Module 17 - Linking Models, Parameters, Library Package and Updates PDF
Module 17 - Linking Models, Parameters, Library Package and Updates PDF
Module 17: Linking Models, Parameters, Library Package and Updates 17.1 Adding Model and Parameter Detail to a Component ................ 17-1
17.1.1 17.1.2 17.1.3 17.1.4 17.1.5 17.1.6 17.2.1 17.2.2 17.2.3 17.2.4 17.3.1 17.3.2 17.3.3 17.3.4 Adding a model ............................................................................................17-1 Exercise Adding a footprint using the Model Manager .............................17-2 Component Parameters ...............................................................................17-4 Exercise adding a component parameter .................................................17-5 Adding and Modifying Component Parameters ...........................................17-6 Exercise Editing Parameters in the Parameter Manager..........................17-7 Schematic Updating .....................................................................................17-8 Updating PCB Footprints............................................................................17-10 Other Audit techniques...............................................................................17-11 Exercise Using the new component in schematic...................................17-12 Using Altium Designers 3D Body Objects .................................................17-14 Importing a 3D STEP Model ......................................................................17-15 Rotating and Positioning the STEP model .................................................17-16 Exercise importing a STEP model ..........................................................17-16
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Figure 1. Add and manage component models at the bottom of the editing window, or in the Model Manager
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6. If you know the footprint name, and you are confident that is in a currently available footprint library, you can type the name directly into the Name field, an image of it will appear if it is located. Otherwise, you can click Browse to open the Browse Libraries dialog, as shown in Figure 3. Note: There are different ways you can reference a footprint from the symbol, this is determined in the PCB Library region of the PCB Model dialog: - Any means find the footprint in Any currently available library, - Library Name means it must come from the specified library, - Library Path means it must come from the specified library in the specified location, and - Use from integrated is set automatically if you have compiled the library into an integrated library.
Figure 3. Use the Browse Libraries dialog to visually select the correct footprint.
Note: The Libraries dropdown at the top of the dialog allows you to choose which library you are currently browsing, from the available footprint libraries. The Find button is used to search, this will be demonstrated in the Schematic Capture training module. 7. Once you have located your new SOIC8 footprint select it, and it will appear in the PCB Model dialog. Click OK to close the dialog. Note: If your footprint was using a different numbering scheme from the pin numbering on the symbol you would need to define the pin-to-pad mapping, click the Pin Map button in the PCB Models dialog to do this. 8. Click Close to close the Model Manager, you have now assigned the SOIC8 footprint to your TCN75 component. 9. Save the library.
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Any component parameters can be included in the Bill of Materials, or any custom report you generate via the Report generation dialog.
Figure 5. Generate reports that include any component data you require.
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Figure 6. Add the HelpURL parameter to link the datasheet to the component.
8. Clear the Visible checkbox in the Parameter Properties dialog since there is no need to show this string on the schematic. 9. Click OK to close the dialog, then click OK to close the Library Component Properties dialog. 10. Save the library. Note: Well use this link we have created shortly in 17.2.4 Exercise Using the new component in schematic.
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Updates are performed through the ECO system, and a report can be produced if needed. The wizard checks each component against the original library it came from, if those libraries are not available, or if you need the update to be done from another library, those components will need to have their Library Name attribute disabled, allowing Altium Designer to search all available libraries instead. This attribute is configured in the Component Properties dialog.
Figure 9. Disabling the Library Name attribute allows Altium Designer to search all available libraries.
If the update process creates more changes than expected, it is probably due to component customization that has been performed after the component was placed. For example, a generic discrete component being given a value after it was placed. Use the Advanced options in the wizard to control parameter updates.
Figure 10. Engineering change order dialog listing all executable differences found.
When the component in the library is unique, for example the resistors value, footprint and other parameters are fully specified; any detected difference should be carefully checked. When in doubt avoid wholesale updates of all components in the project, instead selectively enable only those components you are currently working on.
Note: It is also possible to update schematic components from the library editor, onto currently open schematic sheets. This is a very basic update feature which does a complete replacement of the component the only attribute retained from the instance placed on the schematic sheet is the designator value. Note: To compare components placed from one library with those placed from another, use the Parameter Manager. Pre-select components of interest, then enable the Selected Objects Only checkbox in the initial Parameter Editor Options dialog that appears when you select Tools Parameter Manager.
