Schematic does not restrict the
use of extensions to identify library types. Advanced
Schematic, OrCAD SDT 3/4 libraries and Protel
Schematic 3.x libraries can be loaded (both in
decompiled .SRC format).

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File Types
Choose from a pre-defined mask for loading library files
or click Edit to add a new mask type to the list.
Directories
Double click in this window to change the current path
and directory as you search for the desired library.
Current File List
This window lists all currently loaded libraries and is
updated as libraries and added or removed from the list.
To add a library to the current list:

1. Move the selection bar through the files listed in the

Files window to highlight the desired library;

2. Click the Add button. The library will be added to the

Current File List window.
To remove a library from the current list:

1. Move the selection bar through the Current File List

to highlight the desired library;

2. Click Remove;

3. Click OK to close the Library List window and re-set

the updated library list.

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Placing Parts

Parts can be placed by selecting them in the Schematic

Sheet Editor Panel and pressing the Place button.
Before actually placing the part on the sheet you can edit its
attributes. To do this press the TAB key while the
component is “floating” on the cursor. You will be
presented with the Edit Part dialog box. If you set the
designator now and continue to place instances of the same
part the designator will auto-increment. While the
component is floating on the cursor it can be rotated by
pressing the SPACEBAR, and flipped along the X or Y axis by
pressing the X or Y key.
You can also place parts using the Place Part process
launcher. This can be accessed in the Place menu, by
pressing the button on the Wiring toolbar or the keyboard
shortcut keys (P, P). When placing parts from a multi-part
component, there is no need to specify which part it is (eg:
U1:A), the alpha suffix is added automatically.

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Part Attributes
Like all objects in Advanced Schematic, parts have a set of
attributes associated with them. Some of these attributes
can only be defined while editing the component in the
Library Editor and therefore apply to all parts of the
component, some can only be defined in the Schematic
Sheet Editor and are associated with that instance of the
part, and some can be defined in either.
To change any part, double-click on the placed part or use
the Edit-Change process launcher. Each editable attribute
can be globally edited, with changes applied to some, or all
of the parts on the sheet.

About component text

Certain text fields are included in netlists, those being
included depends on the netlist format. For example, the
Protel format netlist, which can be loaded into Advanced
PCB includes the designator (or label), part type
(description or component value) and footprint (component
package). Depending on the netlist format, these may be
limited in the number of characters supported. These netlist
fields may or may not support empty spaces and/or be case
sensitive.
When a part is placed on a sheet the designator, part type
and other text fields created at placement can be either
hidden, displayed or moved relative the part position and
orientation. Displayed text supports any TrueType font,
including user-definable size and style.
Parts have two sets of special text fields, eight library text
fields whose values are entered at the library level and
sixteen part text fields whose values are entered at the sheet
level when the part is placed.

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Library Reference
A special text field is reserved for the part’s Library
Reference. This field can be up to 255 characters long and
is included in Bill of Materials reports. This is the name of
the component in the Library.

Footprint
Four fields are provided for naming PCB patterns for the
component. These can be pre-assigned in the Library Editor
or a value can be entered when the part is placed on the
sheet. Four fields allow the user to nominate alternate
patterns for SMD versions, etc.

For the netlist to load successfully into a PCB design

package, this field must contain the name of a PCB
component that exists in a PCB library. This PCB
library must be open when the netlist is being loaded.

Designator
A default prefix can be defined for the part designator in
the library editor. The user can override this default
manually, when placing or editing parts on the sheet. If no
initial numeric value is defined for a designator prefix, it
will be placed as U?, R?, etc. If the designator is assigned
before the part is placed (press the TAB key while the
component is floating on the cursor), the designators will
increment automatically (R1, R2 etc) as further parts are
placed. Complex cases for multi-part components are also
supported, yielding: U1:A, U1:B, U1:C, U1:D, etc. The
Tools-Annotate process launcher automatically re-numbers
all designators in a project.

Part type
A part type text field is provided for the component part
description. This field can be up to 255 characters long and
is included in Bill of Materials reports. This field is where

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you enter the value of a generic component, say 4.7K or

220nF.

Sheet Path
Parts on the schematic sheet can be made to behave as sheet
symbols rather than component parts. When they are in this
mode, the nets connecting to their pins connect to matching
ports on the sheet below. To get a part to behave as a sheet
symbol, you specify the sheet that exists below in the Sheet
Path field and enable the descend into sheet parts option in
the Netlist Creation dialog box. When a component is
configured to behave as a sheet symbol it does not appear
in the netlist.

Library text fields

Each library component has eight user-definable text fields.
These fields can hold up to 255 characters each. Library
text fields cannot be edited in parts placed in the schematic
sheet, but can be viewed and are automatically included in
the CSV format Bill of Material.

Part text fields

In addition to the eight library component text fields,
sixteen additional user-definable fields are available for
each part, at the sheet level. These fields can be displayed
or hidden (click Hidden Fields in the Change Component
dialog box) and are editable on the sheet, with user
definable fonts, sizes and colors. These fields can be up to
255 characters long and are automatically included in CSV
format Bill of Materials reports.
The names of part text fields can be defined in the Library
Editor. Up to 255 characters can be used, but only the end
of the character string will be displayed in the Part dialog
box if the length of the string exceeds the display area.
There is room for 14 characters and/or spaces, when 12
point Helvetica is used as the dialog box font. Custom field

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names are not used for column headers in CSV format Bill
of Material reports.

Description
A field of up to 255 characters is provided for a text
description of the component. Text for this field is entered
in the Component Text Fields dialog box in the Library
Editor and can be viewed in the Edit Part dialog box in the
Schematic Sheet Editor. This field is included in the CSV
format Bill of Material.

Colors
Part outline, pin color and fill colors (if part includes
closed rectangles, filled arcs or polygon graphics) are user
selectable attributes. If part graphics are un-filled, changes
made to the Fill Color field will be ignored. Default colors
can be assigned to each part at the library editor level, but
these assignments can be overridden when editing placed
parts. To apply the local (rather than default library) colors,
click Local Colors in the Edit Part dialog box.

Hidden pins
The Hide/Display status of all hidden pins on a part can be
changed at any time. Any pin can be defined as hidden in
the library editor. Normally, hidden pins are used for
component power nets. When hidden, these pins are
deemed to be connected to nets with the same name during
netlisting. If hidden pins are displayed they then must be
wired manually. If the hidden pins on a multi-part
component are being displayed, then the hidden pins on all
parts of that component (eg: U2:A, U2:B, U2:C, U2:D) must
be displayed.

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How Parts are Saved with the Design

To make component access efficient, Advanced Schematic
utilizes a special component cache. The cache is essentially
a temporary library, created in the computer’s memory. A
single cache is maintained for all opened sheets and this
cache holds a copy of each type of component placed in
any sheet in each project.
Whenever you select a part from a library to place in a
sheet, the cache is checked first. If it contains a part with a
matching library reference, an instance of the part in the
cache is used (the part in the library is not used). If there is
no match in the cache, then the part is loaded from the
library into the cache.
Each time any sheet in the project is saved, the cache is
used to generate a hidden backup library. This file includes
a “read only” version of the library component for each part
on the sheet. This backup library allows users to supply
schematic sheet files without having to distribute their
component libraries.
It is useful to note that the cache holds copies of all the
components currently “in use” in the environment. As you
open another project, all of its components are copied from
the sheet back-up libraries into the cache. If you remove
sheets or close projects the components in those projects
are not cleared from the cache. The cache is cleared when

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you exit the Schematic Editor.

As parts are placed in a sheet, their descriptions are stored in a
temporary cache. When the project is saved, the cache is used to create
a backup library, attached to each sheet file. This allows sheets to be
distributed and viewed without libraries.

In extreme cases, where many sheets are being loaded

during a session, it may be possible to fill the cache to
the extent where system performance begins to slow.
If this happens, save your projects, exit the editor and
re-start the application.

Project Libraries
Another benefit of caching is the ability to archive the
cache contents into a project library. Because the source
libraries may change over time, archiving provides a
convenient way of being able to work with an accurate
version of the project at some future date. The Make Project
Library process launcher generates a project library based
on the current sheet back-up library.

Updating Parts
The Update Parts In Cache process launcher compares the
parts in the cache with parts of the same name in the
currently open libraries. If any part is found to be different,
the part in the cache is updated. All instances of these
updates are automatically reflected on the sheets.
This process allows changes in current source libraries to
be globally applied to every instance of all updated
components in an entire project.
Updates of parts from schematic libraries are recorded in a
report file. When Update Parts In Cache is executed, a
report file is generated which lists parts that were updated.
This list is automatically saved and displayed by the Text

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Expert editor. The report only includes components that

were actually changed.

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Library Editor

The Library Editor is the second document editor provided

by the Advanced Schematic server. Where the Schematic
Sheet Editor is used for capturing the schematic, the Library
Editor is used to create and modify the components used in
those schematics. It also includes processes to aid in library
management. When you open a library in the Schematic
Sheet Editor the components are available for placement in
your sheet, but cannot be edited. When you open a library
in the Library Editor, the components are available for
editing.

Libraries
Protel provides an extensive suite of libraries with
Advanced Schematic, containing over 15,000 components.

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Many of these libraries are structured around the major

component manufacturers’ data books. There is a library of
common generic components called DEVICE.LIB as well as
special purpose SPICE, PSPICE and HP-EEsof simulation
libraries. Vector component versions of the Protel DOS
Schematic libraries are provided. These can be identified by
the D_ in front of the library name.

Opening Libraries
Libraries are opened in the Library Editor in the same way
documents are opened in all servers in EDA Client, via the
File-Open process launcher. The only limit on the number
of libraries you have open is the available memory in your
computer. Each open library will appear in a separate
window.

Creating
To create a new library, use the File-New process launcher.
A library will be opened with the name SCHLIB_1.LIB. As
a library is a set of components, it can not exist without at
least one component. So when you create a new library, an
empty component sheet COMPONENT_1 will be presented.
To save this library with a name of you choice, use the File-
Save As process launcher. To rename the component with a
name of your choice, use the Tools-Rename Component
process launcher.

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Components and Parts

A library is a set of components. Think of the component as

the physical device. Each of these components can then be
made up of one or more parts. A resistor component would
have one part, whereas a resistor network might have eight
parts.
The partitioning of components into parts is entirely up to
the designer. You may wish to draw the relay coil as one
part and the contacts as another, or it might be more
appropriate to draw the whole relay as one part. A four pin
connector could be drawn as one part, or it could be drawn
as four parts. Each part of a component is drawn on a

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separate sheet. To add a new part to a component, select the

Tools-New Part process launcher.
As well being able to have more than one part, a component
can have up to three modes, Normal, De-Morgan and IEEE.
Each mode is drawn on a separate sheet. The preferred
mode is selected when the part is placed on the schematic
sheet, with the default being normal.

Creating and Editing

Processes to work with components and parts can be
accessed through the Tools menu. When you launch the
process to create a new component you will be presented
with an empty component sheet, titled COMPONENT_1.
Always build the component near the sheet origin, which is
in the center of the sheet (signified by the heavier grid
lines).
Components are draw with the drawing tools provided,
accessed via the Drawing toolbar or the Place menu. There
are a number of solid object and polyline drawing tools
provided.

Component Pins
Component pins give a component its electrical properties.
Pins have a number of attributes, which can be set in the Pin
dialog box. To set the attributes prior to placing the pin,
press the TAB key while the pin is floating on the cursor. To
set them after placing the pin, double click on the pin, or
click once on the pin in the pin list in the panel.
Each component pin must have a unique number. The pin
name is optional, except when the pin is going to be hidden.
A hidden pin is automatically connected to other hidden
pins with the same name and to nets with the same name,
when the netlist is created. When placing pins that are
specified as hidden, make sure the Hidden Pins check box
in the panel is checked (or use the View-Show Hidden Pins
menu item) if you wish to see them after placement. Pins

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that are defined as hidden on the library component can be

“un-hidden” for any part placed in a schematic sheet.
The Electrical Type attribute of a pin is used when you
perform an Electrical Rule Check. It is not used when
creating a netlist. Set this attribute correctly if you intend to
use the Electrical Rule Check feature.

Only one end of a pin has electrical meaning, the “hot

end”. When placing a pin the hot end is away from
the cursor cross hair. The pin name always appears at
the cold end of the pin. Always place pins with the hot
end away from the component body.

Component Description
As well as its graphical definition, each component has a
number of text fields associated with it. The Tools-
Description process launcher will pop up the Component
Text Fields dialog box.

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

For the netlist to load successfully into a PCB design

package, this field must contain the name of a PCB
component that exists in a PCB library. This PCB
library must be open when the netlist is being loaded.

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

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Sheet Part Filename

Parts on the schematic sheet can be made to behave as sheet
symbols rather than component parts. When they are in this
mode, the nets connecting to their pins connect to matching
ports on the sheet below. To get a part to behave as a sheet
symbol, you specify the sheet that exists below in the Sheet
Part Filename field and enable the descend into sheet parts
option in the Netlist Creation dialog box. This filename can
also be entered once the part is placed on the schematic
sheet.

Library text fields

Each library component has eight user-definable text fields.
These fields can hold up to 255 characters each. Library
text fields cannot be edited once he part has been placed in
the schematic sheet, but can be viewed and are
automatically included in the CSV format Bill of Material.

Part text fields

The names of the sixteen part text fields can be defined in
the Component Text Fields dialog box. Up to 255
characters can be used, but only the end of the character
string will be displayed in the Edit Part dialog box if the
length of the string exceeds the display area. There is room
for 14 characters and/or spaces, when 12 point Helvetica is
used as the dialog box font. Custom field names are not
used for column headers in CSV format Bill of Material
reports.

Description
A field of up to 255 characters is provided for a text
description of the component. Component searches can be
done on the contents of the description field.

Grouping Components
Many components share the same packaging -- they have
identical graphics and pin numbers, but exist as individual
names in libraries. Perhaps these are identical devices from

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different manufacturers, or components that share the same

packages but vary on some specification, such as a 120ns
versus 80ns RAMs. While it is convenient to access these
otherwise duplicate parts using either description, it would
be inefficient to maintain a separate graphical version of
each duplicate.
Advanced Schematic uses the concept of component
groups to associate multiple component names with a single
description stored in the library. This keeps libraries
efficient and manageable. For example, while the TTL
library contains nearly 1800 component names, the
graphical and data descriptions that represent these
components number only about six hundred.

Copying Components
Components can be copied within a library or between
libraries via the Copy Component process launcher.
Selecting this process launcher pops up the Destination
Library dialog box where you can select the same library or
another library. Once you have selected a library and
clicked OK, the component is copied. If there is only one
library open this dialog box does not pop up.
When you are copying a component within a library, you
must perform an action which causes the Components list in
the panel to be refreshed. Switch to another library (or
server) and back, or change the mask field. Once this list is
refreshed, the component you copied will appear twice.
One of these can then be re-named.

Updating Your Schematic

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

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Updating schematic sheets can only be done from the

libraries on your disk, not from the copy of the library
which you have open in memory. So remember,
always save the library before attempting to update
the schematic.
From the Library Editor, the Update Schematic process
launcher will update all instances (on all open sheets) of the
active component. The active component is the component
currently being displayed in the Library Editor.
From the Schematic Sheet Editor, the Update Parts in Cache
process launcher will update all parts (on all open sheets)
that are different from those in the libraries that are
currently open (libraries that are open in the Schematic
Sheet Editor).

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

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

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

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Component Rule Check

The Component Rule Check is used as an aid in component

verification. Set the attributes you wish to test for, click OK
and a report will be generated and opened in Text Expert.
This report has the file extension ERR.

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Working in Advanced Schematic

EDA Client behaves like any application running in the

Windows environment. It can be sized, or it can be
maximized to occupy the entire screen. Client can have
multiple documents open and you can easily move between
them. Where EDA Client differs from other applications is
that different types of documents can be worked on in the
one environment. These documents are created by different
document editors. These document editors are provided by
servers. So rather than having to move across to another
application to perform a different task on your design (say,
from schematic capture to analog simulation), the various
tasks can be performed in the one environment. There are
many advantages to this approach, read the chapter A Quick
Tour of EDA Client for more information on the Client
server architecture.
The Advanced Schematic server includes two document
editors, the Schematic Sheet Editor and the Library Editor.
Working in either of these document editors is quite similar,
you build your design from the set of objects provided,
placing these objects on a sheet. The strategies used for
placing objects, editing their attributes, positioning and
deleting them on the sheet, and so on, are common to both
document editors. In essence, the way you work in either
editor is the same, what you do in each editor is different.
In the Library Editor you create, edit and validate
components and component libraries. In the Schematic
Sheet Editor you create, edit and validate schematics.
Each of these editors makes use of the facilities provided by
EDA Client. Each has a menu bar, toolbars and a panel and
each uses the status bar and command status bar.

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Organizing the Workspace

The application and document windows can be sized and
positioned like any other Windows application. Refer to
your Windows User’s Guide for tips.
Through the View menu you can toggle the Project
Manager, the Editor Panel, the Editor Tabs and the status
bars on and off. Toolbars for each document editor can be
toggled on and off in the Customize Resources dialog box
(Client menu-Customize).
The Project Manager can be dragged to either side of the
workspace, the Editor Tabs can be dragged to any edge of
the workspace and the toolbars can also be positioned on
any edge of the workspace, or float in the workspace. For a
more clues on organizing and editing workspace resources
read the chapters A Quick Tour of EDA Client and Resource
Management.

Changing Your View of the Sheet

Each sheet you open will appear in its own window. You
look “through” this window to view your sheet. You can
bring the sheet closer to you (zoom in) or move the sheet
away (zoom out). The View menu provides a number of
ways of changing you view of the document, including a Fit
All Objects option, where the sheet will be zoomed to fit all
the placed objects, and a Fit Document, where the entire
sheet will be displayed. Shortcut keys to change your view
include;
• PAGE UP to zoom in
• PAGE DOWN to zoom out
• HOME to re-center the screen at the current cursor
position
• END to refresh the screen

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Moving around the Sheet

Panning
If the sheet is zoomed such that you can not see the entire
sheet, scroll bars are provided to allow you to scroll around
the sheet. These scroll bars have a sliding button, which you
can click and drag to scroll up and down or left and right
across your sheet. The position of the sliding buttons gives
an indication of what portion of the sheet you are currently
viewing. Click above or below the sliding button to scroll
across the sheet in large steps, or click on the arrows at each
end of the scroll bars to scroll across in small steps. When
the sheet is zoomed such that you can see the entire sheet,
the scroll bars are removed.
Scroll bars provide one way of moving around the sheet.
The other way to move around the sheet is autopanning.
Autopanning is enabled whenever you have a crosshair
cursor. You have a crosshair cursor whenever you perform
“edit” type operations like placing, selecting, moving or
deleting objects. This cursor can be moved either by
moving the mouse or pressing the arrow keys on the
keyboard. If the cursor is moved such that it hits the
window frame, you will pan across the sheet. To autopan at
higher speed, hold the SHIFT key whilst panning. The speed
at which you autopan can be altered by changing the Step
Size and Shift Step Size in the Graphical Edit Tab in the
Preferences dialog box (Options-Schematic Preferences).
Here you can also change the style of autopanning as well,
choosing either a Fixed Size Jump, where the sheet moves
over by the current step size, or Re-Center where the sheet
shifts in half screen increments and re-centers the cursor.

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Browsing

The Bottom section of the Schematic Sheet Editor Panel can

be used for browsing through the current sheet or the whole
project (check the Whole Project check box in the panel).
Use the pull down to select what you would like to brows
by. You can browse by any of the object types available in
the Schematic Editor. The bottom of the browser has three
buttons, Text, Jump and Edit. Select an item from the
browse list before using these buttons.
• The Jump button will jump you to the selected object,
centering it in the window.
• The Text button will jump you to the selected object and
then pop up the Change Text Field For Part dialog box if
the object has a text field, allowing you to edit the text.
• The Edit button will jump you to the selected object and
then pop up the object’s attribute dialog box, allowing
you to edit any of the objects attributes.
• Use the Update List button to refresh the browse list prior
to browsing.
• When you select an item in the list, information about
that item will appear on the Status Bar.

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Jumping
The Jump process launcher (shortcut: J) options allow you
to quickly move the cursor to a pre-determined coordinate.
This can save you from having to constantly zoom in and
out to navigate around your design and is particularly
useful for large or complex layouts.

The current zoom setting remains unchanged when

jumping, so it may be desirable to zoom-in prior to
jumping to the new location

Origin
Jumps to the absolute (0,0) coordinate. In the Schematic
Sheet Editor this is the lower-left corner of the
workspace. In the Library Editor it is the center of the
sheet.
New Location
This option allows you to type in the desired coordinates
for the jump.
When the Jump To Location dialog box pops up the
X-Location will be highlighted. As it is highlighted,
whatever you type will replace the current value so
there is no need to click the cursor in the field with
the mouse. After you have typed in the desired X
coordinate, press the TAB key. This will move the
cursor into the Y-coordinate and highlight the value.
Again, just type in the desired value, then press enter.
The cursor will jump to the specified location (and the
mouse was not used).

Location Markers
Ten user-definable location markers are provided, which
allow you to move to a pre-determined position in each
sheet, with two key strokes. These markers can be placed in
the sheet at any time, using the Edit-Set Location Marks
menu (shortcut: E, K, 1-10). The coordinates are stored for
each of ten locations.

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Jumping to locations
When any of 10 available location markers have been set
(see above), the Edit-Jump menu (shortcut: J 1-10) can be
used to jump to any of the pre-set locations..

Moving Around the Project

The Project Manager can be used to navigate through the
sheets of a project. There are also two buttons on the main
toolbar, Up Hierarchy and Down Hierarchy, which are
excellent for tracing a net up and down through a project.
For a complete explanation of these features, refer to the
chapter Multi-sheet Design and Project Management, Tool
for Working with Hierarchy.

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Frequently Used Shortcut Keys

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

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Processes

The Advanced Schematic environment, whether creating

and editing schematic sheets, or working in the library
editor, consists of two basic types of elements: objects that
describe the data in a design and processes, which are used
by the system or the user to create, modify, save and report
on the data objects.
Objects include the sheet workspace, components, pins,
wires, lines, graphical images and so on. Objects are also
referred to as primitives.

What is a Process?
A process can be thought of as the software executing a
sequence of jobs. This job may be something simple, like
refreshing the screen, or it may be more complex, like
updating the attributes of a component.
Any action or operation that is performed in Advanced
Schematic is carried out by a process. When the Place-Wire
menu item is selected, the PlaceWire process is launched.
The wire then is placed by the user interacting with the
PlaceWire process. Selecting the View-Fit Document menu
item launches the ZoomDocument process, which changes
the view to display the entire sheet. Menu items, toolbar
buttons and shortcut keys launch a process (and are called
Process Launchers), the action, or job, is performed by the
process.
Each process is identified by a unique Process Identifier.
The process identifier includes the server name and the
process name, separated by a colon. For the two process
names mentioned above, the syntax is;

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Sch:PlaceWire
Sch:ZoomDocument
A definition of each process provided by EDA Client and
each server can be found in the relevant Reference Manual.
Each of the process launcher Edit dialog boxes includes an
Info button. Press this to pop up a Help window with a
description of that process.

Launching a Process
Schematic processes are launched by passing the process
identifier to the schematic server. The server then carries
out that process. When the schematic server receives the
process identifier it first checks that it is valid, then
depending on the mode, invokes the process accordingly.
To pass the process identifier to the server, a process
launcher is used. Process launchers include;
• menu items
• toolbar buttons
• keyboard shortcut keys
• process containers
When a menu item is selected, such as Place Wire, the
process identifier linked to that menu item is passed to the
Schematic Server, along with any parameters that have
been defined.
Advanced Schematic provides a powerful productivity
enhancement by allowing any process available in
Advanced Schematic to be mapped to any process launcher.
This allows you to define your own menus, your own
toolbars and your own shortcut keys. For tips on editing
menus, toolbars and shortcut keys refer to the chapter A
Quick Tour of EDA Client. For an overview of resources,
refer to the Resources chapter

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Mode
Processes can run in one of three modes. The mode is
passed to the process as a parameter. The three modes are;
• execute - this is the default mode and is assumed if no
mode parameter is passed. In this mode the process will
execute its function, if necessary popping up a dialog
box or requesting a mouse action if the process requires
parameters.
• Configure - selecting this mode will result in the process
requesting its parameters (if a process has parameters).
This will be done via a dialog box or a mouse action in
the workspace. If this mode is chosen the process will
only get the parameters, it will not execute.
• Get configuration - selecting this mode will result in the
process returning its current parameter values. This can
only be done from a macro or a process container.

Parameters
Processes in Advanced Schematic are parametric. A
parametric process supports the passing of parameter
values both to and from the process. Parameter values can
be passed when the process is launched by entering them
into the Parameters text field of a process launcher editing
dialog box (eg, the Edit Menu dialog box). They can also be
passed by a macro or setup in a process container.
The syntax for passing process parameter values via the
Parameters text field is parameter = value. Each parameter
is then separated by the vertical bar (or pipe) symbol. It is
not necessary to list parameters in any order, nor is it
necessary to pass every possible parameter.
For information on the parameters of each process refer to
the reference manual or press the Info button in the Edit
Menu, Edit button or Edit Keyboard Shortcut dialog box.
For information on passing parameters from macros, refer
to the Macros chapter.

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Menu bar
The Menu bar displays the main menus for Advanced
Schematic: File, Edit, View, Place, Tools, Options, Reports,
Window and Help.

Pop-up menus
Advanced Schematic includes special shortcut key
assignments for accessing menus. For example, pressing E
will pop up the Edit menu, pressing M will pop up the Move
sub-menu. This provides a convenient way to access menus
directly from the keyboard. The underlined letter in a menu
is the shortcut key for that menu or menu item.

Menus
Advanced Schematic menu items are organized to be as
consistent with the Windows model as possible. This means
that standardized operations, such as opening and saving
files, printing or using standardized Windows editing
operations such as Cut or Paste are handled in Advanced
Schematic using the same methods that other Windows
applications use. This makes the software more productive
in an integrated environment, where the user is typically
working with a number of Windows applications.
Menus can be edited and new menus created. Any process
currently available in EDA Client can be linked to any
menu item. Refer to the chapter A Quick Tour of EDA Client
for tips on how to edit menus.

File
File menu items are used to; create new files, open files or
entire projects, close files, save the current file or project,
save the current file under a new filename, save all open
files, print the current file or project, export and import
from databases, send mail or exit the Advanced Schematic
program.

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Edit
Edit menu items are used to make changes to the current
sheet, including: Undo or redo actions; cut, copy, paste or
clear a selection; make selections of objects in the window;
de-select objects; manipulate and delete objects; work with
text; jump to sheet locations.

View
View menu items are used to change the display area in the
current document window and to change the “view” of the
environment by toggling things such as panels and status
bars on and off.

Place
Place menu items are used to place any of the graphical and
electrical objects available in Advanced Schematic, on the
active sheet.

Tools
The Tools menu in the Schematic Editor includes tools for
working at the document level - working with libraries,
hierarchy, design annotation, netlist generation, electrical
rule checks, placing Process Containers and cross probing
to a PCB.
In the Library Editor, the Tools menu includes tools for
working with components and parts.

Options
Options menu items are used to change schematic
preferences and document options update, set or remove
sheet templates and save or open user configuration files.

Reports
The Reports menu allows you to examine the status of the
“system” (the Windows environment), get a list of selected

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pins and the components they belong to, and generate a

number of reports, a Bill of Materials, Project Hierarchy,
Cross Reference and also do a comparison of two netlists.
The Library Editor can produce reports on the active
component or library and perform a Component Rule
Check.

Window
Window menu items are used to re-arrange or close all of
the current open document windows. You can also make
another document active via the Windows menu.

Help
Help menu items are used to open Windows help files,
direct the user to specific help topics and provide
information about the current application.

Details about each process can be found in the

Advanced Schematic Reference and the On-line Help
system.

Refer to A Quick Tour of EDA Client for clues on how

to create and edit menus.

Toolbars
Tool buttons are shortcuts for launching frequently used
processes. Advanced Schematic includes a total of six
toolbars, three for each document editor.
All toolbars in the EDA Client environment can be fixed to
any side of the workspace or set to be floating, where they
can be re- positioned anywhere in the environment.
New toolbars can be created and existing toolbars edited,
linking any of the processes currently available in EDA

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Client to any button. Refer to the chapter A Quick Tour of

EDA Client for tips on how to edit toolbars.
All Advanced Schematic processes can be linked to
toolbars (in fact any process available in the Client
environment can be linked to any toolbar in any server).
Assigning frequently used processes to tool buttons
provides a convenient shortcut, which can speed editing of
a schematic or component creation in the library editor.
Many of the default tool button assignments are shortcuts
for Place menu items.

Schematic Editor, Library Editor main toolbars

The main toolbar, displayed across the top of both
application windows, includes a number of general purpose
tools. Differences in the two applications reflect the special
requirements of sheet level and library level editing. These
main tool bars can be repositioned by the user to any side of
the Client workspace, and can also be set to floating or be

hidden.
Wiring and Drawing Tool Bars can be displayed or hidden while using the
Schematic Editor.

Wiring tools
Includes tools for creating and placing objects that
represent the electrical elements of a schematic. Electrical
objects are objects that have electrical meaning.
These include wires, buses, junctions, parts. Advanced
schematic recognizes the connections that exist when these
objects are graphically joined, and uses this information to

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generate netlists, maintain connections when items are

moved and perform electrical rules checking.

Drawing tools
Includes tools for creating graphical objects, including
single line text and text frames. This set of graphical objects
do not have electrical meaning.
Examples of non-electrical items include lines, polygons,
bezier curves, rectangles, text frames, etc. Graphical objects
are used a general purpose drawing and documentation
tools for your schematic.

Library tools
Includes a special selection of general, electrical and
graphical tools that support library-level component
editing, including pins, arrays, text, etc.

The Library Tools and IEEE palettes are available when using the
Schematic Library Editor.

IEEE tools
Included special graphical objects used when creating or
editing IEEE style library components.
All toolbar objects and processes can be accessed from
menus, if preferred. This allows the user to hide the toolbars
(including the Schematic Editor and Library Editor main
toolbars), freeing additional workspace.

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Refer to A Quick Tour of EDA Client for clues on how

to create toolbars and define toolbar buttons.

Mouse and keyboard shortcuts

As you read through this guide, you will notice several
mouse and keyboard shortcuts that are used to speed-up or
simplify frequently performed operations. For example,
pressing P, J allows you to place a junction without having
to open the Place menu, then choose the Junction menu
item. Using the LEFT MOUSE button for ENTER and the RIGHT
MOUSE button for ESC will allow you to perform many
operations without using the keyboard. Some keyboard
shortcuts provide the only practical way of performing an
operation when you don’t wish to move the mouse in the
workspace, such as choosing a new zoom level while
moving a selection.
Another commonly used mouse shortcut is to double-click
on any placed object, popping up the Change dialog box for
that item, allowing you to edit its attributes.

Keyboard Shortcut keys

Advanced Schematic comes with two keyboard shortcut
key lists, one for the Schematic Sheet Editor and one for the
Library Editor. These an be edited and new shortcut key
lists created.

As well as being able to map keyboard shortcut keys

directly to processes, keys can be mapped to menus.
If a key has mistakenly been mapped to both a menu
and directly to a process, then menu mapping has
priority. Refer to A Quick Tour of EDA Client for
clues on how to define shortcut keys.
Keyboard shortcuts can include key combinations,
including CRTL, SHIFT and ALT in combination with either
one or two keys.

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Keyboard shortcuts Autodisplay

The right pane of the status bar flashes relevant keyboard
shortcuts during any graphical editing procedure, such as
part placement or object dragging.

