DxDesignerUserGuideForExpeditionFlow PDF

DxDesigner® User’s Guide
For Expedition Flow
Software Version EE2007.3
© 2005-2008 Mentor Graphics Corporation

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Revision History
Revision Changes Date

EE2007.3 Updated content to reflect changes to DxDesigner Sep 2008
Rev 0
DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

Revision History
DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction to DxDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Working Concurrently within EE2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The DxDesigner Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The Expedition Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Netlist Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Finding Information within DxDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Switching Between Releases or Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Understanding the DxDesigner User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Changing Between Floating and Docked Window Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Starting and Exiting from DxDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Starting DxDesigner in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Starting DxDesigner in UNIX or LINUX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Starting DxDesigner From a Command Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Creating a New Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Adding Libraries to a Project (Netlist workflow only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Copying or Deleting a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Using the Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Designs vs. Blocks Nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Navigator Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Manipulating Objects from the Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Managing Schematic Sheets from the Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Working With Sheets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Traversing from Sheet to Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Viewing Pins and Nets and Their Associated Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Basic Editing of Selected Schematic Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Reflecting a Selected Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Rotating a Selected Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Scaling a Selected Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Changing Size of Selected Text, Properties, or Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Stretching a Selected Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Cutting or Copying a Selected Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Pasting Objects From the Clipboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Adding an Array for Selected Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Zooming on a Selected Area or Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Changing the Name of a Selected String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Executing DxDesigner Command Line Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 2
Defining Project Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Customizing the Dashboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Setting Dashboard Preferences to Fit Your Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3 5

Table of Contents
Creating, Adding, and Deleting Items in a Toolbox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Accessing Frequently-Used Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Configuring the Shortcut Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Customizing DxDesigner From the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Customizing the Tools Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Customizing your DxDesigner Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Displaying and Customizing Pintype Arrows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Changing the Appearance of the Cursor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Changing Object Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Framing a Design with Borders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Creating a Sheet Border Symbol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Specifying Border Configuration File Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Creating a Border Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Controlling Sheet Borders on a Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Changing Border Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Configuring Special Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
To Configure Special Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Setting Up Constraints in CES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter 3
Creating and Editing Symbols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Creating a Local Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Chapter 4
Creating and Editing Flat Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Returning Schematic to a Prior State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Creating a New Schematic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Opening a Non-DxDesigner Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Preparing a Schematic for Design Creation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Editing Schematic Borders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Creating Designs Within a Spreadsheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Creating and Editing an Interconnectivity Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Adding Nets to Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Grouping and Ungrouping Rows and Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Adding Ports to the ICT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adding a Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Creating and Removing Differential Pairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Creating and Ripping a Bus in an ICT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Splitting an Interconnectivity Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Setting Color Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Using the Interconnectivity Table Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Creating Designs Graphically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Adding Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Adding and Replacing Power/Ground Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Synchronizing a Component With its Associated Base Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Specifying the Characteristics of Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Adding and Editing Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Handling Mechanical Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
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Handling Test Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Using Constraints in DxDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Connecting/Disconnecting Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Routing Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Creating Intersecting Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Creating Dangling Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Automatically Creating Connection by Net Label Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Disconnecting a Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Adding and Editing Ports on a Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Propagating Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Adding Missing Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Replacing Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Creating and Editing Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Creating and Editing Nets Using the Schematic Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Aliasing Nets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Merging Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Establishing Connectivity in Multi-Sheet Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Creating Differential Pairs Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Inserting a Serial Component on a Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Connecting Components With Busses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Adding a Bus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Ripping Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Working Within the Schematic Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Adding or Deleting a Schematic Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Copying a Schematic Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Adding Text to Schematics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Adding Graphics to Schematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Selecting and Deselecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Filtering Which Objects to Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Moving and Copying Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Replacing a Symbol or Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Finding and Replacing Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Viewing Names and Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Executing Commands Using Strokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Verifying Your Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Processing Your Completed Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Chapter 5
Creating and Editing Hierarchical Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Hierarchical Designs and Design Reuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Selecting a Design Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Creating Bottom-Up Hierarchical Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Generating a Block from a Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Editing a Generated Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Moving Generated Blocks into the Central Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Placing a Symbol in an Open Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Adding Ports to the Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Creating Top-Down Hierarchical Designs With Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Table of Contents
Placing Blocks on the Top-Level Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Chapter 6
Exchanging Data with Other Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Exchanging Data Within Expedition Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Working with Foreign Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Exchanging Data Within Netlist Workflow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Exporting a Quick Connection View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Cross-Probing from Quick Connection View Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Configuring the Quick Connection View Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Interpreting the Netlist Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Using LineSimLink to Interface with HyperLynx. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Exporting to HyperLynx with LineSimLink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Importing from HyperLynx with LineSimLink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Packaging A Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Chapter 7
Verifying the Schematic with the Design Rule Checker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Configuring the DRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Chapter 8
Archiving Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Chapter 8
Printing, Plotting and Generating PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Printing in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Setup for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Printing the Current Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Paper Tray Selection in UNIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Printing in UNIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Setup for UNIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Print the Current Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Plotting in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Configure a Basic Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Export the Design to Metafile Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Spool the Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Plotting in UNIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Plotting Setup in UNIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Plotting in UNIX Using Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Plotting in UNIX Using Custom Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Generating a PDF of Your Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Chapter 9
Generating Bills of Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
General Part Lister Information and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Why Use Part Lister? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Using Part Lister from the DxDesigner Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Using Part Lister from the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Table of Contents
Output File Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Appendix A
Troubleshooting Your Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Troubleshooting DxDesigner Environment Variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Troubleshooting Your License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Running Licensing Utilities From the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Finding Files in your PATH or WDIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Appendix B
Using VHDL and Verilog in DxDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Preparing Schematic Designs for Export to ModelSim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Creating Schematics that Export Correctly to VHDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Creating a ModelSim Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Exporting the DxDesigner Schematic to VHDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Importing a Netlist into ModelSim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Importing Data from ModelSim into DxDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Using VHDL or Verilog Symbols in a Schematic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Creating a VHDL Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Simulate the Entire Design - VHDL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Creating a Verilog Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Simulate the Entire Design - Verilog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Inserting VHDL and SPICE Files onto a Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Insert a File over an Existing Symbol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Appendix C
Linking and Embedding Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Inserting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Embedding an Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Converting an Embedded Object to a Different File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Linking Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Index
Third-Party Information
End-User License Agreement

List of Tables
Table 2-1. DxDesigner Arguments Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Table 2-2. Special Component Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Table 2-3. Special Component Toolbar Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Table 3-1. Local Symbol Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Table 4-1. Property Editing Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Table 4-2. Ripped net nomenclature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Table 4-3. Numerical Sequences Defining Strokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Table A-1. Environment Variable Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Table A-2. Diagnostics Dialog Box - Licensing Tab Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Table A-3. License Utilities from PC or UNIX Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Table B-1. Naming Guidelines for VHDL Data Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Table B-2. ModelSim load Command Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

List of Figures
Figure 1-1. DxDesigner Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Figure 1-2. DxDesigner Interface With Various Utility Windows Displayed. . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 1-3. DxDesigner Interface with Different Add-ins than Figure 1-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 1-4. DxDesigner Project Navigator Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 1-5. Project Navigator - Example of Cross-Probe Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 1-6. Traversing Sheets of a Flat Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Figure 1-7. Traversing Sheets of a Hierarchical Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Figure 2-1. Using Library Manager to Copy/Paste a New Border Symbol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Figure 2-2. Specifying Which borders.ini File to Use for Border Configurations . . . . . . . . 51
Figure 2-3. Setting Border Configuration for a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Figure 2-4. Changing Border Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Figure 4-1. Contrasting a Flat Design With a Hierarchical Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Figure 4-2. Interconnectivity Table Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Figure 4-3. New Block in Interconnectivity Table (ICT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Figure 4-4. Adding Nets and Net Names Automatically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Figure 4-5. Dragdown Tab for Adding Multiple Nets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Figure 4-6. Forward To PCB Property Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Figure 4-7. Part List Exclude Property Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Figure 4-8. Net Short Dialog Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Figure 4-9. Split Net Dialog Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Figure 4-10. Ripper Symbols Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Figure 6-1. Possible Dataflows Using the Expedition Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Figure 6-2. Possible Dataflows Using the Netlist Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Figure 6-3. Quick Connection View Cross-Probing Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Figure 6-4. Quick Connection View Netlist Example 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

List of Figures

Chapter 1
Introduction to DxDesigner
DxDesigner provides a scalable, multi-user design definition environment using schematics or

interconnect tables that integrate with Expedition Enterprise (EE) layout tools across multiple
computing platforms.
The following topics introduce you to some of the basic DxDesigner concepts and tasks:
• Working Concurrently within • Copying or Deleting a Project

EE2007
• Copying or Deleting a Project
• The DxDesigner Workflows
• Using the Navigator
• Finding Information within
• Working With Sheets
DxDesigner
• Basic Editing of Selected Schematic
• Switching Between Releases or
Objects
Flows
• Executing DxDesigner Command
• Understanding the DxDesigner User
Line Commands
Interface
• Starting and Exiting from
DxDesigner
• Creating a New Project
Working Concurrently within EE2007

Because all applications use the same central database, multiple users can work simultaneously
on the same design. This is called working concurrently.
Requirements
You must be working within a Client/Server environment. Your System Administrator sets up
this environment, and provides designers with paths to libraries, projects, etc.
Concurrency Examples.
• Multiple users can open the same design in DxDesigner. DxDesigner locks files on a
sheet-by sheet basis. The first user to open a sheet has editing (read/write) privileges. If
additional users open a sheet that is already being edited, DxDesigner opens the sheet in
read-only mode, and specifies the user who is editing it. All changes made in the editing
session appear immediately in the read-only sessions.

The DxDesigner Workflows
• Multiple users can open a design in different tools, such as DxDesigner, Expedition PCB
or CES. When a user makes changes in one of the tools, the other tools indicate that
forward or back annotation is required. These indications are provided by indicator
lights in the status bar of the application.
Figure 1-1. DxDesigner Indicator Light
Yellow light indicates backward

annotation pending

DxDesigner allows you to create projects that target different layout tools. When creating a new
project you must choose between an Expedition workflow or a Netlist workflow. When you
choose the Expedition flow, you target the tightly-coupled Expedition PCB layout tool. When
you choose the Netlist flow, you can choose between a number of different layout tools.
The following topics briefly describe characteristics of each flow:
• The Expedition Workflow

• The Netlist Workflow
The DxDesigner User Interface (UI) accommodates the flow you have chosen. This means that
various dialog boxes and menu items may change slightly depending on which of these flows
you are working in. The DxDesigner documentation calls out these differences in the
appropriate sections.
For information about choosing a particular workflow, see the topic “Creating a New
Project” on page 22.
Related Topics
• Exchanging Data with Other Tools

The Expedition Workflow

Beginning with the 2007 release, Expedition Enterprise (EE), stores design data in a central,
client/server database and stores symbol, cell, and padstack data in the Expedition Central
Library. This architecture enables multiple applications to access design data simultaneously,
resulting in:
• Real-time concurrent access to design data, with concurrent design entry, including
constraints, resulting in a true concurrent design environment.
• Flexible client/server architecture
• Real-time connectivity creation - no netlist generation or compilation required
• Cross-probing between and within concurrent applications
For more information on this architecture, including setup, see the DxDesigner Administrator’s
Guide.
This concurrent architecture lets you fit DxDesigner into your overall EE workflow in the most
appropriate way for your design environment. For example, you can assign one person to
schematic capture in DxDesigner, while another is working on PCB Layout in Expedition. See
Synchronizing DxDesigner and Expedition PCB for more information.
Using the Expedition workflow gives you access to the following features (not accessible in the
Netlist workflow):
Supported in Expedition Workflow Toolbar Buttons

• Package (Tools menu)
• Library Manager (Tools menu)
• Expedition PCB (Tools menu)
• Constraint Editor System (Tools menu)
• Variants (View > Other Windows menu)
• Function Managed Variants (View > Other Windows menu)
• RF (View menu - if DxRFEngineer License Option enabled)
Synchronizing DxDesigner and Expedition PCB

When you are designing concurrently in DxDesigner and Expedition PCB, both tools track
when changes are made in the other. Both contain an “Indicator Light” in the status bar at the
bottom of the application that indicates when synchronization is needed. In DxDesigner, the
light is green if no annotation is needed, and yellow if annotation is needed.

Finding Information within DxDesigner
Depending on where changes were made, you synchronize by Forward Annotating from
DxDesigner to Expedition PCB, or Back Annotating from Expedition PCB to DxDesigner.
To forward annotate design data to Expedition PCB:
1. Select Tools > Package.

2. Specify the parameters in the Packager Dialog Box. For detailed information, see
Packager Dialog Box in the DxDesigner Reference Manual.
Related Topics
• Managing Design Changes Between Tools in the Constraint Editor System User’s
Manual
• DxDesigner Flow in the Expedition PCB User’s Guide
The Netlist Workflow

The Netlist workflow has the following characteristics:
• Uses Symbol Libraries instead of a Central Library as in the Expedition workflow

• Provides access to the following features (not accessible in the Expedition workflow):
Supported in Netlist Workflow Toolbar Buttons

o PCB Interface (ViewPCB) (Tools menu)
o DxLibrary Studio (Tools menu)
o Property Definition Editor (Tools menu)
o Constraints (View > Other Windows menu)
Related Topics
• PCB Interfaces User’s Guide
• Managing Parts Databases with DxLibraryStudio
Finding Information within DxDesigner

You can find information within DxDesigner in any of the following ways:
• The DxDesigner User’s Guide Table of Contents

The DxDesigner User’s Guide Table of Contents is built to reflect a typical workflow
model, and provides flow-based links to information about your design tasks, including
pre-and post-schematic capture tasks such as FPGA design, layout, and simulation.

Switching Between Releases or Flows
• The DxDesigner InfoHub
The DxDesigner InfoHub is an HTML information center that organizes your sets of
documentation and provides information links into SupportNet. The InfoHub also
includes a local HTML search based on keywords and an enhanced natural-language
search of SupportNet. To access the InfoHub from DxDesigner, select Help >
Documentation in InfoHub.
Switching Between Releases or Flows

You can keep multiple DxDesigner releases or flows on your system. To switch between them,
use the SDD Configurator. For more information, see the topic Switching Between Releases or
Flows in Setting your Software Environment with SDD Configurator.
Understanding the DxDesigner User Interface

The flexibility of the DxDesigner interface enables you to customize your workspace by
choosing which functionality (toolbar commands) you want to display at any given time or
which icons appear in your session toolbars.
To display or hide the any of the following toolbars:
• Toggle any of the items listed from the menu View > Toolbars >
Add
Addins
Command Line
Main
Transform
View
RF (if applicable to your installation)
For a brief description on each of these toolbars, refer to the Toolbars description in the topic
titled “View Menu” in the DxDesigner Reference Guide.
You can also choose to close all add-ins, and display only the schematic editor window.
Tip: Many designers choose to close add-ins when they are not using them in order to
maximize screen real estate for the schematic capture.
Changing Between Floating and Docked Window Types

DxDesigner uses two window types for displaying add-ins:
• Docked windows

By default, the windows stay in a specified location within the DxDesigner interface.
You have the ability to remove them from view or change their display setting to a
floating window.
• Floating windows
You can display your windows as floating entities outside of the main DxDesigner
interface.
To convert a docked window into a floating window:
1. In a blank spot in the docked window, uncheck the Allow Docking feature by right-click
> Allow Docking.
2. Click-and-hold the title bar of the window.
3. Drag the window to another location on your screen.
To convert a floating window to a docked window:
1. In a blank spot in the floating window, enable the Allow Docking feature by right-click
> Allow Docking.
2. Click-and-hold the title bar of the window.
3. Drag the window anywhere on top of the DxDesigner interface.
Tip: DxDesigner window placement is stored in the dxdesigner.wsp file. If you “lose”
any undocked windows outside the bounds of your screen, delete this file. DxDesigner
creates a new file that restores default window placement.

Figure 1-2. DxDesigner Interface With Various Utility Windows Displayed

Navigator: displays, and allow you to Properties: interface for creating and editing property
operate on, the project hierarchy. constraints.
Output: displays the output results from Schematic Editor window:

commands. Other tabs display results from interface for placing components on both flat
other actions. and hierarchical designs.

Figure 1-3. DxDesigner Interface with Different Add-ins than Figure 1-1
DxDataBook: interface for
searching and selecting
components from various Command Line Toolbar: interface for
part libraries. executing commands.
ICT Viewer: allows you to Symbols: interface for

view the interconnect table searching, selecting, and
representation of the design placing symbols from
various libraries.

Starting and Exiting from DxDesigner
Starting and Exiting from DxDesigner

On Windows or UNIX, you access DxDesigner through the Dashboard. On Windows, you can
also access it from Windows Explorer or the Windows Start menu.
Starting DxDesigner in Windows

To invoke the Dashboard:
• Double-click the DxDesigner icon on the desktop .

To invoke DxDesigner from the Dashboard:
1. Open the Toolboxes folder .

2. Double-click the Board-level Design (PCB) toolbox .
3. Double-click the DxDesigner icon .
To invoke DxDesigner from the Windows Start menu:
• Select Start > Programs > Mentor Graphics SDD > DxDesigner-Expedition Flow>
Design Entry> DxDesigner.
To exit from DxDesigner do one of the following:
• Select File > Exit.

• Click the outer red X to close the window.
Starting DxDesigner in UNIX or LINUX

1. In a command shell, navigate to: %SDD_HOME%/common/<platform>/bin
2. Type viewdraw.
Note
The first time you start DxDesigner, it may take a few minutes to appear. Subsequent
invocations will be much faster.
Starting DxDesigner From a Command Window

You can start DxDesigner from a command window in Windows, UNIX or LINUX, without
opening Dashboard.
To start DxDesigner from a command window:
1. Open a Windows command window, or a UNIX or LINUX command shell

Creating a New Project
2. Navigate to the desired DxDesigner project directory

3. Type viewdraw

Before you can create a schematic, you must create a project in which to store the design data
files that are generated.
Create a project from within the DxDesigner or the Dashboard in one of the following ways:
• Specify project parameter settings using a default or custom template for the particular
workflow you are using, either Expedition or Netlist.
• From a DMS database. See “Copying or Deleting a Project” on page 24 for more
information.
To create a new project using a default or a custom template in either the Expedition or
Netlist workflow:
1. Do one of the following:

• Within the DxDesigner or the Dashboard, select File > New > Project.
• Within the Dashboard, right-click on the Projects folder and select Create Project
from the popup menu.
2. In the New Project dialog, select a Project Template from the available list for the
appropriate workflow you are using. There is one default template for each type of
workflow. In addition, the list may contain custom templates that have been created by
your administrator.

The following figure shows an example of various templates available from each
workflow. If you choose a Netlist workflow template, you can then choose your target
layout tool:
Choose a
template from
here to target the
Expedition PCB
layout tool.
Choose a
template from
here to target a
layout tool from
the pulldown list.
3. Enter the name of your project.

4. Enter the Location where your project folder will be created.
5. Expedition Flow Only: If it is not already filled in by a template, enter the path to the
Central Library that your project will use.
Netlist Flow Only: Choose your layout tool from the drop-down list.
6. If you choose to use the Client-Server Configuration manager, select the checkbox and
enter the path to the server. For more information, see the topic “iCDB Administration”
in the DxDesigner Administrator’s Guide.
7. Click OK to create the project.
Result: The new project appears in the project list.
See Also:
• The DxDesigner Workflows
Adding Libraries to a Project (Netlist workflow only)

You can add legacy DxDesigner symbol libraries to either a new or existing Netlist workflow
project. If your company uses the Central Library model, you can add symbol libraries stored in

Copying or Deleting a Project
the SymbolLibs partition. You can also add libraries in this format from any network location
accessible to DxDesigner.
To add libraries:
1. From the menu, click Setup > Settings > Symbol Libraries (section). The Symbol
Libraries window opens.
2. Click the Add icon . The Library dialog box opens
3. Browse to the symbol library you want to add. This library can be located in the
SymbolLibs partition of your Central Library, or anywhere on you network where it is
accessible to your system.
4. Click OK.
Result: The library is added to the list. Library entries are color-coded as follows:
• Read-0nly libraries are white.
• Writeable libraries are green.
• Mega libraries are Blue
Note: Mega libraries are store in a proprietary, compiled format. DxDesigner
decompiles the libraries automatically before displaying them in the Symbols
window.
To edit the library list:
• Do one of the following:

o Delete a library by selecting it and clicking the Delete icon .
o Move a library up in the list by selecting it and clicking the Move Up icon .
o Move a library down in the list by selecting it and clicking the Move Down icon
Related Topics
• Working Concurrently within EE2007
• Creating a New Schematic
• Creating a Template File in the DxDesigner Administrator Guide
Copying or Deleting a Project

You can copy a project from another user on your network, rename a project, or delete a project
from your project list.

Using the Navigator
To copy or move a project:
• Using the method appropriate to your operating system, copy or move the project folder
to its new location.
To rename a project:
• Using the method appropriate to your operating system, rename the project folder.
To delete a project:
• Using the method appropriate to your operating system, delete the project folder from its
location within your file system.
Using the Navigator

The DxDesigner Navigator contains a project tree as a graphical representation of your designs
and their hierarchies. It dynamically updates and displays the project data in two primary
structures: the design hierarchy and the list of blocks.
Designs vs. Blocks Nodes

The top-level block in a design is the root. Everything from the design root and below in its
hierarchy appears in the navigator window under the Design node. You can have multiple
designs in a project. Each design represents a separate PCB. Keeping all related PCB designs in
one project allows the designs to share libraries and local blocks, and allows you to manage
concurrent design throughout the entire project.
All the non-root blocks for all the designs in the project appear in the navigator window under
the Blocks node in alphabetical order by name. You can create a design from a block and define
the root node of the design from the RMB popup menu ( > Create Design and > Set as Root)
after a right-click on the block of interest.
The first schematic you create in a project automatically goes under the Designs node as the
root. Subsequent schematics go under the Blocks node.
For each block in either the Designs node or Blocks node, the navigator shows all the sheets
associated with that block. For each sheet, the navigator shows an expandable folder for
symbols and one for nets.
Navigator Contents
The project hierarchy is as follows: Project > Designs > Schematics > Blocks[0..n] > Leaf
Cells, where the number of blocks can be zero to an indefinite number greater than zero. The
complexity of blocks containing other blocks define the complexity of the design hierarchy.

Using the Navigator
You can toggle the Navigator on or off either by:
• Selecting the View > Navigator menu item or

• Clicking the button
The Project tab of the Navigator displays information within a hierarchical tree-like structure as
shown in the following figure.
Figure 1-4. DxDesigner Project Navigator Example

The Project tab of the Navigator allows you to view the hierarchy of the design.
Click the minus (-) sign or plus (+) sign to expand or collapse the
contents of entries on the Project tab. Right-click on the object name to
display a shortcut menu with a list of applicable options.
The Project Navigator cross-probes bidirectionally with the Schematic Editor, the InterConnect
Editor, CES, and Expedition Enterprise. Selecting a design object in one highlights it in the
other. See Figure 1-5 for an example. It also updates dynamically. Design changes appear
immediately, with no manual refresh required.

Using the Navigator
Figure 1-5. Project Navigator - Example of Cross-Probe Viewing

Selecting a design object here ...................................... also selects it here. The reverse is
also true.
From the Navigator you can do additional tasks as described in the following topics:
• Manipulating Objects from the Navigator (rename, filter, reset filters)

• Managing Schematic Sheets from the Navigator (reorder, copy, add, delete,)
Related Topics
• Changing Between Floating and Docked Window Types
• Navigator Settings - Settings Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
Manipulating Objects from the Navigator

From the Navigator you can select sheets, symbols, and nets and manipulate them, such as filter
the displayed list, reset existing filters, or rename selected object.
In the Navigator, blocks are denoted as either a schematic with the symbol or as an ICT
object with the symbol.

Using the Navigator
To filter the displayed list:
1. Position the cursor over one of the objects in the list you want to filter. For example, if
you want to filter a list of blocks, position your cursor over any block object in the list.
See the following figure. You could also filter on sheets, symbols, or nets.
2. Right-click > Filter. In this example, the Filter blocks dialog appears. A similar dialog
box appears for sheet, symbol, or net selections.
3. Select either the Wildcard or Reg. exp. (regular expression) radio button for your search.
4. Click the Add button shown in the following figure. A new line is added in the Filter
blocks dialog list box.
Click Add button
Select the desired Property from

the drop-down list Edit the desired filter pattern

Using the Navigator
5. As shown in the previous figure, select the Property type you want to use from the drop-
down list. This example uses the Name of the block objects for the filter operation.
6. Edit the Pattern field to restrain the filter operation. This example is searching for all
blocks that begin with “pci”, by using the wildcard operator “*” as shown in the
previous figure.
7. Click the OK button. The list is filtered down. In this example, the filtering causes the
following list to be displayed:
To reset all filters and display the complete list of objects:
1. Position the cursor over any object in the Project Navigator list.
2. Right-click > Reset all filters.
To rename selected object from Navigator:
1. Right-click > Rename or double-click the object name so it appears highlighted in a

box. For example:
2. Type the new name of the object and press <Return>. For example:
Managing Schematic Sheets from the Navigator

A sheet is a grouping of design elements that is equivalent to a schematic page. You can do the
following with sheets:
To re-order the sheets in a design:
1. In the Project Navigator, select a sheet, then drag and drop it to its new position in the
order. The sheets will still reflect their original sheet number.
2. Select all the sheets in the design.
3. Right-click > Renumber. DxDesigner renumbers the sheets to reflect the new sheet
order.
To copy sheets:
1. In the Project Navigator, select the sheet you want to copy.