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Before the update dialog opens an options dialog appears, where you can set the tolerance, and layers to include. The default settings should suit most situations, however if you are working on a legacy design from another design system you may need to adjust the tolerance to avoid showing insignificant differences.
Figure 12. the Update from PCB libraries dialog details all physical differences.
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You may not need to include all layers in the comparison. For example, if you have adjusted the widths of the overlay to suit the current design, you can disable the overlay layers. The Create Report button produces a detailed HTML report.
Note: Keep in mind that certain footprint properties, such as solder mask and paste mask expansions, can be defined manually for each footprint (in the library or on the board), or they can be controlled via design rules. Manually defined attributes have the highest priority, so changes made in the library or on the board will override design rule settings for calculated fields such as these. Note: Although it is possible to edit the footprint directly on the board (by unlocking the component primitives), the most common cause of difference is when the footprint has been placed from the wrong library, or has become out of date due to changes to the footprint at the library level. Differences should be considered carefully, and once an update has been performed a Batch DRC should be run to confirm the changes did not affect the integrity of the PCB layout.
The file comparison tools in the Storage Manager provide an excellent way of reviewing changes made to a file. Comparisons can be made between the current file and an older version saved by Altium Designers built-in Local History system, or between the current version and an older version stored in your version control system. Comparisons can be done between different revisions of the same document or comparing two documents from different projects.
Figure 13. Using the Storage Manager to compare two different revisions of the same schematic document. The difference panel details all of the differences found, double click to display the affected objects.
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4. Click Next and confirm that the components are being updated from the correct library.
5. Click the Finish button to create the ECOs needed to update the selected component model and parameter data, and Execute the ECOs to make the changes. 6. Once the update is complete, right-click on the TCN75 symbol, and select References Help from the floating menu. This should open the PDF document that was linked in the Exercise adding a component parameter. Note that this link can also be pressing F1 when the cursor is over the TCN75 component. 7. Save all the schematic sheets. 8. Since a new component has been added, we need to update the PCB. Select the Design Update PCB command from any schematic document.
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9. Since a new component has been added, it should first detect unmatched component classes, if component classes exist on the board. If the Match Manually dialog appears, click Yes and continue with step 10. If it does not appear, go straight to step 11. 10. In the Match Component Classes dialog, select Sensor in both of the Unmatched columns, and click the arrow to match them. Click Continue.
11. Since a NetClass called Power was created in Module 12 - Design Rules, you will need to disable the change to Remove Net Classes (Power) in the Engineering Change Order dialog.
12. Validate and Execute the remaining changes to add the new SOIC8 footprint to the PCB, close the ECO dialog, and position the SOIC8 on the board. If you find the Add Pins to Nets ECOs do not validate, run the Update process again. Note: To prevent that NetClass being removed by future updates, you can go to the Comparator tab in the Project Options dialog and disable the checking for Extra Net Classes.
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Figure 14. The completed board can be displayed in a highly realistic 3D view, and then exported.
Note: 3D visualization requires a graphics card that supports DirectX 9 (or better), and Shader Model 3 (or better).
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Figure 15. Component shapes created by placing multiple 3D bodies in the PCB library editor.
Figure 16. STEP model imported into a footprint, note that it has a different orientation from the footprint.
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The Inspector panel is ideal for experimenting with rotation values while the footprint is in 3D view mode. Use the M, M shortcuts to move the STEP model, click on the model origin as the holding point. Use the J, R shortcuts to jump to the footprint reference point while the STEP model is being moved, press Enter to place it. STEP models can also be rotated using the numeric keypad as the model is being moved. Press 2 & 8 for X axis rotation, 4 & 6 for Y axis, and Spacebar & Shift+Spacebar for Z Axis. These shortcuts are detailed in the Shortcuts panel (when the model is being moved). Any number of snap points can be added to the model, to facilitate moving and aligning it with the footprint. Use the interactive commands in the Tools 3D STEP Body Placement submenu to do this (available when the footprint is 3D view mode). The Add Snap Point from Vertices command has 2 modes: use it to add a snap point on the chosen vertex, or press the Spacebar to toggle to the midpoint mode, where the snap point is added midway between the 2 vertices you click on. This mode is ideal for adding snap points to the center of component pins. Keep an eye on the Status bar for details. Note: as well as component manufacturer websites, 3D models can be downloaded from http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/. Try multiple different search strings to get the best results.