To view keyboard shortcuts during any graphical

editing procedure, press the F1 key. A dialog box with
current shortcuts will appear.

Process Containers
EDA Client includes a method of storing a process
identifier with a particular configuration of the processes
parameters. This is done in a Process Container.
Placing a process container allows the designer to hold the
setup for a particular process with the design. An example
of when this could be used is the Electrical Rule Check,
where a certain design requires a special setup. Another
example of using a process container is one which holds the
setup for generating a netlist. One process container could
be set up to generate a spice format netlist for simulation.
Another process container placed in the same design could
then hold the netlist setup to generate a Protel format
netlist, ready for loading in to Advanced PCB.

Placing
Process containers are placed by selecting the Tools-
Process Container-Place menu item. The process container
will appear floating on the cursor and can then be placed on
the design sheet.

Configuring
To configure a process container, select the Tools-Process
Container-Configure menu item. Alternatively, double click
on the process container.

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Executing
To execute a process container, select the Tools-Process
Container-Run menu item. Alternatively, double click on
the process container and press the Execute button.

Reports
If the process specified in the process container generates a
report, the name of the report file can be specified. If the
report file name is specified in the process container, when
the report is generated it will appear as a child of the
document that holds the process container.

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Objects

Your design is created by placing components, wires,

junctions, power ports, etc on the sheet. All entities that can
be placed on the sheet are known as objects. Components
are a special case, they are a collection of objects which
have been stored as a single entity.
Each object has its own set of attributes which can be
defined for each instance of the object.

Placing
Placing parts is covered in the Components and Libraries
chapter.
All objects can be placed by using any of the three types of
resources, that is; menus, toolbars or shortcut keys. The
approach used to place objects is consistent for all objects.
An example of placing wires is given below.

Example; Placing a Wire

To place a wire in the current sheet window:

1. Zoom in on the sheet (press PAGEUP two or three

times) until you can see the visible grid. Choose the
Wire menu item from the Place menu (shortcut keys:
P, W or click the Wire button on the Wiring Tools).

Note that the Windows, pointer-style cursor changes into a

cross hair shape. This is the workspace cursor and is used
each time you create or move an object.

2. Click LEFT MOUSE (or press ENTER) once to define a

start point for the wire.

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As you move the cursor, note that its position is constrained

by a grid and that the cursor jumps to the nearest grid point.
The cursor is snapping to the Snap Grid.

3. Drag the wire segment in any direction. Click LEFT

MOUSE (or press ENTER) to end this first segment of
the wire.

4. Move the cursor to continue with a new wire segment,

which is extended from the existing segment. Click
LEFT MOUSE or press ENTER again to define this
segment.
If you make a mistake, you can press the DELETE key to
remove the last wire segment. You can also press ESC or
RIGHT MOUSE to “cancel” the segment currently being
placed.

5. When this wire is finished, click RIGHT MOUSE to end

the segmented wire.
Note that cursor is still a crosshair, indicating that you are
still in place wire mode. This allows you to end one wire
and then begin a new series of wire segments elsewhere in
the workspace, without having to choose the Place Wire
process launcher again.

6. To exit wire placement, press ESC or RIGHT MOUSE a

second time. Note that the cursor changes back into
the Windows-style pointer.

Wire/bus placement mode

Advanced Schematic provides five wire, bus and line
placement modes that can be selected by pressing
SPACEBAR as you place these objects. Options include two
orthogonal modes and an any angle mode.

Any Angle
Allows wire to be placed at any angle.

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90/90 Line
Constrains wire placement to horizontal or vertical
orientation. Two modes, one keeps the segment attached
to the cursor the shorter of the two, the other keeps the
segment attached to the cursor the longer of the two.
45/90 Line
Constrains wire placement to 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225,
270 or 315 degree orientation. Two modes, one keeps
any straight segment being placed with the cursor, the
other mode keeps the 45 degree line with the cursor.

Automatic junctions
A further addition to the wiring environment in Advanced
Schematic is the Auto-Junction feature. This option
automatically places a junction when two wires are
connected in a T-type fashion. When one of the wires is
removed, the junction is automatically removed. Auto-
Junction complements the Guided Wiring feature (refer to
Grids in the Configuration chapter).

Creating graphical objects

Other objects are created and placed similarly to wires,
buses and lines. These include objects like rectangles,
polygons and arcs, ellipses and bezier curves. Some objects
are pre-defined, such as junctions or power ports.
For more information about creating and placing these
objects, see the Advanced Schematic Reference Manual. For
more information about working with objects after
placement, read on.

Editing
The attributes of an object can be edited both graphically
and through its dialog box. To edit the look of an object on
the sheet, it is generally easier to do it graphically. Other

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attributes, such as color or font are edited through the

object’s dialog box. To pop up the dialog box for any
placed object, use the Edit-Change menu item, or double
click on the body of the object.

While Placing
You can edit the attributes of an object while it is being
placed. While the object is floating on the cursor, press the
TAB key. This pops up the object’s dialog box. The
advantages of editing during placement are;
• changes to attributes become the defaults for that type of
object. If you change the color of a wire during
placement then wires will have that color from then on.
These changes to defaults are held in the SCH.DFT file,
so the next time you run the application, wires will still
be this color. Note - this method of setting defaults
depends on the setting of the “Permanent” check box in
the Preferences dialog box (Options-Schematic
Preferences). If this is on, these changes will not become
the defaults.
• objects that have a numeric attribute, say component
designators or net labels for a bus, will auto-increment.
• there is no need to edit the object after it has been placed,
speeding the schematic capture process.

Graphically
One of the advantages of a graphically based editing
environment is the ability to make changes directly to
objects displayed on-screen. In Advanced Schematic,
individual objects can be edited one at a time or you can
designate groups of objects to be changed together.
The section describes the fundamentals of using Advanced
Schematic’s graphical editing environment to make
changes to schematics and to the individual objects placed
inside the schematic sheets.

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Focus and Selection

In other Windows applications selection is a single concept,
the process of choosing or designating objects as a
prerequisite for manipulation. A typical example would be
selecting one or more objects to be copied to the clipboard
and then pasted to another location. Often selected objects
can be manipulated directly. For example, selected objects
can be moved or re-shaped in most graphical applications.
Unlike other Windows applications, Advanced Schematic
uses two independent methods for accomplishing selection
oriented tasks. These methods, selection and focus are used
repeatedly when creating or editing schematics. Breaking
selection into two these independent processes allows
Advanced Schematic to perform complex manipulations of
objects which are either impossible or difficult using the
simple selection method described above.

Focus and selection provide two distinct and

independent methods for changing objects in the
workspace. These two methods distinguish Advanced
Schematic from other Windows applications where
focus and selection are normally merged into a single
operation.

Focus
When you position the cursor over an Advanced Schematic
design object and click LEFT MOUSE it becomes the current
focus and the way this object is displayed changes. This is
similar to the way you can change the focus in Windows by
clicking on an open window to make it active.
Only one object can be in focus at a time. Inside Advanced
Schematic sheets, you can tell which object is the current
focus, because its graphical editing handles and / or the
object outline is displayed. For example, if you click LEFT
MOUSE over a component part, the part is outlined with a
dashed line. To move the focus, click on another object or
click in a clear area of the sheet to release the focus.

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Graphical editing

When an object is in focus, you can move the object, delete

the object or edit its graphical characteristics. For example,
you can change the size or shape of graphical arcs,
rectangles, etc. by dragging the handles. Click LEFT MOUSE
on the object in focus to move it. Also, the object in focus
can be deleted by pressing the DELETE key. Moving and
deleting individual objects is described in more detail under
Moving and Dragging.
Handles and polyline behavior

Some design objects have special graphical editing

characteristics that derive from their polyline behavior. For
example, when you place wires, buses or graphical lines,
you define a vertex each time the wire, bus or line changes
directions. These vertices are displayed as handles when the
object is in focus. These objects can have complex shapes
(hence “polyline”), but can be manipulated (moved, cut,
copied, pasted, cleared or deleted) as a single object.

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If you position the cursor directly over a handle and click

LEFT MOUSE again, you will be able to drag the vertex to a
new position and the attached wire segments will stretch. If
you position the cursor in the middle of a segment and drag,
the segment will move but other segments will remain
anchored to their current position.
Every object that has its shape created during placement:
wires, buses, non-electrical lines, polygons, bezier curves,
rectangles, rounded rectangles, arcs and ellipses all share
this common polyline behavior as they are placed and
graphically edited.
Similarly, polygons have movable vertices and bezier
curves have control points which function similarly to
vertices.
One key characteristic that all of these objects have in
common is the ability to add or delete vertices (or bezier
control points) from a placed object.
Add a Vertex or Control Point

To add a vertex or control point:

1. Click on a polyline object to place it in focus.

2. Position the cursor over the line segment. Click and

hold LEFT MOUSE where you would like to insert the
new vertex and press INSERT. The segment will now
“bend” at the cursor.

3. Move the new vertex to the desired location and

release LEFT MOUSE to place.

If you find that the cursor jumps to the nearest handle

rather than remaining where you clicked, disable the
Object’s Electrical Hot Spot option in the Preferences
dialog box.

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Remove a vertex or control point

Sometimes you will want to remove a vertex (or control

point) when reshaping a polyline object. To remove a
vertex or control point:

1. Click on a polyline object to place it in focus.

2. Position the cursor over any handle. Click and hold

LEFT MOUSE to grab the handle.

3. Press DELETE to remove the vertex (or control point).

Summary

As illustrated in these examples, focus is prerequisite to a

number of graphical editing functions that are performed on
individual objects. Note that although you can remove the
single object in focus, by pressing DELETE, you cannot use
the clipboard process launchers: Edit-Copy, Cut, Paste or
Clear. Clipboard process launchers work only on a
selection.

Selection
Selection provides a second, distinct method of
manipulating schematic objects. Unlike focus, selection is
used with both individual objects and with groups of
objects. Selection is cumulative, that is objects remain
selected until de-selected.
Selection supports the clipboard process launchers: Edit-
Copy, Cut, Paste and Clear.
Special Edit-Move process launchers allow selections to be
moved or rotated in a single operation. Selection also works
with Advanced Schematic’s global editing feature, which
can limit global changes to selected or un-selected objects.
The simplest selection method is to move the cursor over an
individual and press SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE. This adds the
object to the current selection. Pressing SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE
again will remove the object from the selection.

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Unlike focus, described above, selection does not display

an object’s graphical editing handles or a dashed outline.
Instead, the object is outlined in the selection color
(Options-Schematic Preferences).
These two methods of changing objects provides additional
control when editing individual objects or complex groups
of objects. For example, you can focus on, and graphically
edit a series of selected single objects, without changing the
current selection.
Objects are selected, added to a current group of selected
objects or removed from the current selection using a
variety of methods.
Objects can be added to (or removed from) the current
selection either singly or in groups, using both menu items
and mouse/keystroke shortcuts. Once selected, objects can
be moved, grouped, un-grouped, exported to another file,
cut, copied, pasted into another window or location in the
current sheet window or cleared.

A key feature Advanced Schematic’s complex

selection model is the ability to click LEFT MOUSE in
schematic sheets without de-selecting objects that
were previously added to the current selection. This
allows the user to perform a wide variety of
operations without effecting the current selection.

Care must be taken when manipulating selections to

ensure that the current selection includes only the
desired objects. Use the Edit-De-Select All process
launcher (shortcut: X, A) to clear the current selection.

If something unexpected happens, remember that the

Edit-Undo or Redo process launchers can be used to
restore a previous condition.
Selection and highlighting

When you select an object, it is outlined in the selection

color (default yellow) assigned in the Options-Schematic

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Preferences dialog box. The object remains selected until

you remove it from the selection using the De-Select menu
items.
Highlighting is related to selection but works within an
operation, such as re-routing a wire or when generating a
netlist. You can see wires highlight during both of these
processes. As objects highlight, you will notice that
highlighted object is not displayed in the Selections color
but is temporarily outlined in black.
Both selection and highlighting are based on the geometry
of objects in the workspace. In other words, physically
connected objects are included in the selection. This allows
you to use selection to trace the connectivity of your design
-- like a “continuity” check as you manually route
connections and to perform other selection-based
operations, such as Cut, Copy or Paste.

This flexible model of selection is very powerful, but

may sometimes cause unexpected results, because
objects remain selected until de-selected. Use the
Edit-De-Select-All process launcher (shortcut: X, A)
to clear the current selection before you begin a new
procedure that uses selection. If you forget to de-
select, use the Edit-Undo process launcher to step
back to the point of the unintentional result (see
below).
Making selections

Objects are added or removed from the current selection

using the following procedures:
• Use direct selection: SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE to add or delete
individual objects to the current selection.
• Use the Select-Inside area tool button, then drag a
selection rectangle over the desired area in the sheet. All
objects that fall completely inside the rectangle will be
added to the current selection.

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• Hold down LEFT MOUSE and drag a selection rectangle

over the desired area in the sheet. All objects that fall
completely inside the selection rectangle will be added to
the current selection.
• Use the Edit-Select, De-Select and Toggle Selection
menu items to define the objects in a selection.
• Double click on an object to open the object’s dialog
box, then change the selection attribute of the object. Use
global editing to change the selection attribute of other
placed objects of the same type.
Because objects remain selected until they are de-selected,
you can combine these methods. Remember, these
processes can be re-assigned to different mouse/key
shortcuts by customizing the shortcut keys (Client Menu-
Customize).
Select, De-Select and Toggle Selection Menus

The Edit-Select menu items allows you to select all objects

inside or outside of an area, all objects in one sheet, or all
objects. You can also select by net or physical connection.
These options allow you to extend the selection (or de-
selection) beyond a few objects.
Edit-De-Select provides the same options, less the Net and
Connection process launchers. Using these two sets of
process launchers you can define complex grouping that
can then be moved, copied or deleted, etc. The Edit-Toggle
Selection process launcher allows you to turn the selection
state of individual objects “off” or “on” which duplicates
“direct” selection performed using SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE,
described above. Shortcut: press X to pop up the De-Select
menu.
Select and De-Select menus include:

Inside Area
Allows you to define a rectangular selection area. Only
those objects that lie completely inside the area are
included.

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To choose the objects inside a selection rectangle:

1. Choose Edit-Select-Inside Area (shortcut: S, I)

You will be prompted “Select First Corner.”

2. Position the cursor then press ENTER or LEFT MOUSE to

define the first corner of the selection rectangle.
The prompt changes to “Select Second Corner.”

3. Move the cursor to enclose the selection area in the

highlighted rectangle.

4. Press ENTER or LEFT MOUSE to complete the selection.

The newly selected objects will be highlighted using the
selection color. Any previously selected objects will remain
selected until de-selected.

Outside Area
This option selects everything in the workspace outside the
selection rectangle. The rules for inclusion in the selection
are the same as for the Inside Area process launcher. The
procedure for defining the selection rectangle is the same as
for Inside Area. Use this to select objects which have
inadvertently been placed off the sheet.

All
This option selects everything placed in the sheet.

Net
This option selects all wires and pins on the chosen net (on
the current sheet), including those connecting via a net
identifier. To use this feature:

1. Choose Edit-Select-Net.

2. Position the cursor over a wire within the desired net

and press ENTER or LEFT MOUSE.

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The entire net will be displayed in the selection color. The

selected pins do not change color. To examine which pins
are selected choose the Reports-Selected Pins menu item.

Connection
This option selects all wires and pins that are physically
connected. To use this feature:

1. Choose Edit-Select-Connection.

2. Position the cursor over a wire within the desired net

and press ENTER or LEFT MOUSE.
Non-electrical objects will not be selected, even if they
touch the connected objects.

Toggle Selection
The Toggle Selection process launcher allows you to
quickly add (or remove, if already selected) objects from
the current selection. To use this feature:

1. Choose the Edit-Toggle Selection process launcher

(shortcut E, N).
You will be prompted “Choose Object to Toggle Selection
state”

2. Click on an object to add or remove the object from

the current selection.
The prompt “Choose Object to Toggle Selection state” will
be continuously displayed.

3. Press ESC to leave the Toggle Selection process.

Selection and the Clipboard

Objects that are selected can be cut and copied to the

clipboard and from there pasted into other schematic sheets,
or into any Windows application that supports the Windows
clipboard. Selections can also be deleted via the Edit-Clear
menu item or the CTRL+DEL shortcut keys.
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Using the clipboard - Cut/Copy/Paste

Cutting a selection
The Edit-Cut process launcher clears the current selection
from the workspace and copies it to the Advanced
Schematic clipboard. The Edit-Paste process launcher can
be used to place the selection back into any open Advanced
Schematic sheet window.
To cut the current selection from the active window:

1. Make sure that the current selection includes only

those items you wish to cut.
Use the shortcut SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE to add or remove items
from the current selection.

2. Choose Edit-Cut (shortcut: SHIFT+DELETE).

You will be prompted “Choose Clipboard Reference
Location.” A reference location is a coordinate you
nominate relative to the selected item(s). When you paste
the selection, you will be “holding” it by this reference
location, allowing you to accurately position the selection.

The clipboard holds the last selection only, each time

you use the Cut or Copy process launcher, you
overwrite the previous selection.

3 Position the cursor at the desired reference point and

click LEFT MOUSE or press ENTER.
The selection will be cleared from the display and copied to
the clipboard.

When using a mouse, the cursor is not “tied” to the

current snap grid. However, when you designate a
reference point during Cut or Copy, the grid point
nearest to the cursor will be used.

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Clipboard Reference option

The Options-Schematic Preferences dialog box includes a
Clipboard Reference option which enables/disables
prompting for a reference point when using the Edit-Cut
and Edit-Copy process launchers.

Copying a selection
The Edit-Copy process launcher copies the current
selection to the clipboard. The Edit-Paste process launcher
can be used to place a copy of the selection back into any
open schematic document window, or any other Windows
application that supports the clipboard.

The clipboard holds the last selection only, each time

you use the Copy process launcher, you overwrite the
previous selection.
To copy the current selection from the active window:

1. Make sure that the current selection includes only

those items you wish to copy.
Use the shortcut SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE to add items to the
current selection or to de-select any selected items.

2. Choose Edit-Copy (shortcut: CTRL+INSERT).

You will be prompted “Choose Clipboard Reference
Location”. A reference location is a coordinate you
nominate relative to the selected item(s). When you paste
the selection, you will be “holding” it by this reference
location, allowing you to accurately position the selection.

3. Position the cursor at the desired reference point and

click LEFT MOUSE or press ENTER.
The selection will be copied to the clipboard.

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When using a mouse, the cursor is not “tied” to the

current snap grid. However, when you designate a
reference point during Cut or Copy, the grid point
nearest to the cursor will be used.

Pasting a selection
The Edit-Paste process launcher can be used to place the
current clipboard contents into any open schematic sheet.
To copy the current selection from the clipboard:

1. Choose Edit-Paste (shortcut: SHIFT+INSERT).

You will be prompted “Select Location to Place Selection”
and a highlighted outline of the selection will be displayed.
The cursor position relative the selection is determined by
the Reference Point designated when Cut or Copy was used
to add the selection to the clipboard.

2. Position the selection in the workspace and click LEFT

MOUSE or press ENTER.

You can repeat the Paste process to duplicate the selection.

When a selection has been added to the current layout, any
parts that have been added will be not be re-designated.
Resolving duplicate designators is done using the Tools-
Annotate process launcher.

Clearing a selection
The Edit-Clear process launcher deletes the current
selection from the workspace without copying it to the
clipboard.
To clear the current selection from the active window:

1. Make sure that the current selection includes only

those items you wish to clear.
Use the shortcut SHIFT+LEFT MOUSE to add items to the
current selection or to de-select any selected items.

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2. Choose Edit-Clear (shortcut: CTRL+DELETE).

The selection will be cleared from the display. Use the Edit-
Undo process launcher (shortcut: ALT+BACKSPACE) to
restore the cleared selection.

Delete
Using the Edit-Delete process launcher is similar in many
ways to using selection and the Cut or Clear process
launcher described previously. However, with Delete, you
simply position the cursor over the item, click LEFT MOUSE
and it is deleted from the sheet. If you “miss,” the system
will simply “beep” allowing you to try again. This provides
an efficient way to selectively clear objects from the design.
Unlike the Edit-Clear process launcher, Delete is
independent of selection. In other words, the current
selection is not discarded when you use the Delete process
launcher.
All deletions can be restored by using the Edit-Undo
process launcher (shortcut: ALT+BACKSPACE). If you have
deleted a series of items, they will be restored one-at-a-time
starting with the last deleted item. The Edit-Redo process
launcher uses the same first-in/last-out logic. Redo reverses
the Undo operations, one-at-a-time.

Quick-Copy Attributes
The “quick copy attributes” feature allows you to copy the
attributes of one object into a second object.
To use the feature, have the “destination” object floating on
the cursor. Position the cursor over the “source” object and
press the INSERT key.
All attributes of the placed object will be copied to the
floating object. If the floating object did not “inherit” the
attributes of the placed object, the cursor crosshair may not

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have been inside the body of the placed object when

pressing INSERT. Place the object in the desired location.

The quick attribute copy function can be used to

“clone” the attributes of all schematic object types,
except sheet symbols. In other words, any object can
become any other object using the quick-copy
feature. This process works whether placing a new
object or can be used when moving an already-placed
item. It does not work when dragging connected
electrical objects.

Moving and Dragging

To Move an object is to change its position on the sheet
without regard to its connectivity. To Drag an object is to
change its position on the sheet whilst maintaining
connectivity.
Moving and dragging can be performed on single objects or
on selected groups of objects.

Moving Objects
To move a single object, position the cursor over the object,
click and hold on the object, then move it to the desired
location. To move a group of objects they must be selected
first. Once they are selected, click and hold on any of the
selected objects, then move the selection to the desired
location. Both of these operations can also be initiated via
the Edit-Move sub-menu.

When one object is “on top” of another

Graphical objects can be placed in sheets so that they
overlap. When you place a new item, it is placed at the
“front” of other items, by default. When you move items,
they retain their position in the display, relative to other
overlapping items. Five special move process launchers are

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provided for changing the “stacking” order of items in the

display:

Move to front This process launcher moves an object to the front of other
items in the display and allows you to re-position it. When
you use this process launcher, you are prompted to choose
the item to be moved. When you click on the item, it floats
on the cursor. It can now be re-positioned on the front of
the other objects.

Bring to front This process launcher moves an object to the front of other
items in the display. When you use this process launcher,
you are prompted to choose the item to be moved. When
you click on the item, it moves to the front of the display
without changing its x or y coordinates.

Send to back This process launcher sends an object to the back of other
items in the display. When you use this process launcher,
you are prompted to choose the item to be moved. When
you click on the item, it moves to the back of the display
without changing its x or y coordinates.

Bring to front of This process launcher moves an object to the front of

another item. When you use this process launcher, you are
prompted to choose the item to be moved. When you click
on the item, you are then prompted to choose the “target”
item. The item to be moved will be re-located in front of the
“target” without changing its x or y coordinates.

Send to back of This process launcher moves an object behind another

item. When you use this process launcher, you are
prompted to choose the item to be moved. When you click
on the item, you are then prompted to choose the “target”
item. The item to be moved will be re-located behind the
“target” without changing its x or y coordinates.

Dragging Objects
To drag a single object, position the cursor over the object,
hold the CTRL key down and click and hold on the object.

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Release the CTRL key, then drag the object to the desired
location. To drag a group of objects they must be selected
first. Once they are selected, select the Edit-Move-Drag
Selection menu item, click to chose the drag selection
reference location, then drag the selection to the desired
location.

While dragging connected electrical objects, pressing

SPACEBAR toggles the orthogonal wire mode, pressing
CTRL + SPACEBAR rotates the objects.

Working With Text

Advanced Schematic allows users to find and replace text
anywhere on a sheet or across a multi-sheet project. For
example, you may wish to rename a net across a multi-sheet
project.
To search and replace text:

1. Choose the Edit-Replace Text menu item.

The Text Find And Replace dialog box opens.

Text Find and Text Find And Replace dialog boxes are similar. This
process supports the use of wildcards (*) when searching for text and
allows the use of conditional replacement {X=Y}.

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2. Type the Text To Find string.

The Find Text and Replace Text process launchers support
the use of the asterisk “*” as a wildcard character for
variable length text strings (see below).

3. In the New Text field, type the replacement text.

Replacement can be made conditional (see below).

4. Choose the Scope for the change.

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

5. Choose any other Options.

Changes can be made on a Case Sensitive basis (upper and
lower case must match exactly when searching).
Replacement text always matches the case used when
typing text into the New Text field. If you wish, you can
have Advanced Schematic prompt you before the
replacement is made for each item.

Restricting changes to net identifiers

This option allows the user to restrict find and replace text
editing to net identifier objects: net labels, power ports,
ports and sheet entries.

6. Click OK to perform the text replacement.

Syntax for wildcard find and replace

The wildcard character “*” can be used to extend the
definition of target strings. For example, S* will limit the
fields to strings beginning with S, etc. Wildcards are case
in-sensitive.
Braces “{” and “}” can also be used to define the rules for
text replacement.

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Defining the change follows this syntax:

{oldtext=newtext}. This means you can change a portion of
the string "oldtext" to "newtext". You can use multiple sets
of brackets to define complex replacements. In this case the
leftmost replacement is made, then the next on, etc. This is
very powerful, so you must take care because the first
change can effect subsequent replacements, possibly
generating an unexpected result.
Any mistakes can be corrected with the Undo process
launcher. You can further limit the replacement by typing
{!Text=text} to make the changes case sensitive. In this
case, "Text" becomes "text". Otherwise replacement is case
in-sensitive by default.

Arrays
When you select the Edit-Cut (or Copy) menu item, you are
placing a copy of the current selection in the clipboard. The
Edit-Paste Array process launcher provides a powerful way
to place multiple copies of any clipboard selection into the
workspace. For example, you can use this feature automate
the placement of multiple bus entries. Text incrementing
can be used when placing objects with numeric values that
increment, as when placing component pins from the
Schematic Library Editor.

To use this feature:

1. Select the object(s) that you wish to paste as an array

of repeated objects.

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2. Choose Edit-Cut if you wish to clear the selection

from the workspace prior to placing the array, or
choose Edit-Copy if you wish to retain the selection
in the workspace.

3. Position the cursor then press ENTER or LEFT MOUSE to

designate a reference point.
The reference point can be at any position relative the
selection and will be used in positioning the array when it
pasted back into the sheet.

4. Choose Edit-Place Array (shortcut: p, y)

The Array dialog box options define the array. Array
parameters include:

Placement Variables
Placement variables define rules for the array. Options
include:
array:Item Count This option sets the number of times the selection is to be
placed.
array:Text increment This option is used for designators on pins or parts.
Setting this to 1 (default) will assign array designators in-
series, for example U1, U2, U3 and so on. This feature
follows the same rules as the automatic designator
incrementing when placing parts or pins.

The first element in the array has the same numeric

value as the image in the clipboard, so if using the
increment feature cut to the clipboard rather than
copy.
Repeated items are placed in a linear array, using the
spacing values specified under Spacing.
array:Spacing These values specify the horizontal (and/or vertical)
distance between each item as it is placed. Each unit is
equal to .1 inch.

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To complete the array placement:

5. Enter the desired values and click Place. Click OK to

store the current parameters for later use or Cancel to
return the parameters to their previous settings.
Once all array parameters have been define, you will be
prompted: “Select Starting Point For Array.”

6. Position the cursor where you want the array to begin,

then press ENTER or LEFT MOUSE.
Use the arrow keys (rather than the mouse) to accurately
position the starting point (and thereby the array) on the
snap grid.

You can disable the requirement to provide a

reference point when placing a selection into the
clipboard (Cut or Copy menu item) by turning the
Clipboard Reference option “off” in the Options-
Schematic Preferences dialog box.

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

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Align objects by selecting them and then choosing Edit-Align process

launcher, or by choosing Edit-Align--Align Left, Align-Right, etc.

To align objects using the Align Objects dialog box:

1. Add all items to be aligned to the current selection,

making sure that only items to be aligned are selected.
You can use the Edit-DeSelect-All menu item
(shortcut: x, a) to clear the current selection.

2. Choose Edit-Align-Align and designate the desired

horizontal and/or vertical alignment combination.
You can also choose the Align To Grid option to constrain
alignment to the nearest grid point.

3. Click OK to close the dialog box and align the

selection.
To align objects using the other Align process launchers:

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1. Add all items to be aligned to the current selection,

making sure that only items to be aligned are selected.
You can use the Edit-DeSelect-All process launcher
(shortcut: x, a) to clear the current selection.

2. Choose Edit-Align and the desired alignment process

launcher (Align Left, Align Right, etc).

3. The selection will be aligned according to the process

launcher selected.
Remember, if you are not happy with the alignment, you
can use Edit-Undo to remove this change.

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Multi-Sheet Designs and Project Management

Overview
In Advanced Schematic, each sheet is stored as an
individual file that is opened in its own independent
window. Any sheet can be opened and edited independently
of all other sheets, using the File-Open process launcher.
Multi-sheet projects are also opened using the File-Open
process launcher, simply tick the Project check box in the

File dialog box.

A schematic design can consist of a single sheet drawing or
multiple linked sheets. Irrespective of the number of sheets,
Advanced Schematic treats each design as a project.
Multiple sheet projects support large or complex designs
that cannot be served by a single sheet. Even when the
design is not particularly complex, there can be advantages
in organizing the project across multiple sheets. For
example, the design may include various modular elements.

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Maintaining these modules as individual files allows

several engineers to work on a project at the same time.
Another reason to organize a project across multiple sheets
is that this method allows the designer to exploit the
convenience of small format printing (e.g. laser printers).
When two or more sheet files are associated or linked in
some way, we refer to this as a multi-sheet project. There
are a number of methods for organizing multiple sheet
projects. Choosing one approach or another is based upon
the type, size and structure of the project.
Advanced Schematic provides a number of special features
that simplify the management of even complex projects.

Managing multiple sheet projects

Project management is the process of defining and
maintaining the links between individual sheet files that
comprise a project. These intersheet links establish netlist-
level connectivity while providing other project
management benefits. For example, these links support
navigating, viewing and accessing each individual sheet in
a project as well as multi-sheet netlist generation and
Electrical Rules Checks (ERC).
Sheet-to-sheet links also allow the user to open and save
entire projects in a single operation. Also, global text
searches and editing can be performed across multiple
sheets.

Many Advanced Schematic features such as netlist

generation, re-annotation and printing apply to the
open sheet files associated with a project. Therefore,
in many cases an entire project (which includes a
Master sheet and all associated sheets) will need to be
opened at the same time, to perform these operations.

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Structure of a multi sheet schematic

A major benefit of Advanced Schematics multi-sheet
environment is an intuitive system that makes management
and navigation of even complex hierarchies easy. All multi-
sheet projects include a special sheet file called the master
sheet. The master sheet is the top, or first sheet in the design
hierarchy. The term hierarchy refers to the relationship
between master sheets and sub-sheets that make up the
project. A special class of sub-sheet, complex sheets, are
used to represent duplications of previously created sub-
sheets. This hierarchical structure can have a number of
forms, defined by the method used to connect the sheets.
Hierarchical organization supports a truly modular
approach by allowing the designer to work with functional
blocks. These blocks have a spatial relationship on the
sheets which support both “top down” and “bottom up”
design methodologies.

