XP Edition Evaluation Guide

Xpedition
Evaluation Guide
This document is for information and instruction purposes. Mentor Graphics reserves the right to make changes in specifications and other
information contained in this publication without prior notice, and the reader should, in all cases, consult Mentor Graphics to determine whether
any changes have been made.
The terms and conditions governing the sale and licensing of Mentor Graphics products are set forth in written agreements between Mentor
Graphics and its customers. No representation or other affirmation of fact contained in this publication shall be deemed to be a warranty or give
rise to any liability of Mentor Graphics whatsoever.
MENTOR GRAPHICS MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THIS MATERIAL INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
MENTOR GRAPHICS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS PUBLICATION OR THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT, EVEN IF MENTOR GRAPHICS CORPORATION HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.
U.S. GOVERNMENT LICENSE RIGHTS: The software and documentation were developed entirely at private expense and are commercial
computer software and commercial computer software documentation within the meaning of the applicable acquisition regulations. Accordingly,
pursuant to FAR 48 CFR 12.212 and DFARS 48 CFR 227.7202, use, duplication and disclosure by or for the U.S. Government or a U.S.
Government subcontractor is subject solely to the terms and conditions set forth in the license agreement provided with the software, except for
provisions which are contrary to applicable mandatory federal laws.
2014-2015 Mentor Graphics Corporation
All Rights Reserved
Contractor/manufacturer is:
Mentor Graphics Corporation
8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777.
Telephone: 503.685.7000 Toll-Free Telephone: 800.592.2210
Website: www.mentor.com SupportNet: supportnet.mentor.com/
Send Feedback on Documentation: supportnet.mentor.com/doc_feedback_form
TRADEMARKS: The trademarks, logos and service marks (Marks) used herein are the property of Mentor Graphics Corporation or other
third parties. No one is permitted to use these Marks without the prior written consent of Mentor Graphics or the owner of the Mark, as
applicable. The use herein of a thirdparty Mark is not an attempt to indicate Mentor Graphics as a source of a product, but is intended
to indicate a product from, or associated with, a particular third party. A current list of Mentor Graphics trademarks may be viewed at:
www.mentor.com/trademarks.
End-User License Agreement: You can print a copy of the End-User License Agreement from: www.mentor.com/eula
Contents
Introduction to Xpedition
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 8
About This Evaluation.......................................................................................................... 9
Design Process Overview................................................................................................... 10
The Xpedition Design Flow................................................................................................ 11
Xpedition Highlights.......................................................................................................... 12
Design Capture with Xpedition xDX Designer
13
Lesson 1: The Xpedition Start Pages.................................................................................. 14

Lesson 2: Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace................................................................... 15
Lesson 3: Setting Up a New Project................................................................................... 30
Lesson 4: Selecting and Verifying Parts with Xpedition xDX Databook............................. 38
Lesson 5: Placing Symbols in the Schematic...................................................................... 51
Lesson 6: Wiring the Schematic........................................................................................ 62
Lesson 7: Creating Rules and Constraints with Constraint Manager................................. 77
Lesson 8: Xpedition xDX Variant Manager......................................................................... 97
Lesson 9: Generating the BOM (Bill of Materials) using Part Lister................................. 108
Lesson 10: Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx LineSim....................... 113
Lesson 11: Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx Analog......................... 119
Lesson 12: Xpedition xDX Designer and Xpedition xPCB Layout Integration................... 127
Contents
PCB Design with Xpedition xPCB Layout
135
Simulation with
HyperLynx BoardSim & HyperLynx Thermal
265
Completing the Design
277
Data Archiving and Library Management
297
Lesson 13: The Xpedition xPCB Layout Environment...................................................... 136

Lesson 14: Setting Up a New Board Design..................................................................... 156
Lesson 15: Placement...................................................................................................... 170
Lesson 16: Creating Rules & Constraints with Constraint Manager in the PCB Layout... 193
Lesson 17: Xpedition xDX Variant Manager in Xpedition xPCB Layout............................ 210
Lesson 18: AutoActive Interactive Routing...................................................................... 223
Lesson 19: Final Layout Considerations........................................................................... 251
Lesson 20: Design Verification......................................................................................... 257
Lesson 21: HyperLynx BoardSim Simulation.................................................................... 266

Lesson 22: HyperLynx Thermal Analysis.......................................................................... 271
Lesson 23: Adding Drawing Documentation ................................................................... 278
Lesson 24: Generating Manufacturing Outputs ............................................................. 286
Lesson 25: Data Archiving and Transfer........................................................................... 298
Lesson 26: Creating Components in Your Library............................................................ 300
Conclusion....................................................................................................................... 328
Contents
Appendix

Appendix 1: ODBC Setup............................................................................................A-2

Appendix 2: Configure Xpedition xDX Databook........................................................A-3
Appendix 3: Configuring Xpedition Variant Manager.................................................A-4
List of Figures

Figure 1: Design Process Steps.................................................................................... 10

Figure 2: Xpedition Flow Diagram............................................................................... 11
Figure 3: Xpedition xDX Designer Main Window......................................................... 16
Figure 4: Xpedition xDX Designer Toolbars............................................................. 17-18
Figure 5: Constraint Manager Main Window.............................................................. 78
Figure 6: Constraint Manager Toolbars.................................................................. 79-80
Figure 7: Xpedition xPCB Layout Main Window........................................................ 137
Figure 8: Xpedition xPCB Layout Toolbars..........................................................139-141
Contents
End of section. This page intentionally left blank.
Contents
Introduction to
Xpedition
In this section:
Introduction
Installation and Setup
Design Process Overview
The Xpedition Design Flow
Xpedition Feature Highlights
Introduction
Xpedition is by far the most productive and complete PCB design suite that
allows individual engineers and small workgroups to design highly complex PCBs
while at the same time offering an affordable cost of ownership. Skeptical? We
invite you to take a closer look using this evaluation guide and see for yourself.
Xpedition is for the individual PCB engineer who does it all, operating
independently or in small teams. Until now, your choice of design tool has been
a frustrating compromise. High-end enterprise solutions that handle design
complexity come with too much unnecessary overhead and the associated
challenges of ease of use and cost of ownership. While desktop solutions are
easier to use and have lower cost, they sacrifice productivity as design complexity
increases. Xpedition delivers the best of both worlds - powerful technology
from Mentor Graphics Xpedition Enterprise combined with a focus on ease of
adoption, ease of learning, ease of use, and affordability. Xpedition provides
a tightly integrated design flow with everything you need to get the job done.
Hierarchical schematic and table based design creation with intelligent
parts selection
Unified constraints definition and management across the flow
Component information and library management
Easy design reuse
Analog/mixed signal SPICE simulation Performing Design Analysis
(pre-layout)
Pre- and post-layout signal integrity analysis based on our leading-edge
HyperLynx technology
Board level thermal analysis
Best-in-class, PCB layout featuring:
A single layout environment

Correct-by-construction approach to plane design, placement, and

routing
Hierarchical component planning and placement
The industrys most powerful auto-interactive routing environment for
large busses, single ended, and differential pair nets
Groundbreaking Sketch routing
Advanced fabrication design including HDI and Flex
PCB documentation and manufacturing outputs
Introduction
While Xpedition is a complete suite for complex PCB design, you still
have the flexibility of adding specialized advanced capabilities from the
HyperLynx family of products, advanced packaging, FPGA co-design, and 3D
design and modeling.
Xpedition is a key part of Mentor Graphics scalable PCB design
solutions. If you are a PADS user in need of higher performance design,
Xpedition offers a simple upgrade path that allows you to leverage your
prior experience of the PADS flow and tools. When your design needs
evolve towards enterprise capabilities such as distributed libraries, design
management, and concurrent engineering, you can seamlessly
transition to Xpedition Enterprise.
We hope youll agree with Xpedition, the days of compromise are
over. Welcome to a new breed of PCB design solution for the next
generation of PCB Engineers.
Purpose of This Guide
About This Evaluation
This Evaluation Guide will introduce you to the major features and
capabilities of the applications and help you to understand how they work
together to unify and simplify your design process. We will walk through
the entire workflow from symbol creation to design capture, rules and
constraints entry, to layout, placement of components, interactive
routing, and design verification to final output. The focus throughout is on
using the entire Xpedition flow, with special attention paid not only to those
areas where the applications function similarly, but also to the integration and
transition locations, providing tips on how to get the job done more efficiently.
This Evaluation Guide is intended to be used with Xpedition software which

is installed separately.
This Evaluation Guide and the accompanying lesson files allow a user who
has limited experience with the Xpedition workflows to review new features
and capabilities. Keep in mind this presentation is a snapshot of the full
range of features that Xpedition provides.
Note: The software installation delivers the Xpedition Evaluation and places
all of the lesson files used in this guide into the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation
directory.
The content of the evaluation material includes:
Evaluation Guide PDF file
(located in the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation directory)
Schematic, Simulation and PCB Lesson files
(located in the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation directory)
Personal Library
(located in the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library directory)

Datasheets

(located in the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library\Datasheets

directory)

Xpedition xDX Databook Database

(located in the

C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library\DatabookData directory)
Working Together
This attention to workflow means that we will also show you how to use
the applications together with real-world design examples. Along the
way, we also introduce you to many of the great new features in each
application, highlighting some of the more interesting techniques with
steps and lots of illustrations. To see which applications and features a
section covers, scan the In this section list at the beginning of each section.
Further Exploration
Finally, remember that this document is an evaluation guide, not a
comprehensive user guide. Your most complete source of detailed
feature information is the Help Menu in each application. In
addition, take time to examine the resource information accessible through
the Getting Started, Help, and News links within each applications Start
Page. There you will find even more information on a variety of Mentor
Graphics resources that will help you get started, get informed, and get
inspired while using Xpedition. We hope this evaluation guide helps you
see some of the exciting design possibilities available to you with Xpedition
Enjoy!
Introduction
Design Process Overview

Creating a new design project requires an engineer to pay attention to many
details. Designing a PCB is a process of making design decisions and tradeoffs,
based on engineering changes throughout the design. In order to obtain the best
possible design, the engineer must weigh a number of conflicting factors and
make calculated design choices to obtain the best possible design outputs.
Knowing that your design tools have the ability to provide and
manage the required content gives you a strong foundation on which
to build your design. Xpedition offers a fully featured front-to-back
design flow that allows the engineer to balance rules and constraints in an
intelligent and predictable manner to produce quality designs that can be easily
manufactured.
There are many operations that a designer must perform to complete a design,
but the process flow can be simplified to a few basic steps shown below:
1. Creating a Design Project
2. Performing Design Capture
PCB Design Layout with

SI/Thermal Simulation
Creating the top level schematic

Adding components to the schematic
Connecting the components
Verifying the design
Performing design simulation (pre-layout)
Defining constraints
Packaging and Forward Annotating the logical design for physical design
3. PCB Layout Design
Importing schematic design data to layout
Configuring for physical design
Generating plane structures
Adding physical constraints
Placing parts
Routing critical nets
Complete nets routing
Checking design rules (DRC)
Post layout analysis
4. Creating Documentation and Manufacturing Outputs
Creating schematic release documentation
Creating manufacturing outputs
Performing engineering change orders (ECO)
Documentation and
Manufacturing Outputs
Partitioning your workflow to align with these steps will help you establish a
structured approach to organizing your design tasks. It will also provide you with
a number of checkpoints for reviewing your design data.
Create a
Design Project
Schematic Capture
with Simulation
10 Introduction
Personal Library
Part Creation
The Xpedition Design Flow
Introduction
11
Xpedition Highlights
Design Capture
PCB Layout and AutoActive Routing Technology
The Xpedition flow delivers productive PCB design capture and definition
functionality using Xpedition xDX Designer. You will have features like: intuitive
project and design navigation, unlimited hierarchical support, informal design
reuse, advanced design properties and rules management, full forward/back
annotation including design constraints, cross probing between the schematic,
layout, routing, and constraints. You will also have access to schematic-to-signalintegrity features. Component management is also included using library
management tools.
Xpedition offers unparalleled price-performance for the layout and

design of complex circuit boards, including high-speed applications.
Xpedition offers advanced design rules with real-time design rule checking, bi-directional cross probing, dynamic split-plane generation, associative-dimensioning, direct DXF import into both the board and
part library editors, physical design reuse, and advanced fabrication
verification tools. Also included are assembly variant functions, test point
generation, and an IDF import/export capability from/to third party
CAD/CAM tools. Manufacturing outputs for a wide variety of industry
standard formats are included like ODB++, recognized as the industry
leading intelligent format used by PCB fabrication, assembly, and test vendors.
Many designers of high-speed and/or dense designs require exacting
manual control of routed signal traces. Xpedition includes
interactive and customizable routing controls for design challenges such as
differential pair routing, net tuning, manufacturing optimization and
microvia and build-up technology. AutoActive technology provides
shape-based true 45 degree routing and is a single, integrated, place
and route editing environment that reduces design time and increases
productivity. These commands allow you to automatically manipulate
individual traces, or groups of traces using Sketch Router, while
intuitive constraint monitoring provides real-time feedback for correct-byconstruction
methodology.
Advanced
routing
algorithms
enable
design
rules
and
advanced
design
constraints
using
Constraint
Manager
to
be
applied
between
objects or groups of objects such as components, layers, nets, and vias.
AutoActive technology simplifies routing operations to allow you to
complete your layout quickly for those aggressive time-to-market
schedules.
Signal Integrity Simulation and Analysis

Signal integrity (SI) analysis is an essential part of modern electronic design.
Increasingly fast edge rates in todays ICs cause detrimental high-speed effects,
even in PCB designs running at low operating frequencies. As driver ICs switch
faster, a growing number of boards suffer from issues such as crosstalk,
over/undershoot, ringing, glitching, and timing problems.
Xpedition uses HyperLynx SI to offer powerful and easy-to-use signal
integrity capabilities on the engineers desktop. With pre-layout analysis
capabilities for defining routing constraints, to verification of the routed
board to ensure your design goals are met, HyperLynx SI offers a complete
environment for all your signal integrity analysis needs.
HyperLynx Analog with EZwave is a board-level simulation and verification
environment that is integrated into the Mentor Graphics Xpedition xDX
Designer environment. Using a single schematic to drive both the simulation
and PCB applications, it effectively eliminates costly and error-prone schematic
re-entry, therefore significantly shortening the overall development cycle.
HyperLynx SI also allows engineers to analyze board-level thermal problems
on placed, partially routed, or fully routed PCB designs from Xpedition.
Temperature profiles, gradients, and excess temperature maps enable
engineers to resolve board and component overheating early in the design
process.
12 Introduction
Design Capture with

Xpedition xDX Designer
In this section:
The Xpedition Start Pages

Xpedition xDX Designer Environment and Workspace
Setting up a New Project
Creating a New Schematic
Placing Parts
Wiring the Schematic
Creating Rules and Constraints with Constraint
Manager
Variant Manager
Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx
LineSim
Generating the BOM (Bill of Materials)
Xpedition xDX Designer Packager and Xpedition xPCB
Layout Project Integration
13
Lesson 1: The Xpedition Start Pages

The Start Page contains links to tutorial information, videos,
online help features, and this Evaluation Guide. These items can help you
become productive quickly. It is available in both Xpedition xDX Designer and
Xpedition xPCB Layout.
From your Start menu, launch Xpedition by selecting All Programs

> Xpedition Enterprise <release> (platform) > Design Entry > xDX
Designer or Layout > xPCB Layout.
NOTE: Review the content for New Project or PCB or Open item at
this time. If you select either of these items you can click Cancel to
return to the Start Page.
Explore the resources available to you on the Start Page:
Take time to become familiar with the Getting Started, Help, and News
sections. These contain links to additional product documentation
on SupportNet and InfoHub, including this Evaluation Guide and the
Xpedition user manuals.
Select New Project > Xpedition (in xDX Designer) or New PCB (in
Xpedition xPCB Layout) to start a new design.
Use the Recent section to quickly access designs you have worked
on previously.
If you do not wish to see the Start Page, you can toggle it off in
Xpedition xDX Designer by selecting View > Start Page.
In Xpedition xPCB Layout to keep the Start Page from appearing when
the program opens, disable View > Show Start Page at Startup.
Close Xpedition xDX Designer and/or Xpedition xPCB Layout if still
open.
14 Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Lesson 2: Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace
In Xpedition, Xpedition xDX Designer is used for schematic design capture.
Xpedition xDX Designer follows Windows navigation standards. It supports
pulldown menus, hot keys, toolbars, toolboxes and Tooltips. The menus are
context sensitive: when you right-click, the popup menu options vary depending
on the object you select.
The interface is also fully customizable. Advanced Windows navigation features
including Tear Off Menus, Dockable Windows, and Auto Hide Docking are also
available.
These standard windows features make Xpedition xDX Designer an easy and
productive environment for schematic generation.
Start Xpedition xDX Designer

Start Xpedition xDX Designer from the Windows Start menu to display
the Xpedition xDX Designer Start Page.
Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace
15
Introduction to the User Interface (Main Editor Window)
Workspace
Properties
Menus
Toolbars
Navigator
Pane
Symbol
Preview
Status Bar
xDX Databook
Search Window
Footprint
Preview

Toolbars
The Main Toolbar
New
Cut
Print
Paste
Copy
Find/Replace
File
Viewer
Redo
Undo
xPCB
Layout
Package
GRC
Verify
Run Graphical
Rule Checker
Constraint
Manager
Fit All
Zoom
In
xDX
Fit
Restore
PCB
xDX
Selected Zoom Databook Viewer
Zoom
Area
Save
Zoom
Navigator
Output
Selection
Filter
ICT Properties My
Add
Viewer
Parts Properties
Mode
Import
Remote
Development
Database
xDM
FPGA I/O
Library
Optimization
Tools
(Library
Manager)
The View Toolbar

Zoom
Out
Export
Remote
xDX
DevelopI/O
ment
Designer Database
Push
Push
ICT
Enable/Disable
Selection Filter
Pop
Route
Mode
17
Toolbars
(Continued)
The Add Toolbar

Select
Net
Bus
The Grid Toolbar

Array
Box
Block Multi-Net
Special
Arc
Connection Components
Line
Circle Text
Cut
Nets
Grid
Units
Add
Missing
Ports
Grid
Spacing
Show
Alignment
Markers
Grid
On/Off
The Transform Toolbar

Delete
Rotate
90
Disconnect
Flip
Mirror
Scale
Stretch
Align
Left
Align
Center
Align Align Distribute Snap to

Top Middle Horizontally Grid
Align
Right
Align
Bottom
Distribute
Vertically
Bring
Send
Forward Backward
Bring to
Front
Backup
Sheet
Send to Reassign
Back
Names
Manage
Sheet
Backups

Extended Tooltips
All of the toolbar icons contain tooltips to help you understand the commands
you select. Xpedition xDX Designer also contains extended tooltip animation
for most of the commands on the toolbars. These animations provide you
with a brief video to minimize the learning curve and place immediate help
at your fingertips. Quick-key commands are also provided within the tooltips.
Displaying Extended Tooltips

Click Open on the Start Page and browse to and select
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1\Lesson1.prj.
If a previous lesson was open, click Yes to close the previous

documents.
Hover over the Select icon. The normal tooltip is shown along with
the Quick-key command.
Hover over the Select icon again, but leave your cursor over
the icon for brief time (about 3 seconds). The animation for the
command begins playing and shows additional information and
usage for the command.
19
Navigator Tree Pane

The Navigator Tree pane, like all Xpedition xDX Designer panes, is dockable
and can be moved anywhere you wish on the screen. Xpedition xDX Designer
remembers the height and width of any pane you modify during a working
session. This is particularly beneficial in a dual monitor configuration. This
pane shows a hierarchy of the schematic content and allows you to easily
jump between pages, symbols, and nets.
The Navigator Tree Pane

Open the Navigator Tree by selecting the toolbar icon if it is not
already open.
Double-click on CORPORATE schematic and notice the main
window displays the sheet CORPORATE.Cover (The sheet name is
shown on the tab at the top of the design window.).
Next, click the [+] icon located to the left of the CORPORATE
schematic name to expand the schematic sheets.
Note: The tree should expand to look like this example.

The Navigator Tree Pane
(continued)
Double-click control_buffers to open the schematic sheet in the

editor workspace.
Note: Notice the schematic sheet tabs located at the top of the workspace
area display both Corporate.Cover and Corporate.control_buffers when you
hover over them.
Note: You can also click the [+] to expand any of the sheets in the Navigator
tree.
Two categories (Symbols and Nets) appear in the dialog box for each
schematic sheet.
Click the [+] again to expand the Symbols and Nets section of the
Navigator tree.
Select any symbol in the list. Xpedition xDX Designer automatically
Cross Probes to that item.
Note: Double-click on any symbol in the Navigator tree and it will zoom to
that symbol in the schematic.
21
Object Tooltips
Xpedition xDX Designer supports tooltips for Components and Nets. The
visible attributes are configurable. Lets take a closer look.
Open Project Settings by selecting Setup > Settings or press the

CTRL+ALT+G hotkey.
Click Display and notice the options for controlling various display
settings including Show Tooltips. Enable Components and Nets.
Click OK.
Double-click the schematic sheet name PCI_Connection to open
this sheet of the schematic.
Click Selection Filter and enable All. Click the Red X button in the
upper right corner to close the selection box.
Click in the schematic workspace and place your cursor over any
component to see the ToolTip.
Place your cursor over any net to view the netname tooltip.
Note: This is a very convenient way to get information without having to
zoom in or invoke the Properties dialog to view and identify an object on
the schematic.
Navigation (Pan and Zoom)

Zooming
Click on any open area in the workspace.
Press the F7 (Zoom In) and F8 (Zoom Out) function keys to zoom.
Zoom in and out for practice. You can also use the different Zoom
icons on the View Toolbar.
Another method for Zooming In and Out is to use the Middle Mouse
Scroll Wheel if you have one.
To Pan within the workspace, click and drag the Middle Mouse Scroll
Wheel.
Press the Home key (Zoom to Full) to restore the view to the entire
active schematic sheet, or use the Fit All icon.
Press F9 , then drag a box around the area you wish to zoom to.
You can also Zoom To an area by pressing the Z key and dragging a
box around the area.
Use the Save Zoom and Restore Zoom icons when you want to be
able to go back to a previous location on the schematic.
23
Additional Navigation Tools
Sheet Thumbnails
Navigation through a large schematic database is made easier with Sheet
Thumbnails. The small views of your schematic can help you easily find
the sheet you want to work on.
Select View > Thumbnails to open the thumbnails panel showing
the sheet you are current working in.
Double-click the CORPORATE.microprocessor sheet thumbnail
and the sheet opens in a new tab.
To make the workspace area larger, you can Auto-hide the
Thumbnails panel by clicking the thumb tack icon.
Note: You can use Auto-hide on any of the panels within Xpedition xDX
Designer.

Navigation View
This world view of your currently active schematic sheet allows you to
easily zoom into areas for quick navigation.
Select View > Other Windows > Navigation View and the global
view window opens for you currently active sheet.
The Navigation View window can be easily re-sized by dragging the
window edges.
Drag the slider up on the right side of the window to make the
active zoom area smaller. Notice your main window zooms into the
area shown by the zoom window.
To change your zoom location, drag the zoom window within the
Navigation View to a new area of the schematic sheet.
Links
Links are Annotate symbols that allow you to quickly traverse to a
corresponding link symbol on another sheet of the schematic. Connectivity
can also be linked through To/From Off-sheet link symbols.
Close or Auto-hide the Navigation view.

Hover your cursor over the blue arrow labeled micro.
While pressing the Alt key, select the link and you immediately jump
to the matching link symbol on the Cover sheet of the schematic.
25
Help System
Click Help to access documentation, support, SupportNet and tips. Take

a moment to view the resources available from this menu.
View all available shortcuts and system strokes by selecting Help >
Show Strokes.
Additional information is available on using Strokes can be found in
Help > Documentation in InfoHub.
Note: You can also configure Navigational controls in
Setup > Settings > Schematic Editor > Strokes, Pan and Zoom.

The Find Function
You can move through a design by cross-probing the design hierarchy in the
Navigator. You can also use the Find function.
Using the Find Function
Select Edit > Find/Replace or click the Find/Replace icon.
Click the More button to open all options.

Take time to read through the available options.
Choose an option from the Within: drop-down list to define which

part of the design you would like to search. In this case select
Board: CORPORATE (CORPORATE).
Type C2 in the Find what: text box and click Find All.
Note: The results of the search appear in the Find dialog.
Note: When you search, the results will also show in the Output window.
See item # 7 below.
Notice that several sheets are now open. Each page containing a
reference to C2 has been opened.
In the Output window, select the (component) hyperlink to quickly
jump to the capacitor with reference designator instance value of C2.
27
Using the Find Function
(continued)
Notice the section of the schematic where C2 resides.

In the Find and Replace dialog search for 698k within the Corporate
Schematic.
All parts meeting this criterion are listed in the output window. You can
also use this method to find nets.
Close all of the schematic pages using the X on the Tab to close each
sheet.
Note: You can use Window > Close All to close all of the sheets currently open
in your schematic.
Enter the net name BSYNC* (make sure to include the * wildcard
character) in the Find and Replace dialog box to search within the
Corporate schematic for all instances where BSYNC is defined.
Click Find All to search the entire schematic.
There are four instances of BSYNC- and four instances of BSYNC+ nets
across three schematic sheets.
Note: When you select a net, the appropriate schematic sheet is opened
and that portion of the net is selected. This functionality allows you to check
connectivity throughout your design very efficiently.
Select File> Close Project when you are finished to close the current
project.

Review Questions
1 What is the purpose of the Navigator?
2 What information can I get from the tooltips?
3 How many different ways are there to zoom in and out?
4 When would I use the Find function instead of the Navigator?
Review Answers
1 The Navigator presents you with a central viewport into your design. All components,
nets, classes, pin pairs and other design elements are available for browsing and
querying from this common window.
2 Tooltips provide a quick and easy way to examine the properties of design objects
(components and nets). Depending on how you have set up the visibility of properties,
you can view information about these objects by simply holding the cursor over the
item for a few seconds.
3 The Xpedition xDX Designer user interface provides multiple ways to perform most
common design tasks. You can zoom in and out using the keyboard keys (F7 and F8),
press F9 and drag a zoom window, press the z key and drag a zoom window, use the
mouse scroll wheel forward and backward to zoom in and out, or use strokes.
4 Though the Navigator gives you the opportunity to browse the major elements of
your design, use the Find command to build complex searches and quickly find very
specific details such as all instances of a specific component value.
29
Lesson 3: Setting Up a New Project

Project Overview
Integrated Common Database
A project file (.prj) contains pointers to all of the files associated with
Xpedition projects. Some of these files include the Schematic database,
PCB layout database, configuration files, and log files.
The project database is stored in binary format in the /database directory.
This Integrated Common Database structure provides a single data
repository for a project and a framework for dynamic updates. The database,
continuously maintains connectivity, schematic and graphics objects, and
constraint data throughout the flow. This reduces both design time and the
risk of error inherent in creating and passing netlists between tools. When
using Xpedition xDX Designer, you never have to stop and remember to save
your work. Everything you do is always being stored. If you want to return to
a previous state, you can use Undo to remove your edits. Everything you do
between backups will be stored in the Undo queue.
In addition, you can create Backup points to rollback your design. You may
choose File > Backup Sheet at anytime to create a backup of the active sheet.
The Rollback Sheet function in Xpedition xDX Designer allows you to bring the
schematic sheet back to the last Backup version. Upon invoking Xpedition xDX
Designer, the Backup Sheet function is grayed out and the Rollback Sheet list
is empty. When you open a schematic, the Backup Sheet function is enabled.
The Rollback Sheet list is still grayed out until additional changes are performed
on the schematic. When you make changes following a backup then the File >
Rollback Sheet menu becomes active and lists the sheet backup timestamps. You
can use this menu to return the active sheet to the backup state. You can also
use File > Clear Backups to clear out all backups in the database. This is helpful
to compact your project file size. The tool also creates incremental automatic
backups for you using Setup > Settings > Project Backup.
30 Setting Up a New Project
iCDB
xDX Designer
Xpedition
xPCB Layout
Constraint Manager
Project Directory Structure

Xpedition xDX Designer Project Templates
In this lesson you will create a new Xpedition xDX Designer project by selecting a
template from the Start Page. Project Templates are a good method to keep your
company's designs consistent from engineer to engineer. You can create multiple
templates as needed for your design requirements.
In this section, you will modify the standard project template for the Central
Library and Component Properties Database. Any new project started with this
template will use this information.
Important - These steps must be performed to complete the entire lesson.
Using Windows Explorer, browse to:
C:\MentorGraphics\<release>\SDD_HOME\standard\templates
\dxdesigner\expedition.
Open the file default.prj in a text editor of your choice like Notepad.
Edit the KEY CentralLibrary line to the new Central Library path as
shown:
KEY CentralLibrary "C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library\
Library.lmc"
Add the KEY DBCFile line to the new Properties File path as shown:
KEY DBCFile "C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library\DatabookData\
Sample.dbc"
Review the project template file for other items you may want to
setup for future designs. Do not make any further changes at this time.
Save the file edits and close your text editor.
Setting Up a New Project
31
Creating a Project
If it is not already running, start Xpedition xDX Designer.
Select File > Close Project to close any open project.
On the Start Page click New Project > Xpedition.

Select the default template from available templates.
Enter the name of your project in the Name box of Details.
Note: For this exercise enter your (first name) and (last name) for your
project name (for example, JohnSmith).
Enter the project Location as C:\Xpedition_Evaluation.

Notice the Central Library Path is set through the default template (or
you can browse to the path to link it to this template).
Click Create to create the project.

Your newly created project now appears in the Project Navigator Tree.

Opening a Project
There are many ways to open a project. We will learn two ways here:
Note: When you open the project for the first time you may see this message "This
project was created on an earlier version of DxDesigner" (see sample message to the
right). If this message appears, simply select the Yes button to update and continue.
Using the .prj File Method

Close Xpedition xDX Designer by selecting File > Exit.
Open Microsoft Windows Explorer.
Browse to C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\FirstLast directory.

Double-click on the FirstLast.prj.
Note: This launches Xpedition xDX Designer and opens the FirstLast project. If
you get an error, double-click the icon rather than the file name. If you still get
an error open Xpedition xDX Designer and move to the next step.
Using the File Menu

From Xpedition xDX Designer, open a project using the menu File >
Open > Project.
Browse to the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\FirstLast\ location.
Select FirstLast.prj file and click Open.
Using the Start Page

If your project is listed in the Recent projects, then click your project
name to open.
If not listed, click Open, then browse to
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\FirstLast\ and double-click FirstLast.prj.
33
Project Settings
After you create a project, you may need to change the project settings.
Throughout this evaluation, we will ask you to adjust settings using the
Setup > Settings dialog box. You can use this dialog box at any time to
customize your environment to your preferences.
You may need to change the library path for a new design. If you have other
libraries (perhaps used for previous designs) you can easily change the library
path to use them in a new design. You can also point to a path containing a
central library used by multiple users from a single library location.
Changing Libraries with Setup > Settings

To open the Settings dialog box, select Setup > Settings.
Select the Project section of the hierarchy.
To change the Central Library Path, click on the Browse button and
select a new .lmc file from the location you choose. At this time, we
will continue to use the path listed.
Note: Only one Central Library Path and Library.lmc file can be referenced by
a design project at any given time.
Take a moment to browse the other sections of the Settings dialog

box to see the other settings you can change in your design projects.
Click Cancel to exit the dialog and leave the settings unchanged.

Creating a New Schematic
Xpedition xDX Designer is a comprehensive schematic entry tool which combines
a feature-rich environment with an easy-to-use GUI. Xpedition xDX Designer is
simple to navigate whether you are adding parts, nets, buses, graphics or text.
An Xpedition xDX Designer project can contain multiple schematics within a
single project.
Creating a New Design

Your Project file FirstLast.prj should still be open and you have a blank
sheet in Schematic1.
You can add a new border automatically based on your settings in
Setup >Settings > Project > Borders and Zones and Setup > Settings >
Schematic Editor > New Sheets. These border mappings should be
saved in the borders.ini file within your template project directory so
that you dont have to change this when starting a new schematic.
In the Borders and Zones panel, select the B Landscape sheet and then
click the Change button to use Borders bsheet.1 as the Border symbol
for this sheet as shown.
35
Adding and Placing a Border

Adding borders to a schematic can be done several ways. The process can be
automatic or manual. You can change borders at any time to reflect a sheet size
modification. We will cover a few ways to add borders in some of the exercises
that follow.
Adding or Changing a Border
Right-click and select Delete Border.

