Documentation

Differential Pairs

Diffpairs1 e.png
Image: The main menu "Settings"

In order to place differential pairs for Differential signaling it is clever to establish a signal class first. It is to determine minimum track width and minimum spacing between different signals. Later we will use this class for our differential pairs.

Diffpairs2 e.png
Image: The dialog "Edit signal classes"


In our example we create the new signal class DiffPairsUSB with minimum values of 0,5mm und 0,2mm for track width and track spacing. After having imported two components to the schematic we change over to the mode Place wire [2] Placewire small.png Now we press keyboard key [o] for Options. In the opening dialog we select our new net class (=signal class), so that the tracks in the layout later will achieve the properties which we have determined here.


Diffpairs3.png
Image: The dialog Signal Wire Options

Now we connect the pins using the "Place wire [2]" mode.

Diffpairs4.png
Image:


File:Diffpairs5.png
Image: Change to the layout view.


After having imported the packages to the layout we choose menu option: "Settings/Edit Differential Pairs". From the right we select the pair of signals we like to treat. Using the arrow in the center of the dialog we shift them to the left in order to activate them for differential signaling.


File:Diffpairs6.png
Image: The signals OUT and |RES are going to be differential pairs.


Diffpairs7.png
Image: Now use the extension of the icon "Draw track [2]" and select the button to "Draw a differential pair".


Diffpairs8.png
Image of the pointer in "Differential pair" - mode.


Diffpairs9.png
Image: Now we place the tracks as a parallel running pair segment by segment. The track width and the track spacing are determined by the signal class in use, see above.


File:Diffpairs10.png
Image: A short distance in front of the connecting pads we cancel the action and give TARGET 3001! the command not to fulfill the connection automatically.


Diffpairs11.png
Image: This is the way our differential Pair might look like.