Master sheets and sub-sheets

In multi-sheet designs, the master sheet always includes at
least one sheet symbol. The sheet symbol is a special object
that provides a graphical representation of another sheet
(called a sub-sheet) in the hierarchy.
Along with its graphical display attributes (color, size,
location, etc.) the sheet symbol has two additional fields: a
sheet name and a file name. The sheet name field is a text
label, and is provided for reference only. The file name
refers to the specific sheet file that the sheet symbol
represents. This field provides the link between the master
sheet and its sub-sheet, and thereby defines a project. This
association of sheets resides on two levels.
At the project level, the association is maintained by the
presence of sheet symbols in the master sheet. Projects are
also defined at the electrical (or connective) level by net

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identifiers. Net identifiers provide the links that connect

circuits across multiple sheets.

OrCAD SDT users will be familiar the concept of

master sheets, although this system handles project
management somewhat differently. OrCAD using
special objects, called pipelines to link “flat” project
sheets. Under Advanced Schematic, sheet symbols
represent each sheet in all multi-sheet projects.

Understanding hierarchy
Management of hierarchical multi-sheet schematics may
seem complicated at first. However, once a few basic
principles are understood, it is relatively easy to use the
power of hierarchy to organize complex projects.
In the simplest terms, hierarchy means that a sheet contains
a sheet symbol, signifying another child sheet that shares
electrical links with its parent. The number of hierarchical
levels in a project is unrestricted, except by available
memory. Hierarchies are identified by the way sheets are
organized and the method used to indicate sheet-to-sheet
connections.
Advanced Schematic supports four models of intersheet
connections, defined by the scope of three intersheet net
identifier objects.

Net identifiers
Net identifiers are objects which provide the connective
“glue” between nets in schematic sheets.
Net identifiers are placed to “connect” objects belonging to
a common net, either inside a single schematic sheet or
across two or more sheets in a hierarchical project. The
connections can be physical (when the object is attached
directly to another electrical object, e.g. “wired) or logical

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(when the net identifier indicates a link to another net

which has the same name).

Four of the five possible net identifier objects are illustrated above.
Hidden pins on schematic parts (described below) provide a fifth method
for identifying nets inside schematic sheets.

Net identifiers include:

net labels These objects are attached to individual wires, part pins
and buses.

ports These objects can label net connections horizontally

between sheets on the same hierarchical level. Ports are
also used to connect to a matching sheet entry in the sheet
symbol that represents the sub-sheet the port is on. This is a
vertical connection.

sheet entries These objects label net connections vertically through

sheet symbols to a matching port on the sheet below.
Two special classes of net identifiers are always global:

power ports Objects connected to wires or part pins which represent a

power net (or any other user-specified global net).

hidden pins Special pin type definition (within schematic parts),

assigned to global nets, which behave like power ports.

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Ports are known as module ports in OrCAD SDT and

sheet entries are called sheet nets. The OrCAD model
of hierarchy refers to horizontal intersheet
connections, using module ports as a flat design.

The scope of net identifiers

When discussing multi-sheet projects, we refer to the scope
of net identifiers. Some net identifier objects can be used to
identify nets within a single project sheet. For example if
net labels are local then a net labeled Clock1 on one sheet
will not connect to an identically named net on another
sheet. We refer to the scope of net labels in this case as
local.
Net labels can also be specified to be global net identifiers.
Unlike the example above, all instances of the net label
Clock1 on each schematic sheet, would be deemed to be
part of the same net. Two special net identifier objects are
always deemed to be global: power ports and hidden pins.

Names assigned to hidden pins are not always

consistent from part-to-part, especially when libraries
have been compiled from different data books. For
example, an equivalent power pin may be assigned to
VCC in one part and VDD to another.

A common way of reconciling this potential conflict

is to create a net for the sheet by connecting a VDD
and VCC power object anywhere on a sheet. This is
often more convenient that editing the parts in the
library. Parts with hidden pins should always be
checked carefully for consistent power net
assignment, otherwise netlisting problems can be
created.
The scope of net identifiers is defined when generating a
netlist (Tools-Create Netlist) or when running an electrical
rules check (Tools-Electrical Rules Check).

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Of course, the scope of net identifiers for a project must be

determined at the beginning of a project. These options are
illustrated below, by five models that show the possible
configurations of a multi-sheet design.

Five models of hierarchy

The relationship between project sheets and net identifiers
is best described by illustrating the five possible models of
project organization in Advanced Schematic.
It is important to remember that all Advanced Schematic
multi-sheet projects are organized hierarchically, even if
the hierarchy is limited to two levels, where a single master
sheet holds sheet symbols to all sub-sheets. Models 1 and 2
below, show the so-called “flat” model supported by
OrCAD (Model 1) and Protel DOS Schematic (Model 2),
common to other non-hierarchical systems.

Every multi-sheet project must include at least one

master sheet with sheet symbols for its sub-sheet(s).
This allows identification of all sheets associated with
a single project.

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Model 1 - Global ports define intersheet connections

This model of hierarchy represents “flat” designs. Ports are the only
method used to link two sheets. This model supports multiple sheets
that are linked “horizontally.” The master sheet and sheet symbols
provide a means of identifying all project sheets only. All circuit
information if found in the sub-sheets.

The first model for intersheet connection illustrates the use

of global ports. In this model, ports point to a net on
another sheet. The master sheet includes a sheet symbol for
all sheets in the project, however no connections are
indicated inside the master sheet. Note that the net names in
the two sheets are local, meaning that the net name applies
only to the sheet, not other sheets in the project. In flat
sheet designs, each sheet is always unique.
Ports route connections that pass from sheet to sheet. This
model of sheet organization treats your design as though it
were laid out on a single large sheet that has been cut into
individual pages.
While this approach works fine for designs of limited size,
management of large designs can be somewhat awkward, as
this method, relies on the designer to label each port.
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Model 1 is a “flat” design. The correct Net Identifier

scope for this model is Ports Only Global scope when
creating a netlist or performing an ERC.

Model 2 - Global net labels and ports

This model of hierarchy represents “flat” designs. Ports and net labels
are used interchangeably. The master sheet and sheet symbols provide
a means of identifying all project sheets only. All circuit information if
found in the sub-sheets.

In the second model, intersheet connections are provided

by global net labels. Global ports can also be used with this
model, providing the user takes care to avoid conflict
between port and net label names. Again, a sheet symbol for
each sheet is placed in the master sheet to link the project.

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Model 2 is also a “flat” design. The correct Net

Identifier scope for this model is Net Labels and Ports
Global when creating a netlist or performing an ERC.

Using net labels and ports to implement inter-sheet connectivity

The sheet symbols in flat projects are not connected to nets.
Flat design intersheet connections are accounted for on
each sheet separately, using either net label, ports or both
net labels and ports together.

Placing a sheet symbol does not create a new sheet, it

only establishes a link to a sheet with the same
filename.

Model 3 - Sheet entries define simple hierarchy

This model of hierarchy represents “simple hierarchy” where each sheet

appears once in a design. Hierarchy is implemented by sheet entries (in
each sheet symbol) which will connect to a port of the same name on
the sub-sheet below. Nets labels are local.

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The third hierarchy model is sometimes referred to as

simple hierarchy. This model supports multi-level or block
design, where the hierarchy can be represented by a tree-
like structure and all intersheet connections are vertical,
defined by sheet entry symbols in each sheet symbol and
similarly named ports on the respective sub-sheets.
In this model, the sheet symbol represents a child sheet,
which descends from the parent. Global net identifiers are
not used in this model.

Model 3 is sometime called true hierarchy because

the intersheet connections follow the hierarchy of the
sheets themselves and the design can be as “deep” as
you like. The correct Net Identifier scope for this
model is Sheet Symbols / Port Connections scope
when creating a netlist or performing an ERC.

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Model 4 - complex hierarchy defined by sheet entries

This model of hierarchy represents “complex hierarchy” where a sub-

sheet appears more than once in a project. Hierarchy is implemented by
sheet entries (in each sheet symbol) which connect to a port on another
sheet. Nets labels are local.

The fourth model is referred to as complex hierarchy. In this

model, the same sheet symbol can be placed more than once
in a project, either by being placed more than once on a
single sheet, or by being placed on multiple sheets.
This model fits projects which a highly modular. An
example would be a stereo amplifier, where left and right
channels are identical circuits.
The Tools-Complex to Simple process launcher is used to
“flatten” a complex hierarchy into a simple hierarchy, prior
to generating a non-hierarchical netlist (e.g. for PCB
layout).

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Model 4 also uses the Sheet Symbols / Port

Connections Net Identifier scope when creating a
netlist or performing an ERC (once the design
converted from complex to simple).

Hierarchy in Advanced Schematic is not exclusively

linked to the electrical links that make up a multi-
sheet circuit. You can also create projects which
group unlinked sheet files for convenience.

Using sheet symbols to implement hierarchy

The sheet entry links the port on the sub-sheet to a net on
the parent sheet. Every sub-sheet has a “parent” sheet,
either the master sheet, or another sub-sheet from which it
descends.
Similarly, so-called “flat” design master sheets (the first
two models, above) include sheet symbols, labeled with the
filenames of each sub-sheet. These sheet symbols are not
“wired” together, using sheet entries.

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Model 5 - Sheet parts to represent hierarchy

This is a special model of hierarchy which uses the Sheet

Path field in the Part dialog box to set a path to (“point to”)
another project sheet. This allows the user to specify that an
instance of a part is to behave like a sheet symbol. In this
case, its pins behave as sheet entries and connect to
matching ports on the sheet specified in the Sheet Path
field.

Model 5 also uses the Sheet Symbols / Port

Connections Net Identifier scope when creating a
netlist or performing an ERC. You must also check
the Descend Into Sheet Parts option when creating a
netlist or performing an ERC.

More about hierarchical design

Models 3, 4 and 5 illustrate powerful ways to organize
complex projects. In hierarchical designs, sheet symbols
can represent functional blocks, with the sheet entries
serving as connectors that tie circuitry on the sheet to the
sub-sheet.

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This hierarchical structure can be represented by thinking

of the first sheet as the “parent” and the sheet represented
by sheet symbols as the “child.” In the terminology of
hierarchical design, we can say that the child is descended
from the parent. Extending this model, the child can have its
own “children,” -- additional sheets that descend, in this
top-down structure, to lower and lower levels.
As shown above, hierarchy can be either simple, where each
sheet is unique, as in Model 3 or complex, where the same
children (and its children) appear more than once in the
design -- a modular approach illustrated by Model 4.

Tools for working with Hierarchy

Advanced Schematic includes a number of tools to make it
easy to work with multi-sheet designs. These include tools
for navigating, tools for creating sub-sheets and sheet
symbols and a tool to convert complex hierarchy to simple
hierarchy.
To make hierarchical design practical, it is necessary to
have some means of tracking and navigating the sometimes
complicated relationships between the many sheets that can
be incorporated into a single project. Advanced Schematic
provides a unique tool for this purpose, the Project
Manager.

Project Manager display options

The Project Manager displays three types of sheet icons:

Master sheets These icons represent the top level of hierarchical projects
or “flat” multi-sheet projects, which have two levels only
(see the examples, above under Five models of hierarchy).

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Sub-sheets These icons represent sheets that are “descend” from

master sheets.

Complex sheets These icons represent duplicates of other sub-sheets, used

in complex hierarchies. When you click on a Complex
sheet icon, the focus moves to the sub-sheet it represents.
Colors can be assigned to these three icon types (Options-
Schematic Preferences).
The width of the Project Manager can be changed by
dragging it’s right hand side toward the center of the
screen. The cursor will change into a left-right arrow when
the cursor is over the right edge of the window. To see more
of the hierarchy tree, hold LEFT MOUSE and drag to adjust
the width.

Navigating through a project

Using the Project Manager
Simply click on any sheet icon in the Project Manager to
make that sheet the active sheet.

Using the Toolbar Buttons

There are also two buttons on the main toolbar for
navigating up and down through the hierarchy.
Select the DOWN arrow and you will be prompted to select
a sheet symbol (if you just want to jump to the lower sheet)

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or a sheet entry (where you will jump to the lower sheet and
be presented with the matching port).
Select the UP arrow and click on a port to be taken up to the
sheet above and be presented with the sheet symbol for this
sub-sheet, centered on the matching sheet entry.

Creating sheet symbols and sub-sheets the easy way

Advanced Schematic includes two processes to “automate”
the project building process.

Top-Down
If you are designing in a top-down fashion, where you start
with the top sheet and lay the design out as function blocks
using sheet symbols, then use the Tools-Create Sheet From
Symbol process launcher. You will be prompted to select a
sheet symbol. After selecting a sheet symbol, Advanced
Schematic will open a new schematic sheet with the correct
file name, with ports on it to match each of the sheet entries
on the sheet symbol you selected.

Bottom-Up
If you are designing in a bottom-up fashion, where the sub-
sheet already exists and you need to create a sheet symbol
to represent it, use the Tools-Create Symbol From Sheet
process launcher (the parent sheet must be the active sheet).
The Choose Document to Place dialog box will pop up.
Select the sheet you would like to base you sheet symbol
on. You will then be asked if you want to Reverse
Input/Output Directions. After you answer this, you will be
presented with a sheet symbol floating on the cursor. This
sheet symbol will have the correct file name to link it to the
sub-sheet and will have sheet entries to match each of the
ports on the sub-sheet. To respond to the Reverse
Input/Output Directions question - each of the ports on the
sub-sheet has an I/O type. Let say one of the ports has an
I/O type of output. If you respond “yes” to the Reverse
Input/Output Directions question then the sheet entry that

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matches this port will have an I/O type of input and will be
position on the left of the sheet symbol. If you respond “no”
to the Reverse Input/Output Directions question then the
sheet entry that matches this port will have an I/O type of
output and will be position on the right of the sheet symbol.

Adding and removing individual sheets from a

project
The contents and structure of a project are defined by the
sheet symbols placed in the topmost (or master) sheet or
any of the child sheets. To add an existing sheet to a
project, place a sheet symbol in the master sheet with a
matching sheet filename field. To remove a sheet from the
project, simply delete the sheet symbol with that sheet’s
filename.

Rebuild Button
The Rebuild button, in the top of the Project Manager, is
used to update the hierarchy tree when any changes are
made to the project’s organization, like adding or removing
sheets or re-ordering the project.

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Design Verification

Design verification is the process of ensuring that the

schematic capture process has produced an accurate “snap
shot” of your design, from which a valid netlist can be
created. Advanced Schematic includes a tool specifically
for this purpose, the Electrical Rule Check. This process
examines the schematic for both electrical inconsistencies,
such as an output pin connected to an output pin, and
drafting inconsistencies, such as unconnected net labels or
duplicate designators.

Selecting the Tools-ERC menu item pops up the Setup

Electrical Rule Check dialog box. This is used to set-up and
execute the Electrical Rule Check. Running the ERC
produces two results. First, a text report is generated, listing
the electrical and logical violations either for the active
sheet, or the entire project. Secondly, error markers are
placed on the sheets at the site of specific ERC violations as
an aid in tracking and correcting reported problems.

The Electrical Rule Check process is carried out by

the Netlist Server, install the Netlist server before
selecting the Tools-ERC menu item.

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Setup Electrical Rule Check (ERC) dialog box.

Suppress ERC symbols

There may be points in the design which you know will be
flagged as ERC errors or warnings, which you do not want
to be flagged. To suppress these, place a No ERC symbol at
each point. Points with No ERC symbols will not be
included in the ERC report and will not have ERC error
markers placed at them.

Verification Options
A wide variety of basic electrical errors are reported. For
example, floating input pins on parts and shorts between
two differently named power nets.

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Setup Electrical Rules Check

When the Tools-ERC menu item is selected, the Setup
Electrical Rule Check dialog box pops up. This dialog box
is used to define the options, scope and parameters of the
electrical rules check. Options include:

Multiple Net Names On Net

Reports physical nets with multiple net identifiers with
different names.
Unconnected Net Labels
Reports net labels that are not physically connected to at
least one other electrical object in the sheet.
Unconnected Power Objects
Reports power objects that are not physically connected
to at least one other electrical object.
Duplicate Sheet Numbers
Reports sheets that have been assigned the same sheet
number (Options-Document Options dialog,
Organization Tab).
Duplicate Component Designators
Reports parts that have identical designator labels. This
condition can occur when the Annotate process launcher
has not been used or when the Tools-Complex to Simple
process launcher has not been used to “flatten” a
complex hierarchical project (project with duplicate
sheets).
Bus Label Format Errors
Reports net labels attached to buses which are not
legally formatted to reflect a range of signals. Logical
connectivity for buses can be assigned by placing a net
label on the bus. Generally, this net label will include all
bus signals, e.g. HA[0..19] represents nets named HA0,
HA1, HA2, etc. to HA19.
Floating Input Pins
Reports unconnected pins whose Electrical Type is set
to Input.

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Suppress Warnings
This option generates a report and error markers for
error conditions only. Warning conditions (see Pin /
Sheet Entry / Port Rule Matrix, below) are ignored. This
allows the designer for perform quick ERCs for all error-
level problems.

Other Options
Create Report File
This option generates a text report listing all ERC report
information.
Add Error Markers
This option places special error markers on the sheets, at
the site of each reported warning or error. Special
facilities in the sheet editor allow the user to jump from
error marker to error marker.
Descend Into Sheet Parts
This options treats sheet parts as hierarchical sheet
symbols. A sheet part is a part which is specified to
behave like a sheet symbol, where its pins are associated
with ports on a sheet which descends hierarchically
from the sheet part. The “descending” sheet is defined in
the part’s Sheet Part path field.

Net Identifier Scope

The net identifier scope determines the method of
connectivity being used in a multi-sheet design. The net
identifier scope chosen here should be the same as that
chosen when creating the netlist.
For a complete explanation of the net identifier scope refer
to the sections Netlists and Multi-sheet Designs and Project
Management.

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Electrical Rules Matrix

An error or warning can be specified using a matrix of pin,
port or sheet entry connection or non-connection
conditions. This matrix is read in an across and down
fashion. For example, to see what the report condition for
an input pin connected to an output pin would be, locate the
input pin row down the left of the matrix, then locate the
output pin column across the top of the matrix, then go
across and down from each to where they meet. The
colored square where they meet is green, signifying that
there will be no warning if an input pin is connected to an
output pin. Similarly if you examine the report condition
for an output pin connected to an output pin, you will see
that the square is red, signifying that if this condition is
detected it will be flagged as an error.
The user can specify either errors or warnings for
connections of pin types, ports or sheet entries. Items which
are set as warnings give the user the option to suppress
warnings when performing preliminary checks, which will
keep these initial ERC reports short and manageable.
Warnings can then be comprehensively checked by the
designer, later in the design validation process.
To change the default settings in the matrix, the user need
only click LEFT MOUSE in any matrix square. With each click
the square will toggle from No Report (green), Warning
(yellow) and Error (red), then back to No Report, etc.

The process of running an ERC is integral to

producing a valid netlist for a project. The presence
of electrical or logical violations will not prevent
Advanced Schematic from generating a netlist,
however incomplete or invalid. Carefully check and
resolve all reported errors prior to netlist generation.

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Error Report Format

Error Report For : C:\CLIENT\SCH3\EXAMPLES\DEMO1.ERC 30-
May-1995 15:18:05

1 Error Duplicate Designators POWER.SCH C3 At (320,471) And

CPU.SCH C3 At (374,109)
2 Error Multiple Net Identifiers : CPU.SCH RESET At (270,220) And
CPU.SCH RST At (330,220)
3 Warning Unconnected Input Pin On Net N00121
C:\CLIENT\SCH3\EXAMPLES\CPU.SCH(U5-6 @310,620)

5 Error Floating Input Pins On Net N00121

Pin C:\CLIENT\SCH3\EXAMPLES\CPU.SCH(U5-6 @310,620)

6 Warning Unconnected Net Label On Net CLOCK

CPU.SCH CLOCK

End Report

The error report includes information to identify which

sheet the error or warning occurred on and the location on
the sheet. Where appropriate there will also be net identifier
and component designator information.

Resolving Errors
Advanced Schematic includes features to assist in the
process of resolving the errors and warnings detected by
the Electrical Rule Check.

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In the Component Browser, set the Browse type to Error

Markers. Select an error in the list and press the Jump
button to have the error marker presented in the center of
the active window. Note that a description of the error
condition will appear on the Status Line, alleviating the
need to switch back and forth to the error report. Pressing
the Text button in the Component Browser will pop up a
dialog box which can also be used to examine the
description of the error condition.
Errors will typically be due to the one or more of the
following;
• drafting errors - wires overlapping pins, lines being used
instead of wires, the design being wired with the snap
grid off so the wire ends don’t touch the pin ends, wires /
busses finishing under a port instead of touching the end
of the port ...
• syntax errors - net identifiers with spelling mistakes,
busses incorrectly labeled ...
• component errors - component pins placed the wrong
way around on the component, pins with an
inappropriate Electrical Type ...
• design errors - a design condition that the ERC detects as
an error, such as two output pins connected, etc ...
To resolve an error, start at the error marker, read the error
condition on the Status line and consider the possible
causes as described above. If there are no problems at the
error marker, trace the net through the design. There are two
buttons on the main toolbar to assist tracing a net through a
multi-sheet design, the large up and down arrows. Use these
to trace a net / bus up and down through a multi-sheet
schematic. Use the Status line for information on what to do
after selecting one of these tools.

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A floating input pin in essentially an “open circuit”

condition. While this condition is reported at the
input pin, the break could be anywhere between the
driving output pin and the floating input pin. If there
is nothing wrong at the input pin, trace the net back to
the output pin, checking along the way for the
“break”.

If all the nets of a bus are reporting an error, look for

the problem at the bus level, perhaps a typing mistake
in a bus port or a missing net label, perhaps a bus line
finishing under a port (which may not be visible).
Click on a bus to focus it to see if it ends under a port.

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Netlists

Overview
In the EDA Client environment, creation of netlists is
performed by a separate Netlist server. The Netlist server
must be installed before a netlist can be created. For tips on
installing a server refer to the chapter, A Quick Tour of EDA
Client.
This section describes how physical and logical
connectivity are used to generate a valid netlist for simple
single sheet designs or complex multi-sheet hierarchical
projects. Generating a valid netlist for a design is the
essence of schematic capture. This process can be
complicated by the many ways that nets can be defined in
Advanced Schematic. If you are not familiar with Advanced
Schematic’s connectivity rules, you may wish to review the
chapter, Fundamentals of Schematic Capture, before
proceeding with netlist generation.

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The Tools-Create Netlist process launcher is used to generate netlists in

over 30 formats (described below).

Connectivity
A key element of electronics design automation is the
ability of schematic capture and PCB layout systems to
recognize the graphical connections in schematic sheets
and the logical connections that are defined by net
identifiers.
This concept -- connectivity -- is used at several levels
during the design process. Two types of connectivity are
employed under Advanced Schematic:

Logical connectivity
Logical connections are created when net labels, ports
or hidden pins identify nets elsewhere within a single
sheet, or across project sheets.
Physical connectivity
Examples of physical connections would be wires
touching component pins. Advanced Schematic uses the
physical geometry of your layout to perform
connectivity-based operations. One example is the
ability to select a connection or net. Physical
connectivity is used, along with logical connectivity,

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when generating a netlist from a design. It also allows

wire-to-pin connections to be maintained as components
are moved, etc.

About netlists
Netlists are common to most electronics design
environments. Simply stated, a netlist is a summary of all
the connections (or networks) that comprise a circuit.
Generally, netlists are simple ASCII text files. The typical
netlist format includes descriptions of components, such as
the designator and package type combined with the pin-to-
pin connections that define each net. Loading a netlist into
a printed circuit board layout package automates many of
the tedious and error prone operations inherent in the
design process. In Advanced Schematic, you can quickly
generate and examine a netlist of your current design
without leaving the editor.

Netlist formats
Netlists come in many different formats, but are usually
generated as ASCII text files and contain the following
types of information:

1) Descriptions of the components in the circuit.

2) A list of all pin-to-pin connections in the circuit.

Some netlist formats combine both sets of data in a single
description. Others, including Protel, separate the two sets
of data into separate netlist sections.
As straight-forward text files, netlists are readily translated
into other formats using a simple, user-written program.
Netlists can also be created (or modified) manually using a
simple text editor or word processor.

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If you intend to manually edit a netlist, make sure that

you save the results in an “un-formatted” or “text
only” form, as hidden “control characters” can render
the netlist un-readable by Advanced PCB.

3) Some netlist formats can include additional

information in component text or net text fields. This
information can be used to link netlists with
simulators and board layout in ways that aren’t
covered by netlist hierarchy and connectivity.
Examples include data for simulation and PCB layout.

Generating netlists
You can generate a netlist for a project at any time while
using the Schematic Sheet Editor. Select the Tools-Create
Netlist (shortcut: T, N) process launcher. When you choose
this menu item, the Netlist Creation dialog box opens.
Options include:

Output Format options

The following table lists the status of Advanced Schematic
netlist output format options, at the time this manual was
published. Check the README.TXT file and/or On-line
Help system for current netlist format status.
Netlist format
Algorex Orcad - PLDnet
AppliconBRAVO Orcad - PCB II
AppliconLEAP PADS Ascii
Cadnetix PCAD
Calay PCAD NLT
Calay90 Protel - Advanced PLD
Case Protel
CBDS Protel 2
ComputerVision Protel - Hierarchical
EDIF 2.0 Protel Wirelist

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EDIF 2.0 Hierarchical Racal Redac

EEDesigner Scicards
EEsof Libra Spice
EEsof Touchstone Spice Hierarchical
FutrureNet Star Semiconductor
Hilo * Tango
Integraph Telesis
Mentor BoardStation 6 Vectron
Multiwire Xilinx
XNF
* OrCAD asks user to manually insert interface definition. Protel handles
this automatically (i.e.: A,B,CLOCK,OUT).

Scope of Net Identifiers

As illustrated earlier in this guide, net identifiers (net labels,
ports, sheet entries, power ports and hidden pins are all
used to logically connect parts of the schematic sheet to
nets.
Three options are provided that define the method used to
associate the three primary net identifiers (ports, net labels
and sheet entries) with certain nets, either on a single sheet
or within a multi-sheet project.
By choosing one of these three methods, the designer
designates these net identifiers as either global (a common
net, which applies to all project sheets) or local (a net which
is associated only with a single sheet). Resolving the scope
of these net identifiers defines the netlist contents. The
three options are:

Net Labels and Ports Global

With this option, net labels are assumed to apply to all
sheets in a project. In other words, nets are global and
each instance of a net name or port is deemed to be
connected to all other identically named identifiers. This
model works like Protel Schematic 3 (DOS), where net
labels are always global to all project sheets.

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Only Ports Global

This option treats net labels as local only. All identically
named nets on a sheet are deemed to be connected.
Inter-sheet connections occur only through identically
labeled ports. This model works like the OrCAD SDT
“flat” project model.
Sheet Symbol / Port Connections
This option makes inter-sheet net connections only
through sheet symbol entries and sub-sheet ports. Ports
are deemed to be connected only to identically named
sheet entries in their sheet symbols on parent sheets.
This model works like the OrCAD SDT “hierarchical”
project model.

Options
Two other options define netlist contents:

Append Sheet Number to Local Net Names

This option adds the sheet number (Options-Document
Options dialog box, Organization Tab) to each net. If
you have selected one of the net identifier scopes where
net labels are local, this option ensures that each net in
the netlist will be unique, by appending the sheet
number to it. This option can also be used as an aid in
debugging netlist problems where nets should be
connecting across sheets but are not. By appending the
sheet number you can identify which sheet a net is
isolated on.
Descend Into Sheet Parts
This option is enabled when using Sheet Parts. Sheet
Parts are parts which are specified to behave like a sheet
symbol, where the pins connect to identically named
ports on a child sheet. The Sheet Path field in the Edit
Part dialog box is used to identify the child sheet. When
this option is enabled, the netlist will include the sheets
hierarchically below the sheet parts.

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Protel netlist format

The standard Protel netlist format is a simple ASCII text
file, split into two sections. The first part of a Protel netlist
describes each component:
[ Marks the start of each component
description;
U8 Component Designator (label);
DIP6 Package description (Footprint). An
identical description (Pattern) will be
required in the PCB library;
74LS38 Part Type, (or value);
(blank) three lines are un-used;
(blank)

(blank)

] marks the end of the component

description.
The component description section is followed by a listing
for each net within the netlist:
( marks the start of each net;
CLK is the name of the net. If no net name is
assigned, the software will assign one (eg -
N00001);
U8-3 shows the first component (by designator)
and pin number. Pin numbers in Advanced
PCB library components must be an exact
match;
J2-1 indicates the second node in the net;
U5-5 indicates another node;
) marks the end of the net.

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Note that net descriptions are distinguished from

component descriptions by the use of rounded, rather
than square brackets.

Protel 2 netlist format

This option is an extended version of the Protel netlist
described above. It is distinguished by the additional field
support and detail that supports Advanced PCB 2.0 and
simulation packages. Note that this format has three
sections and that each field is first named, with the field
data on the following line.

PROTEL NETLIST 2.0 File header identifies Protel 2

format;
[ Bracket marks the start of
each component description;
DESIGNATOR Each field is first identified;
C8 Component designator
(label);
FOOTPRINT
RAD0.2 Package description
(footprint).
PARTTYPE
0.1uf Comment, (or value);
DESCRIPTION
* Sheet part description field;
Part Field 1
* Sheet text fields (1-16) of up
to 255 characters;
Part Field 2
*
(etc.)... (continues to Part Field 16)

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Part Field 16
*
LIBRARYFIELD1 Library component text fields
(1-8) of up to 255 characters;
LIBRARYFIELD2
(etc.)... (continues to Library Field 8)
LIBRARYFIELD8
] End component delimiter;
( Begin net delimiter;
H/-E Name of first net;
DECA1-1C DEC36-1C PASSIVE First node in net. Includes:
component-pin designator
(single blank space) part type-
pin name (single blank space)
Pin electrical type;
U16-1 74HC00-_A INPUT Next node in net;
U16-2 74HC00-_A INPUT Last node in net;
) End net delimiter;
{ Begin PCB Layout directive
delimiter;
TRACK Each field is named, as above;
10 Track width in mils (unit =
.001 inch);
VIA
50 Routing via for net diameter
(mils);
NET TOPOLOGY
SHORTEST Topology for
placement/routing;
ROUTING PRIORITY

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MEDIUM Routing priority for net;

LAYER
UNDEFINED Routing layer;
} End PCB Layout directive
delimiter.

Protel netlist parameters

Designators and Package Descriptions (footprint) are
limited to 12 alphanumeric characters. Comments can be up
to 32 characters long. Net names can be 20 characters. Pin
numbers in netlists are limited to four alphanumeric
characters. No blank spaces may be used within these
strings.
Any number of components or nodes can be included in a
Protel or Protel2 netlist, limited only by available memory.

Other netlist formats

Netlists for other EDA environments often have many
similarities to the Protel format. However, the order in
which component or net information is displayed may vary,
and package names (e.g., DIP6), component designators
and Pin identifiers may require editing to match Protel
netlist field restrictions. Often, translation of the netlist is
an option in the schematic package. Netlists created using
either a Protel or “Tango” output option will usually be
fully compatible with The Protel Design System.

Package description (footprint) names and pin

numbers must have exact matches in the Advanced
PCB library for all components and connections in
the netlist. Advanced PCB accepts either a dash ( - )
or comma ( , ) delimiter between the designator and
pin number (U-6 or U,6).

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Advanced PLD netlist output

Protel’s Advanced PLD application uses this netlist to
compile logic for FPGA/PLD programming. This format
also supports the CUPL FPGA/PLD environment from
Logical Devices, Inc.

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Fonts

Advanced Schematic supports the TrueType fonts that are

delivered with Windows, including bold and italic formats
and display font scaling. TrueType fonts are supplied with
Windows and are also available from third-party suppliers
in a wide variety of typefaces. PostScript scaleable fonts,
and Windows non-scaleable raster fonts can be used, when
they are part of vector image files imported into Advanced
Schematic sheets.