Change the sheet size to a B size sheet, and double-click inside the
schematic sheet area. Select B from the Drawing Size drop-down list in
the Properties window.
Add a border manually by placing the cursor in the working area,
right-click and select Insert Border.
Note: When you add a border in this way, you use a border symbol defined in
Setup > Settings > Project > Borders and Zones.
Right-click and select Change Border. Select csheet.1 from the Borders
partition.
Change the sheet size to a C size using the Drawing Size dropdown list in
the Properties window. Click OK to change border sheet settings.
Click the Fit All icon to Zoom Out and change the view so it centers on
the format.

Review Questions
1 Where are my design files stored?
2 Where are Project Templates stored?
3 What is the quickest way to open a project?
4 Where are the settings changes in Setup > Settings dialog box stored?
5 Can I change the size of a border after I have started creating my schematic?
Review Answers
1 Xpedition xDX Designer stores your design files in the project directory tree under the name of
your project. Project specific settings are saved in the project (.prj) file in your project directory.
2 There are project templates included with Xpedition. They are located at
[Drive]:\MentorGraphics\<release>\SDD_HOME\standard\templates\dxdesigner.
You can also create your own templates and save them in your writable or corporate WDIR
directory.
3 To quickly open a design, browse to the .prj file and double click it. This will launch Xpedition
xDX Designer and open the design file.
4 The changes made in Setup > Settings are stored in multiple system files, some
within the project directory, and some within the writable WDIR directory path. Most of the
changes are saved in the Project (.prj) file or the Xpedition xDX Designer.xml file.
5 Sometimes it is difficult to predict in advance just how much room your design might consume
on a sheet (or sheets). You can start a design with a specific border size. Any time during
the design process you can change the border to a size that more closely fits the design
requirement.
37
Lesson 4: Selecting and Verifying Parts with Xpedition xDX Databook

Xpedition xDX Databook is a component information system that offers the
advantage of a centralized component database system. The Xpedition xDX
Databook utility allows you to manage library data more efficiently than ever
before. It increases efficiency by decreasing the number of symbols required to
support the parts in your design environment. Xpedition xDX Databook connects
to any ODBC compliant database and makes the necessary content available to
aid in the part selection process.
Search Window and CL View

There are two ways of looking at library data using Xpedition xDX Databook
searching and browsing. The Search tab provides access to all of the part database
properties through Parametric queries. This is the window you typically use to
place most of the parts on the schematic. The CL View tab is used for browsing
the library database by part number or symbol. This view is typically used for
placement of Local symbols and Hierarchal symbols. Parts placed from CL View
must be verified in Xpedition xDX Databook to update additional properties from
the parametric database prior to schematic release.
When a part is added to the schematic, the Xpedition xDX Databook property
data is also added so the part is complete when it is released onto the schematic.
Xpedition xDX Databook also provides component verification checks to ensure
the property data contained on the symbol in the schematic matches the content
contained within the data source. This prevents incomplete or inaccurate data
from being passed into the PCB design phase.
Configuring Xpedition xDX Databook

The Evaluation Guide and databases include a pre-configured version of
Xpedition xDX Databook. If you wish to learn more about configuring Xpedition
xDX Databook and the ODBC Data source, please see the lessons in the Appendix
for Configuring Xpedition xDX Databook and ODBC Setup.
38 Selecting and Verifying Parts with Xpedition xDX Databook

Opening Xpedition xDX Databook
If your project is not currently open, select File > Open > Project and
select C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\FirstLast\FirstLast.prj.
In the Navigator Pane, double-click on Board1 to the first sheet of the

schematic.
Note: As you create additional schematic sheets, they will appear in the
Navigator hierarchy.
Click the Xpedition xDX Databook icon to open the Xpedition xDX
Databook window. The window opens with the default Search window.
Note: Xpedition xDX Databook is linked to the Evaluation Sample.dbc database
as shown in the Configuration information line.
To allow for more screen area, close or Auto Hide the Output message
window, if it is open.
Selecting and Verifying Parts with Xpedition xDX Databook
39
Libraries with Xpedition xDX Databook

The Library dropdown list contains all available
libraries as described in the database source. The available
libraries are defined as Tables directly in a Microsoft Access
database.
Choose IC from the Library pulldown.

The system now searches the Access database and lists all the
components in the IC library.
Drag the scroll bar located at the bottom of the
Xpedition xDX Databook window to the left.
You should see a column labeled Datasheet. These are links to

Datasheets that describe more about the parts listed in Xpedition xDX
Databook. You can also resize the column as needed.
Click one of the datasheet links.

The Datasheet opens and displays the PDF content.
Note: If you did not install the Xpedition Evaluation in the default location
under C:\Xpedition_Evaluation, then these links will not work.
This Step is not required and is provided for your review.

Note: You can configure any field as an active link. For example, you can
open a simulation model from the schematic. To modify the configuration,
right-click in Xpedition xDX Databook > Configure> Edit Configuration. Then
select the desired library and find the Property Name you want to turn into an
active link. Double-click the icon cell until the icon is the same as shown for the
Datasheet field.
If you opened the configuration (see note at right) click Cancel.

Component Selection with Xpedition xDX Databook
Many schematic capture programs require a unique symbol for every part
number. This can be very time consuming and error prone, and may also
require creation of hundreds of extra schematic symbols. With Xpedition xDX
Databook, the same symbol can be used for thousands of parts, and those parts
can be easily located using queries.
Building a Component Query
From the Library dropdown list, select the Resistor library.

Click Query Builder to start setting the query criteria.
Click Condition in the Query Builder dialog box.
Choose the options from the dropdown lists in each setting to match
the example shown. (VALUE, =, 10K). Click Add to set the criteria.
This applies the search criteria.
Click OK to activate the search based on the criteria.

The resulting data found 19 matches based on the value equaling 10K.
41
Narrowing the Search

Although this is a simple example of how the Query Builder can be used, it
shows you how very advanced queries can be built and added to in order to
narrow your search through possibly thousands of components within your
library.
Now narrow the search further to Resistors with 10K Values and
CC1206 Cell Name. Select the Query Builder again, select the AND
button, select the Condition button, set the 1st field to Cell Name, set
the 2nd to =, set the 3rd to CC1206 then click Add.
Click OK to apply the additional search based on the new criteria.

Notice the quantity of available parts is significantly reduced according
to the search criteria. There are now 6 Matches.

Narrowing the Search, an Alternate Method
Select the Query Builder again and click Back twice to remove the
additional query for the Cell Name, then click OK to reset the search to
the previous query.
In the Top Line of the Xpedition xDX Databook search window, in the
Cell Name column, select the = box, and note the functions available.
Choose = from the dropdown list.
Click the box to the right of the = Box in the Cell Name column and
select the CC1206 Cell Name from the dropdown list and press Enter.
Notice the quantity of available parts has been reduced as with the
previous query.
43
Search and Place
Now lets search for a part with a value of 10K, Cell Name of CC1206
and a Cost of less than 0.04 (cents).
Click Query Builder once more, click AND, then click Condition, set the
1st field to Cost, set the 2nd field to <, set the 3rd field to 0.04.
Note: You can use the Alternate Query method if you choose.
Click Add to include the additional search criteria.

Click OK to apply the new search requirements.
You can also click the column headers to sort the results in ascending
or descending order. In this case, we have already filtered to only four
results but we could have used fewer filters and then sorted the value
column to find the desired part.
Select the Part 103-RES. Notice the entire line is highlighted and both
the symbol and cell can be viewed for the part by selecting the
dropdown list in the Preview window.
Click and drag that symbol onto the schematic and release your mouse
button where you want to place the resistor. You can also drag the
symbol directly from the Symbol Preview window into the schematic
or click Add New Component with All Properties.

Xpedition Cell Preview
The Xpedition Layout Cell Preview pane allows you to graphically verify
that the correct Cell (Land Pattern) will be used in Layout. The preview
window updates when a symbol is selected on a schematic or within the
Xpedition xDX Databook search window.
Enabling the Xpedition Cell Preview Pane
Click Xpedition Cell Preview or select View > Other Windows >
Xpedition Cell Preview.
Note: If you dont see this button then you may need to enable the
toolbar in View > Toolbars > Addins.
Select the symbol you placed in the schematic or any part in the
Xpedition xDX Databook search window.
The PCB cell appears in the Xpedition Cell Preview Window.

Close the Xpedition Cell Preview window by clicking the X.
45
View and Edit Properties

Click the Properties icon to open the Properties window if it is not
already open. All the properties are on the symbol. These properties
were added to the generic symbol by Xpedition xDX Databook, using data
from the Access database when the part was added to the schematic. By
using this method, you do not have to worry about making manual errors
when adding the properties.
While in the Properties window, change the Value property field from
10K to 100K by entering the new value in the Value column.
Note: We made a unique change to a part so the part number no longer matches
the defined power rating. This condition could lead to a very expensive problem
due to the way parts are ordered through a companys purchasing department. Part
numbers that do not match corresponding properties generally lead to overstocks
and delays in schedule. Both are costly to correct and can be avoided if a Xpedition
xDX Databook configuration is in place. Lets look at how Xpedition xDX Databook
can find these inconsistencies and resolve them quickly.
With Xpedition xDX Databook still active and listing available resistors, select
and drag another schematic symbol onto the schematic sheet. There should
now be two new displayed symbols. (Follow the instructions in Step 7 in the
previous topic: Search and Place).
Change the Library: setting from Resistor to Capacitor.
Now assume you need a decoupling capacitor but have not decided on
the decoupling capacitor value to use. Select any available capacitor
listed in the Xpedition xDX Databook pane, then click Add New Component
with only Common Properties to add a generic component to the schematic.
Note: You will receive a Warning that the Component does not have a Part Number.
You will fix this later.
With the new part active on your cursor, move both the cursor and the
symbol over the working area and click to complete the part placement.
Note: If you look at the Properties Editor, you will notice the capacitor has no Value
property, not to mention many other missing properties. pre_rebrand_VLA can run
a complete verification to ensure all parts are compliant with the database.

Verification in Xpedition xDX Databook
Xpedition xDX Databook can run verification on a group of selected items, a
single page, or an entire design. The functionality is similar but for this exercise
you will verify the parts we just placed.
Verification
Click the Selection Filter icon located on the toolbar. Enable only the
Symbol check box.
Click and drag a selection box or CTRL + Left-click to select the three
symbols we just added via Xpedition xDX Databook.
Click New Live Verification Window in the Xpedition xDX Databook

dialog box.
NOTE: You can also use this button for verifying an entire page if no items are
selected when it is activated. If you needed to run Verification on an entire
design schematic, you would click New Hierarchical Verification Window
button, located directly below the New Live Verification Window button.
A new Verify window opens showing the three parts color-coded. If we

click on any of the parts, that part is highlighted in the schematic.
(Yellow) Indicates a component has multiple matches. This is the
generic part we added with Common Properties.
(Green) Indicates the properties on the schematic match the database.
(Red) Indicates that there is a conflict between the database and the
schematic and no parts match. This is the part where we changed the
Value so it no longer matches the Part Number.
47
Verification (Continued)
Fix the problem with the capacitor which is not correctly specified.
Double-click on the Yellow Circle.
A search window opens with the common properties automatically
applied as filters.
Select any part listed in the Xpedition xDX Databook dialog.
Click Annotate Component With All Properties to add the correct part
information.
Notice the circle changes from yellow to green and the Properties
Editor now shows the capacitor as a completely defined symbol/part.

Verification (continued)
Now we will correct the part with the problem we created when we changed
the Value to 100K.
Correcting a Database Conflict
Double-click on the part that contains the last remaining red circle.
Scroll through the window that appears and notice the properties in
red. Notice the Value is in red because it does not match the database.
Scroll over the Value property name, right-click and choose Remove
Condition.
The system searches the database and finds the part that matches the
previously defined conditions. Notice that the verify routine has locked
onto a single part.
Click on the new part number.

Click the Annotate Component With All Properties icon to change to
the new part.
We have now corrected the problem of the properties and the part
number not being equal.
The Properties window now shows that the resistor has all the
properties of the part you selected.
Select File > Close Project.
49
Review Questions
1 What is the advantage of using Xpedition xDX Databook?
2 Will Xpedition xDX Databook work with my existing component database?
3 How complex can I make my search parameters?
4 Why use Verification in Xpedition xDX Databook?
Review Answers
1 Sorting through a library of a couple of hundred parts might be tedious, but not impossible. Doing
the same for a library (or libraries) of thousands of parts would be extremely time-consuming
and difficult to manage. Fortunately, Xpedition xDX Databook provides the ability to perform very
complex filtering and searches on large databases of components and presents you with a selection
of candidate parts.
2 Xpedition xDX Databook will work with most ODBC-compliant databases allowing you to access
the wealth of purchasing and engineering data that may already exist within your company. This
connectivity also extends the capability to populate the properties of components in your design
directly from the information in your company database(s).
3 Xpedition xDX Databook allows you to build very complex searches so that you can quickly narrow
a search of thousands of components down to a select few for consideration in your design. These
searches are cumulative, so you can start out with a broad range of parameters and then add
additional qualifiers until you have found the desired part.
4 When creating a schematic with a large number of symbols, you may need to edit values and
properties as the design evolves. These changes can sometimes elude updating until later
in the design process. Verification allows you to periodically compare your design database
against your component database to resolve any changes or conflicts.

Lesson 5: Placing Symbols in the Schematic
You have learned that Xpedition xDX Designer, through the use of Xpedition xDX
Databook, can make schematic component placement very easy. Xpedition xDX
Designer also has several useful tools to help speed up your placement of the entire
schematic.
Note: In the following exercises, you will construct the schematic shown below.
Placing Symbols for a New Circuit

Open C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1\Lesson1.prj and then select
File > New > Schematic, or click New and choose Schematic.
Note: The new schematic sheet you created is located in the Blocks section of
the design. This is because the Project already has a base schematic within it.
Right-click the Schematic sheet name (Schematic1) in the Navigator and

rename it to Logic_FirstLast (for example, Logic_JohnSmith).
Placing Symbols in the Schematic
51
Placing Parts
Previously we placed parts in a schematic using the Xpedition xDX Databook
search window. For these next few lessons we will use the CL Symbol view to
place parts. CL View allows you to place generic parts quickly, but you will need
to update the Properties within them using Xpedition xDX Databook Verification
prior to integrating your schematic with PCB layout.
Placing Parts Into the Schematic (Manually)

In the Xpedition xDX Databook window, click the CL View tab, then click
the Symbol View tab, and enter the symbol filter RES. Only symbols
starting with RES are shown.
Select resistor from the library Sample.
In the Symbol Preview window, place the cursor over the resistor. 1 shape,
then click and drag the symbol into the schematic working area.
Add a second symbol by selecting Clear Filters and then enter capn in the
Symbol Filter text box.
Xpedition xDX Databook lists CAPNONPOL.
Select CAPNONPOL from the library Sample.

Place the cursor over the symbol, then click and drag the shape into the
working area.
Take note that when you place symbols from the CL or Search windows of
Xpedition xDX Databook, the preview of the symbol is available.
52 Placing Symbols in the Schematic

Placing Parts into the Schematic (continued)
Click Clear Filters and then expand the library partition Sample by
selecting the [+] item.
Find and place 145421 using the same method described in step 4.
Placing Parts from Xpedition xDX Databook with Alternate

Cell Selection
Open the Search window in Xpedition xDX Databook by clicking New
Search Window.
Select the Library IC, and find the symbol 74192 using the top line
query method in the Symbol column. Select the Part 511-5V_IC.
Note: There are two cells listed in the Symbol Preview dropdown list: the
Default SO16, and the Alternate DIP16. Clicking each of them shows a
preview of the Cell.
From the dropdown list, select DIP16 and check the Fixed box.
Place the component on the schematic by clicking Add New
Component with All Properties.
Note: The component has been placed to use the Alternate Cell during
PCB layout. Checking the Fixed box tells the designer that the Cell Name
property is fixed for primary placement.
Right-click to stop placement of further symbols. You should now

have 4 symbols on your schematic.
53
Adding Power and Ground Connections
Open the Settings dialog selecting Setup > Settings.

Navigate to Project > Special Components. Then, select Power from
the dropdown list and verify that the pwr.1 symbol is available from the
Globals library. (If available, go to Step 4.)
If not, click New. A new dialog box opens which allows you to browse
the libraries for a power symbol. Select the pwr.1 symbol from the
Globals library. Click OK.
Follow the same process as described in step 2, but this time select
Ground in the Special Components dialog box. If the symbol gnd.1 is
available from the Globals library, go to Step 5. If not, click New and
select gnd.1 from the Globals library, then select OK.
Note: Project > Boards > Special Components can contain as many Global Power and
Ground symbols as you need in your designs. It also contains Ports for hierarchical
designs and Off Page Links for cross referencing.
Select OK to exit the Settings dialog.

The Power and Ground symbols are now available for placement using the
My Parts window, Special Components section. When you place these
symbols, they default based on your settings from steps 3 and 4.

Placing Symbols using the My Parts toolbox
Placing symbols using the My Parts dialog can enhance your productivity by
allowing placement of commonly used symbols, along with Favorites and
Recently Used symbols without having to re-define searches using Xpedition
xDX Databook.
Select View > My Parts to open the toolbox.

Click the Special Components section of My Parts, then select and drag
the gnd.1 symbol onto the schematic as shown.
Repeat step 2 and place the pwr.1 on the schematic.
Click the Recently Used section of My Parts, then place one more of
each gnd.1 and pwr.1 symbols on the schematic. This is an easy method
to utilize symbols already placed within your schematic.
Click on the Favorites section of My Parts, then from the Symbol

Preview window of Xpedition xDX Databook drag the 74192 symbol to
the section. Any parts that you will use often in the schematic can be
placed here so that you do not to search for them again.
NOTE: The Symbol Preview window appears at the far right of the
xDX Databook window when you select the CL tab. See Step 3 of Placing Parts
on Page 53 for a quick reference.
Right-click the 74192 symbol in the Favorites section and click Delete
item to remove it from the section.
Close the My Parts toolbox.
55
Copying Symbols
You are going to need two resistors in this schematic example. Press and
hold the CTRL key, then click to select and drag away from the first resistor.
As you drag your mouse, a copy of the resistor attaches to your cursor and
is ready for placement.
Make sure there is plenty of room next to the capacitor for 2 copies. If not,
move it by selecting the part and dragging to a new location.
Using the previous method (CTRL + Left-click and drag) add two more
capacitors.
Click and draw a selection box around the second GND symbol.
Note: Hold the ALT key while drawing your selection box and only objects
completely within the box will be selected.
Press the CTRL + C keys to create a new copy and place it into the clipboard.
Press the CTRL + V keys and a ghost image of the copied symbol is attached
to your cursor.
Click to place the new GND symbol to the right of the other two.
Note: Right-click to remove the part from your cursor once the new
part is placed.

Arrays
You can use the Array feature to add components and to add net labels.
You can also use it to add multiple objects.
Using Arrays
Click on the capacitor to select it.

Click Array to begin the arraying process.
Fill in the dialog box as shown in the figure: Rows = 3,
Columns = 1.
Click OK. The parts are automatically added and as
you drag the cursor, you can expand the array until the
parts are spaced as shown (3 rows and 1 column).
57
Rotating Symbols
There are three ways to rotate objects within Xpedition xDX Designer. The
first is to use the Rotate button. The second way uses the F3 button during
placement or move. The third way uses the options from the popup menu.
Lets review a few examples.
Rotate a Symbol
Click one of the resistors to select it. Click Rotate 90 Degrees.
Note: The Rotate 90 Degrees button is located on the Transform toolbar. If the
toolbar is not active, go to View > Toolbars and select Transform.
Click and hold on one of the resistors, then drag the cursor.
Note: The symbol moves with the cursor.
While you move the part, press the F3 key and notice the part rotates.
Release the mouse to place the rotated resistor.
Right-click on one of the capacitors, then select Transform > Rotate
from the popup menu.
Note: The part rotates at the cursor.
Use the u hotkey combination to undo this rotation.
Flip and Mirror a Symbol
Select the IC symbol on the right.
Click the Flip icon on the Transform toolbar. This flips the entire symbol
along the X-axis. Click Flip again to return the symbol to normal.
Select the same IC again, this time click the Mirror icon. Notice the
Symbol now mirrors along the Y-axis. Click Mirror again to reset the
symbol to normal.
Moving Components using Dynamic Grid Alignment Markers

You will arrange the components similar to the picture shown. Xpedition
xDX Designer has Dynamic Alignment tools to make the task of arranging
components easier.
On the Grid toolbar enable Show Alignment Markers.
Select the first capacitor symbol and drag it to the desired location.
Release the mouse to drop the symbol.
Select the second capacitor symbol and place as shown..
Select each of the remaining capacitor symbols and note the Dynamic
Alignment Markers showing that the symbols are aligned and at the
same spacing as the two symbols placed in steps 2 through 4.
Place the PWR symbols as shown and note the grid alignment markers
show when the symbols are aligned in both the X and Y axis.
Place the remaining symbols as shown using the grid alignment

markers.
Grid Alignment Markers can also be used to align text or other objects
Delete the two capacitors on the lower right by selecting them and
pressing the Delete key.
Note: Another way to do this is to right-click and select Delete from the menu
that appears.
59
Aligning Components using Align Commands

Using the CTRL + Left-click, select the 2 resistors and ground symbol as
shown.
Click the Align Center icon on the Transform toolbar to line up these
symbols on their centers.
Note: You can Align components by; Left, Center, Right, Top, Middle,
and Bottom
Close the project.

Review Questions
1 Can I mirror a symbol such as a transistor or logic gate?
2 Am I limited to the PWR and GND symbols that are supplied in the libraries
with Xpedition xDX Designer?
3 When would I want to create an array of components?
4 Do Properties rotate with a symbol?
Review Answers
1 You can easily mirror a symbol during placement by using the Mirror
icon on the Transform Toolbar, or right-click and select the Mirror
command from the popup menu.
2 Though the Xpedition xDX Designer libraries contain a selection of PWR
and GND symbols, you are free to add any custom symbols to the library
that you require in your design.
3 Many designs contain groups of identical components such as switches,
LEDs or decoupling capacitors. For example, some designers put all of
the decoupling capacitors for a design in a group arrangement on the
last page of the schematic. Using the Array command, you can place
large groupings of these components with a few mouse clicks.
4 Properties do rotate with a symbol. However, you must be careful when
doing this if you want the visible properties to maintain a specific visual
relationship to the component. In some cases, such as discrete
components (capacitors, resistors, diodes), it is preferable to create a
separate symbol for a horizontal orientation and another for the
vertical orientation. This eliminates the need to make any fine tuning
adjustments to the visible properties after you place the symbols.
61
Lesson 6: Wiring the Schematic

Connecting the Components with Nets
There are several ways to add nets to components. This section demonstrates
several.
Connecting by Abutment
Open C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1\Lesson1.prj, then in the Blocks

section, double-click the schematic Logic_FirstLast. The sheet opens.
Zoom in on the ICs. To do this click Zoom Area and create a frame around
the two IC symbols, or zoom in using the Mouse Scroll Wheel.
Select one of the ICs and drag it such that the pins of the selected IC
touch those of the unselected IC and notice the Connectivity Advisor
which appears as a small asterisk (*) on each of the pins.
Release the part by releasing the left mouse button.
Select the part again and drag it away from the first IC. The pins are
automatically connected.
Creating Nets Using Net Mode
Click Net (or enter n using the keyboard) to enter Add Net mode.
Add a connection to Pin 4 of the IC. Select the pin and drag the
connection to the left. When the net is long enough release the left
mouse button to drop the connection.
Repeat step 7 for pins 5, 9, and 6 on the IC located on the left hand side.
Press ESC or click Select to exit net mode.
62 Wiring the Schematic
Creating Nets using Multi-Net Connection

You can automatically connect multiple pins based on your selection order to
speed up connecting your schematic.
Select Add > Multi-net connection.

On the left IC, use frame select to select pins 14 and 19 in the order
shown. Start your frame selection from the Top and to the Right of the
pins.
NOTE: The selection order of the nets is numbered.
To add the connections, frame select the upper pins on the two
capacitors in the order you want them to be connected. Note the
connection ordering numbers. Stay in Multinet connection mode and
proceed to the next exercise.
NOTE: Do not right-click to exit the command.
Manually selecting Multiple Pins
While still in the Multi-net connection mode, select pin 7 on the left IC.
While pressing the CTRL key, also select pins 12 and 11. Note the
ordering.
Now release the CTRL key and select Pin 2 of the lower left resistor,
then select Pins 1 and 2 of the upper left resistor in the proper order
as shown.
Right-click to exit the Multi-net connection command.

Click the Undo icon from the Main toolbar to remove these connections
so you can practice connecting the nets outside of net mode in the next
segment.
63
Creating Nets Outside of Net Mode

Right-click pin 1 of the IC that is on the left side of the schematic.
Move the cursor in an upward direction as shown in the graphic.
As you move the cursor, a net is added and follows the cursor location.
Right-click to add a vertice to the connection.
Move the cursor directly to the left as shown in the graphic.
Right-click to add a vertice to the connection.
Move the cursor in a downard direction towards the upper pin of the
resistor.
Left-click to select the resistors upper pin to connect the net to it.
Multi-pin Component Insertion

You can also create connections in your schematic by placing components on
pre-existing connection lines. The connections will automatically split to make the
component connections.
Select the capacitor as shown and move it over the connection you added
in steps 1 through 3.

Multi-pin Component Insertion (continued)
Release the left mouse button when the Connectivity Advisor shows
the connections, and the capacitor splits the connection and connects.
Create the connections as shown on the schematic using any of the
methods you have learned. Move the components if needed, as you
have been shown in previous lessons. Do not worry about assigning
signal names at this point. You will do that next.
65
Cutting Net Connections

You can easily cut net connections in your schematic. If the connections are already
named, one of the new connections created will keep the net name and a new net
name will be assigned to the additional net connection.
Select Edit > Cut Nets or select the Cut Nets icon
from the toolbar.
Draw the section to cut the nets between the two ICs.
Release the mouse button to complete the net cutting.
Press the ESC key to release the Cut Nets mode.
Click Undo
to re-connect the nets.

Naming Nets and Placing Labels
Naming Nets
Double-click on the Net from pin 13 of the IC symbol on the left side
(bottom of device).
Note: If you have difficulty selecting a net, set the Selection Filter to
enable Net and Bus.
The Properties window opens. Enter the name C/BE3.

Select the net name and drag it to the left of the net.
NOTE: Be sure to only select the net name, not the net itself. You may need to
zoom in or adjust the Selection Filter to enable Name.
Double-click on the net connection from pin 21, then name this signal
C/BE2.
Click in an open area to release the signal name and the selected
connection.
Now select the signal name again, and drag the signal name to its
desired location.
67
Adding Names Using the Navigator

In the schematic, select the net connected to pin 4 of the IC on the left.
The corresponding net in the Navigator is highlighted.
In the Navigator, right-click Rename, then enter the desired name and
click Enter. Rename the net connected to pin 4 to ~CE. Using a ~ will
create an inverted pin name.
Another way to set pin inversion is to use True/False in the Properties
window.
Adding Symbols with Named Net Stubs

You can also add nets when you place symbols in the schematic.
From the Xpedition xDX Databook Search window, open the Sample
library, IC Partition and find the 74192 symbol.
Before placing the symbol on the schematic, check Add Component
with Net Stubs and Add Pin Labels To Nets on the right side of the
Search window.
Click Add New Component With All Properties icon and place the
component on the schematic.
Notice that all pins have net stubs and their names correspond to the
associated pins.
Delete this symbol and its connected net stubs from the schematic.

Setting Properties for Parts
Property Visibility
Open the Property window by selecting the Properties icon or by
double-clicking the desired object.
Select the IC on the right.
Note: The properties for this component are displayed in the Property window.
To make a property type visible you can check the box next to the property.
Check the box next to Cell Name. Notice Cell Name is now shown below
the symbol.
To make only the value visible check the box next to DIP16 (fixed) and
uncheck the box next to Cell Name. Now only the value DIP16 (fixed) is
visible.
69
Adding New Properties

To add a new property on the schematic, the property must be defined
in the Property Definition Editor within Library Manager (Tools > Library
Manager, then Tools > Property Definition Editor). This helps users
standardize on required properties within the company and also prevents
typing mistakes.
Note: If any new Properties are required in your designs, you must add them in
Xpedition xDX Library Manager first. After making a change, you will have to run
Tools > Update Libraries or exit and re-invoke Xpedition xDX Designer before the
properties are available for assignment.
Select the IC on the left then and you will add some properties.
In the Property window click in the blank cell at the bottom of the list
and select Part Number from the list.
Enter 510_5V_IC for Value and turn off the visibility check boxes
for the Property and Value.
Continue to enter the following property information:
Cell Name = SO24L
Datasheet = C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library\Datasheets\
MC145421.PDF
Note: This last step links the part to a datasheet. A link can be made to
any type of document or website. The document can be launched
directly from the schematic.
Select the symbol and then right-click and choose

Open Hyperlink > Datasheet.
Note: This opens the appropriate datasheet in Adobe Acrobat.
In Adobe Acrobat, close the datasheet.

Change/Edit Properties
Manually
Select the resistor on the bottom left.
Add or change the following properties:
Part Number
107-RES
Cell Name
CC1206
Value
5.1K
Tolerance
1%
Power
250mW
Using xDX Databook

Select the resistor on the top left.
Right-click and select Load into xDX DataBook.
In xDX Databook, select Part Number 101-RES.
Click Annotate Component With All Properties and the properties are
added to the resistor component.
71
Adding Properties to Parts Simultaneously

Select one of the capacitors.
CTRL + click on each of the other two capacitors.
Note: All three of the capacitors are selected and their
properties are listed in the Property Editor.
In the Properties window click in the blank cell at the

bottom of the list to add a new property.
In the Property field select Part Number.
In the Value field enter 12301-CAP.
Select Enter to complete the property assignment. Now

if you select each capacitor individually you will notice
they all have the same Part Number property.
Add the following properties to all three capacitors
using the Manual or Xpedition xDX Databook method
you have already learned.
Cell Name
CC1206
Value
10uF
Tolerance
5%
Voltage
16V
When you have finished adding the properties, review
the assignment on each individual part, then close the
schematic sheet.
TIP: In the last sections you have learned how to
manually add and change Properties on components,
but remember the IC you placed on the right? Notice
that we did not have to add or change any Properties in
it because we used the Xpedition xDX Databook Search
window to place it. You can save time in your designs by
placing all your components this way!

Working with the Bus Model

Creating a Bus
Click New > Schematic to begin a new schematic.

The new schematic is now found in the Blocks section on the Project
Navigator and it is called Schematic1.
In Xpedition xDX Databook, click Show CL View or the CL View tab.
Select the Symbol View tab.
Expand the Sample library partition using the [+]button and highlight
the SymbolTest symbol.
Click Place Symbol to place the symbols on the schematic as shown.

Right-click to release the cursor from Placement mode.
Note: You could also enter SymbolTest into the search field above the
results display area and let Xpedition xDX Databook find any matches in the list
of libraries.
Zoom in to the left side of the symbols.

Using the Bus button, place a vertical bus labeled A[15:0] to the left
of the symbols.
Label the bus by assigning the A[15:0] value to the Name property for
the bus.
73
Connecting a Bus to Component Nets

There are two ways to connect these symbols to this bus. The first method
connects the nets from the bus to the component.
Right-click on the bus (directly across from the pin 2 on the left, below
CLK) where you want the first net to connect and click Rip Nets.
Select the nets you want to use. In this example, we are going to use
A[15:8] from the Rip Nets dialog to connect to the top symbol.
Verify that the Grid is enabled (Grid On).

Click OK to place the nets on the bus starting where you last clicked.
Use the CTRL+SHIFT+Mouse Scroll Wheel to spread the Bus Bits as
needed. When the net lines are in-line and touching the symbol pins, click
to connect them.
When you release your mouse, the nets will be connected.
NOTE: The properties are the ripped bit indicator. These indicate
which bit of the bus is attached to a particular net.