2. Right-click > Copy.
3. Place the cursor in the schematic into which you want to paste the sheet.
4. Right-click > Paste.

Working With Sheets
To add a sheet:
• In the Project Navigator, position the cursor over the last sheet name in the level where
you want to add a new sheet.
• Right-click > Page Down.
To delete a sheet:
• In the Project Navigator, position the cursor over the schematic name you wish to delete.
• Right-click > Delete.
Working With Sheets

The following topics describe some basic schematic sheet operations:
• Traversing from Sheet to Sheet

• Viewing Pins and Nets and Their Associated Components
Also see
• Managing Schematic Sheets from the Navigator
Traversing from Sheet to Sheet

You can explore multiple sheets of a flat design or the hierarchy of a design as follows:
Figure 1-6. Traversing Sheets of a Flat Design

To move to the previous sheet:
<Page Up> key
(Pop-up) > Previous
Sheet
(Pop-up) > Goto Sheet
On command line,
enter “psheet” or “psh”
To move to the next

sheet:
<Page Down> key
(Pop-up) > Previous sheet
(Pop-up) > Goto Sheet
On the command line,
enter “pop”

Working With Sheets
Figure 1-7. Traversing Sheets of a Hierarchical Design
To move down the hierachy:

1. Move the cursor to the desired
top-level component.
2. Do one of the following: To move up the hierachy:

Right-click > Push Schematic
Either close the lower layer
or > Push Language
windows or
or
use the Windows menu to
select the desired window or
Left-click (select it) and on the On the command line, enter

command line, enter “psch”. “pop”.
The title bar of the active window indicates the schematic or symbol's name.
For additional information on the command line commands shown in the previous figures, see
the topic “List of Command Line Commands” in the DxDesigner Reference Manual.
Viewing Pins and Nets and Their Associated Components

You can browse and show all of the components that are attached to selected nets in your design
or show all pins and their corresponding nets attached to selected components in your design.
To show the pins and nets that are attached to one or more components:
1. In a schematic, select the component(s) of interest.

2. Right-click > List Connected Nets. The result appears in the Output window.

Basic Editing of Selected Schematic Objects

The following topics outline the procedures of some of the schematic editing tasks that can be
accessed from the menus or their equivalent command line commands:
• Reflecting a Selected Object • Cutting or Copying a Selected Object

• Rotating a Selected Object • Pasting Objects From the Clipboard
• Scaling a Selected Object • Adding an Array for Selected Objects
• Changing Size of Selected Text, • Zooming on a Selected Area or Object
Properties, or Names
• Changing the Name of a Selected String
• Stretching a Selected Object
Also See
• Selecting and Deselecting Objects
Reflecting a Selected Object

You can reflect the selected object(s) as a mirror image across a horizontal or vertical line, or
both as follows:
1. Select the object or objects you want to reflect. For more information, see “Selecting
and Deselecting Objects” on page 104.
2. To flip horizontally, select Format > Mirror, or click .
Result: Objects are reflected 180 degrees about their horizontal axis.
3. To flip vertically, select Format > Flip, or click .
Result: Objects are reflected 180 degrees about their vertical axis.
4. To flip both vertically and horizontally, select Format > Flip/Mirror, or click .
Result: Objects are reflected 180 degrees about their vertical and horizontal axis.
To flip the selected object(s) around a defined axis:
1. Select the desired object(s).

2. Type “reflect” in the command line.
3. On the schematic, use the mouse to draw either a horizontal or vertical line through the
selected object(s) to define the axis of rotation.
Result: Objects are reflected 180 degrees about the axis that you defined.

Rotating a Selected Object

You can rotate the selected object(s) to the left in 90-degree increments as follows:
1. Select the object or group of objects. For more information, see “Selecting and
Deselecting Objects” on page 104.
2. Select Format > Rotate.
3. For additional rotations, repeat these steps.
Scaling a Selected Object

You can scale the size of the selected object or group of objects by the scale factor you specify.
as follows:
1. Select the object or group of objects you want to scale. For more information, see
“Selecting and Deselecting Objects” on page 104.
2. Choose Format > Scale or
click or
type “scale” on the command line and execute the command.
3. Fill in the Scale factor field of the Scale dialog box.
4. Click OK.
Changing Size of Selected Text, Properties, or Names

You can change text, properties, or names to a specified size in the schematic or symbol
window.
To change the size of text, properties, or names using the command line:
1. Select the text, property, or name.

2. Type “size new_value” in the command line field and execute the command. If you do
not specify new_value, a Text Size dialog box appears.
3. In the Text Size dialog box, enter the size you want to change the text to.
4. Click OK.
Stretching a Selected Object

You can stretch the selected object in any direction. Stretchable objects are: Lines, Boxes,
Circles, Arcs, and Pins.

1. Select the object or group of objects you want to stretch. For more information, see
2. Choose Format > Stretch or
click or
type “stretch” on the command line and execute the command.
3. With the left mouse button, use the cursor to grab the object and drag it to the shape and
size you want.
4. Release the mouse button.
Cutting or Copying a Selected Object

You can remove (cut) the selected object(s) or areas of the drawing or copy the selected
object(s) and place them on the clipboard, which overwrites the previous clipboard contents. If
you use the copy command, the original selected object(s) remains untouched. Use either of
these commands as the first step when you want to paste the objects elsewhere.
1. Select the object or group of objects you want to cut or copy. For more information, see
2. To cut the selected object(s), choose Edit > Cut. (Removes and saves-to-clipboard.)
To copy the selected object(s), choose Edit > Copy. (Saves-to-clipboard.)
Related Topics
• Pasting Objects From the Clipboard
• Paste Special Dialog Box in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
Pasting Objects From the Clipboard

You can paste the contents of the clipboard into the drawing at the location you specify as
follows:
1. Choose Edit > Paste or click .

2. When performing a paste, start with the cursor in the approximate location you want the
lower left corner of the pasted object to land.
3. Press-and-hold the left mouse button as you move the mouse slightly. This causes the
object to appear on the cursor and you can then place it as necessary. You can use the
function keys while dragging the pasted objects to move around the schematic.
4. Once you have the object in place, release the mouse button.
To paste information in a specified format, or create a link to information that can be updated in
another application, use the Edit > Paste Special ... menu item to bring up the Paste Special

dialog box. For a list of options available, see Paste Special Dialog Box in the DxDesigner
Reference Manual.
Related Topic
• Cutting or Copying a Selected Object
Adding an Array for Selected Objects

You can create an array for one or more selected objects as follows:
1. Select the object or group of objects to include in the array. For more information, see
2. Choose Add > Array or enter “array” on the command line.
3. In the Array Dialog Box, specify the number of columns and rows as well as relative or
absolute spacing.
Using positive values for the spacing settings creates the array to the right and/or upward in the
window.
Zooming on a Selected Area or Object

You can increase the size of your view in the following ways.
To zoom in on a selected area:
1. Select View > Zoom Area

2. Drag the cursor to form a box around the area you want to zoom in on.
3. Release the cursor. The view zooms in.
4. Repeat until you have zoomed in sufficiently.
To zoom in on a selected object:
1. Select the object or group of objects you want to zoom in on. For more information, see
2. Choose View > Fit Selected or
click the button or
enter “zselect” on the command line.
Tip: If you want to zoom in more tightly than the default, you set the
VL_FULL_ZOOM environment variable, using the syntax VL_FuLL_ZOOM=1. If you
do not set this environment variable, you will zoom in at a medium distance from the
selected object.

3. Pressing Esc cancels the redisplay.

If you want to zoom in and out on the entire sheet:
• Use the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons.
Changing the Name of a Selected String

You can change the name of any selected name, property, or text string as follows:
To select and change a string using the associated Properties window:
1. Right-click on the property, name, or text string to select it and bring up a menu. Also
see “Filtering Which Objects to Select” on page 108.
2. Choose Properties to bring up the appropriate Properties window.
3. In the Properties window, change the name and click OK.
To find a string from the Find/Replace dialog box:
1. Choose Edit > Find/Replace.

2. In the Find and Replace Text dialog box, the Find tab, enter the string you want to find,
and set the scope of the search.
3. Optionally, click More
4. Specify additional search parameters.
5. Click Find Next or Find All.
To replace a string from the Find/Replace dialog box:
1. After you have filled in the Find tab, click the Replace tab.
2. Enter the replacement string.
3. Click Find Next.
4. Once the string is found, click Replace... or Replace All.
To change a string using the command line:
1. Select the string that you want to change. For more information, see “Selecting and
Deselecting Objects” on page 104.
2. Type “string” on the command line and execute the command.
3. Enter the new string name in the Edit String dialog box.
4. Click OK.

Executing DxDesigner Command Line Commands
Executing DxDesigner Command Line

Commands
• Rather than using the GUI, you can use DxDesigner functionality with the Command
Line.
To invoke the Command Line:
You invoke the command line by depressing the space bar. This places the cursor at the
beginning of the command line in the command line menu.
The command line entry field is a dockable bar. You can drag it to the edge of the
application window and the bar will dock to the edge of the window automatically. To
undock it, drag it into the application window.
To use the Command Line dialog boxes:
The Command Line Dialog boxes support several useful Hot Keys. Use them to
manipulate the data in the dialog box.
• To open a pulldown list, use ALT+ DOWN ARROW or click anywhere in the list
box
• To close a pulldown list, use ALT+ DOWN ARROW or ENTER.
• To select the desired value from the pulldown list use UP ARROW or DOWN
ARROW.
• To select a new value, type the first letter of the value you want. The box will be
automatically filled in.
Related Topic
• DxDesigner Key Bindings and Strokes in the DxDesigner Reference Manual

Executing DxDesigner Command Line Commands

Chapter 2
Defining Project Settings
The following topics describe methods you can use to set up DxDesigner.
• Customizing the Dashboard • Framing a Design with Borders

• Customizing DxDesigner From • Configuring Special Components
the User Interface
• Setting Up Constraints in CES
Some of the general DxDesigner setup may be performed by a system administrator. An

administrator can define company-wide standards or styles for selected settings (for example,
object colors and schematic borders) in the standard DxDesigner.xml file. Other settings, such
as paths to the central library (Expedition workflow only) can be specified in a .prj template
file(s) that you can then apply when you create a new project.
Other tasks such as setting the WDIR environment variable and setting soft pathnames are also
tasks an administrator should perform before you create your project. These topics are covered
in Preparing your Environment for Project Development in the DxDesigner Administrator’s
Guide.
Related Topics
• DxDesigner.xml File (in DxDesigner Reference Manual)
• project.prj File (in DxDesigner Reference Manual)
Customizing the Dashboard

By taking advantage of DxDesigner customization capabilities, you can streamline the
Dashboard so that it reflects your design process flow needs. You do this by setting default
preferences, creating and manipulating toolboxes, adding shortcut groups to the Shortcut Bar,
and using automation and scripting.
Setting Dashboard Preferences to Fit Your Style

To configure the Dashboard so that it appears in a specific format and operates in a specific way
by default, you define a set of user preferences.
To set defaults for the Dashboard based on your personal preferences:
1. Select Edit > Preferences.

2. From the Preferences dialog box, set the following default behaviors:
• Whether the Dashboard will open Internet Explorer in the Application Launch Pad
or open your system's default browser in a full-screen window when you click a
Web-enabled item in the Dashboard Tree.
• Whether a user-specified Web page or expanded information from the Dashboard
Tree will appear in the Application Launch Pad when you open the Dashboard.
• What color various message types displayed in the Output Bar will be.
Creating, Adding, and Deleting Items in a Toolbox

In addition to using the default toolboxes shipped with DxDesigner, you can create and define
the contents of new toolboxes, as well as adding items to existing toolboxes.
Accessing Frequently-Used Documents

Along with the tools shipped in a toolbox, you may also require additional items as part of your
design process, such as a functional specification document for your design and a specific text
editor. To customize the Dashboard so that it includes easy access to these items, you can add
links within an existing toolbox. For example, your job may be to prepare schematics for export
to Layout, so you work primarily in the Board-Level PCB Toolbox. You can add the items to
this toolbox for easy access. You can also create a new toolbox with links to these items. If
desired, you can then drag and drop an entire toolbox or a specific item into the Shortcut Bar for
even faster access to it.
Each toolbox has a directory associated with it. DxDesigner places all default toolbox
directories in the standard directory, which is located one level below your DxDesigner
installation directory. When you create a new toolbox, you specify where you want to place the
associated directory. This directory can include items of the following types:
• Executables
• Shortcuts to executables
• Batch files
• Script files (such as VBScript)
• Icons associated with any of these items
To create a toolbox use one of the following methods:
• Select File > New > Toolbox, and then enter the name and path of the toolbox in the
toolbox properties dialog box.
• From the Dashboard Tree, (right-click) > Toolboxes > New Toolbox, and then enter the
name and path of the toolbox in the toolbox properties dialog box.

To add items to a toolbox or modify the properties for an existing tool:
1. From the Dashboard Tree or Application Launch Pad, right-click the desired toolbox,
and then click New Tool.
Alternative: To modify properties for an existing tool, right-click the tool icon, and then
click Properties.
2. From the Properties dialog box, type a name for the tool.
3. Type the path or browse to the executable file for the tool and enter any command line
arguments you want to use with the tool.
Tip: A command line argument is often used to identify a specific document associated
with an application. For example, if the item you are adding is a link to a specific.doc
file, you still need to associate the application to the item. In this case, the path to the
tool would be the path to the Microsoft Word or Wordpad application executable to
which you want the file to be associated. The command line argument is the path to the
specific file you want opened when the user clicks on the item.
4. If you do not want a generic icon to represent the tool in the toolbox, type the path or
browse to the icon you want to use.
Tip: The graphic used to represent the tool in the Dashboard can come from an icon
(.ico) file, or an executable or dll with an embedded graphic (such as viewdraw.exe).
5. Specify whether you want the tool to be visible in the Output Bar while it is running.
6. If your tool does not require user input, specify that you want to see messages and errors
from the tool in the Output Bar.
Tip: If the tool will require user input, do not select this option. Instead, the tool will
open in a separate window, where you will be asked to enter the input it requires. You
will see messages and errors in this window, rather than in the Output Bar.
To delete items from a toolbox:
1. From the Application Launch Pad, open the toolbox.

2. Right-click the item you want to delete, and then click Delete from the shortcut menu
that appears.
Configuring the Shortcut Bar

The Shortcut Bar gives you an additional level of customization within the Dashboard. Similar
to the grouping capability available with Toolboxes, the Shortcut Bar allows you to organize
commonly used or similar type applications and documents within shortcut groups and to access
them with a single mouse click.

Customizing DxDesigner From the User Interface
Entries you may find useful to include within a shortcut group include:
• DxDesigner tools or other applications

• Projects listed in the Dashboard Tree (Clicking a Project icon in the Shortcut Bar will
automatically expand that particular branch of the Dashboard Tree containing the list of
libraries associated with that project)
• Commonly used schematics (DxDesigner will launch automatically and the schematic
will open)
• Utilities
• Text Editors
To add a new shortcut group to the Shortcut Bar:
1. Select File > New > Shortcut Group.

Alternative: Within the open space of the Shortcut Bar, (right-click) > New Shortcut
Group.
2. Type a name for the desired group, and then click OK.
Result: A title bar for the new shortcut group appears in the Shortcut Bar using the name
you specified. The group is now active and any items you add will be included within
this shortcut grouping.
3. Do one of the following:
• Drag and drop items from the Dashboard Folders Bar or Application Launch Pad
into the Shortcut Bar to create links to them
• Right-click within the open space of the Shortcut Bar, click Add Shortcut, and then
navigate to and select the desired item.
Tip: If you create multiple shortcut groups, you can quickly switch between them by
clicking on the title bar of the desired group.
To rename or remove a shortcut group from the Shortcut Bar:
• Right-click within the open space of the Shortcut Bar, and then click Rename Group or
Remove Group.

Some of the DxDesigner characteristics that you can customize and change from within
DxDesigner are listed as follows:

• “Customizing the Tools Menu” on page 43

• “Customizing your DxDesigner Workspace” on page 46
• “Displaying and Customizing Pintype Arrows” on page 46
• “Changing the Appearance of the Cursor” on page 46
• “Changing Object Colors” on page 46
Customizing the Tools Menu

You can customize the Tools menu to include programs that you want to launch from your
DxDesigner application.
You customize your Tools menu by adding, removing, or editing menu command entries. The
Tools menu has three sections:
• System menu commands:

Commands that the application places on the Tools menu. These commands appear in
the top most section of the Tools menu command list. You cannot customize or edit
these commands.
• Common menu commands:
Commands that you place on the Tools menu that are customizable and available to any
user. These commands are identified with a “(common)” text string appended to your
menu name in Tools menu command list.
DxDesigner stores changes to the common menu in a file named commontools.ini that is
located in the %SDD_HOME%\standard directory. These changes will be effective for
all users of this machine in all projects.
• User menu commands:
Commands that you place on the Tools menu that can run any program. These
commands appear in the bottom section of the Tools menu command list.
DxDesigner stores information about the user menu in a file named usertools.ini.
DxDesigner maintains copies of this file in either the project directory or in the first
writable directory in your WDIR path based on the whether you select the “Customize
this project only” option.
Related Topics
• Customize Tools Menu Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual.
• Using Arguments

Adding a Command to the Tools Menu

To add a command to the Tools menu:
1. Select Tools > Customize to display the Customize Tools Menu dialog box.
2. If you want the command available to all users who log on to your PC, select the
Common option from the Menu Item Types section.
3. Enter the name that you want to appear as the new menu command in the Menu Text
field.
4. You can specify a letter in the menu title as a menu accelerator by entering the title with
an ampersand (&) immediately preceding the accelerator letter. If you do not specify an
accelerator, the first unique letter in the title is the accelerator by default.
5. Enter the command that invokes the new application in the Command field.
You can use the Browse button to select the appropriate drive and directory, and then
select the executable you want to add from the list of file names.
6. Enter the arguments associated with the command in the Arguments field.
For information on valid arguments, refer to “Using Arguments” on page 45.
7. Enter the working directory for the tool in the Initial directory field.
8. Click the Add button to add the menu item to the Tools menu.
9. Click the OK button to dismiss the dialog box.
Result: The command now appears on the Tools menu. To run the program, choose it from the
menu.
Editing a Tools Menu Command Entry

To edit a Tools menu entry:
1. Select Tools > Customize.

The Customize Tools Menu dialog box appears.
2. Select the menu option that you want to edit from the Menu Contents field.
3. When you select the option, the information associated with that option appears in the
Menu Text, Command, Argument, and Initial Directory fields.
4. Edit the field that you want to change. For example, edit the command name that
appears on the Tools menu by editing the text in the Menu Text field.
5. You can also change the location of the menu item in list using the Move Up and Move
Down buttons.

6. Click OK.
Removing a Command From the Tools Menu

To remove a command from the Tools menu:
1. Select Tools > Customize.

The Customize Tools Menu dialog box appears.
2. In the Menu Contents field, select the command you want to remove.
3. Click Remove.
4. Click OK.
Using Arguments
Each application may support a set of predefined variables called arguments. Arguments are not
required. You can specify arguments for any program that you add to the Tools menu.
Enter arguments (in uppercase) in the Arguments field of the Customize Tools Menu dialog
box. If you want to use more than one argument, leave a space between each argument entry.
Note
If the command is named the same as the executable, the application closes the window
when done executing. If you want to keep the window open, use the /k qualifier as the
first argument.
DxDesigner Arguments
Argument entries are case sensitive and must be entered in uppercase.
Table 2-1. DxDesigner Arguments Listing

Argument Description
$BLOCKNAME The file name of the current symbol or schematic.
$BLOCKPAGE The current sheet of the schematic.
$BLOCKTYPE A string that defines the type of drawing (SCHEMATIC or
SYMBOL). This string is always uppercase.
$PROJDIR The path to the current project directory.
$COMPNAME The component label of the selected component.
$NETNAME The net label of the selected net.
$PINNAME The pin label of the selected pin.

Customizing your DxDesigner Workspace

Use the View menu to toggle display of toolbars and addins, such as the Properties Editor and
the Navigator.
Tip: You can toggle the Add-ins toolbar on and off using the View > Toolbars > Addins
menu choice. When the Addins toolbar is displayed, hover over the buttons to see a
tooltip which describes the associated addin.
You can drag and drop icons on the toolbar as a shortcut to customizing the toolbar.
For more information, see View Menu in the DxDesigner Reference Manual.
Displaying and Customizing Pintype Arrows

Select the Setup > Settings > Advanced (section) > Pintype Arrows (option) to configure
directional arrows on component and symbol pins that have PINTYPE properties. Your choices
are None (do not display), Full Size and Half Size.
Changing the Appearance of the Cursor

Select Setup > Settings (dialog box) > Advanced (section) to select either no cursor, a small
cursor or a full-extent cursor that spans the entire schematic.
Changing Object Colors

You can change how objects are displayed on your screen using the Settings command from the
Project menu.
To change the color settings for a graphical object:
1. Select Setup > Settings (dialog box) > Display (section) > Objects (subsection).
2. Select the object type whose color you want to change
3. For each object you select choose the object color, text color, fill and line styles, and
font. Note that all choices will not be available for every selection.
4. Click OK.
To change the color of an object using the command line:
1. Select the object or group of objects that you want to change.

2. Enter “color” and the color you want the object changed to in the command line field
and execute the command. For example, “color blue”.

Framing a Design with Borders
If you enter only the command “color”, the Change Color dialog box appears to prompt
you to enter the color.
Note
If the object is a text object, you can change the only the color and font style for the
object.
Related Topic
• Display - Settings Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual

You use borders to display corporate and custom information on your schematics, such as
company name and logo, project name, creation or revision dates, and sheet numbers. You can
also specify borders for each sheet size that your company uses.
Things that must be done to use borders on your DxDesigner schematics are as follows:
• Create or locate border symbols for each sheet size you will be using in your project(s).
You store these border symbols in a partition in your Central Library. You can start with
the border symbols provided in the SymbolLibs/Borders partition of the default Central
Library or create your own.
• Decide where you will store the border configuration for your project or group of
projects. The border configuration is stored in a borders.ini file. You can choose to
locate the borders.ini file in location visible to multiple users, such as the Central
Library or in a local project or a working directory.
• Use DxDesigner to configure a project to use selected borders for each sheet size you
will be using, both for the first sheet in a design and for subsequent sheets.
Once you have a set of border symbols and have set up your project with a border configuration,
you are ready to add a border to your schematic sheet.
Related Topics
• Creating a Sheet Border Symbol
• Specifying Border Configuration File Location
• Creating a Border Configuration
• Controlling Sheet Borders on a Schematic
• Changing Border Properties

Creating a Sheet Border Symbol

A sheet border is a specialized type of symbol. Therefore, to build a sheet border, you build a
symbol. You can treat a border like any symbol, by assigning properties to it, and placing it on a
schematic. A simple way to create a new sheet border is to find an existing border that is similar
to the one you will want to use. You can copy it and edit it.
To copy/paste an existing border symbol to create a new border symbol:
1. Use the Library Manager to copy/paste an existing border symbol from your current
Central Library. See the following example in Figure 2-1.
For more details refer to the topic “Copying Objects via the Library Navigator Tree” in
the Library Manager Process Guide.

Figure 2-1. Using Library Manager to Copy/Paste a New Border Symbol
a. Select border
symbol you want to
copy.
b. Right-click to
select Copy menu
choice.
c. Fill in name of your
new symbol.
d. Optionally specify
a different Target
Partition if
applicable.
2. Use the Symbol Editor (click the icon from Library Manager) to edit your new
symbol. The DxDesigner Symbol Editor manual describes the details of creating and
editing symbols.
3. If you have started this symbol creation process from DxDesigner as described here, you
will have to restart DxDesigner before your new symbol(s) is available in the Border
Symbol window (accessed from Setup > Settings > Borders), as shown in Figure 2-3
on page 53.

Specifying Border Configuration File Location

The border configuration is the assignment of a particular border symbol to each of the sheet
sizes that you will use in DxDesigner. (See “Creating a Border Configuration” on page 51.)
Configuration information for your borders is stored in a file named “borders.ini”. An example
of a borders.ini is shipped in the “standard” directory of your DxDesigner installation. You can
control the scope of your border configuration, making it available to your projects in either of
two ways:
• Place borders.ini in a location that is visible to multiple users/projects such as a Central

Library.
• Place borders.ini in a location that is limited to one user (such as WDIR) or to a local
project (in the project directory).
To save and point your project to a particular borders.ini file:
1. Select Setup > Settings > Project (section).

2. In the Border Symbols field (shown in Figure 2-2) enter a path to the borders.ini file as
described at the bottom of the figure:

Figure 2-2. Specifying Which borders.ini File to Use for Border Configurations
a. To use a set of definitions available to many

users/projects, point to a borders.ini file that is
stored in a location, such as in a Central Library.
b. To use a local set of definitions, point to a
borders.ini file that is stored locally in your
project or in your WDIR directory.
If this line is blank, no border configuration is stored.
Creating a Border Configuration

This topic describes how you select the border symbol you want to use for each sheet size that
will appear in your project(s).
Requirement
Before you create a border configuration for your project, you should have specified where the
configuration is stored (where the border.ini file is located). See “Specifying Border
Configuration File Location” on page 50.