Font management
Font management in Advanced Schematic gives users
extensive information about available font resources and
capabilities. Users can exercise broad control over font
usage, including the ability to apply a “System font” used
for rendering part pin names, port names, power objects and
sheet (border) references.

Font Technology
Font technology and behavior can vary widely within the
Window environment. Two main types of fonts are used in
the Windows environment: Screen fonts, which are used by
a display driver to show letters on a monitor, and printer
fonts, which are geometric descriptions of letters used by a
printer to draw text on a page. Since screen fonts and
printer fonts are designed for a specific purpose, they can
produce undesirable results when used with a device for
which they were not intended. For instance, if a font
intended for screen use only is used on an high-resolution
printer, the text will have jagged, blocky letters.

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Fonts are installed from the Windows Control Panel,

Fonts utility. To enable installed TrueType fonts,
click the TrueType button and then the Enable
TrueType fonts check box in the TrueType dialog
box. See your Microsoft Windows Users Guide for
details about font management under Windows.

Font Style dialog box

Advanced Schematic includes a powerful Font Style utility
which allows the user to monitor the available (installed)
windows fonts and make intelligent font selections for both
display and printing of schematic sheets.
The Font Style dialog box is available whenever you access
the font assignment options for sheets or for design objects
that include user-definable text fonts. Objects with user
definable fonts include text annotations, text blocks,
component designators, component part types, etc. Clicking
the Font Change button (in the object’s dialog box) opens
the Font Style dialog box. This dialog box displays
installed system fonts (by font type) including the fonts
available for the current output device (if the driver for the
device includes font information). The user can examine the
installed fonts, change the font size and style or change the
current output device from this dialog box.

If the text on your print out do not appear the same as

the text on the screen, there may be a font substitution
taking place. If the font used on the schematic sheet is
not supported by the target printer, Windows will
perform a substitution. To check if a font is being
substituted, pop up the font style dialog box for that
text. Press the Select button to select the output
device, then press the Info button. The info field will
detail any substitution taking place.

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Organization of Fonts in Advanced Schematic

In Advanced Schematic fonts can be partitioned into two
groups, those that are individually editable and those that
are a System Font.
Individually editable fonts include; component designator,
part type, net label, text annotation, text frame, sheet
symbol name and sheet symbol file name.
System fonts include; border text, system title blocks, pin
names, pin numbers, ports, power ports and sheet entries.

Changing Fonts
The easiest way to tell if a font is an individually
editable font, is to double click on the text. The dialog
box for that object will pop up. If it has a Font Change
button, then this is an individually editable font. If
double clicking produces no response or if there is no
Font Change button, it is a system font.
Objects whose font is editable will have a Font Change
button. Press this button to pop up the Font Style dialog
box. Use of this dialog box is described below.

System Font Control

To change the system font, select the Options-Document
Options System menu item. This will pop up the Document
Options dialog box. On the Sheet Options Tab there is a
Change System Font button. Pressing this will pop up the
Font Style dialog box.

Font Style
The Font Style dialog box gives you control over font
resources and provides extensive information about font
technologies for more predictable display and output
results.

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Always make sure you are currently targeting the

output device you intend to use before altering the
font. Press the Select button to check or change the
current output device.

Advanced Schematic’s font management system allows users to access

printer-resident fonts, even if no screen font is available. If you choose a
printer-resident font that lacks a screen representation, the font will be
displayed on screen with the closest matching screen font.

Advanced Schematic’s font management system recognizes

and identifies TrueType, Vector fonts (including
PostScript® and printer/plotter-resident fonts) and Raster
font technology. These font technologies are described
below.

TrueType fonts describe letters using vector outline descriptions of

letter shapes and are managed directly by Windows. These
fonts scale smoothly, can be rotated include a display

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version for accurate on-screen rendering (what you see is

what you get).

Vector or plotter fonts used vector rather than bitmap descriptions.

Vector fonts are used primarily by plotting devices and
some dot-matrix printers. These fonts are scaleable and
rotatable, but usually do not include an accompanying
screen font.

Raster or bitmap fonts describe letters with small dots on printer

or pixels on a monitor. Raster fonts are primarily intended
for screen display and cannot be rotated.

PostScript fonts are similar to TrueType fonts. These outline fonts are
not directly supported by Windows and must be managed
using a system extension such as Adobe Type Manager™
for Windows. PostScript outline fonts are down loadable to
PostScript compatible printers allowing you to print
smooth representations of letters even if the font is not
resident in your printer. These fonts scale smoothly, are
rotatable and are usually accompanied by a screen font for
accurate screen rendering.

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Presentation Quality Schematics

Advance Schematic provides extensive graphic capabilities

not only for designing schematics, but also for presenting
your designs to others. This section details the use of
Advanced Schematic’s presentation graphic features to
make your design sheets speak with clarity.

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Why presentation quality?

The complexities of circuit design demand a great deal of
time and effort, but all that time and effort that you put into
the job is may not always readily apparent to the person
reading the final result. By using graphical features such as
colors, fills, vector graphics images and TrueType fonts you
can highlight, emphasize and illustrate. Use of this
capability is limited only by your imagination. Uses can
range from presenting highly readable and attractive
schematic sheets to clients to producing fully illustrated
field service manuals

Capabilities of printers
Before adding rainbow colors and elaborate typefaces to
your schematics, consider how you will be presenting your
project. You will probably have to depend on your printer
to show off your work. The ability of you computer monitor
to show fonts and colors will usually exceed your printer’s
ability to reproduce them. Advanced Schematic can use any
printing or plotting device that is compatible with Microsoft
Windows. Please refer to the Hardcopy section of this guide
for more information on producing output.

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Some guidelines regarding the relative capabilities and

limitations of various types of printers follow. Please keep
in mind that printing technologies are constantly being
improved, especially in the areas of image accuracy and
color printing. Color printing technology and the cost of
color printing are changing rapidly. You may decide that
the color output capabilities of Advanced Schematic are so
impressive, that you will want to consider adding this
capability to your design environment. Consult computer
trade magazines for the latest information regarding
computer printing technology.

Dot matrix impact printers

Dot matrix printers create letters and images with arrays of
dots. The most common of this type of printer creates dots
by driving pins against an ink ribbon and into paper.

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These types printers can produce output quickly but do not

provide very good resolution. Resolution refers to the
ability of a printer to reproduce an image accurately,
usually measured in dots per inch (dpi). A few dot matrix
printers produce resolutions up to about 150dpi. Some dot
matrix printers have the ability to print colors, please refer
to your printer’s documentation for more information. If
you need to produce presentation quality output, dot matrix
printers are not recommended.

Plotters
Plotters use one or more pens (or ink jet heads) to draw on a
sheet. Many plotters provide access to large format sheets,
ideal for presenting complex design in a single view. Some
devices plot in color, assigning a different pen number to
colors. Windows is supplied with driver support for color
plotting. The resolution of a plotter is limited by point size
of its pen(s). For example, the smallest dot a plotter can
make is the size of its pen’s nib. About .3 mm is the smallest

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practical size for fluid ink. Color plots are usually

generated using disposable cartridge pins with fiber tips,
which are much coarser than high quality pen points. Color
“ink jet” style devices offer higher resolution and are more
flexible. These devices are also well supported by efficient
Windows device drivers.
Details about controlling the output quality of pen plotters
(including information on plotter communication) is
provided in the chapter Hardcopy.

Pen plotter limitations

Using pen plotters presents several problems and
limitations. Most pen plotters are vector devices and many
models currently in-use predate Windows. The Windows
environment is biased toward rasterized, rather than vector,
output. As a result, Windows device driver support for
vector plotting is often primitive, compared to support for
more modern, raster devices.
Reproduction of fonts on plotters, for example is limited by
the page description language that a plotter uses to produce
output. Reproduction of colors will also be limited to the
colors of your plotters pens and the combination of those
colors. Unfortunately, most Windows plotter drivers do a
very poor job of handling color plotting. Advanced
Schematic has been written to work around the tendency of
these drivers attempts to “rasterize” the plotter output. For
example, in many applications, Windows drivers attempt to
recreate the dithering of non-solid colors found on screen.
Under the best conditions, plotters tend to produce uneven
tones when printing larger areas of color, this is because a
plotter usually overlaps pen strokes to fill an area.
Both manufacturers and third party developers have begun
to respond to these problems. Please contact your plotter
manufacturer or Microsoft for information regarding
updated drivers for your device.

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Ink jet printers

Ink jet or bubble jet printers create images by spraying ink
on a page. Ink jet printers produce fairly good resolution
(ranging from 300 to over 700 dpi), but tend to be fairly
slow. Edges of images and letters appear somewhat blurred
when reproduced on an ink jet printer because the ink tends
to spread out and soak into the page. It is advisable to avoid
large solid fills when printing to these devices.
Ink jet printers can produce fonts and images of good
quality, because most are well supported by rasterized
Windows output. The TrueType fonts used in Advanced
Schematic will be shown accurately. However, caution
should taken when scaling ink jet output, as very fine lines
will tend to thicken and smaller type sizes may become
illegible. Some models offer “plotter” size sheet capacity.
Excellent results can be obtained with color ink jet printers.

Laser printers
Laser printers provide presentation quality output by
producing high quality rendering of line (solid black) and
grayscale artwork. Laser printer resolution ranges from 300
to 600 dpi. Sheet sizes are generally limited to US “A” or
international A4 to “B” or A3.
Many laser printers support the PostScript page description
language, which allows highly accurate reproduction of
TrueType fonts that are supported by Advanced Schematic.
Since laser printers use toner instead of ink, edges of fonts
and images tend to be very sharp. Laser printers are an
excellent choice for presentation quality output. While still
relatively expensive, color laser printers are beginning to
be widely available, especially from service bureaus in the
desktop publishing field.

PostScript imagesetters
Windows is supplied with drivers for PostScript-compatible
imagesetting equipment. This technology, which produces

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output at 1000 to 2400 dpi, was developed to generate

typeset quality images for the graphic arts and printing
industries and is widely available in service bureaus. For
information about PostScript imaging, contact a service
bureau. These services are generally listed under Graphic
Arts or Typesetting.

Using color
To assign a new color to workspace elements or objects:

1. Double click on the object to pop up the edit dialog

box for that object.

2. Click inside the color box for color attribute you

would like to change.

3. Choose from 224 different pre-defined colors by

double clicking on your choice in the Color Selector
dialog box; Click OK to complete the color
assignment.

Customizing display colors

To customize one of the standard colors displayed in the
Color Selector dialog box: You can set the Red/Green/Blue
(RGB) values for any color, from 0 and 255 units.
As you make changes to the color assignments, it is
important to make sure that your assignments don’t conflict
in some way that will obscure vital details when you edit
your layout. It is recommended that you start with the sheet
color and selection color assignments if you wish to change
a number of the defaults.

More about color assignment

If your system supports up to 256 colors, your system color
palette on will be set to display as many available colors as
possible as solid, rather than dithered (mixed) tones.

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Advanced Schematic dynamically reprograms the palette as

colors are assigned.
Unless the graphics Card/driver you are using is supplied
with a Windows 24 bit driver, Windows will use a system
palette that allows multiple applications to share color
assignments. Windows will take the first 20 colors in this
palette for itself and simulate unavailable colors using
dithering (mixing two or more solid colors). All 20 defaults
are defined by Windows and all graphics drivers are
expected to provide color matches as close as possible to
these pre-defined values.
When using applications that take advantage of 256 color
palettes, use of more than the standard 20 Windows default
colors may cause “stealing” of colors from the system or
from other applications. For example, if you have a bit-map
as your background for Windows that used 256 colors then
the quality of the display of the bit-map will deteriorate as
you select more colors for Advanced Schematic.
In standard VGA display mode, there are only 16 available
colors. Windows “takes” all 16 and color requests from
applications are either dithered or matched to the nearest
solid color. The application can request either dithered or
solid colors.

Image files
The Place Graphic process launcher (shortcut: P, G) is used
to import a graphic image into schematic sheets or the
library workspace. Bitmap and vector images can be
imported and scaled directly in sheets from a variety of
graphics formats: PCX, BMP, GIF, TIFF, EPS (encapsulated
PostScript) and WMF (Windows Metafile).
When a graphic is placed, the graphic is not actually
included in the document, rather there is a pointer to the
source graphic file. When printing, this file will need to be

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accessible. It is necessary for these files be supplied with

sheet files if you are sending files off-site for printing.

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Hardcopy

Overview
Completing the schematic layout is only part of the design
process. In most cases you will need to generate permanent
drawings that can be filed and viewed “off-line.” Advanced
Schematic includes support for a wide variety of “hard
copy” options for this stage of the design process. Virtually
any device that is supported by Windows can be used to
print or plot your drawings.
Advanced Schematic provides a wide range of output
options when you are ready to turn your layout into
artwork.

PostScript options
High-resolution PostScript “imagesetter” output is now
widely available from graphic design and typesetting
bureaus. This equipment is capable of producing positive
paper prints and films at resolutions from 1200 to 2540
dots-per-inch.

Generating a print or plot

Advanced schematic printing and pen-plotting are handled
similarly to other Windows applications. Windows manages
the printing (or plotting) process and provides a range of
raster and PostScript printer drivers and vector plotter
drivers. These range from 9 pin dot matrix printers and
multi-pen plotters, to high-resolution raster imagesetters.

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To print or plot from the active Schematic Editor or library

editor windows, choose the File-Setup Printer menu item
(shortcut: F, R)

The Printer Setup dialog box, which provides access to all Advanced
Schematic printing/plotting options including a preview function and
access to network settings.

Options include:

Select Printer
The available output device options will include those that
have been installed using the Windows Control Panel (see
your Microsoft Windows User’s Guide for details). Most
devices are supported by drivers delivered with your
Windows software. You should note that new and updated
drivers are released for both new and existing devices on a
regular basis. For the latest information about print drivers,
contact Microsoft Windows support or the device
manufacturer.

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Rotation of fonts is not supported for all printers and

the substituted fonts will only be used if the text on
your schematic is in a standard horizontal (or
landscape) orientation, and within the size capability
of the printer. PostScript printers support rotation of
fonts at any angle.

Batch Type
When using this option from the Schematic Editor, this
option prints either a single sheet or a batch of all open
sheets (including all opened projects). Using this option
from the Library Editor to choose between printing a single
component (from the window that is the current focus) or
all components in the current library. The latter option
allows you to print out an entire component library in a
single operation. When you choose this option, all
representations of a component are printed, including each
part (or device) DeMorgan and IEEE equivalents, when
applicable. Component description fields are also added to
the sheet. This option works with all other print/plot
options, including scaling, etc.

Color mode
Two choices are available: color mode takes Advanced
Schematic screen color assignments and uses these to
assign colors to the print or plot, based upon the options
available in the print or plot driver. Monochrome PostScript
or HP-PCL devices will print grayscale representations of
color. The number of gray levels, and the assignment of
color to grayscale depends upon the driver and device. The
Monochrome option, prints images in solid black/white
only. No dithering or grayscale support is provided. This
option is appropriate for low resolution dot matrix and
single pen plotting.

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Margins
The user has total control over margins, limited only by the
margin limits built into printers or plotters that do not allow
printing to the sheet edge (e.g., PostScript printers). When
used with the Scale and Scale to Fit Page options
(described below), this option will size the print area to fit
as closely within the margins as allowed by the aspect ratio
of the print area. The Preview option allows you to preview
the result of all settings and make adjustments before
printing.

Scaling prints and plot

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

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

Fit on Page
The check print or plot will be expanded or contracted to fit
within your pre-defined margins, on the page size selected
up for the target printer. The plot will be shrunk or
expanded to use the available space, keeping the correct
aspect ratio.

When using scale to fit, set the margins to zero as the

driver will handle the no-print zones.

Set the portrait/landscape mode on the printer to

match the sheet orientation.

Tiling
When the size of the sheet or library document to be printed
exceeds the print area available on the target device,
Advanced Schematic will automatically cut the print into
two or more sheets or tiles. A pre-defined overlap is
maintained, so that no area of the print will be lost at the tile

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edge. You can preview the result of tiling by pressing the

Preview button.

It is often possible to reduce the number of sheets

required to tile a print, by changing the printer page
orientation and adjusting margins. Experiment while
in Preview mode to obtain the best match, before
choosing the Print menu item.

Setup
This button opens the standard Printer Setup dialog box,
where options for the target device are available.
Depending upon the device, options include: sheet
size/orientation, the number of copies of each document,
etc.

Printer Options
This Options button from this dialog box provides direct
access to the Printer’s own setup dialog box, also available
from the Windows Control Panel. These options add,
remove or configure or set-up communications for the
specific output device. The available options vary with the
features of the selected device. Windows supports
background printing from the Print Manager. The queuing
of prints and other options can also be controlled from the
Print Manager. See your Microsoft Windows User’s Guide
or printer or plotter documentation for additional
information.

If you need to print or plot from another computer,

print or plot to a file first, then transfer the file to the
other computer. To do this, open the Control Panel’s
Printer dialog box and click Configure. Select File
from the ports menu. You will be prompted to name
the file when generating the plot.
This dialog box is supplied by the printer driver and is not
generated by Advanced Schematic.

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Once all options have been entered, Click Print to proceed

with the print or plot, OK to save all the set-ups or Cancel to
leave the Printer Setup dialog box without saving the new
parameters. As the print or plot is generated (either directly
to the output device, or to a filename) the current page and
layer being printed is displayed in a dialog box.
If printing or plotting to a file, you will be prompted to
supply an Output File Name.

Network
This button provides access to network printer resources, if
available.

Preview
After changing any of the setup parameters you must press
the Preview button to refresh the preview display.

More about PostScript prints

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

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Large format and pen plots

Windows is currently shipped with drivers for a number of
large format plotters, particularly the new ink jet and
electrostatic plotters.
Support is also provided for a number of traditional pen
plotters, including Hewlett Packard HP-GL format models.
Many other plotters can be configured to support the HP-
GL language. See your plotter documentation for more
information about available emulation modes.
Current Windows pen plotting drivers, particularly for older
model plotters, have a number of reported limitations. This
is because some drivers, including the generic HP-GL
driver, treat vector pen plotting similarly to raster plotting.
This results in a number of problems, for example, poor
rendering of filled arcs, inefficient (slow) plotting and other
problems, especially when handling complex geometry.
New or improved plotter drivers are now available for some
types of plotters. For up-to-date information about plotter
driver support under Windows, contact Microsoft, your
plotter manufacturer or your Protel agent.

If you plan to do your plotting from another

computer, you will need to generate your plot as a
file. To do this, open the Control Panel’s Printer
dialog box and click Configure. Select File from the
ports menu. You will be prompted to name the file
when you generate the plot.

Setting-up pen plotters

The options available will depend upon the type and model
plotter selected. Guidelines should be documented in your
plotter manual. Most plotters will require the following
setup decisions:

Pen speed
Determining the correct pen Speed is largely a matter of
trial-and-error. Some users may find they have to choose a
slower speed to get properly “filled” solid areas. The

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condition of the pen points, freshness of ink, etc., can have

a significant impact on plot quality. Some plotters have
force and acceleration options in addition to pen speed.
Consult you plotter manual for recommended setting for the
paper or film and pen combination you intend to use.

Assigning pens
If generating pen plots for a multi-pen plotter, you can
assign different pens to different colors. Pen size and pen
number assignments are made from the Printer Options
dialog box.

Producing good quality pen plots

Pen plotters can be used to produce very sophisticated
design artwork, when the many variables affecting plot
quality are understood and applied to the process. But, there
are inherent problems with pen plotting that need
consideration. The variables that directly effect plot quality
include:
• Accuracy of the plotter -- particularly its “repeatability”
or ability to return accurately to specific coordinates,
over the entire plot area
• Type and condition of plotting pens
• Plotting film or paper
• Type and age of the ink selected
• Environmental factors - i.e. temperature and humidity
• Pen speed and pen size settings
Other factors include the experience of the operator and the
maintenance and storage of equipment and materials.
Following a few simple rules ensures that the best quality
possible is obtained.
Perhaps the most important factor is the quality of the paper
(or drafting film) and the pens that you use. Use
inexpensive paper and fiber tip pens for check plots - save
the best pens and film for the final plot.

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Plotter pens and plotting inks

There are a wide range of plotting pens on the market. Felt,
and plastic tipped pens are convenient to use, but only
suitable for draft plots. Pens used for master artwork must
be capable of providing a consistent ink flow, must not dry
out when the pen is lifted off the film for short periods and
must be of the correct diameter for the selected plot scale.
The pens that have been found to be the most suitable are
those with tungsten carbide, cross-grooved points. A latex-
based ink will provide a dense plot without the ink running
or drying out in the pen. Your local plotter supplier will
make specific recommendations.

Drafting film
Your choice of drafting film is not as critical as the choice
of pen or ink, but good quality film is recommended. For
best results, use single-matte or double-matte polyester film
of around 3 mil thickness. Your local plotter supplier will
make specific recommendations.

Setting the pen speed

Pen speed is a critical, and often overlooked factor in plot
quality. It will be worthwhile to make a series of
experimental plots to determine the optimum settings for
your combination of plotter and materials. You may also
improve the plot result by making small adjustments to the
pen size selection. Slight changes will adjust the amount of
“overlap” obtained when filling in solid areas -- with further
adjustments needed as the pen wears during normal use.

Communications with Serial plotters

Most plotters are controlled via an RS232-C (serial)
interface. A cable connects the plotter and computer to
provide two-way communication. Correctly configuring
this combination of computer software, serial port, cable
and plotter can be a challenge, even for experienced
engineers.

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If you are installing a serial plotter for this first time, this
section explains the relevant RS232-C conventions.
The RS232-C standard defines the signals for bi-directional
communication where there is no inherit distinction
between the computer and the output device. In the jargon
of serial communications both devices are referred to as
DTE, or Data Terminal Equipment. Signals, such as
Transmitted Data are assigned to the same pins in both
devices, unlike the parallel standard where each pin has a
single function.
Each serial “terminal” needs an intermediary device or
devices to connect the “transmitted” data pin of one DTE to
the “received” data pin of the other, and vice versa, and to
correctly configure the handshaking signals.
These intermediate devices are called Data
Communications Equipment (DCE), which connects to DTE,
transmits and receives the data over a channel but is neither
the source nor the final destination of the data. A modem is
a DCE - it both modulates data for transmission over a
single voice channel and demodulates it back to digital
data.

Baud rate, data bits, etc.

Once a correct serial connection between the computer and
plotter is achieved, the correct communications parameters
must be selected.
Windows allows you to change these settings using the
Control Panel Printer dialog box.
Your plotter manual should indicate the default settings of
the plotter and will contain information on changing the
communications setup. Some plotters do not have default
settings, as such, but use DIP switch settings which must be
configured before the plotter is operated.
You will need to match these parameters using the Printer
dialog box. Once set, these settings are stored with your

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Windows preferences (Exit Windows, enabling the Save

Settings option).
A baud rate of 2400 bps is standard for many plotters, and a
good place to start, if you don’t know the specific
recommendations for your plotter. This is an intermediate
baud rate and should yield error-free data transmission with
cables up to 50 feet (15 meters).
Your plotter manual should also document its interfacing
and handshaking settings.

Still having problems?

If you are confident that you have the right cabling and
parameter settings and you still can’t plot successfully,
check the following items:
• Inspect the cable connections and make sure that no
wires have broken. Also check that your Windows
settings match the plotter baud rate, parity, etc.
• Confirm that you are using the selected serial port.
• If your plot progresses normally at first, then starts
putting stray lines or arcs all over the layout, this
generally indicates improper handshaking. You may also
have a problem with one or more pin assignments and
your cabling may need modification.
• Another possible solution is to keep the plotter cable as
short as possible and keep it away from power cords and
other “noise” sources.
If you are using a long cable, you may have to reduce the
baud rate to obtain error-free transmission. Due to the
distributed resistance and capacitance of cables, there is a
trade-off between cable length and baud rate for reliable
data transmission.
Remember, if you change the communications settings at
the plotter, you will have to match the new settings in
Windows under the printer’s Set-up dialog box.

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Make sure that you have specified the correct plotter driver.
For example, is your plotter a “true” Hewlett-Packard (HP-
GL) or a “compatible”? Many plotters emulate HP-GL in
addition to their own plotting language. If you are using a
dual-language plotter you may have to configure the plotter
for the correct language. This is done using Control Panel
or dip switch settings, depending upon the plotter type and
model. See you plotter manual for details.
Finally, erratic plotter behavior can be the result of plot file
corruption -- usually the result of a disk failure or system
error during file creation. If you have been unable to solve
your plotting problem, try plotting one of the (supplied)
demonstration files, as a cross-check.

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Reports

The following reports can be generated in the schematic

editor:

Bill of Materials
The Reports-Bill of Materials process launcher (shortcut: R,
B) generates a Bill of Materials (BOM) report for the active
design. Two versions of the BOM report are produced:
A condensed ASCII text format that lists part type fields,
quantities of each type, and the designator fields
associated with each type. This version is produced in a
tabulated ASCII format and is named
<FILENAME>.BOM.
An expanded report that includes complete sheet-level
and library level descriptions for each component, by
designator. This versions is produced in CSV (Comma
Separated Value) format and is named
<FILENAME>.CSV.
The format for these two reports are illustrated in the
following examples:

Text BOM format

An extract of the BOM format is illustrated below:

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-----------------------------------------------------
Part Used PartType Designators
-----------------------------------------------------
1 7 0.1uF C6 C5 C4 C3 C1
2 1 4.00 MHz XTAL1
3 1 4.915 MHz XTAL2
4 1 4PIN J1
5 2 4k7 R6 R7
The condensed ASCII format BOM gives a convenient component count,
by type, cross referencing all part designators.

The condensed BOM will be opened automatically when the

Reports-Bill of Material process launcher is chosen, using
the text editor specified in the Setup Run Options dialog
box (Client Menu-Run-Setup Run Options menu item, the
EDA Client Text Expert editor is the default text editor used
if none specified).

CSV text BOM format

The CSV BOM format is an expanded format that includes:
Designator for each part
Part Type field
Part (text) fields 1-16
Description field
Footprint (PCB pattern) field 1 (the default footprint)
Component (library-level text) fields 1-8
Sheet Part (Path) field

This report is generated in CSV (comma separated value)

format, which loads directly into spreadsheets and
databases. Users can nominate a “CSV Editor” in the Setup
Run Options dialog box. Spreadsheet applications (i.e.
Excel® and Lotus 1-2-3®, etc.) and database applications
(DBase®, Approach®, etc.) generally support CSV format
data.

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If no CSV editor is installed on your system, any text editor

can be used to view the report.

CSV format Bills of Materiel can be written directly into spreadsheets or

databases, which allows users to work directly with schematic data.

Cross reference
The Reports-Cross Reference process launcher (shortcut: R,
C) generates a listing of part designators, type and the sheet
location (filename) for each part. The report is generated
for active design. This report is output in ASCII text with
the name <FILENAME>.XRF, in the following format:
Part Cross Reference Report For : C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTD.XRF
22-Dec-1993 12:41:22
Designator Component Library Reference Sheet
-------------------------------------------------------
C1 0.1 C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH
C2 0.1 C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH
C3 0.1 C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH
C4 .1uF C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDINT.SCH
C5 .1uF C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH
C6 10uF C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH

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C7 10uF C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH
DECA DEC36 C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTD.PRJ
DECB DEC36 C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTD.PRJ
R1 10K C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH
R2 10K C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH

The report will be opened automatically when the Reports-

Cross Reference process launcher is chosen, using the text
editor specified in the Setup Run Options dialog box (Text
Expert is the default text editor).

Project hierarchy
The Reports-Project Hierarchy process launcher (shortcut:
R, P) generates a listing of project files for the active design.
This report is output in ASCII text in the following format:
Project Hierarchy Report For RTD.PRJ
C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTD.PRJ
C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDADC.SCH
C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDINT.SCH
C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDINT.SCH
C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDINT.SCH
C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDINT.SCH
C:\PFWSCH\PRJ\RTDINT.SCH

The report will be opened automatically when the Reports-

Project Hierarchy process launcher is chosen, using the text
editor specified in the Setup Run Options dialog box (Text
Expert is the default text editor).

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Links With Advanced PCB

Netlists
The Netlist that you create from your schematic and load
into Advanced PCB is the primary link from Advanced
Schematic to Advanced PCB. This file passes the
component information and the net information from your
schematic into the PCB design environment, allowing you
to layout and route the board with the confidence that what
you are working with is an accurate representation of what
you specified in the schematic.
The Protel Design System supports full forward annotation
of design changes made in Advanced Schematic into
Advanced PCB. Updated netlists can be used to make
engineering changes to fully or partially routed PCBs. See
your Advanced PCB documentation for more information.

Routing Directives
The Protel 2 netlist format is supported by Advanced PCB
version 2.0 or later and includes PCB layout directives
defined in the schematic. A PCB layout directive allows you
to attach PCB net attributes to the net in the schematic.
When you Auto-manual Route or Auto Route this net in
Advanced PCB it will have the track width, via width,
routing topology, etc, that were defined in Advanced
Schematic. To place a routing directive select the Place-
PCB Layout menu item. When placing the directive the
bottom point of the directive must touch the wire to
associate correctly.

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Bi-directional cross probing

Advanced Schematic supports cross probing of Nets, Pins
and Parts to and from Advanced PCB. You can use
Schematic/PCB cross probing while running Advanced
Schematic and Advanced PCB simultaneously, with a PCB
document open and its source schematic open. Cross probe
from either editor by choosing one of the Tools-Cross
Probe menu items and clicking on an object.

Annotation
The process of re-assigning designators in your design is
called annotation. This can be done at any stage in the
design process and would typically be done when the
design is complete. This ensures that no designators are
skipped, and none are duplicated. The Tools-Annotate
process launcher pops up the Annotate dialog box. Here
you can either reset all designators (back to R?, C?, U? and
so on) or re-designate ? parts.
To know how to identify and group multi-part components,
say, how to package those five 7404 hex inverter gates into
U1, the Group Parts Together If Match By fields are used.
The default is to group by the Part Type field, however
combinations of any of the sixteen part fields and eight
library text fields can be used to identify a group. Use these
other fields to uniquely identify a group of parts when they
must be packaged together.

Back Annotating
The partner process to annotation is back annotation. In
Advanced PCB, the components on the board can have their
designators re-assigned on a positional basis (they can be
re-annotated). If this is done, all the designator changes are
written into a was/is file. This is a simple ascii file which
lists what each designator now is against what it was.

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After re-annotation has been performed on the PCB, the

designator changes are Back Annotated into the schematic.
Selecting the Tools-Back Annotate menu item will pop up
the Was / Is File dialog box. The was/is file will have the
file extension .WAS. Select the file, press OK and the
designators on the schematic will be updated to match the
PCB.

Once the schematic has been back annotated, the

netlist no longer matches either the schematic or the
PCB. It is advisable to always keep all three files that
hold designator information consistent. So after re-
annotation in Advanced PCB, immediately do a back
annotation in Advanced Schematic and then create a
new netlist.

Never re-annotate more than once in Advanced PCB

without then doing a back annotate in Advanced
Schematic. If you do, the was list of designators in the
was/is file will no longer be a list of the schematic
designators, but a list of your last re-annotation in
Advanced PCB. A total miss match of designators can
occur, with a painful process of manual recovery. If
you are unhappy with the results when you re-
annotate in Advanced PCB, use Undo.

