Create a new component
See: Schematic menu Compnents/Create a new component...
This area step by step guides you creating a new component. Already existing, similar components or its elements can be used. All automatic functions are offered during this process so that you most quickly will be able to use your desired part without unnecessary double work.
The opening dialog:
If you need to "Draw an own package" because you can not find a matching one among the existing, start with the magic wand in the opening dialog. Here use the assistants:
* Package Generator * Derive package from existing package (you should know the package name!) * Package via script
Only if you can not use an assistant you should start to draw an outline manually and place pads manually as well. How to do this best, please read here:
How to draw a package
Save the package afterwards to the data base using a suitable name and open menu item "Create a new component" again. Now click the blue panel "Select a different package" and select the one you just have drawn.
Continue top left with the magic wand in order to create a symbol:
Image 2: The options of the magic wand when creating a schematic symbol.
Maybe a 'standard symbol (a generic) matches? Select one from the list.
Image 3: Select a generic symbol.
Generic is just another word for "default" or "primitive". Maybe you need to check the Pin numbering of the generic symbol and synchronize them with the pad numbers of the package. For this reason a separate dialog will open. Pin number and pad number (cipher) need to be identical. It's just the same cipher of pin and pad which cares for their logical/electrical linkage.
Eventually you can derive a new symbol from an existing component. The idea is to copy a symbol of an existing component to your canvas in order to modify it independently from its source.
Image 4: Derive a symbol from an already existing component. Enter the component name to the search line. Now the symbol appears on the canvas and you can modify it as you please.
Create an individual symbol by the use of the Symbol-Generator:
Image 5: The symbol generator creates a basic structure of a symbol.
In this case it has 14 pins made of four sub symbols (three by four pins plus two). The first sub symbol is shown here, the last one will be treated as a "rest" (see ticked box at "last symbol as rest". The tick at "Alphanumeric" places characters and ciphers instead of subsequent numbers. Like a matrix: A1, A2, ... B1, B2, ...
The field: "Arrangement" defines the suggestion for a positioning of the overall number of pins at the new symbol. In our case the pins shall be placed left.
Result of the settings according to the above dialog:
Image 6: A 14 pin symbol with 4 sub symbols, see indices at the component handles. The last one is treated as "Rest".
Edit selected pin names in a text editor:
Image 7: Highlight pins in the symbol, all or only parts of them. Take the pin names (from the data sheet or from any other digital source) to your clipboard and enter it to the text area of the dialog. Maybe it comes in a bit weird but - no worry - you can arrange the text to the right order so that every Pin number has the right Pin name. That's all. For Ball Grid Arrays (BGA), having a matrix structure, pin-numbers can be displayed alphanumeric. This eases the assignment of pin names coming from the clipboard.
Use of the symbol assistant: Symbol via script:
Image 8: The symbol assistant
Regarding this aspect please note the following article:
Arrange pins according to processor scheme
Create a symbol like a ball grid array (BGA) :
Image 9: The dialog "Create BGA pins"
The checkbox "flipped" means that the naming of rows and columns get mirrored by its diagonal: Line A gets row A and vice versa. The checkbox "Z" allowed means: Character Z can easily be mixed up with cipher 2 which can lead to uncertainties in naming the matrix nodes. Nevertheless you can use a Z: Tick the box.