Procedure
To configure each sheet size with a particular border symbol:
1. Select the Setup > Settings menu choice to open the Settings dialog.
2. Under the Project section of the Settings dialog, click Borders.
The Borders section of the Settings dialog lists the possible sheet sizes that can be used
in your project. Now you must assign a border symbol to each of the sizes you plan to
use.
3. Locate the Sheet size you wish to assign a border symbol. Left-click in the associated
“First sheet” column. For example, click the “First sheet” box in the “A Portrait” row.
The Border Symbol window appears as shown in Figure 2-3.
4. In the Border Symbol window, navigate to the desired partition that holds your border
symbols. (In the Figure 2-3 example, the border symbols are located in the Border
partition.)
5. Select the desired border symbol and click OK.
The border symbol is added to the box and recorded in the border.ini file you specified
earlier. (Note: if you did not specify a border.ini file in Setup > Settings > Project
(section), your setting(s) will be ignored.)

Figure 2-3. Setting Border Configuration for a Project

Left-click in the First sheet or Next sheets box to open the
Border Symbol window.
6. Repeat the previous step for all sheet sizes and first and next sheet columns as needed.
Controlling Sheet Borders on a Schematic

You can add borders to a schematic sheet automatically, add them manually, change a border or
delete a border.
Requirement
Before you can add borders to a schematic sheet, you first must create and configure the sheet
borders.
Procedure
To automatically have a sheet border applied to each schematic:
1. Select Setup > Settings to open the Settings dialog.

2. In the Schematic Editor section of the Settings dialog, click New Sheets.

3. In the Border Sheet Options section, check the option “Automatically add border to new
schematic sheets.”
To add a border to a schematic manually:
• In the Schematic window, (right-click) > Insert Border.

To delete a border from a schematic:
• In the Schematic window, (right-click) > Delete Border.

To change an existing border:
1. In the Schematic window, (right-click) > Change Border.

The Border Symbol window appears.
2. Navigate to the partition that holds the border symbol you want.
3. Select the desired symbol and click OK. Use care to pick a proper symbol for your
current sheet size.
Changing Border Properties

Certain properties may have been associated with pre-defined borders. It is possible for you to
change these properties and propagate those changes to either the entire project, a selected
design level, a selected schematic level, or a selected sheet level.
To change an existing border property value:
1. Select Setup > Settings > Project (section) > Borders (subsection).
2. Click the Properties button. The Border Properties dialog appears as shown in
Figure 2-4.
3. Click OK in the Border Properties dialog, followed by OK in the Settings dialog. Your
change did not yet take effect in the project, but did get saved to the Border Symbols file
that is specified in Setup > Settings > Project (section) > Border Symbols (field).
4. You must choose the scope for this property change to take effect as one of the
following: Project, Design, Schematic, or Sheet.
If you are going to make this change to the entire project, you do not need to select
anything in the Navigator window. For any other scope, in the Project Navigator
window, select the desired Design, Schematic, or Sheet for this change to take effect.
5. To propagate the property change, select Edit > Update Properties. Choose the scope
for this property change to take effect. Once you have selected the desired scope, the
property change is made to that area of the project.

Configuring Special Components
Figure 2-4. Changing Border Properties
Click the Properties button Edit the value of the property

Use DxDesigner to create lists of available ports, Onsheet/Offsheet pins and Power/Ground
pins. You then add special components from this list as you design.
Table 2-2. Special Component Definitions

Pin Type Definition
Port A component of type pin that indicates that the net connected to this
component is an interface signal. It represents a connection to a
specific pin on the corresponding symbol. Labeling the component
with the same name as the symbol pin specifies a connection down
through the hierarchy.
Onsheet Pin A component of type annotate that contains one pin. Indicates that the
net to which it is attached is coming from another sheet in the design.
Labels on Onsheet pins have no electrical significance, and will
generate a check warning.

Table 2-2. Special Component Definitions (cont.)

Pin Type Definition
Offsheet Pin A component of type annotate that contains one pin. Indicates that the
net to which it is attached is going to another sheet in the design.
Labels on Offsheet pins have no electrical significance, and will
generate a check warning.
Power/Ground Pin A component of type pin that contains one pin. Indicates that the net
to which it is attached is connected to either power or ground.
To Configure Special Components

Use the following procedure to create or modify a list of symbol names to associate with each
type of special component. You select from this list when you add a special component to your
design.
To add a symbol name to the list:
1. Select Setup > Settings > Project (section) > Special Components (subsection).
2. From the pulldown, select the type of component you want to edit.
3. Use the New (insert) button to open a list of available symbols for the component
type you have selected.
4. Add as many symbols as you want for each type of component you select in the
pulldown.
5. Click Apply to finish building your list and leave the Settings dialog box open, or click
OK to complete this process and close the Settings dialog box.
To remove a symbol name from the list:
2. From the pulldown, select the type of component whose list you want to modify.
3. Select the symbol name you want to remove.
4. Delete as many symbols as you want for each type of component you select in the
pulldown.
5. Click Apply to finish building your list and leave the Settings dialog box open, or click
To change the order of a symbol list:
2. From the pulldown, select the type of component whose list you want to modify.

Setting Up Constraints in CES
3. Within the list, select a symbol, and click the Move Up or Move Down button.
4. Click Apply to finish editing your list and leave the Settings dialog box open, or click
To add a special component to a schematic:
1. On the Add toolbar, click the icon for the special component you want to add. The icons
are shown in Table 2-3.
Table 2-3. Special Component Toolbar Icons

Special Component Icon
Port
Onsheet Connector
Offsheet Connector
Power
Ground
2. If you have configured more than one symbol for the component, a list appears. Select a
symbol from the list.

You use the Constraint Editor System (CES) to create and configure constraints. You then add
constraints to the Schematic within DxDesigner.
CES is a centralized tool for storing constraint information and analysis results. CES reads a
DxDesigner database and displays net, pin, and component data in a spreadsheet format.
Constraints can then be entered into CES and passed to the layout tool.
CES supports both Net Classes and Constraint Classes. Net Classes include trace properties
such as trace width and impedance, as well as via assignments for each layer. Constraint Classes
are used to define the routing topology, crosstalk and parallelism rules, delay or length
constraints, and matched net lengths. Clearance rules can also be defined for all design objects
and assigned on a per-layer basis.
CES also supports topology templates. You use topology templates to define all the constraints
for a type of net and then apply the constraints to similar nets in the same design or in a new
design. For example, a complex bus topology may be created for a type of memory design.
When the same memory is used in a new product, the topology template can be applied to the
bus structure so that it does not have to be reentered.

Note
You can enter a subset of constraints in the existing constraint tab of the Properties Editor
in DxDesigner. These constraints will be synchronized with CES.
For details on how to use CES within the DxDesigner-Expedition PCB flow, refer to the
DxDesigner-CES-Expedition PCB Design Flow topic in the Constraint Editor System™ (CES)
User’s Manual.

Chapter 3
Creating and Editing Symbols
You create and edit Central Library symbols using Library Manager. These symbols are placed
into partitions in the Central Library, and placed on a DxDesigner schematic using the Symbols
Window. For more information, see the DxDesigner Symbol Editor manual.
Also see “Creating a DxDesigner Symbol Using Dx Symbol Editor (DxD-Expedition Flow)” in
the Library Manager Process Guide.
When you build hierarchy from the bottom up, you create a symbol to associate with the
underlying schematic by creating a local symbol.
This symbol is appears in the [local symbols] “pseudo-partition” of the Symbols window. This
“pseudo-partition” is displayed separately from true Central Library partitions.
You can edit generated symbols or import them into the Central Library using the Symbol
Editor.
Creating a Local Symbol

You can create the following types of local symbols:
Table 3-1. Local Symbol Types

Symbol Type Description
Module Does not have an underlying schematic. Represents a base function or
physical part in the design. Appears as a leaf cell in the Navigator.
Composite Has an underlying schematic. Implements the underlying schematic
function at a higher level of the design. This is also called a block.
Pin A port or interface on the schematic (for example, IN, OUT, or BI built-in
symbols). You also use pin symbols to tie a net to a global symbol.
Annotate A graphic or annotation that has no electrical or connectivity information
To create a local symbol:
1. Select File > New > Local Symbol. The Symbol Editor opens.
2. Using the drawing tools, create the symbol graphic.

Creating and Editing Symbols
Creating a Local Symbol
3. For Pin0, which appears by default, specify the Name, Direction, Side, and Pin Number
parameters, and then click Enter. An asterisk appears in the left-hand column,
indicating that the pin is unplaced.
4. Create additional pins by clicking below existing rows to add new rows.
5. Place pins by selecting the row and dragging it onto the symbol graphic. As you drag the
row, it become a graphic of a pin, for easy placement.
Note: After you placed a pin, the asterisk for the corresponding row disappears.
6. In the Properties window, do the following:
• Enter the symbol name.
• Select a symbol type from the list.
• Leave the Forward PCB value at default (True).
• Add any other properties from the <new property> list.
7. When you are finished, save the symbol.
Result: The local symbol appears in the [Local Symbols] pseudo-partition in the
Symbols Window. You can add it to the design like any other symbol.
To edit a local symbol:
1. In the Schematic Window or the Project Navigator Tree, select the symbol
2. Click File > Edit Local Symbol
Also See
• DxDesigner Symbol Editor manual
• Adding Components

Chapter 4
Creating and Editing Flat Designs
When all sheets of a schematic are at the same level of hierarchy, this is known as a flat, or non-
hierarchical schematic. The following figure shows a flat design in contrast with a design that
contains hierarchy.
Figure 4-1. Contrasting a Flat Design With a Hierarchical Design
Flat Design
Hierarchical
Design

Returning Schematic to a Prior State
The following topics describe how to create and edit flat schematics:
• Returning Schematic to a Prior State • Connecting/Disconnecting

Components
• Creating a New Schematic
• Adding and Editing Ports on a
• Preparing a Schematic for Design Schematic
Creation
• Creating and Editing Nets
• Creating Designs Within a Spreadsheet
• Connecting Components With
• Creating Designs Graphically Busses
• Synchronizing a Component With its • Working Within the Schematic
Associated Base Symbol Editor
• Specifying the Characteristics of • Verifying Your Design
Components
• Processing Your Completed
• Using Constraints in DxDesigner Design
Returning Schematic to a Prior State

DxDesigner includes Backup and Rollback functions to allow you to return a document to a
prior state. You can perform a Backup at any time. Rollback returns your document and its
constraints to the state of the last Backup. You cannot Rollback a document until you have run
Backup at least once.
Backup and Rollback affect only the active document.
To Backup an active document:
• Select File > Backup.

To cause the Backup feature to execute each time you open a project:
• Turn on Setup > Settings > Advanced (section) > Create automatic backup.
To Rollback an active document:
• Select File > Rollback.
Creating a New Schematic

To create a new schematic, do the following:
• Select the File > New > Schematic pulldown menu item. If the schematic is the first
schematic in the project, it appears in the project tree under the Design node as the root

Preparing a Schematic for Design Creation
block. If it is not the first schematic, it appears under the Blocks node. It contains sheet
labelled “1” by default.
Once you have created a schematic, you can open it for editing at any time.
To open an existing schematic:
1. In the Project Navigator, click the plus sign to expand the Project node, and then the
Designs node.
2. From the list of designs under the Designs node, double-click the name of the schematic
you want to open.
Note: The navigator tree displays the design hierarchy. You can open any schematic in
the hierarchy by expanding the nodes and double-clicking the level you want to edit.
To open an existing schematic from the command line:
• On the command line, enter “schematic schematic_name” and execute the command.
Note: if you execute the command without a command name, the Open Schematic
dialog box appears. Enter the name in the Schematic field.
Opening a Non-DxDesigner Schematic

You can convert other vendor schematic types to DxDesigner format, and then open them in
DxDesigner.
To convert a third-party design:
1. From the Windows Start menu, select Programs > Mentor Graphics SDD >
DxDesigner-Expedition Flow > Translators and 3rd Party Interfaces.
2. Select the interface or translator you want to use.
Preparing a Schematic for Design Creation

Before you begin your design, you can perform the following optional setup and configuration
task:
Editing Schematic Borders

You can edit borders at any time by inserting, deleting, or changing them. You can also edit the
values of the default properties assigned to borders.
You must have previously created a border or borders and specified how they will be used. For
details on how to create and set up a border, see “Framing a Design with Borders” on page 47.

Creating Designs Within a Spreadsheet
For procedures on editing schematic borders, see “Controlling Sheet Borders on a Schematic”
on page 53.

You can use the Interconnectivity Editor (ICE) to create and edit designs in non-graphical mode
without the use of the Schematic Editor. You create and edit ICE designs in Interconnectivity
Tables (ICTs). This capability requires a separate license.
Creating and Editing an Interconnectivity Table

You use the same toolbar and resources to create and edit an Interconnectivity Table (ICT) as
you use to create and edit a schematic. You can create an ICT from scratch, or from an existing
schematic. ICT spreadsheets default to listing components in the top row and nets in the
leftmost column, as shown in Figure 4-2.
Figure 4-2. Interconnectivity Table Layout
You can reorganize the table to show nets in the top row and components in the leftmost column
by clicking the curved arrow icon in the top left cell of the table.
You can also view the net properties and the symbol properties in the ICT viewer in the Net
Properties and Symbol Properties tabs. For Net properties, each net is listed on the left while
the properties of the nets are listed on top. For Symbol properties, each symbol is listed on the
left while the properties of the symbols are listed on top. You can modify the properties on a
cell-by-cell basis.
To create an ICT from scratch:
1. Select File > New > Interconnectivity Table. The new ICT appears in the viewing
window and its name appears in the Navigator window as Blockn, where n indicates the
number of ICTs created during the session.

Figure 4-3. New Block in Interconnectivity Table (ICT)
2. Give the ICT an identifiable name, for example; RLDRAM. There are two methods to
rename an ICT:
• Right-click > Rename on Blockn in the Navigator window.
• Click twice, slowly, on the Blockn cell in the ICT.
To create an ICT from an existing schematic:
Note
You lose all graphical information in the schematic when you convert it to an ICT. This
operation is irreversible.
1. In the Navigator pane, place the cursor on the schematic you want to convert to an ICT.
2. Right-click > Change to ICT. A popup window warns that all graphical information
will be lost if you proceed.
3. Select Yes in the popup window.
Placing Components
To place components in the ICT:
1. Select View > Symbols to open the Symbols addin.

2. Select the Symbol View tab.
3. Select a symbol from the list. A graphical representation of the symbol appears in the
symbol view pane.

4. If you want to automatically add nets and net names while placing the symbol in the
design, click the Add Nets and Add Net Names check boxes in the Symbol View pane.
You cannot select Add Net Names unless you have first selected Add Nets.
Figure 4-4. Adding Nets and Net Names Automatically
Note: If a symbol has any pins without net connections, a red circle with a yellow x
appears on the ICT icon for the symbol. When all pins on a symbol have net
connections, the ICT icon appears without the red circle/yellow x overlay.
5. Click the Place Symbol button above the Symbol View pane.
6. Click the main cell in the ICT (the Blockn cell, which you may have renamed) to place
the symbol. Click multiple times to place multiple instances of the symbol.
7. Right-click to quit the Place Symbol function.
Note
You can also drag and drop from the Preview symbol window to place a single instance
of the symbol into the table. You can drop the symbol on any icon in the component row
at the top of the ICT.
Renaming Components
You can rename components in place in the schematic, and by editing the component
properties.
To rename a component in place:
1. Double-click, slowly, on the component name in the table.

2. Enter the new name.

To rename a component in the component properties:
1. Right-click > Properties on the component you wish to rename.

2. In the properties window, click the cell to the right of Name.
3. Enter the new name.
Adding Nets to Pins

You can add nets to pins either manually or automatically and manipulate them as described in
the following topics:
• Adding Nets Automatically • Sorting Nets

• Adding Nets Manually • Renaming Nets
• Adding Nets with Advanced Connect
Adding Nets Automatically

You can of add nets to a symbol automatically when you copy a symbol from the Symbol
window to the ICT.
To add nets automatically when placing the symbol:
• Select the Add Nets option at the right end of the Symbol View pane. You can also
select Add Net Names, but only after you have selected Add Nets. When you select
these options, the symbol appears in the ICT with nets already connected and named.
If you did not select the Add Nets option, you can add nets to pins later, either automatically, or
manually.
To add nets to pins automatically after placing the symbol:
1. Select the symbol or symbols to add nets to. Click on a single symbol, or <Shift>-click
to select multiple symbols.
2. Right-click > Add Nets To Pins.
This procedure creates nets in the ICT, and connects them to the symbol pins. Warnings appear
in the Output window for already existing nets. Cross probing is enabled between the Output
window and the table.
Adding Nets Manually

You can manually add nets to pins either one net at a time, or multiple nets at a time.

To add single nets manually:
1. Double-click in the cell corresponding to the pin you want to connect to get a dropdown
list of the unconnected pins
2. Select a name from the dropdown list, type in a name, or copy and paste an existing net
from elsewhere in the ICT. If you enter an invalid name, a warning appears in the Output
window.
Note
Copying and pasting is an efficient way to connect symbols. You can copy and paste
components, component pins, and block pins.
To add multiple nets manually:
1. Click in the appropriate cell to select the first of the bits you want to add.
2. Enter a name, or select a name from the dropdown list.
3. Click the small tab in the bottom right corner of the cell (the cursor turns to a plus sign
when you are over the tab), and drag it down to envelope the rest of the cells you want to
add. Bits are added to each cell, and the bus index increments automatically.
Figure 4-5. Dragdown Tab for Adding Multiple Nets
Adding Nets with Advanced Connect

The Advanced Connect tool allows you to connect, by name, multiple components with
common pins. From the Advanced Connect dialog, you can:
• Rename nets (which you can’t do from the Add Nets to Pins command).
• Select nets by clicking and dragging, as in the ICT
• Automatically add hierarchical ports
To use the Advanced Connect tool:
1. <Shift>+click or <Ctrl>+click to select the components you want to connect.

2. Right-click > Advanced Connect on one of the selected components, or select Edit >
Advanced Connect. This opens the Add nets with ports dialog box.
3. Select the nets you want to connect in the dialog box.
4. Select the type of net you want to view from the Directions filter dropdown list.
5. Click Generate Nets, then OK.
Sorting Nets
You can sort nets by name, hierarchy, or type; single net, bus or differential pair, for example.
To sort nets, do the following:
1. In either the nets (the leftmost) column or the component (the top) row, Right-click >
Sort.
2. Select the sorting method from the list.
Renaming Nets
To rename a net in a cell:
1. Double-click in the cell.

2. Type in the new name.
3. Click elsewhere in the window, or press Enter.
To rename a net in the Properties window:
1. Right-click > Properties on the net you wish to rename.

2. In the Properties window, click the cell to the right of Name.
3. Enter a new name or select a name from the dropdown list.
Grouping and Ungrouping Rows and Columns

You can group rows and columns and enter a group name in the ICT to help keep track of
connections.
To group rows or columns:
1. In the nets (the leftmost) column or the components (the top) row, select the rows or
columns you want to group. Use the <Shift> and <Ctrl> keys to make multiple
selections.
2. Right-click > Group.

3. Enter a meaningful name for the group in place of the supplied default name, if desired.
The group name cell is the only cell visible after you group a set of rows or columns.
To view the contents of the group:
• Click on the plus (+) sign to the left of the group name.
The placement of rows and columns in an ICT is arbitrary. Pressing the button with the curved
double-headed arrow in the upper left corner of the ICT reverses the layout of rows and
columns.
To ungroup rows or columns:
1. Select the rows or columns you want to ungroup. Use the <Shift> and <Ctrl> keys to
make multiple selections.
2. Right-click > Ungroup.
The selected items are removed from the group. If all of the items in the group are selected and
ungrouped, the group is deleted.
Adjusting Row and Column Width

You can manually adjust the width of rows and columns in one of the following ways:
• In the topmost or leftmost column, place the cursor over the right-side delineator of a
cell, and double-click. The cell automatically resizes.
• In the topmost or leftmost column, place the curser over the delineator between cells,
then click and drag to the new width.
• Right-click > Autofit Selection to adjust column width to fit the text in the column.
Hiding Rows and Columns

You can hide multiple rows and columns to let you focus on areas of interest.
To hide a row or column:
1. Select the rows or columns to hide. Use the <Shift> and <Ctrl> keys to select multiple
rows or columns.
2. Right-click > Hide. An icon of a spreadsheet appears in the upper left cell of the ICT
to indicate that rows and columns are hidden.

To reveal hidden rows and columns:
1. Right-click > Show Hidden on the “hidden” icon in the upper left corner of the ICT.
Hidden rows and columns appear with their names in italics.
2. Right-click > Unhide on a row or column to take it out of the hidden state.
To unhide all of the hidden rows and columns in the ICT at once:
• Right-click > Unhide All on the icon in the upper left corner of the ICT.
Adding Ports to the ICT

Connections to the outside of the ICT are referred to as ports. You can add ports to the ICT
singly or in groups. If nets of the same name already exist, a warning occurs. There are two
modes for adding ports:
• A net is selected — When you apply the Add > Port command, the port is added to the
net. There is no need to enter a net name. This also works for busses.
• No net is selected — You get an entry box to type the name of the port in. If a net of the
same name already exists, they are automatically connected.
To add ports:
1. Select Add > Port or click the button.

2. Select the port type from the dropdown list. A small black arrow appears near the block
symbol to show that ports have been created.
Viewing Ports
To view ports:
• Click on the arrow next to the block symbol to expand the block interface to show the
net connections. An icon of a black square with a horizontal line through it depicts
the net connections.
Connecting or Disconnecting Ports

To connect or disconnect ports:
• Click on the net connection button to disconnect or reconnect the port to a net.

Adding a Block
A block can be a mixture of ICTs and schematics across the entire hierarchy. The
Interconnectivity Table editor is a hierarchical editor. You can use the Add > Block command
to create ports dynamically. The new block is generic; the Push command decides its type:
• Push ICT places an interconnectivity table under the main block. The icon for an
interconnectivity table is .
• Push Schematic places a new schematic page under the main block. The icon for a
schematic is .
You can also copy a block within or between designs.
To copy a block with a project,
1. In the Project Navigator Tree of the source project, select the block you want to copy.
3. Open another sheet in the same project.
4. In the Project Navigator tree, select the Block Node.
5. Right-Click > Paste.
To copy a block to a different project:
3. From the File menu, click Open > Project
4. DxDesigner warns you that it is closing the source project. Click OK. The destination
project opens.
5. In the Project Navigator Tree of the destination project, select the Block node.
6. Right-Click > Paste.
To add a block:
1. Click on the block that is above the one you want to add.
2. Select Add > Block.
3. Type in the desired name for the block. (You can edit the name without clicking it when
it first comes up.)
4. Right-click > Push ICT or right-click > Push Schematic. The push command displays
the design (schematic or ICT) that underlies the block.

Connecting Nets to the Block

To connect a net to a block:
1. Double-click on the ICT cell corresponding to the net you want to connect, to get the pin
type drop-down list.
2. Select the pin type from the drop-down list. Pin types include IN, OUT, BI, TRI, OCL,
OEM, and ANALOG. After you choose a pin type, the ICT updates automatically to
show the connections.
To connect multiple nets to a block:
1. Click and drag to include all of the cells you want to connect. One of the cells in the
group will have a different color than the rest.
2. Click in the different colored cell to get the pin type drop-down list.
3. Select the pin type from the drop-down list.
Creating and Removing Differential Pairs

The differential pair command is available only when the nets are either not connected, or are
connected between blocks. Differential pairs created in ICT automatically appear in the
Constraint Editor System (CES).
To create a differential pair:
• Right-click on the net and select Create Diffpair. Create Diffpair creates the second net
in the pair automatically, and adds the extensions _p and _n to the nets in the pair.
To remove a differential pair:
• Right-click on a differential pair, and select Revert From Diffpair.
Creating and Ripping a Bus in an ICT

To create a bus:
• Select Add > Bus.

To rip a bus, or a subset of nets in the bus:
1. Click on the bus.

2. Right-click > Rip Nets. The bus name shows up in an editable row.
• To rip all nets, press Enter.

• To rip a subset of nets, enter the list of nets in place of the bus name, in the format;
busname# busname#. For example; to rip nets 0, 1, 6, and 7 of a bus named
DAT[0:7], enter DAT0 DAT1 DAT6 DAT7.
If you add nets in the table, and create a bus later, the bits are concatenated into the bus
automatically. For example; if you add nets xxx0, xxx1, and xxx6 to the table, and later use the
Add Bus command to create xxx[0:7], the table will show:
xxx[0:7]
xxx0
xxx1
xxx6
Splitting an Interconnectivity Table

You can split an interconnectivity table horizontally or vertically when it becomes too large to
view easily.
To split an interconnectivity table horizontally:
1. Locate the handle at the top of the vertical scrollbar. The handle is a small rectangle just
above the up arrow at the top of the scrollbar.
2. Click-and-drag the handle down. A horizontal separation bar appears in the table to
indicate the split.
To split an interconnectivity table vertically:
1. Locate the handle at the left end of the vertical scrollbar. The handle is a small rectangle
just to the left of the left pointing scrollbar arrow.
2. Click-and-drag the handle to the right. A vertical separation bar appears in the table to
indicate the split.
To recombine the table and remove the separation bar:
• Click on the separation bar, and drag it up (for a horizontal separation bar) or to the left
(for a vertical separation bar) until the bars merge.
Setting Color Preferences

You can use different colors to indicate different ICT block, component, or symbol types.
To apply a color to a specific type of object:
1. Select Setup > Settings > Display Objects to open the Objects table.
2. Select the ICT option to see the current color scheme.