Netlist Load problems

Missing components or pins (PCB layout)
Advanced PCB reports missing component patterns or
missing pins when loading the netlist. These are usually due
to the following problems:
• The package description (or Footprint) is missing from
the schematic component information in the netlist, or
the package in the schematic does not match any
Advanced PCB library component. Make sure every part
in your schematic has a footprint and that there is a PCB

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component with this name in a PCB library when you

load the netlist (the library must be open in Advanced
PCB too).
It may be necessary to re-edit the schematic to include the
Footprint information, or additional Advanced PCB library
components may need to be created to match any unique
footprints in the design.
• If all components are present but pins are reported
missing, the cause is usually that the pin numbering of
the schematic component differs from PCB component.
Schematic libraries contain specific components and
devices. PCB component (decal) libraries contain generic
footprints which can belong to various specific components
- each having different pin assignments.

For example, a transistor shape can represent various

combinations of “E,” “B” and “C,” -- each of which must be
assigned to the correct pin number in the PCB layout
system. Diodes are a similar case, with pins often named
“A” and “K” in the schematic.
One solution is to leave the schematic pin designations as
“E,” “B” and “C” and then place components on the PCB
and change the pad designators to match. If you have a lot
of pin outs in the same orientation, you may want to make a
special version of the component in the library using the
correct pin identifiers. Another strategy is to use numbers in
the schematic component pin number field and use the E, B
C in the pin name field.

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Advanced Topics

Sheet templates

Re-entrant editing

Global editing

importing and exporting to databases

SPICE interface

EEsof interface

Xilinx interface

OrCAD compatibility

Protel DOS Schematic compatibility

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Resource Management

Advanced Schematic allows the user to ‘capture’ their

schematic on a computer. To do this, components are placed
from libraries and these components are then ‘wired’ to
create the schematic.
All the ‘doing’ functions in Advanced Schematic, such as
placing a component or a wire, changing the zoom level,
redrawing the screen and so on, are performed by
processes. To access these processes, Advanced Schematic
provides a set of resources.
Resources are the mechanism through which you launch
processes. To place a wire you can press the wire button on
the wiring toolbar. The wiring toolbar is a resource.
Alternatively, you could select the Place-Wire menu item.
Menus are also a resource. The other method of invoking a
process is to use the third set of resources available,
shortcut keys.
All the resources available in Advanced Schematic are fully
customizable. New menus, toolbars and shortcut key lists
can be created and all can be modified.

Advanced Schematic Resources

Advanced Schematic is supplied with a set of default
resources for both the Schematic Sheet and Schematic
Library document editors These default resources include;

Schematic Sheet Editor

SchematicLongMenu
SchematicShortMenu
SchematicTools
WiringTools

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DrawingTools
SchematicHotKeys
Schematic Library Editor
SchLibLongMenu
SchLibShortMenu
SchLibTools
SchLibDrawingTools
SchLibIEEETools
SchLibHotKeys

The default resources provided with Advanced Schematic

are defined in a resource file. Advanced Schematic, like all
servers that run in EDA Client, has a default resource file
with the file extension RCS. This file contains the
definitions of the default menus, toolbars and shortcut key
lists for both the Schematic Sheet Editor and the Schematic
Library Editor. These resources are known as system
resources and can not be removed from the environment.
Customization of resources are not stored in this file.
When the Advanced Schematic server is first installed, the
resource definitions are read from the Advanced Schematic
RCS file and added to the Client RCS file. Any
modifications or additions made to Advanced Schematic
resources are then recorded in the Client RCS file. It is not
necessary for the user to edit this file, as all resource
customization can be performed from within Advanced
Schematic.

EDA Client Resources

The total pool of resources available in EDA Client includes
those provided by Client, as well as any resources provided
by installed servers, such as Advanced Schematic. The first
time a server is installed, its default resources are added to
the Client RCS file. Modifications to the resources of any
server are recorded in the Client RCS file.

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Managing Resources
Managing resources can be broken down into three areas,
customizing, editing and configuring resources.

Customizing Resources
When you would like to select a different set of shortcut
keys, change to your custom menu or display a particular
toolbar, you need to customize the resources.
Selecting the Client menu-Customize menu item pops up
the Customize Resources dialog box. This dialog box
allows you to customize the resources currently available to
the active document editor. If a schematic sheet is the active
document then the Customize Resources dialog box will
give you access to the resources currently available to the
Schematic Sheet document editor. To customize the
resources of the active document editor, select the Client
menu-Customize menu item.
Customization includes; selecting another resource from
the list of resources available to this document editor
(perhaps choosing your own specialized menu), editing a
selected resource and toggling the display state of toolbars.
To add or remove resources to a particular document editor
refer to Configuring Resources below.

Editing Resources
Selecting the Client menu-Resource Editor menu item pops
up the Edit Resources dialog box. This dialog box gives
you access to the entire pool of resources currently
available in EDA Client. Here you can create resources and
remove resources from the environment. It is also possible
to edit any of the resources currently available in the Client
environment. To add or remove resources to a particular
document editor refer to Configuring Resources below.

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To edit a menu, simply double click anywhere in the

menu bar. To edit a toolbar simply double click on a
toolbar. To edit the current shortcut key list, select the
Client-menu Edit Shortcuts menu item.

Configuring Resources
To change what resources are available to a particular
document editor you must configure the resources of that
document editor. As an example, consider the case of
configuring the resources available in the Schematic Sheet
editor. If you intend to add your own resource, perhaps a
toolbar, first create the resource with the Resource Editor
(refer to the preceding paragraph on Editing Resources). To
then add the new toolbar to the Schematic Sheet editor
resources, select the Client menu-Servers menu item. In the
EDA Servers dialog box select the Sch server and press the
Configure button to pop up the Configure Server dialog
box. Now select the Sch document editor and press the
Toolbars button. This will pop up the Resource List Editor
dialog box. On the left of this dialog box is a list of all
toolbar resources currently available in the EDA Client
environment. On the right is a list of the toolbar resources
currently available to the Schematic Sheet document editor.
Simply select your new toolbar in the list on the left and
press the Add button. This toolbar will now be available
when you edit a schematic sheet. If the toolbar does not
appear when a schematic sheet is being edited it may need
to be made visible. Select the Client menu-Customize menu
item to pop up the Customize Resources dialog box. The
new toolbar should appear in the list of available toolbars.
Check the check box adjacent to the toolbar name to make
it visible.

Resetting Defaults
It is possible to return the resources of any server back to
their defaults at any time. To do this, select the Client menu-
Servers menu item. In the EDA Servers dialog box, select

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the appropriate server and press the Configure button. In

the Configure Server dialog box press the Default button.
Menus, toolbars and shortcut keys for the selected server
will be returned to their default state.

Pressing the Default button will return all the

resources for all the document editors provided by
this server, back to their defaults. To selectively
restore resources, only customize your own resources
so that at any stage you can selectively return to the
standard resources. To create your own resources,
refer to the Editing Resources section of this chapter.
To customize your own resources, refer to the
Customizing Resources section of this chapter. To
make your own resources available, refer to the
Configuring Resources section of this chapter.

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Sheet Templates

The sheet border, title block and included graphics make up

what is referred to as the sheet template. Advanced
Schematic is supplied with a number of sheet templates, one
for each size of sheet available. Sheet templates are saved
with a .DOT file extension.
User defined sheet templates can be created. They are
created in the same environment used for schematic editing.
Once created, these pre-defined templates can be applied to
new or existing projects.
As well as including custom title blocks and graphics, sheet
templates can include special strings to automatically add
document text when printing or plotting.

Special Strings
Special strings are text strings which are recognized by
Advanced Schematic and interpreted when the sheet is
printed or plotted. Each special string either links to a field
in the Organization Tab of the Document Options dialog
box, such as .TITLE, or provides current information, such
as .DATE. Special text strings can be placed either on a
sheet template or on a schematic sheet.
By placing the special strings on your sheet template, each
time you do a new design you will not need to accurately
place text, of the right font style and size, on every sheet.
You simply go to the Document Options dialog box for that
sheet and fill in the fields. When the sheet is printed, each
special string will be replaced by the text you entered into
the appropriate field of the Document Options dialog box.
If you wish to see the text that was entered in the Document
Options dialog box on the sheet, rather than waiting till it is

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printed, check the Convert Special Strings check box in the

Graphical Edit Tab of the Preferences dialog box (Options-
Schematic Preferences).

Use special string with your templates to provide

quick and consistent document text.
The Special string that are linked to the Document Options
dialog box are;
.ORGANIZATION Lists Organization field text.
.ADDRESS1 Lists text from first Address field.
.ADDRESS2 Lists text from second Address
field.
.ADDRESS3 Lists text from third Address
field.
.ADDRESS4 Lists text from fourth Address
field.
.SHEETNUMBER Lists text from Sheet No. field.
.SHEETTOTAL Lists text from Sheet Total field.
.TITLE Lists the Document Title text.
.DOCUMENTNUMBER Lists the Document No. text.
.REVISION List the Document Revision text.
The following special strings automatically insert the
current information at the time the document is printed.
.DOC_FILE_NAME The name of the schematic sheet
file.
.TIME The current time.
.DATE The current date.
To place a special string use the Place-Annotation process
launcher (shortcut: P, T).

Creating a Template
To define a template, first choose File-New to load an
empty sheet into the workspace, then:

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1. Choose Options-Document Option, Sheet Options

Tab.

2. Select the sheet size in the Standard Styles pull down.

3. Un-mark the Title Block check box and click OK.

Notice that the standard title block no longer appears on the
page. Zoom-in to the bottom right corner of the page to start
a custom title block.
Now to draw a new title block:

4. Choose the graphical line tool from the Drawing

Tools palette or use the Place- Line menu item.

5. Before starting the line, press the TAB key.

The Line dialog box opens.

6. Click in the Color box to open the Color Selector,

then scroll up to color number 4 (black).

7. Click OK to close the Color Selector dialog box then

click OK in the Line dialog box to accept this change.

8. Now, position the cursor in the sheet workspace and

click to begin the first title block line segment.

9. Click to mark the end of each segment, continue until

you have defined a box.

10. Press ESC key once to end the line and press ESC again
to exit the Place Line command.

11. Turn the snap grip off prior to placing text (View-
Snap Grid).
Now place text in the title block:

12. Choose Place-Text-Annotation from the menu bar.

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13. Before placing the text, press the TAB key to change
the text attributes.

14. Press the Font Change button.

15. In the Size field, type 16 and Click OK.

16. In the Text field type .TITLE and then click OK.
The special string .TITLE is mapped to the Title field in the
Document Options dialog box. Continue to define your
custom title block:

17. Position the cursor in the appropriate region of your

new title block, then click OK.

18. Press TAB to pop up the Annotation dialog box again.

Enter the .DOCUMENTNUMBER special string and
set the font to an appropriate size. Continue to place
the special strings in the appropriate regions of your
title block.

19. Press ESC to exit the place text annotation command.

20. Graphics can be included in the template. Use the

Place-Graphic process launcher to place a graphic on
your template.

When you place a graphic the graphical image is not

included in the document, only a pointer to the
graphic file. If you move the design to another PC, the
graphic file will need to move too.
Now save this sheet as a template:

20. Choose File-Save As from the menu bar.

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21. Type MY_SHEET.DOT (or whatever name you would

like to use) in the Filename field. Before you click
OK, check the Path to see where the template will be
saved. The default location for Protel sheet templates
is the \ADVSCH directory. If necessary, change
directories and click OK.
The extension .DOT defines this file as a sheet template.
This template can be loaded into a single existing sheet or
an entire hierarchical project.

Don’t forget to turn the snap grid back on after you

finish designing your template.
Your template is now ready for use. You can specify that
this template be used automatically whenever a new file is
created. To do this select the Options-Schematic
Preferences menu item. In the Preferences dialog box, at the
bottom of the Schematic Tab, press the Browse button.
Locate and select your template. When you click OK and
return to the Preferences dialog box, your template name
will appear in the Default Template File field. Click OK to
close the dialog box. When you select File-New, the new
sheet will use your template. Note that the objects that make
up the template can not be edited now, any changes have to
be made to the template itself.
Templates can also be applied to the active sheet or all open
sheets at any time. The Options menu has three menu items
for working with templates;
• Update Current Template - use this if you have modified
a template and need to “re-fresh” the sheets which use it.
You will be asked if you wish to update the template for
all currently open files. Click No if you wish to only re-
fresh the active sheet.
• Set Template File Name - this removes the existing
template and uses the one you choose.
• Remove Template - removes the template (but retains the
sheet size from the old template).

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Re-entrant Editing

Advanced Schematic allows the user to launch a process

whilst currently executing a process. This facility is known
as re-entrant editing. This is a powerful feature, allowing
you to perform an operation without having to quit from the
operation you are currently carrying out.
Re-entrant editing allows you to work more flexibly and
intuitively. For example, you start placing a wire then
remember that it is to be connected to a port. There is no
need to drop out of Place Wire mode, simply press the Place
Port shortcut keys (P, R), place the port first and then
connect the wire to it.

Accessing another process while executing a process

is only possible via the shortcut keys.
Any number of processes can be competed within another
process. The number of times another process can be
launched before the current process is complete depends on
the demands each of these incomplete processes is placing
on the software. For graphical type processes
approximately ten processes can be nested. A dialog box
will pop up if the limit has been reached.
A simple example of this feature is to change views while
placing an object, then place an object whilst already
placing an object.
• Open a new schematic sheet (F, N)
• Change the zoom level to fit the entire sheet (V, F)
• Select the Place-Port menu item
• The crosshair cursor will appear with a power port
floating on it.

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• While the power port is still floating on the cursor,

change the zoom level by press the V, A shortcut keys.
• The power port will disappear from the cursor. Click left
to define the first corner, drag across to define a small
view area and click left again.
• You will zoom in and the power port will re-appear.
• Before placing the power port, press the P, W shortcut
keys to put you in place wire mode.
• Again the power port will disappear. click left to define
the start point of the wire. Move the mouse across and
click again to place a wire segment. Place a few more
wire segments.
• Click right mouse to terminate this wire, then click left
mouse to drop out of place wire mode.
• The power port will re-appear on the cursor, ready for
placement.

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Global Editing

As well as being able to edit the attributes of a single object,

Advanced Schematic also allows you to apply these edits to
other objects of the same type on the current document, or
if you wish across the entire project .
Additionally, you can further define conditions that either
extend or restrict global changes. For example, changes can
be applied to all objects that are selected or all objects that
are not currently selected, or the change can be applied
without regard to the object’s selection status. If desired,
you can create a complex set of conditions for applying
changes.
Virtually every one of these editable object attributes can
be globally applied. A simple example would be changing
the color assigned to all wire segments associated with a
specific net. In another instance the designer may wish to
change the color of all wires associated with a certain line
width, etc. These options (and more) are possible with
global editing. The possible applications for global changes
are limited only by the imagination of the design engineer.

The large number of global change options may make

this feature appear somewhat complex at first.
However, the principles of applying global changes
are reasonably simple, once understood. When
mastered, this feature can be an important
productivity tool that can save a great deal of manual
editing of a schematic.
Each object’s dialog box may contain different options
since each object type may have unique attributes.

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Cross-project global editing

Advanced Schematic supports global editing of schematic
objects throughout a multi-sheet, hierarchical project. This
feature allows users to change items located in various parts
of a project or impose style changes throughout all open
sheets in the current project.

Global Editing Strategies

While the presentation of global change options may
appear differently in the various object dialog boxes, the
strategy used is always the same. This description will
outline the approach to global editing.

Current Attributes
When you double click on an object, you are presented with
the dialog box for that type of object. This dialog box
contains the current values or settings of the attributes of
that object.
Change the attributes you would like to alter.
Pressing the Options button will extend the dialog box
(except for the Edit Part dialog box, which has no Options
button as the Match By and Copy Attributes columns are
already available).

Attributes to Match By
In the center of the dialog box there will now be a column
titled Attributes To Match By. In the Attributes To Match
By column you define how you want to identify the other
objects to apply the global change to.
The Attributes To Match By column will contain either a
choice field for each attribute or a text field which you can
type in.
The choice field has three options: Same (apply global
changes if this object attribute is matched in the target
object); Different (apply global changes if this attribute is

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not a match in the target object) and Any (the default)

which applies the change irrespective of whether the
attribute has the same value in both objects.
If the Match By attributes are all set to any and the text
fields contain the wildcard symbol (*), then the global
change will apply to all objects of this type.
Use combinations of Match By attributes to define a
particular set of objects to apply the change to.

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

Change Scope
The last parameter to set is the change scope. This will be;
the current item, all matching items in this document, or all
matching items in the documents that make up the project.
Other open documents which are not part of the project will
not be affected.
Any attribute can be globally changed if the object’s dialog
box includes a Match By and Copy field for that Attribute
field.

Using wildcards when globally editing text

Many objects include text fields. These text fields allow
you to use wildcards to define changes. This applies to
parts, net labels, annotations (single line text), sheet
symbols, sheet entries, ports and power ports.
Separate Edit-Find Text and Edit-Replace Text process
launchers allow text replacement across different object

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types. These processes also support the wildcard search and

replace syntax, described below.

Syntax for wildcard search and replace edits

The Match By field defines which strings will be edited. If *
is displayed (the default), all strings for this field are
available to be globally edited. This can be limited by
defining specific cases, for example S* will limit the fields
to strings beginning with S, etc. Wildcards are case in-
sensitive.
The Copy field for text strings is used to define the changes
to be made to the string. This field can be used in two ways.
If you wish to replace the entire contents of this field with a
new value, remove the braces, “{” and “}” and enter the
new value.
If you only want to replace a portion of the text in this field,
then the syntax is {oldtext=newtext}. This means, change
the portion of the string "oldtext" to "newtext". You can use
multiple sets of brackets to define complex replacements. In
this case the leftmost replacement is made, then the next
one, etc. Although this is very powerful, you must take care,
because the first change can effect subsequent
replacements, possibly generating an unexpected result.
An example of when string substitution might be used is if
you needed to change all the IC designators from IC1, IC2,
IC3, ... to U1, U2, U3, .... In this case the syntax for the Copy
Attributes Designator field would be {IC=U}.
You can further limit the replacement by typing
{!Text=text} to make the changes case sensitive. In this
case, "Text" becomes "text". Otherwise replacement is case
in-sensitive by default.
Any mistakes can be undone by the Undo feature.

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Summary
With care and planning the designer can experience
significant productivity benefits from this powerful feature.
However, the very power of these options can contribute to
some unanticipated results -- particularly when complex
selections are globally edited. When in doubt, it’s always
safest to De-Select All (shortcut: X, A), then create a fresh
selection. Remember, the Undo/Redo features allow you to
recover several operations, if required. However, it is
recommended that you maintain adequate back-up versions
of your work files as well. It is also prudent to maintain a
separate archived version of the work file.

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Linking to Databases

Advanced Schematic includes two powerful and flexible

methods of linking to external databases.
• ‘Hot linking’ of component part fields to external
databases. This feature allows mapping of external
database information directly to the component part
fields on the schematic sheet.
• Database import and export features. These allow you to
export and import the value of any attribute, of any
object, placed in the Schematic Sheet Editor.
Each of these methods of linking to a database is described
in detail below.

Hot Linking to a Database

Hot linking to a database allows real time merging of
external database information with the part fields of the
components used in your schematic.
The links that are created to an external database do not
belong to a individual component or an particular sheet,
they are applied to every component on every sheet that is
opened in Advanced Schematic. These links are stored in
the Advanced Schematic INI file and are available each
time Advanced Schematic is run.
To define the links, select the Options-Schematic
Preferences menu item to pop up the Preferences dialog
box and select the Database Links Tab. Each of the sixteen
component part fields can be linked to a database. They can
all be linked to the same database, or each to a different
database.

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Establishing the Links

To establish the links between a part field and a database,
press one of the Links For Part Field... buttons. This will
pop up the Database Linking Configuration for Part Field
(X) dialog box.
The first step is to check the Enable External Link check
box. The next step is to select the database you wish to link
to. Enter the Database Filename (including the full path) or
use the browse button to locate the database. Once the
database is selected you must map the key fields.

To facilitate rapid enabling and disabling of the

external links, there is check box beside each Links
For Part Field... button in the Database Links Tab of
the Preferences dialog box.

Mapping the Key Fields

The purpose of mapping the key fields is to establish how to
identify the desired record in the external database. For
example, consider a database that contains a list of
components, with each component record including details
like tolerance, supplier, price etc. You may wish to use the
component name in the database as the record identifier.
This field name could then be mapped to the schematic
component’s library reference, so that when their contents
match the link is established. Once the link is established
between a record in the database and a component part
field, the contents of any field in that record can be
extracted from the record and loaded into the component
part field.
The Key Fields region of the Database Linking
Configuration for Part Field (X) dialog box contains two
drop down list boxes. The Database drop down list box will
contain a list of the field names in the linked external
database. Select which database field you wish to use as the
record identifier.

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The Schematic drop down list box will contain a list of all
of the editable attributes of a schematic part. Select which
part attribute you wish to match against the database field.

To successfully link to an external database, the

contents of the Key Fields must match. For example,
if you map a database field with the name
CompName, to the schematic component attribute
LibReference, when the contents of CompName is the
same as the component LibReference, the link is
established. The contents of one of the fields of this
record will then be transferred to the part field.

Mapping the Data

The final step in establishing the link is to identify which
field in the database will provide the information to load
into this component part field. For the example mentioned
above, where the component name in the database is
mapped to the component library reference, you may wish
to extract the price information for this component and load
it into this part field.
To map which database field is to have its contents loaded
into the part field, select the field name in the Database
Data Field drop down list box. For the above example
where you wished to extract the price information, the name
of the field which contains the price information would be
selected.
Once the linking is finalized, click OK to close the Database
Linking Configuration for Part Field (X) dialog box.

Updating the Data

The links between databases and component part fields are
dynamic. That is, the information can be refreshed to keep it
up to date. This can be done manually at any time by
pressing the Update button in the Database Links Tab of the
Preferences dialog box, or it can be done automatically at
the time interval specified.

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Using an Index File

If the database that is being linked to is large, updates can
take a long time as Advanced Schematic scans the database
attempting to match field contents for each part in the
schematic. To speed this process, an index file can be
created for each database being linked too. An index file
provides a fast search mechanism for Advanced Schematic
to locate a record in a database. If you wish to create an
index file, simply press the Rebuild Index File(s) Rebuild
button. An index file will be created for each database
being linked too. The button is labeled Rebuild to remind
you that if the external database is being changed, for
example records added or removed, then the index file
should periodically be rebuilt to ensure the database is
being searched correctly. If an index file exists, it will be
used for searching. If there is no index file then the actual
database will be searched.

Importing and Exporting to a Database

Each object (or primitive) that can be placed in Advanced
Schematic has a set of attributes. For example, a wire has
three attributes; color, width and selection. A component
has 33 attributes. The import and export facilities allow you
to select which attributes are to have their values
transferred to or from the database, it may be for two of the
attributes, or it may be all. You can also specify the scope
of the export or import. The scope can be the current sheet,
the current project or all open sheets.
Once the values of the selected attributes have been
exported into a database, they can then be processed by any
DBMS (DataBase Management System) or spreadsheet
application that can read the chosen database format. The
supported formats include dBase III and dBase IV. The
querying, manipulation and editing facilities of the DBMS
can then be used to edit the database.

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To be able to successfully export to a database, manipulate

the data and then import from that database, there needs to
be some way of uniquely identifying each instance of a
primitive within the scope of the import. To identify each
primitive on the sheet and on which sheet that primitive
belongs, primitives include special location attributes.
There are two special location attributes. Every primitive
has the Document File Name attribute to identify which
sheet it came from. Primitives which do not have their own
X - Y location information, such as wires or lines, also have
a Vertex Array attribute which creates an array of the
vertices that make up each wire or line. When importing
from a database these location attributes are then used as
Key Attributes, attributes which the software will use to
identify each instance of a primitive as it loads the
information from the database.

Exporting to a Database
Selecting the File-Export to Database process launcher will
pop up the Export to Database dialog box.

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A default name will be provided for each database you

export, based on the primitive selected.

Selecting the Primitives

The Primitives list box provides access to each of the
primitives (or objects) available in Advanced Schematic.
The desired primitives are selected and added to the
Selected Primitives list box.
Once a primitive is added you then select which attributes
of that primitive you would like to export in the Attributes
list box. Continue with this process for each of the
primitives you require; select the primitive, then select the
attributes for that primitive. Remember, for each primitive
selected there will be a separate database created.

For each primitive that is selected, a separate

database will be created.
Each type of attribute will become a field of cells in the
database, which must be identified. A field name is
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automatically assigned for each type of attribute when you

export to a database.

Selecting the Attributes

For each primitive you select, you choose which attributes
of that primitive are to be exported.

When exporting, you must include the appropriate

location attributes if you intend to later import the
database. Without these location identifiers, the
import feature will not be able to match the database
fields with each instance of the primitive on their
respective sheets.

Setting the Scope

Once the primitives and their attributes have been selected,
set the export scope. The Schematic Sheet Editor has three
options for the scope, the Current Sheet, the Current Project
or All Open Sheets.

Export Report
After the export process is complete a report file will be
generated and opened in Text Expert. The report will list all
database files that have been created and the number of
records written to each file.

Importing from a Database

Selecting the File-Import from Database process launcher
will pop up the Import from Database dialog box. Locate
and select the database file and click OK. This will pop up
the Add New primitive To Schematic dialog box, where
primitive will be the name of the type of primitives stored in
the chosen database.

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Importing from a database is a process of transferring

information in the database to instances of primitives in
your design. To achieve this you must establish what you
wish to extract from the database and identify where it is to
go. To establish what you wish to extract, you map the
Database Fields to the Schematic Object’s Attributes. To
identify where it is to go you must set the scope in the
Import Options and the check the Key Attributes.

Mapping the Attributes

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

Setting the Key

To identify how to locate an object on a sheet, key field(s)
must be selected. Each attribute in the Mapped Attributes
list box has a check box next to it. The check box specifies
if an attributes is to be used as a key field.

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In the Mapped Attributes list box, select an attribute which

uniquely identifies an instance of that object and check its
check box. Examples of appropriate key attributes are X
location, Y location, Document File Name and Vertex
Array. You must select the appropriate key attributes to
identify each instance of the object for the scope of the
import. If the import scope is current sheet, X location and
Y location (or vertex array) will be sufficient. If the scope is
over more than one sheet, include the Document File Name
attribute as well.

Import Options - Scope

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

Import Options - Action

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

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Spice Interface

Advanced Schematic includes support for interfacing from

schematic capture to a SPICE or PSPICE analog simulator.
This support includes;
• SPICE component library
• PSPICE component library
• Exporting of simulation parameters into netlists
• SPICE netlist creation option
• SPICE MAP file creation

SPICE netlist support

The SPICE netlist option has some unique options,
compared to other netlist formats. These options allow the
user to extract the necessary information to generate a
SPICE netlist file directly from the schematic.
Berkeley Spice currently supports both numeric (Net
Numbers) and alphanumeric (Net Names) net identifiers.
Earlier versions of SPICE (and some commercial SPICE
programs) only support net numbers.
When you generate a SPICE format netlist, Advanced
Schematic will give the option of net names or net numbers.
If you choose to use net numbers, then Advanced schematic
will generate net identifiers starting at 10000. If you place
net labels on the schematic sheet, they will be ignored
unless they are numeric. For example the net label 27 will
be used in the netlist, but the net label VCC1 will be
overridden by a numeric net identifier greater than 10000.
If you choose net names instead of numbers then all net
labels from the schematic will be used.

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Auto-generated numeric net names begin with

“10000.”

SPICE Text Frames

If you have a text frame with the word SPICE as the first
line, then all the information stored in that text frame will
be dumped directly at the beginning of the Spice netlist file.
You can have any number of these Spice text frames,
anywhere in the schematic project and all will be included
at the beginning of the Spice netlist file, so things like
model information for components, etc. will be placed here
along with directives to the Spice compiler, such as probe.
A sample of the spice format text frame can be found at the
end of this chapter.

The Spice keyword is not added to the netlist.

OrCAD Pipe directives are converted to text frames

when loading OrCAD schematics.

Voltage and Current Sources

In the SPICE.LIB library there are special components for
voltage and current sources. These should be used to insert
stimulus information into the netlist file. For Example, if an
independent voltage source is required between net 13 and
Ground then the required line in the file may be
VIN 13 0 AC 1 SIN(0 0.1 5MEG)
To create this line, set the designator of the voltage source
component to VIN, and the part type to "AC 1 SIN(0 0.1
5MEG)", Advanced Schematic will add the required nodes
numbers.

Spice Power Ports

For compatibility with OrCAD, Power Ports can be used to
pass information about power inputs to the Spice netlist. If
the string "AC" or "DC" appears in a power object, then a

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special conversion is done on the string net power object

and it is written to the Spice netlist in a special format. For
example, if you have a power object and the string in the
power object is "VCC DC 12" then one of the nets that is
created as VCC, will have the attribute DC 12 attached to it
in Spice format. In addition, in the MAP file, that same
information will be written out as the net name VCC DC 12.

Map files
The Spice format creates two MAP files in addition to the
netlist files. A list of the node numbers, cross referenced to
the net names is placed in the first MAP file because many
Spice systems can't handle alphanumeric net names. Also,
it's important to use the Spice library, because Spice
systems can only support numeric node numbers (or pin
names). So, for example, if you have a transistor, you have
to convert E, B and C to 1,2 and 3, etc. Protel will add a
library called SPICE which will have components in those
formats. Users should either restrict component use to the
Spice library, or modify their transistor libraries, etc. to
support those conventions.
You can embed text in a schematic which will be compiled
into a Spice netlist by placing a text frame(s) on any part of
your project. Each text frame must start with the word
SPICE on the first line of the text box and any further
information is placed on the proceeding lines.

Sample Text Frame

Below is a complete example of text inserted in a text frame
for use in a Spice netlist.
SPICE
SPICE E XAMPLE C IRCUIT

* CONTROL STATEMENTS
.OPT ACCT LIST NODE OPTS
.WIDTH OUT=80
.TEMP 35
.OP

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.TF V(5) VIN

.DC VIN -0.25 0.25 0.005
.AC DEC 10 10KHZ 10MEG
.TRAN 5NS 500NS
.SENS V(5)
.NOISE V(5) VIN 20
.FOUR 5MEG V(5)
.DISTO RC1

.MODEL QNL NPN (BF=80 RB=100 CCS=2PF TF=0.3NS TR=6NS

CJE=3PF CJC=2PF VA=50)

* OUTPUT STATEMENTS
.PRINT DC V(4) V(5) I(VCC)
.PLOT DC V(4) V(5)
.PRINT AC VM(5) VP(5)
.PLOT AC VM(5) VP(5)
.PRINT NOISE INOISE ONOISE
.PLOT NOISE INOISE ONOISE
.PRINT TRAN/ALL V(4) V(5) I(VCC)
.PLOT TRAN V(4) V(5) I(VCC)
.PRINT DISTO HD2 HD3
.PLOT DISTO HD2 HD3
.SAVE

This information is automatically dumped in the beginning

of a SPICE netlist. Refer to On-line help for more
information about SPICE netlist generation.

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EEsof Interface

EEsof Simulation support

Advanced Schematic includes netlist output formats for
EEsof® Libra™ and EEsof Touchstone™ and a simulation
model library, HP-EESOF.LIB. The EEsof Touchstone
format is for linear simulation and the EEsof Libra format is
for non-linear simulation. Both EEsof netlist formats are
saved using the special file extension “.CKT.”

Setting component parameters

Component objects have been specially extended to
encompass the EEsof simulation parameters. Users can
define simulation parameters in an existing part using the
extended part field controls in the library editor and the
Edit Part dialog box.

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Part Fields 1-8 Tab of an Edit Part dialog box for an EEsof part. In this
library, part fields have been named for the simulation parameters. These
parameters are compiled into the CKT block of an EEsof Libra or EEsof
Touchstone netlist.

