Circuit copy and move functions from Expedition tool?

Circuit copy and move

Hi All

Could anyone please explain me about the Circuit copy and move functions from Expedition tool? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Rajkumar R

Re: Circuit copy and move

Go to Mentor's support site, search for Copy Circuit 4608.pdf.

Everything you need to know is in that document.

Re: Circuit copy and move

<----------------------- From SupportNet ------------------------>

In order to make optimal use of the Expedition PCB Copy Circuit command, the schematic must be defined with each circuit as a block and the References Designators between each block packaged so they are sorted alphabetically ascending. By designing your schematic in this way, it will aid the Copy Circuit equivalency algorithm in finding the next equivalent circuit as fast as possible. The following is the suggested process for designing your schematic to optimally use Copy
Circuit:

1. Create a new schematic for each circuit you intend to be copied using Copy Circuit. Make sure to use hierarchical connectors for any signals that enter or exit the circuit. Note that you must include the entire circuit to be copied within the same schematic. This applies to all parts, including de-coupling caps, etc.


2. Within your top level schematic, place a schematic block, Place > Block, referencing the schematic circuit you just created. This will be your master circuit which will inherit any pins for signals that enter or exit the circuit from the schematic.


3. Save and Compile the CDB.


4. Run Tools>Packager to create the packaging for your master circuit and any other symbols placed in your project. Check the log file to verify that there are no errors or warnings.


5. Open your master circuit. This will automatically absorb the packaging that was just done. Place the Frozen Package property with a value of Block on all symbols in the master circuit.
Note: You must check the option, Absorb instance data into flat designs or single instance blocks, under the Project > Settings > Design tab in order for the packaging to be automatically absorbed.


6. Open your top level schematic and copy or place this block as many times as the circuit is needed within the design.


7. Run the CDB Compiler to create CDB instances for each block that you placed.


8. Run the Packager to package all of the circuits. The packager will base the packaging of the copied circuits on the master circuit and, by using the Frozen Package property, will append an arbitrary number to each Reference Designator. This process generates the Reference Designators sorted alphabetically between each circuit.


9. Enter Expedition PCB job and run Forward Annotation. Check the log file to verify that there are no errors or warnings.


10. Place the master circuit in Expedition PCB. This can be done easily by using Place Parts and Cells with schematic cross probe enabled. Open the master circuit that has the original packaging on each symbol, i.e. the Reference Designators without _XX appended. Then while Place Parts and Cells is up and while in schematic mode, select each symbol and place it on the board. The option of adding to list can be used to group select all of the symbols within the master circuit.


11. Once you have placed the master circuit, use Expedition PCB routing functionality to route the connections that are within the circuit. Do not route any connections that exit or enter the circuit.


12. Now that the master circuit is fully placed and routed, use the Copy Circuit command in Expedition PCB to copy this master circuit for each instance defined in the schematic.




The Copy Circuit equivalency algorithm needs the reference designators within the circuits to be ordered, in order to optimally find
equivalent parts. For example:

Base Circuit may have U1, R1, Q1 and D1

Equivalent Circuit 1 should have U1x, R1x, Q1x and D1x (where x is a postfix that causes the reference designators to be ordered
between the circuit. x could be A, _f, for circuit 1 and B, _2 for circuit 2.) The following chart shows an example reference designator mapping:

Base Equivalent Equivalent Equivalent Equivalent
Circuit Circuit 1 Circuit 2 Circuit 3 Circuit 4
-----------------------------------------------------------
U1 U1_1 U1_2 U1_3 U1_4
R1 R1_1 R1_2 R1_3 R1_4
Q1 Q1_1 Q1_2 Q1_3 Q1_4
D1 D1_1 D1_2 D1_3 D1_4

By using ordered reference designators, the equivalency algorithm (when doing the tests to determine the parts are equivalent) only has
to test one part instead of searching through many parts to find an equivalent.

Since Copy Circuit is looking an equivalent part for each part in the base circuit, a single part cannot be shared between multiple circuits. If you have a connector, or another part that connects to multiple circuits, this part should not be included in the base circuit being copied.

In order for the equivalency algorithm to find equivalent circuits, you should not swap gates, parts or pins within the base circuit. This will cause the base circuit to be different from the rest of the equivalent circuits defined in the schematic. If changes need to be made, they should be made in the schematic so all circuits remain the same.

Once the circuit is copied to its new location, it becomes individual traces and parts and does not maintain relationship to the master circuit from which it was copied.

For setting the suffixes to the equivalent circuits in a DxDesigner schematic, see the MG29214.

Circuit copy and move

Thank you much.