Nordcad Flow menus Rev 1.00 2014 Nordcad Systems A/S www.nordcad.dk Support@nordcad.dk
Purpose The purpose of the PCB and Footprint flow menus is to guide the user through a number of steps normally involved in doing PCB Design. The menu choices either launch internal OrCAD /Allegro PCB Editor commands or skill commands Example Buildin command: Status Check Display Status Example skill command: PDF printing ns_pdf Notice: The items listed in this menu are not exhaustive, so there may be more steps involved in doing PCB Design than whats show here. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let us know. Send an email to support@nordcad.dk The use of skill programs is at your own risk, no responsibility is taken. 2
Agenda PCB Flow Page 04: Board Setup Page 05: Netlist Import Page 06: Outlines Page 07: Constraint Setup with netlist Page 08: Placement Page 09: Route and Copper shapes Page 10: Status check Page 11: Post Processing Page 12: - Manual procedure Page 13: PDF printing Footprint Flow Page 14: Unit and sheet size, color and grid setup Page 15: Padstack Design Page 16: Place Pin Page 17: Add package outline Page 18: Draw outlines Page 19: Add refdes Page 20: Set properties Page 21: Add 3D STEP model Show Nordcad PCBFlow menu help: Displays this document 3
Board setup Unit and sheet size: Setup desired units (mm, mils etc.) and working area size Command: Setup Design Parameters Design Stackup design: Setup the board stackup Command: Setup Cross-section (or xsection) Color setup: Configure visibility and color settings Display Color/Visibility (or color192) Copper shape handling: Configure shape handling to fit your output format Shape Global Dynamic Params Void controls Constraint Setup without netlist: Build constraint sets and create netclasses without any nets 4
Netlist import User interface to import netlists Command: File Import Logic (or netin) 5
Outlines Utilities to draw or import miscellaneous outlines Draw board outline: ( board outline ) User interface to create a board outline Import DXF: ( dxf in ) User interface to import dxf data Import IDF: ( idf in ) User interface to import idf data Import IDX: ( idx in ) User interface to import idx data Package keepout: ( keepout package ) Functionality to create a package (component) keepout Route keepout: ( keepout router ) Functionality to create a route (cline) keepout Shape keepout: ( keepout shape ) Functionality to create a shape (copper pour/area) keepout Via keepout: ( keepout via ) Functionality to create a via keepout 6
Constraint setup with netlist Create/modify constraints and netclasses in constraint manager Spacing: Setup spacing between nets Same Net Spacing: Setup spacing inside same net Physical: Setup width and via rules Electrical: Setup matched length, diff. pairs etc. Design Constraint DRC Modes: Enable/disable relevant DRC check settings. NOTICE: Go carefully through all the different MODE settings so that you re sure all relevant DRC checks are enabled. 7
Placement Placement utilities Component placement: ( place manual ) Open the manual placement user interface Command: Place Manually Place mountinghole: Open the manual placement user interface with focus on mechanical symbols Place titleblock: Open the manual placement user interface with focus on format symbols 8
Route and copper shapes Route: Enables the etch edit application mode Command: Setup Application Mode Etch Edit (etchedit) Single click pin,rat or via to start route a connection Single click a segment to slide it Copper shapes: Start the Add shape command Command: Shape Polygon (shape add) Enable the Options panel to see options 9
Status check Show the current status of the PCB Design Command: Display Status 10
Post processing Run a post processing user interface for generating most documentation Command: ns_postproc 11
Postprocessing manual procedure Goes through some of the post processing dialogs Drill customization: ( ncdrill customization ) User interface to check that all drill sizes have drill symbols assigned Drill parameters: ( ncdrill param ) User interface to configure drill file format Drill legend/drawing: ( ncdrill legend ) User interface to create drill legend/drawing NC Route: ( nsroute ) User interface to creates nc route file Gerber setup and generate: ( artwork ) User interface to Setup and create gerber data IPC356 Netlist: ( ipc356 out ) IPC356 netlist creation user interface Pick and place out: ( plctxt out ) User interface to create pick and place data 12
PDF Printing User interface to generate pdf files Command: ns_pdf Creates a pdf file Requires Adobe Distiller Each film setup inside Manufacture Artwork is one page inside the pdf document 13
Unit and sheet size Unit and sheet size: Setup desired units (mm, mils etc.) and working area size Command: Setup Design Parameters Design Color setup: Configure visibility and color settings Display Color/Visibility (or color192) Grid setup: Setup grids Command: grids Customized version of Uri Chaplins grid utilitie 14
Padstack design User interface to create padstacks Command: ns_run_pad_designer 15
Place Pin Makes it possible to add either an electrical or mechanical pin to the footprint Command: Layout Pins Electrical pin: This is a pin that has a corresponding pin on the schematic symbol Mechanical pin: This is a pin that does not have a matching pin on the schematic like a mounting hole. Use the Options panel to select the correct padstack and control settings 16
Add package outline Draw placebound: Command: Shape Polygon Placebound is used to describe the package size A placebound must exist, if not defined, it will automatically be added as the smallest rectangle embracing all pins Add package height: Command: Setup Areas Package height Select placebound and specify height Draw DFA outline: Command: Shape Polygon DFA outline is used for component spacing settings Use the Options panel to control settings 17
Draw outlines Assembly outline: Command: Add Line Use to add assembly drawing to footprint Silkscreen outline: Command: Add Line Use to add silkscreen information to footprint Use the Options panel to control settings like line width 18
Add refdes Assembly refdes: Command: Layout Labels RefDes Use to add assembly reference designator to footprint Silkscreen refdes: Command: Layout Labels RefDes Use to add assembly reference designator to footprint Use the Options panel to control settings like text size 19
Set properties Set properties: Open the user dialog to specify properties Set locked: Set the locked property so that footprint objects cannot be moved individually in the PCB Set Nodrc_sym_same_pin Set Nodrc_sym_pin_pastemask Set Nodrc_sym_pin_soldermask All of the 3 above are used to suppress DRC errors between pins of the same footprint 20
Add 3D STEP Model User interface to assign a STEP model to a footprint Command: Setup Step package mapping 21