Connecting Component Nets to a Bus
This is the second way to connect these symbols to this bus. This method
connects the nets from the component to the bus.
Select the bus nets you added in the previous steps.
Click Copy to place the nets in the clipboard.
Click Paste, then click near the lower IC and move the pasted nets to
the location as shown. Press the ESC key on your keyboard to exit the
Paste command.
Note: The Connection symbols (*) help to adjust the nets into place.
Use the Add Properties Mode button to invoke the Add Properties
dialog box, and set the following.
Type = Net
Property = Name
Range = Enabled
Prefix = A
Value Dec= 7 and Delta = -1
This names all of the nets and allows you to use the cursor to drag
them to connect up to the bus.
Click Apply to place the Bus Bits.
Click on one of the nets to drag them towards the Bus. When the nets
are over the bus, release the left mouse button to connect them.
Close Add Properties.
75
Review Questions
1 Do I need to connect every net at all points?
2 Why add names to nets?
3 Which properties should I make visible in my designs?
4 When would I add properties to parts simultaneously?
5 Why would I use a bus to represent connectivity of multiple connections?
Review Answers
1 As long as the schematic accurately represents the desired connectivity, it is not necessary to connect
every net to all points. Connectivity can be established by naming the nets, and as long as all net stubs are
identically named, connectivity will exist.
2 In addition to establishing connectivity, net names also help identify signals in very complex designs. Some
designers will name their nets with a convention that represents the source and destination of the net (such
as FPGA_A\S3_A_MEM_A_ADDR0). This makes it easy to identify the purpose and connectivity of a net just
by examining the name.
3 Which properties you choose to make visible is primarily a decision based upon the intent of the
document. Most designers choose to have reference designators (Ref Designator) visible along with
component values, tolerances, wattages and component names. This is a very individual decision and each
company may find it necessary to set their own standard. Xpedition xDX Designer allows you to set visibility
of properties down to the individual component level.
4 If your design contains a quantity of identical components, it may save a lot of time if you select the
group of components (either in the workspace or through the Navigator) and then assign/change the
properties for all of the components simultaneously. This helps to promote uniformity and continuity across
the design. Remember to verify the components with Xpedition xDX Databook when you have finished the
design.
5 You can accomplish connectivity by using individual nets to connect each point, or by naming each of
the nets. Showing all of the connections on a schematic can make the schematic difficult to read and add
unnecessary visual clutter. An alternative is to use a bus to represent a group of nets (such as an address or
data bus) that connect to a number of points (or sheets). This allows you to show the connections at the
components but represent the group across the design with a single (wide) net line. The bus is identified
with a label that shows all of the signals represented by the bus (such as ADDR_BUS_0:15).
Lesson 7: Creating Rules and Constraints with Constraint Manager

Xpedition has a built-in constraint management system. The Constraint Manager
gives you the capabilities to create and manage constraint-based designs in a
synchronized front-end and back-end environment. Constraint Manager is a
spreadsheet interface common to both Xpedition xDX Designer and Xpedition
xPCB Layout linked through the iCDB database. This system allows you to
develop and maintain all of your design constraints between the schematic and
PCB layout. The constraint information can consist of clearance constraints,
placement and routing constraints, and high speed constraints.
You can also define and manage advanced rules for differential pairs, components
and net classes directly from Constraint Manager. When you select an object in
the schematic, you can cross probe directly with Constraint Manager to view
the constraints that are assigned. Constraints are synchronized between the
schematic and PCB layout during the Forward and Backward Annotation process.
Entering Constraints
From the Start Page in Xpedition xDX Designer, click Recent, and select
Lesson1,
Double-click on Corporate to open the first sheet of the schematic.
Select the [+] next to Corporate to see all the schematic sheets.
Double-click on the PCI_Connection sheet to open the schematic
sheet.
To open the Constraint Manager Spreadsheet Editor, select the
Constraint Manager icon from the Main toolbar, then select Constraint
Manager.
Note: All Constraints within the spreadsheet editor are maintained within the
iCDB for both the Xpedition xDX Designer and Xpedition layout tools.
Creating Rules and Constraints with Constraint Manager
77
Introduction to the Constraint Manager Spreadsheet Interface
Menus
Toolbars
Navigator
Pane
Output
Window
Status Bar
78 Creating Rules and Constraints with Constraint Manager
Constraint
Tabs
Spreadsheet Workspace

Toolbars
The General Toolbar
Exit
Copy
Cut
Paste
The Filters Toolbar
Undo
Settings
Redo
Cross
Probing
Stackup
Editor
Enable/Disable
Filters
Filter
Levels
Constraint Group
Filters List
79
The Views Toolbar

Show/Hide
Output
The Topology Toolbar

Minimum
Spanning Tree Custom
Chained Netline
Order
Show/Hide
Navigator
The Export Toolbar

Export
Encrypted CSV
The Sort Toolbar

Sort
Ascending
Sort
Descending
The Find Toolbar
The Tools Toolbar

Constraint
Template Editor
CES
Diagnostics
The Clearances Toolbar
Insert
Delete
Next
Comment Comment Comment
Edit
Previous
Comment Comment
The Pairs Toolbar

Auto Selected Nets
Pin Pair Differential Pair
General
Clearances
Class-to-Class
Auto Assign
Differential
Pair
The Help Toolbar
Find Text Box

Find
Phrase
iCDB Project
Backup
The Comment Toolbar
Help Text Box

Find
Find in
Manual
Online
Table of Contents
Remove
Differential
Pair

Opening Constraint Manager and Cross Probing
In Xpedition xDX Designer, select Setup > Settings > Cross Probing and
set the options as shown. Click OK to save changes.
Select the Zoom Area button and generate a zoom box around the
upper left hand corner of the screen.
In the Constraint Manager window, on the Main toolbar, select
the Cross Probe icon. You can also turn on Cross Probing using
Setup > Cross Probing. This allows you to dynamically highlight nets and
pins within the spreadsheet editor, or on the schematic, depending on
where you select the items.
Click the CLK_IN net from within the working area of the schematic.
Note: If you are not able to select the net, you may need to modify your
Selection Filter settings. Click the Selection Filter button.
81
Opening Constraint Manager and Cross Probing (continued)

With the net selected, the spreadsheet window shows the constraints
associated with this net.
In Constraint Manager, find the net BSYNC+ and click on the Box to
the left of the net. Notice that the net is selected and viewed in the
schematic working area. In Constraint Manager, cross probing is
bi-directional between the spreadsheet and the schematic and/or the
PCB Layout.

Filtering FromTo, Pin Pair, and Pin in Constraint Manager
You can cross probe to nets in your design, but often you may need to cross
probe deeper within the net hierarchy down to the pins.
From the Constraint Manager menu, select Filters > Levels > All. The full
hierarchy of the nets becomes available within your design, including:
from-tos, pin pairs, and pins.
Notice that the nets now have a + next to each of them. Click the +
to expand the net BSYNC+ and see all of the pins within the net.
Click the box to the left of the pin P1-1 below the BSYNC+ net and note
in the schematic window that you have cross probed to the pin level
within the net.
83
Constraint Manager General Clearances

In Constraint Manager, General Clearances allow you to define clearance
values between design objects that you do not specify in the Constraint
Manager Spreadsheet Clearances page. These are global clearance rules that
are specified when no Net Class relationship is required.
In Constraint Manager, select the Clearances spreadsheet tab.

Click the General Clearances toolbar button to open the General
Clearance Rules dialog box.
Look over the different General Clearances that can be adjusted in your
design. Since all of these current clearances are used within the PCB
Layout phase, we will leave them as is for now.
Click Cancel.

Constraint Manager Schemes
Schemes in Constraint Manager define categories of physical

design rules that will be used during PCB Layout. When you open
Constraint Manager, there are two Default schemes.
The Master Scheme represents the Default constraints for
Clearances and Trace and Via Properties for the entire design.
These values will be used if no unique constraints or rule areas are
applied.
The Minimum Scheme is read-only. It represents an overview
of the minimum values entered for Clearances and Trace and Via
Properties across all of the schemes within the design. It provides
the user with an easy method to review any entered constraints
that may be unacceptable.
In the Navigator window within Constraint Manager, click

the + next to Schemes to expand and view the Master
scheme.
Expand Trace &Via Properties, click on Default clearances
to see the Master Trace & Via properties that will be used in
the design.
Expand Trace & Via Properties and review the different
settings that will be used for specific Net Classes within your
design. You can create as many Schemes, or Groups of
clearances within schemes, as you need for your design.
Click Default Rule under the Clearances within the
Master scheme. These are the default clearances that will
be used in the design. You may need to scroll to the right in
the spreadsheet to see all of the clearance rules that you
can set within a design.
Now, lets create and assign a new Clearance rule that we
will use later in the design.
85
Creating Clearances
In this exercise, we will create a High Speed clearance used for Clock
signals. In PCB layout, this rule is often referred to as a 3W rule.
It is used on signals to reduce crosstalk between other signals in a
design. The 3W means 3 times the width of the signal trace, spacing
from center to center. Often, a PCB designer may enter these rules
in the board, but with Constraint Manager we can create them in the
schematic and pass them to the PCB designer.
First, lets look at the Trace & Via Properties for the CLOCKS
In the Navigator, expand Trace & Via properties and click CLOCKS.
Note that the Typical Trace Width is set to 6 for all Clock signals.
Now that we know the trace width, we can build a 3W rule for the
clock signals with a Trace to Trace Spacing of 12.
Right-click on Clearances in the Navigator and select

New Clearance Rule .
Name the rule HS_3W, then click on the HS_3W rule.
In the spreadsheet, find the Trace To Trace column, then in the

Top box set the default to 12 and press Enter.
Click OK in the dialog box that appears. Note that all layers of the
design now have a Trace to Trace spacing set to 12.

Assigning Clearances
Now that we have created the rule for the Clock signals,
we need to assign it so that it will maintain the specific
clearances to other Net Class clearances within the design.
Click the Class to Class Clearance Rules icon in the
Clearances toolbar.
The Class to Class Clearances dialog box opens and is set

to the Master Scheme.
Under the (ALL) column, choose HS_3W from the

CLOCKS Net Class dropdown list. This assigns the HS_3W
rule to all nets within the Net Class CLOCKS, and applies
it against ALL other nets within the design.
Click OK. Your Clock signal spacing rule has been
completed and saved to the database.
Note: If you do not assign a Class to Class Clearance rule to a
Net Class, then the Default rules will be used.
87
Creating Net Classes

Net Classes are used to create Physical Constraints for nets or
groups of nets within your design.
In the Navigator, click the + next to Net Classes, then

right-click on Net Classes and select New Net Class.
Name the New Net Class CLOCK2 and click the CLOCK2
Net Class.
Right-click on CLOCK2, and select Assign Nets
In the Assign Physical Nets to Net Class dialog box, make
sure the Source Net Class is Default and the Target Net
Class is CLOCK2.
In the Search Bar, enter CLK_IN, then click on the Search
icon.
Click > to move the net CLK_IN to the CLOCK2 Net
Class, then click OK.
Repeat steps 3 through 6 to add CLK_3584MEG to the

CLOCK2 Net Class you created.
Create a New Net Class called PWR_020_MIL using
the previous methods. This prepares you for the next
lesson where you will learn a different method for
adding nets to a Net Class.

Assigning Nets Using Constraint Editor
Constraint Editor is an embedded constraint editor that you can use directly
within Xpedition xDX Designer or Xpedition xPCB Layout. Constraint Editor
improves your design productivity through context-driven operations that
allow you to view and edit constraint data while editing your design.
In the PCI_Connection schematic sheet, Zoom into the area shown.

Select the nets GND and VDD.
While hovering over one of the selected nets, right-click and select Edit
Constraints. Constraint Editor opens both of the nets shown.
Note: Since these are Power Nets, you may need to show the Power
Nets Bar. Select Bars > Configure and make sure Power Nets is selected.
In Constraint Editor, change the Net Class for all of the selected nets to
PWR_020_MIL by selecting it from the dropdown list for the net in the
first column. Then right-click on the Netclass row in the first column
and select Apply Value to All Columns.
Using Constraint Editor, find the nets VDDQ3.3V and V2.7 and assign
them to Net Class PWR_020_MIL using Constraint Editor.
Close Constraint Editor.
89
Creating a Differential Pair

On the PCI_Connection sheet, use the Home key or the Fit
All icon to zoom full.
Click Zoom Area and window the area in the upper left hand
corner of the page near the USER I/F CONNECTOR.
Select the signal BSYNC-, then while pressing the CTRL key
select the signal BSYNC+ .
In the Constraint Manager Spreadsheet (which should still be
open), the nets BSYNC- and BSYNC+ are selected.
Create a New Net Class called BSYNC.
While hovering over the BSYNC+ net in Constraint Manager,
right-click and choose Assign Net(s) to Net Class from the
popup menu.
In the Select Net Class dialog box, select BSYNC and then
click OK.
In Constraint Manager, select BSYNC+ and BSYNC-, then
right-click and choose Create Differential Pair from the
popup menu. Notice that the nets are now linked as a Diff
Pair and their Net Class is set to BSYNC.

Creating a Constraint Class
Constraint Classes are used to create Electrical Constraints for nets or groups
of nets.
In the Navigator, select the + next to Constraint Classes to expand the
list, then right-click on Constraint Classes and select New Constraint Class.
Name the New Constraint Class BSYNC.

Select the Diff Pair Row in Constraint Manager for BSYNC+, BSYNC-, then
right-click and choose Assign Differential Pair(s) to Constraint Class from
the popup menu.
In the Select Constraint Class dialog box, select the BSYNC constraint class,
then click OK. The Diff Pair is added to the Constraint Class.
Note: You may need to sort Constraint Class/Net column to see the Constraint
Class. You can also select the BSYNC constraint class in the Navigator to filter out
everything except the assigned nets.
Ordering Nets and Diff Pairs for Routing

You may be required to route nets or diff pairs in a specific ordering topology.
Constraint Manager allows you to create Custom Routing Topologies that can
be passed to layout in Xpedition. When ordering diff pair signals, Constraint
Manager handles both nets at the same time.
Right-click in the toolbar area and select the Topology toolbar, if not
already visible.
Select the BSYNC+, BSYNC- diff pair if it is not still selected, then click
the Netline Order button on the Topology toolbar.
Note: Currently, the Diff Pair is shown as a Custom Topology with No Ordering
in Constraint Manager.
91
Ordering Nets and Diff Pairs for Routing (continued)

The Netline Order dialog box appears.
Select the connection on the net P2-B2 and note that the first
From pin is populated.
Select the connection on the net U8-26 and the first To pin is
populated.
Click the Add from-to arrow to set the first from-to order in the
topology.
Using the method in steps 2 through 4, complete the Ordering
Topology as shown, then click OK to update Constraint Manager with
the ordering.
A message appears warning that the second net of the diff

pair was reordered also. You can view the report if needed.
Click No to close the message.
The Constraint Template Matching dialog box opens when diff pairs
are reordered. You can make changes here, but since we want the
ordering on the diff pairs to be the same, click Cancel to close the
dialog box.
The BSYNC+, BSYNC- diff pair is now an Ordered Topology in
Constraint Manager.
Close the Constraint Manager application.

Adding Placement Constraints in Xpedition xDX Designer
In Xpedition xDX Designer, you can add properties to your schematic

symbols that will be used as constraints during component placement in
the Xpedition xPCB layout database. These constraints can be for grouping
of special circuitry or used to confine the placement location of specific
components.
Grouping Components for Placement

Navigate to the PCI_Connection schematic page and select the
P1 connector, the P2 Connector and the resistors and capacitor
associated with it, as shown.
Note: You may wish to set your selection filter to only select symbols
during this exercise.
At the bottom of the Properties window, add

Property Cluster, and enter the Value as CONNECTORS.
the
Navigate to the control_buffers schematic sheet and select the

LEDs and associated Resistors, as shown. Add these parts to the
CONNECTORS component group using the Cluster property as in
Step 2.
Note: The component group called CONNECTORS is available for placement
as a group of components in Xpedition xPCB layout.
93
Constraining Components to an Area in PCB Layout

Navigate to the Analog schematic sheet, then to the
Inst_Amp block under the Analog_Switch.
Select all of the Symbols on the sheet, except the power and
ground symbols as shown.
Add the Cluster property to these symbols with a Value of

ANALOG_SW.
Add a second property, Room and set the Value to ANALOG.
Note: These components are now available for placement as a
group in Xpedition xPCB layout, and they will be constrained to
a Room called ANALOG which we will need to create within the
PCB database.

Adding and Editing Graphical Text
When creating your schematic, you may need to add engineering or instructional
notes as additional information. You will add some text to the Analog schematic
sheet to describe the room you just created.
The schematic sheet Analog > Analog_Switch > Inst_amp should be open.
Select Add > Text, and click a location for the text above the title block.
Enter some text, for example: Place components in the room Analog
Right-click the entered text and change the size to .250 in.
To easily edit the text, double-click it and highlight text to be edited as
needed.
95
Review Questions
1 Why would I want to use rules and constraints?
2 If constraints are added in the schematic, can they be edited during the layout process?
3 When would I want to use a Constraint Class?
4 Can I assign different constraints to individual differential pairs in my design?
Review Answers
1 Rules and constraints help establish structure in the design. Not all signals in a design can be routed together without
introducing interference and/or crosstalk. Rules and constraints allow you to create specific routing conditions for each
signal (or signal type) in the design, each with its own set of spacing and layer assignment rules. The more complex the
design, the more helpful these rules and constraints will be.
2 Constraints created in the schematic within Constraint Manager are passed to the Layout environment. Once the design is in
Layout, changes can be made within Constraint Manager and can be back annotated to the schematic. Constraint Manager
and the iCDB keep the design constraint data synchronized.
3 Sometimes you will want to assign the same constraint (spacing, net length, etc.) to a group of similar nets. Rather than do
this individually, you can group these nets into a Constraint Class. Any constraints assigned to the Constraint Class will be
automatically assigned to all of the nets in that class. This also simplifies the process of making edits or changes.
4 The Constraint Manager Spreadsheet is extremely flexible and allows you to assign rules and constraints to a large variety
of design elements. This includes: groups of nets, individual nets, differential pairs (including at the individual pair level)
and individual pin pairs. The ability to exercise this level of control over the design helps you meet the most demanding
requirements.

Lesson 8: Xpedition xDX Variant Manager
Xpedition xDX Variant Manager is a utility that manages PCB subassemblies at the
schematic level. The bill of materials is typically generated here and can represent the
entire schematic or any variant defined by Xpedition xDX Variant Manager. Variant
modifications can include Placed (Populated) Components, Replaced (Substituted)
Components and Unplaced (Depopulated) Components. Multiple variants can exist
in a single design with the ability to automatically generate schematics and BOMs for
each.
Variants defined in Xpedition xDX Designer can be integrated with Xpedition xPCB
Layout. The Xpedition xDX Variant Manager utility inside Xpedition xPCB Layout
can generate the necessary assembly drawings based on each variant passed from
Xpedition xDX Designer. This capability accommodates the passing of variants from
the front end tool all the way through to the backend tools.
Creating New Variants

Xpedition xDX Variant Manager is used to create a unique BOM for schematic
variants. For example, you may need to produce designs which are basically the
same, except for an extra memory bank. Xpedition xDX Variant Manager allows you
to create a unique schematic, BOM, and set of reports for the design variant.
Launching Variant Manager

Start Xpedition xDX Designer, and in the Recent section of the Start Page
select Lesson1 C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1\Lesson1.prj.
Launch Xpedition xDX Variant Manager using View > Other Windows >
Variants.
A new window opens for Xpedition xDX Variant Manager. If it shows No
Project Loaded simply Click on Corporate in the Navigator to open a
schematic sheet.
Xpedition xDX Variant Manager
97
Reviewing the Xpedition xDX Variant Manager Settings

Before creating new variants, review the current settings and familiarize
yourself with the available options.
The General Tab

Review the Settings for the Xpedition xDX Variant Manager by clicking the
Settings icon.
There are three tabs in the Settings dialog box. The General Tab
includes settings for naming unplaced parts as well as report options.
The Unplaced keyword appears in the appropriate cell for parts that you
choose to not be installed during the PCB Assembly process. You can
specify any string as the keyword.
The CAE Interaction Tab

The CAE Interaction tab provides display options for variant schematics.
You can Delete, Markup or assign a Color to the unplaced symbols in each
variant.
When a variant view is generated, these settings will be applied to the
symbols within the schematic according to the symbols variant status.
98 Variant Manager

The Library Query Setup Tab
The Library Query Setup tab allows you to define and edit how
the project interacts with the Library database. The Data source
configuration file specified in the first field of the dialog box
indicates the Xpedition xDX Databook database that you use when
creating your design variant.
The Define Libraries button allows you to edit your Xpedition xDX
Databook configuration. For this lesson the setup is done for you
but you can refer to the Appendix: Configuring Xpedition xDX
Variant Manager at the end of this guide if you are using your own
database.
The Query settings section controls the database search when
using the Replace function. Allow sufficient results to be
returned from each library by setting the Results/library value
appropriately. If you want to use replacement parts from more
than one library, you must set the Results total number to be
larger than the number of results returned from each individual
library. Verify the Part number attribute is set to Part Number.
The Output format controls your database query results. The Part
number feedback line allows you to display more information
about a particular part. This will be shown later.
The Query results format controls the results shown for the
Replace function. This determines the columns displayed and the
filter options to help you choose a replacement part.
Note: Because you have associated the Part number attribute to Part
Number, we also want to be sure that it is included in the Query results
format.
Click Cancel to close the Settings dialog box.
99
Creating Variants
Select the Variant Definition Icon.
From the Variant Definition dialog box, create two variants by clicking
on the Create New Variant button twice.
Name the two variants Variant1 and Variant2 respectively.
Note: Click the cell to edit the values.
Enter the Number and Descriptions as shown.

For Variant 1: Number = VAR1, Description = New Var1
For Variant2: Number = VAR2, Description = New Var2
The Variant Groups tab is helpful for sorting or filtering for specific
variants when there are many in a single project. Any groups setup on
the Variant Groups tab will be available from the drop-down list shown
below in the main window.
Click OK to save and exit.
100 Variant Manager
Defining Variants
Now that you have configured Xpedition xDX Variant Manager and created two
variants, you will define the specific variant parameters.
Unplacing Parts
Be sure the Transmit and Receive mode buttons are both depressed to
enable cross-probing.
Click in the cell under the Variant1 column, next to C9. Xpedition xDX
Variant Manager allows cross probing from the schematic into a variant
and vise-versa.
Click [-] next to the schematic sheet Analog_Switch to compress the view.
Note: If you don't see the Analog_Switch [+] icon, make sure that Flat Design
View is unchecked.
Find IO_Port1 and Unplace all of the components in that block by

selecting the cell next to the IO_Port1 definition in Variant1.
Right-click and choose Unplaced to unplace all parts on this hierarchical

block.
101
Change Multiple Parts Simultaneously

To change a few select parts simultaneously, click C3 in the Variant1
column.
Ctrl + Click to select C4 and C35.
Right-click over one of the reference designators and choose Reset.
Only the 3 selected parts are reset and their cells in the Variant1
column are cleared.
Replacing (Substituting) Parts
In Variant2 you will replace (substitute) parts. Select the cell for C5 in
IO_Port2, then right-click and choose Replace.
A new window appears that lists the possible replacement parts.
Note: The columns come from the settings in a previous lesson. All of
the replacement parts have the same PKG_TYPE as the original part
because we set the VM Match to PKG_TYPE = in our .dbc configuration
as shown in the Appendix at the end of this Evaluation Guide.
102 Variant Manager

Sorting Parts
The columns in this window not only provide additional information but
they also act as filters. Select one of the column headers and notice you
can either sort (ascending or descending) or filter (on available values)
based upon the part you are looking for.
Replace C5 with the smallest value available for a capacitor, by selecting
the Value column and then sort Ascending, then double-click the first part
available, 12308-CAP.
Flatten the Design View

Check Flat Design View check box to flatten the schematic Ref Des list.
In the design view, find and select R29 on the PCI_Connection sheet in the
upper right corner of the sheet. When you select the part in the design
view, it will also select in Xpedition xDX Variant Manager.
103
Replacing Parts Across Library Partitions

We are going to replace the R29 resistor with a
capacitor in Variant2. With R29 highlighted, right-click
over the cell in the Variant2 column and then click
Replace.
Notice that you also have the option to replace parts
across library partitions.
Double-click the first capacitor in the list to apply it.
Note: Dont forget that you can also filter on Library if you
know what Library your replacement part is in.
Click Save on the Xpedition xDX Variant Manager toolbar.
104 Variant Manager

Generating Variant Outputs
Now that you have created two variants we will need to generate
schematics, pass the information to Xpedition for layout, and create BOMs.
Create Variant/Function Schematics
Select File > Close to close all schematic sheets except one so the
Xpedition xDX Variant Manager remains active.
Note: You can also use the [X] on the schematic sheet tab to close any sheet.
To create the variant schematics, select the title header for the
Variant1 column and then click Create Variant/ Function Schematics.
A message appears in the design view informing you that Xpedition xDX
Designer is in Xpedition xDX Variant Manager Mode (All schematics are
read only). Variant name: Variant1 .
Using the navigator, select the BlockReUse sheet and select IO_Port1.
Click Push .
The parts represented in blue are the ones we unplaced in Variant1. In
a previous lesson, we set a particular color (teal) for all unplaced variant
parts.
We also had the option to Markup rather than color unplaced parts which
would have resulted as shown.
Or, we could have configured the Xpedition xDX Variant Manager to delete
unplaced parts as shown.
Click Reset Schematics to Master.
105
Generating the Variant BOM Reports

To generate the BOMs, right-click in the Variant window
and choose Report > BOM Reports.
Choose the desired output file type: Microsoft Excel.
Select Variant1 and 2 and define an output location. In
this case we will output to
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1 and name it
Variant_BOM.xls.
Generate a BOM report for the Master and both

Variants using the settings shown.
After clicking OK, all three reports are generated

in the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1 directory
as shown.
Open each report in Excel and observe the differences.

In this graphic notice the file names at the top show
master on the left, then Variant1 middle, and Variant2
on the right. A few differences have been highlighted
so you can see that Xpedition xDX Variant Manager has
generated the BOMs correctly.
From the Report menu you can also generate

spreadsheet views of your variants for documentation.
Experiment by creating a report for your variant and
then view the output file. For example, select HTML
Document.
106 Variant Manager

Review Questions
1 When would I want to use variants?
2 Is Xpedition xPCB Layout aware of variants to the BOM that are created in Xpedition xDX Designer?
3 Can I have more than two variants in a design?
4 How do I get the variant data to Manufacturing and Purchasing?
Review Answers
1 Many products are built around the concept of a core product design and a number of optional features. Xpedition xDX Designer
supports this type of design through the use of variants. Each variant design can have specific components placed, unplaced
or replaced. Use Xpedition xDX Variant Manager to specify and track separate BOMs.
2 The variant data is also forwarded to Xpedition xPCB Layout so you can create individualized Assembly Drawings for each
design variant.
3 Xpedition xDX Variant Manager allows you to create as many variants of the design as you need.
4 Xpedition xDX Variant Manager supports a wide variety of output formats so that you can deliver the information to
downstream users in a suitable configuration. You can generate output in HTML, text, Excel spreadsheet, CSV files, and BOM
formats so that Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing and others can all share the same design data.
107
Lesson 9: Generating the BOM (Bill of Materials) using Part Lister

This exercise shows how to export BOMs from Xpedition xDX Designer. There are
several optional output formats. For this exercise, we will focus on creating a text file
format.
During this lesson, all of the settings you create are saved within a Part Lister
configuration file or .IPL file. You can create and save as many IPL files as you need for
separate versions or output types. You can recall them later for use in future design
projects.
Opening the Part Lister

If not already open, select File > Open > Project to Open
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\ Lesson1\Lesson1.prj.
Select Tools > Part Lister... .

A new PartsLister dialog box appears. These options affect the part list
content.
For the Config Name, browse and select CORPORATE from the dropdown
list.
Note: This is a customizable Part Lister configuration. Any changes you make are
saved in this file for future use.
108 Generating the BOM (Bill of Materials) Using Part Lister
Part Lister Property Selection

Select Columns.
The list on the left side of the dialog box contains some of the properties
currently in the design. Using the four buttons above the list, you can
add, remove and modify the order of the property columns included
in the output. Each of the properties in the Columns list will become a
separate column in the output file.
Adding A Property
Select the last property in the list, then click New to add a new property
at the end of the list.
Note: To add a property in the middle of the list, click on the list item directly
above the location where you wish to add the new property. You can also use the
Up and Down Arrow buttons to reposition the order of the properties in the list.
Enter the Column Label Name DESCRIPTION.
Verify that Property is selected for the Type, and for the Property, select
Description from the dropdown list to specify the content of the column.
Enter a Column Width of 50.
Enter 0 for the decimal places.
The new property is now complete.
Generating the BOM (Bill of Materials) Using Part Lister
109
Editing A Property
Double-click the cursor over the Column Label Name C0ST. This allows
you to edit the name.
Change the Column Label Name from C0ST to COST.
Note: COST is spelled with a Zero (0) and it should be an O.
You can rename any of the Column Label Names as your reporting
needs change.
Increasing the Page Size

If you add additional properties, you may have to increase the page size.
Select Advanced.
Verify that Split into pages is enabled.
Enter the appropriate values for the number of lines each.
(For this lesson set it to 150.)
Specifying the Output Type
Define the desired output type (Text File, HTML or EXCEL) by choosing
Text File from the Output Format dropdown list.
Click Run to generate the report.

Viewing the Part Lister Output
In Windows Explorer, browse to and open
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1\CORPORATE.txt in any text

editor.
Expand the view of the BOM to fit the full screen.

Note: This is just one example of a BOM. You can create different formats
including an HTML version that can be opened inside a web browser or an
Excel version that can be viewed and edited within Microsoft Excel.
Select File > Exit to close the Notepad file.

Select File > Exit to exit Xpedition xDX Designer.
Generating the BOM (Bill of Materials) Using Part Lister
111
Review Questions
1 Is a BOM a printed report or a data file?
2 How much detail can be contained in a BOM?
3 Will a BOM show detail for each part or condense the list of identical
parts?
4 Can I save a BOM setup for use in a future design?
Review Answers
1 You can generate a BOM in different formats to suit the needs of the
target audience, including Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, text files, CSV files
and others.
2 A BOM can contain as much or as little detail as you require. During
the setup of the BOM, you are offered a number of options to fully
customize the report.
3 You can configure the BOM to show both. Typically, you show a
condensed listing that has one entry for each different component and
a field that indicates all of the Reference Designators that use that
particular component. Alternately, you can also include a listing that
includes one entry for each component in the design.
4 You can save specific BOM configurations in the Reports dialog box. These
are stored with the Xpedition xDX Designer application configuration and
are available in future design project sessions.

Lesson 10: Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx LineSim
HyperLynx LineSim is a pre-layout PCB design simulation and analysis tool
that enables you to evaluate the signal-integrity performance of signal nets.
Using LineSim Link and Simulation

This exercise will instruct you how to select a net for simulation and easily
create a virtual prototype for signal integrity(SI) analysis. Run an interactive
SI simulation. Determine the optimal termination value, apply that
termination then rerun the simulation to validate the solution and save the
results for future use.
Xpedition xDX Designer LineSim Link
Xpedition xDX Designer LineSim Link enables you to export a net to HyperLynx
LineSim for pre-layout simulation.
From the Xpedition xDX Designer start page, select Open, then browse
and select
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\LessonFinal\LessonFinal.prj.
Double-click the CORPORATE schematic in the Project Navigator.
Double-click on the memory schematic sheet in the Project Navigator.
Zoom to the upper left IC shown on the memory sheet. Select the IC
U15.
Note: Set the Selection Filter to Symbol if necessary.
In the Properties window, review the assigned Simulation IBIS models:

SIM_MODEL and SIM_MODEL_FILE. (You may need to scroll down to
see them).
Note: If the Properties Window is not visible, click the Properties button on the
View toolbar.
Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx LineSim 113
Xpedition xDX Designer LineSim Link

(continued)
Select the net DATA_BUS0 starting from U15.13.

Right-click and choose LineSim Link.
Enable Complete schematic (export including
interconnections) in the Schematic Contents
section, then click Load Data from xDX Designer.
Note: You can change parameters to the Transmission

Line Properties. We will not make any changes and use
the default settings.
In the Schematic Topology tab, review the drivers

and receivers for this net. Expand both Electrical
Net 1 and DATABUS0.
Note: U13 is set as a driver, and U15 and U26 are
receivers.
On the Options tab, select Export to HyperLynx.