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1. Open the Temperature Sensor.PcbLib, and select the footprint PWR2.5. 2. Make Mechanical 1 the active layer. 3. Select Place 3D Body from the menus, and in the 3D Body dialog: set the 3D Model Type to Generic STEP Model, then click the Embed STEP Model button, then in the Choose Model dialog, navigate to the folder \Altium Designer Summer 09\Examples\Training\PCB Training\Temperature Sensor\Libraries\3D Models, and select the model power_jack.step and click Open to close the Choose Model dialog then click OK to close the 3D Body dialog.
4. A box will appear floating on the cursor, position it anywhere just off to the right of the footprint. 5. The 3D Body dialog will re-appear, click Cancel to close it. 6. Press the 3 shortcut to display the footprint in 3D mode and use Shift + Right Mouse Button to rotate the model slightly. Note: 3D visualization requires DirectX 9 and Shader Model 3 graphics card support. 7. Press L to open the View Configuration dialog. In the dialog, enable both the Show Simple 3D Bodies and Show STEP Model options. Use the Save As View Configuration option to save these settings as your own view configuration. This will now be available in the drop down list of configurations at the top of the PCB workspace. 8. The model will have a different orientation to the footprint, as shown in Figure 16. Before attempting to re-orient it, we will add a Snap Point to the model origin. To do this, double click on the upper-most face of the model to open the 3D Body dialog. Click the Add button to add a Snap Point, and OK to close the dialog. 9. To re-orient the model using the Inspector panel, press F11 to open the panel. If the panel is blank click once on the model to select it, loading its attributes into the Inspector. 10. Experiment with different values in the Model Rotation fields (as shown in Figure 17). Keep in mind that you are rotating around the axis that you are editing. 11. Once the model has the correct orientation (Model Rotation X=90, Model Rotation Y=0, Model Rotation Z=270), it is time to re-position it on top of the footprint. To do this press M, M to run the Move Object command, the cursor will change to blue. 12. We want to pick the model up by the snap point at its origin, which is indicated by the cross hair on the front face. Be careful as you click to select this point, you can pick up a model by any default vertex, or by any user-defined snap point. Since there is a default vertex at the mid-point of every edge, you may find that when you click you are holding the model by the vertex that is just next to the snap point. Zoom in (Ctrl+roll) to confirm that you are holding it by the snap point. 13. Once you are moving the model by the snap point, let go of the mouse, press J, R on the keyboard to jump to the footprint reference, and press Enter on the keyboard to position the model. If you turn the footprint+model over (Shift + Right Mouse Button) you will see that the component pins are centered in the footprint pads. Once positioned, press Esc or click Right Mouse Button to drop out of the Move Object command, the cursor will change from blue back to orange. 14. To update the footprint on an open PCB, right-click on the footprint name in the PCB Library panel, and select Update PCB With PWR2.5.
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For this course we are only going to cover Integrated libraries. For database libraries and SVN database libraries refer to the Advanced PCB course for more information.
An integrated library can be placed on a network drive and used throughout your company. Although the integrated library is compiled, the source libraries can be extracted if necessary. When you attempt to open an Integrated Library (like a file, instead of installing it in the Libraries panel like a library), you will be asked if you wish to extract the sources, as shown in Figure 19. Only source schematic and PCB library files are added into the created library package as source files.
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All other model kinds, such as simulation MDL and CKT files, are extracted, you will find them in the same folder as the extracted symbols and footprints. They are included in the project using a Search Path, defined in the Project Options for the library package.
Figure 19. Result of extracting the contents of the integrated library, Miscellaneous Devices.
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17.5.1
There are three reports that can be generated in the Library Editor. All have the syntax Library_Filename.extension. The Reports Component command generates a .CMP file that includes the component name, part count, components in the same group, details of each part and details of all pins. This report can be used to verify that the component has been correctly constructed. The Reports Library List command generates a .REP file which includes a component count as well as the name and description of each component in the library. This report can be used to create a listing of the components in a library, handy if you need a printed reference of a library. The Reports Component Rule Check command opens the Library Component Rule Check dialog (Figure 20). These allow you to test for: duplicate component names and pins missing description missing footprint missing default designators missing pin name missing pin number missing pins in sequence.
Running this generates a .ERR report which reports on all components in the active library. This report can be used to aid in library verification and library management.
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The Report Library Report command presents the Library Report Settings, which allows you to generate either a Microsoft Word document, or an HTML document. An example report is shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21. Library report, and the Library Report Settings dialog
Note: You can also generate a library report from the Libraries panel. Right-click on a component in the panel and select Library Report from the context menu.
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