Creating Designs Graphically
3. Click on any cell in the Objects table to bring up a color pallet for the object associated
with that cell.
4. Select a color for the object from the color pallet.
5. Click Apply.
Note
To save the changes for future use, click Save Scheme. Reload a saved scheme by
clicking Load Scheme.
Related Topic
• Display - Objects - Settings Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
Using the Interconnectivity Table Viewer

The interconnectivity table (ICT) viewer allows you to look at a schematic in tabular form,
without permanently converting it to tabular form. However, you cannot edit the table when
using the ICT viewer. ICT viewer is available to all users and does not require a license.
To use the ICT viewer:
1. Open up a schematic.
2. Select View > ICT Viewer.
3. Select the appropriate viewing tab:
• Hierarchy — View the entire schematic in tabular form.
• Net Properties — View the schematic’s nets in tabular form.
• Symbol Properties — View the Schematic’s symbols in tabular form.
4. Use the dropdown arrows in the top row of table cells on each tab to filter selections
on the tab to view the specific information you are interested in. To return the table to its
original state after filtering, click the reset icon in the upper leftmost cell of the table,
then click Reset All Filters.

You build schematics by doing any of the following tasks:
• Adding Components
• Adding and Replacing Power/Ground Pins

Adding Components
You use the Symbols dialog box to add components to a design. The Symbols dialog box
consists of three tabs. You select a tab based on how you want to view the information.
• The Part View tab: Items in the Part View tab are PDBs (or parts) that contain symbol,
cell, and padstacks (including pads and hole) data in one package. Parts are normally
used to create or edit designs with both logical (electrical) and physical (footprint)
characteristics.
• The Symbol View tab: Items in the Symbol View tab are symbols only. There is no cell
or padstack data associated with them. Symbols are normally used to create or edit
designs with logical (electrical) characteristics only. In addition, you can use symbols as
a basis to build and create a new part.
• The Reuse Blocks tab: Items in the Reuse Blocks tab are entire designs that can be
treated as a single component when placed in your project
Note
When a .prj file in DxDesigner is mapped to a central library, the entries in the Partition
column (in both the Part View and Symbol View tabs) match those that appear in Library
Manager (Parts and Symbols entries in the library navigator tree).
To place a symbol on a schematic:
1. Open the Symbols dialog boxwith the View > Symbols pulldown menu item.
2. Filter the window for the symbol you want to add.
3. Select the symbol. The symbol appears in the view window to the right of the Symbols
window. Cells and alternates preview also appear when relevant.
4. To place one instance of the symbol, drag the symbol from the view window to the to
the schematic and click where you want to place the symbol.
5. To place multiple instances of the symbol, click the Place Symbol button followed by a
click on each location on the schematic where you want that symbol to appear.
Filtering the Symbol List

You filter the symbol list to present only those symbols you are interested in.
To filter the symbol list:
1. Click Clear Filters to remove previous filter criteria

2. Select a tab.

3. The filter fields correspond to the list columns directly below them. Enter all or part of
the information you want to filter on in the appropriate field. For example, if you want to
filter for all parts beginning with CC0, type CC0 in the Part field of the Part View tab.
Tip: the filter supports * and ? wildcards.
Related Topics
• For more information on Reusable Blocks and the Reuse Blocks tab of the Symbols
dialog box, see “Placing a Logical-Only Reusable Block in a Host Design” in the
Reusable Blocks Process Guide, and “Symbols Window” in the DxDesigner Reference
Manual.
• You can also add symbols from the DxDataBook and DMS. For more information, see
the DxDataBook User’s Guide, and the DMS Librarian User’s Guide.
Adding and Replacing Power/Ground Pins

Power/Ground pins are one type of special components. When you configure special
components, you create a list of components (such as power and ground pins) you want
available to place on your schematic.
Requirement
You have previously configured Specialized Components. See “Configuring Special
Components” on page 55 for instructions.
Procedures
To manually place a pin on the schematic:
1. Select Add > Power (or click ) or Add > Ground (or click ). A list appears of all
the choices available for a given type such as Basic:power.1, Basic:vbb.1, etc.
2. From the list, select the pin you want to place.
3. DxDesigner automatically attaches the pin to your cursor. Drag and drop it onto a
component or net. You can add multiple copies of the component. When you are
finished, press the <ESC> key.
Tip: If you have only provided one symbol for the pin type during setup, the pin is
automatically attached to the net you selected, and you are in drag mode with the
component and net.
To automatically attach a pin to an existing net:
Use the following procedure to attach a pin to an existing net that has only one unconnected
point.
1. Select the net to which you want to attach the pin.

Synchronizing a Component With its Associated Base Symbol
2. Select Add > Power or Add > Ground.

automatically attached to the net you selected.
Result: The pin is automatically attached to the net you right-clicked.
To replace power/ground pins
1. Position the cursor on the pin you want to change.

2. Right-click > Change. A list of available, matching, components appears.
3. Select the component you want to substitute.
Synchronizing a Component With its Associated

Base Symbol
DxDesigner symbols are stored in the Central Library. Only Central Library symbols can be
edited. When a Central Library symbol is first placed on a schematic, a copy is placed in a local
project “symbol cache”. All subsequent instances of the symbol are take from the cached copy.
If a Central Library symbol changes, the equivalent components may need to be updated to
reflect the changes. DxDesigner checks design components against their base symbols upon
startup, or when you reload a schematic. All components whose symbols have changed are
highlighted in pink. You can then choose to update the components with the new symbol
definition. When you are finished updating, the highlights are cleared.
To update all components whose symbols have changed:
1. Select Tools > Update Symbols or (right-click on any symbol) > Symbol Update >
Update Symbol.
2. In the Component Definition Update dialog box, select the desired symbol(s) you want
to update, and click OK.
Result: The highlights on all schematic sheets with updated selected symbols are
cleared.
To clear all highlights:
1. Select any symbol on the sheet.

2. Right-click > Symbol Update > Clear All Highlights.
Result: The highlights on the current sheet are cleared for the remainder of this
DxDesigner session.

Specifying the Characteristics of Components

You define logical component characteristics using properties, and physical design rules using
Constraints.
When constraints mode is enabled for a design, you can assign constraints defined within
classes to nets, components, and differential pair nets on a schematic.
For more information, see the following topics:
• Adding and Editing Properties

• Setting Up Constraints in CES
• Handling Mechanical Parts
• Handling Test Points
Adding and Editing Properties

Existing pre-EE2007 DxDesigner attributes are replace by Expedition Enterprise properties
during project conversion. For more information, see Converting DxDesigner Attributes to
Expedition Enterprise Properties in the DxDesigner Administrator’s Guide.
In an Expedition workflow, you create new properties using the Library Manager Property
Definition Editor. For more information see the Property Definition Editor in the Library
Manager Process Guide.
In a Netlist workflow, you can create and edit properties with the Property Definition Editor
from the Tools > Property Definition Editor menu. For more information see “Using the
Property Definition Editor - Netlist Workflow” on page 81.
When you instance a symbol on your design, you can select which of the symbol properties to
use for the instance, then add or edit them within DxDesigner using the Properties window. The
Properties window can be toggled on and off by selecting the View > Properties menu item or
clicking the button. You can also display the Properties window by double-clicking an
object or you can select an object and right-click > Properties.
Property and value visibility is controlled by the following order of precedence, with “1” having
the highest precedence and “3” the lowest:
1. Schematic level settings

2. Symbol level settings
3. Property Definition Editor level settings
With the Properties window you can assign names to schematics, sheets, properties, nets, and
busses, using the following rules:

• Name strings can consist of any characters except the following: < > ' , ( ) = \
• Name strings cannot contain spaces.
For editing purposes, there are three types of properties. The rules for editing them are different
as described in Table 4-1.
Table 4-1. Property Editing Rules

Property Type Example Editing Actions Allowed
Symbol Property Partition • Change Values
• Added by the librarian to the symbol
Instance Property Description • Change values
• Added by the user to the instance • Delete
System Property Id • None
• Added by the tool
Related Topics
• Changing Between Floating and Docked Window Types
Procedures
To add a property:
1. If the Properties window is not visible, double-click the object you want to add the
property to.
Tip: You can select multiple objects using the <Ctrl> key.
2. Click the empty box at the bottom of the Property column (see figure below). A list of
available properties appears.
3. From the available list (created from the Property Definition Editor), select the property
you want to add.

4. In the associated columns, enter the value and, optionally, instance value you want to
assign to the property.
To change a property or name value visibility status:
• In the Properties window, select or clear the checkbox in the Property or Value field.
To change the value of a property:
• In the Properties window, click on the desired property value to select it and type the
new value.
To delete editable properties:
• In the Properties window, move the cursor over the desired property and right-click >
Delete Property. Visibility may need to be turned off before the delete can happen.
Parameterized Properties
A parameterized property has a variable value field. You use parameterized properties to
specify values that change in the design. The following parameterized properties are supported.
For more information, see the DxDesigner Properties Glossary.
• @NAME
• @SHEET
• @PATH
• @SHEETTOTAL
• @XYCOORD
Using the Property Definition Editor - Netlist Workflow

To invoke this editor from DxDesigner in a Netlist workflow, select Tools > Property
Definition Editor.
Use the Property Definition Editor to define the available properties and their format in a central
library. Use this editor to define new properties, define property types and their associated
syntax, and change certain aspects of pre-defined system properties. The values of the
properties are stored on the data objects and are not defined in the Property Definition Editor.
User-defined properties are used to add custom information to symbols and parts from
DxDesigner. When saved, the Property Definition Editor writes all properties to the central
library property definition file.

Note
System properties cannot be deleted, and user-defined properties are not used by
simulation tools.
User properties (created using the Property Definition Editor) are assigned a unique property
number. However, when using the compiler on a schematic design that contains user properties,
the user property numbers that appear in the generated ASCII file are different than what
appears in the Property Definition Editor.
Example: Property Definition Editor software assigns “UserProp1” with a Property Number of
224. However, after using the compiler and generating an ASCII file, “UserProp1” appears in
the file with a randomly assigned property number. Therefore, refer to the property name (or
“Property Value”) in the ASCII file and ignore the property number assigned to user properties.
Property numbers assigned to System properties are unaffected.
Creating a User-defined Property

1. Click Tools > Property Definition Editor. The Property Definition Editor dialog box
appears.
2. Click the Advanced button. The dialog box expands to display settings and options
associated with the selected property in the Property List.
3. Click the New Property icon . The software places a new entry at the bottom of the
list (New Property1).
4. (Optional) Click the Name header to alphabetize the list of property names in the
Property List. The list of property names now appear in alphabetical order.
Tip: If you click the Name header again, the list of property names would appear in
reverse alphabetical order. Click on any column header in the Property List to sort
entries in the list.
5. Enter a property name and select a format from the dropdown list. The available options
are; Character String, Integer or Real.
6. Select the check box if you want to place the property in the schematic when Packager is
used.
Packaging can assign properties from the part entries to a symbol in the schematic. For
example, if a check is placed next to the System - Cost option (you click OK or Apply),
this enables the software to place selected properties in a schematic during the
packaging process or when you use the Place Device command to place a device in a
schematic file.
7. Use keyin fields and options in the “Options applied in Design Entry” section of the
dialog box to set up all the options that are available in the appropriate property
definition file. Regular expression options can be built up from single-characters. For

more information see the table titled Regular Expressions Used by Property Definition
Editor in the DxDesigner Reference Manual.
8. Attach the selected property by placing a check against one or all of the following:
Symbol (default), Pin, or Net.
9. Include the selected property in the property lists for Design Entry (selected by default),
10. Select the “Ignore notation settings when displaying property value” checkbox to ignore
the notations settings. This option is only active when the property format is set to
Integer or Real. For example, 0.01 could be displayed as 10m if the option is selected. If
the checkbox is not selected, 0.01 would display.
11. (Optional) Click the Import button to Import properties from a file using the Import
Properties From File dialog box.
You can import properties from either design entry or Parts Database by selecting the
appropriate property file name with an extension of .prp. Once you have selected a
property file, the available properties within that file are displayed.
a. Select the properties you want to import.
b. Click Apply to display the selected properties in the Property List of the Property
Definition Editor and continue the display of the Import Properties from File dialog
box or click OK to dismiss the dialog box and return to the Property Definition
Editor. Click Cancel to terminate the operation without updating the Property List
and return to the Property Definition Editor dialog box.
12. Click Apply to save changes incrementally to the Property Definition Editor without
dismissing the dialog box. Click OK to save changes in the Property Definition Editor
dialog box to the CentLib.prp file associated with the central library. Click Cancel to
dismiss the Property Definition Editor dialog box without saving changes since the last
Apply.
Handling Mechanical Parts

The “Forward To PCB” property described in this topic only works for designs created with the
Expedition workflow.
A mechanical part, such as a socket, bolt, nut, etc. has no electrical significance, and should not
appear in the PCB netlist, but may be placed on the schematic for inclusion during the Part
Lister process.
To control whether a component is forward annotated to the layout tool:
1. Right-click the desired symbol on the schematic and choose Properties from the
pulldown menu.
2. In the Properties window, locate the “Forward To PCB” row in the Property column.

3. In the “Forward To PCB” row, click the Value column as shown in Figure 4-6. A drop-
down list appears. You can choose to set this property on the selected component to one
of the following:
a. Inherit From Definition - This causes the Forward Annotation process to use the
setting defined in the symbol definition (either True or False)
b. True - Ignore the setting in symbol definition and Forward Annotate this
component.
c. False - Ignore the setting in symbol definition and do not Forward Annotate this
component.
Figure 4-6. Forward To PCB Property Example
Handling Test Points

A testpoint is a part that indicates the point of entry for a testing machine. Testpoints should
appear in the PCB netlist, since they show electrical constraints that must be noted by
manufacturing. However, you may wish to prevent them from showing up in the Part Lister
output.
To exclude a particular component from appearing in the Part Lister output:
1. Right-click the desired symbol on the schematic and choose Properties from the
pulldown menu.
2. In the Properties window, click the blank field at the bottom of the Property column as
shown in Figure 4-7.
3. Locate and select the “Part List Exclude” property (see Figure 4-7). The property is
added to the top of the Properties window list for the selected component.

Using Constraints in DxDesigner
Figure 4-7. Part List Exclude Property Example
Using Constraints in DxDesigner

In an Expedition workflow design, you assign and edit constraints in CES, which you can open
from DxDesigner.
To open CES from DxDesigner on an Expedition workflow design:
1. In the Navigator, position the cursor over the design name

2. Right-click > Constraint Editor System
For more information, see the Tool Access From Within the Flow topic in the Constraint Editor
System (CES) User’s Manual for Expedition Enterprise Flow (DxDesigner).
In a Netlist workflow design, you can view and edit existing constraints using the View > Other
Windows > Constraints window.
Connecting/Disconnecting Components
Once you place components on a schematic, you can connect them using nets and busses. After
connecting a component you may wish to move it. It could be helpful to disconnect the
component first before moving it.
The following topics describe ways to manage the connections:
• Routing Modes
• Creating Intersecting Connections

• Creating Dangling Connections

• Automatically Creating Connection by Net Label Names
• Disconnecting a Component
Routing Modes
All connectivity is formed in DxDesigner with the specification of a routing mode. You
construct a net or a bus under a specified routing mode that assists with determining the optimal
route path.
To set or change the routing mode for a project:
1. Select Setup > Settings > Schematic Editor (section) > Nets (subsection)
2. In the Route Mode options section, select one of the following modes:
• Straight
Straight routing specifies a straight connection between two points. This “as is” form
of routing can overlap or pass through components and existing connections. Any
incidental crossing of nets from straight routing does not imply a connection, and
does not create a solder dot.
• Orthogonal
Orthogonal routing begins with a horizontal or vertical orientation depending on the
point of origin as follows:
o From a joint — begins in a horizontal or vertical direction following the cursor
movement (left or right, horizontal — up or down, vertical)
o From a pin — automatically begins in a horizontal or vertical direction,
depending on the orientation of the pin
o From a point on a net or bus segment — begins in a direction perpendicular to
the orientation of the segment
Note: Orthogonal routing does not allow a connection to pass through a component.
• Avoidance
Avoidance routing specifies an automatic connection between two points that avoids
components. Specifying intermediary points along the connection creates a more
distinct specification of the path of the connection.
The distance between components and the connection is the avoidance distance.
DxDesigner automatically staggers a connection by the avoidance distance as the
route hugs to the components or other connections.

Related Topic
• Nets -Schematic Editor - Settings Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
Creating Intersecting Connections

DxDesigner creates intersecting connections automatically, and denotes them with a solder dot.
Two nets that cross make a connection only if a round solder dot appears at the crossing. Any
incidental crossing of nets or busses from schematic edits does not imply a connection.
You configure intersecting connections by setting the following:
Setup > Settings > Advanced (section) > Dot Size (option)
Creating Dangling Connections

DxDesigner creates dangling connections automatically when you draw a net that does not
connect to a pin or another net. DxDesigner denotes dangling connections with a square box at
the end of the net.
To connect dangling nets to components:
• Click on the dangling net box while the Add Net command is activated. You can then
stretch the dangling net by dragging the box until it intersects a component pin
To maintain dangling connectivity when you delete a component:
• Hold down the <Ctrl> key when you select Delete from the Edit menu (or from the
popup menu).
• Use the Edit-Delete Special command from the DxDesigner menu.
Automatically Creating Connection by Net Label Names

Any two nets on a schematic that have the same label are automatically connected. That is, they
are the same net. This is true even if the nets are located on different pages of the schematic. No
special off page or on page connector is required to connect nets with the same label on different
pages. This is true for all nets with local scope. Nets with global scope will be connected if they
are named the same and located on any sheet, and also if they are located under any hierarchical
block.
Disconnecting a Component
To aid in moving a component after it has been connected, it might be helpful to first disconnect
the component from attached nets and busses.

Adding and Editing Ports on a Schematic
To disconnect a component from a schematic:
1. Click on the component to select it.

2. Disconnect the component by selecting Edit > Disconnect or clicking .
Adding and Editing Ports on a Schematic

The following topics describe working with ports on a schematic:
• Propagating Ports
• Adding Missing Ports
• Replacing Ports
Propagating Ports
DxDesigner automatically adds a port on a selected net, including power and ground nets,
provided the selected net is connected at one end. DxDesigner also provides top-down
automatic port insertion. Drawing nets to a block creates pins on the block. The ports
corresponding to those pins are then propagated down via the Push Schematic tool.
To propagate ports:
1. Click in the block to select it.

2. Right-click > Push Schematic.
Using the Push Schematic tool has the following results:
• Ports are added to lower schematic levels

• Location and relative spacing on the block symbol are preserved.
• By default, port direction depends on the side of the block to which the net connects:
o Left side: input
o Right side: output
o Top/Bottom: bidirectional
Adding Missing Ports

To update the ports list at the block level, or to insert ports on additional sheets:
1. Select the block or sheet.

2. Select Add > Missing Ports to update the ports list.

Creating and Editing Nets
Replacing Ports
Because a port is a type of symbol, you replace a port using the Replace Symbol/Part dialog
box. For more information, see Replacing a Symbol or Part.

Use nets to create connections between component pins, from a single component pin to a net or
bus, or between nets or busses. A net is not the same as a line. A line is only graphical; a net
carries a signal, and represents an electrical connection. You can construct a net with one or
more segments. If a net has more than one segment, DxDesigner indicates the segment
endpoints by joints at the net vertices.
The method you will likely use to create nets depends on the number of connections you want to
make.
• Creating and Editing Nets Using the Schematic Editor - for small designs or to connect
low pincount components
• Adding Nets to Pins
• Merging Nets
• Establishing Connectivity in Multi-Sheet Designs
• Creating Differential Pairs Automatically
• Inserting a Serial Component on a Net
Also see
• Connecting Components With Busses
Creating and Editing Nets Using the Schematic Editor

Requirements
You must set up the routing mode for nets in your project. For information on setting up routing
modes, see “Routing Modes” on page 86.
Procedures
To set or check default display characteristics for nets:
1. Select Setup > Settings > Display (section) > Objects subsection.
2. In the Object column, locate the Net type in the list.
3. For net Color, Fill Style and Line Style, click in the box and use the pulldown list to
choose a value.

4. The Width column controls the displayed thickness of the net on the schematic. Enter a
value from 1 to 10.
5. Click OK.
Result: These settings will be the default display characteristics for all nets.
To add a net to the active schematic:
1. Select Add > Net or

click from the object toolbar or
type “net” on the command line.
2. Click the left mouse button at the origin point of the net.
Note: By default, nets do not need to begin at a component pin or at an existing net. To
change this default, select Setup > Settings > Advanced, and then clear the Begin Nets
in Space checkbox.
3. Drag the mouse to form the net. You can specify vertices (intersections of net segments)
along the net by clicking the space bar while dragging. The current routing mode
determines how the connection is formed.
4. Release the left mouse button to specify an end point for the net.
To over-ride the default display net width setting for an individual net:
1. Once you have drawn a net, be sure it is selected and the Properties window is open.
2. In the Properties window, locate the Line Width property.
3. Click the Value box. A pulldown list appears.
4. Choose the desired line thickness value (1 - 10) from the pulldown list to reset the
displayed net width.
To delete a net:
• Select the net you want to delete and press <Delete>.

o If the net you want to delete has more than one segment, do one of the following
• press <Ctrl> + select the segments you want to delete, then press <Delete>.
• Drag-Select all the segments then press <Delete>.
• Select and delete segments individually.
To rename a net:
1. Double-click the net.

2. In the Properties Editor, enter the new name.

Creating Global Nets

Global nets establish global connectivity, usually for power supply nets, but they can also be
used for global clock signals. Global nets have a property of Global Signal Name. Nets attached
to components with a Global Signal Name property inherit a Net Name of the same value as the
Global Signal Name property. To create a Global Net:
1. Select Add > Power or Add > Ground.

2. Click in the schematic where you want to place the symbol for the global net. (You can
click multiple times to place multiple instantiations of the symbol.)
3. Right-click to return the cursor to a pointer.
4. In the Properties window, click in the cell to the right of Global Signal Name and enter
the value for the Global Signal Name. By default, the Power symbol value is VCC, and
the Ground symbol is GND.
Aliasing Nets
You assign names to nets using the Name property. In DxDesigner, nets with the same name are
connected, even if they appear on different sheets.That is, all nets with the same name are
actually the same net. However, you might want to connect nets with two different names while
preserving the original net names. This is called net aliasing.
The following are examples of net aliasing.
Note
Although you can use net aliasing in all three of the examples below, only the first is
recommended.
• You have migrated a project to DxDesigner from another tool that uses net aliasing.
DxDesigner net aliasing allows you to duplicate the behavior of the other tool.
• Given a bus named A[0:7], you want to rip a net from bit 7 and attach it to a net named
C without changing the name of either net. You alias net A7 to net C.
• You want to connect two power nets while leaving their individual names intact.
To alias two nets:
Requirement: You have already assigned a value to the Name property for each net. For more
information, see Adding and Editing Properties.
1. Double-click one of the nets you want to alias together. The net’s Properties dialog box
opens.

2. Change the value of the Name property to include the name of both nets to be aliased,
using the following syntax:
firstnetname|secondnetname
Where the delimiter is the vertical bar or pipe character.
Results:
• In the navigator, the two nets are replaced by one net named
firsthetname,secondnetname.
• On the schematic, the selected net displays the new name
firstnetname|secondnetname, and the unselected net retains its original name.
Merging Nets
DxDesigner supports merging nets. It is possible that you need to connect two nets that have
previously been named. A Net Short dialog box informs you that two nets have been shorted,
and gives you the option of which net name to use for the combined net as shown in the
following figure:
Figure 4-8. Net Short Dialog Example

Establishing Connectivity in Multi-Sheet Designs

You use special onsheet/offsheet pin components to show that a net traverses multiple sheets in
a flat design.
Prerequisite
You have configured Onsheet/Offsheet pins. (See “Configuring Special Components” on
page 55.)
Adding Onsheet/Offsheet Pins

When you add an Onsheet/Offsheet pin, you can either place the pin on the schematic with an
attached net, or attach it to an existing net.
To manually place a pin on the schematic:
1. Select Add > Onsheet (or click ) or Add > Offsheet (or click ). A list appears of
all the choices available for a given type such as Basic:con_offsheet.1,
Basic:new_offsheet.1, etc.
2. Select the pin you want to place from the list.
3. DxDesigner automatically attaches the pin to your cursor. Drag and drop it onto a
component or net.
automatically attached to the net you right-clicked, and you are in drag mode with the
component and net. If you have provided more than one symbol, a dialog box opens. In
the dialog box, select the pin symbol you want to attach. Pins that have already been
used are indicated in italics.
To automatically attach a pin to an existing net:
Use the following procedure to attach a pin to an existing net that has only one unconnected
point.
1. Select the net to which you want to attach the pin.

2. Select Add > Onsheet or Add > Offsheet. DxDesigner automatically attaches the pin to
the net you selected.
automatically attached to the net you right-clicked. If you have provided more than one
symbol, a dialog box opens. In the dialog box, select the pin symbol you want to attach.

Creating Differential Pairs Automatically

To create differential pairs automatically and dynamically:
1. Double-click on a net or bus to view its properties. (See the figure below.)
2. In the cell to the right of the Diff pair property, either use the drop-down list to select
the name of the second pair element or enter it manually.
Hint: If the names in the drop-down list are too long to read, expand the Value column.
Note
The differential pair Property of the other net is updated automatically. You don’t have to
enter the information twice.
To view the diff pair in CES:
1. Select Tools > Constraint Editor System to open the Constraint Editor System (CES).
2. In the CES Navigator window, click on the plus (+) sign to expand Constraint Classes,
then the plus (+) sign to expand All. (See the figure below.)