Click Yes to overwrite existing files, if needed.
HyperLynx LineSim
HyperLynx LineSim will open with the Free-Form
schematic. The DATABUS0 net
is loaded for simulation using
the models assigned in
Xpedition xDX Designer.
In HyperLynx, select
the Edit Stackup icon.
Review the cross
section of the 6
layer board, then
close the Stackup
Editor.
114 Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx LineSim

HyperLynx LineSim (continued)
You need to assign a missing model to U13. Select
U13, right-click, and select Assign Models.
In Assign Models, click Select.
13
In Select IC Model, choose xc9500.ibs from

the Libraries list, and then choose XC95216_
BGA352[SLW=0;VIO=0] from the Devices list, then
click OK.
In Assign Models, select U13.io pins and change the
Buffer settings to Output.
Click OK. All of the models are assigned and are
ready for simulation.
16
14
15
Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx LineSim
115

Click Run Interactive Simulation,
the Digital Oscilloscope window opens.
Select Rising Edge. Make sure different colors are
assigned to the probes, and select Start Simulation.
18
17
In the Digital Oscilloscope window, on the waveform, select the

top and bottom of the overshoot of the waveform to review the
span of the voltage overshoot. (For Example, Receivers have overshoot of about 2.1V.).
Save the results of the simulation for future use with the routed
board. Click Save/Load, select HyperLynx .LIS and then click Save
As. Save the file to the location C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\
LessonFinal with name DATA_BUS0_no_termination.lis. Click Yes
to replace the existing file.
Close the Load/Save Waveforms dialog box.
19

21
To fix the Signal Integrity problems, add RC Termination to the U15.13

receiver. Click Add RC Terminator to schematic
and position the top of
the resistor so that it touches the left blue dot at the output of TL2 .
22
To assign values to the terminators, click the Run Terminator Wizard icon.
Choose 5% from the Apply Tolerance dropdown list.
23
Click Apply Values, then click OK. The value is assigned to the terminators.
24
In the Digital Oscilloscope window, click Erase and rerun the simulation with
RC Termination and the values assigned. You will notice that we cut down the
overshoot by more than double (about 1.25V). We can continue to refine if
necessary.
25
Save the results as we did in Step 19 with file name:

DATA_BUS0_terminated.lis. Click Yes to replace the existing file.
26
Close Digital Oscilloscope and exit HyperLynx LineSim. Click Yes to save
changes, then select File > Close Project.
22
21
23
22
24
Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx LineSim
117
Review Questions
1 When would I want to use HyperLynx LineSim?
2 How does HyperLynx LineSim know how the signal will perform on the
printed circuit board?
3 How does HyperLynx LineSim fix signals that dont perform as expected?
4 Does HyperLynx LineSim select the actual components for terminators?
Review Answers
1 HyperLynx LineSim lets you model critical signals in your design and
attempts to predict their expected behavior in the final board design.
You can model a signal, use the tool to experiment with corrective
measures, and save the simulations for future results comparisons.
2 HyperLynx LineSim uses industry standard component models to
predict signal behaviors along with sophisticated internal algorithms
and proprietary technologies.
3 HyperLynx LineSim features Wizards that can suggest possible
modifications to your signal chain to correct aberrations and
performance issues. Simply run the Wizard and the system presents you
with suggestions to correct signal integrity issues.
4 HyperLynx LineSim offers suggested values for terminators, not specific
part numbers. You must determine which manufacturers part number
will meet the required specifications for the design.

Lesson 11: Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx Analog
HyperLynx Analog is a board-level simulation analysis and verification tool that
is integrated into Xpedition xDX Designer. HyperLynx Analog extends Xpedition
xDX Designer to add analog and mixed-signal simulation to the Xpedition flow.
This provides a complete design process from schematic capture to simulation
to layout and back-annotation.
This exercise will instruct you how to run circuit simulations with HyperLynx
Analog, which includes: assigning simulation models to components, running
DC, conducting transient, and AC simulations. Running simulation tests on
circuits prior to, or concurrently with the PCB design helps eliminate wiring
and polarity errors to ensure that the circuit works right the first time.
HyperLynx Analog is easy to use, fast to setup and no longer requires library
preparation. For a video demo, using a similar circuit for the features in this
lesson and more, see: http://www.mentor.com/products/pcb-system-design
/multimedia/better-pcb-analog-design-webinar.
HyperLynx Analog Setup
This section will demonstrate how to use the simulation capabilities of

HyperLynx Analog.
In Xpedition xDX Designer, select Recent and select
Enable licensing for HyperLynx Analog:
a. Setup > Settings > Licensing, check HyperLynx Analog
and Press OK.
b. If the HyperLynx Analog toolbar does not appear, select
View > Toolbars > HLA Simulation to make it visible.
Double-click the Inst_Amp block in the Project Navigator

Blocks section.
Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx Analog
119
HyperLynx Analog Setup (continued)
Click the Testbench Options button on

the HyperLynx Analog toolbar to open the
Testbench Options: Inst_Amp dialog box.
Verify that HyperLynx Analog is enabled
and click OK.
Note: Steps 5 and 6 are optional for a
demo, if you have time constraints, it has
been completed.
The passive components have had SPICE
properties added, but if the properties
are not in a library, it is easy to add the
SPICE properties to the capacitors C1 and
C2.
Select C1, right-click on the symbol and
select Simulation Model Properties to
view that a model is assigned as
Built In (Spice).
While C1 is still selected, verify in the

Properties Window that
Order=VALUE$ ELDO_PARAMS$ and
VALUE=.22uF.
Close Simulation Model Properties.
120 Xpedition xDX Designer Integration with HyperLynx Analog

Adding SPICE Properties
Note: Steps 1 through 7 are optional for the evaluation and have
been completed for you, if you have time constraints.
Add the SPICE properties to the Op Amp. Go to

www.analog.com, search for ad8638 spice and download the
SPICE model (a copy AD8638.cir is in the project directory).
In Xpedition xDX Designer, select Tools > Convert PSPICE

libraries, and select the downloaded file. The file AD8638.cir
has been saved in the project directory.
This converts the file to one with an HLA prefix, and .lib suffix.
Select the 4 OPAMPs (U1 and U2), then select
Simulation Model Properties from the popup menu.
Add the SPICE properties to the op amp...

Select SPICE from the dropdown. This opens the
Model Properties dialog box
Select Model File
Browse to the converted model file, HLA_AD8638.lib
Select AD8638
Press OK to close Model Properties, but stay in the

Simulation Model Properties dialog box.
Continue adding SPICE properties to the op amp
On the Pin Mapping tab, click View Model, and update the
Model Ports pin information per the Model View information
as shown.
Hint: Select Reset All and in the Symbol Pins column use the
dropdown list to assign the correct names for each Model Port.
Click OK when finished.

Verify in the Properties window that the Order property is
Order=Model$ ELDO_PARAMS$
121
Setting Up the Signal Sources

Note: Steps 1 through 7 are optional for the evaluation and have been
completed for you, if you have time constraints.
Set up the signal sources by activating the Sources button.

Add 2 DC sources. Click New in the Sources window.
Add VDD as a DC source at 10V with input nodes of PWR and 0,
0 is the GND node.
Add Offset as a DC source at 5V with input nodes of
NEG_INPUT and 0.
The results appear as shown in the Sources dialog.
Add a third source, this will be a combination source with DC, AC
and Transient properties, Time Type: Pulse. Click Define
The completed New Source and Pulse dialogs appear. Click OK

to save the Sources.

Editing the Simulation Dialog
Click Simulate Design to open the Simulation Control

dialog box.
Review the Simulations information.

Review the DC Analysis information.
Review the Time Domain Analysis information.
Review the Frequency Analysis information.
Review the Operating Point Values information.
Click Simulate.
Review the results in the output window.
123
Back Annotation to the Schematic
Show the Back Annotation on the schematic by:

Click the schematic window to make it active.
Click the Show Back Annotation button to see the
values on the schematic.
Click the schematic again.
Viewing the Results in EZwave

When simulation completes, EZWave opens automatically. You can also open EZwave from the toolbar.
Expand Inst_Amp and select AC to show the waveform names in the lower left window pane, then drag
V(amp_out) onto the workspace to view the AC results.
Select TRAN to show the transient waveform results
and drag V(amp_out) next to Workspace1 to create a
new Transient waveform window.

Using the Measurement Tool
Use the measurement tool to find peak-to-peak voltage and the frequency.
In EZwave, select Tools > Measurement Tool.
Select the Measurement type and click Apply.
Hints:
For peak-to-peak measurement select General > Peak to Peak
For frequency measurement select Time Domain > Frequency
The measurement annotation can be selected and moved within the view.
For more information, see Help >Tutorial!.
Close the Measurement Tool and EZwave, then select File > Close Project.
125
Review Questions
1 What models can be used for HyperLynx Analog simulation?
2 Can HyperLynx Analog simulation results be back annotated to the
schematic?
3 Can measurements be performed in EZwave window?
Review Answers
1 Spice models can be used for HyperLynx Analog simulation.
2 Yes, by selecting the Show Back Annotation button, the schematic will
be updated.
3 Yes, in the EZwave window you can measure different parameters of
the wave form. For example, Peak-to-Peak voltage or Frequency.

Lesson 12: Xpedition xDX Designer and Xpedition xPCB Layout Integration
This exercise walks you through the process of Packaging and integrating your
Xpedition xDX Designer schematic to Xpedition xPCB Layout. Once completed, you
will have a single integrated database that can exchange information easily through
Forward and Backward Annotation.
Database Integration
This lesson will highlight the basic tasks utilized in Packaging, Integration through a
Layout Template, Forward Annotation, and setting up embedded and cross probable
views of the schematic and PCB databases for use in completing the design.
Xpedition xDX Designer and Xpedition xPCB Layout Integration
127
Packaging the Schematic

The Packager in Xpedition xDX Designer prepares the schematic database for
integration with the PCB layout by mapping each logical component to a physical
component in your Library.
It also automatically assigns reference
designators to components, if you have not already manually assigned them.
The Packager flattens hierarchical designs and checks the design for pin and
property mismatches with components in the library. For each error found
during packaging, a hyperlink appears in the Output Window that helps you find
and resolve these errors easily.
Running the Packager

If not already open, open the
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1\Lesson1.prj,
CORPORATE schematic.
and
open
the
Note: If you have not done so, first run an Xpedition xDX Databook Verification
on your design and make sure you have ALL Green Lights.
Review the Xpedition xDX Databook lesson if you need to.
Click Tools > Package to open the Packager setup dialog box. Take a
moment to look over the available settings. We will leave the settings as
shown for this exercise.
Click OK to run the Packager.
Success! Your schematic has been Packaged for integration without
errors. Review the output in the Packager tab in the Output Window, if
you did have errors, you would need to correct them and would then
re-run the Packager.
Note: Successful Packaging is very important to you as a designer. It
means that all of the parts on your schematic match pin for pin and
property for property with the Library. This is a key element
that saves you time with the Correct by Construction methodology in
Xpedition.
128 Xpedition xDX Designer and Xpedition xPCB Layout Integration

Library - PCB Layout Templates
PCB Layout Templates are used to construct a new PCB design. They can be
completely blank PCB databases, or they can have pre-configured information
like: fabrication and assembly drawing information, pre-defined layer stackup
information, notes, library components, and even Constraint Manager baseline
constraints. Xpedition provides you with a few examples in the Sample Library
provided with the installation.
You can make a new PCB Layout Template from any pre-existing PCB Layout. You
can have as many templates as you need in your own Library.
Layout Template Editor
From the Start Menu, select Start > All Programs > Xpedition Enterprise
<release> (32 or 64-bit) > Data Management > xDM Library Tools to
open your Library. The Library management environment opens.
Select Tools > Layout Template Editor.

Select the Template_6Layer_Formatted template and open it in the
Xpedition xPCB layout editor by selecting the Edit Template icon.
In the Xpedition xPCB Editor window, choose the
Loc: Min Contents display scheme from the dropdown
list, then select View > Fit All.
Notice the Template has Formats, Fabrication Notes,

and a Layer Stackup Drawing already placed. These
items could be adjusted as needed within the template
for future re-use. We will use this one as is, so once you
have finished reviewing the template, click File > Exit.
Close the Templates selection dialog box, then click
File > Exit to close the Xpedition xDM Library Tools
and return to your design.
129
Connecting the Schematic and Layout
Now you have an error free and packaged schematic database. You also have
a set of Layout Templates in your Library you can use to create new PCB layout
databases.
All we need to do now is integrate them
Create the PCB Database
Click Tools > xPCB Layout.

Note: This command opens the Xpedition xDX Designer to Xpedition
xPCB, Create New PCB Design dialog box. When a PCB database is currently
linked to a schematic, Xpedition xPCB Layout will open the layout.
In the Xpedition xDX Designer to Xpedition xPCB dialog box, under

Create New PCB design, choose Template_6Layer_Formatted
from the "Select template" dropdown list.
The PCB design database is created in the directory:
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson1\PCB, as shown.
Note: The Central Library path is already set because it is in the Project
File.
Click OK, then click Yes to answer the PCB Directory message.
Click OK to close the Import Layout Template warning.
Note: When Importing a PCB Template into your design project, any
previous layer stackup settings will be overwritten by the imported
template.
Click OK to close the back annotation message received the first

time you integrate your design to a PCB template.
Xpedition xPCB Layout loads, click No and do not start the Forward
Annotation. The PCB database will load.
Note: Typically you will answer Yes and Project Integration will load
automatically to start Forward Annotation. In this lesson, we will walk you
through the individual steps.

PCB Integration
Now that the schematic database is integrated with the PCB database, we have
to Forward Annotate to load the netlist and constraint information into the PCB.
You can run Forward Annotation in several ways within Xpedition xPCB Layout,
but since this is a brand new design, we will use the Project Integration method.
Project Integration
Xpedition has opened the CORPORATE PCB design, and you
will see the template we chose from the Library.
Notice the Traffic Signal lights in the lower right corner of
the Status Bar. The First Amber Light signifies that there are
schematic changes ready to be Forward Annotated to the PCB.
Click Setup > Project Integration...
The Project Integration dialog box opens, showing the same

Traffic Signal lights.
Click the Additional Options button and make sure all three
check boxes are checked. These create some files that we will
use later.
Click Close.
Review the settings in the Project Integration dialog box so
they are set as shown.
Click on the TOP Amber Light to start Forward Annotation. You
will see several message windows as the process completes.
Click OK to close the Forward Annotation Warning.

Note: Follow good design practice and always view any Log files for
errors that may need to be corrected. Click the File Viewer icon to
open a list of files to view.
131
Project Integration
(continued)
The schematic netlist and constraint information are loaded

into the PCB database. Notice the Traffic Lights have updated
to Green.
If a Back Annotation is required, there will be an
Amber Traffic Light for Back Annotation Required.
Click Back Annotation Required to run a Back Annotation and
complete the schematic to PCB integration process.
Note: Whenever you introduce new design changes, you should
always perform a complete Round Trip of the Forward and Backward
Annotation process. This will guarantee that your schematic and PCB
databases remain in sync.
If needed, click OK to close the Back Annotation message

window. All of the Traffic Lights will now be Green.
Click Close to exit the Project Integration dialog box.

Now is a good time to save your new PCB database by clicking
File > Save.
Your PCB database is ready to start the layout process!

Embedded Schematic and PCB Views
Prior to running Forward Annotation, you used the Additional Options button
in the Project Integration dialog box to create files for later use. These files
are the Embedded Xpedition xDX Designer and Xpedition xPCB Layout views.
Embedded Xpedition xDX Designer or eDxD

This embedded view is a snapshot of the Xpedition xDX Designer schematic
at the moment of Forward Annotation. Use this view for viewing and cross
probing within Xpedition xPCB Layout without the need to open Xpedition
xDX Designer.
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, click Window > Add eDxD View.

Click on the 2:CORPORATE tab to view the schematic.
To view additional sheets of the schematic, right-click Sheet and choose
the sheet you want to view.
Embedded Xpedition or eExp

Like the eDxD view, the eExp view is a snapshot of the Xpedition xPCB Layout
PCB database at the moment of Backward Annotation. Use this view within
Xpedition xDX Designer to view and cross probe to the PCB without having to
open Xpedition.
In Xpedition xDX Designer, click the xDX PCB Viewer icon or select
View > xDX PCB Viewer. The new eExp window opens.
Right-click inside the xDX PCB Viewer window and select Show/Hide
Toolbar to open the xDX PCB Viewer window display controls.
We will learn more about these views and how to use them effectively in your
design process in upcoming lessons.
133
Review Questions
1 Why do I need to package the design?
2 Why use Xpedition xDX Designer to Xpedition and Project Integration?
3 Do I need to create a PCB Layout Template?
Review Answers
1 Packaging your design is an essential step in making sure that all of the
symbols placed in your schematic match the physical component land
patterns within the library. It also checks the logical pin information
between the symbols and the components. It is a key element in
making your design Correct by Construction.
2 When you have finished your schematic, you need to forward annotate
the design to Xpedition xPCB Layout for physical design. Instead of manually
sending files back and forth, Project Integration lets you establish a seamless
bidirectional link between the applications and automatically pass design
data from one application to the other. This simplifies the process and
eliminates any possible problems that might be encountered in a manual
data exchange.
3 Several PCB Layout Templates are included with the installation of
Xpedition xPCB. You can use these for your designs, edit them for your
requirements, or create new ones that are specific to your companys
requirements. In order to integrate your schematics with a PCB layout
database, you must have at least one PCB Layout Template in your
Library.
PCB Design with

Xpedition xPCB Layout
In this section:
Xpedition xPCB Layout Environment

Setting Up a New Board Design
Placement
Xpedition xDX Variant Management
AutoActive Interactive Routing
Final Layout Considerations
Design Verification
135
Lesson 13: Xpedition xPCB Layout Environment

Xpedition xPCB Layout is fully integrated with Xpedition xDX Designer and follows
the same Windows navigation standards. It supports pulldown menus, hot keys,
customizable toolbars, toolboxes, and enhanced tooltips. Context sensitive
menus are supported; when you right-click, the popup menus options vary
depending on the object you select or the operation you are entering.
As with Xpedition xDX Designer, the interface is fully customizable. Xpedition
xPCB Layout also includes the Advanced Windows navigation features of
Tear-off Menus, Dockable and Auto-hideable Windows.
Maintaining the interface features across all of the Xpedition tools minimizes the
transition between them.
Opening Xpedition xPCB Layout

From the Start menu, select
All Programs > Xpedition Enterprise <release> (platform) > Layout >
xPCB Layout.
From the Xpedition xPCB Layout Start Page click Open, then browse
and choose:
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\LessonFinal\PCB\CORPORATE.pcb.
136 Xpedition xPCB Layout Environment

Introduction to the User Interface (Main Window)
Menus
Status Bar
Toolbars
Workspace
Action Keys Toolbar

137
Toolbars
All of the Toolbars in Xpedition xPCB Layout are Dockable/Undockable in
different locations within the Editor Window. They are fully customizable,
so you can add or remove buttons that you commonly use in your designs.
Add Toolbars by selecting View > Toolbars, and choose the toolbar
you want to add. The example shows the Route toolbar.
You can Order and Dock Toolbars along any edge of the Editor
Window simply by dragging them to a new location.
You can Undock Toolbars by dragging them away from the edge.
Re-Dock them by dragging them back to the edge.
To customize toolbars, select View > Toolbars > Customize.

To add or remove buttons from any toolbar, click Toolbar Options,
then click Add or Remove Buttons, and choose the buttons you want
to add or remove.
To reset a toolbar, click Toolbar Options and click Reset Toolbar.

Toolbars
The Standard Toolbar
Save
Highlight
Selected
Undo
Find
Redo
Fit
Board
Next
View
Select
Mode
Unhighlight Previous Display

All
View Control
Route Constraint Editor DRC

File Selection
Mode Manager Control Visualization Viewer List
Place
Mode
The Place Toolbar

Component
Explorer
Add Selected Align

to Active
Left
Group
Push Swap
Parts
Dissolve
Group
Align
Top
Align
Right
Align
Bottom
The Route Toolbar
Net
Explorer
Plow/
Multiplow
Constraint Review Batch

Editor Hazards DRC
Design Properties
Status
The Snap Toolbar
Rotate
180
Automatic Rotate
Testpoint
90
Assignment
Draw
Mode
Hug
Manual Hug
Route Reroute Tune
Trace
Sketch Route
Style
The X-Y Readout Toolbar
Toggle
Place Tentative Use Snap Hover Previous
Snap Snap Keypoint
Snap Point
Place Static
Snap
Remove
Hangars
X-Y
Readout
Remove Next Snap

Snap Pt Keypoint
Swap
Diff Pair
Add Fanout Route Sketch Tune Manual Multiple Auto Gloss Copy Swap
Via
Router
Saw Tune Hug Traces Route
Trace Pins
Display Scheme
Dropdown List
Change
Netline
Manipulation Width
Swap
Gates
Modify Trace
Corners Drops
Plane
Teardrops Assignment
Plane
Classes
Parameters
139
Toolbars
(continued)
The Draw Create Toolbar

Drawing
Angle Lock
The Utilities Toolbar

Add
Line
Snap To
Draw Grid
Active
Radius
Add
Add
Polyline Rectangle Properties
Add Add Arc by Add

Text
Radius
Polygon
Add
eDxD
View
Print
Add
Circle
Print
Preview
Tile
Project
Add 3D Window
View Horizontally Integration
Add
PCB
View
Cascade
Window
The Draw Edit Toolbar

Flip
Bring
Vertically Forward
Create
Delete
Place
Draw
Copy
Polyline or End Point Tangent
Copy Perpendicular Polygon
Arc
Handle
Flip
Rotate Send
Horizontal
Backward
Copy
Parallel
Join
Dissolve
Polyline or
Polygon
Trim
Extend
Segment
Line
Scale
Merge
Select Object
Handles
Subtract
Gerber
Tile
Window Plot Setup
Vertically

Toolbars
(continued)
The Edit Toolbar
Move
Cut Paste from Rotate 180

Clipboard
Fix
Unfix
Unlock
The Dimension Toolbar

Copy
Copy Rotate 90
to
Clipboard
Change
Layer
Semi-fix
Lock
Angular
Place an
Dimension
Place Dimension
Place
Along a
Stacked Between 2 Linear Ordinate
Dimension
Elements
Linear Element Dimension
Delete
The Select By Area Toolbar

Set Selection Set Selection
Area Shape Area Shape
to Circle
to Polygon
Segment Split Traces

Based
at Area
Selection Extents
Angle From Place a Radius or

X Axis of Diameter Dimension
Between Linear Element
2 Elements
Place
Dimension
Dimension
Params
The Measure Toolbar

Set Selection Set Selection Shape
Area Shape Area Shape Properties
to Line to Rectangle
Inside
Area
Selection
Reset
Selection
Measure
Distance
Center
Mode
Segment
Mode
The Active Group Toolbar
Measure
Minimum
Distance
Edge
Mode
Centerline
Mode
Cumulative
Mode
Measure
Readout
141
Extended Tooltips
All of the toolbar icons contain tooltips to help you understand the
commands you select. Xpedition xPCB Layout also contains extended tooltip
animation for most of the commands on the toolbars. These animations
provide you with a brief video of how to use the command. Quick-key
commands are also provided within the tooltips.
Select View > Toolbars > Route. This adds the Route toolbar to the
toolbars section of the interface.
Hover over the Plow or Multi-Plow selected nets icon. The normal
tooltip is shown along with the Quick-key command.
Hover over the Plow icon again, but leave your cursor over the icon for
brief time (about 3 seconds). The animation for the command begins
playing and shows additional information about the command usage.
Action Keys Toolbar

In Xpedition xPCB Layout there are many ways to use the same commands.
The Action Keys are a context and command sensitive toolbar that changes
dynamically depending on the command you are using.
To use an Action Key, either click with your mouse or press the
corresponding Function key on your keyboard.

Modeless Commands and Mouse Usage
Just like Xpedition xDX Designer, Xpedition xPCB Layout has command line
shortcuts and Mouse Strokes.
Keyin Commands
Keyins are two-character modeless action-object commands.

In the Editor Window, type the characters pr. The Keyin Command
dialog box opens showing the command syntax for Place Ref-des.
Note: The keyin command example shown (pr -dist r*) will Place all of the R*
reference designator components in a Distributed pattern.
Entering ? in the Keyin Command dialog box will open Help for Keyin
commands.
Mouse Usage and Strokes

Use the left mouse button for selection and deselection of
objects under the cursor.
Use the middle mouse button or scroll wheel for Zoom In and
Out. Pan by holding down the middle mouse button and
moving the cursor in the direction of pan.
Use the Shift + middle mouse button to create a zoom window
in and out of an area and use the CTRL + middle mouse button
to fit the board to the screen.
Use the right mouse button for context sensitive popup menus.
Drag the right mouse button for Strokes.
Dragging a ? in the Editor Window will view Help for Strokes.
Note: View Help for more information about Keyins, Mouse Mappings and
Strokes as shown in Table 2-9 at right.
143
Additional PCB Layout Navigation Tools

During the layout of your PCB, when users need to perform
Placement and Routing, Xpedition xPCB Layout offers several
new navigation tools that can be used throughout the layout
process.
Component Explorer
This spreadsheet interface allows you to create Component
Planning Groups, Filter and Mark components. You can
use this with Display Control features to view Netlines for
Marked Components, Nets Between Marked Components,
and Nets From Marked Components functions to show only
the netlines of interest.
Component Explorer helps you navigate to the components
in your layout and reduce the time required to complete
placement.
Net Explorer
This spreadsheet interface provides methods to organize and view nets. You can
create netline Planning Groups to display only the netlines you want to view.
You can also apply Filtering and Marking to netlines, and can use the same
Display Control Marking capabilities used in Component Explorer. Common
features between these two navigation tools means you do not have to learn
different interfaces.
Net Explorer helps you view the nets you need to route and reduces your
overall routing schedule.
Editor Control
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, there are many option
settings that you can use while placing and routing
your layout. These settings are controlled with
Editor Control. You can save groups of settings in
Editor Control as schemes for recalling later in a
design or share with other designs.
Select Setup > Editor Control or click the
Editor Control icon on the Standard
Toolbar.
Editor Control contains three tabs:

Place, Route and Grids.
Placement settings are available on the

Place tab.
Routing controls are available on the

Route tab.
Grid settings for Placement, Routing, Vias,
and Draw items are on the Grids tab.
The Common Settings section allows you
to disable Online DRC, receive warnings
when moving fixed objects, change
the time between Autosaves, and save
Schemes.
Note: Disabling Online DRC is NOT
recommended.
Tip: Since you use Editor Control often

during your layout, you may want to
Autohide the dialog box so that when
hovering over the collapse tab it will allow
the dialog to slide open automatically for
usage.
145
Display Control
Display Control provides access to the commands and options that define the
display view characteristics and selection filtering in your design. Each of the
Display Control tabs shares a common set of elements: color boxes, radio
buttons, item check boxes and group check boxes. These provide an intuitive and
consistent environment.
The Display Control interface is also customizable. You can Hide sections that
you do not use often to increase the screen area for the sections that you
do use. A Favorites section is also available to place items that you use often
during a design to increase productivity. You can save all of these customizations
to a Local, System, or a User Defined location Scheme for use with other
designs.
As with Editor Control, Display Control is a primary navigation tool used during
your design process.
Click Fit Board.

Select View > Display Control or click the Display Control icon. Review
the options available in each tab.
Note: Since Display Control is used often during a design, you may wish to
Auto-Hide it.
In Display Control, click the Scheme dropdown list and choose All Off.
In the Global View & Interactive Selection section of the Edit tab,
expand Board Objects and enable Visibility for all of the objects.
Zoom to the lower left of the board and hover your mouse cursor over
the Board Outline and note that nothing highlights.
In the Global View & Interactive Selection section, enable Selection
for all of the objects.
Repeat step 5 and note the Board Outline now highlights and can be
selected.

Display Control Search
The Display Control dialog contains a vast amount of information for viewing
and selecting objects within your layout. If you add User Draft Layers to your
designs, the amount of objects will increase. Display Control Search makes it
easy to find objects within the dialog when needed.
Click the Edit tab in Display Control.

Click the Display Control title bar and start typing the text Net.
The Search Bar appears, and the first instance of the text Net in
Display Control appears highlighted.
Click the Find next button in the Search Bar to find the next instance of
the text Net in Display Control.
Note: You can also use Find previous for your searches.
Once you have found the object you were searching for, click Finish
search.
147
Select Mode, Intelligent Cursors, and

Context Sensitive Menus
When designing in Xpedition xPCB Layout, you are in Select Mode. This mode
uses the Selection Filters in Display Control to provide intelligent cursor
feedback and context sensitive right mouse button menus based on the
objects you select.
Hover the cursor over the Fiducial. Note the Locked Cursor.
Note: The Status Bar also provides information on the object.
Right-click on the fiducial and click Fix/Lock > Unlock.
Repeat step 1, but note the Move Cursor showing that this fiducial can
be moved.
Repeat step 2 and click Fix/Lock > Fix. Note the Fixed Cursor.
Selection List
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, selected objects are placed in the Selection List.
You can easily access this list to verify or refine a selection set.
Drag a frame select to define a selection area around the Board Outline,
Fiducial and Mounting Hole as shown. The objects are selected.
Right-click and click Selection > Selection List.
The Selection List shows four objects selected.
You can select any object in the list to: Fit It in the view, Blink It so it
can be easily dectected, Define the Sort Order, or Remove it from the
Selection set.
Close the Selection List.

Creating a Scheme
There are many schemes already provided with Xpedition xPCB Layout.
You can edit any of them to your personal requirements, or you can
easily create new ones.
Click Fit Board.
In Display Control, choose the Placement_Create scheme. The scheme

has been started for you, but a few items should be added to make it
more effective. Note the layers currently viewed.
In the Display Control > Objects tab, expand
Place and enable both Top and Bottom
Facement: Group Outlines, Part Ref Des, and
Place Outlines.
Expand Place Obstructs & Rooms, and Part Items.

Enable Rooms for Top and Bottom Facement, and
Part Hazards.
Right-click on Part Ref Des and Add to Favorites
so you can easily access it from the Edit tab.
Enable Place Obstructs for the Top and Bottom

Facement.
Expand Netlines > Netline Types and add
Non-Ordered Open and Ordered Open to your
Favorites.
Click the Edit tab and review the Favorites you
added.
Save the scheme and name it Placement_FirstLast
then enable Save locally with design and click OK.
Note the new display objects now available in the
view and saved in the newly created Display
Scheme for recall at any time.
149
Adding Views
Xpedition xPCB Layout allows you to add view windows to create multiple work
areas that can be set for different graphical settings and areas within a design.
These views are used individually but updated simultaneously.
Select Window > Add PCB View.
The view is added as a second tab, 2: CORPORATE.

Select Window > Tile Vertically.
Click the 2:CORPORATE view to make it active.
Click Display Control and choose the Routing scheme.
In the 1:CORPORATE view, zoom to and select U25.
Notice that U25 is also selected in the 2:CORPORATE
view.
Right-click the Tab for 2:CORPORATE and click Floating.

The view is undocked and can be re-sized and moved
where you want it.
Close the 2:CORPORATE view and Maximize the
1:CORPORATE view.

3D Layout with Photo Realistic Visualization
Xpedition xPCB Layout also gives the PCB designer the capability to visualize
and validate the design as if it was already manufactured. Integrated 2D and 3D
editing makes it easy to understand the physical product and gives the designer
the ability to check for electro-mechanical issues and avoid costly re-design late
in the design cycle. Complete photo realistic visualization of all board elements
and full viewing controls are available, and 3D layout eliminates the challenges
of integrating your PCB design process into the electromechanical world.
Fit the board and select Window > Add 3D View to open the 3D layout
editor window.
Open Display Control and select the 3D tab.

Disable Assemblies to view the PCB.
On the 3D tab enable (as needed) Vias, Traces, Planes, Soldermask, and
Silkscreen in the Objects section and note the photo realistic display in
the 3D editor window.
Hint: You may need to make the Soldermask transparent to visualize
the traces by selecting the color pick and adjusting the Transparency
level.
Expand the Options section of the 3D tab and review the visualization
options in the 3D editor window. Try toggling on and off a few of the
options to see the changes.
NOTE: The user has complete control of the photo realistic capabilities of the
3D editor window.
151
Manipulating the 3D View

The 3D Model of the PCB can be easily tilted or rotated in order to get a better
view of the bottom of the design or allow viewing of the PCB from different
perspectives.
Drag the Shift + Middle Mouse Button to rotate the design showing
the back of the board.
Drag the CTRL + Middle Mouse Button to tilt the design.
In the 3D tab of Display Control disable Soldermask, and enable
Include Internal Layers in the Options section.
Enable Z-Axis Scaling and apply a value of 10.
Zoom into an area of the board to see the internal layers and vias
structures.
Hint: You may need to rotate and tilt the design more to visualize the
internal structures within the board.