When an EEsof netlist is output from Advanced Schematic,

part field names and the text in the part fields of a
component are compiled directly into the netlist. Part field
text is defined in the dialog box for the part. Part field
names are defined in the library editor. See the Library
Editor chapter for more information on defining part field
names.
When an EEsof netlist is output any text in the part fields of
a component are compiled into the CKT section of the
netlist and an equal sign “=” is automatically placed
between the part field name and the part field text. For the
component shown in the previous diagram the following
would appear in the CKT section of the netlist;
!Microstrip Lange Coupler
MLANG_T38 516 519 517 518 &
W=1.8 &
S=1 &
L=100 &
W1^W50

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Several conventions are used to conform to the syntax of

the EEsof netlist. See your EEsof documentation for more
information on netlist syntax, usage and parameter
definitions. The following marks are used in part field
names to indicate the use or syntax:

indicates an optional parameter;

<> indicates the text in the part field will appear in the
EEsof netlist on a line by itself;

(=) indicates no “=” will be inserted between the part

field name and the text in the part field.
The following mark is used only in a part field:

^ inserted before a character in a part field overrides

the default “=” inserted between the part field name
and the part field.

Embedded text blocks

You can embed text in a schematic which will be compiled
into an EEsof netlist by placing a text frame(s) on any part
of your project. Each text frame must start with the syntax
“EESOF_<DataBlockName>”, where <DataBlockName> is
the name of the data type being defined. This must appear
on the first line (by itself) and any further information
placed on subsequent lines.

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Embedded text frames are used to place information into a section of an

EEsof netlist, specified by the data block name, on the first line of the

text frame. This example is from the file EESOF1.PRJ.

General simulation settings

When the EEsof Touchstone or Libra netlist format is
designated during netlisting, a special dialog box is
displayed:

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This dialog box opens when the Tools-Create Netlist process launcher is
used and an EEsof format is designated.

This dialog box allows users to select the desired unit

values for each simulation measurement field. For example,
for Frequency the designer can choose from the units GHz,
Hz, KHz or MHz. This information is attached to the DIM
section of an EEsof netlist.

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Xilinx Interface

Advanced Schematic can be used to perform the design

entry stage of the Xilinx FPGA design process. Advanced
Schematic supports the hierarchical design methodology
used by Xilinx and can produce a Xilinx .XNF hierarchical
format netlist, ready for processing by the Xilinx XMake
utility.

General
The FPGA design can be partitioned in a structured, logical
manner over a number of schematic sheets, using either the
simple or complex hierarchical models. Refer to the chapter
Multi-Sheet Designs and Project Management for more
information on hierarchical designs.
Protel Advanced Schematic supports Xilinx Unified
libraries and XNF 5.0. The special libraries supplied
implement the complete Xilinx Unified Library symbol set.
The netlist generator uses information encoded in the
component fields of these libraries to generate the XNF 5.0
files.

Libraries
The following libraries should be used for all Xilinx
designs created using Advanced Schematic.
2000 Series - XC2000.Lib
3000 Series - XC3000.Lib
4000 Series - XC4000.Lib

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7000 Series - XC7000.Lib

XBLOX designs - XBlox.Lib

Special Library Fields

In these libraries the first four library text fields are
reserved.

Library Field 1
LibName The component library name

Library Field 2
Flags PRIMITIVE, XMACRO, UNIFIED

Library Field 3
PrimName for example, AND3B1 becomes AND

Library Field 4
ExtraParams for example, INIT=S for some IO D Flip-Flops

Components
2000 AND 3000 Family CLB and IOB Components
Parameters are passed to CLB and IOB components via the
component Part Fields. Part Field 1 must contain the string
CFG to indicate that configuration parameters follow. An
example of the syntax to pass parameters to CLB and IOB
components is;
Part Field 1: CFG
Part Field 2: CONFIG X:F G:QY DX:F CLK:K
Part Field 3: BASE FG
Part Field 4: EQUATE F=((A@B)*~C)

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Part Field 5: EQUATE G=((A@B)*~C)

The XNF netlist for this SYMbol will then include;
CFG, CONFIG X:F G:QY DX:F CLK:K
CFG, BASE FG
CFG, EQUATE F=((A@B)*~C)
CFG, EQUATE G=((A@B)*~C)

Symbols
Pad Symbols
UPAD Connects the I/O Node of an IOB to the internal PLD circuit

IOPAD Input/Output Pad

IPAD Input Pad

OPAD Output Pad

Special Purpose Symbols

MD0 Mode 0/Input pad used for readback trigger input

MD1 Mode 1/Output pad used for readback data output

MD2 Mode 2/Input pad

TMS Boundary-Scan test mode select input pad

TCK Boundary-Scan test clock input pad

TDI Boundary-Scan test data input pad

TDO Boundary-Scan test data output pad

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FMAP F Function generator partitioning control symbol

HMAP H function generator partitioning control system

IOB IOB configuration symbol

STARTUP User interface to global clock, reset and 3-state controls

TIMEGRP Schematic-level table of basic timing specification groups

TIMESPEC Schematic-level table of timing requirements

Tags
Pin Tags
These components should be placed with their pin directly
on the target pin.

I Pin name for macro - Place on net. Used to specify the pin-
name on a macro symbol that connects to this net (only
needed if the net name is different than the macro symbol’s
pin name)

K Specify method of bringing in a signal that drives the clock

pin of 2000 series CLB flip-flop. This tag tells the system to
use the K pin of the CLB to bring in the signal.

G Specify method of bringing in a signal that drives the clock

pin of 2000 series CLB flip-flop. This tag forces the G pin
to be used.

P Pin lock. This adds the pin lock parameter to the PIN
record.

Signal Tags
GND Ground-Connection Signal Tag

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VCC VCC-Connection signal tag

C Critical - Place on net. Indicates critical path for net. XACT

will try to minimize delays on this net

X External - Place on net. XNFMAP ensures that is net is not

placed inside a the combinatorial logic of a CLB

N Non-Critical - Place on net. Indicates non-critical path for

net. XACT gives this net low priority.

L LongLine - Place on net. XACT will attempt to use a long

line to route this net; this is useful for nets with high fan-
out and needing long skew.

S Save - Place on net. Prevents XNFMAP from removing

unconnected signals.

P Pinlock - Place on net (CLBMAP primitives only). This

specifies that APR is not to move the CLBMAP pin to
which the net is attached.

SC Skew-Critical - Place on net. Indicates net that is skew-

critical. This net will be routed by PPR to minimize
differences between load delays.

W Weight (Relative routing priority) - Place on net. Specify

the weight (1-99) by entering the value in Weight field for
the part.

I Place on net. Any CLB clocks driven by this net are

connected to the C input.

G CLB Clock Directive - Place on net. Any CLB clocks driven

by this net are connected to the G input.

K CLB Clock Directive - Place on net. Any CLB clocks driven

by this net are connected to the K input.

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TNM Time Name Directive - Place on net. Used in conjunction

with TIMESPEC symbols. Add the name to the Name field
of the part.

PIN Pin name for macro - Place on net. Used to specify the pin-
name on a macro symbol that connects to this net (only
need if the net name is different than the macro symbols
pin name)

TS TS Identifier - Place on net. Used in conjunction with

TIMESPEC symbols. Place the string 'TSidentifier' eg TS01
in one of the parameters fields of the part

Simulation Information
Simulation Probes
Probes can be used to pass information to the VST
simulator. If the string CLOCK is entered into the Name
field of the Probe then the user defined parameter
=TRC=CLOCK will be generated for the appropriate SIG
record in the XNF file. If you wish to use Probe with a
different simulator, you must place the whole parameter in
the probe. For example if the string
=PROTELPROBE=CLOCK is entered into the Name field of
the Probe the system will not generate the =TRC= prefix.

Simulation Stimulus
Simulation Stimulus objects can be used to pass
information to the VST simulator. If the string
0:0 500:T 1000:G:0
is placed in a simulation Stimulus then the user defined
parameter
=STM=" 0:0 500:T 1000:G:0 "

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will be generated for the appropriate SIG record in the XNF

file. If you wish to use a different simulator parameter you
must place the whole parameter in the simulation Stimulus.
For example entering
=PROTELSTIMULUS=" 0:0 500:T 1000:G:0 "
(or whatever XNF format that the simulator supports) will
result in this entire string being added as a parameter to the
SIG record and the system will not generate the =STM=
prefix.

Defining Timing Requirements

TIMESPEC
The TIMESPEC primitive can be used as a place holder for
timing specifications, which are called TS attribute
definitions.
These are specified in a Text Frame with the following
syntax;

XILINX
TIMESPEC
TS01=FROM:INPADS:TO:COMPARE=30
TS02=FROM:COMPARE:TO:CONTROL=30
TS03=FROM:CONTROL:TO:CNT=30
TS04=FROM:CONTROL:TO:FREQ=20
TS05=FROM:CONTROL:TO:RANDOM=25
TS06=FROM:RANDOM:TO:COMPARE=35
TS07=FROM:RANDOM:TO:LEDS=45
TS08=FROM:FREQ:TO:SEGS=40
TS09=FROM:RANDOM:TO:COMPARE=40
TS10=FROM:RANDOM:TO:RANDOM=25

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TIMEGRP
To create a group of groups, the TIMEGRP attribute can be
used. TIMEGRP is specified in a Text Frame and has the
following syntax;
XILINX
TIMEGRP
=CNT=CCNT:DCNT

Each TIMEGRP must be in a separate text frame.

Specifying the Part Type

The target device is specified using a text frame with the
following syntax;
XILINX
PARTTYPE=4005PC84-4

XNF netlists
To generate the XNF netlist select the Tools-Create Netlist.

The Netlist server must be installed to be able to

create a netlist. To install the Netlist server, select the
Client Menu-Servers process launcher. For more
information on installing a server, refer to the chapter
A Quick Tour of EDA Client.
In the Netlist Creation dialog box set the output format to
Xilinx XNF 5.0. If the design has been structured in a
hierarchical manner, set the Net Identifier Scope to Sheet
Symbol / Port Connections.
When using the XNF netlist generator, make sure that the
following netlist options are off.
• Append Sheet Numbers to Net Names
• Descend into Sheet parts.

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• Include Un-Named single pin nets.

A separate XNF file will be created for each sheet in the
design. These XNF files are merged when you run the
XMake utility.

structure
The XNF netlist has the following structure
LCANET,5 header for Unified Library version 5
PROG,Protel Advanced Schematic,3.0,"Created From ENCODE.SCH at 14:38:39 on 28-
May-1995" comment
PWR,0,N00207
SYM,U54,INV,SCHNM=INV,LIBVER=2.0.0 Primitive type symbol specification
SYM symbol
U54 designator (from designator field)
INV primitive name (from Library field 3)
SCHNM=INV schematic name (from Part Type field)
LIBVER=2.0.0 version of Xilinx library
PIN,I,I,N00216 pin information for one pin of U54
PIN
I pin name
I pin type (input)
N00216 name of net connecting to this pin
PIN,O,O,SW0 pin information for second pin of U54
END end of SYMbol definition
SYM,U55,INV,SCHNM=INV,LIBVER=2.0.0
PIN,I,I,N00217
PIN,O,O,SW1
END
SYM,U56,INV,SCHNM=INV,LIBVER=2.0.0
PIN,I,I,N00218
PIN,O,O,SW2
END
SYM,U151,X74_148,LIBVER=2.0.0,SYSTEM=XMACRO unified library type symbol spec.

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SYM symbol
U151 designator (from designator field)
X74_148 part type (from Part Type field)
LIBVER=2.0.0 version of Xilinx library
SYSTEM=XMACRO unified library XMACRO
PIN,A0,O,N00216 first pin specification for U151
PIN,A1,O,N00217
PIN,A2,O,N00218
PIN,EI,I,N00207
PIN,EO,O,PRESS
PIN,I0,I,IN0
PIN,I1,I,IN1
PIN,I2,I,IN2
PIN,I3,I,IN3
PIN,I4,I,IN4
PIN,I5,I,IN5
PIN,I6,I,IN6
PIN,I7,I,IN7 last pin specification for U151
END end of SYMbol definition
EOF end of XNF file

If Part fields are used, they are appended to the end of the
SYM string, comma delimited in the same way.

Supplied Example Projects

There are four example projects supplied with Advanced
Schematic, one for each of the 2000, 3000 4000 and 7000
series devices.

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OrCAD Compatibility

Overview
Both schematic sheet files and libraries from OrCAD SDT 3,
SDT 4 and SDT 386+ can be used with Advanced
Schematic. OrCAD SDT files are loaded using the File-
Open process launcher, just like Advanced Schematic files.
All OrCAD SDT design objects are supported by the
Schematic Editor. When you choose File-Save, the file can
be saved in one of the three following formats: Protel
binary (the Advanced Schematic native format), Protel
ASCII (a text version of the Advanced Schematic format) or
OrCAD binary.

SDT 3/4 sheet files

When you open an OrCAD sheet file in Advanced
Schematic, all SDT 3/4 and 386+ design objects and data
are available for editing. These sheets can be edited, saved
in OrCAD SDT 4 format then re-opened and edited in SDT
4.

Backwards compatibility to OrCAD SDT

Advanced Schematic supports all OrCAD SDT 3/4 and
386+ design objects and other database elements when you
open OrCAD sheets. When you save an Advanced
Schematic file in OrCAD SDT format, most sheet elements
are supported at some level. However, Advanced Schematic
includes a number of attributes for objects that are not
supported by OrCAD, such as color or font assignments for
individual objects and text fields longer than 128

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characters. If you keep these limitations in mind when

working in Advanced Schematic you will be able to save a
compatible OrCAD format file.
“Fully-compatible” means that the feature will be translated
back to its normal OrCAD version, without the need to
perform any manual editing or clean-up.

Feature Back-compatibility to OrCAD

Part (from OrCAD) Fully-compatible, library level text
fields and text fields are limited to
maximum 128 characters.
Text Fully-compatible, limited to
maximum 128 characters per field.
Label Fully-compatible, limited to
maximum 128 characters per field..
Wire Fully-compatible.
Bus Fully-compatible.
Junction Fully-compatible.
Bus entry Fully-compatible.
Port Fully-compatible to the Module Port,
if the OrCAD Ports option is enabled
(Options-Preferences dialog box).
Sheet Symbol Fully-compatible
Sheet entry Fully-compatible with OrCAD sheet
net.
Text Limited to 128 characters, no
support for individual font, point
size or color assignments.
Dashed line Fully-compatible.
Trace name Fully-compatible.
Vector Fully-compatible.
Stimulus Fully-compatible.

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 User Guide

No connect Fully-compatible.
Layout directive Fully-compatible, additional Protel-
specific fields are not supported by
OrCAD SDT/PCB.
Part from Protel Vector components must have
OrCAD library entries with display
bitmaps. Connectivity is preserved if
all pins are in contact with a vector
component body.
Sheet Fully-compatible.
Connectivity rules OrCAD may not deem some
overlapped wires/pins as connected.
All butted connections are
recognized.
Warning: Saving files in OrCAD (SDT 4) binary
format can cause the loss of some file and primitive
information that is not fully-supported by the OrCAD
format. Lost information may include some graphical
objects, design object text fields exceeding 128
characters, imported images, color and font
assignments, etc. Consult your OrCAD documentation
to determine supported data types and limits.

OrCAD Design Objects, terminology and

conventions
OrCAD Design Objects types are listed below, along with
Advanced Schematic equivalents. Other OrCAD terms and
procedures (and the Protel equivalents) are defined in the
Glossary and relevant sections of the User Guide and/or
Reference Manual.

OrCAD object Protel equivalent

Module Port Port
Sheet Symbol Sheet symbol

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Advanced Schematic

Sheet Net Sheet entry

Power Object Power port
No Connect Suppress ERC (electrical rules
check)
Trace Simulation probe directive
Vector Simulation Test Vector directive
Stimulus Simulation stimulus directive
Layout Directive PCB layout
Tag Location marker
Part Part
Pipelink Not required (place sheet symbol
in master sheet).

Menu commands
A listing of OrCAD commands and the Advanced
Schematic equivalent operation is available in the On-line
Help, OrCAD SDT.

Utilities
A number of OrCAD operations are performed by utility
programs. A list of these utilities and the Advanced
Schematic menu command or process for performing the
same operation is included in the On-line Help, OrCAD
SDT.

Loading Your OrCAD STD Designs

The first step to loading an OrCAD design into Advanced
Schematic is to transfer the libraries. OrCAD does not save
the library components with the design, so the appropriate
component libraries must be open in Advanced Schematic
when the schematic is loaded.

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Transferring the Libraries

OrCAD SDT 3/4 Libraries
OrCAD SDT 3/4 libraries must be de-compiled before they
can be loaded into the Advanced Schematic Library Editor.
This is done by the OrCAD utility DECOMP.EXE. You can
do this manually, or if this utility is in a directory in your
DOS path, then the Advanced Schematic Library Editor will
do it automatically when you load the library. Once the
Libraries have been loaded, save them as Protel binary
(.LIB) files.

OrCAD 386+ Libraries

There is a different utility used to de-compile OrCAD 386+
library files, a 32 bit file de-compiler. It is also called
DECOMP.EXE. With OrCAD 386+ the OrCAD 3/4 library
de-compiler has been renamed to DECOMP16.EXE.
The Advanced Schematic library Editor needs to be able to
access both of these utilities. To clarify the naming of these
utilities for the Library Editor, you will need to rename the
OrCAD 386+ 32 bit file de-compiler, DECOMP.EXE, to
DECOMP32.EXE. If you will be loading OrCAD 3/4
binary libraries as well then rename the 16 bit file de-
compiler DECOMP16.EXE, to DECOMP.EXE. When
loading an OrCAD binary library the Advanced Schematic
Library Editor checks the library and if it is an OrCAD 3/4
library it runs DECOMP.EXE utility, if it is an OrCAD 386+
library it will run DECOMP32.EXE.

Transferring the Schematic Sheets

In the Schematic Sheet Editor, add the Advanced Schematic
version of the appropriate OrCAD libraries to the Library
List (Tools-Add/Remove Libraries).
Before opening the OrCAD schematic you must also set the
footprint mapping field. In the Preferences dialog box
(Options-Schematic Preferences) there is a field called
“Copy OrCAD Footprint From/To”. Select the part field that

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has been used in OrCAD for the footprint. When loading

OrCAD files the contents of this field will be copied to the
Footprint field in Advanced Schematic. In OrCAD 3/4 there
are 8 part fields and any of the part fields can carry the
footprint name, in OrCAD 386+ part field 8 has been
renamed to “Module Name” by default. Remember, in
OrCAD you can rename the part fields so make sure you
choose the corresponding field name.

OrCAD SDT 3/4 Sheets

The OrCAD schematic is then opened like any file or
project in Advanced Schematic by selecting the File-Open
menu item.
When opening flat multi-sheet OrCAD projects, the pipe
link string is converted to a sheet symbol, without sheet
entries.

Make sure the full drive and path is included in the

pipe link field, otherwise Advanced Schematic will
not find the file.
Depending upon how the pipe link strings are positioned in
the OrCAD sheet file, when converted the sheet symbols
may overlap each other, you can move and re-size the sheet
symbols at any time.

OrCAD 386+ Sheets

OrCAD schematic design files must be in OrCAD 3/4 format
to load into Advanced Schematic so OrCAD 386+
schematic files must be converted to OrCAD SDT IV
format.
There are several ways to convert OrCAD 386+ schematic
files, you may manually convert the files yourself by using
the utility programs supplied by OrCAD, CONVERT.EXE or
32TO16.EXE. The easiest way is to allow Advanced
Schematic to automatically run the 32TO16.EXE utility for
you. When importing OrCAD 386+ schematic files,
Advanced Schematic looks in the current DOS path for the

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32TO16.EXE utility. If found, Advanced Schematic uses

this utility to automatically convert and load the file. The
32TO16.EXE utility also requires the OrCAD file
SDTXTEND.EXE to be in the path. These utility files are
supplied by OrCAD and should be in the directory that you
installed the OrCAD 386+ program files. (e.g.
C:\ORCADEXE).

Editing the Design

Before you start making design changes to your schematic
files, it is important to make sure the OrCAD Ports option is
set correctly in the Preferences dialog box (Options-
Schematic Preferences) This is only necessary if you will
be converting your files back to OrCAD. In OrCAD SDT
the length of the Ports is determined by the number of
characters used as the Port name, in Advanced Schematic
the Ports can be re-sized to any length. With this option
turned on the size cannot be changed. When saving the file
as OrCAD format the ports could be disconnected from the
wires if this option is turned off and you have re-sized the
Ports.
Any power objects that have been created using parts will
remain as a part. It is recommended to replace the power
object part with Power Ports. There are three extra power
ports available, Power Ground, Signal Ground and Earth in
Advanced Schematic. There is no disadvantage using parts
but it is easier to manage Power Ports, especially when
changing the net name. If you do decide to use power
objects parts there are a couple of rules that must be
followed to make sure they are processed correctly. The
part must have only one pin and it must be a hidden power
pin. When generating a netlist or ERC the pin will be
processed as having 0 length, so the end of the wire must be
touching the base of the hidden pin.

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Transferring the Design Back to OrCAD

You can save your Advanced Schematic designs back in
OrCAD SDT IV format only. Remember you must have the
libraries open in order for OrCAD to load the parts as it
opens the schematics. It is not possible to save Advanced
Schematic libraries in OrCAD format, so for any new parts
that you have used or created, an equivalent part must be
created using the OrCAD library editor. To get your files
back into OrCAD 386+ you must manually use either the
CONVERT.EXE or 16TO32.EXE utilities.
When converting your files back to OrCAD, make sure the
Sheet Path field for each part is empty. By default
Advanced Schematic inserts an asterisk (*) into every blank
part field. If you convert the schematic with an asterisk in
the Sheet Path field, OrCAD will generate an error when
creating netlists, electrical design checks or any command
that requires it to descend into Sheet Parts. The easiest way
to clear this field is to do a global edit on the parts before
saving the file. Double click on any part, press the global
button, and set the Sheet Path field in the Copy Attribute
column to {* = }. Set the Change Scope to Change
Matching Items In All Documents (it will only affect sheets
that are in the active project, other open sheets will not be
affected). Press the OK button. This will clear all Sheet Path
fields that have an asterisk and will not clear any Sheet
Paths which have been set. Also remember the footprint
mapping option, this also works when saving OrCAD files,
it will copy the footprint field in Advanced Schematic to the
specified OrCAD part field.

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Protel DOS Schematic Compatibility

Overview
As with OrCAD SDT 3/4 and 386+ files and libraries, both
schematic sheet (.S**) files and libraries from Protel
Schematic 3.x can be used with Advanced Schematic.
Protel Schematic 3 files are loaded by selecting the File-
Open menu item, just like Advanced Schematic files. When
you choose File-Save, the file can be saved in any of the
three following formats: Protel binary (the Advanced
Schematic native format), Protel ASCII (a text version of
the Advanced Schematic format) or OrCAD binary. There is
no option for saving files in the Protel Schematic 3 format.
Users of earlier version Protel Schematic or Tango
Schematic system must first convert files to Protel
Schematic 3 format before these files can be opened in
Advanced Schematic.

Loading a multi-sheet Design

To load a Schematic 3 multi-sheet design, select the File-
Open menu item, tick the Project check box, locate and
select the .S01 file and click OK. All of the files that make
up the design will be opened. Also a top sheet will be
created, with a sheet symbol to represent each of the
original sheets. Save the design as a project via the File-
Save Project menu item. For more information on multi-
sheet designs and project hierarchy refer to the chapter
Multi-Sheet Designs And Project Management.

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Library Differences
The way that Advanced Schematic handles libraries,
components and library editing is fundamentally different
than the way these functions are performed in Protel
Schematic 3. Please refer to the relevant sections of this
guide for detailed explanations regarding Advanced
Schematic library concepts.
Protel Schematic libraries are organized into a “flat”
structure where each component has a unique description.
All graphical representations of Schematic 3 library
components (except their pins) are rendered as bitmap
images. Advanced Schematic library parts are vector
graphic based. When converting files into Advanced
Schematic format, the differences between the two library
systems must be reconciled to preserve connectivity. This is
done in two ways: either by substituting a vector equivalent
library component (if available), or creating a new vector
component.

Loading Schematic 3 designs

PROTEL.LIB
Advanced Schematic is supplied with a library called
PROTEL.LIB. This library contains a vector equivalent of
all the components in the standard Schematic 3 libraries.
Rather than a name like CAP or 7404, each component is
identified by a unique bitmap ID.
When you load a Schematic 3 design into Advanced
Schematic the bitmap ID is calculated for each component.
PROTEL.LIB is searched for a component with this
checksum as its name. If a matching component is found,
this vector equivalent is used to replace the original bitmap
version.
When a user-created component bitmap shape cannot be
matched in PROTEL.LIB, Advanced Schematic will

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automatically "vectorize" these parts and report them as

“unmatched”. In many cases, the automatically vectorized
components are perfectly acceptable, however, in some
cases you may wish to improve their vector rendering.
After the loading process is complete, a report is produced
with the file extension .$$$. The report lists all the
components that were not available in PROTEL.LIB and
had to be converted to a vector equivalent. This report
includes the bitmap ID for each component.

Extending PROTEL.LIB
It is advisable to check the quality of all parts that
Advanced Schematic has re-drawn as a vector component.
A project library can be created from the schematic design
and loaded into the Library Editor. This library will include
all the parts in your design, not just those which have been
“vectorized”.
Using the load report, locate each of the unmatched
components. Use the Library Editor drawing tools to “clean
up” the component and rename the component with the
bitmap ID provided in the load report (including any minus
sign).
Use the Copy Component or Move Component command to
add the component to the PROTEL.LIB library (this library
will need to be open in the Library Editor to do this).
Continue this process for each of the components in the
report. When finished, save PROTEL.LIB. The project
library can be discarded as all the parts needed by your
design are now available in PROTEL.LIB.

Bringing Across Libraries

This approach can be used to “port” all company libraries
across to Advanced Schematic. In Schematic 3, place all
library components on sheets. Load these sheets into
Advanced Schematic then use the above process to include

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these components into PROTEL.LIB. Now when you open

Schematic 3 designs in Advanced Schematic all bitmap
components will have vector equivalents. This process will
provide a smooth translation of your company’s existing
schematics from Schematic 3 to Advanced Schematic.
To port your Schematic 3 libraries across to Advanced
Schematic so that the components can be used in new
designs, simply de-compile the libraries in SLM (DOS
Schematic Library Manager). De-compiled libraries are
saved with a file extension of .SRC. These libraries can be
opened in the Advanced Schematic Library Editor. The
components should be checked to ensure you are happy
with the “vectorizing” process.

Pin Editing
Schematic 3 allows you to edit pin attributes, including pin
positions, on the fly, from inside the schematic editor. This
is not possible in Advanced Schematic, where all changes
must be made at the library level, using the Schematic
Library Editor. Because the Library Editor can be run at the
same time the Schematic Sheet Editor is running, it is a
simple matter to switch tasks and make library level
changes, then return to the editor. Special links are
provided that allow the user the move directly from one
editor to another. For example, from the Library Browser
window in the Schematic Editor, the Edit button will switch
the user directly into the library editor. The library for the
selected part will be opened and the component will be
displayed in the edit workspace. The part can be edited and
the library saved. Pressing the Update Schematic button
will switch you back to the Schematic Sheet Editor and
update all instances of the edited part. Also, if you have
been browsing through components in the Library Editor to
locate a component, pressing the Place button on the
Library Editor main panel will return the user directly to the
Schematic Editor, with the part ready to place in the current
sheet window.

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Menu commands
A listing of Schematic 3 commands and the Advanced
Schematic equivalent operation is available under the
Schematic 3 On-line Help system.

Utilities
A number of Schematic 3 operations are performed by
utility programs. A list of these utilities and the Advanced
Schematic menu item or process for performing the same
operation is included in On-line Help.

Block, highlighting, etc.

In Advanced Schematic the functions of the Block and
Highlight commands (such as Block Define or Highlight
Net) have been merged into the concept of selection. If you
wish to perform an operation on a group of objects on the
sheet, you first select the items, then use one of the Edit
menu commands.

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ASCII File Formats

Advanced Schematic sheet and library files have default

binary formats. These binary files are compact and efficient
when loading or saving. To make it easier for users to
directly access data, the system includes an option to save
an ASCII version of the schematic sheet. Although the
format is complex, each field is well-annotated, so editing
should be a fairly straightforward process, once a few basic
rules are understood.
The sample sheet file below includes line-by-line format
descriptions which explain each data segment. To maintain
clarity and save space, one example of each schematic
object type is illustrated in most cases. Single line
descriptions have been “exploded” so that each field can be
defined, i.e.:
0 0 'Text' This line is the field, as it appears in the ASC file.

1 = bold , 0 = not bold (first “exploded” segment of

0.............
field);
1 = selected ,
0........... 0 = not selected (second “exploded”
segment);
....Text field contents (third segment in field, etc.).
'Text'

The version 2.0 .ASC format includes two sections to

preserve backward compatibility with version 1.0. Version
2.0 data is appended to the file in a separate section. This
allows version 1.0 of Advanced Schematic to read the
version 2.0 ASCII files. However, version 2.0-specific
options and data will not be available for editing if the files
or libraries are loaded into the version 1.0 applications.
The structure of the format includes indented lines for
“nested” data, e.g. all objects associated with a component

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(such as component text fields) are indented under the first

component fields, for clarity. These indents (blank spaces
inserted at the head of each line) must be maintained, when
editing files with a text editor. Text files must be maintained
in “pure” ASCII and must not contain hidden “control”
characters.
If using a word processor to edit an .ASC file, make sure
that the file is saved using a “Text Only” option. If you
encounter problems loading a manually edited .ASC file or
library two format violations are likely: either a syntax or
format error exists or an out-of-range value exists. Unless
care is taken in editing, it can be difficult to diagnose these
errors.
Measurements and coordinates are expressed in units of .01
inch each (100 = 1 inch). Coordinate range is 0-10000
units, (100 x 100 inches is the maximum custom sheet size
and defines the maximum viewing area of a sheet window).
Unless otherwise indicated, text fields have a maximum
length of 255 characters, including blank spaces. Some text
fields are delimited by single quotations, e.g. 'text'. This
formatting must be preserved when editing .ASC files.
Some objects require "End markers" because the total
number of description lines in not fixed (e.g. a sheet symbol
can includes any number of sheet entries that are part of its
description).

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Schematic Sheet Editor ascii file format

File header marks the start of the first
section (1.2 file format). Version 2.0 data
is appended to end of file in a separate
section.
133 A measure of the logical size of the file
(based on total object number).
[Font_Table] Font table header.
1 Number of entries in the font table.
10 0 0 0 0 0 Times New Roman Font entry (each field described below):
10 Font size;
0 Orientation: 0, 90, 180, 270 deg. ;
0 1 = underline, 0 = no Underline;
0 1 = italic, 0 = no Italic;
0 1 = bold , 0 = not bold;
0 1 = strikeout , 0 = no Strikeout;
Times New Roman Font name.
EndFont End font table marker.
Library Library header.
2 Number of components in the Library.
Component Component header.
1 Number of parts in the component.
18 Number of logical components that share
the same schematic.
[Library Name] A blank line is reserved for component’s
Library, this field is not implemented for
version 2.0.
Description Description text field.
Blank line, if field is empty.
FOOT PRINT1 Marks footprint field 1.
RAD0.2 Footprint 1 name (this field is the default
for netlisting).
FOOT PRINT2 Marks footprint field 2.

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Blank line, if field is empty.