3. Double-click on Diff pair, and scroll down to view the differential pair you have created.
(The list is arranged alphabetically.)
Inserting a Serial Component on a Net

Inserting a component in series with an existing named net brings up a Split Net dialog box.
This dialog gives you options to either keep the existing net name for one side of the split net, or
throw out the name. Figure 4-9 shows an example of using the Split Net dialog.
Figure 4-9. Split Net Dialog Example

Connecting Components With Busses
Selecting the “Assign default names to all pieces” option discards the existing net name on the
selected net segment. You can then use the Properties window to assign net names later.

A bus is a collection of nets that can operate as a group. Create busses anywhere on a schematic,
between component bus pins, or from a single component bus pin. You specify bus names and
ranges (widths) using labels. When a bus is connected to a bus pin on a component, the signals
in the bus are mapped to the signals on the pin by position. The labels do not have to be the
same.
The following topics describe how to connect components with busses:
• Adding a Bus
• Ripping Nets
Adding a Bus
To add a bus:
Select the Bus tool by selecting Add > Bus or clicking the button.
1. Place the cursor in the schematic at the point you have selected as the beginning point
for the bus.
2. Press-and-hold the left mouse button and move the mouse to draw the bus as desired.
You can add multiple extensions from the bus by click-and-holding the mouse button
and moving the mouse away from the bus. You can change the direction of the bus as
you draw it by depressing the space bar while dragging.
3. If the Properties window is not open, double-click on the bus to open up the Properties
window.
4. Click in the cell to the right of the Name property, shown in the figure below.
5. Either enter a name for the bus, or select a bus name from the dropdown list of busses
and bus contents that already exist in the project. The name of the bus must include the

width of the bus as two numbers separated by a colon, inside square brackets. For
example, L1_CADOUT_N[15:0].
Note
While the supported bus syntax calls for square brackets, you can use parentheses ( ), or
braces { }. Parentheses and braces are automatically converted to square brackets.
Ripping Nets
DxDesigner provides two net ripping methods that are described in this topic:
• Ripping Nets Manually

• Ripping Nets With the Rip Nets Command
Both methods automatically add rippers and net names. Regardless of the method you use to rip
nets off a bus, DxDesigner names the individual ripped nets using the nomenclature that you set
in Setup > Settings > Net Name Delimiter.
This method of name delimiting can prevent confusion in situations such as the inability to
distinguish between signal A10 (bit 10 of bus A) and signal A10 (bit 0 of bus A1).
So, for example, suppose you have 2 busses named A[0:1] and A1[0:1]. The following table
shows how the ripped nets would be named, according to the settings specified with the net
name delimiter.
Table 4-2. Ripped net nomenclature

Delimiter A[0:1] A1[0:1]
None A0 A10
A1 A11
[] A[0] A1[0]
A[1] A1[1]
() A(0) A1(0)
A(1) A1(1)

Note
Use care when assigning net name delimiters. If you copy a schematic from a migrated
project to another project with different delimiter settings, it may cause some nets to
become disconnected and may cause other, unintentional connections.
For example, suppose you have a project with no delimiter for ripped nets and that project
includes a bus A[7:0]. In this case, the constituent signals of the bus are named A7...A0.
If you then copy a schematic sheet from that project to another project that has a ripped
net delimiter set, the constituent signals are not automatically renamed with brackets.
That is, their names remain A7...A0.
Also described in this topic are the following:
• Rippers Symbols
• Changing Spacing of Nets
• Adjusting Net Orientation
Rippers Symbols
Whenever you rip a net off a bus as shown in Figure 4-10, the appearance of the ripper is
dependant on the number of nets being ripped from the bus, and their designation.
Figure 4-10. Ripper Symbols Example

If the ripped nets are connected to a bus with an equivalent number

of constituent signals, the ripper appears with a line through it.
If the ripped nets are connected to a bus with a different number of
constituent signals, the ripper appears without any line in it.
If the ripped nets are connected to a bus in which the order of the
constituent signals is inverted, the ripper appears with an “X” in it.
Ripping Nets Manually

To rip nets manually:
1. Open the Name Nets dialog box from Edit > Name Nets...
2. Enter the name of the bus (ADDRESS, for example; do not enter the width portion of
the bus name (for example, [0:63]).
3. Enter the starting bit in the Bit entry box.
4. Choose the ripping order (Ascending or Descending).
5. Enter the increment in the Delta entry box.
6. Click Close.
7. Activate the Net tool by selecting Add > Net or by clicking the button.
8. Position the cursor over the start position on the bus where you want to rip a net.
9. Click-and-hold the left mouse button while moving the cursor away from the bus to rip a
net. The net name will correspond to the settings of the Name Bus Elements dialog box.
10. Repeat step 8 to rip as many nets as you require.
The Name Nets tool allows you to rename nets in two modes:
• Object/Action mode - You select the net and then apply the command.
• Action/Object mode - You set up the command, which is then applied when you rip the
net.
Ripping Nets With the Rip Nets Command

To rip nets automatically:
1. Click on a bus to select it.

2. With the bus selected, right-click on the bus where you want the first net to connect. If
you are ripping nets to attach to a symbol, make sure you right-click on the bus across
from the first pin on the symbol.

3. Select Rip Nets from the popup menu.

4. Select which nets to rip in the Rip Nets dialog box. By default, all nets in the bus are
selected. Use the <Shift> key to select contiguous nets. Use the <Ctrl> key to select non-
contiguous nets.
5. Click OK. The nets are ripped from the bus, with their unconnected ends attached to the
cursor.
6. Move the ripped nets to their connection points and left-click to release them from the
cursor.
Changing Spacing of Nets

The default spacing for nets you create with the Rip Nets command is two grid points. You can
change the spacing dynamically with the Resize Box functionality.
To change the spacing, do the following:
1. Click on the Select icon in the tool tray at the top of the DxDesigner window. The Select
icon resembles the standard cursor pointer arrow.
2. Activate the Resize Box tool by selecting Edit > Resize Box. This action adds handles
to the box around the selected nets.
3. Click-and-drag on one of the handles to change the spacing.
4. Click elsewhere in the schematic window to deselect the nets.
The Resize Box functionality stays active. The next set of nets you select will have resizing
handles until you turn Resize Box off. To turn Resize Box off, select Edit > Resize Box again,
or press <ESC>, or click the Select icon.
Note
Resize Box can also be used to adjust the distance between components and other objects
in your schematic. It is very useful when adjusting the spacing in an array of components.
Adjusting Net Orientation

By default, the Rip Nets command creates nets that are:
• To the right of a vertical bus

• Below a horizontal bus

Working Within the Schematic Editor
To change the net orientation on a vertical bus:
1. Click on the Select icon in the tool tray.

2. Click-and-drag a box around the nets and their respective rippers that you want to
reorient.
3. Select the Mirror tool by choosing Format > Mirror or clicking the icon.
To change the net orientation on a horizontal bus:
1. Click on the Select icon in the tool tray.

2. Click-and-drag a box around the nets and their respective rippers that you want to
reorient.
3. Select the Flip tool by choosing Format > Flip or clicking the icon.
Note
The Flip and Mirror tools are also useful for changing the orientation of the rippers. The
Flip tool changes the orientation of Rippers on a vertical bus. The Mirror tool changes the
orientation of the rippers on a horizontal bus.

The following are tasks that you can perform in the Schematic Editor:
• Adding or Deleting a Schematic Sheet • Moving and Copying Objects

• Copying a Schematic Sheet • Replacing a Symbol or Part
• Adding Text to Schematics • Finding and Replacing Text
• Adding Graphics to Schematics • Viewing Names and Properties
• Selecting and Deselecting Objects • Executing Commands Using
Strokes
• Filtering Which Objects to Select
Adding or Deleting a Schematic Sheet

To add or delete a sheet, do the following:
To add a sheet to the end of a design:
• From the last page of the design, press Page Down.

DxDesigner appends a new sheet to the schematic.

To delete a sheet:
1. Expand theProjectNavigator to display the sheet you want to delete.

2. Right-click > Delete.
Copying a Schematic Sheet

To copy a sheet from one project to another:
1. Open the source project.

2. In the Navigator window, select the sheet(s) you want to copy.
3. On the selected sheet(s), right-click > Copy.
4. Open the destination project. (You can skip this step if you are copying and pasting
sheets within the same project.)
5. On the schematic node you want to add the sheet to, right-click > Edit > Paste Sheet(s).
When nets in the copied sheet already exist in the destination project, the properties of the nets
in the copied sheet take precedence over the values of the nets in the destination project.
All constraints applicable to objects in the sheet are also copied and take precedence over
constraints in the destination project.
Adding Text to Schematics

You can add text strings to components or schematics. Text has no association with other
graphical objects or with connectivity data.
To add text to a symbol or schematic:
1. Select Add > Text or

use the “T” hotkey or
type “text” on the command line and execute the command.
2. Click-and-hold the left mouse button to create the text locator.
3. Drag the mouse to move the text locator to the desired location.
4. Once you have the text locator where you want, release the left mouse button.
5. Fill in the Text Properties dialog box.
• To load text from a text file, select the Read from File checkbox and browse to the
file you wish to import. The text will be added to your schematic. This is a powerful
way to add notes or other text documentation directly to your design.

Adding Graphics to Schematics

You can add graphical objects to a symbol or schematic using the object toolbar buttons or the
Add menu commands.
To add an arc:
1. Select Add > Arc or

click on the Object toolbar or
type “arc” on the command line.
2. Click-and-hold the left mouse button down to specify the first endpoint of the arc.
3. Drag the mouse to the location you select as the other endpoint for the arc.
4. Click right mouse button or spacebar to specify the second endpoint.
5. Continue dragging with left mouse button depressed to specify midpoint for arc.
6. Release left mouse button to finish arc.
Note: To cancel arc placement, press Esc or release left mouse button before specifying
the second endpoint for the arc.
To add a box:
1. Select Add > Box or

type “box” on the command line.
2. Click-and-hold the left mouse button to specify a corner for the box.
3. Drag the mouse to define the box.
4. Once you have the box you want, release the left mouse button.
To add a circle:
1. Select Add > Circle or

type “circle” on the command line.
2. Click-and-hold the left mouse button to specify the center of the circle.
3. Drag the mouse to define the circle radius.
4. Once you have the circle you want, release the left mouse button.
Tip: All closed drawing objects can be assigned a color, line style, and fill style. Select
the object then right-click > Properties to set these values.

To add a line:
1. Select Add > Line or

type “line” on the command line.
2. Click-and-hold the left mouse button to specify an edge for the line.
3. Drag the mouse to define the line.
4. Click the right mouse button (or press spacebar) to create a polyline.
5. After you have the line you want, release the left mouse button.
Selecting and Deselecting Objects

Select an object when you want to edit its properties, move it, or zoom in on it. Deselect an
object when you want to exclude it from an operation.
Selection Rules
• When you select an object, the object outline is highlighted.
• When you select a net, bus, pin, or component, all associated names and properties are
also selected.
• If the selected object contains associated names and properties that are visible on the
schematic, a text-owner indicator line visually connects the text to the center of the
object that owns it as shown in the following figure:

Requirement
• Before you can select an object, you must be in Select mode. To enter Select mode, click
the button. The Select button is depressed when you are in select mode.
To select an object of a particular type, the selection filter must include the desired type. See
“Filtering Which Objects to Select” on page 108.
Selecting Objects
Do one of the following:
• Place the cursor on the object you want to select and click the left mouse button. All
previously selected objects are deselected.
• Depress the left mouse button and drag the cursor to specify the selection area.
DxDesigner selects only objects completely within the selection box.
To select multiple objects:
1. Click on the first object to select it.

2. Depress the <Ctrl> key while clicking the left mouse button on additional objects to
select.

3. To select a group of objects, depress the <Ctrl> key while clicking and dragging the
mouse over the group of objects you want to select.
To select a net or bus:
1. Place the cursor on a segment of the net or bus and click the left mouse button.
2. With the cursor on the selected segment, press <Ctrl> and click the left mouse button
again.
The DxDesigner schematic editor selects the entire net or bus up to the solder joint.
To select Components:
Do one of the following:
• Click an individual component to select it.

• Select from the Command line:
Type “scomp component_name” in the command line field and execute the command. If
you do not enter the component_name on the command line, the Select Component
dialog box appears so you can enter the component name. Enter the component name in
the component name field.
To select multiple components with the same name:
1. Select Edit > Select.

2. In the Select dialog box Select list, choose Component.
3. In the Expression field, enter the name of the component you want to select, then click
OK.
The Select command selects all components in the schematic with the symbol name you
specify.
To select nets and net segments, do one of the following:
• In the Schematic Editor, click a net segment to select it.

• In the Schematic Editor, <Ctrl> + Double-click a net segment to select the entire net.
• In the Project Navigator Contents Window, select the line or lines that show the net you
want to select. It is also selected on the schematic.
To select objects using the command line, do any of the following.

• Select labels:
a. Type “slabel label_name” in the command line field and execute the command.
b. If you do not specify label_name, the Select Label dialog box appears. In the Select
Label dialog box, enter the name of the label you want to select and the specify if
you want the select to apply to all labels, then click OK.
• Select labels and associated objects:
a. Type “sname selected_name” in the command line field and execute the command.
b. If you do not specify selected_name, the Select Name dialog box appears. In the
Select Name dialog box, enter the Internal name or label of the desired objects, then
click OK.
• Select objects associated with specified property value(s):
Type “svalue property_value on the command line and execute the command. If you do
not specify property_value, the Select Value dialog box appears. Enter the
property_value, specify if you want the select to apply to all properties matching the
select criteria, then click OK.
• Select a text string:
a. Type “stext” on the command line and execute the command. You can use wildcard
characters when specifying the text string.
b. In the Select Text dialog box, enter the text to select and specify if you want the
select to apply to all text strings matching the select criteria, then click OK.
Deselecting Objects
A selected object remains selected until you deselect it, delete it, or select something else.
To deselect all selected objects:
• Place the cursor in an empty area of the schematic, then left-click.

To deselect a single object:
• <Shift> + left-click the object you want to deselect.

Note: On a net where only some segments are select, the following rules apply:
• If you <Shift> +left-click a selected segment, only that segment is deselected.
• If you <Shift> +left-click a deselected segment, the entire net or bus is deselected.

To deselect a group of objects:
1. Depress the <Shift> key.

2. Click-and-drag the left mouse button to form a box over the group or area that you want
to deselect.
3. Release the left mouse button.
DxDesigner deselects all selected objects located completely within the box. If any part of an
object appears outside of the box, DxDesigner does not deselect the object.
Filtering Which Objects to Select

At times, you may want to select some objects but not others. For example, you might want to
select a net, but not the net label. This is particulary difficult on dense designs. To filter which
objects you select, use the Selection Filter.
To select certain object types:
1. Right-click an empty area of the schematic and select Selection Filter or

click the button.
You will be presented with the following choices:
• All • Property
• Arc • Text
• Box • Ripper
• Circle • Symbol Group
• Symbol o Reference Designators
• Label o Pin Properties
• Line • Pin Group
• Net
• Pin
2. Select All, or deselect All and select any combination of the objects in the upper section
of the list.
Caution
Be sure to reset the selection filter to All before closing the schematic. If you do not, you
may see an unexplained inability to select certain objects the next time you work on the
schematic.

Moving and Copying Objects

You can move an object or objects, and duplicate an object in another DxDesigner window, or
in another application.
To move an object to a different location in the same window:
1. Select the object.

2. Drag and drop it to the new location in the window.
To move a group of objects and place it at a different location in the same window:
1. Select the objects you want to copy.

2. Drag and drop it to the new location in the window.
To copy an object to another DxDesigner window or another application:
1. Select the object(s) you want to copy.

2. Select Edit > Copy or
click the button or
click <Ctrl> + C or
enter “copy” in the command line.
3. Click in the window where you want to past the object.
4. Select Edit > Paste or
click the button
or click <Ctrl> +V
To copy a block to another project:
3. From the File menu, click Open > Project
4. DxDesigner warns you that it is closing the source project. Click OK. The destination
project opens.
5. In the Project Navigator Tree of the destination project, select the Block node.
6. Right-click > Paste.
To copy a bitmap picture of a schematic section to another application window:
1. Select the schematic section you want to copy

2. Select Edit > Copy or
click the button or

enter <Ctrl> + C or
enter “copy” in the command line.
3. Open and make active the application window that you want to paste the component in.
4. Select Edit > Paste Special.
5. Click OK on the Paste Special dialog box.
Bitmap images will show the object as selected. If you want to copy a bitmap without
the selection boxes, zoom in so that the section you want to copy fills the screen and
perform the copy with nothing selected.
Replacing a Symbol or Part

You can replace selected symbols/parts within a schematic, using the Replace Symbol/Part
Dialog box. The dialog box lets you select the replacement symbol, control how DxDesigner
handles Ref Designators, part numbers and property values, and specify whether to replace only
the selected symbol or instance of symbols elsewhere in the design.
To replace selected symbols/parts:
1. Select the symbol you want to replace.

2. Right-click > Replace Symbol. The Replace Symbol/Part dialog box opens.
3. Click Browse. If it is not already visible, the Symbols window opens.
4. Select the replacement symbol. It displays in the Replace selected symbol(s)/part(s)
with: field.
5. Return to the Replace Symbol/Part dialog box and specify options to control the
replacement.
6. Click Replace.
Note
You can select other symbols and repeat. The Replace Symbol/Port dialog box stays open
until you click Close.
Related Topic
• Replace Symbol/Part Dialog (DxDesigner Reference Manual)
• Symbols Window (DxDesigner Reference Manual)

Finding and Replacing Text

You can find and replace text on schematic objects, including components, nets, busses, pins,
and text.
To find and replace text on schematic objects:
1. Select Edit > Find/Replace. The Find and Replace Text dialog box opens.
2. In the Find tab, specify what you are searching for and the scope of the search.
3. Click More to specify additional search parameters
4. In the Replace tab, specify the string you want to use to replace the search string.
5. Use the buttons to control how the search and replace are executed.
Related Topic:
• Find and Replace Text Dialog (DxDesigner Reference Manual)
Viewing Names and Properties

You can configure DxDesigner to display the names and properties of objects as tooltips. You
can also select which types of objects to display this information for. The object types you can
select are Components, Nets and Pins.
To display names and properties as tooltips:
1. Select Setup > Settings > Display (section).

2. In the Show tooltips area, select the object types you want to display tooltips for.
Executing Commands Using Strokes

In addition to using menus and toolbars, you can execute commands using strokes. Strokes are
predefined patterns of mouse movements that you use to execute commands or functions. You
draw the pattern on an imaginary grid on the schematic. The grid translates the pattern into a
numerical sequence and executes the command. You must enable the strokes to turn on the grid
recognition.

The following table shows the numerical sequences that the strokes recognize and translate into
commands.
Table 4-3. Numerical Sequences Defining Strokes

Stroke grid
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
Requirement
• You must enable strokes before they become available in the Schematic Editor.
Related Topics
• DxDesigner Key Bindings and Strokes in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
• List of DxDesigner vdbindings.vbs Stroke Definitions
• List of DxDesigner exped_wvo.vbs Stroke Definitions
• List of DxDesigner exped_pv.vbs Stroke Definitions
Enabling and Disabling Strokes

Stroke recognition is on by default. The following files define the strokes and shortcut keys.
Depending on your platform, and depending on whether you turn on Expedition Style
Keybindings in Setup > Settings > Advanced (section) will determine which set of bindings is
in effect for your session.
• vdbindings.vbs - Contains default DxDesigner stroke definitions

• exped_wvo.vbs - Contains Expedition style stroke definitions for PC
• exped_pv.vbs - Contains Expedition style stroke definitions for UNIX
To enable strokes:
• From the Setup > Settings > Schematic Editor (section) > Strokes, Pan and Zoom
(subsection), click the Right Button or Middle Button option to set the strokes.
To disable strokes:
1. Setup > Settings > Schematic Editor (section) > Strokes, Pan and Zoom
(subsection), click the Strokes off option.

Entering a Command Using a Stroke

To enter a command using a stroke:
1. Press the stroke mouse button that you selected in the Settings dialog box.
2. Move the mouse in the predefined stroke pattern for the function, and release the mouse
button.
As you move the mouse to draw the pattern, a red line follows the mouse movement in
the window to show you the pattern you are creating.
Customizing Strokes Using Bindings Definitions File

You bind strokes to mouse movements in the same manner as you bind shortcuts to keys. You
use the bindings to execute commands or functions that you use often. You can customize the
strokes by adding or deleting strokes, or changing the numerical sequence associated with an
existing stroke. You customize strokes by editing one or more of the following files:
• vdbindings.vbs - Contains default DxDesigner stroke definitions

• exped_wvo.vbs - Contains Expedition style stroke definitions for PC
• exped_pv.vbs - Contains Expedition style stroke definitions for UNIX
These files are in the $SDD_HOME/standard directory of your installation.
Restriction
• You can only add strokes for commands that are already in the .vbs file and are bound to
a key.
Example
To add a stroke for the numerical sequence 1478963, which the system recognizes as
AddArc, enter the following:
Bindings ("Stroke").AddStroke "1478963", "AddArc"
Viewing Strokes Defined in .vbs File

You can view the strokes defined in the active .vbs, as well as the commands they execute by
clicking the Help > Show Bindings menu. For a listing of bindings organized by logical
function actions, see one of the following:
• DxDesigner Key Bindings - Default (DxDesigner Reference Manual)

• DxDesigner Key Bindings - Expedition Style (DxDesigner Reference Manual)

Verifying Your Design
Verifying Your Design

At any time during design creation, you can run the Design Rule Checker (DRC) to verify that
you are keeping to the project design rules. To run DRC:
1. Select Tools > Verify.

2. On the Settings tab, select the level of checking and reporting to do.
3. Optionally, on the Rules tab, make any desired changes to the way specific rules are
reported.
Related Topics
• DRC (schematic_name) Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
• Design Rule Checker Reference Information in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
Processing Your Completed Design

After you complete your design, you can do any of the following:
• Prepare a design for forward annotation by assigning reference designators using the
Packager. If the design is hierarchical, the packager flattens it. See “Packaging A
Design” on page 137.
• Create a BOM of the design. See “Generating Bills of Materials” on page 157.
• Create a cross-reference of the design. See the Cross-Referencing a Design manual.
• Archive the design and its libraries. See “Archiving Projects” on page 141
• Print or plot the design. “Printing, Plotting and Generating PDF” on page 143.
• Export the design in EDIF format. See “Exporting Schematic/Symbol File to EDIF
Schematic File” in the DxDesigner Schematic Translators manual.
• Export a Foreign Database. See “Working with Foreign Databases” on page 126.
• Create Variant Designs (Expedition workflow only). See Variant Manager User’s
Manual.
• Simulate the design. For more information, see Help > Documentation in InfoHub >
Analysis - Simulation and Signal Integrity.
• Post-process the design using scripting. See the DxDesigner Automation Reference
manual.

Chapter 5
Creating and Editing Hierarchical Designs
The following topics describe how to create and edit hierarchical designs:
• Hierarchical Designs and Design Reuse

• Creating Bottom-Up Hierarchical Designs
• Creating Top-Down Hierarchical Designs With Blocks
Hierarchical Designs and Design Reuse

Hierarchical designs provide an efficient way of using the same circuit multiple times without
re-drawing it for each use. Instead, you create a hierarchical block, and change the underlying
schematic’s properties for each instance. Thus, for each unique path through the hierarchy, you
have unique properties, making each instance unique.
Selecting a Design Methodology

You can create hierarchical designs either from the bottom up, or from the top down.
Bottom-up design lets you re-use an existing schematic by creating a top-level composite block
that represents the schematic. You then place this block multiple times on your design,
assigning unique hierarchical properties (Instance Values) to the underlying schematic for each
occurrence.
Top-down design lets you work at a more abstract level by using a “placeholder” block, in the
top level design. For example, you can divide the work between a system designer and a circuit
designer. The system designer designates I/O for a “black box” hierarchical block, for which the
circuit designer later creates the underlying schematic. When the circuit designer has created
and tested the underlying schematic, its associated “black box” block is transformed into a
composite block.
Creating Bottom-Up Hierarchical Designs

Create a bottom-up design by associating a block with an underlying schematic, and then
assigning instance values to the properties that you want to be unique for each instance of the
block.

You can choose to automatically create a block from an existing schematic, or you can
manually create a symbol to represent the underlying schematic. The final step is to add the new
block to the top-level schematic.
Requirements:
• You have already created the schematic that you want to make into a block.
• You have defined onsheet and offsheet pins in the Settings dialog, and placed them on
the schematic.
Generating a Block from a Schematic

You can generate a block from an entire schematic using the Generate Symbol tool, or by
extracting it from a portion of a schematic.
To generate a block using the Generate Symbol tool:
1. Open the schematic you want to use as the source of the symbol.
2. Select Tools > Generate Symbol.
3. Fill in the Generate Symbol dialog box as follows:
• Block Input: This field is unavailable. It specifies the name of the schematic you
currently have open.
• Symbol Output: You specify the name of the symbol. It is suggested that you use
the default for the name of the output symbol. This default is the same as the block
name. This common name creates the hierarchical association.
• Override Existing Symbol, if any - If this box is checked, a symbol with the same
name as specified in the Symbol Output field will be over-written.
If the box is unchecked, a warning message is issued if a duplicate name is found. In
this case the symbol generation is stopped.
• Open Symbol in Symbol Editor - If this box is checked, the generated symbol is
opened for editing in the Library Manager Symbol Editor.
• Advanced (button) - This button opens the Advanced Options dialog box, which
you use to set the following options:
o Symbol Properties - Use this field to add properties to the symbol that you are
creating. The syntax for this field is: name=value. Separate multiple properties
with a space.
o Symbol Property Size - set the size of the symbol attribute
o Input Pin(s) - Specify the names of inputs to the symbol. The values in this field
are used by DxDesigner as a last resort by the algorithm that searches for I/O

nets. Type the names of the input pins separated by a space. You can use the left
and right arrow keys to scroll if you have multiple name entries
o Output Pin(s) - Specify the names of outputs from the symbol.
o Pin spacing, Pin length, and Pin label size - Enter settings to override the values
you assigned in the Setup > Settings dialog box.
o Pin Sides - For each of the listed pin types, select placement values of top, left,
bottom, or right.
To extract a block:
1. Open the schematic from which you want to extract a block.