Enclosures and the 3D View
Xpedition 3D layout can also fully visualize enclosures, brackets, mechanical
hardware, and even other PCB assemblies as seen in their mechanical authoring
tools.
Select 3D > View > Top, and Fit the board to reset the design view.
Disable Include Internal Layers and Z Axis Scaling in Display Control.
On the 3D tab of Display Control, expand and enable the Assemblies

section, then Add and enable the visibility for the four mechanical
assemblies. Zoom out to see the entire assembly.
These mechanical hardware components were imported for you, but

you can easily import mechanical STEP format files from the 3D menu.
To see the PCB, select the color pick for Enclosure Top in Display Control
and set the Transparency slider to approximately 25%.
You can now see the PCB board inside of the enclosure.
153
Adding Cut Planes

X, Y and Z axis cut planes can be added to the 3D view to allow the designer
to better visualize details within the solid model. These cut planes locations
and angles can be easily modified to properly position them for the best view
within the model.
Rotate and board slightly.
Select 3D > View > X Cut Plane and use the slider to edit the location of
the cut.
Zoom into the cut area to visualize the section.
Select 3D > View > X Cut Plane to reset the view and Fit the board.
Exit Xpedition xPCB Layout without saving.
Now that you have seen Xpedition 3D Layouts ability to control and view all
of the board elements in your design with a photo realism that looks like the
actual manufactured product, the challenges of designing in the 3D realm
have been removed.
We will explore more of the 3D Layout capabilities in the Placement lesson.
Review Questions
1 Do I need to have all of the Toolbars visible?
2 Can I create my own menus and toolbars?
3 Are my Favorites and Hidden Rows saved with my schemes?
4 Can I view multiple schemes at the same time?
Review Answers
1 Some designers like to have all of the toolbars visible, but this is your
choice. In Xpedition xPCB Layout, all of the commands needed during a
design session are available on the Standard Menu. Additional
commands are also on right mouse button context sensitive menus and
the Action Keys.
2 Using the menu and toolbar Customize menus, you can create menus
and toolbars that contain only the commands you wish to use. These
are saved into your local configuration.
3 Anything you change in Display Control that you save into a scheme is
saved. This includes Favorites, Hidden Rows, and also anything in the
Color by Net, Class, or Group sections.
4 Only one scheme per Editor Window view is allowed, but by using
Multiple PCB view windows, you can use different schemes in each
window, and move easily between the windows as you design.
155
Lesson 14: Setting Up a New Board Design

Now that you have integrated your PCB database, you are ready to start your
PCB layout. First, setup the PCB database for any specific design
requirements. This includes the Board Outline, Mounting Holes, Fiducials,
and Keepouts. Settings for Database Units, Layer Stackup, and Vias will also
be needed to prepare your database for layout.
Setup Parameters
General Settings
Open Xpedition xPCB Layout.

Select File > Open, then browse to
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson2\PCB , then doubleclick
CORPORATE.pcb.
Select Setup > Setup Parameters...
Click the General tab and review the settings shown in the figure.
Verify that they match.
Your PCB layout will have 6 physical layers.
The Units you will design in will be Thousandths or Mils.
Note: The General tab is also where you:
Remap Layers to add or reduce the PCB stackup layer count
Add or remove User Defined Layers
Change Padstack Technology files
Modify Test Point settings.
(Note: All of these settings in Setup Parameters were preset in your
Layout Template. This is an easy way to be consistent and more
efficient with your layouts.)
156 Setting Up a New Board Design
Setup Parameters (continued)

Via Definition
Click the Via Definitions tab.

There is currently a Through Via setup in this design. In Via Definitions,
there can be only one Through via defined. If you need additional
Through via sizes in your design, they are added in Constraint Manager. You
will add one for Power and Ground signals prior to routing the layout.
Creating HDI Vias (Blind and Buried)
Xpedition xPCB Layout makes it easy to set up HDI vias. When used during routing,
Xpedition xPCB Layout will automatically recognize the HDI via layer structure for
you.
You need to change the outer layers of the design to Buildup layers. Click the
dropdown list for Laminate 12 and change to Buildup 12. Repeat the steps
for Laminate 5-6 and change it to Buildup 56.
Click the New icon to add a via. A new column appears in the dialog box.
In the new via column, for the Padstack row, click the dropdown list and
select the VC025D010P_UVIA_NSM via padstack. This via padstack is a
Micro Via, typically laser drilled during PCB fabrication.
In the new via column, click in the green box for the Buildup 12 row. This
establishes the via padstack to be used when routing between layers 1 and 2.
Using the previous steps 3 through 5, create a new Micro via that will be used
to route between Buildup layers 5 and 6.
Again, use the previous steps 3 through 5, select the padstack VC060D030P
from the dropdown list to create the Buried via padstack on Laminate layers
2 through 5 that will connect the 2 Micro vias, creating a 141 HDI via
structure.
Click the Sort icon and review the Via Definitions you created. They should
match the figure shown. You may need to click the sort icon a second time
to match the screenshot.
157
Setup Parameters (continued)
Via Clearances
Click the Via Clearances tab.

The Via Clearances tab is used to override same net Via to Via clearance
rules between different via stack definitions. Take a moment to review
the dialog box.
Click OK to save the settings and close Setup Parameters.
The board will reload with the new settings.
Layer Stackup
You can define the conductive and dielectric materials that make up the
structure of the board. Layer stackup structures are modified in the Stackup
Editor.
You will need to adjust the thickness of the outer layers of the board since we
modified these as Buildup layers for the HDI vias.
Select Setup > Stackup Editor.
Setup Parameters
Layer Stackup (continued)

Select the text entry field in the Thickness column for
Layer Name SIGNAL_1, enter the value 0.7.
Repeat step 5 for Layer Name SIGNAL_6.

Select the text entry field in the Thickness column for the Dielectric
layer between SIGNAL_1 and SIGNAL_2, and change the value to 2.
Change the Thickness of the Dielectric between SIGNAL_5 and
SIGNAL_6 to the value 2.
Review the figure shown for the Layer Stackup settings you will use
in your board.
You can also change the Layer Name in the Stackup Editor, but the names
must be unique.
Select the text entry field in the Layer Name column for SIGNAL_3
and enter the name change to PLANE_3.
Repeat step 10 for Layer Name SIGNAL_4, and change it to PLANE_4.
Click OK, to close the
Stackup Editor and save
the changes.
The New Layer Names
are reflected in
Display Control.
159
Drawing the Board Outline

Your PCB design must have a Board Outline which defines the physical border of
the PCB board. Xpedition allows only one. If you define a new outline, it replaces
the existing outline. Your board will also need a Route Border to define the route
and plane area of your board.
Click Fit Board to fit the Board Outline to the view.

Select Draw > Board Outline.
In the Properties dialog box, the Type is set to Board Outline. Type 5 in the
Line width text entry field.
Click in the Vertices 1 X text box, type 0, then press the Tab key.
In the Vertices 1 Y text box, type 0, then press the Tab key. A line now
extends from the 0,0 coordinates to your cursor and the Properties dialog
box is ready to accept more coordinate entries.
Use steps 4 and 5 and starting from the Vertices X text box for
coordinate #2, enter the rest of the coordinates from the table shown.
Your cursor will show the coordinates as they are entered.
When you enter the last coordinate from the table, the polygon will
complete and a warning message will appear. Click OK and your Board
Outline is completed.
NOTE: Check the box in the warning dialog to not display the warning message
again.
Close the Properties dialog box.

Save your design, but do not close it.
Note: All shapes (including the Board Outline), can be created using
coordinates entered manually in the Properties dialog box, or by
digitizing the coordinates with the mouse.
You can also use the File > Import DXF or IDF commands to import any
shape coordinate files created on 3rd party mechanical EDA systems.
Modifying Shapes (Board Outline)
You can easily edit all shapes, including the Board Outline. In order to edit
shapes, you must first have the proper selection filters enabled. You can also
easily Add Corners, Chamfers and Radii to any shape.
Click Display Control, or click the Display Control Auto Hide tab.
Click the Edit tab, and in the Global View and Interactive Selection
section, expand the Board Objects and make sure they are checked
for Visibility and Selection.
From the menu bar, select View > Toolbars > X-Y Readout.
Zoom into the Board Outline in the area shown, and select the outline.
Select the White Corner Handle at 590,324 and right-click Properties,
change the Vertex Type to Round. The handle box should appear filled.
Select the White Corner Handle at 590,0 and in Properties, change the
Vertex Type to Chamfer.
Select any Red Center Handle and Drag to move the segment. Click
Undo to put the segment back.
Select any Red Center Handle, press the CTRL key and Drag to add a
new Corner Handle. Click Undo to remove the new handle.
Note: You can Select and Drag any Corner Handle to move it.
Using step 4 and 5, change the vertices in the edge connector area as
shown, then Save your board.
161
Drawing the Route Border using Copy Shape

You could redraw the Route Border for this board, but you can also use Copy
to duplicate any shape. When a new Route Border is defined, it replaces the
existing one.
Select the Board Outline.

Hold the CTRL key and doubleclick on the Board Outline. It copies the
shape and highlights the newly-created copy.
Right-click and open Properties. The new shape is shown as a Draw
Object on the Assembly Top layer.
Change the Type to Route Border.
To make sure that all routed copper is pulled back from the edge of the
Board Outline by 20th, in the Grow/Shrink text entry field enter 20 to
Shrink the Route Border. Press <Enter>. Your Route Border is now
completed.

Plane Classes and Parameters
Before you assign planes, you need to define the settings for generated plane
copper. Plane Classes and Parameters define Thermal definitions, General
clearances, and Hatching options for planes. You can also create Plane Classes
when differences are required between plane structures.
Select Planes > Plane Classes and Parameters
Click New Plane Class, and enter POWER for the Plane Class.
Click the Thermal Definition tab, and choose Buried from the Default
via connections > Tie legs dropdown list.
All vias in your board will be directly connected to the planes.
Click the Clearances/Discard/Negative tab, and select All untied areas from
the Discard plane area options.
This setting allows the planes automation to remove any small or large plane
area that is not directly connected to a pad or via.
Click the Hatch Options tab, and verify that the Width and Distance are 6(th),
and the Metal is 100%.
These settings create a Solid plane with no hatch pattern.
Click OK to save the settings.
163
Planes Setup
Set up planes for your main power rail signals at the beginning of the design so
they can be used as a reference during placement and routing.
Plane generation is dynamic and WYSIWYG. You can have Positive, Negative and
Split-Mixed planes in your board.
Select Planes > Plane Assignments
Click the dropdown box for Layer Usage on Layers 3 and 4, and choose
Plane.
Click the dropdown box for Plane Data State on Layers 3 and 4, and choose
Dynamic.
Note: There are other states for plane data: Draft and Static, but to use true
WYSIWYG, set your planes to Dynamic.
Click the Assign Nets icon for Layer 3, Add/remove nets from plane
layer.
Find netname GND in the Excluded column and move it to the Included
column. Click OK.
HINT: Select the first entry in the list and type "G" on the keyboard to quickly
locate the GND net.
Using steps 4 and 5 for Layer 4, and add netname VDD.
Click the option button for Layers 3 and 4, Use route border as plane
shape. Since you added a Route Border, for these planes you will not need
to add a separate shape.
Setup and verify your Plane Assignments to the figure shown.
Note: The Plane Class is POWER. The Plane Data State is Inherited for
these two planes. They will adopt the Dynamic state and POWER class.
Click OK to save and close the Plane Assignments.
Defining Routeable Layers
Once you have defined planes, you must change the Layer Settings to Enable
or Disable layers for routing. You must also set the routable layer pairing and
direction bias.
Click the Editor Control button or the Editor Control Auto Hide tab, and
then click the Route tab in Editor Control.
Expand the Dialogs section and click Layer Settings...

Change the settings for Layers 3 and 4 (Note the P signifying that this is a
Plane layer)by unchecking the box for Enable Layer. Since these are planes,
disabling this options prevents routing on these layers from occuring.
The Bias column sets the direction for routed traces.

In the Layer Pair column, click the dropdown box in the Layer 1 row,
and choose Layer 6 to pair these layers.
Repeat step 5 for the Layer 2 row, and choose Layer 5 to pair these
layers.
Note: Layer Pairing defines the complement layer for routing when an automatic
layer change method is used.
Click OK to save and close the Layer Settings.

Click the Display Control tab, and then click the Edit tab.
In the Layer Display section verify:
the Active Layer and its pair are highlighted
the Planes are disabled (shown dimmed)
the Bias directions are shown
165
Adding Mechanical Features

When setting up a new board you may need to add mechanical features like
Mounting Holes, Fiducials, and Keep Out Areas.
Placing Origins
Click Fit Board to see the entire board.
Select Place > Origin
Click the Type dropdown, and choose Board, and for the Location enter
X: 295.28 and Y: 190.16.
Click Apply, then click Fit Board to see that the Board Origin has moved.
Note the warning dialog and dismiss it by clicking Yes.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 again, but choose NC Drill as the origin to move,
and for the Location enter X: 0 and Y: 0.
Close Place Origin.
Placing Mounting Holes

Select Place > Mounting Hole
Choose the Padstack MC100D380N dropdown box.
Enter X: 0 and Y: 0 for the first Location.
Choose Locked from the Lock Status dropdown to keep the mounting
hole from being moved after placement.
Click Apply to place the first mounting hole.
Repeat steps 9 through 11 using the coordinates in the chart to place
the last 3 mounting holes.
Close Place Mounting Hole.

Placing Fiducials
Zoom in on the lower left mounting hole.
Select Place > Fiducial...

Choose the Padstack Fiducial Round Cell 100.
Click Apply, the Fiducial attaches to the cursor.
Place the first Fiducial as shown.
Note: The Fiducial is placed on the Top (Layer 1), which is the active
layer as shown in Display Control by the gray highlight.
Right-click and select Push to switch the active placement layer to the
Bottom of the board.
Place the Bottom Fiducial in the same location as the previous one you
placed on the Top.
Repeat steps 2 through 7 to place 2 more sets of fiducials as shown.
Right-click and select Cancel Place to end placement mode.
Close the Place Fiducial dialog box.
167
Placing Obstructs (Keepouts)

Zoom in on the lower left mounting hole.
Click Display Control > Objects and expand Route Obstructs.
Check the Obstructs as shown to make them visible.
Note: The mounting holes and fiducials have routed trace and via
obstructs built into the library components.
Click Editor Control > Grids > Other Grids, then enter 25 for the
Drawing grid.
Select Fit Board, then zoom in on the right hand board edge.
Select Draw > Placement Obstruct.
In Properties, choose Top from the Layer dropdown.
Draw the Placement Obstruct approximately as shown to protect

placement of components too close to the board edge.
Save and Close your design.
Review Questions
1 Why do I want to create a Board Outline and Route Border?
2 Does the Board Outline need to be a single continuous polygon?
3 Can I add cutouts to the board outline?
4 Can additional planes be added to the board at any time?
5 What types of Mounting Holes can I use?
Review Answers
1 The Board Outline acts as the design boundary. Components and
routing can be setup to maintain specific clearances from the Board
Outline and Route Border. The Board Outline is used as a reference
point for offsetting plane edges, and also represents the routing
(milling) path for producing the final board shape extents.
2 The Board outline is constructed as a continuous closed polygon to
maintain the integrity of the design object.
3 Yes, Contours can be used to add Cutouts and Slots to the interior of
the Board Outline to accommodate any mechanical requirements.
4 Planes can be setup at the beginning of the design, but you may add
additional planes during the placement, routing, or any phase of your
design.
5 Mounting Hole types are defined within your Library. They can be Plated
or NonPlated. They can be any shape, including slots. They can also
include Routing and Placement Obstructs as needed.
169
Lesson 15: Placement

When designing a PCB, the actual percentage of route completion depends
on your placement strategy. Careful placement will minimize issues later in
the design cycle.
You can place parts in Xpedition with multiple methods. The most
common method is with Component Explorer, but you can also place by
schematic or the embedded schematic file created during forward
annotation. Component Explorer allows you to Group, Filter, Search, Sort and Mark
components for ease of use during the placement phase.
Open the Design File for Placement

Open Xpedition xPCB Layout and from the Start
Page
select
Open,
then
browse
to
and
choose:
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson3\PCB\CORPORATE.pcb
Select Display Control, then choose the Placement scheme from the
dropdown list.
Select Editor Control > Place and verify that Online 2D Placement
DRC is set to Warning.
Select Editor Control > Grids.
Expand the Part Grids section, then enter 25 for the Primary and 5 for
the Secondary grid values.
Note: Components with more than 14 pins will use the Primary Grid.
Click the Constraint Manager toolbar icon, then click the Clearances
within the Navigator.
Click General Clearances, (or select Edit > Clearances > General
Clearances from the Constraint Manager toolbar) and change the
Placement Outline to Placement Outline value to 10.
Note: This will allow component packages bodies to be placed at a

minimum distance of 10 without DRC violations.
Click OK to save your changes, then close Constraint Manager.
170 Placement

Component Explorer
Component Explorer is a spreadsheet interface used during component

placement. It allows you to place individual components or Planning Groups
of components. Search and Sort features will also allow you to find and mark
components easily.
The Component Explorer Spreadsheet and Toolbar
Select Place > Component Explorer...

Click the Ref Des header in the first column to sort the column.
Click Toggle Filters. These panes allow you to use the dropdown filter
or enter your own search criteria for the column.
The Navigator lists all of the Components, Planning Groups, Spares,

Mechanical and Drawing Cells available for placement.
The Components tab lists all electrical components. The Other tab
lists Mechanical and Drawing items.
Review and Scroll through the available column information. Move the
column locations by selecting and dragging them to a new location.
Right-click on any column to choose which columns to display.
Select any component and click Component Preview for a preview of
the Cell.
Based on your selection criteria, Connection Options provides
netlist information in the Connections column about components.
Connection options drive the connection count in the connections
column of the spreadsheet.
Explore the spreadsheet interface, and when you are ready, you can
start placement.
Placement
171
Placing Planning Groups

Component Explorer helps you to quickly floor plan your layout. Placing
these Top level groups first, then extracting components from within the
groups will allow you to place your design with more efficiency.
Click Fit Board.
In the Component Explorer Navigator, select the planning group

CONNECTORS and drag it into the board.
Inside of the bubble, right-click on the reference designator and choose

P1 from the list of available parts, then drag it to the location shown.
Click on each new Ref Des within the bubble and drag it to the
placement locations shown. The bubble disappears when the group has
been completely placed and the Group Outline now represents all of the
placed items in that group.
172 Placement

Placing Planning Groups (continued)
Repeat step 2 to place the remaining
Planning Groups as shown.
Connectivity relationships are also
shown between the Planning Groups.
Note: The Navigator shows the CONNECTORS group Placed, (notice the icon next to the name has changed) and
the other groups Unplaced. You may right-click the group name for a status report.
Also, the LOGIC_REUSE group has Unplaced subgroups which will be placed later. The State column provides
information if the components are: Placed, Unplaced, or Dispersed outside of the board outline.
Placement
173
Placing Components Individually or Sequentially

Enter U2 in the Filter pane of the Ref Des column and press enter to
search for the component (be sure the top level of the Navigator pane
is selected).
Select U2 and drag it into the board. Zoom into the area if needed.
Using the dropdown list in the Filter pane of the Ref Des column,
choose U*.
Select U3 thru U5, and drag them into the board. Each
component will attach to the cursor and be placed sequentially in the
order selected in Component Explorer (you may need to sort the Ref
Des column to make this task easier).
174 Placement

Create a New Planning Group
You can easily create New Planning Groups or add to existing groups within
Component Explorer and these group changes will be back annotated to your
schematic.
Right-click the Root Navigator group and select New.

Rename Newgroup1 to DIFFRECV.
Select and right-click the group DIFFRECV, and select Set to Active
Group.
From the Ref Des column select the components U2 thru U5 that you
just placed.
Right-click and select Add to Active Group to complete the group (you
may also add components directly from the layout view right-click
Selection>Add Selected to Active group).
Note: Making any existing group the Active group will allow you to add more
components to that group.
Placement
175
Creating Placement Rooms

In the Xpedition xDX Designer lesson Adding Rules and Constraints Using
Constraint Manager, you created a placement rule to constrain components
to a specific area of your board. This is called a Room. You will now add the
Room to your board.
Click the Fit Selected and Toggle Cross Probe icons in the Component
Explorer toolbar.
Select the ANALOG_SW group in the Navigator and scroll the
spreadsheet to the last column. The Assigned Area (Room) is named
RM-ANALOG for this group.
Note: The Group has been selected and fitted in the editor window
Zoom out slightly.

Select Draw > Room, then in the Properties dialog box Layer dropdown
list choose Both. In the Name dropdown list, choose ANALOG.
Draw the Room as shown (use the F9 Action key to create a rectangle).
Close Properties.
Add New Components to Room
Select the Root level in Navigator and find Ref Des U101.
Scroll right to the Assigned Area column, and choose RMANALOG from
the dropdown list.
Right-click on the ANALOG_SW group and Set to Active Group.

Right-click on U101 and Add to Active Group.
176 Placement

Placing Components from the Schematic
If you choose not to use Component Explorer for placement, you
can always cross probe and place from the Xpedition xDX Designer
schematic.
Click Fit Board.

Click Setup > Design Entry to open Xpedition xDX Designer, then
doubleclick on the control_buffers schematic sheet.
Zoom into the area of U15 and U16.

Note: The symbols for U15 and U16 are highlighted Gray, denoting that
the components are not placed on the PCB.
In the Layout, click Place by Schematic in the Component

Explorer toolbar.
Select U15 in the schematic, then move the cursor into the board
area. U15 is attached to the cursor. Place the component as
shown.
Repeat step 5 for U16.
Note: U15 and U16 are now highlighted Blue denoting that the
components are now placed in the PCB.
Close Xpedition xDX Designer.
Placement
177
Placing Components from the Embedded Schematic View

The Embedded Xpedition xDX Designer schematic view can be used for cross
probing and placement, without having to open Xpedition xDX Designer.
Click Fit Board.
Select Window > Add eDxD View, then select Window > Tile Vertically
to show both windows side by side.
Note: You can also Undock the embedded view by right-clicking on the window
tab and choosing Floating.
In the Layout, click Place by Schematic in the

Component Explorer toolbar.
Right-click anywhere inside the embedded view and
click Sheet > CORPORATE(control_buffers).
Select U23 in the embedded view, then move the cursor into the
board area. U23 will be attached to the cursor. Place the component as
shown.
Repeat step 5 for U17 and place it above U23 as shown.

Close the eDXD view and maximize the editor window.
Close Component Explorer.
178 Placement

Placement Editing
Xpedition xPCB Layout has multiple methods in which to edit the component
placement in your board. Context sensitive selection and menus make it easy
to Move, Rotate, Align, Fix and Lock, or Push components to the bottom side
of the board. The editing commands also can be used during placement of
components.
Moving Components
Zoom into the lower left of the board near L1 thru L4.
In the Display Control > Edit tab > Global View and Interactive
Selection, expand Place. Disable the Selection of both the Top and
Bottom Facement Group Outlines.
Select L1, then drag and drop L1 outside the board edge.
Select L2, then CTRL+Click to add L3 and L4. Right-click and click
Move. Move the 3 components outside the board edge, then click
to place them under L1.
Note: You just used two different methods to Move components. You
could have also used the Move Action Key or Place > Move Part from the
Main menu.
All of the Xpedition xPCB Layout editing commands work with any
of these methods. Its your choice how you want to use them.
Rotating Components
Frame select L1L4 by dragging a window over the components.
Right-click and choose Individual Movement > Rotate 90.
Note: You can easily Rotate individual or groups of components to any
angle needed in your board.
Placement
179
Aligning Components
Select L4 and move it to the location shown.
With L4 still selected, CTRL+ Drag Frame select L1L3.
Right-click and choose Align > Align Right.
Note: Components can be aligned to the Top, Bottom, Right or Left

according to the Editor Control > Place > Part Alignment setting.
Pushing Components to the Opposite Side of the Board

Zoom out to the area of the board shown.
Select the two groups of resistors near L1 through L4 and near the
connector P2.
Right-click and choose Individual Movement > Push. The

components are moved from the Top side to the Bottom side of
the board. Individual Movement will Push the components to the
back side and maintain their current rotation when more than one
component is selected.
Fixing/Locking Components
Click Fit Board.

Select component P2.
Right-click and choose Fix/Lock > Fix to keep this component from
moving during other placement editing.
Note: The pads on P2 have a stipple pattern denoting the component is
Fixed. This pattern can be changed in Display Control > Graphic > Fixed
and Locked Patterns.
Practice using the placement editing methods you have learned,

and clean up the placement of the L1L4 area of your board as
shown.
180 Placement
Copying and Moving Circuits

In this design, there are four matching circuits, IO_Ports 1 through 4. The Placement
features in Xpedition xPCB Layout easily allow you to place these circuits individually,
but there is an easier method. Copy and Move Circuits allows you to Place, and even
Route, like type circuits. Then, you can replicate the other circuits on your host design
or even a different design containing the same circuit.
Placing Hierarchical Groups

Planning Groups in Xpedition xPCB Layout can have multiple levels to separate
individual circuits within a main group.
Click Fit Board, then click Display Control > Edit > Global View and
Interactive Selection, and enable Visibility and Selection for Top and Bottom
Facement Group Outlines.
Zoom into the area of the LOGIC_REUSE group bubble.

Select IO_Port1 inside of the LOGIC_REUSE bubble, then drag the IO_Port1
bubble onto the board.
Repeat step 3 for IO_Ports 2 through 4 and place as shown.
Auto Arrange a Group

Zoom into IO_Port1, then select the Group Outline.
Right-click Arrange > Arrange One Level, then place the group.
Note: All of the components within the Planning Group are dispersed
within the Group Outline.
Using the placement editing commands from this lesson, place the
group as shown.
Placement
181
Copying and Moving Circuits (continued)

Deleting or Unplacing Placed Components
To make room for our Circuit Copy, you will delete a few placed components.
These components are not deleted from the database; they are just put back
into Component Explorer as Unplaced.
Select just the resistors placed near P2.
Right-click Delete, the components are Unplaced.
Copying Circuits
Select the IO_Port1 group that you arranged and placed, then
right-click Copy, or press CTRL+C.
Note: The next available duplicate circuit, IO_Port2, is attached to the cursor
for placement.
Place the IO_Port2 group, and watch the next circuit attach to the
cursor.
Place the last two circuits as shown. You can easily Move the groups
by selecting the Group Outline.
Cancel out of the Paste Map dialog box.
That was easy!
Note: Copy Circuit can also be used between two board layouts by Copying
the Circuit, then opening another board with the duplicate or similar circuit;
then Pasting the circuit into the new board.
182 Placement
Placement Optimization
When placing components, your task as a designer is to shorten and

untangle routing paths. Placement of the components alone may not
accomplish this, so you may need to optimize the placement by swapping
components or gates and pins within the individual components. You may
also need to use an alternate package due to component availability, or even
just to create space.
Note: Your library components will need to be created with swapping capability or
alternate cell definitions to use these features.
Swapping Components
Zoom to the area around U15 and U16 on the board.
Select Place > Swap Parts.

Select U15 as the first component to swap, then select U16 as the
component to swap it with.
Click anywhere in the Editor window to Confirm the swap.

Click Undo or press CTRL+Z to undo the swap.
Swapping Pins and Gates

Select Route > Swap > Gates, then select pin 1 on U16. The Gates
available to swap with will highlight.
Select the highlighted Gate on pin 4, then click again to confirm
the swap. Note the netlines have changed with the swap.
Select Route > Swap > Pins, and select pin 1 again on U16.
The Pins available to swap with will highlight.
Select the highlighted Pin, then click again to confirm the swap.
This swap caused the netlines to cross, so Undo the pin swap.
Placement
183
Using Alternate Cells

Select Place > Component Explorer.
Select U15.
Within Component Explorer select the dropdown box in the Cell
column and choose the Alternate Cell, SOIC16 from the dropdown
list in the Cell column.
Move the modified footprint to the location shown.

Repeat steps 2 through 4 for components U16 and U17, and change
them to the Alternate Cells.
184 Placement

3D Component Planning and Placement
Earlier in this guide, you were shown Xpeditions 3D layout visualization
capabilities. This 3D layout environment is also tightly integrated with the
Placement capability within xPCB Layout. In order to get the placement of
your design correct the first time, you need to take into account mechanical
constraints. This gives you an opportunity to eliminate rework during
systems integration where the costs are high. Xpedition 3D placement
allows the designer to visualize and validate the mechanical constraints early
in the layout process reducing costly iterations with a mechanical engineer.
Symmetric implementation for component planning and placement in both
2D and 3D editors, including dynamic graphics synchronization, minimize the
impact on your existing PCB design processes. Dynamic DRC validation allows
for correct-by-construction placement that adheres to your constraints.
Lets complete the placement of your design using 3D placement.
Establishing the 3D View

Fit the board and select Window > Add 3D View.
Tilt the board as shown by pressing the Shift + Middle Mouse
Button and Dragging upwards on the screen.
On the Display Control Edit tab disable Group Outlines under the
Global View & Interactive Selection > Place section.
On the Display Control 3D tab enable Planning Groups in the
Objects section.
Placement
185
3D Component Planning and Placement (continued)

Placement Manipulation
In Xpedition 3D layout, selection and manipulation of components is the same

for both the 2D and 3D editor windows.
Zoom into area of U15 and U16.
Select and drag on one of the IC 3D component models to start
movement. While moving, use the same rotation and push commands
that are used in the 2D view.
Frame Select U15 and U16 and caps, Drag move, Rotate, and Push using
the right mouse button menu.
186 Placement

Working in 3D Planning Groups
Working with Component Planning Groups is also the same in the 3D view.
Zoom into the area of the Memory planning group bubble.
Select the first Memory IC in the planning group by dragging on the
Reference Designator in the planning bubble. The IC will attach to the
cursor for placement. Place the IC as shown.
Continue to place the components from the Memory planning group
until they are all placed.
To better optimize your placement, enable Netlines in the Objects section of the Display Control 3D tab.
Frame select the Memory ICs and right-click Align > Left to align the
components to the left edges.
NOTE: The same command is used as the 2D view.
Placement
187

Using Group Outlines
Right-click on the planning bubble for the FPGA planning group and
select Arrange > All Levels and place the components.
Enable Group Outlines in the Objects section of the Display Control
3D tab and enable Group Outline selection on the Display Control
Edit tab.
Once components are placed they can be moved as a group by
selecting the Group Outline.
188 Placement
Synchronized 2D and 3D Placement

Graphic synchronization can be used between the 2D and 3D editor windows
to allow placement from either window during placement optimization.
In the Display Control 3D tab, enable Drive 2D View and Follow 2D
View in the Options section.
Select the 2D view window tab 1:CORPORATE, then select Window >
Tile Vertically.
Zoom to the area of the planning group ANALOG_SW.
Right-click the ANALOG_SW planning bubble and select Arrange > All
Levels from the menu. The components are attached to the cursor in
both views for placement. Place the components.
NOTE: As you manipulate parts in either view, the dynamic graphics
are reflected in both views.
Placement
189

3D Clearances and Dynamic DRC Validation
Xpedition 3D layout supports two levels of clearances, Minimum and Optimal.
They are defined in the Constraint Manager and used during 3D model
manipulation. They can also be augmented to be instance specific.
Zoom in and select the U12 FPGA.

