Documentation

In TARGET see: Schematic menu Components/Create a new component...
or: Schematic toolbar icon "Import component [Ins]": Component browser menu Component/Create new component...

Image 1: Component browser menu "Create new component..." in the schematic view

This area guides you step by step to create in best practise 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

Image 2: The dialog Create new component

First decide which package (footprint pattern with package outline) you would like to use.

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 3: The options of the magic wand when creating a schematic symbol.

Use a standard symbol (generic)

Maybe a 'standard symbol (a generic) matches. Select one from the list.


Image 4: 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 it with the pad numbering 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.

Derive symbol from existing component

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 5: 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.

Symbol generator

Create an individual symbol by the use of the Symbol-Generator:


Image 6: 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 7: 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

there is a link to another source: Edit selected pin names in a text editor:


Image 8: 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 paste them to the text area of the dialog. They come in maybe a bit weird but - no worry - you can arrange the text corretly so that every pin number has the right pin name aside. 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.

Symbol via script

This assistant allows the creation of a symbol using a script.


Image 9: The symbol assistant: Double click a line to edit a pins properties.

Order Pins according to processor scheme

There is a separate article on this topic. Please follow the link: Arrange pins according to processor scheme

Create a symbol like a ball grid array (BGA)

Image 10: 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.