Tip: You can extract a block from a schematic at any level of hierarchy. The extracted
block will be placed one level of hierarchy below the schematic from which you extract
it.
2. Click Add > Block.
3. Drag-select the section of the schematic you want to use.
4. Enter the name of the block you are creating, and select the Extract schematic
checkbox.
5. Click OK.
Result:
• DxDesigner moves all selected objects to a new schematic, which become the
contents of the newly created block. The block appears in place of the selected
circuitry. It also appears in the navigator, and as a new tab in the Schematic Editor
window.
• If nets or busses cross the drag-select border, one of the following will happen:
o If you have defined ports in the Setup, the appropriate pins on the block, and
ports on the underlying schematic, are created and are connected automatically.
o If you have not defined ports, you must add the ports manually by selecting the
new block, clicking Tools > Push Schematic, and then, clicking Add > Missing
Ports.
Editing a Generated Block

You can edit a generated symbol whether or not it has been placed on a schematic.
To edit a generated symbol:
1. Select the symbol by doing one of the following:

• Select View > Symbols to open the Symbols window, then select the symbol you
want to edit from the [local symbols] partition.
• Within the schematic, select the generated symbol you want to edit.
2. Right-click > Edit Local Symbol. The Symbol Editor opens.
3. Use the Symbol Editor to edit the symbol. Also see the DxDesigner Symbol Editor
manual.
Moving Generated Blocks into the Central Library

1. Select View > Symbols to open the Symbols window, then select the symbol you want
to edit from the [local symbols] partition.
2. Right-click > Edit Local Symbol. The Symbol Editor opens.
3. Within in the Symbol Editor, select File > Export Symbol.
4. Browse to the Central Library partition into which you want to place the symbol.
Placing a Symbol in an Open Schematic

To place a symbol in an open schematic, perform the following steps:
1. Open the Symbols window with the View > Symbols pulldown menu item.
2. Choose a tab based on how you want to view the symbols, by part number (Parts View
tab), by symbol type (Symbol View tab), or by reuse blocks (Reuse Blocks tab).
3. You can scroll through the list of symbols or filter the list by entering a string in a field
above a column that matches the symbol you are looking for.
4. Select the symbol you want. An image of that symbol appears on the right side of the
Symbols window.
5. Choose whether or not you want nets and/or net names to appear on the symbol.
6. If you are placing reuse blocks, set the merge options and numbering options as
described in either the Placing a Logical-Only Reusable Block in a Host Design or the
Placing a Logical-Physical Reusable Block in a Host Design sections of the Reusable
Blocks Process Guide.
7. Click the Place Symbol button.
8. Place the mouse cursor in the schematic window. An outline of the symbol you are
placing appears at the cursor.
9. Click the RMB in the location where you want to place the symbol. You can click
multiple times in multiple locations to place more than one symbol.

10. Press the <Esc> key to stop the place symbol action.
To manually create a local symbol for the low-level schematic:
1. Open DxDesigner on the desired project.

2. Open the low-level Block that you will want to place on the high-level sheet.
3. Click File > New > Local Symbol.
The Symbol Editor opens.
4. Edit your symbol as needed and save it. (See “Creating a Local Symbol” on page 59 for
more details.)
You must manually add the ports to match those on the related schematic sheet.
5. Close the Symbol Editor.
This local symbol is now available in the DxDesigner Symbols window (View >
Symbols).
To add the local symbol to the top-level design:
1. In DxDesigner, display the top-level sheet where you will add the newly-created
symbol.
2. From the Symbols window (View > Symbols), find the local symbol you created and
select it.
3. Drag-and-drop the symbol to the schematic sheet.
Related Topics
• Creating a Local Symbol
• Configuring Special Components
Adding Ports to the Schematic

The following describes how to add a port to a schematic:
Requirement
You have previously configured Specialized Components. See “Configuring Special
Components” on page 55 for instructions.
Procedure
To add ports:
1. Select Add > Port or click the button.

Creating Top-Down Hierarchical Designs With Blocks
2. Select the port type from the dropdown list.

3. Move the cursor on the schematic to point where you want to port to appear and left-
click. Continue left-clicking for as many ports as you need. Right-click will stop the
port-insertion.
Creating Top-Down Hierarchical Designs With

Blocks
A block is a hierarchical symbol that contains underlying design data. A block can represent a
schematic, and Interconnect Table (ICT), or VHDL/Verilog. Once a block is placed on a
schematic sheet, you can automatically connect nets to the block, unless the block is frozen.
Related Topics
• Placing Blocks on the Top-Level Schematic
• Adding Nets and Pins to a Block
• Freezing and Unfreezing Blocks
Placing Blocks on the Top-Level Schematic

1. Select Add > Block or click the toolbar button.
2. Left-click an area of the schematic to define the starting point for the block, and then
drag the mouse to define the block area.
3. Enter the block name in the Add Block dialog box. If you do not enter a name, the block
is not added to the drawing.
4. Click OK. The block appears as a symbol shell in the design.
Notes
• You can resize a block by clicking and dragging a corner of the symbol shell.
• When you use the Add > block command, DxDesigner graphically creates an inner and
outer box for each block. The box color that you specify in Setup > Settings > Display
> Objects for the Box object determines the color of the block.
Adding Nets and Pins to a Block

1. Draw the required Nets and Busses connecting to and from the block.
2. Label each Net and Bus.
3. Drag any labeled net to the outer bounding box of the block.

Result: When the net reaches the edge of the block, a pin is automatically added to the
block, named the same as connecting net. After you save the design, DxDesigner
automatically updates the symbol shell to include the required pin labels by copying the
labels from the attached nets.
Note
Creating a block pin clears the schematic’s Undo and Redo stacks, disabling the
operation of these commands.
Deleting Block Pins

When you delete a net or bus segment that is attached to a block pin, DxDesigner automatically
deletes the block pin.
Note
Deleting a block pin clears the schematic's Undo and Redo stacks, disabling the
operation of these commands.
Freezing and Unfreezing Blocks

You freeze blocks to make them read-only. You unfreeze blocks to make them editable. When
you create a block, its state is unfrozen. When a block is frozen, nets drawn to the block do not
automatically create and attach to pins.
To Freeze a block:-
1. Select an unfrozen block

2. Right-click > Freeze
To Unfreeze a block:
1. Select a frozen block

2. Right-click > Unfreeze
Related Topics:
• Adding Nets and Pins to a Block


Chapter 6
Exchanging Data with Other Tools
Once you have finished your design, you may want to post-process it for use in other tools.
Figure 6-1 shows the possible flow of data between DxDesigner and other tools when you have
created a project using the Expedition workflow.
Figure 6-2 shows the dataflow possibilities when you have created a project using the Netlist
workflow.
For more information on the Expedition and Netlist workflow types, see the topic titled “The
DxDesigner Workflows” on page 14.
The remainder of this section is divided into the following topics:
• Exchanging Data Within Expedition Workflow

• Exchanging Data Within Netlist Workflow
• Exporting a Quick Connection View
• Using LineSimLink to Interface with HyperLynx
• Exporting to HyperLynx with LineSimLink
• Importing from HyperLynx with LineSimLink
• Packaging A Design

Figure 6-1. Possible Dataflows Using the Expedition Workflow
DxDesigner Expedition PCB

iCDB
Export
DxDesigner iCDB Foreign Expedition PCB
Import Database
DxDesigner Export Tool

iCDB
Windows Metafile
HPGL
PDF
EDIF Netlist
EDIF Schematic
VHDL Netlist
Verilog Netlist
Analog Netlist
Quick Connection View
DxDesigner Import Tool

iCDB
EDIF Netlist
EDIF Schematic

Exchanging Data Within Expedition Workflow
Figure 6-2. Possible Dataflows Using the Netlist Workflow
PCB Interface
DxDesigner Layout Tools

iCDB

Import Database
DxDesigner Export Tool

iCDB
Windows Metafile
HPGL
PDF
EDIF Netlist
EDIF Schematic
VHDL Netlist
Verilog Netlist
Analog Netlist
Quick Connection View
DxDesigner Import Tool

iCDB
EDIF Netlist
EDIF Schematic

When using the Expedition workflow, DxDesigner is tightly integrated with Expedition PCB
for forward and back annotation (as shown below) along with other tools, such as the Library
Manager and the Constraint Editor System. This assumes that all tools are on the same network.
DxDesigner Expedition PCB

iCDB

If the Expedition PCB layout design process is to occur at a remote location, you can detach the
PCB design process from the main schematic design project by using the File > Export >
Foreign Database feature (shown below). This enables you to create a design database that you
can ship to a remote site.
Using the File > Import > Foreign Database feature allows you to import changes made in
layout back to the schematic. For more information, see “Working with Foreign Databases”.
Export
Import Database
Also See
• iCDB (integrated Common Database) Administration in the DxDesigner
Administrator’s Guide
• Expedition PCB User’s Guide
Working with Foreign Databases

A standalone DxDesigner database known as a “Foreign Database” is created from a
DxDesigner project by exporting the connectivity and constraint data along with a dedicated
project file (File > Export > Foreign Database). During the export process the schematic is
packaged and the Reference Designators and Pin numbers are annotated onto the schematics so
they are ready to enter the PCB design. See “Exporting a Foreign Database from DxDesigner -
Example”.
The Expedition Job Management Wizard is used to create the PCB design from the foreign
database and the project file in the remote location, but must use the same Central Library as the
main DxDesigner project. During the PCB design process, Expedition modifies connectivity
data in the form of “Reference Designator” and “Pin Number” changes along with modifying
constraint data. These modifications may be back-annotated to the design project utilizing the
DxDesigner File > Import > Foreign Database utility. (See “Importing a Foreign Database
from DxDesigner - Example”.
Further changes at the DxDesigner front end may be re-exported with over-write to update the
Expedition PCB, keeping the project synchronized.
Exporting a Foreign Database from DxDesigner - Example

To export a foreign database for layout:
1. From DxDesigner select the File > Export > Foreign Database menu item.
You are prompted for the target location for the Foreign Database.

2. Specify the location for the Foreign Database.

A DxDesigner dialog confirms that the database Export has been successful.
DxDesigner successfully exports the Foreign Database plus a separate project file to be
used purely for layout purposes.
3. Launch Expedition PCB and use the File > New > Project menu or bring up the
Expedition Job Management Wizard. For more information on using Expedition PCB,
see the Expedition PCB User’s Guide.
Note: The central library, as used on the main design project, is referenced by the PCB
Job Management Wizard.
4. After completing the Job Management Wizard invoke Expedition and choose the Setup
> Project Integration > Forward Annotation menu item.
5. Click the Forward Annotation button.
The PCB design process continues with place and route of the board.
6. The following example shows an edit to the Max Vias Constraint on 3 nets and also
renumbering the Reference Designator of the Crystal Oscillator from XL1 to XTAL1.
7. Save and Exit Expedition PCB.

Importing a Foreign Database from DxDesigner - Example

To update the DxDesigner project with the new annotations and constraint data the user needs
to Import the Foreign Database into DxDesigner as follows:
1. In DxDesigner, choose the File > Import > Foreign Database menu item.
You are prompted for the Foreign Database location.
2. Select the desired database. A message box appears indicating that the import has been
successful.
3. Using the previous example in “Exporting a Foreign Database from DxDesigner -
Example”, step 6 when a change was made to the Crystal Oscillator: After importing
this particular design, the Reference Designator for the Crystal Oscillator is back-
annotated to the lower-level schematic as follows:
Also, the Max Vias Constraint values that were added onto the three nets in Layout have
been synchronized in the Front-End design database.

Changing Schematic and Re-Export - Example

1. To continue with the previous example, a 47 ohm resistor is added and connected from
the FREEZE net to VCC as shown below:
2. From DxDesigner select the File > Export > Foreign Database menu item.
You are prompted for the target location for the Foreign Database.
3. Specify the same location for the Foreign Database as before.
A DxDesigner dialog asks if you want to overwrite the old database.
4. Answer Yes. The design is incrementally packaged and Reference Designator R9 is
annotated onto the lower level schematic as shown below:
5. This change must now be integrated back into Expedition PCB using the same process
as described in “Exporting a Foreign Database from DxDesigner - Example”.

Exchanging Data Within Netlist Workflow
Exchanging Data Within Netlist Workflow

Within a Netlist workflow, the primary method of exchanging data with a layout tool, including
Expedition PCB, is to use the PCB Interface (Tools > PCB Interface) as shown in the
following figure:
PCB Interface
DxDesigner Layout Tools

iCDB
Also See
• iCDB (integrated Common Database) Administration in the DxDesigner
Administrator’s Guide
• PCB Interfaces User’s Guide
Exporting a Quick Connection View

The File > Export > Quick Connection View option is a way to create a generic netlist that
you can use to visually debug board connectivity or easily check other connections such as
power supply (generally global nets) connections.
Quick Connection View works on packaged and un-packaged designs. If no Ref Des is
available, the Id is used instead.
DxDesigner saves the Quick Connection View generic netlist in a file that you specify, and it
displays the results in a Quick Connection View tab.
The following topics describe what you can do with the Quick Connection View:
• Cross-Probing from Quick Connection View Tab

• Configuring the Quick Connection View Output
• Interpreting the Netlist Output
Cross-Probing from Quick Connection View Tab

Figure 6-3 shows an example of a Quick Connection View tab that is used to cross-probe a
selected net with the Navigator window and the Schematic window.

Figure 6-3. Quick Connection View Cross-Probing Example
Configuring the Quick Connection View Output

When you execute File > Export > Quick Connection View, the related dialog box appears.
From the dialog box you can set the following:
• Top Level Block - define the top level block that you want to netlist
• Output File - define where you will store the .txt output

• Single Line Per Net - If set, configures the output to put all large nets on one line. If
unset, configures the output to break large nets into separate lines as shown in the
following example:
(unset)
NET : '/RLDRAM1/GND' GND-B C206-2 C46-2 C209-2 C210-2 C211-2
NET : '/RLDRAM1/GND' C49-2 C52-2 C53-2 U32-A2 U32-A4 U32-A9 U32-B4
(The /RLDRAM1/GND nets are listed on multiple lines)
(set)
NET : '/RLDRAM1/GND' GND-B C206-2 C46-2 C209-2 C210-2 C211-2 C49-2 ...
(all /RLDRAM1/GND nets are listed on one, possibly long, line)
Separate No/Single Pin Nets - If set, configures the output to list the No/Single Pin nets
in a separate section of the netlist as noted by the following entry:
# begin one pin nets list
• Display Un-connected Pins - If set, configures the output to list the un-connected pins
in a separate section of the netlist as noted by the following entry:
# begin un-connected pins list
• Exclude Special Components - If set, configures the output netlist to omit connections
to Special Components as defined in Setup > Settings > Project (section) > Special
Components, which are typically power, ground, hierarchical ports and sheet
connectors that have no part number associated with the symbols.
• Flat mode - If set, the output netlist displays the FlatNet name above each group of
related nets as shown in the following example (Single Line Per Net is also set in this
example):
(set)
FlatNet: PAR
NET : '/MICRO1/PAR' AMD_8111_TO_HUB1-PAR PCI_CONN1-PAR
NET : '/MICRO1/PCI_CONN1/PAR' PAR-B1 J_PCI-A43
NET : '/MICRO1/AMD_8111_TO_HUB1/PAR' PAR-B1 U29-AF6
(unset)
The three '/MICRO1/... net lines are listed without the FlatNet line preceding them.

Interpreting the Netlist Output

The Quick Connection View netlist is divided into fields separated with a separator (a space in
these examples) as follows (also see Figure 6-4):
FIELD1[separator]FIELD2[separator]FIELD3[separator]FIELD4[separator]
FIELD1 - Is a keyword to identify the type of net as either:

o NET
o PIN
FIELD2 - Is the colon character (“:”)
FIELD3 - Shows the hierarchical net name in between single quotes
FIELD4 - Shows the net connections to all pins
Figure 6-4. Quick Connection View Netlist Example 1
FIELD1 [separator] FIELD2 [separator] FIELD3 [separator] FIELD4

NET : ‘/SN1_off’ $1I1-4 $1I22-01
FIELD1 [separator] FIELD2 [separator] FIELD3 [separator] FIELD4

NET : ‘/SN2_off’ $1I1-22 $1I1-11 $1I23-01
(only one level of hierarchy

is shown here)

Using LineSimLink to Interface with HyperLynx

Use the LineSimLink to export to HyperLynx for signal integrity simulation, or to import any
new data from HyperLynx. You can use the link to do any of the following:
• Automate net schematic creation

• Determine if topology constraints are needed for PCB layout
• Determine if min/max delay or length constraints are needed
• Determine if additional termination parts are needed
• Plan the board stackup
• Update and retain signal integrity model assignments
• Easily re-run simulations with any updated stackup and termination properties
Restriction: The results from LineSim simulation are not suitable for direct interpretation for
constraint synthesis; you will need to enter any derived constraint data manually into
DxDesigner.
The following topics describe how to export to, and import from HyperLynx with LineSimLink:
• Exporting to HyperLynx with LineSimLink

• Importing from HyperLynx with LineSimLink
Exporting to HyperLynx with LineSimLink

To export to HyperLynx, do the following:
1. Select Tools > LineSimLink to open the LineSimLink dialog box.

2. In the DxDesigner schematic, select the nets you want to export.
3. Click Load Data from DxDesigner to populate the fields on the dialog box.
4. To exclude interconnections when exporting, click Parts only schematic. Otherwise
click Complete schematic.
5. If you want to change the default layer, typically the first metal layer, select the one you
want from the Layer list.
6. If you want to change the default length and width, type the value you want in the box.
7. To add a passive prefix, find the correct type in the Passive Prefixes list and type the
prefix in the corresponding box.
Tips:

• Prefixes are separated in each list by a comma, a space, or a semicolon.

• You can remove a prefix from the list as well; just highlight it and press delete.
8. To add a supply net, scroll to the bottom of the Supply Nets list, click twice, slowly, in
the Net box, and type the name of the net. Type the voltage value in the Voltage box.
9. Select or browse for the filename to which you want to export.
10. Verify that the correct nets are being exported, the pins are in the correct order, and the
direction of all bidirectional pins are correct on the Schematic Topology tab.
11. Click Export to HyperLynx. The .ffs file is generated and if HyperLynx is installed on
your system, it opens with the new file loaded.
12. Click Close to close the dialog box.
Related Topic
• LineSimLink Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
Importing from HyperLynx with LineSimLink

To import from HyperLynx, do the following:
1. Select Tools > LineSimLink to open the LineSimLink dialog box.

2. In the DxDesigner schematic, select the nets you want to export.
3. Click Load Data from DxDesigner to populate the fields on the dialog box.
4. Select or browse for the filename from which you want to import.
5. Click Import from HyperLynx. DxDesigner compares the imported data with the
schematic that is currently loading, and opens the Merge Differences dialog box.
6. To view the stackup and trace changes, click Show stackup and trace changes. The
dialog box expands.
7. Verify the current topology against the imported topology. Select any changed nets,
listed in green, to view the pin properties and values that have changed. Click Accept if
the changes are what you expected. Click Deny to reject all of the imported data.
8. If you accepted the import data, you can then change the order or direction of an
imported pin, if necessary, on the Schematic Topology tab.
9. Click Close to close the dialog box.
The remainder of this topic describes the following:
• Excluding a Net from Export

• Changing the Order of Pins

• Changing the Direction of a Pin

Also see
• LineSimLink Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual
Excluding a Net from Export

To exclude a net from being exported to HyperLynx, do the following:
1. Click the Schematic Topology tab.

2. If you want to automatically zoom to a net in the schematic when you select one in the
Schematic Topology list, click the Zoom check box.
3. Select the net you want to exclude and click Exclude Net. The net is crossed out in red
in the list.
Tip: To include an excluded net, select the excluded net from the list and click the Include Net
button. This button dynamically changes to reflect whether the net is included or excluded.
Changing the Order of Pins

You can change the order of pins only.
To change the order of pins, do the following:

3. Select the net that contains the pins you want to change and drill down until you find
them.
4. Select the pin you want to move and click the up or down arrow depending on which
way you want to move it.
Changing the Direction of a Pin

You can change the direction of bidirectional pins only.
To change the direction of a pin, do the following:

3. Select the net that contains the bidirectional pin and drill down until you find it.

Packaging A Design
4. With the bidirectional pin selected, click the Change direction button.
Packaging A Design
The packager prepares for forward annotation, mapping each component in the logical
schematic to a physical part by assigning reference designators. If the design is hierarchical, the
packager flattens it.
Although a design is packaged automatically when you forward annotate, you can also package
it manually. This is useful when you are not finished with a design, but want to confirm that
Reference Designators will be handled correctly when the design is forward annotated.
Refraining from forward annotation also saves time.You can increase time savings by
restricting the behavior, optimization algorithm, and scope of the packager, using the Packager
dialog box.
To package a design:
1. Click Tools > Package. The Packager dialog box appears

2. Configure the Packager dialog box settings (or run with default settings).
See also
• Packager Dialog in the DxDesigner Reference Manual

Packaging A Design

Chapter 7
Verifying the Schematic with the Design
Rule Checker
You verify schematics using the Design Rule Checker, (DRC). The DRC is an event driven tool
that you use to locate electrical rule violations in your design. You can configure the DRC for
your design environment.
For more information on the Design Rule Checker options, see the topic “DRC
(schematic_name) Dialog” in the DxDesigner Reference Manual. For information on
configuring custom defaults for the DRC dialog, see the topic Design Rule Checker (DRC)
Defaults File in the DxDesigner Reference Manual.
To start the DRC:
• Select Tools > Verify or click the toolbar button.
Configuring the DRC

• You configure the DRC using the DRC dialog box.
To specify how the schematic is parsed and how the results are reported:
1. In the Settings tab, select the appropriate Check option to specify what DRC will run on.
2. Chose the desired Level Property to limit how far DRC descends into the hierarchy.
3. If you want the resulting report to show hierachical paths, click the box under the Report
section.
To configure the check rules:
1. Click the Rules tab.

2. Select the desired rule checks:
• If you select a group by clicking the checkbox, all the related rules are selected.
• If you do not want all the rules in a Group, just select the checkbox for the rule(s)
you want.
3. If a rule specifies a value, you can edit it by clicking in the Values column for that rule
and changing it.

Verifying the Schematic with the Design Rule Checker
4. If you want to change the severity of a rule, click in the Severity column for the rule and
use the pulldown box to make the change.
Tip: You can reset either tab by clicking the Defaults button. The Rules tab will revert to
the defaults stored in the
\<mgc_home>\<release>\SDD_HOME\standard\NetlistVerifyDefaults.ini file for an
Netlist workflow design or
\<mgc_home>\<release>\SDD_HOME\standard\VerifyDefaults.ini file for an
Expedition workflow design.
To check the design:
• When you have finished configuring the DRC, click OK.

Result: The report, in the format you specified on the Settings tab, appears in the Output
window. Any settings you changed in the Rules tab gets saved in the NetlistVerify.ini
file in your project directory.

Chapter 8
Archiving Projects
The Archiver is a project management utility that collects and stores schematics, symbols, and
other data associated with a specific design or project in DxDesigner. It provides a self-
contained design that is ready to be checked in to DMS or other data management tools. You
run the Archiver from a Wizard, where you select such options as what files to archive, and the
location and format of the output. For more information, see Archiver Wizard in the
DxDesigner Reference Manual.
To archive your design, perform the following steps:
1. Open the Archive wizard with the Tools > Archiver pulldown menu item.
2. In the Options screen, select the project you want to archive and the target directory for
the output.
3. If you want the output compressed, click the Compress using zip format check box.
4. If you want all the sheets saved in pdf format, click the Create pdf check box.
5. Click Next.
6. Enter any additional files you want to include in the archive.
7. Click Finish.
The Archiver produces the archive file in the format and location you specified. It also reports
results to a log file in the standard directory, and to the Results screen.
To work on an archived project, simply open the archived .prj file in DxDesigner,
uncompressing first if necessary.

Archiving Projects

Chapter 8
Printing, Plotting and Generating PDF
The following topics contain information on how to print and plot schematic sheets or symbol
representations from DxDesigner, and how to create a PDF of your design.
• Printing in Windows • Plotting in Windows

• Paper Tray Selection in UNIX • Plotting in UNIX
• Printing in UNIX • Generating a PDF of Your Design
Printing in Windows
The following topics describe how to print from Windows:
• Setup for Windows

• Printing the Current Sheet
Setup for Windows

Before you can print from the Windows version of DxDesigner for the first time, you must do
the following:
• Connect the printer to the computer or network.