Select 3D > Clearances, and click the New button in the dialog.
Add an instance specific clearance as shown for U12 and click OK to
close the dialog.
NOTE: The Any to Any clearance is set in Constraint Manager.
Move the capacitor C14 near U12 to create DRC Optimal and Violated
situations.
NOTE: The components will dynamically highlight RED if the spacing is less
than the Minimum requirement, and in YELLOW when less than the Optimal
clearance set.
Xpedition 3D planning and placement allows a designer to quickly visualize

and implement the engineers design intent to produce an optimal component
placement while taking into account electromechanical constraints.
Finishing Placement
Now its your turn! Finish placing the board using the methods in this lesson.
For hints on placement, the finished placement is shown on the next page.
If you do not want to finish the placement at this time, you can continue to
the next lesson the board will be placed for you.
Note: When you are finished, Save your design and close Xpedition xPCB Layout.
190 Placement

The Finished Placement
Placement
191
Review Questions
1 Can I place components directly in Xpedition xPCB layout?
2 How do I place components without creating spacing violations?
3 Can I rotate a component while moving it?
4 How would I utilize Group Planning and Placement?
5 When would I use Radial Placement?
Review Answers
1 Although Component Explorer is the most powerful method for grouping and selecting components for
placement, you can disperse components outside the board edge in Xpedition xPCB layout and then use
the placement editing methods to complete your placement. The place and disperse Keyins are listed
in the Help menu.
2 Xpedition xPCB layout supports checking of spacing violations during placement and routing operations.
In Editor Control, on the Place tab you can set Place Online DRC to Prevent mode. Also, you can allow
components to be shoved when a spacing violation occurs.
3 During placement and move operations you have many options that allow you to rotate and push
components. The options can be accomplished using the Toolbars, Menus, Action Keys, Right Mouse
Button Context Sensitive Menus, and modeless Keyin Commands.
4 Many designers partition a design into functional blocks before final placement, which can be done in
the schematic or in the PCB. Rather than placing each component individually directly onto the board,
you can create planning groups of the parts in a particular circuit. You then move them to a clear area in
the workspace for placement arrangement. Once you have the planning group optimally arranged, you
can move the entire planning group to the desired location on the board. As the layout matures, you can
also use the group selection capability to move clusters of components around the design as required.
You can even rotate, push, and freeze groups during move operations.
5 Radial placement is useful when you have components that you want to place on an arc or in a radial
array. An IC test fixture board is a common example of a design requiring radial placement. There are
also many modern products that have formfitting smooth curves in their design that would require you
to place parts in a radial pattern.
192 Placement

Lesson 16: Creating Rules & Constraints with
Constraint Manager in the PCB Layout
In the Xpedition xDX Designer lessons you learned that Xpedition has a built-in
constraint management system. This lesson will review some of the features
within Constraint Manager. You will add constraints using the same graphical
spreadsheet interface you used in Xpedition xDX Designer, and see how
Xpedition xPCB Layout is linked through the iCDB database to your schematic to
keep the design constraints synchronized. You will discover that constraints are
easily maintained in Xpedition xPCB Layout and you do not have to learn a new
tool or interface for constraint management.
To review the Constraint Manager interface and toolbars, refer to Lesson 7:
Adding Rules and Constraints with Constraint Manager.
Entering Constraints

From the Start Page, select Open and browse to:
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson4\PCB\CORPORATE.pcb.
Select Setup > Constraint Manager, or click the toolbar button to open
the Constraint Manager spreadsheet interface.
The Spreadsheet interface is exactly the same as the one you used with
Xpedition xDX Designer. You do not need to learn a new interface.
Creating Rules and Constraints with Constraint Manager in the PCB Layout
193
Constraint Manager Cross Probing to the PCB

In Xpedition xPCB Layout, cross probing is bi-directional to Constraint Manager
and works the same as in Xpediton xDX Designer.
Look at your Constraint Manager Interface. On the Main toolbar, the Cross
Probe toggle icon should be enabled. If not, enable it. You can also turn on
Cross Probing using Setup > Cross Probing.
In the Xpedition xPCB Layout Editor window, click Display Control and
choose the Routing scheme.
In the layout, select Setup > Cross Probe > Setup and enable the settings
for Select, Highlight, and Fit view in PCB, then click OK.
Select Edit > Find or the Find button and choose the Net Tab.
Enter CLK_IN in the search text box, then click Find net.
Double-click the CLK_IN netline highlighted in the Find dialog box.
Notice the CLK_IN net is Selected, Highlighted, and Fit within the Editor
window, and the net is also highlighted in Constraint Manager.
Note: In Display Control > Graphic Tab > Graphic Options you may need
to expand the Selection & Highlights section and adjust Dim Mode
to better view highlighted objects.
Close the Find dialog box.
194 Creating Rules and Constraints with Constraint Manager in the PCB Layout
Constraint Manager Cross Probing to the PCB (continued)

In Constraint Manager, on the Nets tab, scroll down to the Constraint
Class/Net BSYNC and click on the Box to the left of the Constraint Class.
Notice that both of the nets in the Constraint Class BSYNC are selected
and viewed in the PCB Editor window.
Select Filters > Level > Pin to filter down to the pins level of a net.
Expand the BSYNC+ net and select the box next to the P1-1 pin within
the net.
Notice that the P1-1 pin is now selected and highlighted in the PCB
Editor window.
In Display Control, choose the Placement scheme.
In Constraint Manager, select the Parts tab, then expand the 101-RES
part type.
Select the box next to R24. R24 is selected and highlighted in the Editor
window.
Constraint Manager can Cross Probe to Constraint Classes, Nets, Pins, and
Parts in Xpedition xPCB Layout as well as in Xpedition xDX Designer.
All at the same time!
195
Updating Constraints and Clearances
Although constraints were entered into the schematic in Xpedition

xDX Designer and passed to Xpedition xPCB Layout during Forward
Annotation, often a PCB designer needs to modify those constraints.
Constraint Manager allows you to easily update constraints in the
PCB layout and keep the schematic design synchronized.
Updating Powers and Grounds

In Constraint Manager, select the Nets tab.
From the Group Box drop-down list, select Power Nets.

Scroll and find the Physical Net PWR and check the Power Net box and
enter 0 for the Supply Voltage (V).
Repeat Step 3 for Physical Net V2.7. and enter Supply Voltage (V) value
of 2.7.
Note the Power Net icon on the net names in the Constraint Class/Net
column.
Update the Net Class dropdown list for Net Name PWR to
PWR_020_MIL.
Sort by the Net Class column to easily view the net names in the
PWR_020_MIL Net Class.

Updating Constraint Manager Schemes
Schemes in Constraint Manager define categories of physical design rules

that will be used during PCB Layout. The Master and Minimum schemes are
the default schemes.
In this lesson we will update the Master scheme and create a new scheme
that will be used for a Rule Area on the PCB.
In the Navigator window, expand the Master scheme and expand

Trace & Via Properties tab.
Select the Filters Group dropdown and choose All.
Click on the Master Scheme to see the trace and via properties
currently set for the design.
Follow the illustration at the right to update the Trace Widths for
Minimum, Typical, and Expansion, and the Differential Spacing for all
of the Net Classes in the Master scheme.
Click OK when the dialog box appears, or check the box if you do not
want to be warned about further changes being made.
Expand the BSYNC Net Class to see that your updates were
propagated to all layers in the Net Class.
Creating a New Scheme
In the Navigator, right-click Schemes and choose New Scheme.

Right-click on the new scheme and Rename it to FPGA.
Expand the FPGA scheme and change the values for the Default Net
Class to match the picture.
Click the AMBER indicator to update the Pending CES Changes.
You will now create a Rule Area on your PCB to use this scheme
when routing.
197
Creating a PCB Rule Area

Rule Areas are used on PCB Layouts to create an area where specific routing
constraints may need to be overridden due to density, circuit impedance, or
other engineering requirements.
The New Scheme that you just created contains reduced trace widths that
will be used during routing of a smaller pitch FPGA device.
In the Editor Window, Zoom to U12, the FPGA device on the right side of
the board.
In Display Control > Objects > Route Areas, verify that Route Border
and Rule Areas are enabled.
Select Draw > Rule Area.
In the Properties dialog box, select the dropdown list for Layer and choose
(All).
In the Properties dialog box, select the dropdown list for Name and choose
the FPGA scheme that you just created in Constraint Manager.
Select View > Toolbars > Draw Create and choose Add Rectangle.
Select a coordinate at the upper left of the FPGA, then drag the
rectangle and select a second coordinate at the lower right of the FPGA.
Close Properties.
This new Rule area reduces all traces that pass through it to 4(th) for All
layers. You can also use Rule Areas to change the required Via within the
area if needed.
Note: You created this Rule Area in the PCB database. Rule Areas can
also be created inside your Cells using the Cell Editor in Xpedition xDM
Librarian.

Updating Clearances
In the Constraint Manager Navigator, expand Clearances under
the Master scheme.
Select the HS_3W Clearance rule.

In the spreadsheet, find the Trace To Pad column, then in the
HS_3W row update the parent entry to 8 and press Enter.
Repeat step 3 and update the columns: Trace To Via,

Trace To Plane, and Trace To SMD Pad to 8.
Note: You may also paint the number across any spreadsheet entry by
selecting the entry box and dragging the small + indicator across the
spreadsheet.
Assigning Clearances
Click the Class to Class Clearance Rules icon in the Clearances

toolbar.
The Class to Class Clearances dialog box opens and is set to the
Master Scheme.
Under the (ALL) column, choose the dropdown list for the CLOCK2
Net Class and choose HS_3W. This assigns the HS_3W rule to all
nets within the Net Class CLOCKS2, and applies it against ALL
other nets within the design.
Click OK. Your Clock signal spacing rule has been completed and
saved to the database.
Note: If you do not assign a Class to Class Clearance rule to a Net Class, then the
Default rules will be used.
199
Creating Net Classes

In the Navigator, right-click on Net Classes and select New Net Class.
Name the New Net Class FADDR and click on the FADDR Net Class.
Right-click on FADDR, and select Assign Nets.
In the Assign Physical Nets to Net Class dialog box, make sure the
Source Net Class is Default and the Target Net Class is FADDR.
In the Search Bar, search for FADDR* nets, then click on the Search icon.
Click > to move the FADDR* nets to the FADDR Net Class, then click OK.
Create a New Net Class called FDATA.

Repeat steps 1 to 6 and add the FDATA* nets to the FDATA Net Class.
Deleting Net Classes

When you create constraints you may find that you no longer need some Net
Classes. You can easily delete them.
Warning: Any constraint information you entered into a Net Class will be
deleted also.
Right-click on the Net Class ANALOG and choose Delete.
Verify that you want to delete the Net Class by clicking Yes.

Automatically Creating Differential Pairs
In the Constraint Manager lesson for Xpedition xDX Designer, you created a
differential pair manually. For this lesson, you will learn how to automatically
assign multiple nets as differential pairs to help speed up constraint entry.
In Constraint Manager, select Edit > Differential Pairs > Auto Assign
Differential Pairs
Select Assign by Net Name, then choose *_P from the Net Name
dropdown list.
Choose *_N from the Pair net name dropdown list.
201
Automatically Creating Differential Pairs (continued)
Click Assign Matches. The Diff Pairs matching the search criteria appear in
the Proposed differential pairs list.
Click Apply to create the differential pairs.
Close the Auto Assign Differential Pairs dialog box.
On the Nets tab, sort the net column so the new Diff Pairs appear at the
top of the listing. Right-click and select Sort > Ascending.
Select the box for the first Diff Pair, then press and hold the Shift key to
select the last of the four Diff Pairs.
Now press the Ctrl key and click the Net Class dropdown list, then choose
DP_ 100_OHM to add all of the diff pairs to the Net Class.

Customizing Constraint Groups
There are several preset Constraint Groups within Constraint Manager, but you
have the ability to customize them or create your own based on the needs of
your design.
Click the Constraint Group dropdown list and select Edit Constraint
Groups.
Click the Select constraint group dropdown list and select the Lengths
group.
In the All constraints: section scroll down and select Stub Length Actual
and Stub Length Max.
Click the Move selected right button to move these constraints to the
Constraints assigned to group section.
Click Apply to save the changes, and the Stub Lengths columns will now be
available from within the Lengths group.
Click Close to exit Edit Constraint Groups.
203
Creating a Constraint Class

In the Navigator, right-click on Constraint Classes and select New
Constraint Class.
Name the New Constraint Class MATCHTRACK.
Right-click on MATCHTRACK and choose Assign Nets
In the Assign Nets to Constraint Class dialog box, make sure the Source
Constraint Class is All and the Target Constraint Class is MATCHTRACK.
In the Search Bar, search for ASYNC* nets, then click on the Search icon.
Click > to move the ASYNC* nets to the MATCHTRACK Constraint Class,
then click OK.

Creating a Constraint Class (continued)
Select the Nets tab, then select the Group box drop-down list and select
Delays & Lengths to set the columns for length constraints.
While on the Nets tab, select the MATCHTRACK Constraint Class in
the navigator to isolate it in the spreadsheet, then scroll to the
Length Columns.
In the Length > Match column for nets ASYNC+ and ASYNC-, enter the
text ASYNC.
In the Length > Tolerance column 'Tol(th)' for MATCHTRACK,
ASYNC+ and ASYNC-, enter a value of 200. You will NOT need to re-add
the 200th tolerance as its assumed for the match group ASYNC.
Repeat steps 8 and 9 to add Length Matching Constraints to the Diff

Pairs you auto-assigned. (Click on All in the navigator and sort to
see the other nets).
Note: Follow the illustration to set the correct Min Length and Max Length.
Update the Stub Length for the Diff Pairs to a Max of 300.
Note: Normally you would need to change the Group box back to ALL to
view these columns, but since you added these columns through Edit
Constraint Groups, they appear in the Length group.
Close Constraint Manager and save your layout in Xpedition to

save the updates to the iCDB.
205
Ordering Nets with Netline Manipulation

In the Constraint Manager lesson for Xpedition xDX Designer, you created Ordered
Nets within Constraint Manager. You can also set up Net Ordering graphically in
Xpedition xPCB Layout using Netline Manipulation. Any netline topologies that
you graphically order are automatically updated in Constraint Manager.
Using Color by Nets or Net Class
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, you can easily change the color of individual Netlines,
Net Classes, and Constraint Classes to make them more visible.
Click Fit Board, and in Display Control, select the Routing scheme.
So you can identify the nets to be ordered, select Display Control >
Graphic > Color By Net or Class and enable Constraint Classes.
Click Add and enable the MATCHTRACK Constraint Class, then click OK.
Click on the MATCHTRACK color selector and change it to a color that is
easy for you to see, then click Close.
The MATCHTRACK Constraint Class is highlighted. These are the two nets
you will re-order.

Ordering Nets with Netline Manipulation (continued)
Using Net Filter to Control Netline Visibility and Selection
Even though you have highlighted your nets to make them easier to see,
you may want to turn off the visibility of the other netlines that you are not
currently editing. Do this using Net Filter.
Select Editor Control > Route > Dialogs, and enable Net Filter.
Click Net Filter.

Choose Constraint from the Display Class Type dropdown list,
and sort the Included Constraint Class column so that
MATCHTRACK is at the top of the list.
Select the nets in the MATCHTRACK Constraint Class and click

the < button to move the nets to the Excluded list.
Select (Net0) and click the > button to move it to the Included
list.
Click the Swap included and excluded nets button and enable
Apply filter to Netlines.
Click Apply to view your changes in the Editor window.
In Net Filter, save the Selection Scheme as Matchtrack and choose Save
locally with job, then click OK.
Note: You can save as many Net Filtering schemes as you need in your design
and recall them later for easy net handling. Schemes are saved to the PCB/
Config directory locally but may be saved at other locations.
Close Net Filter. Be sure that the net filter is enabled as shown in
Step 1.
207
Ordering Nets with Netline Manipulation (continued)

Netline Manipulation
The nets ASYNC+ and ASYNC- are currently ordered from components P2 to P1
to U11. You will adjust the ordering and make it: P2 to U11 to P1.
Select Display Control > Objects > Place and enable Top Facement.
Zoom into the area near P1 and U11.
Select Route > Netline Manipulation. The highlighting changes while
you are in this command.
Select the ASYNC+ netline between P2 and P1.

Drag the netline to the pin location on U11.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for net ASYNC-.
Right-click and choose Save Changes and Exit.
Open Constraint Manager, and the ASYNC+ and ASYNC- nets are
ordered.
Close Constraint Manager.
Save your PCB layout and close Xpedition xPCB Layout.
Review Questions
1 Why would I want to change the rules and constraints entered by the engineer in the schematic?
2 If the schematic and PCB are both open, will Constraint Manager Cross Probe to both at the same
time?
3 When would I want to use a Net Class?
4 Do Diff Pair nets need to be named to a specific naming convention?
Review Answers
1 The rules and constraints you entered during the schematic design are very helpful to a PCB layout
engineer, but often an engineer can over-constrain a design, making the layout impossible to
complete. Constraint Manager allows the PCB layout engineer to adjust the constraints to make the
design easier to manufacture but still maintain the intent of the engineer.
2 Constraint Manager cross probes to Xpedition xDX Designer and Xpedition xPCB Layout
simultaneously if you have the cross probe settings enabled in both applications. Cross Probing is
linked through different dialog boxes and features throughout Xpedition.
3 Use Net Classes to group nets that require the same physical constraints in the board. By grouping them
in a Net Class, if the physical constraints require changing, you can change them for all of the nets within
the class.
4 There are no standard naming conventions for Differential Pairs, but following a few good practices
can make it much easier to assign constraints to them. If you use the suffixes _P and _N or _HI
and _LOW, or something similar, you can take advantage of the Auto Assign Diff Pairs command. This
command allows you to assign multiple differential pairs at one time.
209
Lesson 17: Xpedition xDX Variant Manager in Xpedition xPCB Layout

In the Xpedition xDX Designer lesson Variant Manager, you learned how multiple
variants can exist in a single design. You can generate separate schematics and
BOMs for each variant of your design, and can integrate them with Xpedition
xPCB layout to create the necessary assembly drawings based on each variant.
Please review the Xpedition xDX Designer Xpedition xDX Variant Manager lesson, if
needed.
In Xpedition xPCB layout, you can also use Xpedition xDX Variant Manager to create
a unique BOM for assembly variants. This information is integrated with Xpedition
xDX Designer and you can back annotate it to the schematic.
Launching Variant Manager

Start Xpedition xPCB layout, and from the Start Page select Open and
browse to and open
Launch Xpedition xDX Variant Manager by selecting Output > Variants.
Xpedition xDX Variant Manager opens with the same familiar interface, and
the two variants you created in Xpedition xDX Designer.
210 Variant Manager in Xpedition xPCB Layout

Reviewing the Xpedition xDX Variant Manager Settings
The General Tab
In Xpedition xDX Variant Manager, click Settings.

Use the General tab to name unplaced parts and to set report options.
Any parts that you choose not to install in the PCB Assembly process are
labeled with the Unplaced keyword. You can also use keywords such as;
DNI, DoNotInstall, or DEPOP.
Note: This tab contains the information you entered in Xpediton xDX Designer.
You do not need to be change it for this lesson.
The PCB Interaction Tab

The PCB Interaction tab lets you determine which items you want to
display for the Assembly and Silkscreen layers when creating PCB
Variant views. Disable Reference Designators and Outlines for these
layers so they will be removed from your variant views.
You can also remove the Soldermask and/or Solderpaste padstacks
from Unplaced parts. (This is not typical for most designs).
Enable Display Nested Mechanical Cells so they appear in the grid
when you have them in your designs.
Variant Manager in Xpedition xPCB Layout
211
The Library Query Setup Tab

The settings for the Library Query Setup tab were setup during the schematic
design and were transferred to Xpedition xPCB Layout. Below is a review of the
tab settings.
The Library Query Setup tab allows you to define and edit how the
project interacts with the Xpedition xDX Databook database. The Data
source configuration file indicates the Xpedition xDX Databook file you
access when creating your design variant.
The Define Libraries button allows you to edit your Xpedition xDX
Databook configuration. The data source configuration is required
when you make Part Number replacements (overrides) in your variants.
For this lesson, the setup is done for you but you can refer to the
Appendix: Configuring Variant Manager if you are using your own
database.
The Query settings section controls the database search when using the
Replace function. Allow sufficient results to be returned from each library
by setting the Results/library value appropriately. If you want to use
replacement parts from more than one library, you must set the Results
total number to be larger than the number of results returned from each
individual library. Verify that the Part number attribute dropdown list is
set to Part Number.
The Output format controls your database query results. The Part number
feedback line allows you to display more information about a particular
part. This will be shown later.
The Query results format controls the results shown for the Replace
function. This determines the columns displayed and the filter options to
help you choose a replacement part.
Note: Because you have associated the Part number attribute to Part Number, we
also want to be sure that it is included in the Query results format.
Click Cancel to close the Settings dialog box.
Adding a Variant
Select Variant Definition.
From the Variant Definition dialog box, click Create New Variant to add a
third variant to this database.
Name the variant Variant3.

Enter the Number and Description as shown.
For Variant3: Number = VAR3, Description = New Var3
The Variant Groups tab is helpful for sorting or filtering for specific variants
when there are many in a single project.
Note: Any groups setup on the Variant Groups tab will be available from the
dropdown list in the main window.
Click OK to save the new variant and exit.

In the Variant Manager window you can see the added variant.
Disable Flat Design View so you can see the Blocks containing variant
modifications that were done in the schematic.
213
Defining Variants
Now that you have added a new variant, make some modifications to the
current variant parameters and define some new ones.
Enable the Transmit and Receive buttons to allow cross probing.

In Display Control, select the Loc:Placement scheme.
Click the cell under the Variant1 column, next to C9. Xpedition xDX Variant
Manager cross probes from the PCB layout to the variant and vice-versa.
In the Analog Switch block Variant3 column, select R5 and drag select to
R7.
Right-click Unplaced or click Unplace Selected Cells in the Xpedition xDX
Variant Manager toolbar.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the Variant1 column.

Change Multiple Parts Simultaneously
To change several parts at the same time, select R7 in the Variant1 column.
CTRL + Click and select R7 in the Variant3 column.
Right-click on one of the selected reference designators and click Reset,
or click Reset on the toolbar. The selected parts are reset and the variant
cells are cleared.
Replacing (Substituting) Parts

Select the cell for C5 in IO_Port2 in Variant3, then right-click and choose
Replace. You can also select Replace Part from the toolbar.
A new window appears that lists the possible replacement parts.

Note: The columns in the list are based on the settings you created. All of the
replacement parts have the same PKG_TYPE property as the original part. Also,
the VM Match is set to PKG_TYPE in the .dbc configuration as shown in the
Appendix at the end of this Evaluation Guide.
215
Sorting Parts
Select the Column Header for the Value column.
From the dropdown Filter list, select Ascending.
Replace C5 with the smallest value capacitor by double-clicking the first
part available, 12308-CAP.
Flatten the Design View

Enable the Flat Design View checkbox to flatten the Variant Manager grid
to a Ref Des list.
In the layout Editor window, find and select R29 near U11 in the middle
of the layout. The part is also selected in Xpedition xDX Variant Manager.
Hint: You may need to choose the Placement display scheme to select the
component.

Replacing Parts Across Library Partitions
Replace the R29 resistor with a capacitor in Variant3. With R29 selected,
right-click over the cell in the Variant3 column and click Replace.
Sort the Library column by Capacitor and double-click the first capacitor
in the list.
Note: Since the PKG_TYPE property is the same for both the resistor and capacitor,
you are able to replace these parts.
217
Mutually Exclusive Variants

In Xpedition xPCB layout, you can overlap two components provided they do not
exist in the same variant. These components can share a pin location if they are
tied to the same net, use the same padstack, and the pin is placed at the same
X-Y coordinate.
Select R2 from the upper right corner of the layout in the Analog Switch
group.
Unplace R2 in Variant3.
Select C9 and Unplace it in Variants 1 and 2.
Move C9 so that it is placed directly on top of R2.
Note: You do not get a placement DRC for the two components because C9 only
exists in Variant3, and R2 does not.
Once you have created the variant view, you will see how Xpedition places the
correct markings on your PCB layout.

Generating PCB Variant Outputs
Your design now has three variants and you will need to Generate PCB Variant
Views for Assembly Drawings, create BOMs, and Back Annotate the new variant
information to your schematic.
Back Annotating the Xpedition xDX Variant Manager Changes

In Xpedition xPCB, select ECO > Back Annotate to update your schematic
with your Xpedition xDX Variant Manager changes.
Unplaced Cell Graphics in Variants

You can define the graphics that appear in your variant views for the Silkscreen
and Assembly Layers. The graphics are defined in the Cell using the Cell Editor in
Xpedition xDM Librarian. We have already created some graphics for you in this
design.
Your design has No Graphics displayed for Unplaced components on the
Silkscreen layers.
Your design has an X and Outline graphics displayed for the Assembly
layers.
219
Generating PCB Variant Views
In Xpedition xDX Variant Manager, select the Variant3 column and then
click Generate PCB Variant View.
In Display Control, select the scheme SILK_TOP.
Notice that the Unplaced components R5 and R6 have no silkscreen, and
the mutually placed C9 has silkscreen, but R2 does not.
In Display Control, select the scheme ASSEMBLY_TOP to see the variant
view for the assembly layer.
Note: After generating a variant view, you can use the view to create printed
documents or fabrication outputs.
In Xpedition xDX Variant Manager, select Reset PCB Variant View to

Master.
Note: To create views for the other variants in the design, select the Variant
column and re-generate the variant view.

Generating a Variant BOM Report
To generate Variant PCB BOMs, right-click in the Variant window and
choose Report > BOM Reports.
Choose HTML Document for the output file type.
Select all three variants and define the Output location:
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson5 and name it VariantPCB.
Click OK to create the BOM reports.
You may review the HTML documents in any browser.
Close Xpedition xDX Variant Manager and Save your PCB layout.
221
Review Questions
1 When creating library component land patterns, do I need to add special
graphics in order for variants to display correctly?
2 Does Xpedition xDX Designer see the changes made in the Xpedition xDX
Variant Manager in Xpedition xPCB Layout?
3 Can I generate Gerber outputs from my PCB variants?
Review Answers
1 No, it is not a requirement. Xpedition xDX Variant Manager will automatically
remove silkscreen and assembly graphics from your components when
variant views are generated. If you do add special graphics in your land
patterns, Xpedition xDX Variant Manager will use them in your variant views.
2 Xpedition xDX Designer will see any changes or additions made while you
are working in the layout tools when you run a Back Annotation.
3 Once you have generated a PCB variant view, you can create PDF prints or
Gerber output files from that view.

Lesson 18: AutoActive Interactive Routing
In this lesson you will learn about the award winning Auto-Active Routing
Technology in Xpedition xPCB Layout. The routing capabilities allow you to
quickly and easily Fanout, Plow (Route), and Multiplow (Multi Trace Route)
nets. You can also easily route differential Pairs and tune high speed nets.
Sketch Router helps you to Auto-Actively route bundled netlines. While you
route your design, Online DRC (Design Rule Checking) funtionality keeps you
from introducing errors. You can customize your routing style to help you
route your designs more efficiently.
Open the Design File for Routing

From the Start Page select Open and browse to and choose:
Routing with Online DRC

In Xpedition xPCB Layout the default for Interactive Place and Route DRC is
ON. While routing, Online DRC maintains all of the spacing constraints and
does not allow for copper to copper errors within your design. The preferred
routing method is to leave DRC on, but you can turn it off when needed.
INTERACTIVE DRC OFF
Select Editor Control > Common Settings, then disable Interactive
Place/Route DRC.
Click Yes to turn off Online DRC checking. The DRC Off Warning dialog
box remains open until you turn DRC back On.
Close the DRC Off Warning dialog box, then click No for the Batch DRC
message. You will run Batch DRC in an upcoming lesson.
Note: If you do any Placement or Route edits with Interactive DRC Off, you should
always run Batch DRC on your design prior to releasing it to manufacturing.
223
Netline Display with Net Explorer

Routing a PCB requires the selection of Netlines. Boards that have thousands
of nets can present a problem. Netlines can completely fill a viewing area,
making it impossible to select the one you want to route. The best way to
avoid this problem is to organize netlines into groups and then display them
as you route them.
Net Explorer is a spreadsheet interface that provides many methods of
organizing and displaying nets. You can create User Planning Groups of
netlines, then Filter and Mark them so that you only display those groups.
Net Classes, Constraint Classes, Diff Pairs, Tuned/Matched Nets, and Ordered
Nets, also appear as groups within Net Explorer. Once you have your groups
created, you can save Net Explorer schemes, similar to Net Filter in the
previous lesson.
Fit
Selected Mark/Unmark
The Net Explorer Spreadsheet and Toolbar
Toggle
Cross Probe
Toggle
Filter
Unmark Enable Cross

All
Highlight
The Net Explorer interface is similar to Component Explorer that you used for
placement, and contains many of the same features.
Select Route > Net Explorer
Click the Net column to sort the column.

Expand CORPORATE, then expand Planning Groups. This is where any
User Groups you create appear.
Click Toggle Filter. These panes allow you use the dropdown filter or enter
your own search criteria for the column.
The Navigator lists all of the User Planning Groups, and pre-defined groups
created from the constraints you entered in Constraint Manager.
Review and Scroll through the available column information.
Click Fit Selected and Toggle Cross Probe on the Net Explorer
toolbar so that Net Explorer cross probes to the Editor window.
Explore the spreadsheet interface, and when you are ready, you can move on
to the next section to prepare for routing.
224 AutoActive Interactive Routing
Creating Net Planning User Groups

You can create user Planning Groups by selecting nets within the spreadsheet, or
by selecting Netlines within the Editor window.
Select CORPORATE, and using the Filter Pane dropdown in the Net
column choose DATA*.
Select the DATA_BUS* nets, right-click and click Create User Group.
Name the new User Group MemData.
Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to select the ADDR* nets and Create the User
Group MemAddr.
Fit the board, then select the MemAddr User Group. The Memory
Address nets are selected and highlighted in the Editor window.
If you ever need to remove a User Group, select the group then
right-click Dissolve. Do not remove any User Groups at this time.
Expand Net Class.

Select the Net Class FDATA that you created in Constraint Manager.
The nets in the FDATA Net Class are selected and highlighted.
225
Marking Nets and Creating Schemes

Similar to using the Net Filter, you can use Net Explorer to mark nets or
groups of nets so that they are the only nets displayed in the Editor window.
Also, just like Net Filter, you can save these settings as Schemes for future
routing.
Marking nets in the Net Explorer works in conjunction with the Netlines
Settings in Display Control.
Select Display Control > Objects > Netlines and expand the Netlines for
Marked Comps and Nets section.
Enable From Marked Nets.

Right-click From Marked Nets and choose Add to Favorites.
From Marked Nets now appears on the Display Control > Edit tab in
the Favorite section making access easy.
Select the MemData User Group, then click Mark/Unmark.
The MemData User Group nets are now the only nets displayed in
the Editor window.
Click Mark/Unmark again, and all of the nets in the design are displayed.
Select the MemAddr User Group, then click Mark/Unmark.
Save a Scheme called MemAddr, then Unmark the MemAddr User Group.
Select the scheme you just created and notice that the marking of the
User Group MemAddr has been restored.
Select Display Control > Edit > Favorites section and disable
From Marked Nets.
You can create as many different Net Explorer schemes as you want when
designing your PCB.

Routing Options
While routing in Xpedition xPCB Layout, there are several methods of
specifying the way traces are edited, plow styles, and glossing. Editor Control is
used to specify these settings, as you route, you can change these settings using the
right-click context sensitive menus. You will use these settings throughout the
lesson.
Editor Control
Click the Editor Control > Grids tab and expand the Route Grids section.
Ensure that 5 is entered for the Via Grid value.
Note: You will route the design with no Routing grid. This is the optimal setting for
dense designs. In HDI layer buildup designs it may also be beneficial to use a Via
grid of None.
Click the Editor Control > Route tab and expand the Dialogs section.
This section controls the settings for nets and route handling. You have
used some of these settings in previous lessons.
Click Tuning....
Tuning Patterns specifies the patterns used when you Manual Tune nets
with a length constraint requirement.
Close Tuning Patterns.
Click Diff Pairs.
Diff Pairs specifies how Diff Pairs are coupled during routing and editing:
Coplanar (same layer) or Broadside (adjacent layer).
Close Diff Pairs.
Click Pad Entry.
Pad Entry specifies how you would like traces to enter or exit a pad when
you route.
You can specify settings for groups of pads or individual pads.

You can specify the trace entry angle and location, including Extended Pad
Entry which allows Odd Angle entry.
For surface pads, you can specify if Vias are allowed within the surface pad
area. Close Pad Entry.
227
Editor Control (continued)

Click Expand Traces.
Expand Traces defines the minimum distance rules for increasing or
decreasing the trace widths defined in Constraint Manager during
interactive routing.
Click OK to close Expand Traces.
Plow Styles and Edit & Route Controls

Expand the Plow section. This section specifies the Mouse Up and
Mouse Drag plow styles you are using, and how DRCs, Vias, Loops
and Angles will be defined when routing.
Mouse Up Styles add traces by clicking to place distinct Anchor
Points for trace segments.
Mouse Drag Styles use a click and drag method for adding traces.
Expand the Edit & Route Controls section. This section defines the
Glossing method you use when routing or editing traces and vias.
Enable Via Move to allow vias to be shoved when Plowing, and

Remove excess meanders to provide additional cleanup to routed
traces upon completion.
Expand Angles, Corners. This section provides settings to allow Any

Angle Routing and Curved trace routing.
Expand Vias & Fanouts. This section provides settings for Via and Fanout
controls during plowing and editing.
Expand Net Rule Overrides. This section allows you to override
settings placed in your constraint in Constraint Manager.
Disable all of the Overrides.

