Revision as of 13:21, 21 March 2014

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The drawing of custom components

Draw your own Package in the PCB View, draw your own symbol in the Schematic View. Three general steps are needed:

FIRST: Start drawing the package!

• Go to PCB view with [F3] and select an adequate grid, metric or imperial (recommended: 0,635 mm = 25,00 mil = 1/40 inch). Draw a package (= land pattern of the soldering pads including outline of the device) using the required functions from the Drawing tool . After having finished the drawing select all (Capture Window). Hover the cursor to the desired handle cross position and press keyboard key [x] for eXporting and saving it to the database.
  
  

SECOND: Draw the symbol!

• Draw a symbol (= showing the electrical function in the schematic) in the schematic view according to its data sheet. Leave the grid 0.635 mm = 25 mil = 1/40 inch. Use the required functions from the Drawing tool . After having finished select all, hover the cursor to the desired handle cross position and merge it by the use of keybord key [y] to a sYmbol. Remark: A component as a whole can be made of several symbols e.g. gates. That's why we need the [y] procedure first. Now select the symbol(s) by a Capture Window and eXport it by pressing keyboard key [x] to the database.
  
  

THIRD: Assign the package to the symbol and save!

• When exporting the symbol to the data base assign a matching package to it. For example the one you had drawn in the first step. This is not a must. You can assign any package to it but it is a common way.
  

Adjustment of existing parts

• new project with schematic. You find yourself on an empty schematic page in pointer mode.
• look at sidebar to the right in section "Settings": Release this button:
• open the Component database by [F2] (in earlier versions the Library Browser opens)
• click M2 on the image (symbol, package or 3D image) you like to change. A context menu opens.
• use the option you desire to do changes.
• only symbol elements:
  • My symbol consists of several symbol-entities like several gates: Highlight one of them completely, hover the cursor to the position where its handle shall appear and press [y]. Then highlight the next gate and do the same and so on. At the end highlight them all for merging them to one symbol, press [x] and export the symbol to the data base.
  • My symbol consists of only one symbol-entity like a capacitor or a resistor: Highlight it completely and hover the mouse to the place where the handle shall appear. Now press ]x} in order to export it (no [y] neccessary).

For packages:

• after all adjustments have been made, place the cursor at desired handle position
  
• save to the data base by [x] and follow the dialog of the data base dialog.
  
  

Edit components by the use of the symbol and package assistant

The package and symbol assistant is meant for packages and symbols having a higher number of pins/pads.

• open the Symbol assistant in Menu Components or the Package assistant in Menu Packages
  
• edit any element by the use of a script and save it again
  
  

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