• Install a printer driver on the computer you are using.
• Add the printer to the computer you are using.
If you have not completed these tasks, please do so before attempting to print your schematic or
symbol.
You can print the active window or a specified schematic sheet using the Window and Sheet
options in the Print dialog box. You can also print an entire design using the File > Print Project
option. As a special case, you can send your output to an HPGL file.
Because colors that are easy to work with during a DxDesigner session are not always the best
colors to use for printing, DxDesigner allows you to define a viewing color and a printing color
for each object. Refer to “Changing Object Colors” on page 46 for information about defining
colors for graphical objects, components, text, and annotation objects.

Paper Tray Selection in UNIX
Windows Environment Variables

To print from Windows, you use the following environment variables:
• WDIR (Required)
• HPGL_WIDTH_SCALE (Optional—used for HPGL output)
• HPGL_HEIGHT_SCALE (Optional—used for HPGL output)
Using WDIR
• WDIR is a required environment variable.
• You specify WDIR during your DxDesigner installation.
Using HPGL_WIDTH_SCALE and HPGL_HEIGHT_SCALE

If you are sending your output to HPGL, you can use the HPGL_WIDTH_SCALE and
HPGL_HEIGHT_SCALE variables to scale the fonts in the HPGL plot file. The values you
give to the variables are floating point numbers and are used as scaling constants.
• A value greater than 1 increases the font size.

• A value less than 1 reduces the font size.
Printing the Current Sheet

1. Choose File > Print from the main menu of DxDesigner.
2. Fill in the appropriate fields in the Print dialog box.
3. Click OK.
For more information about Print dialog box options, click the Help button on the dialog box.
Tip: If you want to use default print settings, click the toolbar button.
Paper Tray Selection in UNIX

DxDesigner’s plotting and printing functionality on UNIX does not let you select a specific
printer input paper tray. It is suggested that you create a plot file for each page of your design or
symbol of your design and then use the standard UNIX print commands (for example, lp) with
the appropriate vendor-specific option switches to target the print job to the desired input paper
tray of your printer.

Printing in UNIX
To print a file to an HP LaserJet 5Si printer from an input tray containing 11x17 plain
paper, enter the following:
lp -d<printer_name> -omtypePlain -o11x17 <filename>
Where <printer_name> represents the name of the printer as recognized by the UNIX
system, and <filename> represents the name of the plot file created within DxDesigner
through File >Plot or File >Plot Project...
Note
Please contact the vendor of your printer for further details on how to target the desired
input paper tray of your printer.
To configure DxDesigner to plot to a file:
1. On the Windows command line, type

plotsetup
2. Select the desired device file for your printer (for example, ps.des for generic
postscript).
3. Select the File Output Option.
4. If you are plotting only a single schematic sheet or symbol, enter the filename you want
to send the output to. Otherwise, DxDesigner will automatically generate names for the
plot files based on the file names of the schematics or symbols, in addition to other
factors.
Configuring parameters in the Plot Setup... utility only affect the Plot features of DxDesigner
Printing in UNIX
The following topics describe how to print from UNIX:
• Setup for UNIX

• Print the Current Sheet
Setup for UNIX

To set up a printer in UNIX:
1. Double-click Toolboxes and then Service & Documentation Center. This displays the
Control Panel dialog box.
2. Double-click Printers. This displays the Printers dialog box.
3. Double-click Add New Printer. This displays the Add Printer wizard.

Plotting in Windows
4. In the Add Printer wizard, do the following to define the settings for your printer:
a. Click Next to start the wizard.
b. In the Unix Printer field, type the network name of your printer or select the name
from the list below. Click Next.
c. In the Print Command field, change the UNIX command listed for printing (if
necessary). If the default command in this field is correct, click Next.
d. In the Printer Name field, type a more descriptive name for the printer (such as HP
LaserJet), which will be displayed when you print from DxDesigner. In the Printer
Description field, you can type even more information about this printer (such as
Engineering Laser Printer - 3rd floor). Click Next.
e. Review the information displayed and do one of the following:
• Click Back to return to a previous wizard screen and make changes.
• Click Finish to apply your printer settings.
Print the Current Sheet

1. Choose File > Print from the main menu of DxDesigner.
2. Fill in the appropriate fields in the Print dialog box.
3. Click OK.
Plotting in Windows
To plot the current sheet, perform the following steps:
1. Configure a Basic Plot

2. Export the Design to Metafile Format
3. Spool the Plot
Configure a Basic Plot

You can create a basic plot using the plotter’s default parameters, or customize your plot by
configuring additional parameters.
Perform the following required tasks to plot the current sheet using the plotter’s default
parameters:
1. Open the Plotting worksheet

2. Select the plotter device.

Plotting in Windows
3. Select the size.

4. Select the view of the design that you will plot.
To open the plotting worksheet and select the plotter device:
1. From the command prompt, type plotsetup. This opens the plotting worksheet.
2. In the Devices box, select the device that matches your plotter.
To select the paper size:
• Click either a US or Metric Paper size.

The contents of the X> and Y> boxes will reflect the size you have chosen.
Tip: You use the Plot Options worksheet to specify ZSIZE parameters or to define
additional custom paper sizes.
To plot a full or zoomed view of the sheet:
1. In the Extents section, select an option as follows:

• To plot the entire sheet, regardless of whether you are zoomed in when you initiate
plotting, click Full Sheet.
• To plot section of the sheet you are zoomed in to when you initiate plotting, click
Zoomed View.
To complete the basic configuration:
• Click OK to close the plotting worksheet and save the parameters you have set.
Export the Design to Metafile Format

You export the design to a metafile format before you spool it to a plotter.
To export the design:
1. Open the design you want to plot.

2. Choose File > Export > Powerview Metafile from the main menu.
3. In the Save As dialog box, enter the path and name you want to save to.
The default extension for the exported metafile is.met.

Plotting in UNIX
Spool the Plot

From a Windows DOS shell, type the following at the command prompt:
splplt –p <path><filename.met>
The file is plotted on the device you specified when you configured the plot.
Plotting in UNIX
The following topics describe plotting operations in UNIX:
• Plotting Setup in UNIX

• Plotting in UNIX Using Default Settings
• Plotting in UNIX Using Custom Settings
Plotting Setup in UNIX

Before you can plot a sheet, you must set up your environment. During installation, DxDesigner
creates the following directory:
<install_directory>/standard/devdes
and populates this directory with .des (description) files for commonly used plotters. These
description files are included on the installation CD. You can add plotters by copying their .des
files to this directory.
To plot from UNIX, you use the following environment variables:
• WDIR (Required)
• SYSPLT (Required)
• HPGL_WIDTH_SCALE (Optional—used for HPGL output)
• HPGL_HEIGHT_SCALE (Optional—used for HPGL output)
Using WDIR and SYSPLT

• WDIR and SYSPLT are required environment variables on UNIX.
• You specify WDIR during your DxDesigner installation.
• You must manually specify SYSPLT by adding it to your .cshrc file. You can define
SYSPLT as any writable directory. DxDesigner uses this directory to store temporary
plotting files.

Plotting in UNIX
Using HPGL_WIDTH_SCALE and HPGL_HEIGHT_SCALE -

Plotting
If you are sending your output to HPGL, you can use the HPGL_WIDTH_SCALE and
HPGL_HEIGHT_SCALE variables to scale the fonts in the HPGL plot file. The values you
give to the variables are floating point numbers and are used as scaling constants.
• A value greater than 1 increases the font size.

• A value less than 1 reduces the font size.
Plotting in UNIX Using Default Settings

Note
This procedure can only be used on UNIX. For information on plotting a design on the
PC, refer to “Plotting in Windows” on page 146.
Note
To plot a design using default settings, you must first select a default device. You only
need to do this once unless you want to change the default device.
Basic Plotting in UNIX

To use the plotter’s default settings, perform the following required tasks:
• Open the Plotting Worksheet dialog box.

• Select the plotter device.
• Select the paper size.
• Select the output device.
• Select the view of the design that you will plot.
To open the Plotting Worksheet and select a plotting device:
1. Choose File > Plot Setup from the main menu. This displays the Plotting Worksheet
dialog box.
2. In the Devices list, select the device that matches your plotter.
Select the paper size:
• Under Paper Sizes, select either US or Metric.

The values in the X> and Y> fields indicate the size you have selected.

Plotting in UNIX
You use the Plot Options worksheet to specify ZSIZE parameters or to define additional custom
paper sizes.
Select the output destination:
Under Output, select one of the following:
• FILE — In the Output field, type the name of the plot file you want to create. If you do
not enter a filename, the filename will default to the current sheet.
• SPOOL — Select this to spool the plot to a specified plotter.
• Port... — From the popup menu, select an available port (such as /dev/ttya).
Select the view:
You can plot a full or zoomed view of the sheet.
• To plot the entire sheet, regardless of whether you are zoomed in when you initiate
plotting, click Full Sheet.
• To plot the section of the sheet at the current zoom setting, click Zoomed View.
Complete the configuration:
• Click OK to close the Plotting Worksheet and save your settings.
Plotting in UNIX Using Custom Settings

You can define customize settings for your plot from the following dialog boxes, which you can
display from the Plotting Worksheet:
• Plot Options (click OPTIONS...)

• Plot Graphics (click Graphics...)
Plot Options Dialog Box

The Plot Options dialog box provides the following customizations:
• Specifying paper size for ZSIZE.

• Creating and specifying new custom paper sizes.
• Sending control strings to your plotter.
• Selecting a directory to hold your FILE output.
To specify ZSIZE Paper Size:
1. In the Paper Size area of the Plotting Worksheet, click the ZSIZE button.

Plotting in UNIX
2. Click Options to open the Plot Options worksheet.

3. Fill in the boxes in the DEFINE ALTERNATE PAPER SIZE area.
• The Name: box displays ZSIZE. Do not change this box. If you want to create a
custom paper size with a new name, click here for instructions.
• In the Range: boxes, enter the length (X>) and width (Y>) of the paper in inches or
millimeters.
• In the Margins: boxes enter the Left>, Right>, Top> and Bottom> margins in inches
or millimeters.
To create a new custom paper size and define its measurements:
1. From the Plotting Worksheet, select any US or Metric paper size, depending on the type
units you want to use.
Note: It does not matter which size you select. You select a size to tell Plot Setup
whether to add a sheet using US or Metric units.
3. Fill in the boxes in the DEFINE ALTERNATE PAPER SIZE area.
4. In the Name: box, enter the name of the new custom paper size.
5. In the Range: boxes, enter the length (X>) and width (Y>) of the paper in inches or
millimeters.
6. In the Margins: boxes enter the Left>, Right>, Top> and Bottom> margins in inches or
millimeters.
The new paper size is added as a selection in the Paper Sizes section of the Plotting
Worksheet. It will be added to the US or Metric size list depending on which units you
selected in step 1.
To place a string at the beginning or end of your plot output:
You can place control strings at the beginning or end of your plot file. You can also send control
form feed behavior of the plotter by enabling an automatic control string.
1. From the Plotting Worksheet, click Options to open the Plot Options worksheet.
2. Enter the string you wish to prepend in the Init String> box. You can leave the box
blank.
3. Enter the string you wish to append in the Term. String> box. You can leave the box
blank.
To specify a Form Feed:
• Select Feed On to enable form feed or deselect Feed On to disable form feed.

Plotting in UNIX
If you select Feed On, DxDesigner will place a form feed control string before each plot.
To select a directory for your file output:
You can select a directory to hold your File output when you are not sending your output
directly to the printer:
1. In the Output area of the Plotting worksheet, click FILE.

2. In the Output> box, enter the name you want to use for the output file. Do not enter a
path.
4. In the Out Directory> box, enter the full path to the directory where you want to store
the output file. Do not enter the output filename.
Note
If you do not enter a directory, your file will be placed in the current project directory.
Plot Graphics Dialog Box

The Plot Graphics dialog box allows you to do the following customizations:
• To specify a font: • To enable automatic rotation for best fit:

• To specify scaling constants: • To partition an image:
• To specify a fit rectangle: • To set line width:
• To set the plot origin: • To select device rendering:
• To specify a rotation:
Your plotter may not support all of these options.
To specify a font:
You can specify a font for the text on your plot if font rendering is supported for your plotter.
1. From the Plotting Worksheet, click Graphics to open the Plot Graphics worksheet.
2. In the font area, select the font you want to use.
3. Click Device Text to enable font rendering.

Plotting in UNIX
To specify scaling constants:
2. Enter a scaling multiplier in the Scale X> and Scale Y> boxes. To reduce the size of the
plot, enter a decimal number between zero and one.
The plotting image is multiplied by the scaling constants you have specified.
To specify a fit rectangle:
2. Enter the X> and Y> measurements of the fit rectangle. If you have selected US paper
size, units are inches. If you have selected Metric paper size, units are millimeters.
The plotting image is scaled to fit the rectangle by stretching or compressing it along the
X- and/or Y-axis.
To set the plot origin:
You can set the location of the lower left corner of the plot (plot origin) relative to the lower left
corner of the paper as follows:
2. Select Enable Corner.
3. In the boxes to the right of Enable Corner, specify the offset of the X> and Y> positions
from the corner of the paper. If you have selected US paper size, units are inches. If you
have selected Metric paper size, units are millimeters.
To specify a rotation:
2. In the Plot Expansion area, select ALIGN.
3. In the Rotation area of the worksheet, select a rotation amount. You can rotate the plot
on the paper by 0, 90, 180, or 270 degrees. The plot will rotate counterclockwise.
To enable automatic rotation for best fit:
2. In the Plot Expansion area, select BESTFIT.

Plotting in UNIX
To partition an image:
You can partition an image so that it can plot onto several smaller-sized sheets. Tiling works
only with plotters that support form feed.
2. Select Enable Tile.
3. In the boxes to the right of Enable Tile, specify the number of Rows and Columns into
which you want to partition the image.
4. Select a Tiled Output size to specify the size of the sheet your plot will be printed on.
If you select ZSIZE, a dialog opens to allow you to specify the ZSIZE dimensions for the tiling
output. When you disable tiling, the system returns the ZSIZE dimensions to those you have
previously specified.
Example 1: Tile one D-size sheet onto two C-size sheets
A D-size sheet measures 22 by 34. A C-size sheet measures 22 by 17. To tile a design
that was created on a D-size sheet into two C-size sheets, you would specify 2 rows and
1 column.
Example 2: Tile one D-size sheet onto four B-size sheets
A D-size sheet measures 22 by 34. A B-size sheet measures 11 by 17. To tile a design
that was created on a D-size sheet into four B-size sheets, you would specify 2 rows by 2
columns.
To set line width:
If you are plotting to a PostScript plotter, you can set a line width for graphics. You specify line
width in device units.
2. Drag the Line Width slide to the right for a thicker line or to the left for a thinner line.
The line width you have specified is displayed in the box to the left of the slide.
Select Device Rendering

If your plotter supports it, you can select a method to render objects. You make your selection to
optimize for display resolution or speed. You can select rendering for Text, Arc, Circle and/or
Box, depending on your plotter. Any unsupported rendering will be unavailable.
Select Device to render the object directly by the output device. This improves speed, but may
degrade resolution.

Generating a PDF of Your Design
Deselect Device to render the object using an internal algorithm. This produces WYSIWYG
resolution, but degrades speed.
To select device rendering:
2. Select Device Text, Device Arc, Device Circle and/or Device Box to enable rendering
for that object.

You use DxPDF to read a DxDesigner schematic, generate a hierarchical representation of the
schematic design, and then save the design as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. During this process,
DxPDF preserves the hierarchy of the design and cross references the nets.
You can distribute the generated PDF design to other design team members. You can also use
DxPDF in conjunction with enterprise wide data management systems to store and distribute
schematic design data.
For more information on DxPDF setup and options, see DxPDF Dialog in the DxDesigner
Reference Manual.
To generate a PDF file Using the DxPDF Graphical User Interface:
1. Select File > Export > PDF.

2. Fill in the General, Advanced, and Fonts tabs. See the “DxPDF Dialog” topic in the
DxDesigner Reference Manual for details.
3. Click Run.
Result: DxPDF displays information about the status of the PDF file it generates in the
Output window. You can use this information to diagnose any problems that occur
during the conversion process. If you selected the Start Acrobat Reader check box,
DxPDF displays the design in Adobe Acrobat. You can search for any text that is visible
on the schematic. If you cleared the Start Acrobat Reader check box, DxPDF generates a
PDF file and saves it in the folder where the DxDesigner project is located.


Chapter 9
Generating Bills of Materials
The following topics provide information on using the Part Lister to generate bills of materials:
• General Part Lister Information and Operation

• Using Part Lister from the DxDesigner Window
• Using Part Lister from the Command Line
• Output File Format
General Part Lister Information and Operation

The Part Lister reads schematic databases to extract component property information for
generating data files of user-defined format and content. The property data you extract can be
any user- or Mentor Graphics-defined symbol (unattached) property. Using the dialog box
options or settings in the icdbpartslister.ipl file, you can easily specify the resulting file format.
For specific information on the icdbpartslister.ipl file, refer to Part Lister Initialization File topic
in the DxDesigner Reference Manual.
Why Use Part Lister?

You can use the Part Lister to generate reports such as the following:
• Parts lists
• Cost estimate summaries
• Printed circuit board area requirements
• MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) reports
• Bill of materials
To access and configure the Part Lister, use the DxDesigner pulldown menu Tools > Part
Lister to bring up the Part Lister dialog box.
Default settings for the Part Lister are stored in a file called
$SDD_HOME\standard\icdbPartsLister.ipl.
You can save customized settings with the Part Lister dialog > File > Save As command.

Using Part Lister from the DxDesigner Window
Note
To avoid accidentally overwriting your default icdbPartsLister.ipl file, you should always
save your customized settings with the Part Lister dialog > File > Save As command,
before you click Run.
You can use your saved settings by using the Part Lister dialog > File > Open command and
navigating to the desired .ipl file. If desired, you could also modify a .ipl with an editor prior to
opening it with Part Lister.
Using Part Lister from the DxDesigner Window

To invoke Part Lister from DxDesigner, select Tools > Part Lister from the menu bar. The Part
Lister dialog opens in a separate window.
The Part Lister dialog has three tabs:
• Settings
• Page
• Columns
From the Settings tab, you set the path to the project and block, and choose the type of output
you want.
From the Page tab, you select the page size, margins, headers, and spacing.
From the Columns tab, you set up the spreadsheet columns for your output, and define the items
and labels for the columns.
For specific information on the Part Lister GUI, refer to Part Lister Dialog topic in the
DxDesigner Reference Manual
Using Part Lister from the Command Line

You invoke Part Lister from the command line by typing:
icdbpartslister.exe [-o path][-i path]...[-b name][-d path][--]

[--version][-h]
Where:
• -o path, --output path — The output file path

• -i path, --config path — The configuration file path. You can enter multiple
configuration file paths.

Output File Format
• -b name, --block name — The block name.

• -d path, --projectpath path — The path to the project file.
• --, --ignore_rest — Ignore any labeled arguments following this flag.
• --version — Display version information and exit.
• -h, -help — Display usage information and exit.
Output File Format

The way the output file appears is dependent on two things: the design, and the initialization
file. The design is the data source, and the initialization file dictates what data will appear and
how it will appear in the output file.
As an example, below is an output file generated for a simple mixed signal design:
test Wednesday, September 29, 1993 11:41 am Page 1
TEST_CIRCUIT
REVISION_HISTORY:
REV0
REV1
# QTY REF DESC TOLR WATT VALUE

--------------------------------------------------
1 1 C1 100UF
2 1 R1 2% .1W 10K
3 3 U1,U3,U4 14PDIP
4 1 U2 16PDIP
-----
6.0
In this example, the initialization file specified the column labels, retrieved the values of the
properties associated with the labels, and put these values in columns defined in the
initialization file. For specific information on the output file, refer to Part Lister - Settings Tab
topic in the DxDesigner Reference Manual.

Output File Format

Appendix A
Troubleshooting Your Environment
DxDesigner Diagnostics let you troubleshoot your working environment by displaying

information on the following:
• Your Host ID (PC only)

• The value of LM_LICENSE_FILE, your licensing environment variable
• Server information (networked-client license only)
• Locate DxDesigner-specific files
To start DxDesigner Diagnostics:
1. In the Dashboard Folders Pane, double-click Toolboxes, and then click Service and
Documentation Center.
2. In the Application Launch Pad, double-click Diagnostics.
Related Topics
• Troubleshooting DxDesigner Environment Variables
• Troubleshooting Your License
• Finding Files in your PATH or WDIR
Troubleshooting DxDesigner Environment

Variables
DxDesigner uses environment variables to define specific file and directory locations.
DxDesigner sets the values for these environment variables during installation. You use
DxDesigner Diagnostics to confirm that these environment variables are set correctly.

Troubleshooting DxDesigner Environment Variables
To view your DxDesigner environment variables:
• In the DxDesigner Diagnostics dialog box, select the Environment Tab. The tab
displays the following information, that you can use to confirm that your environment
variables are set correctly.
Table A-1. Environment Variable Diagnostics

Environment Variable Getting information
PATH - a list of directories • Shows all of the directories specified in your PATH
through which the operating environment variable. Click an item to see the contents
system searches to find of that directory in the right-hand box.
executables. • Verify that PATH points to the location of the
DxDesigner executables) you want to run.
WDIR - a writable directory • Shows all of the directories specified in your WDIR
used to store system and user environment variable. Click an item to see the contents
files. WDIR is the first of that directory in the right-hand box.
directory DxDesigner searches • Verify that the WDIR variable points to a local
when looking for information writable directory:
such as an .ini file.
LM_LICENSE_FILE - points • Show the entries specified in the LM_LICENSE_FILE
directly to a license file, or to a variable. Click an entry to see the PortID (tcp/ip port)
license server using the and hostname in the right-hand box.
<port>@<host> terminology. • Verify that the LM_LICENSE_FILE variable on each
client points to a valid the license file using either the
port@hostname of the license server or the explicit
path to the license file. For example:
LM_LICENSE_FILE=7654@<NT_server_name>
LM_LICENSE_FILE=<dir_path>/<license_path>
OTHER - This box lists any • The contents of this box change depending on your
environment variables other individual environment.
than PATH, WDIR and • Click a variable to see its value in the right-hand box.
LM_LICENSE_FILE. • Refer to specific component documentation for correct
environment variable values.

Troubleshooting Your License
Troubleshooting Your License

You can get troubleshooting information about your license from the Licensing tab of the
Diagnostics dialog box. Use the following information as a guide to using the tab.
Table A-2. Diagnostics Dialog Box - Licensing Tab Items

Dialog Box Item Troubleshooting tips
Host ID box Reads the HostID from the key or ethernet card of a node-
locked system
• PC only
• If the box says “not available”, it could mean
• You may be using network licensing
• You may not have installed the Sentinel Driver, or you
may have installed it incorrectly. For information on
installing the Sentinel Driver, refer to the FlexLM End
User’s Guide, located in the common\doc directory of
your install tree.
• You have a bad parallel port
• You have a bad ethernet card
• You have a bad key
Variable/Value box Lists all license-related environment variables and the values of
the variables that are used.
• Select a used variable. Its values appear in the box below
the Variable/Value box. Click on a value to display more
information
Licensing Diagnostic Tools Provides additional information about your license.
• See if license server is running -- Checks if server and
Daemon are running.
• Enable by selecting an entry in the Variable/Value box
• Works for network licenses only
• See who has licenses in use -- Lists, by tool, the name of
each user who has a currently checked-out license
• Get list of all licenses -- Lists the total number of licenses
available for each licensed tool.
• Get HostID from Ethernet card -- reads the HostID from
the address of the ethernet card
• Ethernet card may be local, or attached to the workstation
you are logged into
Clear Summary Click to clear old information from the results box. If you do
not clear the results box, new output appends to existing
information.

Finding Files in your PATH or WDIR
Running Licensing Utilities From the Command Line

You can run licensing utilities from the Windows or UNIX command line. The following table
gives Windows and UNIX equivalents to utilities available in the Licensing tab of the
Diagnostics dialog box.
Table A-3. License Utilities from PC or UNIX Command Line
Utility PC Command UNIX Command
LM_LICENSE_FILE set LM_LICENSE_FILE printenv LM_LICENSE_FILE
See if license server is running lmutil lmstat lmstat
See who has licenses in use lmutil lmstat -A lmstat -A
Get list of all licenses lmutil lmstat -a lmstat -a
Get hostid from Ethernet card lmutil lmhostid lmhostid
Finding Files in your PATH or WDIR

When troubleshooting your working environment, you may need to confirm the presence of
files such as a viewdraw.ini file, the appropriate draw.ini-controlled file, or PCB configuration
file. You use the Find File tab of the Diagnostics dialog box to search for files in the locations
defined by either your PATH or WDIR environment variables. If you do not find the files, you
may need to edit these environment variables,
To find a file:
1. In the Filename box, enter the name of the file you want to find
2. Click either Search through all directories in PATH or Search through all directories in
WDIR, and then click Find.
Tip: Your results will append to the information in the output window. To clear the
output window, click Clear Summary

Appendix B
Using VHDL and Verilog in DxDesigner
From within DxDesigner, you can netlist your design to VHDL or Verilog design files that can
be used for simulation as described in the following topics:
• Preparing Schematic Designs for Export to ModelSim

Shows the process you would use with ModelSim and VHDL to export a schematic into
ModelSim and import simulation data back to DxDesigner.
• Using VHDL or Verilog Symbols in a Schematic
Described how you can create a schematic in DxDesigner where each of the components
represents a VHDL or Verilog model.
• Inserting VHDL and SPICE Files onto a Schematic
Describes how you can use the Windows drag-and-drop action to insert VHDL (.vhd)
and SPICE (.cir, .ckt, .mod, .spi) files directly from a Windows Explorer directory onto
a schematic.
Preparing Schematic Designs for Export to

ModelSim
Within DxDesigner, you can export a schematic design into VHDL design files for simulation
in ModelSim, a mixed-language simulator for Verilog, VHDL, and mixed-language design.
After you import the VHDL design files into ModelSim, you simulate the design using an
interactive simulation process. At any time during the process, you can pause the simulator and,
using a snapshot of the ModelSim data at that point in time, you can then import data back into
DxDesigner to update the original schematic and its nets using the simulation values.