As with other dialog boxes in Xpedition xPCB, you can save your
Editor Control settings as a Scheme. In Common Settings, save the
Editor Control scheme locally as Route.
Plowing with Active Clearances and DRC Visualization
When you are routing or editing, Xpedition xPCB Layout can help you to visualize
both Clearances and DRCs.
Lets practice plowing a few traces with the settings you have learned so far
Zoom into the Area of U2 through U5.
Click the Display Control > Graphics tab and expand the Graphics
Options section.
Expand the General options and change the color of Active Clearance to
a color of your choice.
Note: To be able to use Active Clearances your system will require an OpenGL
capable video graphics card.
Click the Editor Control > Route tab, and in the Plow section set your
Mouse Up style to Hockey Stick/On Click.
Select U5 pin 8 as shown and click the F3 Action Key Plow/Multi to

route the trace as shown. Notice that you must click multiple trace
anchor points to get the trace to pass through the pins.
In Editor Control, set your Gloss to Local, or use the F10 Action Key
Toggle Gloss. Local Glossing minimizes the area of the trace that is glossed
during routing or editing.

Note: Practice using the different Gloss Modes throughout this lesson to become
comfortable with the differences between them.
Select U5 pin 7 as shown, right-click and choose Mouse Up Plow Style >
Real Trace Delayed, then route the trace as shown. Notice as you route,
the shoving of the previously routed trace is Delayed until you click a new
anchor point.
Continue to add anchor points for the trace. Notice you do not have to
enter as many and the Active Clearance circle displays all of the
spacing clearances per your
design constraints as you
route.
229
Plowing with Active Clearances and DRC Visualization (continued)

Select U5 pin 6 as shown, right-click and choose Mouse Up Plow Style >
Real Trace Dynamic, then route the trace as shown. Notice that your
trace will immediately shove other traces as you route.
Select U5 pin 5 as shown, then right-click and choose Mouse Up Plow Style >
Segment/On Click.
Right-click and click Angle Mode and choose Any, then route the trace
as shown. Notice that each Segment requires an anchor point, and you
can route at Any Angle in this plow mode.
Reset your Angle Mode back to 45.
Route U4 pins 7 and 8 using Mouse Drag Plow Styles. These work exactly like
their Mouse Up counterparts, but you use a click and drag method.
The drag method is very helpful when a trace you are routing travels off
screen because these plow styles will auto pan as you route.
Click Editor Control, and in the Common Settings section disable
Interactive Place/Route DRC and answer Yes to the warning.
Using any plow style, route the connection from U4 pin 5 as shown.
Zoom in on the trace and notice the DRC Visualization patterns showing
trace to trace DRCs.
Enable Interactive Place/Route DRC and click No. We will not run Batch
DRC at this time.
Right-click to Cancel Plow, or press Esc.

Select Route > Edit Routes > Delete all Traces and Vias to remove your
practice routing.
Click Yes for the Delete all traces and vias warning.
Now lets move on to Routing the rest of the layout

Fanouts and Fanout Patterns
When there are Surface Mount components in a layout, fanout vias must be
created to allow connections to other layers. While routing you can place
vias to complete connections, but it is best to place all fanouts initially to
keep routing from blocking future fanout locations.
Interactive Fanout
Click Display Control > Graphic and expand the Color By Net or Class
section.
In the Nets section, click Add, then enable netnames GND, VDD, and
VDDQ3.3V from the list of nets.
Change the Color Fill so that each net has a different color.
Zoom to U5 and select the VDD net pin, then click the action key F3
Plow/Multi.
Use plow to add a fanout via at a location just inside U5 pin 1 as shown.
Double-click to add a via.
Cancel out of the Plow command.
Select the GND net pin on U5, then click the action key F2 Fanout.
The fanout via is added close to the pin and on the via grid you set
previously.
Triple-click the VDD net pin on U4, the entire VDD net will be selected in
the layout.
Click the action key F2 Fanout and all of the selected VDD pins in the
layout will be routed with a fanout vias.
Repeat steps 8 and 9 for the GND net.
231
Fanout Patterns Wizard

In Xpedition xPCB Layout you can also use the Fanout Patterns Wizard to
create specific fanout patterns in commonly used surface mount device
packages.
Click Display Control > Edit, and enable selection of Place in the Global
View and Interactive Selection section.
Zoom to U7 in the upper left section of the layout, then select the U7
reference designator text to select the component.
Select Route > Fanout Patterns.
Click the SOIC/QUAD package tab and set the dropdown box settings as
shown.
Click Fanout Selected and U7 will be routed with fanout vias with the
pattern you selected.
Note: Patterns can be created for SOICs, Quad Flat Packs, BGAs, and Staggered
BGAs.
Click OK to close the Fanout Pattern Results.

Close Fanout Patterns.

Creating Split/Mixed Dynamic Planes
In Lesson 14: Setting Up a New Design, you learned how to create

plane layers. Please review the lesson if needed.
In this lesson you will create a Split Voltage Plane and a Mixed Plane.
Xpedition xPCB Layout Dynamic Planes Engine maintains the spacing clearances
you created in Constraint Manager between planes and other copper objects in
your design.
Click Fit Board.

Select Planes > Plane Assignments.
On Layer 4, Add the net VDDQ3.3V, then click OK to close
Nets and Plane Assignments.
Click Net Explorer and click PWR_020_MIL in the Net Class section. If
needed, reset the Net column filter to (ALL).
Click net VDDQ 3.3V to select the net.
Click F2 Fanout to route fanout vias for the entire net.
Click Display Control and enable the PLANE_4 layer.
Select Planes > Plane Shape and set the Properties as shown.
233
Creating Split/Mixed Planes
(continued)
Draw the plane shape as shown to include the connections for net
VDDQ3.3V. Close the Properties dialog box when completed.
Note: The net automatically connects to the plane, and the plane shape is also
automatically Split from the existing VDD plane.
Creating Split/Mixed Planes (continued)

Now you will create a Mixed Plane on layer SIGNAL_1 for the Analog_SW group.
Click Display Control and disable the Plane_4 layer.

Select Place > Component Explorer, then click Fit Selected and Toggle
Cross Probe.
Select the ANALOG_SW group, then Auto Hide Component Explorer.
Select Planes > Plane Shape and use the Action Key F9 Add Rectangle
to draw a shape with the specified Properties around the ANALOG_SW
group as shown. Close the Properties dialog box when completed.
Hint: Try copying the Room shape you created for this group in the
Placement lesson to create the new plane shape. In the Setting Up
a New Board Design - Drawing the Route Border Using Copy Shape,
you learned how to copy existing shapes to create additional objects.
Note: The plane shape automatically connects to the GND connections and
clears objects per your assigned Constraint Manager clearances.
235
Plowing and Plow Editing Features
Lets take a look at a few more Plowing (Routing) and Plow Editing features in
Xpedition xPCB Layout.
In this section you may use the Plow Style of your choice.
Multi-Plow
Multi-Plow allows you to route multiple traces at one time.

Zoom to the area of U2 through U5.
Frame select the four pins for the four nets on U5 as shown, then click
F3 Plow/Multi.
Route the traces to U3 as shown.

Click near one of the pin connection points on U3 to complete the
routes.
Right-click then Cancel Multi-Plow.
Plow Auto Finish

Select the pin on U4 as shown, then click F3 Plow/Multi.
Route the trace towards U2, pausing near U3 as shown.
Click F5 Auto Finish to automatically complete the route.
Route the additional connections on U4 using Auto Finish.
Cancel Plow.

Deleting Traces or Trace Segments
Select the trace segment from U5.
Press Delete, to delete the segment.
Click Undo or use Alt+Backspace to undo the delete.
Select two points within a trace segment from U5.
Press Delete to remove the portion of the segment,

then click Undo.
Double-click on the trace from U5, and the entire
connection is selected.
Press Delete to delete the entire connection, then click
Undo.
Note: Previously in this lesson, you used a Triple-click to
select the entire net within the design.
Re-Routing a Trace
You can easily re-route any trace using the Plow command.
Click F3 Plow/Multi, and select the U5 trace. Re-route

begins.
Suspending a Route
If you need to move off screen while routing to change
settings, you can suspend routing for the currently selected
trace.
While re-routing the trace, press the Shift key and trace
routing is Suspended.
Click in the Editor window to Unsuspend the route.
237
Context Sensitive Right Mouse Button Menus
While you route in Xpedition xPCB Layout the right mouse button menus
can save you time by placing the most common editing features at your
fingertips.
While re-routing the trace, right-click to review the available editing
features.
You can Change Layers by selecting the new layer.
You can Change Widths or Add Width to a trace.

You can override and change the Via Type for the trace.
Complete the re-route of the trace to U3 and cancel Plow.
Moving Traces and Vias

Once you have completed routing, you can easily Move traces and vias
or groups of traces. There are also context sensitive menus available with
additional edit features.
Select the VDD net via on U5.
Drag the via to the opposite side of the pad on U5.
Drag all of the voltage and ground vias to the new locations as shown.
Notice that the vias will shove the traces as needed.
You will need to drag the voltage vias on U2 and U3 farther to maintain
plane connectivity.
Hint: Enable the PLANE_4 layer to see the plane shape location.
Moving Traces and Vias (continued)

Now use Move to clean up the routes in the U2 through U5 area.
Click the action key F10 Toggle Gloss and set to Gloss Local.
Select a pad on U5, then click Editor Control > Route tab > Dialogs >
Pad Entry.
The Oblong 24x74 pad is selected.
In the Rules for selected pads section, enable diagonal pad entry.
Click OK.
Zoom to U3 and select the trace segment as shown.
Drag the trace segment towards the inside of the U3 pattern.
Repeat step 6 to clean up the additional segments on U3 as shown.
Glossing Traces
Use Gloss to quickly cleanup and remove unnecessary segments.

Frame select the traces between U2 and U5, then right-click Selection >
Add Partially Selected Nets. All of the net segments are selected.
Click the action key F11 Gloss to clean up the trace segments.
Press Esc to end the command.
Save your layout.
239
Routing Critical Nets

After fanout, route your critical nets. Critical nets are any nets whose
performance must be managed to achieve a working design. These nets include
Differential Pairs and Length-constrained nets that require tuning. These nets
should be routed first and then fixed before starting other routing.
Routing Diff Pairs

Click Fit Board.
Select Display Control > Edit > Favorites section and enable
Netlines - From Marked Nets.
Click Route>Net Explorer and select Differential Pairs, then Mark.

Only the Diff Pairs are shown in the Editor Window.
Zoom into U5 and select the two pins for the Diff Pair.
Click F2 Fanout and notice the pins fanout symmetrically for the diff
pair spacing.
Select one of the vias and click F3 Plow/Multi. Notice that both traces
of the diff pair are attached to the cursor.
Right-click Layers > 2 HS or press 2 to switch to layer SIGNAL_2 for
routing.
Route the traces as shown and zoom to the connection location.
Click F9 Toggle Via to change the diff vias to a horizontal pattern prior
to placing them.
Switch to Layer SIGNAL_1 and complete the routes by selecting near

one of the connection pins.
Cancel Plow.
Routing Matched Length Traces

In the previous lesson you added length and matching constraints to nets
within this design. When you route these traces, they may not fall within the
requirements you provided. Xpedition xPCB Layout determines which traces
are not within constraint tolerances and allows you to interactively tune
them to the required lengths.
Interactive Tuning
The tuning patterns used during interactive tuning are set in Editor
Control.
Click Editor Control > Route > Dialogs > Tuning.
Review the settings in Tuning Patterns, then click OK.
Click Constraint Manager and expand Constraint Classes , then set
the Group dropdown list to Delays and Lengths.
In Constraint Manager, expand the DIFF1 and DIFF2 diff pairs and
scroll right to the Length columns.
In Constraint Manager, Select Data > Actuals > Update All. Notice
that the diff pair you just completed is shorter than the required
length constraints.
You will now tune the diff pair you routed to add length. To help you
know when the length is within tolerance you can use the Tuning Meter.
Click Display Control > Graphic and expand the Graphics Options
> General section.
Enable the Tuning Meter, if needed.
241
Interactive Tuning (continued)

Zoom to the DIFF2 diff pairs connections near U8.
Select one of the diff pair traces.

Select Route > Tune Routes > Manual Tune. A tuning box appears with
one full cycle completed.
Select a Tuning Box handle and drag it to add tuning cycles.
When the Tuning Meter reads GREEN, your net lengths are tuned to the
proper constraint lengths.
You can adjust the size of the tuning window to fit the traces into an
area.
Right-click and choose Cancel Tuning.
Select both diff pair traces and right-click Selection > Add Partially Selected Nets, then right-click Fix/Lock > Fix to protect the traces from
additional editing.
To verify your length constraints, in Constraint Manager click Data >
Actuals > Update All.
Close Constraint Manager.

Sketch Router
The Sketch Router is an important development in the long quest to provide
effective and productive routing tools. It is a revolutionary approach for
interactively routing groups of netlines. It is easy to setup, use and control;
has quality that rivals that of any designer; is 10 to 40 times faster than
manual routing.
This lesson covers the basic use of the Sketch Router. If you would like more indepth information after you complete the lesson, ask to see the Sketch Router
Quick Design Guide.
Netline Selection
The Sketch Router routes netlines, not entire nets. It automatically selects
the netlines based on proximity to the start and end points of the sketch
path. Or, you can select specific netlines. If you select route objects such as
pins, vias or traces, the Sketch Router attempts to route the net-selected
netlines if no other netlines are selected.
Click Fit Board.
Select View > Message Window to allow you to see Sketch Route status
messages.
Click Route>Net Explorer and Unmark All nets.
In Net Explorer, expand Net Class, then select and Mark Net Class FDATA.
Note: Organize Netlines into groups with one of the numerous methods in Xpedition xPCB
Layout: Net Classes, Constraint Classes, Net Explorer, Net Filter, and Display Control.
This will enable you to easily view and select netlines for routing.
243
Drawing a Sketch Path

Sketch Router routes netlines based on a path and direction that you define.
The path that the routes follow is called the Sketch path.
Select Route > Draw Sketch, then press 2 to begin the path on layer
SIGNAL_2.
Click to start the path near P2 and draw the free-form path as shown.
Notice the netlines become selected automatically.
When the path is near U12 press 5 to change the path layer to SIGNAL_5.
Right-click and choose Via Pattern > Reverse Single.

Continue the path on SIGNAL_5 into U12 as shown, then right-click
Finish Drawing.
Click the action key F9 Sketch Route and watch as your netlines are routed.
That was easy! Get ready to do another one

Understanding Sketch Paths and Via Patterns
SKETCH PATHS
By default, the sketch path is free-form.

You can choose a hockey stick sketch path by clicking F10 Toggle
Sketch Style or by using the right mouse menu while drawing the
sketch path.
If you start a new sketch path on the endpoint of another sketch
path, it will extend the sketch path.
If a sketch path exists, starting a new one deletes the previous one.
VIA PATTERNS
There are six different via patterns available for sketch paths. The
color of the via symbol indicates the starting layer.
You can choose a via pattern by clicking F2 Add Via Pattern or by

using the right mouse menu while drawing the sketch path.
(A) The arrow indicates the direction the traces will exit a via
pattern.
(B) The via symbol indicates a single or double row via pattern.
(C) The traces symbol indicate the direction the traces will enter
the symbol.
Rotate via Patterns using F4 Rotate 45 or F5 Rotate 90 or by using

the right mouse menu while drawing a sketch path.
In some cases, an X appears on the via pattern to show that the
rotation is invalid.
245
Unpacked Sketch Routing

The first sketch route you completed was routed as Packed. The second method of
sketch routing is Unpacked.
Click Route > Net Explorer and Unmark All nets, then select and Mark
Net Class FADDR.
Start your sketch path on SIGNAL_2 near P2, then click F10 Toggle
Sketch Style to change to an angled path.
Click F11 Toggle Route Style to change to Unpacked.
Switch layers to SIGNAL_5 and finish the sketch path near U12 as
shown. You will use the default Automatic Via Pattern.
Click F9 Sketch Route to start the routing.
Right-click and choose Close, then Save your layout.

You can Auto-Hide or Close the Message Window.
Click Fit Board and Unmark All nets in Net Explorer.

Copying Circuits
In the Placement lesson you were able to create the four Logic IO circuit
placements from one placed circuit using Copy Circuit. In this section you
will copy the routing from one of those same circuits to the other three using
Copy Trace. Copying traces can save time when used to copy similar circuits
or fanout patterns on similar device packages.
Note: In this section you will copy routed traces and vias, but you could copy the entire
placement and routing of a circuit using Copy Circuit.
In Place > Component Explorer, select the IO_Port1 group.

Frame select the routing in the IO_Port1 circuit then right-click and choose
Copy Trace. The routes are copied to the cursor.
Place the routing over the pad locations on IO_Port2 and click to place the
routes.
Continue to place the routes on IO_Port3 and IO_Port4 as shown.
Right-click and choose Cancel to end Copy Trace.
247
Placing Via Patterns

In Mixed Signal PCB layouts, you may need to add stitching or shield vias to a
shape. Xpedition xPCB Layout allows you to create interactive via patterns
easily within shapes and around traces using Add Via.

In Component Explorer, select the ANALOG_SW group.
Select Route > Add Via.
Click the Array tab and adjust the Padstack, Span, Netname and
Placement Control settings as shown.
Click Pick Reference, then click the location at the lower left corner of
the GND plane shape.
Click Apply to place the via pattern within the plane shape.
Close Add Via and Save your layout.
Click Fit Board and Unmark All groups in Component Explorer.

Now it is your turn! Using the training in this lesson, continue routing your PCB
layout. An example of the completed routing is on the next page. If you do not
have time to complete the routing, that's OK. The next lesson will start with
the routed board.

The Finished PCB Layout Routing
249
Review Questions
1 What is DRC?
2 Will routing with DRC ON keep me from creating routing errors?
3 When would I want to route with DRC OFF?
4 What is the advantage of using Sketch Router?
Review Answers
1 DRC is an acronym for Design Rule Checking. When DRC is ON, it is
constantly monitoring and enforcing your design rules. This is
powerful technology that helps you to maintain the integrity of your design
during placement and routing operations.
2 During Placement there are three modes of operation: Warning,
Prevent with Shove Parts, and Interactive DRC Off. If you attempt to
create placement violation in Prevent mode with DRC On, the system
does not allow you to complete the operation. Similarly, in Warn mode,
the system presents a message warning you of the potential violation
and asks permission to complete the task. While Routing with Interactive
DRC On you cannot create copper to copper errors. This saves you time
by preventing errors you must clean up later.
3 During routing, you may have a rule that specifies a particular clearance
for your traces as they transition across the board. At times when you
near the end of the route, the signal must attach to a high density
component such as a connector or BGA and there may not be enough
room to get the trace to its destination pin without creating a spacing
violation. You can set up a component rule to allow the trace through at
a smaller spacing, or you can turn off DRC temporarily so that you can
complete the traces. The DRC errors created by turning off DRC
will be given a Visualization Pattern are reported during Batch DRC
Verification.
4 When you have a group of signals that follow a similar routing

path, you can route them as a Packed or Unpacked group (or bus).
You can select a group of nets and draw a sketch path for the routing
to follow. The traces route as a group, maintaining proper clearances.
This is a quick and easy way to route multiple traces with a quality that
is very similar to your own hand routing.

Lesson 19: Final Layout Considerations
After completing the routing of your layout, you may still be required to
make a few additions or changes to it. These changes, or ECOs (Engineering
Change Orders), for example, may require you to add Test Points, Teardrops
on pads, or Component updates. Xpedition xPCB Layout can easily manage these
additions and changes for you.
Adding Test Points

In Xpedition xPCB Layout, you can place test points manually on Through Pins,
SMD pins, Vias, Traces, and open areas on the Top or Bottom sides of the layout.
Define Test Point settings with the Setup Parameters dialog box.
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, from the Start Page, select Open and browse
to and choose:
Select Setup > Setup Parameters > General tab and review the Test
point settings section.
When you routed the layout, the Via Grid was set to 5. Change the Test
Point Grid setting to 5 to match the via grid setting in Editor Control.
Click OK to update the database settings.
Zoom to U5 and select the via from one of the diff pair traces.
Note: You must select a net item prior to placing a test point.
Select Place > Test Points > Place and place the test point directly on
the via on the bottom side of the layout.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 to add a test point to the other via from the diff pair
traces.
251
Teardrops and Tracedrops

Teardrops and Tracedrops are used to add filleting to pads and/or vias in a
PCB layout. They provide additional stability at the trace entry point, or
provide additional copper for annular ring requirements. You can also add
Teardrops at the junction of two traces or between pads and Multi-Via
objects.
Zoom to P1 on the top edge of the layout.
Select Route > Teardrops & Tracedrops > Teardrops.

On the Pad Teardrops tab, enable Pad to Trace and Include
fixed/locked traces.
Enable Ratio and enter a value of 1 for the Pad and Via pad ratio.
Select the four routed pads on P1 as shown. (Select individually with
<CTRL> key depressed or frame select and then remove the middle pin
from selection).
On the Process dropdown list, choose Selected Padstacks.
In the Teardrops dialog box, click Apply.
Note: No Teardrops were added to traces where clearance violation
would be created.
Review the Trace Teardrops and Multiple Via Teardrops tabs showing
the many types of teardrops that can be created.
Close the Teardrops dialog box.
252 Final Layout Considerations

ECOs (Engineering Change Orders)
A few more changes may be required prior to releasing your layout for
fabrication. Reference Designator Renumbering will allow the engineers to easily
find components on the board once it is manufactured.
You may also need to replace or reset cells and update the cells and
padstacks from the library to make sure your layout is synchronized.
Renumber Reference Designators

You can renumber Reference Designators by Selection, Individually, or for the
entire layout.
Click Fit Board.

Select ECO > Renumber Ref Des.
In Renumber Reference Designators, enable Test Points and Exclude
P Prefixes.
Note: The connectors P1 and P2 will not be renumbered.
Click Auto Renumber.

The reference designators will be renumbered according to the
Direction listed in the Top and Bottom tabs.
The Starting Number is 1, click OK. The Process list is completed.
Click OK in the Renumber Reference Designators dialog box to apply
the changes to the layout.
Review the renumbering changes, then Save your layout.
253
Replacing and Resetting Cells

In the Placement lesson, you used Component Explorer to replace a cell with
a provided alternate. You can replace or completely reset cells using ECO
also.
Select ECO > Replace Cell.

Click Process type Replace.
Replacement Cell allows you to select individual or all cells for
Alternate Cell replacement.
Click Process type Reset.
Reset allows you to select individual components or component part
numbers to reset from the Local library.
Note: Resetting cells does not update cells from the Central Library.
Enable Keep text attributes during replace/reset if you have made

changes to cell silkscreen text items in your layout. Otherwise, the
locations will also be updated from the original placement.
Close Replace Cell.
Update Cells and Padstacks

It is good practice to update all of the components on your layouts from the
Central Library before verifying the design for fabrication. This verifies that
the components and padstacks on your layout are the most
up-to-date with any library changes that may have taken place during the
layout schedule.
Select ECO > Update Cells and Padstacks, then click Yes to update the
layout.
Note: Running a Forward Annotation using the Update local libraries
with newer Central Library data option performs the same process.

Back Annotation of ECO Changes
Once you have completed any required ECO changes, they need to be Back
Annotated to update the schematic database.
Pending Forward/Back Annotation Report

At any time during your layout, you can view a report of the changes that will
take place during the next Forward or Backward Annotation cycle.
Select ECO > Pending FA/BA Report.
The File Viewer opens showing the report.
Note the differences you created in the Reference Designators

between the Layout and the Schematic.
Close File Viewer.
Select ECO > Back Annotate to synchronize the layout and schematic
databases.
Save your layout.
255
Review Questions
1 Do I need to add Test Points to my layout?
2 Should I add Teardrops to every pad in my layout?
3 Why do I need to renumber reference designators?
4 Why should I update my cells and padstacks?
Review Answers
1 Depending on the testing requirements for your layout, you may not
need to add test points. If the board will be mass produced, engineering
will usually require test points so the fabricated and assembled boards
can be tested prior to packaging for customer use.
2 Teardrops on pads in your layout should be discussed with your PCB
fabrication vendors. Dense designs with minimal annular ring on pads,
or fine line technology, may require teardrops on all vias and most pads
in your design.
3 Renumber reference designators to make the components easier for
assemblers and testers to find by creating a sequential pattern. You do
not have to search through hundreds, or even thousands of
components to find a part on the board.
4 If your library components are maintained and edited by someone else,
you may not be aware of changes taking place to library components
that could affect your layout. Updating the cells and padstacks verifies
that you have the most up-to-date library information in your layout.

Lesson 20: Design Verification
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, the Online DRC capabilities significantly reduce the
errors you may create during PCB layout. In order to completely verify your
design prior to fabrication, you should always complete a Batch DRC and Review
cycle. Verification of all constraints, connectivity, and high speed
requirements are accomplished using Batch DRC. Status reports and Review
Hazards will help you to easily identify and correct any errors.
Status Reporting
When verifying the completeness of your PCB layout, you should check two
reports: Design Status and Dynamic Plane Status.
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, from the Start Page, select Open and
browse to and choose:
Select Output > Design Status, or click Design Status.
Review the information in the Design Status report.
Look for the following key information in this report when you are
verifying your layout.
Open Connections should read 0.
Percent Routed should read 100%
Parts not Placed should read 0
Note: There is one part that you did not place earlier. You need to
correct this error when you run Batch DRC during the verification process.
Design Verification
257
Status Reporting (continued)

Select Output > Dynamic Plane Status.
Review the information in the Dynamic Planes Status report.

Look for the following information in this report for each plane layer and
shape when verifying your layout:
Pads Unconnected to Plane for each shape should be 0.
Note: Any error found in these reports will also be reported in Batch DRC.
You can use these reports to quickly review the completeness of your layout at
any phase during the layout.
Batch DRC
You can set up Batch DRC for any number of checking scenarios, and save each
scenario as a scheme for use on other designs. You can also run Batch DRC on
the full layout or a selected section of a layout using a DRC Window.
Select Analysis > Batch DRC, or click Batch DRC.
Batch DRC is set to use the Final DRC scheme to check
the entire design.
You will be checking for Proximity (Clearance) errors on
all layers of the design according to the constraints you
created in Constraint Manager.
In Batch DRC, click Advanced Element to Element Rules.
258 Design Verification
Batch DRC (continued)

Advanced Element to Element Rules allows you to create new DRC checks
between specific element types within your layout or override current Net
Class rules between elements.
You can change the DRC checking between elements by clicking the
matrix box for checking Generated Silkscreen to Soldermask and enter
a value of 2. This check will make sure there is no Silkscreen in areas
without Soldermask coverage.
Repeat step 1 to check Generated Silkscreen to Generated Silkscreen
to make sure no Silkscreen is on top of another. You may need to scroll
right to see the other matrix element.
Note that you can add Layer Specific elements and User Layer elements
to the matrix.
Click OK to save your matrix changes.
In Batch DRC, click the Connectivity and Special Rules tab.

Review the sections and elements that you will be checking on your
layout.
Note: Any combination of checks can be created specific to the requirements of

your layout type.
Click OK to run Batch DRC and see the results. Overwrite the current
scheme if asked. Your results may vary.
Design Verification
259
Reviewing DRC Errors

You can easily review the DRC errors found with Batch DRC using Review
Hazards. Review Hazards allows you to select and cross probe directly to an
error and then correct it, or accept it.
DRC Visualization Update

Before you review hazards, you will update the DRC Visualization status so
that you can easily see copper to copper errors that may have been created
in your layout if you disabled Online DRC.
Click DRC Visualization to update the status.

Note: This can be done at anytime during the layout, but should always be done
prior to reviewing hazards.
Select Analysis > Review Hazards or click Review Hazards.

Click Update Hazard Count.
Note the Type dropdown list is set to Show All hazards.
Note the Graphic options are set to Select, Highlight and Fit view any
selected hazard.
Understanding Verification Hazards

Select Online, these errors were found by Online DRC during the layout.
Select Batch, these errors were found when you ran Batch DRC.
These are the errors you will be correcting.

Understanding Verification Hazards (continued)
Accepting Verification Hazards

Sometimes in a PCB Layout, errors need to be created intentionally. Although
this is not a good layout practice, it may be unavoidable. When this is the
case, you will need to tell the DRC checking to Accept these errors but mark them
for future reference.
Select Online, then click (9) Components errors.
In Display Control, choose the Placement scheme.

In the Review Hazards Components dialog box, click the Violation for L1,
then double-click the first L1 violation in the Description section.
L1 is highlighted and the Description shows that the violation is due to the
component overhanging the Board Outline. This violation is intentional.
Click Accept, the violation is highlighted and the Accepted count is

updated.
Note: This Hazard can also be corrected in your Library by marking the Allow Cell
Overhang switch in Package Cell Properties. This library change will keep the error
from occurring in future designs.
Continue to review the other Component and Online violations, updating

them to Accepted as needed.
Note: You will need to switch back to the Display Control > Routing scheme to see
some of the errors.
Design Verification
261
Understanding Verification Hazards (continued)

In the Review Hazards dialog box, click Batch and
choose (1) Unplaced Parts.
This is the Unplaced Part found in the Design

Status report you ran earlier in this lesson.
Placing this Part on the layout will remove the

error.
Note: You can correct this at a later time. C34_1

should be placed on the bottom side of the layout
between U3 and U4 found on the top side of the layout.
Using DRC Visualization and Repair DRC
Select Batch, and click (xx) Proximity.

Double-click Hazard #1. The error is a Trace to
Trace violation.
You can see the DRC Visualization pattern where

the error has occurred.
Select the trace containing the pattern.
Right-click and choose Repair Selected and the
trace to trace violation is corrected.
Continue to correct or accept the other listed
Proximity violations.
When completed, Close Review Hazards then
rerun Batch DRC and Review Hazards to see how
well you corrected the DRC errors.
Note: It is always a good idea to rerun the DRC
Verification process after correcting DRC errors, or if
any changes are made to the layout.
Save your layout and close Xpedition xPCB.

Review Questions
1 Why should I verify my layout?
2 Which Batch DRC checks should I run?
3 What fabrication checks are available with Batch DRC?
4 Do I need to correct every error found in Review Hazards?
Review Answers
1 A PCB layout is a very complex project that requires thousands of
design details to be accomplished to complete a finished product.
Managing these details can be a large task, and it is possible for
unexpected errors to occur. Verification allows you to analyze the
details of your layout and correct errors prior to generating
manufacturing outputs.
2 You should always run checks for the entire design, Connectivity and
Special rules, and all of the Proximity options to check clearances on
all layers. Additionally, you can add checks in Connectivity and Special
rules based on the requirements of your design.
3 While routing in Xpedition xPCB, the system tries to maintain good DFM
rules to reduce trace slivers and acid traps. Batch DRC does provide
checking for some manufacturing errors like Missing Pads, Plane
Islands, and padstacks with Minimum Annular Ring.
4 It is a good idea to review every error listed in Review Hazards before
sending your design to manufacturing. Some designs may require you
to correct every error found in Review Hazards. In some cases, the
errors listed may be considered by engineering as warnings and are
allowed within the design. These errors can be Accepted as intentional
and not required to fix, but logged for future reference.
Design Verification
263
Simulation with
HyperLynx BoardSim
& HyperLynx Thermal
In this section:
Simulation with HyperLynx BoardSim
Thermal Analysis with HyperLynx Thermal
265
Lesson 21: HyperLynx BoardSim Simulation

This exercise walks you through the process of sending a finished design
from Xpedition xPCB Layout to HyperLynx BoardSim and selecting a net for
simulation. You will run a post route simulation to validate the simulation
results from LineSim completed in the pre-layout stage. HyperLynx BoardSim
simulation validates the signal quality and will help you to determine if the
routing topology, board stackup, trace lengths, widths, and termination are
suitable for a given interface.
HyperLynx BoardSim
From the Xpedition xPCB Layout Start Page, click Open and browse to
and select:
Select Analysis > Export to HyperLynx SI/PI/Thermal.
HyperLynx BoardSim opens with your PCB database loaded.
Note: HyperLynx Power Integrity analysis requires additional HyperLynx
licensing.
In HyperLynx BoardSim, click NET.