FOOT PRINT3 Marks footprint field 3.
Blank line, if field is empty.
FOOT PRINT4 Marks footprint field 4.
Blank line, if field is empty.
Library Part Field 1 Marks library Part Field 1.
Blank line, if field is empty.
Part fields 2-8 are listed in the same
format. Part text fields 9-16 (supported by
version 2.0) are included in the Version 2
section, appended to the end of the
version 1 section of the format, below.
U? Default Designator field.
Sheet Part File Name Sheet Part File Name.
Blank line, if field is empty.
PAL16L8D List of all the logical Components that
share the same schematic (Names of
group members).
PAL16L8B (additional group member)
PAL16L8Q-25 (additional group member)
Part Marks first component part.
80 80 Part x and y Size (unit = .01 inch):
80 x size;
80 y size.
Rectangle 0 140 80 0 0 128 115 0 1Marks rectangle object in part graphic.
Rectangle Graphic object type identifier.
0 X location.
140 Y location.
80 X corner.
0 Y corner.
0 Line width.
128 Line color (RGB value in long integer
form, converted from hexidecimal format):
$00,00,00,00 = black,
$00,FF,FF,FF = white.

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115 Fill color.

0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
11 = solid, 0 = not solid.
Pin Description of first pin in part.
0 0 0 0 1 1 30 0 10 2 0 'I1' '1'
Pin Pin object type.
0 1 = dot, 0 = no dot.
0 1 = clock, 0 = no clock.
0 Electrical attribute:
0 = input 4 = passive
1 = IO 5 = hiZ
2 = output 6 = open
Emitter
3 = open Collector 7=
power
0 1 = hidden, 0 = not hidden.
1 1 = show name, 0 = hide name.
1 1 = show number, 0 = hide number.
30 Pin length.
0 X location.
10 Y location.
2 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
0 Pin color.
'I1' Pin name.
Pin
'1'number.
EndNormalPart End-marker for normal part representation.
If DeMorgan and IEEE parts are provided,
these are described here in the same
format as the normal part.
EndDeMorganPart End-marker for DeMorgan part.
EndIEEEPart End-marker for IEEE..
EndComponent End Component Description.
EndLibrary End Library

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Organization Organization info header (Document

information dialog box details).
Organization Marks Organization text field.
Blank line, if field is empty.
Address (line 1) Marks Address line 1 text field.
Blank line, if field is empty.
Address (line 2) Marks Address line 2 text field.
Blank line, if field is empty.
Address (line 3) Marks Address line 3 text field.
Blank line, if field is empty.
Address (line 4) Marks Address line 4 text field.
Blank line, if field is empty.
Title Marks Title text field.
3 Title text.
4 Revision number text field.
1 2 Sheet number, total number of sheets.
End End marker for Organization fields.
Future 1 10 6 Was reserved for future use in version
1.0. Now used for the following values:
1 1 = electrical grid enabled, 0 = disabled;
10 Electrical grid size;
6 Version 2.0 pre-defined sheet styles:
0 = A4 9 = E
1 = A3 10 = Letter
2 = A2 11 = Legal
3 = A1 12 = Tabloid
4 = A0 13 = OrCAD A
5= A 14 = OrCAD B
6= B 15 = OrCAD C
7= C 16 = OrCAD D
8= D 17 = OrCAD E

EndFuture End marker for Future data.

Sheet Header for Sheet information section.
0 6 0 1 1 0 15269887 1 10 1 10 1500 950 1 Sheet parameters data:

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0 Border style - possible values:

0 = standard , 1 = ANSI.
6 Sheet style - used by version 1.0:
0 = A4 5 = A
1 = A3 6 = B
2 = A2 7 = C
3 = A1 8 = D
4 = A0 9 = E

0 Workspace orientation - possible values:

0 = landscape, 1 = portrait
1 1 = show border, 0 = hide border.
1 1 = show title block, 0 = hide title block.
0 Sheet border/title/text color.
15269887 Sheet area color (RGB value in long
integer form, converted from Hex format:
$00,00,00,00 = black,
$00,FF,FF,FF = white
1 1 = snap grid on, 0 = snap grid off.
10 Snap grid size.
1 1 = visible grid on, 0 = grid off.
10 Visible grid size.
1500 X custom size - used by version. 1.0.
950 Y custom size -used by version 1.0.
1 1 = use custom size, 0 = use predefined
size - used by version 1.0 Schematic.
Part Each instance of a part in the sheet is
90 80 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 'PALG' 'DIP8'
recorded here, along with all fields that
describe the instance:
Part Marks part object;
90 X location.
80 Y location
0 Display mode:
0 = normal,
1 = DeMorgan,

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2 = IEEE
0 1 = mirrored, 0 = not mirrored.
0 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
1 Part ID (refers to number of part in
component, referenced by component ID.
0 Library Component Id (refers to number of
item in Library component list defined
above).
0 1 = show Hidden fields, 0 = hide Hidden
fields.
0 1 = show Hidden pins, 0 = hide Hidden
Pins.
'PALG' Library Reference.
Footprint.
'DIP8'
Designator Part designator object, includes text and
90 80 0 8388 1 0 0 'U1'
graphical elements:
Designator Object identifier.
90 X location.
80 Y location.
0 Orientation - possible values:
0 = 0 degree
1 = 90 degreess
2 = 180 degrees
3 = 270 degrees
8388 Color.
1 Font ID, refers to font ID in Font Table at
beginning of file.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected
0 1 = hidden, 0 = not hidden.
Text string for designator.
'U1'
PartType Part type text object.
90 750 0 8388 1 0 0 'PALG'
PartType Object identifier.
90 X location.

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750 Y location.
0 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
8388 Color.
1 Font ID.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
0 1 = hidden, 0 = not hidden.
Text.
'PALG'
PartDescription 90 74 0 8388 1 0 1 'Part Field1'
Part text field 1 (Part text fields 1-8 and
defined in this section; part text fields 9-
16 are defined in version 2.0 section,
below):
PartDescription Object identifier.
90 X location.
74 Y location.
0 Orientation - possible values:
0 = 0 degree
1 = 90 degreess
2 = 180 degrees
3 = 270 degrees
8388 Color.
1 Font ID.
01 = selected, 0 = unselected.
1 1= hidden, 0 = not hidden.
Text for this field.
'Part Field1'
SheetPartFileName 90 80 0 128 1 0 1 'SheetPath'
Part sheet path text object:
SheetPartFileName Object identifier.
90 X location.
80 Y location.
0 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.

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128 Color.
1 Font ID.
1
0 = selected, 0 = unselected.
1 =1hidden, 0 = not hidden.
Text for this field.
'SheetPath'
Wire 1 8388608 0 2 60 680 290 680 Wire object placed in sheet:
Wire Object identifier.
1 Width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
8388608 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
2 Number of vertices (max: 50).
60 X vertex 1.
680 y Vertex 1.
290 x Vertex 2.
680 y Vertex 2.
Bus 1 8388608 0 2 60 600 290 600 Bus object placed in sheet:
Bus Object identifier.
1 Width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
8388608 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
2 Number of vertices (max: 50).
60 X vertex 1.
600 Y vertex 1.
290 X vertex 2.

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600 Y vertex 2.
BusEntry 90 500 100 510 1 8388608 0 Bus entry object placed in sheet:
BusEntry Object identifier.
90 X location 1.
500 Y location 1.
100 X location 2.
510 Y location 2.
1 Width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
8388608 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
NetLabel 80 450 0 128 1 0 'Text' Net label object placed in sheet:
NetLabel Object identifier.
80 X location.
450 Y location.
0 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
128 Color.
1 Font ID.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
'Text' Text content of field.
PowerObject 2 80 400 0 128 0 'VCC' Power port object placed in sheet:
PowerObject Object identifier.
2 Style - possible values:
0 = circle 4 = gnd
1 = arrow 5 = gnd Signal
2 = bar 6 = gnd Earth
3 = wave
80 X location.

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400 Y location.
0 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
128 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
'VCC' Text.
SheetSymbol 90 350 90 70 0 128 8454 0Net
1 label text object placed in sheet.
SheetSymbol Object identifier.
90 X location.
350 Y location.
90 X size.
70 X size.
0 Border width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
128 Border color.
8454 Fill color.
01 = selected, 0 = unselected.
1 1= solid, 0 = not solid.
SheetFileName 90 350 0 8388 1 0 0 'File Name'
SheetFileName text object:
SheetFileName Object identifier.
90 X location.
350 Y location.
0 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
8388 Color.
1 Font ID.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
1
0 = hidden, 0 = not hidden.

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Text.
'File Name'
SheetName Sheet name text object placed in sheet:
90 360 0 8388 1 0 0 'Name'
SheetName Object identifier.
90 X location.
360 Y location.
0 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
8388608 Color.
1 Font ID.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
01 = hidden, 0 = not hidden.
Text.
'Name'
SheetNet 0 3 0 6 128 8454 128 0 Sheet
'0' entry object (each sheet entry is
described within its sheet symbol
section):
SheetNet Object identifier.
0 Input/output Type - possible values:
0 = unspecified
1 = output
2 = input
3 = bidirectional
3 Arrow style - possible values:
0 = none
1 = left
2 = right
3 = left/Right
0 Position - possible values:
0 = left
1 = bottom
2 = right
3 = top
6 Distance from top.
128 Border color.

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8454 Fill color.

128 Text color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
Text.
'0'
EndSheetSymbol End of Sheet symbol description.
Port Port object description:
3 0 1 90 80 40 60 8454 128 0 'Port'
Port Object identifier.
3 Arrow style - possible values:
0 = none
1 = left
2 = right
3 = left/Right
0 Input/output type - possible values:
0 = unspecified
1 = output
2 = input
3 = bidirectional
1 Text alignment - possible values:
0 = center
1 = left
2 = right
90 Width.
80 X location.
40 Y location.
60 Color.
8454 Fill color.
128 Text color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected
Text.
'Port'
Junction 90 190 0 128 0 Junction object description:
Junction Object identifier.
90 X location.

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190 Y location.
0 Size - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
128 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
SimProbe 90 170 255 0 '' Probe object for simulation:
SimProbe Object identifier.
90 X location.
170 Y location.
255 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
'' Text.
SimStimulus 100 150 255 0 '' Stimulus object for simulation:
SimStimulus Object identifier.
100 X location.
150 Y location.
255 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
'' Text.
NoERC 90 130 255 0 No ERC object in sheet:
NoERC Object identifier.
90 X location.
130 Y location.
255 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
LayoutDirective 10 50 2 2 0 90 100 255 0
PCB Layout object in sheet:
LayoutDirective Object identifier.
10 Track width.

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50 Via width.
2 Net topology.
0 = X Bias 4 = min daisy
chain
1 = Y Bias 5 = start end
daisy
2 = shortest 6 = start star
point
3 = daisy chain
2 Routing priority:
0 = highest
1 = high
2 = medium
3 = low
4 = lowest
0 Layer - possible values:
0 = No layer 17 = Top Overlay
1 = Top layer 18 = Bottom Overlay
2 = Mid layer 1 19 = Top Paste
3 = Mid layer 2 20 = Bottom Paste
4 = Mid layer 3 21 = Top Solder
5 = Mid layer 4 22 = Bottom Solder
6 = Mid layer 5 23 = Internal Plane 1
7 = Mid layer 6 24 = Internal Plane 2
8 = Mid layer 7 25 = Internal Plane 3
9 = Mid layer 8 26 = Internal Plane 4
10 = Mid layer 9 27 = Drill Guide
11 = Mid layer 10 28 = Keepout layer
12 = Mid layer 11 29 = Mechanical 1
13 = Mid layer 12 30 = Mechanical 2
14 = Mid layer 13 31 = Mechanical 3
15 = Mid layer 14 32 = Mechanical 4
16 = Bottom layer 33 = Multi-layer
90 X location.

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100 Y location.
Color.
255
1 =0selected, 0 = unselected.
Polygon 0 167 26 1 0 3 40 70 50 30 10Graphical
90 polygon in sheet:
Polygon Object identifier.
0 Line width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
167 Border color.
26 Fill color.
1 1 = solid, 0 = not solid.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
3 Number of vertices.
40 X vertex 1.
70 Y vertex 1.
50 X vertex 2.
30 Y vertex 2.
X vertex 3.
10
Y90
vertex 3.
Polyline Graphical polygon in sheet:
1 0 16711 0 2 390 810 500 820
Polyline Object identifier.
1 Line width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
0 Line style - possible values:
0 = solid
1 = dashed
2 = dotted

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16711 Color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
2 Number of vertices.
390 X vertex 1.
810 Y vertex 1.
500 X vertex 2.
Y vertex 2.
820
EllipticalArc 40 60 22 20 1 0.000 0.000 248 0
Graphical elliptical arc in sheet:
EllipticalArc Object identifier.
40 X location.
60 Y location.
22 X radius.
0 Y radius.
1 Line width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
0.000 Start angle.
End angle.
0.000
Color.
248
1 =0selected, 0 = unselected.
Bezier 1 255 0 4 390 500 470 530 490 490 470 420
Graphical bezier curve in sheet:
Bezier Object identifier.
1 Line width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
255 Color.

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0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected
4 Number of vertices.
390 X vertex 1.
500 Y vertex 1.
470 X vertex 2.
530 Y vertex 2.
490 X vertex 3.
Y vertex 3.
490
X vertex 4.
470
Y vertex 4.
420
Label 400 380 0 8388608 2 0 'Text' Annotation (short text string) object in
sheet:
Label Object identifier.
400 X location.
380 Y location.
0 Orientation - Possible values: 0 = 0
degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
8388608 Color.
2 Font ID.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
'Text' Text (0-255 characters).
TextFrame 0 0 470 280 0 0 248 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0
Text frame in sheet:
TextFrame Object identifier.
0 X start location (reference point).
0 Y start location (reference point).
470 X ending corner.
280 Y ending Corner.
0 Border width - possible values:.
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large

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0 Border color.
248 Fill color.
0 Text color.
1 Font ID.
0 1 = solid, 0 = not solid.
01 = show border, 0 = hide border.
Alignment
1 - possible values:
0 = center
1 = left
2 = right
1 =1word wrap, 0 = no word wrap.
1 =1clip to bounding Rectangle, 0 = no
clipping.
1 =0selected, 0 = unselected.
Begin Delimits beginning of text.
Text Text, up to 32K characters, including
spaces.
( ) This line contains a null terminating
character (not visible in most editors).
End End of text marker.
Rectangle 380 270 450 240 0 167 126 0 1
Graphic rectangle object:
Rectangle Object identifier.
380 X location.
270 Y location.
450 X corner.
240 Y corner.
0 Border width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
167 Border color.
126 Fill color.

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1
0 = selected, 0 = unselected.
1 =1solid, 0 = not solid.
RoundRectangle 0 0 440 170 20 20 0 167 126 0 1
Graphic rounded rectangle object:
RoundRectangle Object identifier.
0 X location.
0 Y location.
440 X corner.
170 Y corner.
20 Corner X radius
20 Corner Y radius
0 Border width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
Border color.
167
Fill
126color.
1 =0selected, 0 = unselected.
1 =1solid, 0 = not solid.
Ellipse 400 120 50 22 0 167 126 1 0
Graphical ellipse object:
Ellipse Object identifier.
400 X location.
120 Y location.
50 X radius.
22 Y radius.
0 Line width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large

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167 Line color.

126 Fill color.
1 1 = solid, 0 = not solid.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
Pie 410 60 20 0 18.435 68.435 167 126 1 0
Filled arc object:
Pie Object identifier.
410 X location.
60 Y location.
20 Radius.
0 Line width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium
3 = large
18.435 Start angle.
68.435 End angle.
167 Border color.
126Fill color.
1 1= solid, 0 = not solid.
1 =0selected, 0 = unselected.
Image 520 160 600 250 0 0 0 0 1 'C:\ROW.WMF'
Linked image file object:
Image Object identifier.
520 X location.
160 Y location.
600 X corner.
250 Y corner.
0 Line width - possible values:
0 = smallest
1 = small
2 = medium

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3 = large
0 Border color.
0 1 = selected, 0 = unselected.
0 1 = solid, 0 = not solid.
1 1 = keep aspect ratio, 0 = don't keep
aspect ratio.
Image File Name (single quote is delimiter
'C:\ROW.WMF'
for beginning/end of string) .
EndSheet End sheet version 1.2.
Version 2.0 Sheet Sheet addendum for version 2.0.
Part 11599871 128 0 0 0 Addendum for each instance of a part,
includes fields not support in version 1.2
format.
Part Object identifier.
11599871 Fill color.
128 Border color.
0 Pin color.
0 1 = override library colors, 0 = use Library
colors.
0 1 = display Field names, Hide Field
names.
PartDescription 90 660 0 8388608 1 0 1 'Part Field9'
Part fields 9-16 follow the same format as
part fields 1-8 described above.
Library Version 2.0 Library addendum for version 2.0
1 Number of components in the Library
Component Object identifier.
PAL16P8A Component Name field.
Part Field 1 Part field 1 name label (custom name for
field displayed in sheets).
Blank field is empty (no custom name).
EndComponent End component - continues in this format
to Part Field 16.
EndLibrary End of Library addendum for version 1.5:
1 4 4 20 0
1 Sheet style ID.

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4 number of regions in X reference (this is

the number of sheet border divisions) .
4 number of regions in Y reference.
20 sheet margin width.
0 1 = reference zone (sheet margins) on, 0
= reference zone off.
EndSheet End of sheet addendum for version 2.0.

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Schematic Library Editor ascii file format

The .ASC format output of the Schematic Library Editor
application is very similar to the text output for Advanced
Schematic sheet files, as many of the same data object types
(e.g. graphical lines, etc.) are common to both applications.
The primary difference is that the library stores component
descriptions with all Library-level edited fields. Some
sheet-level fields are “inherited” from the .ASC sheet
format and included, but ignored when the library editor
reads-in the text version format.
Protel for Windows - Schematic Library Editor Ascii File Version 1.2
File header.
69 Measure of the logical size of the file (per
the number of objects and nested objects
in the file).
Organization This line is ignored. (uses code borrowed
from sheet format).
Project Library C:\FORMAT1.LIB Created 2-Sep-1993
Library description (string to 255
characters).
Seven following blank lines are ignored:
00 This line is ignored.
End This line is ignored.
[Font_Table] Font table header
1 Number of entries in the font table
12 0 0 0 0 0 MS Sans Serif Font entry
12 Font size
0 Orientation - possible values : 0, 90, 180,
270 degrees.
0 1 = underline, 0 = no underline
0 1 = italic , 0 = no italic
0 1 = bold , 0 = no bold
0 1 = strikeout, 0 = no strikeout
MS Sans Serif Font name.

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EndFont End font table marker.

Library
0 6 0 1 0 0 15269 1 10 1 10 1150 760 0 0 Library workspace fields:
0 Border style (always 0, field is inherited
from sheet format).
6 Sheet style - only used by version 1.0
Schematic).
0 Workspace orientation - possible values:
0 = landscape, 1 = portrait.
1 1 = show border, 0 = hide border.
0 1 = show title block, 0 = hide title block.
0 Sheet border, title, text color (long integer
form of hex string, see sheet format
description, above).
15269 Sheet area color (long integer form of hex
string, see sheet format description,
above).
1 1 = snap grid on, 0 = snap grid off
10 Snap grid size
1 1 = visible grid on, 0 = visible grid off
10 Visible grid size
1150 X custom size - used by version 1.0
Library Editor
76 Y custom size - used by version 1.0
Library Editor
0 1 = use custom size, 0 = use pre-defined
size - used by version 1.0 Library Editor
0 1 = show hidden pins, 0 = hide hidden
pins.
2 Number of component in the library
Component Component header.
1 Number of parts in the component.
2 Number of logical components that share
the same schematic.
[Library Name] Marks component description field:
Description Description field text.
FOOT PRINT1 Component foo tprint field 1.

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FOOT PRINT2 Component footprint field 2.

FOOT PRINT3 Component footprint field 3.
FOOT PRINT4 Component footprint field 4.
Library Part Field 1 Library Part field 1.
Library Part Field 2 Library Part field 2, repeats for each field,
to Part field 8.
U? Default designator
Sheet Part File Name Sheet Part filename
PAL16P8A List of all the logical components that
share the same schematic.
PAL16L8D
Part Library Part header
00 Part X and Y size (minimum-to-maximum
coordinates)
0 X size
0 Y size
Rectangle 0 110 60 0 0 128 11599 0 1 Rectangle graphic object (same as sheet
entity, see above).
Pin 0 0 0 0 1 1 30 0 -10 2 0 'I1' '1' Pin object:
Pin Object identifier.
0 1 = dot type, 0 = not dot
0 1 = clock type, 0 = not clock
0 Electrical attributes:
0 = input 4 = passive
1 = IO 5 = HiZ
2 = output 6 = open
Emitter
3 = open Collector 7=
power
0 1 = hidden, 0 = not hidden
1 1 = show pin name, 0 = hide pin name
1 1 = show pin number, 0 = hide pin number
30 Pin length
0 X location
10 Y location

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2 Orientation - Possible values : 0 = 0

degree, 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees,
3 = 270 degrees.
0 Pin color
'I1' Pin name
'1' Pin number
Pin 0 0 0 0 1 1 30 0 -20 2 0 'I2' '2' Next pin entry (continues until end of
component pins.
EndNormalPart End-marker for normal part representation.
EndDeMorganPart End-marker for DeMorgan part
representation.
EndIEEEPart End-marker for IEEE part representation.
EndComponent End component description.
EndLibrary End Library version 1.0
Library Version 2.0 Library addendum for version 2.0
Component Object identifier.
PAL16P8A Component name field.
Part Field 1 Part field 1 label - when present,
supersedes data in version 1 section,
above.
Part Field 2 Part field 2 label. etc. through Part field
16.
EndComponent End component marker.
EndLibrary End of Library addendum for version 2.0
marker.

(End of .ASC library file format)

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Glossary

absolute origin The absolute workspace origin (0,0 coordinates) or lower-

left corner of the workspace.
active document In the Windows environment, the Active Document is
distinguished by its title bar being colored in the active
color (default is blue) with inactive documents having their
title bars colored in the inactive color (default is gray).
active Document Editor The active Document Editor is distinguished by its EDA
Editor Tab being on the top and filled in gray. Documents
of the active document editor type can now be edited.
Advanced PCB Server which allows you to design printed circuit boards
and generate output files from which phototools can be
created.
Advanced Schematic Server which allows you to create and edit schematic sheets
and the components used in those schematics.
annotation Component reference designators (or labels) that appear on
the schematic sheet, in netlists or on a printed circuit board.
ANSI Refers to an international standard for technical drafting.
See also ISO.
any angle Non-orthogonal drawing mode where (non-electrical) lines
or wires that can be placed at angles other than 45 or 90
degrees.
application A program (Windows terminology).
arc Circular or semi-circular graphical design elements.
array Multiple instances of a single item, placed using the Place
Array command.

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ascend To move from a child sheet, back to its parent sheet in a

hierarchical design.
ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
Standard seven bit code for representing alphanumeric data
and computer instructions.
attributes The characteristics of an item that can be edited, or
changed. For example wire attributes include width and
color.
automatic startup Start up state of a server where it is automatically started
when EDA Client is started.
back annotate Updating schematic information from changes made to the
printed circuit board layout.
backup library A special library that includes component records for each
part placed in a schematic sheet. This library is attached to
the sheet file when the sheet is saved. The backup library
allows the user to supply sheets to other Advanced
Schematic users, without having to supply complete
libraries.
beep Sound used by the computer to signal or prompt the user for
some action.
bezier curve Complex graphical curves, placed as precision arcs, defined
by a series of control point handles.
Bill of Materials Or, BOM. A list of the components (including quantities)
used in a design.
body See outline.
border Graphical device outlining the edge of the sheet workspace,
normally including coordinate references for the sheet.
break Conversion of a single wire segment into two (movable)
connected segments.
browse Visual scanning of library items from the Advanced
Schematic workspace.

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bus A special wire type that symbolically represents a

collection of individual nets.
button Graphical icon used to perform process launching.
button editor Allows you to change the process launched by a button and
assign the bitmap of a button.
cache A temporary record of each component used in all currently
open sheets. This cache is used to create a backup library
which is attached to each sheet file. See also, backup
library.
child A sub-sheet descended from another (parent) sheet in a
hierarchical design.
clear To remove a selection permanently from the workspace.
Same effect as Delete. See also Cut, Copy.
Client Short for EDA Client. An application which runs under
Windows, providing the user interface and network support
for EDA servers.
Client Basic Programming language in which macro scripts can be
written to run in the EDA Client Server environment.
Client Menu Menu through which you control EDA Client. This is where
you install, remove and configure servers, customize and
edit resources, setup user preferences and save and open
configuration files.
Client Pascal Programming language in which macro scripts can be
written in the EDA Client Server environment.
Client Station A Personal Computer (PC) running EDA Client.
Client Status Bar The Client Status Bar is the two line bar across the bottom
(or top) of the screen. It includes the status bar and the
command status bar. The status bar is dynamic, it provides
information about the cursor position in the workspace and
the current state of the process being executed. The
command status bar reports the current process being
executed and gives a description of that process.

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clipboard Reserved memory used to hold Cut or Copy command

selections.
clock Pin type that symbolically represents clock function,
represented by a small triangular shape at the pin base.
collapsing branch Collapsing a branch will cause all documents below the
active document to be hidden, their presence being
indicated by a small + in the active document’s icon.
command The term previously used to describe any process that is
performed by choosing a menu item, e.g., Place Component
or File-Save. A menu item is know known as a Process
Launcher, which is used to launch a Process.
comment Optional component text field created when a component is
placed. Normally used to hold a component value or
description.
complex hierarchy Schematic hierarchy where a particular sheet is used more
than once in a project. In complex projects, a child sheet is
referenced multiple times from another sheet (or sheets).
See also hierarchy.
complex sheet A special sheet icon that represents duplicate instances of a
sub-sheet in the Project Manager display. The complex
sheet icon indicates that a sheet symbol points to a sub-
sheet that is also being pointed to by another sheet symbol.
Clicking on any complex sheet icon will place its “owner”
sheet in-focus. See also hierarchy, master sheet, sub-sheet.
component The specific schematic library package that represents
either a manufacturer’s catalog listing or a generic type. A
Schematic Library Editor component will be made up of
one or more parts. See also part.
component field Any of 16 different fields that hold component text, as well
as the component designator (or label), component
description and eight optional read-only library fields that
can hold other references. All of these fields can hold up to
255 alphanumeric characters.

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component text Text that can be displayed with a schematic part or PCB
component. Component text is created at the time the
component is placed. It can be moved (including rotate and
flip) but cannot be deleted (only hidden). This text remains
associated with the component until the component is
deleted.
configure server Add and remove resources to the chosen Document Editor,
from the pool currently available in EDA Client. You can
also alter the start up state of the server, get information on
the .INS and .DLL files it uses and a list of all the processes
the server provides. From the Configure Server dialog box
you can then customize them if you wish.
connection The logical or physical link between any two netlist nodes.
Logical connections are indicated by the Advanced PCB
ratsnest display. Physical connection are completed routes.
Advanced PCB allows connections to be partially logical
and physical, e.g., partially routed.
connectivity The logical relationship of components and wires.
Connectivity simulates the electrical connections within a
schematic and is used to maintain connections as
components or wires are moved on the sheet.
control point The special graphical handles used to define a bezier curve.
See also handle, focus.
copy To add a selection to the clipboard without removing it
from the workspace. See also Clear, Cut.
cursor The graphic “pointer” or selection tool used to select or
position objects in the workspace.
customize server Customize the resources for the active Document Editor.
Customization includes; selecting another resource from
the list of resources available to this Document Editor
(perhaps choosing your own specialized menu), editing a
selected resource and toggling the display state of toolbars.
cut To clear a selection from the workspace and copy it to the
clipboard. See also Clear, Copy.

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de-select Releasing the selected condition of an item (or group) in the

document window.
default Program settings or options that remain activated until
changed by the user.
descend To move from a schematic sheet, to a child sheet,
represented by a sheet symbol, in a hierarchical design.
design rules Connectivity-based features for checking electrical and
logical conformity to user-defined (and system default)
rules.
designator Also called component label. The unique identifier assigned
to each component in a circuit.
device See part.
directive A special symbol used to attach PCB layout information to
a specific net, such as routing priority, track width, etc.
discrete Generic component types such as transistors, capacitors,
etc.
document Another name for a user-generated or auxiliary file.
documentation Information that explains how to use the software. It can be
provided in an electronic format and a physical format.
dot Pin type that symbolically indicates inversion, represented
by a small circular shape at the pin base.
double-sided Refers to a PCB with wires on both sides of a single
laminate layer.
drag Move (object) along with its connected items. Also: mouse
operation performed with LEFT MOUSE button depressed, as
when selecting a range of text.
draft mode The display, plotting or printing of primitives (wires, pins,
arcs, fills, etc.) in outline, rather than filled, form.

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EDA An acronym for Electronic Design Automation. EDA is

used as a label for software tools used for product
development in the electronics industry.
EDA Client ™ An application which runs under Windows, providing the
user interface and network support for EDA servers.
EDA document The design or database produced by an EDA Document
Editor.
EDA Document Editor The Document Editor is where the user performs the actual
editing; typing in text, placing wires, moving tracks and so
on. Each server will contain none, one or more document
editors. An example is the Advanced Schematic Server,
which has two document editors, the Schematic Document
Editor and the Schematic Library Document Editor.
Another example is the Netlist Server which has no
document editor, the Text Expert Document Editor being
used to display its results.
EDA document type Each Document editor will produce a different document
type. While the file extension gives an indication of the
document type, for example - .PCB, .NET., these are not
fixed.
EDA document window The document window is the window frame through
which you view your document. It includes the title bar
with the maximize and minimize buttons and the window
frame with the scroll bars (if required).
EDA Editor Short for EDA Document Editor.
EDA editor tabs Tabs located along one edge of EDA Client, used to switch
between Document Editors.
EDA Editor Panel The EDA Editor Panel appears down the left of the screen.
A Document Editor may have a panel to provide easy
access to some of the features available in that editor. For
example, the Schematic Document Editor has a panel which
allows you to add and remove libraries, select components
from the active library and also browse through objects
placed in the document.

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EDA Server EDA Servers provide the ‘services’ in the EDA Client /
Server environment. These servers may include text
editors, schematic editors, simulation editors, PCB editors,
autorouters and so on.
Edit Menu Menu through which you can perform editing functions on
the document such as; cutting, pasting, placing, moving,
changing, etc.
electrical rules Connectivity-based features that check for shorts, un-
driven inputs, unconnected wires and similar electrical
design violations. See also design rules.
exception handling Process followed when the executable code encounters an
invalid condition. These conditions are trapped, allowing
for graceful recovery. If there is an error condition which
causes the application to close, the exception handler will
attempt to restore data when the application is re-started.
expanding branch Expanding a branch will cause all documents below the
active document to be displayed in the Project Manager.
File Menu Menu through which you can perform file related
operations such as creating, opening, saving and closing
files.
fill Color or pattern assignment for the inside of graphical
items: rectangle, arcs or polygons and electrical items:
parts, ports, sheet entries and sheet symbols.
flat design A non-hierarchical multi-sheet schematic where Ports and /
or Net Labels are used to indicate connections to other
sheets.
focus Refers to the current active individual object displayed in
the workspace. Only one item can be the current focus.
When an item is the focus, it displays its graphical editing
handles. The object in focus can be moved, dragged (with
connections), deleted or re-sized (if applicable). To place
an object in focus, place the cursor over the object and click
LEFT MOUSE. See also selection, handle.