Preparing Schematic Designs for Export to ModelSim
The following diagram outlines this process:
Create a schematic in DxDesigner
Create a ModelSim project in the

DxDesigner project directory
Export the schematic to VHDL
Import the VHDL netlist file(s)

into ModelSim
Simulate the design in ModelSim, pausing

when desired snapshot is obtained
Import simulation data into DxDesigner and

update schematic with simulation values
Creating Schematics that Export Correctly to VHDL

When creating schematic designs within DxDesigner, name all VHDL basic identifiers (signals,
variables, entity architectures, and so on) as follows:
• Start the name with an alphanumeric character

• Use only alphanumeric characters and underscores
• Do not use sequential underscores or end with an underscore
In addition to the above rules, observe the following naming guidelines for busses and symbol
pins so that you can update schematics with simulation results without ambiguity.

The following table shows DxDesigner bus and symbol pin naming guidelines for VHDL data
transfer:
Table B-1. Naming Guidelines for VHDL Data Transfer
Item Rule
Bus • Use square brackets only to specify bus ranges, slices, or indices.
Tip: Enclose individual bits of a bus, as in BUS[2].
• Declare busses in full somewhere on the schematic level.
Example: If the schematic uses bits 0 through 15 of a bus named BUS,
then BUS[0:15] or BUS[15:0] should appear somewhere on the schematic.
• Reference a range of bus elements in the same direction as the full bus.
Example: If a design has BUS[15:0], use BUS[7:4] to refer to this slice of
BUS[15:0].
• Place bus ranges at the right of the bus name whenever possible.
Example: Use the name BUSA[15:0] rather than BUS[15:0]A or
[15:0]BUSA.
• Avoid bus bundles, such as A[1:0],B[1:0],C, which are difficult to properly
represent in VHDL.
• Avoid stepped busses.
Rationale: Schematic busses can have a step specification, but this can
also cause confusion. For example, BUS[7:0:2] is four bits wide, and the
valid indices are 7, 5, 3, and 1. Because VHDL does not support
noncontiguous busses, this construct will be declared in VHDL as being
eight bits wide, with the bits 6, 4, 2, and 0 left unconnected. When you
import the simulation values back into DxDesigner, the value for this
signal will then have eight bits as opposed to the four bits actually desired.
Symbol pin Specify unique names for symbol pins and the net names on the symbol's
schematic.
Rationale: DxDesigner symbols that have two pins with the same name
cannot be directly translated to VHDL. For example, you will not be able to
translate a symbol that has two pins with the same name and a unique range,
such as BUS[15:8] and BUS[7:0].
Creating a ModelSim Project

1. From within ModelSim, create a project file in the DxDesigner project directory,
specifying the name you want for the project.
Rule: The filename you specify will automatically be given a .mpf extension, as in
mymodelsimproject.mpf.
2. Add the VHDL source for all leaf nodes to the project.

Exporting the DxDesigner Schematic to VHDL

You access the VHDL Netlister from the File > Export > VHDL Netlist menu. The VHDL
Netlister dialog box appears. For more information, refer to the VHDL Netlister Dialog topic in
the DxDesigner Reference Manual.
Importing a Netlist into ModelSim

After you export a DxDesigner schematic to VHDL and generate a VHDL netlist for it, you can
work with schematic data in ModelSim. To do so, you import the VHDL netlist into ModelSim.
To import the netlist into ModelSim:
1. Add the generated VHDL files to the ModelSim project using a depth-first order to
create a proper file compile order.
2. Compile the files, reordering them as necessary.
3. Load the top-level VHDL design into the ModelSim simulator using the same name as
the top-level DxDesigner schematic.
For more information, see the ModelSim documentation that is shipped with the product.
Importing Data from ModelSim into DxDesigner

To import simulation data resulting from the ModelSim simulation process into DxDesigner,
you can either enter a command to send the data when desired, or set up your system so that data
is automatically sent each time you start the simulator. (Every time the simulator pauses, data is
automatically sent back to the DxDesigner schematic.)
Exception: Unless a net has a user-supplied label and a unique ID (for example, $N9, $1N32,
and so on), its simulation value will not be updated onto the schematic.
When you send ModelSim data to DxDesigner, one of the following shared object files from
root/3.1/common/arch/lib is loaded so that you can transfer the data:
• dx2ms.dll (Windows)
• libdx2ms.so (Solaris)
• libdx2ms.sl (HP/UX)
To manually import ModelSim data into DxDesigner:
From the ModelSim simulation command prompt, enter one of the following load command
strings consisting of a path to the shared object file and the ba option, depending on your
platform:

• load path\dx2ms.dll ba
• load path/libdx2ms.so ba
• load path/libdx2ms.sl ba
The DxDesigner schematic is updated with the simulation values. The current
simulation time appears in the lower right-hand corner of the active schematic sheet.
Tip: In addition to the ba command option specified above that explicitly requests the
import of data from DxDesigner, you can also enter the following commands from
either a ModelSim or DxDesigner command prompt.
ModelSim load command options are shown as follows:
Table B-2. ModelSim load Command Options

Option Description
von Turns on the display of the data being imported and leaves it on as the
default setting until you turn it off.
Tip: The ba option invokes von automatically.
voff Turns off the display of the data being imported.
To automatically import ModelSim data into DxDesigner each time you run the simulator:
1. Within the DxDesigner project directory, use a text editor to create a file named
startup.do.
2. Within the file named startup.do, type one of the following text strings depending on
your platform, and then save the file:
• load <path>/dx2ms.dll ba
• load <path>/libdx2ms.so ba
• load <path>/libdx2ms.sl ba
3. Open the project.mpf file in the DxDesigner project directory, search the file for the
following line, and then remove the semicolon that appears at the beginning of the
expression:
;startup = do startup.do
ModelSim data for this project will automatically be sent to DxDesigner each time you
start the simulator and the simulator pauses.
Tip: To automatically send ModelSim data to DxDesigner each time you run the
simulator for all your projects, modify the modelsim.ini file in the ModelSim install
directory as described above rather than modifying the .mpf project file.

Using VHDL or Verilog Symbols in a Schematic
Using VHDL or Verilog Symbols in a Schematic

You can create a schematic in DxDesigner where each of the components represents a VHDL or
Verilog model. The structural design can be either flat or hierarchical. See one of the following
topics for more information.
• Creating a VHDL Symbol

• Creating a Verilog Symbol
Creating a VHDL Symbol

You create a VHDL symbol with Library Manager. For more information, see “Creating a
DxDesigner Symbol Using Dx Symbol Editor (DxD-Expedition Flow)” in the Library Manager
Process Guide.
Once you have created the symbol and placed it in a schematic, you can simulate the entire
design.
Simulate the Entire Design - VHDL

1. Export the design to a VDHL netlist in one of the following ways:
To export from the DxDesigner User Interface:
i. Select File > Export > VHDL Netlist.
ii. Fill in the VHDL Netlister dialog box. (Also see the VHDL Netlister Dialog
topic in the DxDesigner Reference Manual)
To export from the System Command Prompt:
• Type icdb2vhdl [-option|-option=argument]
2. Simulate the design using ModelSim and the generated VHDL netlist.
Creating a Verilog Symbol

You create a Verilog symbol with Library Manager. For more information, see “Creating a
DxDesigner Symbol Using Dx Symbol Editor (DxD-Expedition Flow)” in the Library Manager
Process Guide.
Once you have created the symbol and placed it in a schematic, you can simulate the entire
design.

Inserting VHDL and SPICE Files onto a Schematic
Simulate the Entire Design - Verilog

1. Export the design to a Verilog netlist in one of the following ways:
To export from the DxDesigner User Interface:
i. Select File > Export > Verilog Netlist.
ii. Fill in the Verilog Netlister dialog box.
To export from the System Command Prompt:
• Type icdb2vlog [-option|-option=argument]
2. Simulate the design using ModelSim and the generated Verilog netlist.
Inserting VHDL and SPICE Files onto a

Schematic
You can use the Windows drag-and-drop action to insert VHDL (.vhd) and SPICE (.cir, .ckt,
.mod, .spi) files directly from a Windows Explorer directory onto a schematic. When you do
this, DxDesigner automatically creates a symbol for the file. If the file contains multiple model
descriptions, then a dropdown menu lets you select a component from the file when you drop
the file onto the schematic.
The name of the generated symbol is the same as the name of the VHDL entity or the SPICE
model. DxDesigner adds attributes to the symbol to support netlisting for simulation.
Insert a File over an Existing Symbol

When you and drag and drop a VHDL or SPICE file onto a schematic, you can edit the resulting
symbol contains all of its original attributes and it just like any other symbol. If the symbol
already exists, the existing symbol attaches to the cursor, and you can place it on the schematic.

Inserting VHDL and SPICE Files onto a Schematic

Appendix C
Linking and Embedding Objects
The following topics describe how to link and embed objects in your DxDesigner document:
• Inserting Objects
• Embedding an Object
• Linking Objects
Inserting Objects
Note
This functionality is not available on UNIX.
You can include information or documents created in other applications in your DxDesigner
document. You can link or embed documents or objects in your DxDesigner documents. The
main difference between linking and embedding is where the data is stored. If you embed the
object, the data becomes part of your DxDesigner document. If you link the object, the
DxDesigner document stores only the location of the information and then displays a graphic
representation of the information in the DxDesigner document.
Note
On the PC, you can insert objects on to border symbols and they will also be shown on
the schematic that the border is inserted on.
Embedding an Object
You can embed a new or existing object into your DxDesigner document.
To embed a new object:
1. Position the insertion point where you want to embed the object in the document.
2. Select Add> Insert Object.
3. Select the Create New option.
4. Select the Object Type that you want to create.

Linking Objects
The list of options in this list depends on the applications you have installed on your
computer. You cannot insert objects created by an application that you do not have
installed.
5. Click OK.
6. Return to DxDesigner.
7. Exit the application used to create the object or click anywhere in the schematic editor.
To embed an existing object:
1. Position the insertion point where you want to embed the object in the document.
2. Choose Add > Insert Object.
3. Select the Create from File option.
4. Enter or select the file name of the object you want to embed.
You can use the Browse button to search for and select the file.
5. Click OK.
6. If you want to display the object as an icon, click the Display as Icon check box before
clicking OK.
7. Return to DxDesigner.
8. Click anywhere in the DxDesigner window.
Converting an Embedded Object to a Different File

Format
You can convert the object to a different file format by selecting a different application to be the
object's source application.
Linking Objects
You can create a link to an object to share the object between two DxDesigner documents or a
DxDesigner document and a file created in another application. You must be running both
applications, and both applications must support dynamic data exchange (DDE) or object
linking and embedding (OLE).
To create a link to another file or Word document:
1. Make sure that you save the source file before you link the information.
2. In the application in which the information you want to link was created, open the
source file and then select the information you want to link.

Linking Objects
3. Select Edit > Copy.

4. Switch to the DxDesigner document and position the cursor on the insertion point where
you want to insert the linked information.
5. Select Edit > Paste Special.
6. Select the Paste Link Option button.
7. In the As box, select the appropriate option.
8. Click OK.

Linking Objects

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Index
—A— inserting on schematic, 54

Adding specifying configuration file location, 50
arc to schematic, 103 Box
array, 35 adding to schematic, 103
box to schematic, 103 Bus
circle to schematic, 103 adding, 96
constraints with Constraint Editor System connecting components with, 96
(CES), 85 ripping in ICT, 73
graphics to schematic, 103 selecting, 106
line to schematic, 104
specialized pins to symbol, 55 —C—
Changing, See Customizing
text to schematic, 102
Circle
Adding nets to pins
adding to schematic, 103
automatically, 67
Color preferences in IC, 74
manually, 67
Columns
with Advanced Connect, 68
adjusting width, 70
Aliasing nets, 91
grouping, 69
Arc
hiding, 70
adding to schematic, 103
unhiding, 71
Archiving
Command line commands
projects, introduction, 141
arc, 103
See also Project Archive
box, 103
Arguments
circle, 103
DxDesigner, 45
copy, 109
using with Tools menu, 45
executing, 37
Array
line, 104
adding, 35
pop, 30
—B— psch, 31
Block psh, 30
adding in ICT, 72 psheet, 30
blocks, 25 scale, 33
Border, 47 schematic, 63
applying/removing/changing, 53 size, 33
changing on schematic, 54 slabel, 107
configuration, definition of, 50 sname, 107
creating, 48 stext, 107
creating configuration, 51 stretch, 34
deleting from schematic, 54 string, 36
editing schematic, introduction, 63 svalue, 107

text, 102 schematic to export to VHDL, 166

zselect, 35 schematic, preparations, 63
Commands Verilog symbol, 170
Add Block in ICT, 72 VHDL symbol, 170
Advanced Connect, 68 Cursor
Flip, 101 changing appearance of, 46
Mirror, 101 Customizing
Push ICT, 72 appearance of cursor, 46
Push Schematic, 72 border on schematic, 54
Resize Box, 100 Dashboard, 39
Rip Nets, 100 object colors, 46
Component Pintype arrows, 46
connecting with busses, 96 specialized pin symbols, 56
connecting, introduction, 85 Tools menu, 43
disconnecting, 87 Cutting objects, 34
handling mechanical parts, 83
handling test points, 84 —D—
placing, 65 Dangling
renaming, 66 creating connections, 87
selecting, 106 Dashboard
selecting multiple with same name, 106 customizing, 39
specifying the characteristics of, invoking, 21
introduction, 79 Data
synchronizing with associate symbol, 78 exchanging with other tools, 123
Configuring, See Customizing Dialog box
Connection Find/Replace, 36
automatically creating by net label names, Net Short, 92
87 Quick Connection View, 131
creating dangling, 87 Split Net, 95
creating intersecting, 87 Differential pairs
Connectivity creating, 94
routing modes, 86 creating in ICT, 73
Constraint Editor System (CES) removing from ICT, 73
adding with, 85 Docked window
setting up constraints in, 57 converting to floating window, 18
Copying description, 17
objects, 34 DxDesigner
Creating customizing workspace, 46
connections by net label names, 87 exiting, 21
dangling connections, 87 finding information within, 16
intersecting connections, 87 importing data from ModelSim, 168
ModelSim project, 167 invoking from a Command window, 21
nets, introduction, 89 invoking from Dashboard, 21
new project, introduction, 22 invoking from UNIX or LINUX, 21
new schematic, 62 invoking from Windows Start menu, 21
switching between releases of flows, 17

troubleshooting environment variables, 161 —G—

understanding user interface, 17 Graphics
using VHDL and Verilog, 165 adding to schematic, 103
using VHDL and Verilog in, 165 Grouping rows and columns, 69
window types, 17
DxPDF —H—
generating PDF file using, 155 Hierarchical design
introduction, 155 contrasted with flat design, 61
creating using bottom-up method, 115
—E— introduction, 115
Embedding See also OATs, Occurrence Attributes
existing object, 174 selecting a design methodology, 115
new object, 173 traversing sheets, 31
See also Object Hierarchy tab, ICT viewer, 75
Environment hierarchy, project, 25
troubleshooting, 161
Exporting —I—
a design to metafile format, 147 ICE, 64
ICT viewer, 75
—F— Hierarchy tab, 75
Files Net Properties tab, 75
finding in PATH or WDIR, 164 Reset All Filters, 75
Filtering Symbol Properties tab, 75
object selection, 108 Inserting serial components, 95
Find/Replace dialog box, 36 Interconnectivity Editor, 64
Finding Interconnectivity table
information within DxDesigner, 16 color preferences, 74
Flat design creating and editing, 64
contrasted with hierarchical design, 61 creating from schematic, 65
traversing sheets, 30 creating from scratch, 64
Flip, 101 splitting horizontally, 74
Floating window splitting vertically, 74
converting to docked window, 18 viewer, 75
description, 18
Fonts —L—
for plotting, 152 Label
scaling, 144 selecting from command line, 107
scaling in HPGL plot file, 149 selecting it and associated object from
Foreign database command line, 107
working with, 126 leaf cells, 25
Form feed, plotting, 151 Licensing utilities
FUB running from command line, 164
deleting pins, 121 Line
placing on top-level schematic, 120 adding to schematic, 104
Line width, plotting, 154
Linking

objects, 174 —O—

OATs, Occurrence Attributes
—M— See also Hierarchical design
Mechanical parts, 83
Object
Merging nets, 92
changing colors of, 46
Metafile
converting embedded object to different
exporting design to metafile format, 147
file format, 174
Mirror, 101
copying, 109
Mode
cutting or copying, 34
avoidance routing, 86
embedding, 173
orthogonal routing, 86
filtering selection choices, 108
routing, 86
inserting, 173
straight routing, 86
linking, 174
ModelSim, 165
linking and embedding, introduction, 173
creating project, 167
manipulating from Navigator, 27
importing data into DxDesigner from, 168
pasting from clipboard, 34
importing netlist into, 168
reflecting, 32
preparing schematic to export to, 165
rotating, 33
—N— scaling, 33
Navigator selecting individual, 105
using, 25 stretching, 33
Net Properties, ICT viewer, 75 Origin, plotting, 153
Net Short Output File (.lst) Format, 159
dialog box, 92
—P—
Nets Paper size, 147, 150
add to active schematic, 90 Part Lister
aliasing, 91 general information, 157
automatically attaching pin to existing, 93 output file (.lst) format, 159
automatically creating connections by label Part List Exclude property, 84
names, 87 starting from the command line, 158
connecting to block in ICT, 73 why use it, 157
creating and editing, introduction, 89 Paste objects from clipboard, 34
deleting, 90 PDF file
merging, 92 generating, 155
over-ride the default line width, 90 generating using the DxPDF interface, 155
renaming, 69, 90 Pin
ripping, 97 adding onsheet/offsheet, 93
selecting, 106 adding ports, 119
set default display characteristics, 89 adding specialized, 55
sorting, 69 attaching to existing net automatically, 93
spacing, 100 automatically attaching to existing net, 77
viewing associated component, 31 configuring specialized, 56
Non-graphical mode, 64 deleting FUBs, 121
placing on schematic manually, 93

viewing associated component, 31 controlling visibility, 81

Pintype arrows deleting, 81
displaying and customizing, 46 parameterized, 81
Placing using the Property Definition Editor, 81
components, 65 window, toggling on and off, 79
Plotting Property Definition Editor, 81
configuring a basic plot, 146 Push ICT, 72
from UNIX, 148 Push Schematic, 72
from UNIX using custom settings, 150
from UNIX using default settings, 149 —R—
Graphics dialog box, 152 Reflecting object, 32
in Windows, 146 Renaming
introduction, 143 components, 66
Options dialog box, 150 nets, 69
origin, 153 Rendering
paper size plotting, 154
ZSIZE, 150 Reordering sheets, 29
rendering, 154 Reset All Filters, ICT viewer, 75
selecting paper size, 147 Resize Box, 100
specify form feed, 151 Reuse
specifying font, 152 introduction, 115
spooling the plot with splplt, 148 See also Hierarchical design
to a file, 145 Reuse Blocks, 118
Port Rip Nets command, 100
printing, 150 Ripping
Ports bus in ICT, 73
adding missing, 88 nets in schematic editor, 97
adding to ICT, 71 Rollback, 62
connecting, 71 root, 25
disconnecting, 71 Rotating objects, 33
propagating, 88 Routing modes
viewing in ICT, 71 avoidance, 86
Printing orthogonal, 86
current sheet, 144 straight, 86
from UNIX, 145 Rows
from Windows, 143 adjusting width, 70
introduction, 143 grouping, 69
paper tray selection in UNIX, 144 hiding, 70
Project unhiding, 71
creating new, introduction, 22 —S—
project hierarchy, 25 Scaling objects, 33
Propagating ports, 88 Schematic
Properties adding graphics, 103
adding, 80 adding text, 102
changing values, 81 border, 47

changing border, 54 adding ports, 119

creating connections by net label names, 87 adding specialized pins, 55
creating dangling connections, 87 configuring specialized pins, 56
creating intersecting connections, 87 creating a Verilog, 170
creating new, 62 creating VHDL, 170
creating to export correctly to VHDL, 166 placing, 76
deleting border, 54 synchronizing to component, 78
editing borders, introduction, 63 Symbol Properties, ICT viewer, 75
filtering which objects to select, 108
generating PDF file, 155 —T—
inserting border on, 54 Templates
inserting VHDL and SPICE files on, 171 use when creating new project, 22
manipulating from Navigator, 29 Test points, 84
preparing to create, 63 Text
preparing to export to ModelSim, 165 adding to schematic, 102
printing and plotting introduction, 143 changing size of, 33
zooming, 35 changing value of, 36
Schematic Editor selecting from command line, 107
introduction, 101 Text-owner indicator line, 104
See also Schematic Toolbox
Serial components, inserting, 95 add item to, 41
Sheets creating, 40
adding, 101 delete items from, 41
copying, 102 modify properties of existing tool, 41
deleting, 102 Tools menu
reordering, 29 adding a command to, 44
Shortcut Bar customizing, 43
adding new shortcut group, 42 editing a command entry, 44
configuring, 41 removing a command from, 45
rename or remove shortcut group, 42 using arguments, 45
Sizing Troubleshooting
text, attributes or labels, 33 DxDesigner environment variables, 161
Sorting nets, 69 working environment, 161
Spacing of nets, 100 your license, 163
Split Net —V—
dialog box, 95 Verilog
splplt, spool plot command, 148 creating symbol, 170
Spool to plotter, 150 using in DxDesigner, 165
Stretching objects, 33 VHDL
String creating schematic that exports correctly,
changing name of, 36 166
Strokes, mouse movement creating symbol, 170
customizing using vdbindings.vbs, 113 using in DxDesigner, 165
enabling and disabling, 112 Viewer, interconnectivity table, 75
Symbol Viewing

pin and net and associated component, 31

—W—
Window types
docked and floating, 17
Windows
printing from, 143
Workspace
customizing, 46
—Z—
Zooming, 35
ZSIZE, 150


Third-Party Information
This section provides information on open source and third-party software that may be included in the DxDesigner product.
• This product may use libxslt open source software.
©Daniel Veillard. All Rights Reserved.

©Norman Walsh. All Rights Reserved.
©Thomas Broyer, Charlie Bozeman and Daniel Veillard. All Rights Reserved.
©Bjorn Reese and Daniel Stenberg. All Rights Reserved.
©Panagiotis Louridas. All Rights Reserved.
• This product may use libxml open source software.
©John Fleck. All rights reserved.

©O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
©Gary Pennington and Daniel Veillard. All rights reserved.
©Bjorn Reese and Daniel Veillard. All rights reserved.
©Daniel Veillard. All rights reserved.
©Bjorn Reese and Daniel Stenberg. All rights reserved.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR
COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE
• This software application may include zlib third party software.
©Christian Michelsen
Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted
without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this
permission notice appear in supporting documentation. Christian Michelsen Research AS makes no representations about
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DxDesigner® User’s Guide

For Expedition Flow

Software Version EE2007.3

© 2005-2008 Mentor Graphics Corporation

RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND 03/97

Revision Changes Date

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3 5

Creating, Adding, and Deleting Items in a Toolbox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

6 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

Handling Test Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3 7

Placing Blocks on the Top-Level Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

8 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

Output File Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3 9

Table 2-1. DxDesigner Arguments Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

10 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

Figure 1-1. DxDesigner Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

11 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

12 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

DxDesigner provides a scalable, multi-user design definition environment using schematics or

• Working Concurrently within • Copying or Deleting a Project

Working Concurrently within EE2007

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3 13

Figure 1-1. DxDesigner Indicator Light

Yellow light indicates backward

The DxDesigner Workflows

The following topics briefly describe characteristics of each flow:

• The Expedition Workflow

14 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

The Expedition Workflow

Supported in Expedition Workflow Toolbar Buttons

Synchronizing DxDesigner and Expedition PCB

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3 15

To forward annotate design data to Expedition PCB:

1. Select Tools > Package.

The Netlist Workflow

• Uses Symbol Libraries instead of a Central Library as in the Expedition workflow

Supported in Netlist Workflow Toolbar Buttons

Finding Information within DxDesigner

• The DxDesigner User’s Guide Table of Contents

16 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

• The DxDesigner InfoHub

Switching Between Releases or Flows

Understanding the DxDesigner User Interface

To display or hide the any of the following toolbars:

Changing Between Floating and Docked Window Types

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3 17

18 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

Figure 1-2. DxDesigner Interface With Various Utility Windows Displayed

Output: displays the output results from Schematic Editor window:

DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3 19

ICT Viewer: allows you to Symbols: interface for

20 DxDesigner User’s Guide, EE2007.3

Starting and Exiting from DxDesigner

Starting DxDesigner in Windows

• Double-click the DxDesigner icon on the desktop .

1. Open the Toolboxes folder .

• Select File > Exit.

Starting DxDesigner in UNIX or LINUX

Starting DxDesigner From a Command Window