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footprint The schematic component attribute that defines which PCB

component is to be used, e.g. DIP14, AXIAL0.4 etc. When
the netlist is loaded into the PCB design package, this
attribute is used to determine which PCB library component
to load.
forward annotate Updating a printed circuit board layout with changes made
to the schematic.
global Refers to a process or condition that applies to all sheets
within a multi-sheet project. In relation to the use of net
identifiers (net labels, ports, sheet entries), refers to those
identifiers whose scope includes an entire project. See also
local.
global change Any change that can be assigned to like attributes of other
primitives of the same type. For example, you can change
the size of all free text, or limit the change to selected text
on a single sheet.
grid A system of visible and invisible points on the workspace
used to locate a precise coordinate position.
group Refers to one or more library component names associated
with the same component description. Library entries can
have any number of component names that share the same
specification and graphical description.
handle Small squares, displayed on an object that is the current
focus, which can be dragged to re-define the shape of the
object. Bezier curves have special handles, called control
points, which are used to define the curves shape. See also
focus.
hardware arc When plotting, arcs which are created by the plotter, from
coordinate, line width and radius information. Some
plotters support this option, others depend upon software
arc descriptions generated by Advanced PCB.
Help Menu Menu through which you can open the on-line help files.

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hidden pin Component power-type pin that is normally hidden when

the component is displayed. Because power nets are
generally global (they apply to all sheets in a project) it is
very convenient to have these pins hidden. Hidden pins are
always assumed to be connected to power nets of the same
name and are automatically included netlists. When
displayed, hidden pins are not deemed connected to nets of
the same name.
hierarchy The concept of hierarchy applies generally to any multi-
sheet schematic. Sheet Symbols are placed within one sheet
to represent another sheet (or sub-sheet).
highlight A special display state that outlines items as an aid to
identification or editing. For example, when placing or
moving wires, they are displayed in a highlighted condition.
See also selection.
hot spot Special cursor shape that is displayed when an electrical
connection is possible at the current coordinate. This
feature is available when the Electrical Grid option is
enabled (Options-Preferences command). The cursor will
jump to nearby electrical hot spots when placing electrical
objects (wires, buses, parts, net labels, ports, etc.).
HP-EEsof Interface Server which creates an EEsof Libra or EEsof Touchstone
format netlist.
IEEE International ANSI/IEEE Standard 9-984 for graphical
representation of circuits. The IEEE format allows the
designer to include much of the component data book
information within the component symbol.
IGES Initial Graphics Exchange Specification. A general use
standard for exchanging graphical information between
platforms or applications.
inter-sheet connection In multi-sheet flat designs, these are connections that
represent a net that crosses from one sheet to another.
Advanced Schematic provides two ways to linking these
sheets: by using ports, which can either connect to ports or
sheet entries with the same name, or by using global net

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labels, where all nets of the same name are associated

across multiple sheets. The method that will be used to link
between sheets is established by the net identifier scope.
ISO International Standards Organization. See also metric.
junction Special symbol, used to electrically (logically) connect two
wires.
keyboard mapping Mapping of keystroke(s) to process launchers.
keyboard shortcut Key stroke(s) used to perform process launching.
Keyboard Shortcut Editor

Allows you to map key stroke(s) to processes.

keyboard shortcut list List of shortcut key assignments.
label See designator.
language list List of languages currently available. Each language has its
own syntax. The syntax of these languages can be edited
and new languages can be defined.
library Collection of components or devices, stored in an
Advanced Schematic library format.
Library Editor Document Editor used for managing Advanced Schematic
(and OrCAD SDT 3/4) component libraries.
line Any line that is non-electrical in the drawing. Electrical
lines are referred to as wires and have special properties in
Advanced Schematic.
link The process of listing all associated sheets for a design.
local Refers to a process or condition that is confined to a single
sheet. In relation to net identifiers, refers to net labels
whose scope is limited to a single sheet. See also global.
Local Area Network A network whose domain is local, typically within an office
or building.

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Macro Execution of a sequence of jobs. May include other

processes.
Macro Server Sever which interprets Macro script documents.
Macro Script Set of instructions and parameters written in a Macro Script
Language.
master sheet The “topmost” sheet in a multi-sheet design project. In
hierarchical designs, the master sheet includes sheet
symbols for the next layer of hierarchy and may or may not
include circuitry. In multi-sheet flat designs, the master
sheet only contains sheet symbols for all the sub-sheets. In
both types of design, the master sheet is used to open the
entire project.
Memory Monitor Monitors the availability of free memory and free resources
in the Windows environment. When either falls below a
preset level a Memory Monitor Warning pops up. The
preset levels are user definable.
menu List of menu items.
Menu Editor Allows you to define menus and menu items and map them
to process launchers.
menu item A label that appears in a menu, which when chosen will
either launch a process or display a sub-menu.
merge To move components from one library to another.
Microsoft Email Electronic mail that is handled by the Microsoft Email
software.
minimum X, Y The minimum X or Y coordinate of items in the Advanced
PCB workspace. This describes the left-most and bottom-
most coordinates used in the file or plot.
module port See port.
multi Multi-device component. Schematic component whose
gates can be represented by individual logic symbols.

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navigate The method of moving through the various levels of a

hierarchical design. This is done graphically in Advanced
Schematic by either clicking on a sheet in the Project
Manager, via the large up and down arrows on the main
toolbar or by selecting the Tools-Up Hierarchy or Tools
Down Hierarchy menu items.
net Connects all points that are electrically connected in a
schematic.
net identifier Used to uniquely identify a net. Possible net identifiers
include; net labels, ports, power ports, sheet entries and
hidden pin names.
net identifier scope Scope of inter-sheet connectivity to be applied to a multi-
sheet design when the netlist is created. There are three
options; Net Labels and Ports Global, which is used for flat
designs; Ports Only Global, which is also used for flat
designs (net labels are local to each sheet); Sheet Symbol
Port Connections, which is used for hierarchical designs.
The first two options create connections directly between
sub-sheets (horizontal connectivity), the last option creates
connections between a port on a sub-sheet and the matching
sheet entry in the sheet symbol that represents the sub-sheet
(vertical connectivity).
net label Special text symbol used to associate a wire with a specific
net.
netlist A text file that lists all the components and their
connectivity in an electronic circuit. Netlists are used to
transfer design information between EDA tools.
Netlist Server Server which creates a netlist in the chosen format.
object Any individual item that can be placed in the Advanced
Schematic workspace, e.g., wires, lines, buses, junctions,
components, etc.
Object Client

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On-Demand Start up state of server where it is available for use but not
loaded into memory.
On-Line Help User documentation in the Hypertext On-Line Help format.
On-Line Manual User documentation which appears in the same format as a
book, except that it is accessible on-line.
orthogonal Drawing mode, where wires and lines are constrained to
either vertical, horizontal or 45 degree placement. See also
any angle.
outline The symbolic shape used to describe individual
components or devices.
package The physical description, or “footprint” of a component,
e.g., DIP6, defined by the number and location of pins,
dimensions, etc.
pan The ability to move the viewing area of the screen as you
work on a magnified area of the document window. The
Protel Design System provides automatic panning
whenever the cursor includes a crosshair, such as placing or
moving selected items.
parent Any sheet that includes sheet symbols for another sub-sheet
(child) in a hierarchical design.
Parent - Child Relationship

A child document is related to its parent via an identifier

located on the parent document. This identifier will be
either a Sheet Symbol or a Process Container. The parent -
child relationship is shown in the Project Manager.
part field See component field.
part A special object constructed in the Schematic Library
Editor. It usually represents a generic component, such as a
resistor or capacitor or one part of a multi-part component.
In the Schematic Library Editor it is built up as a collection
of graphical objects: lines, arcs, etc.; text fields and one or
more component pins. Once a part is placed in the

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Schematic Sheet Editor it behaves as a single object. See

also component.
pin Graphical representation of a component pin on schematic
component symbols. Schematic pins are connected using
wires. Pins have only one point with electrical meaning, the
hot end. The hot end of a pin is the opposite end from where
the pin name appears. The hot end should be placed away
from the component body when the component is being
created.
pipe-link An OrCAD design element, used to list the sub-sheets
associated with a master sheet in a flat, multi-sheet design.
Advanced Schematic sub-sheets are represented by a
graphical sheet symbol, placed in the master sheet. See also
Link.
polygon Multi-sided filled graphical (non-electrical) object.
polyline Lines that can be rendered with multiple joined segments
and manipulated as an individual entity. Wires, buses and
graphical lines are all polylines in Advanced Schematic.
Closed objects like rectangles, round rectangles and
polygons share polyline behavior with un-closed objects.
Bezier curves also share polyline behavior.
port A symbol used to indicate a connection to another sheet in a
flat design. Ports can indicate an input, output, be bi-
directional or be unspecified.
power port Special net identifier used to indicate positive voltage,
negative voltage or ground source.
primitive Refers to any individual object, or object primitive. See
object.
printed documentation User documentation which is presented in a book or set of
books.
process Execution of a sequence of jobs. To perform any operation
in EDA Client or in a server, a process must be executed.

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All processes can be launched from menu items, tool bar

buttons and keyboard short cut keys.
Process Container A Process Container is an object that you place on your
document that can provide a service. It is a convenient way
of configuring a service that you need to run repeatedly, for
example Tools-Electrical Rules Check. It contains a
process launcher and may also contain a report name. A
report produced by a Process Container will appear as a
child of the document that contains the Process Container.
This relationship can be verified in the Project Manager.
Parameters setup in process containers are stored in the
design file.
Process Identifier Each process is identified by its Process Identifier An
example of a Process Identifier is Netlist:CreateNetlist.
This Process identifier tell us that the Netlist server can
execute a process to create a netlist.
process launcher Instruction to execute a process. Any user initiated action
that begins a process. Includes: menu items, tool bar
buttons, mouse and keyboard shortcuts.
process long summary The process long summary provides a brief description
of the process and is used for the tool tip and the status line
description.
process parameters Each process may require parameters to successfully
execute. If a process requires parameters, it will prompt for
these through dialog boxes and / or mouse actions. Process
parameters can also be passed by process launchers and by
macros.
project All the documents that are associated within a single
design, irrespective of their hierarchical or flat
organization.
project hierarchy Layered arrangement of documents in a project. The
hierarchy is defined by the parent - child relationship
between documents that make up a project. This hierarchy
can be of infinite depth, where child documents are parents

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to other child documents. The hierarchy of a project is

shown in the Project Manager.
Project Manager A panel that displays an icon to represent each open
document and indicates any relationship between them. If
the documents are related they will appear in a nested
fashion with a line linking each child document to its
parent. You can select another document to be the active
document by clicking on it in the Project Manager.
rectangle Four-sided graphical (non electrical) object.
Reference Manual Documentation that details the commands, the messages,
the data types and the data primitives used in the software.
Resource Menus, Toolbars and Keyboard Shortcut Lists are
resources.
Resource Editor For each of the three sets of resources available in EDA
Client (Menus, Keyboard Shortcut Lists and Toolbars) the
Resource Editor allows you to create, edit and delete
resources. The Resource Editor has access to the entire
pool of resources currently available in EDA Client.
Resource File Each server has a Resource (RCS) file. It holds the default
definition of all the resources provided by that server.
These include the mapping of each menu item to the
process identifier of the process it launches, the mapping of
each toolbar button to its button image file and the process
identifier of the process it launches and the mapping of
shortcut key strokes to the process identifier of the process
it launches.
Resource File, Client The resource information for each server that has been
loaded is stored in the CLIENT.RCS file. Customization of
Client or server resources are stored in this file.
Resource File, INI INI files hold the environment defaults, such as open files,
window configurations, editor preferences, printer setup,
etc.
root sheet See master sheet.

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Router The Router handles the flow of information between EDA

Client and its servers and between EDA Clients throughout
the network.
schematic capture CAD package for circuit design capable of generating a
netlist or report output allowing the design information to
be transferred to another CAD environment.
selection A method of displaying items that are included in a
selection. Items must first be selected in order to be
grouped, moved together, cut or copied to the Clipboard,
etc. See also focus, highlight.
selection color Color used to display items that are selected. Use the
Options-Schematic Preferences menu item to assign this
color.
serial Refers to RS-232C and RS-422 standard for data terminal
equipment (DTE) communications.
Server EDA Servers provide the ‘services’ in the EDA Client /
Server environment. These servers may include text
editors, schematic editors, simulation editors, PCB editors,
autorouters and so on.
Server Description File The server.INS file, also known as the server installation
file. It lists; the server DLL file, the server resource file and
the supported document editors. It also lists each process
provided by the server and their tool tip description / status
line description.
Server Installation Servers are installed by loading their .INS file. Once
installed, a server can then be started (unless it is
configured with a start up state of Automatic) or left in the
On Call state where it will be started the first time you open
a document type supported by that server.
sheet An individual schematic file, displayed in its own window.
Each schematic sheet, including hierarchical sub-sheets, are
saved as individual files. Advanced Schematic supports
sheets from A (A4 metric) to E (A0 metric) size as well as
custom sheet sizes.

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sheet entry A net identifier that can be placed in a sheet symbol. Used
to create a connection down to a port of the same name on
the sub-sheet the sheet symbol represents.
sheet path field Part text field used when component is to behave as a sheet
symbol rather than a component, that is represent a sub-
sheet. This field will contain the name of the sub-sheet this
part represents. When a component is used in this mode the
pin names connect to ports of the same name on the sub-
sheet. Enabling the Descend Into Sheet Parts option in the
Netlist Creation dialog box will then force all parts which
contain a sub-sheet name in their sheet path field to behave
like sheet symbols. Parts operating in this mode will not be
included as components in the netlist.
sheet symbol A graphic representation of a schematic sheet that can be
placed on another sheet, indicating hierarchy.
shortcut key Any key that can pop up a menu or launch a process. Many
shortcut keys have default assignments, e.g., PGUP to
zoom-in. All shortcut keys are user definable.
signal Any net. Generally used to refer to any non-power net.
simple hierarchy A hierarchy where no child document appears more than
once. See also hierarchy.
SMD Surface Mount Device. Also SMT (Surface Mount
Technology).
snap grid An invisible array of regularly spaced points on the screen
that defines the current cursor position and the available
location for any object in the Protel Design System
workspace.
snap to Special property of wire placement in Advanced Schematic
where wires will “attach” to pins when terminated near
these items. Advanced Schematic also automatically places
junctions when you terminate one wire at another.
Spice Generic term for a collection of algorithms for simulating
analog circuits originally developed by the University of

329
Advanced Schematic

California (Berkeley). Advanced Schematic generates a

special netlist format that supports a number of Spice-based
simulators.
Start Server To load a server into memory so that it is ready to run a
process.
Status bar The window along the bottom of the screen that displays the
cursor coordinates and user prompts, such as what user
action is required or the state of the current process.
step-and-repeat See array.
stimuli A special symbol used to indicate the point at which the
function of a signal (expressed as an algorithm) is applied
to a circuit during simulation.
string Individual element of free or component text.
Stop Server To remove a server from memory, returning it to the On-
Demand state. A server that is stopped is still available and
will be automatically re-started when a document requiring
that server is opened.
sub-sheet In multi-sheet schematics, any schematic sheet file
associated with a master or parent sheet. See also
hierarchical design.
symbols Various graphical and electrical or logical objects placed
on the schematic to represent components, devices or
blocks of circuits.
syntax Valid arrangement of words, identifiers and expressions for
a given language. In Text Expert the valid set of words,
identifiers and expressions are; reserved word, symbol,
string, number, comment and identifiers.
Syntax Highlighting A technique for document highlighting based on the syntax
of the language, where different words types, symbols and
identifiers are assigned different colors.
template A special graphical entity that holds user-defined sheet
size, border and title block descriptions. Users can create

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custom sheet templates and apply these templates to

schematic sheets at any time, replacing the system’s
standard sheet definitions.
test vector A special symbol used to indicate the point at which a non-
algorithmic stream of signal values is applied to a circuit
during simulation.
Text Expert Server which allows you to create and edit text documents.
It includes Syntax Highlighting.
text frame A graphical object placed on the schematic sheet that holds
up to 32,000 characters of formatable text. Parts, net labels
and other objects have their own text fields of up to 255
characters.
through hole PCB technology where component pins pass through all
layers of the assembled PCB.
title block Area of the schematic sheet reserved for the drawing title,
revision information, etc.
tool A process, eg Sch:PlaceWire, that can be invoked by
clicking a button on a Tool palette and allows you to place
an object in the workspace.
toolbar Set of buttons.
Toolbar Editor Allows you to add and remove buttons and separators from
a toolbar and assign process identifiers to buttons.
trace see probe.
User Guide Documentation that explains how to install and use the
software and the theory behind it.
vector font In Advanced Schematic, display or printing fonts that are
defined as a sequence of shapes defined by co-ordinates.
vertex The joint of any two straight line segments in polyline
objects: wires, buses, lines and polygons.

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Advanced Schematic

View Menu Menu through which you can change the view of the active
document and also to turn on and off other screen facilities
such as status bars, the Project Manager, etc.
visible grid A user-definable grid that provide a visual reference for
positioning items accurately on the schematic sheet.
Wide Area Network A network whose domain goes beyond the bounds of an
office or building.
wildcard Special Characters * (multiple characters) and ? (single
character) used replace text characters in mask fields or
during text searches.
Windows ® An operating system from Microsoft which allow the
concurrent running of applications, with a graphical user
interface.
Windows Menu Menu through which you can re-arrange and re-order the
open document windows.
wire An electrical (logical) conductor in the schematic drawing,
represented by a special line type. Wires are used to
connect pins to other pins, busses or wires and have special
properties that distinguish them from lines.
worksheet See sheet.
Xilinx Interface Server which creates a Xilinx format hierarchical netlist.
Zoom Menu Menu through which you can change the view of the active
document.

332

Index
A Bill of Materials report......................................199
absolute origin
jumping to..........................................................97
access codesSee installing Advanced Schematic
adding project sheets..........................................153
Advanced PCB
about....................................................................57
Advanced Schematic
configuration.....................................................60
working in,.........................................................93
Aligning Objects.................................................133
all files
saving.................................................................. 70
Annotate command
Paste command and........................................126
annotation.............................................................204
back......................................................................57
back annotating...............................................204
ANSI
sheet border........................................................63
title block............................................................64
archive
sheet library.......................................................83
array
creating.............................................................131
Item count........................................................132
Spacing.............................................................133
Text increment................................................132
ASCII file formats.............................................269
attributes
quick copy feature..........................................127
auto backup
global changes.................................................224
Auto-Junction
enabling / disabling..........................................60
B plotter................................................................195
Back annotation
about....................................................................57
backup library.......................................................82
baud rate
plotter................................................................196
Bill of Materials....................................................55
User Guide
library text....................................................80, 90
bold text, use of.....................................................24
borders
sheet.....................................................................63
Bring to front of command..............................129
browsing................................................................. 96
buses
connectivity and................................................53
C
cache........................................................................81
library.................................................................. 48
cache project
about....................................................................82
capitalization
use ........................................................................24
capitals
small....................................................................24
child sheet.............................................................147
circuit design
about....................................................................46
Client / Server
architecture........................................................29
Client Status Bar...................................................34
clipboard
and selection....................................................118
cutting a selection...........................................123
Paste command and........................................125
Clipboard Reference option.............................124
color
using..................................................................184
Color Mode option.............................................189
color printing
about..................................................................180
command................................................See process
communication
complex hierarchy..............................................148
component
about....................................................................73
accessing.............................................................74
annotation of......................................................57
cache....................................................................81
copying...............................................................91
333
Advanced Schematic
creating...............................................................88
footprint........................................................79, 89
libraries...............................................................73
multi-part...........................................................17
part type field....................................................79
text
about................................................................78
component group..................................................90
component parts....................................................90
components
about....................................................................47
on PCB..............................................................205
Components and Libraries.................................. 73
Configuration........................................................60
connection
selection............................................................122
connections
intersheet..........................................................140
wiring.................................................................. 50
connectivity
about....................................................................49
logical.................................................................. 52
methods...............................................................51
netlists and........................................................164
physical...............................................................52
rules for...............................................................52
control point
adding................................................................117
removing..........................................................117
copy
clipboard reference, enabling........................60
cross probing................................................58, 204
Cross Reference report...............................55, 201
customizing...........See EDA Client, customizing
D Editor Tabs
database
exporting to,.....................................................231
importing from,..............................................232
interfacing to,..................................................227
decal
component....................................................79, 89
decompiled
OrCAD libraries...............................................75
defaults, resetting..................................................42
Delete command.................................................126
Delete key
to remove vertex.............................................117
descriptions
component..........................................................73
De-select command............................................121
global changes.................................................224
334
deselecting objects..............................................118
design
managing projects..........................................137
design verification.......................................54, 155
designator.........................................................79, 89
annotation of......................................................57
designators
Paste command and........................................126
devices
multiple component...................................47, 90
directives (object type)........................................51
directory
library files.........................................................75
documentation.......................................................22
DOS, version.........................................................23
drag
object, how to..................................................129
orthogonal, enabling........................................60
drawing, tools for...............................................107
drivers
printer/plotter..................................................192
E
EDA Client.............................................................16
customizing........................................................35
environment.......................................................32
getting started....................................................29
installing a server..............................................39
multiple servers.................................................18
what is a Client server?....................................31
what is EDA Client?.........................................30
EDA Editor Panel.................................................33
EDA Editor Tabs...................................................33
Edit menu.............................................................104
customizing........................................................39
electrical objects...................................................50
wiring.................................................................. 50
Electrical Rule Check..........................................54
setting up..........................................................155
Electrical Rules Check.........................................56
extension
library files.........................................................75
F
fields
component text..................................................78
file
about sheet..........................................................62
opening.........................................................40, 67
saving.................................................................. 70
File menu..............................................................104

files
multiple sheet..................................................137
film
plotting..............................................................194
find and replace, text..........................................129
Fit On Page option.............................................190
flat designs...........................................................144
Focus.....................................................................114
compared to selection....................................118
font
component text..................................................78
Fonts......................................................................173
managing..........................................................173
rotating..............................................................188
system................................................................175
using..................................................................173
footprint
component....................................................79, 89
footprints
missing PCB....................................................205
forward annotation...............................................57
G entering access codes.......................................26
global editing.......................................................221
attributes to match by....................................222
change scope....................................................223
copy attributes.................................................223
selection and....................................................118
using the {}......................................................224
using wildcards...............................................223
global net identifiers............................................51
global nets...................................................141, 167
graphical editing.................................................116
graphical objects.................................................107
graphics
using..................................................................185
grid
electrical.............................................................65
snap......................................................................64
visible.................................................................. 64
Grids........................................................................64
group
component..........................................................90
H layout directives....................................................58
handles
in focused objects...........................................115
hardcopy
about..................................................................187
height
sheet.....................................................................62
Help menu............................................................106
User Guide
hidden pins
connecting........................................................141
hierarchy...............................................................138
five models of..................................................143
project report.....................................................55
simple................................................................147
tools for creating.............................................152
working with...................................................150
highlighting.........................................................119
I
icon
project sheet.......................................................69
IEEE
tools for.............................................................108
ink jet plotters......................................................183
Insert key
to add vertex....................................................117
inside area
selection............................................................121
Installing Advanced Schematic.........................26
intersheet connections.......................................140
ISO
sheet border........................................................63
italic text
use ........................................................................23
J
Jump To command...............................................97
K
keyboard
shortcuts............................................................108
Keyboard Shortcut Keys.....................................36
customizing........................................................36
L
labels, net................................................................51
landscape mode...................................................190
landscape orientation...........................................62
Languages...............................................................41
laser printers........................................................183
libraries...................................................................85
about....................................................................73
cache....................................................................81
Protel Schematic.............................................263
Libraries, loading..................................................75
library
about components.............................................47
335
Advanced Schematic
component group..............................................90
opening to edit...................................................86
sheet archive......................................................83
Sheet Path field...............................................150
tools for.............................................................108
Library Editor..................................................73, 85
Library Reference field.......................................78
library text fields............................................80, 90
library, project cache...........................................82
links
project sheet.....................................................138
Links With Advanced PCB..............................203
local nets...............................................................167
location
jumping to..........................................................97
logical connectivity
about....................................................................52
M about...........................................................57, 165
main toolbars.......................................................107
Make Project Library command.......................83
manual conventions.............................................23
marker
location...............................................................97
mask
file
libraries...........................................................75
master sheet............................................................69
about..................................................................139
menu
Edit.....................................................................104
File.....................................................................104
Help ...................................................................106
Options..............................................................105
Place..................................................................105
Reports..............................................................105
Tools..................................................................105
View ..................................................................105
Window............................................................106
Menus
about..................................................................104
customizing........................................................36
modular design....................................................148
module ports (OrCAD).....................................141
mouse
shortcuts............................................................108
move
object, how to..................................................128
Moving and Dragging.......................................128
multi-sheet projects
managing..........................................................137
336
N
net identifier
Net Labels and Ports Global................146, 167
Only Ports Global...........................................167
Ports Only Global...........................................145
scope..................................................................142
scope, setting....................................................167
Sheet Symbol / Port Connections...............168
Sheet Symbols / Port Connections.............147
net identifier scope.............................................167
net identifiers
about....................................................................51
net label
connectivity and................................................53
net labels...............................................................141
Net Labels and Ports Global.............................146
netlist.....................................................................163
component text..................................................78
connectivity and................................................49
Electrical Rule Check....................................155
format................................................................166
generating.........................................................166
options...............................................................168
problems loading............................................205
Protel 2 format................................................169
Protel format...................................................168
SPICE................................................................235
O
object
placing...............................................................111
reference point when moving........................61
Objects..................................................................111
adding to selection..........................................119
aligning.............................................................133
editing...............................................................113
OrCAD design.................................................257
selecting...................................................118, 121
On-line Help
about....................................................................24
Open Project command..............................69, 137
options
printer................................................................190
Options menu......................................................105
Orcad
about compatibility........................................255
compatibility.....................................................17
hierarchy...........................................................140
layout directive.................................................58
libraries

loading............................................................75
orthogonal wire placement...............................112
outside area
selection............................................................122
P Placement variable
package
component..........................................................90
panel....................................See EDA Editor Panel
panel, editor...........................................................38
panning...................................................................95
paper
plot quality.......................................................194
parent sheet..........................................................147
part...........................................................................17
about....................................................................74
attributes.............................................................78
backup library...................................................82
footprint........................................................79, 89
placing................................................................. 77
re-annotation of................................................57
sheet path............................................................80
text
about................................................................78
text fields............................................................80
updating..............................................................83
part type.................................................................. 79
parts
about component..............................................47
cross reference...................................................55
libraries...............................................................73
multiple component.........................................90
path
library files.........................................................75
pattern
component....................................................79, 89
patterns
PCB component..............................................205
PCB
back annotation.................................................57
cross probing.....................................................58
forward annotation...........................................57
layout directives................................................58
PCB design
links to................................................................. 57
pens
assigning plotter..............................................193
plotter................................................................194
physical connectivity...........................................52
Pin
attributes.............................................................88
hidden.................................................................. 81
User Guide
moving the pin text..........................................60
pins
connectivity and................................................53
PCB component..............................................205
Place menu...........................................................105
in arrays............................................................132
plots
about..................................................................192
drafting film....................................................194
quality of..........................................................193
scaling...............................................................190
plotter
problems with..................................................196
plotter communication......................................195
plotter pens...........................................................194
plotters
about pen..........................................................182
port...........................................................................51
portrait mode.......................................................190
portrait orientation...............................................62
ports.......................................................................141
connectivity and................................................53
global vs local..................................................167
Ports Only Global...............................................145
PostScript.............................................................187
about.........................................................183, 192
power ports..........................................................141
presentation quality............................................179
previewing prints/plots.....................................190
primitives
setting defaults..................................................61
printer capabilities..............................................180
printing...............................................See hardcopy
about..................................................................187
sheet borders......................................................63
prints
scaling...............................................................190
process
about..................................................................101
Processes...........................................................34, 35
project
archiving library for........................................83
Electrical Rule Check....................................155
opening...............................................................69
saving.................................................................. 70
saving files.........................................................70
Project Hierarchy report............................55, 202
project management
about..................................................................137
Project Manager....................................................34
customizing........................................................38
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projects
design verification............................................54
printing.............................................................187
Protel DOS Schematic
compatibility...................................................263
Protel Schematic
libraries
loading............................................................75
R installing and starting......................................39
Re-entrant Editing..............................................219
reference
clipboard option..............................................124
reference point....................................................133
removing project sheets....................................153
report
bill of material.................................................199
component..........................................................92
component rule check......................................92
cross reference.................................................201
library.................................................................. 92
project hierarchy.............................................202
reports...................................................................199
bill of materials.................................................55
cross reference...................................................55
Electrical Rule Check......................................56
netlist compare..................................................57
project hierarchy...............................................55
Reports menu.......................................................105
Resources................................................................34
customizing........................................................35
Routing Directives.............................................203
RS-232C...............................................................195
S creating.............................................................214
Save All command...............................................70
Save Project command........................................70
scale
print/plot...........................................................190
schematic
updating..............................................................91
schematic capture
advantages of.....................................................47
fundamentals.....................................................46
Schematic Editor Reference..........................15, 23
Schematic Library Editor...................................17
Schematic Sheet Editor.......................................16
Select Connection command.............................54
Select Net command...................................54, 120
Select Printer option..........................................188
selection................................................................114
about..................................................................114
338
all items on sheet.............................................122
Cut command and...........................................123
duplicate designators.....................................126
inside area.........................................................121
net.......................................................................122
Paste command and........................................125
Toggle command............................................123
Send to back of command................................129
Server
what is a server?................................................31
sheet
about....................................................................62
back annotation.................................................57
backup library...................................................82
borders..........................................................63, 64
complex............................................................151
Electrical Rule Check....................................155
library archive...................................................83
managing project............................................137
master.........................................................69, 151
parts .....................................................................74
sub-sheet...........................................................151
title block............................................................64
sheet entry..............................................................51
connectivity and................................................53
sheet icon................................................................69
Sheet Path field...................................................150
sheet symbol........................................................139
sheet symbols.....................................141, 149, 168
Sheet Symbols / Port Connections.................147
sheet template
specifying...........................................................60
sheet templates....................................................213
sheets
adding or removing........................................153
connecting........................................................140
design verification............................................54
from OrCAD files..........................................255
printing.............................................................187
shortcut keys
frequently used..................................................99
shortcuts
mouse and keyboard......................................108
simple hierarchy.................................................147
size
choosing sheet...................................................62
small capitals
use ........................................................................24
special strings
converting on screen........................................61

entering their contents.....................................65
list of,.................................................................214
using..................................................................213
Spice Interface....................................................235
SRC file format.....................................................75
subsheet
about..................................................................139
Supress ERC command.....................................155
symbol
ERC......................................................................56
Syntax Highlighting............................................42
System Font.........................................................175
System Requirements..........................................25
T
tabs.........................................See EDA Editor Tabs
terminology
about....................................................................23
text
component sheet.........................................80, 90
library fields................................................80, 90
special strings....................................................20
working with...................................................129
text editor...............................................................40
document options.............................................42
languages............................................................41
syntax highlighting..........................................42
tiling prints/plots................................................190
tool buttons..........................................................106
Toolbars
about..................................................................106
customizing........................................................35
Tools menu...........................................................105
tree
project................................................................. 69
TrueType
component text..................................................78
User Guide
U
undo
setting stack size................................................61
units .........................................................................65
update schematic...................................................91
User Guide.............................................................22
V
verification
design.................................................................. 54
view
changing.............................................................94
View menu...........................................................105
W
was-is list................................................................57
width
sheet.....................................................................62
window
project................................................................. 69
Window menu.....................................................106
Windows................................................................. 23
display options..................................................22
wire
connectivty and.................................................52
placement mode..............................................112
wiring
about....................................................................50
tools for.............................................................107
workspace
size .......................................................................63
X
Xilinx Interface...................................................245
339