In the Select Net by Name dialog box, scroll down, select the
DATA_BUS0 net and then click OK. This shows only that specific net
routed on the board.
266 HyperLynx BoardSim Simulation
Simulation with HyperLynx BoardSim & HyperLynx Thermal

HyperLynx BoardSim (continued)
Select COMP.
In the Assign Models dialog box, double-click on pin U13.M26.
Hint: These are the same steps used in the HyperLynx LineSim lesson
(Lesson 10).
In Select IC Model, choose xc9500.ibs from the Libraries list, and then
choose XC95216_BGA352[SLW=0;VIO=0] from the Devices list, then click
OK.
In Assign Models select U13.M26 pin and change the Buffer settings to
Output.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 for U15.13 and U26.13 and choose mc74lcx125.ibs
from the Libraries list, and then choose MC74LCX125 from the Devices
list, then click OK.
Close Assign Models.
Select Run Interactive simulation and show waveforms.
In the Digital Oscilloscope dialog box, select the Rising edge radio
button. Make sure you have a probe color assigned to pins and click
Start Simulation.
Click two points in the Oscilloscope window on the top and bottom
of the overshoot of the waveform to review the span of the voltage
overshoot.
Note: Receivers have a lot of voltage overshoot (about 1.95V, in LineSim we had
2.1V).
HyperLynx BoardSim Simulation
267

Now we want to compare the pre-layout simulation results from LineSim with
the BoardSim results that we just observed.
In the Digital Oscilloscope dialog box, click Save/Load and then select the
HyperLynx.LIS radio button.
Click Load and browse to C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\LessonFinal.

Select the file DATA_BUS0_no_termination.lis, then close
Load/Save Waveforms.
You can toggle to see both the pre-layout and post layout simulation
results by checking the Loaded results check box.
Note: Differences between pre- and post-layout simulation results for receiver
propagation delay (Green and Cyan color wave forms) are due to topology and
trace length differences. However, the overshoot is almost the same (1.95V versa
2.10V).
To fix the Signal Integrity problem, click Termination Wizard.

The Termination Wizard dialog suggests using AC termination at the U15.13
receiver pin.
From the Apply tolerance dropdown list, choose Exact value.
Click Apply Values. This assigns the terminator and its value.
21
Click OK.
21

22 Click Erase, then Start Simulation to rerun the simulation with the AC
Termination in place.
Notice that we removed almost all of the Signal Integrity problems related
to overshoot.
22
22
Now we want to compare pre-layout simulation results from LineSim with

BoardSim results after termination.
23 In the Digital Oscilloscope dialogbox, click Save/Load, then select the
HyperLynx .LIS radio button.
24 Click Load and browse to and select the file
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\LessonFinal\DATA_BUS0 _terminated.lis
25 Check the Loaded results check box so you can toggle to see both the pre-
and post-layout results of the simulation.
Note: Differences between pre- and post-layout simulation results with

Termination in place for receiver propagation delay are due to topology and trace
length differences.
26 Close Digital Oscilloscope, then close HyperLynx BoardSim.
25
HyperLynx BoardSim Simulation
269
Review Questions
1 When would I want to use HyperLynx BoardSim?
2 Can I compare HyperLynx BoardSim results with those from HyperLynx
LineSim?
3 What do I do with the results?
Review Answers
1 Early in the design process, you can use HyperLynx LineSim to model
the behavior of specific signals and/or specify terminations that might
be required. HyperLynx BoardSim then lets you model the actual
physical trace on the board to see if the physical implementation of the
signal performs as expected against the earlier simulation.
2 HyperLynx BoardSim lets you run simulations on specific signals and also
lets you compare the simulation results with previous simulations created in
HyperLynx LineSim. This capability lets you carefully examine the projected
performance against the actual layout to determine if any tweaking is
required.
3 The results provided by HyperLynx BoardSim help you determine if any
additional components need to be added to the design or if values of
current components need to be adjusted. Any changes can be
incorporated into the design at the schematic level and forwarded to
Layout.

Lesson 22: HyperLynx Thermal Analysis
This exercise walks you through the process of sending a finished design from
Xpedition xPCB Layout to HyperLynx Thermal to evaluate possible heat problems
and corresponding solutions for eliminating areas of excessive heat. This
exercise does not cover all of the aspects of the HyperLynx Thermal software
but highlights a few important features.
HyperLynx Thermal Analysis
This section demonstrates how to perform a HyperLynx Thermal simulation.

From the Xpedition xPCB Layout Start Page, select Open, then browse
and select
Select Analysis > Export to HyperLynx SI/PI/Thermal. BoardSim will
open.
In BoardSim, click Run Thermal Simulation. The simulation is displayed

along with the Components dialog box.
Note: Some components are running as hot as 67degC. We will try to resolve
some component problems.
You can view the simulation results in 2D or 3D by selecting

View > Toggle 2D/3D mode.
271
HyperLynx Thermal Analysis (continued)
Create a screw component in the Master Library by selecting Library >

Master.
In the Edit Master Library dialog box, highlight the first component and
click Copy Part.
Enter the name Screw_#6 for the new part.
Click OK.
In the Edit Master Library dialog box, scroll down and, select the Screw_#6
part then click Edit part.
In the Edit part dialog box, change the parameters for this screw as shown
and click OK.
272
272 HyperLynx Thermal Analysis

In the Edit Master Library dialog box, select Save to disk and click
Close.
Copy the Screw_#6 part from the Master Library to the Working
Library to be used in this design by Selecting Library > Working.
In the Edit Working Library dialog box (in the left-hand window) Master
library: scroll down and select Screw_#6.
Click >> to copy it to Working Library: window.
Click Close.
Select Placement > Screw and the part attaches to your cursor.
273

Place the part in the location as shown, then click OK in the Component
properties dialog box.
Repeat step 17 and place the remaining 3 screws at the locations shown.
Rerun the analysis by clicking Run Thermal Simulation.

Note: After adding screws around the upper left IC component, the
temperature decreased from 67degC to 51degC. Overall temperature
for the board decreased to 52degC.
Save and exit HyperLynx, then save and close Xpedition xPCB Layout.

Review Questions
1 When would I use HyperLynx Thermal?
2 How does HyperLynx Thermal compute the temperature of areas of the board?
3 Can I add my own custom heat sinks and mechanical components to HyperLynx Thermal?
4 How do I utilize the results?
Review Answers
1 Many designs can be temperature sensitive depending upon their
application. You can use HyperLynx Thermal to create a thermal model
of your design and determine if you will need to add heat sinking
components or adjust your system cooling and air flow specifications to
guarantee proper performance.
2 HyperLynx Thermal uses an extensive library of thermally modeled
components and air velocity statistics to create a sophisticated model
of the thermal behavior of your design. Through careful monitoring
and adjustment of these parameters, you can discover what changes
you need to consider in order to bring your design into an acceptable
window of thermal performance.
3 You can add additional models to HyperLynx Thermal to represent
specific components that you might add to your design to improve
thermal performance. You must give careful attention to the creation
of these models so that the application can properly interpret their
thermal characteristics.
4 Once you identify problem areas and possible solutions, you can
incorporate the necessary changes into your design and rerun
additional simulations to confirm the adjusted behavior of your design.
275
Completing the
Design
In this section:
Adding Drawing Documentation
Generating Manufacturing Outputs
277
Lesson 23: Adding Drawing Documentation

Once you have completed your design, you will need to prepare documentation
for releasing it to manufacturing. Xpedition xPCB Layout has built-in functionality to add
drawing details, formats, notes, and dimensioning. You can add Drawing Details from
your Personal Library, or import them using DXF drawings from third party design tools.
Dimensioning in Xpedition xPCB Layout is associative, and can be created using both
Linear and Ordinate methods.
In this exercise, you will learn how to update your fabrication drawing to prepare it for
release output for manufacturing.
Dimensioning Setup
Before you dimension your design, you need to prepare the dimensioning environment.
You must set the layer display or set up display schemes for repeated use. You must
also determine which type of dimensioning method is most appropriate.
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, from the Start Page, select Recent and choose:
Click Fit Board, then open Display Control and select the FAB_DWG_SH2
display scheme.
Select View > Toolbars > Dimension to add the Dimensioning Toolbar.
On the Dimensioning toolbar, click Dimension Parameters and select the
Local: Default dimension scheme.
Review the settings in the scheme on the General tab of the Dimension
Parameters dialog box.
Note: You create the Dimension Style, Layer, and Font settings here.
Review the settings on the Placement tab then click OK.

Note: You create the Dimension Leader Terminations, Line Styles, and Placement here.
You can save all of the Dimension Parameters as multiple schemes for your designs.
278 Adding Drawing Documentation

Associative Dimensioning
Xpedition supports two types of associative dimensioning; Linear and
Ordinate. Linear measures the distance between one feature of an object to
another. Ordinate measures all dimensions from a common origin point (0,0) for
the entire board. Once you have dimensioned an object with either method, if
you edit the object location, the dimensions will update automatically for that
object.
Placing Ordinate Dimensions
Zoom to the lower left area of the board, near the Board Origin.
From the Dimension toolbar, click Place An Ordinate Dimension.
Select the mounting hole and place the dimension as shown.

Select the Board Outline locations and the dimensions are placed in
alignment with the first dimension.
Note: The added dimension values are measured from the (0,0) Board Origin.
Automatically Updating Dimensions

Zoom to the lower right area of the board and place a dimension for the
mounting hole.
Note: Right-click and select Cancel to exit Placement mode.
Select the mounting hole, then right-click and select Fix/Lock > Unlock
from the menu.
Right-click the mounting hole and click Properties > Padstack Properties.
Change the X: Location of the mounting hole to 5,500 and click OK.
Note the dimension changes automatically.
Click Undo to move the mounting hole to the original location and Lock it.
279
Associative Dimensioning (continued)

Placing Linear Dimensions
Click Dimension Parameters on the Dimensioning Toolbar to launch the
Dimension Parameters dialog. Then, on the Dimension Parameters
General tab change the Dimension Method to Associative and click OK.
Click Place Dimension Between Two Elements.

Select the two Board Outline locations to place a dimension for the overall
length of the board as shown.
Using both Ordinate and Associative dimensioning, complete the
dimensioning of your board as shown.

Adding and Editing Text
You can add and edit text in your documentation using WYSIWYG True Type fonts.
You have full control over the size, justification, and rotation. You can even create
Mirrored text if needed for the bottom side of your layout. You can also edit multiple
text items simultaneously to save time.
Adding Text
Zoom to the area around the Film Title Block below the Board Outline.
Select Draw > Text.

In the Properties dialog box, setup the Layer, Font, Size, and Justification as
shown.
Enter My Design Inc. for the String value, and place the text as shown by
clicking the location.
Editing Text
Double-click on the text string First Last.
In the Properties dialog box edit the String value and enter your name.
281
Adding and Editing Text (continued)

Editing Multiple Text Items
In this design, the Drawing Number is a text item that appears in several places
and is identical in all locations. You do not have to edit these individually; you can
change them all with one edit.
Hint: In most designs, text strings like the Drawing Number can be in multiple places on
multiple pages. So editing them all at the same time can reduce the chance for errors.
Select the Drawing Number text string in the Film Title Block.
Select View > Fit All to see the entire Title Block.
Using CNTL + Select, select the other two text strings on the title block for
the Drawing Number.
Right-click Properties and edit the String with the value 12345-000.
Close Properties and note that all of the text strings you selected are edited.
Placing Drawing Cells

You can create Drawing Cells in your Personal Library to use as drawing details,
formats, and notes. You place Drawing Cells using Component Explorer.
Select Place > Component Explorer.
In the Component Explorer Navigator, click Drawing Cells.
Select the Drawing Cell Fab_PCI_EdgeConnDetail, then right-click Place.

Place the Drawing Cell as shown.
Note: Once you place a Drawing Cell, you can move it or edit it like any other cell item
by selecting it and using the Move and editing commands.
283
Copying Data for External Documentation
Sometimes the documentation for a PCB Design may be completed in other

tools; for example word processor or spreadsheet programs. Xpedition provides
an easy method for grabbing screen shot data to supply to other tools.
Copy Bitmap
Select Edit > Copy Bitmap to Clipboard.

Frame Select the area of the design that you want to capture for use
externally.
Note: The area is captured to the clipboard using the current Display settings.
Open a word processor or spreadsheet document of your choice, and Paste

the contents from the clip board into the document.
Save your design and Exit Xpedition xPCB Layout.

Review Questions
1 How do I set the Tolerance for Dimensions in my design?
2 Can I change the Dimension units to be different than the design units?
3 Can I add text on trace and plane layers?
4 How are Drawing Cells created?
Review Answers
1 You set the tolerances for your dimensions using the Dimension
Parameters dialog box. You can set the decimal Precision, Tolerance Style,
and Plus and Minus tolerance values for your dimensions.
2 The units for your dimensions need not be the same as the design units.
You can dimension in Inch, Thousands, Millimeter, and Micron units. You
also have the capability to dimension in two different units using the
Dual Dimensioning feature.
3 You can add Free Text on any layers within the design, including Trace and
Plane copper layers. Text added on copper layers is subject to all of the
spacing DRC checks used for traces, vias, pads, and planes.
4 You create Drawing Cells using the Cell Editor in xDM Librarian for your
Personal Library. Once created, you can import them into your local design
cache.
285
Lesson 24: Generating Manufacturing Outputs

This section will step you through the process of creating Manufacturing outputs.
Xpedition xPCB layout supports many different file formats to facilitate automated
manufacturing and design operations. ODB++ or Gerber outputs are usually
required to fabricate a PCB. ODB++ and Gerber files contain design information
for each layer. There are also other critical outputs such as NC Drill Files, PDF
Drawings, Bill of Materials, and other interface report files for manufacturing of
Pick and Place and Testing.
Creating NC Drill Files

When creating manufacturing outputs, create NC Drill files first to make sure that
the output files created afterwards contain the correct drill data.
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, from the Start Page, select Recent and choose:
From the Output menu, select NC Drill to open the NC Drill Generation
dialog box for defining the Drill Options, Chart Options, Symbols, Custom
Columns, and Feature Control Frames.
Select the Drill Scheme Loc: Default. You can save all of the drill options to a
scheme for use in future layouts.
Review all of the tabs in the dialog box for the features available.
Click OK to create the NC Drill files and Drill Chart for the drawing. Drill files
are placed in the \PCB\Output\NCDrill project directory.
Once the drill is completed, select the Drill Chart in the editor window and
Move it to the location as shown.
Note: If your design has multiple via layer spans, a drill chart for each span will be
created.
286 Generating Manufacturing Outputs

Generating Silkscreen
Although the Silkscreen layers in Xpedition xPCB Layout can be used for your
silkscreen output, fabrication vendors prefer to generate silkscreen based on the
native layers. Silkscreen generation extracts reference designators and component
outlines from each cell in the design and uses a process known as clipping to
ensure that no silkscreen data touches pads or solder mask areas. As shown in
the previous verification lesson, you can also check generated silkscreen using the
Batch DRC process.
Click Fit Board, and in Display Control select the scheme SILK_TOP.
In Display Control > Edit tab, enable the (Left Checkbox Top) Fabrication Objects Solder Mask and the (Left Checkbox for Top) Route Objects as shown.
Select Output > Silkscreen Generator, and setup the dialog box as shown.
Process Both sides of the board on All Package Groups using the
Silkscreen Reference Designators and Outlines design layers.
Break silkscreen with Soldermask Pads using a Pad Clearance of 2(th).
Set Graphics Lines and Text widths to 5(th).
Click OK to generate silkscreen, then click OK to close the results message.

In Display Control > Fab tab > Fabrication Objects, expand the Silkscreen
Items and disable Outlines and Ref Des to see only the Generated
Silkscreen.
Hint: You can make a Display Scheme for the Generated Silkscreen layers.
Select any Reference Designator. Note that the generated silkscreen is just a
graphic line.
Note: If you make changes to your design that require you to update the silkscreen
layers, you will need to re-process the Generated Silkscreen prior to output for
fabrication.
Deselect the silkscreen and Save your layout.
287
Creating Gerber Output

Gerber format is still used in the industry for PCB manufacturing outputs. There
are two typical format standards: RS-274X and RS-274D, and both are
unintelligent vector and raster data for plotting trace, via, and pad circuitry. In the next
section you will use a more intelligent form of data output. Xpedition xPCB Layout
can provide both. It is a good idea to set up Gerber output in your design, although
you may not use it.
Select Output > Gerber. Note the \Output\Gerber project directory. This is
where any files will be saved.
The Loc:GerberMachineFile1.gmf has set the format to use the RS-274X
Data type.
On the Parameters tab, select GeneratedSilkscreenBottom.gdo and Copy it to
create a new Gerber file to process.
Rename the new file to Generated SilkscreenTop.gdo.

Click the Contents tab with the new Gerber file selected.
In the Board items section, select Generated Silkscreen Top. Note the
other sections and the selected items that will be processed to create this
Gerber layer output.
Click OK and then click Yes to save the GerberPlot setup. All of the selected
Gerber layers will be processed.
It is good practice to check the GerbPlot.txt log in the File Viewer to verify
that there are no Gerber processing errors on any layers.

ODB++ Fabrication Output
In the PCB Manufacturing and Assembly industry, vendors prefer
to receive a complete and intelligent database output from PCB
designers. ODB++ is an open format that captures the CAD/
EDA, assembly, and PCB fabrication data in a single, unified,
and intelligent database. ODB++ interfaces directly with Valor
assembly and manufacturing software which is the most widely
used tool by PCB manufacturing vendors worldwide. ODB++ also
interfaces with many third party applications.
Providing ODB++ data format to your fabrication vendors offers a
time-to-market advantage that gerber data cannot provide.
Select Output > ODB++.
Enter the Output job name 12345-000. The file
12345-000.tgz will be saved in the \Output project
directory. This is the file you send to your PCB
fabrication vendor.
Enable Generated Silkscreen data.

Note the other options available for output, and the
selected layers that will be included in the ODB++ data
output.
Enable
Launch
automatically
start
process.
ODB++
the
Inside
to
Cam
Compare
Click OK and then click Yes to save the ODBSetup and start
the ODB++ output processing.
Click OK to close the warning message.
289
ODB++ Inside Cam Compare
ODB++ Inside creates a temporary copy of the NC Drill and Gerber output
based on your settings in those dialog boxes. Then, it runs a Valor Cam Compare,
which compares the ODB++ output with the temporary NC Drill and Gerber
versions.
When ODB++ Inside launches, the Cam Compare has been completed.
You can select layers to display the compare results. Note the two colors for
the layer: one for the ODB++ data and one for the Gerber data. This allows
you to see the miss-matches in the data.
Note the traffic light columns. Green lights are shown for matching data.
Red lights are shown for data miss-matches.
You can browse and verify the miss-matches using Show Next result.
Explore the different layers using the Pan and Zoom features.
Once you are satisfied with the compare results, click Continue to close
ODB++ Inside.
Save your design.

Creating PDFs with Extended Print
You can output your designs and drawings in Portable Document Format (PDF),
making them easily viewed by almost any application on any computer system.
Extended Print will print the layers and types of design elements shown on each
sheet, and you can save multiple printing setup schemes for use in future designs.
Extended Print
From Display Control, select the scheme FAB_DWG_SH2 then select View >
Fit All.
Select File > Printing > Extended Print.

On the Extended Print Sheets Setup tab, add a new sheet for the fab drawing
by selecting New Sheet.
Rename the New Sheet to Fab Sheet 2.
Select Fab Sheet 2 and click the Contents tab.
Enable Assign Current View to create a PDF sheet for the displayed screen
data.
Note: You can also choose the Layers and Board Items that you would like printed from
the Contents tab.
Click OK to print a PDF containing all of the selected sheets on the Sheets
Setup Tab.
When your print is completed you
can click OK to exit the Extended
Print dialog box and review your
PDF.
291
Generating a PCB Layout Bill of Materials (BOM)

In Xpedition xDX Designer, you created a custom Bill of Materials using Part Lister.
Xpedition xPCB Layout can also create a custom Bill of Materials. The Bill of Materials
output in Xpedition xPCB Layout allows you to generate a BOM based on the Part
Number or the Reference Designators as a key sorting field, or you can choose to output
both. You can customize the outputs to include Variant information, Mechanical Cells,
and User Properties. You can also save all of your custom BOM setups as schemes.
Bill of Materials
Select Output > Bill of Materials.

In the Settings section, enable Part Number and Reference Designator to create
both sorted BOMs.
Note: You may change the column Titles and ordering when needed.
Enable Include user properties and Include Mechanical cells.

In the Description section, enable Description to place this property information
in the DESCRIPTION column on the BOMs. This is the property information
contained in Xpedition xDX Databook.
Note: You can use CTRL+Select to choose more than one property to add to the
DESCRIPTION column.
Click OK and then click Yes to save the scheme changes.

Close the Bill of Materials dialog box and review your generated BOM in
the \PCB\Output directory. You can use any text editor to open the file.
Note the two different sorting sections in the BOM.

Additional Manufacturing Reports and Outputs
In order to complete the fabrication, assembly, and testing of your layout, your vendor
will require other information. Pick and Place files and Bare Board testing files will
be needed to help program vendor equipment. You may also need to send files to
third parties for review in a format that is neutral and can be used by many third party
applications. Xpedition xPCB Layout can generate all of the file outputs you need to
complete your layout release.
Pick and Place and Bare Board Testing
Select File > Export > General Interfaces.
Select the Generic AIS report and Identify parts by Part Number, and click OK to
run the report. Click OK to close the results message.
Using any text editor, open the vb_ais.txt file created in your project
\PCB\Output directory. This is a generic format Auto Insertion file that vendors
can use to program Pick and Place Assembly machines. Close the report after
reviewing.
Repeat step 1 and select the Generic ATE report and Identify parts by Part
Number, then click OK to run the report. Click OK to close the results message.
Using any text editor, open the vb_ate.txt file created in your project
\PCB\Output directory. This is a generic format Automated Testing file that
vendors can use to program Bare Board Testing equipment and
create test fixture data for your layout. Close the report after reviewing.
Note: You can also create a Mitron GenCad testing file if your vendor prefers the
GenCad format.
293
Export CCZ and the Free visECAD Viewer

Xpedition has the ability to export a format from the schematic and PCB layout that you
can use with the Mentor Graphics free visECAD viewer. Your customers or vendors can
use this free viewer to review the schematic and layout databases if they do not have
Xpedition software.
The free visECAD Viewer is a fully functional application for viewing designs in the
neutral CCZ format. The visECAD viewer includes many features such as Print with
Preview, Queries, Measuring, as well as many others.
To Download the free visECAD Viewer, use this link:
http://www.mentor.com/products/pcb-system-design/fabrication-assembly-test/
visecad/visecad-evaluation
Select File > Export > CCZ, and set the Export units to Thousandths.
Click OK to export the data, and click YES to save the settings when asked.
When the Save Scheme dialog box appears, check the option checkbox labelled
Save locally with design and select OK.
Once you have visECAD installed, you can double-click on the files to open them
in the viewer.
The files will be located here:
Schematic will be in the project \PCB\Logic directory Filename.cce.
PCB layout will be in the project \PCB\Output directory Filename.cce.
Export and Import DXF and IDF

While designing your PCB layout, you may need to interface with other engineers
that are designing the chassis or enclosures for your board. Xpedition xPCB Layout
allows you to provide the most common neutral formats used in the industry. Also,
Xpedition xPCB Layout allows you to import mechanical data from your engineers
using these formats.
Export DXF
Select File > Export > DXF.

Click Browse and name the DXF output file TopAssembly.
Enable the ExpPCB Elements: Assembly Outlines Top, Assembly Ref Des Top,
Board Outline, Fiducial Pads Top, Mounting Holes Layer 1, Placement Keepouts
Layer 1.
Click OK to export the file, and click Yes when asked to save the settings. Your
file will exported to the project \PCB\Output directory.
Note: You can create schemes for different DXF outputs that you can use in future
designs
Export IDF
Select File > Export > IDF.
Click Browse for the Board and Library Output files and name the files
CORPORATE.
Enable Use Board thickness from layer stackup and Export Component
placement outline with height.
Click OK to export the files, and click Yes when asked to save the settings.
Your files will be exported to the project \PCB\Output directory.
Save your layout and Exit Xpedition xPCBLayout.
295
Review Questions
1 How do I output multiple drill files when my layout has blind and buried
vias?
2 What is ODB++?
3 If I use ODB++ Output, do I have to output NC Drill and Gerber?
4 Can I output Variant BOMs?
Review Answers
1 The NC Drill Output automatically handles blind and buried vias. It will output
each via span into a different drill file named per the via span. It will also create
different NC Drill Charts for each via span on separate layers.
2 ODB++ is an object oriented database format developed by the Mentor
Graphics Valor. The format contains all of the information required to
fabricate and assemble your board layout. It is an intelligent format that
provides vendors with much more valuable information that allows them
to quickly verify, test, and create Tools. ODB++ is widely recognized as the
leading format used by PCB fabrication and assembly vendors.
3 No, it is not necessary as the ODB++ files contain all of the required
fabrication information. If you want to use the Cam Compare tool in
Xpedition, you will have to set up your NC Drill and Gerber outputs.
4 Yes, the PCB layout Bill of Materials output will allow you to generate
separate BOMs for as many variants that you have in your design. Each
BOM will be suffixed per your setup.
Data Archiving and

Library Management
In this section:
Data Archiving and Transfer
Library Component Creation
297
Lesson 25: Data Archiving and Transfer

The DxArchiver provides a quick and easy method for automatically creating
archives for backup or transfer of your Xpedition Enterprise Projects. The DxArchiver
utility collects and stores schematics, PCB layout and library information, and other
data associated with a specific design or project in Xpedition Enterprise.
It provides a self-contained design that is ready to be checked into DMS or other
data management tools. You can also use this self-contained file to transfer the
database to another user or location to continue work on the design. You can
choose to add additional files that are not related to the Xpedition Enterprise
database, but that you would like to keep with the other project files.
Archiving
DxArchiver
Start Xpedition xDX Designer.
Click File>Open>Project then browse to and open

From the Tools menu, select Archiver to open the wizard.
Take a moment to look at the options available in the DxArchiver Wizard.
For the Target Directory, click the Browse button and navigate to
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson6.
This is the location where your archive file will be saved.
Enable Compress using zip format, then select Next.
298 Data Archiving and Transfer

Archiving
(continued)
The DxArchiver will archive your complete project database, and it will condense
the files that are no longer needed. The Additional Files portion of the dialog box
allows you to select files or entire folders that are not automatically added to the
project archive.
Click Add Files, and browse to the

C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Lesson6 directory.
Select the PDF datasheet file FCT16244.pdf.
This file will be added to the archive output.
Click Finish.
The archive is created and results are shown.
Click Close.
Your archive file Lesson620120120160010.zip is created. Note that the
file is suffixed automatically with a date and time code.
Close your project and Xpedition xDX Designer.
Data Archiving and Transfer
299
Lesson 26: Creating Components in Your Library

The key to successful PCB design is ensuring that the physical design data
matches the logical intent of the design. Managing this relationship ensures
the design is correct by construction. Xpedition xDM Librarian provides a
common interface to the various elements that make up the library objects like
symbols, cells and padstacks, and parts. Xpedition xDM Librarian is where you
create and maintain the relationships between these objects.
Objects in your Library may be partitioned into related groups. Changes made
to one object affecting another object are propagated automatically. For
example, if you modify a padstack object, all cells that use the padstack update
automatically in the Library. Built-in data checking ensures the relationships
between objects are valid and that objects cannot be deleted if used by other
objects. This tight integration ensures data reliability throughout the library
development and design processes.
This lesson will give you the basics of what xDM Librarian can do for you. If you
would like more in-depth information, please use this link for the Xpedition xDM
Librarian Process Guide.
Library Manager Process Guide
Opening xDM Library Tools

You can open Xpedition xDM Library Tools from within Xpedition xDX Designer
or Xpedition xPCB Layout.
Double-click the Xpedition xDX Designer icon on your desktop to open
Xpedition xDX Designer to the Start Page.
Click Open on the Start Page and browse to and select

Select Tools > xDM Library Tools.
Xpedition xDM Librarian opens, and is connected to the current project
library.
300 Creating Components in your Library

The Xpedition xDM Librarian Workspace
The Xpedition xDM Librarian interface is used for library management and
editing. It contains utilities that are specific to Xpedition xDM Librarian and
access to editing tools for library component creation.
Library Navigator Tree

Use the Library Navigator to explore the different partitions for each of the
library entities: Parts, Cells, Symbols, Padstacks, and Models.
Expand and Review the library sections.
The xDM Librarian Toolbar
New
File
Viewer
Open
Partition
Setup
Units Search
Paths
Parameters Display
Refresh
Library
Services
Visual
IBIS
Editor
Reusable
Part Padstack Blocks
Editor
Editor Editor
Material/
Process
Help
Editor Contents
Cell Symbol
Layout
Property Partition Unreserve Property Parts
Verification Editor Partitions Definition Manager Editor Editor Templates
Editor
Editor
Simulation
Model
Properties
Creating Components in your Library
301
Creating a Symbol with the Symbol Editor
The symbol editor allows you to create new symbols very quickly. You can
use a spreadsheet to copy and paste pin information into the symbol or you
can enter the data manually. The editor provides a basic symbol
automatically and allows you to modify the symbol in any way you desire.
Open the Symbol Editor and Set the Grid

Select Tools > Symbol Editor.
Select File > New to create a new symbol.
Prior to adding pins, open the Symbol Editor Preferences with

File > Preferences to review the settings.
In the General Section set the following:
Grid step: 0.050,
Show grid every: 1 grid points,
Large dot every: 4 displayed grid,
Default length: 4 grid points,
Default Spacing: 4 grid points and
Pin property position: Above Pin
Click OK.
Adding Pins to a Symbol
To add pins click Add-Pin & Edit.

Place the pin on the upper left corner of the symbol body as shown
below. Then type the Pin Name CLK and press Enter. Use the ESC key to
exit pin placement mode after placed.
Now define this pin to be pin 1. Select View > Windows > Properties if
the Properties window is not visible. Select the pin and then click
<new_property> in the PCB Properties section Properties window.
Note: If you have difficulty selecting the pin, make sure that the Select Pins
button on the toolbar is selected.
Click in the dropdown list and select the property Pin Number.
Enter a value of 1 in the Value field and the pin number is placed on the
pin.

Adding Pins to a Symbol
(continued)
Using the previous steps, add 2 Power pins to the Top of the
symbol as shown. The Pin Names are VDD_1 and VDD_2 and will be
assigned the pin numbers 19 and 20.
Note: Pin Names cannot be duplicated on symbols, so use suffixes for

multiple pin names.
Hint: Right-click when placing the pins to change the Pin Type and Location.
Add a Ground pin to the Bottom of the symbol with a Pin Name of
GND and a Pin Number of 10 as shown.
303
Add an Array of Pins
Add an array of input and output pins by clicking Add Pin Array.
Use the following settings for the input pin array:
Pin Name = IN
Range 7 to 0
Step = 1
Pin type = IN
Pin location = Left
Pin spacing = 4
Click OK to create the array of pins.
Place on the left side approximately 4 grids down from the CLK pin.
Note: You can use View > Show Port Type to toggle the port type graphical
indicators On and Off.
Add another array for the output pins using the following settings:
Pin Name = OUT
Range 7 to 0
Step = 1
Pin type = OUT
Pin location = Right
Pin spacing = 4
Place the array on the right side of the symbol so that the output pins align
with the input pins as shown.

Adding Pin Numbers
Select the IN pins (other than CLK) from the Pins window.
Note: The pins highlight in all windows (including the working area).
Click Add Properties to update the pins.
Set the values as shown below. Make sure Type = Pin Property, Name =
Pin Number, Prefix is Empty, Value = 2, Delta = 1, Suffix is Empty and
Position and Visibility are set to Above Pin and Value.
Click OK. This automatically adds and increments the Pin Numbers. Position
them as shown.
Repeat steps 1 through 4 for the OUT pins. Use Value = 18 as the
starting value and Delta = -1 to decrement the Pin Numbers down to 11.
Position them as shown.
305
Adjusting the Symbol Outline

Note: You need to shrink to symbol shape and the outline to create a complete symbol.
To shrink the outline, enable Select Graphics.

Select the symbol shape and notice pick points appear on the shape.
Select the Middle pick point and drag the bottom segment of the symbol closer
to the lowest pins. Place it four grid points below the lowest pins.
Do not forget to move the GND Pin after adjusting the symbol outline.
Select and drag the pin to the new location shown.
Automatically update the bounding box by selecting Symbol > Update Symbol
Outline.
Note: The symbol outline helps with avoidance rules when connecting nets in the
schematic.
Note: The symbol outline may be set to update automatically as you adjust the symbol
shape. If it is and you wish to manually adjust it, you may need to turn off the automatic
adjustment mode first. Do this by selecting File > Preferences > General > Symbol and
disabling Automatic Outline Update.
Moving the Symbol Origin
To complete the graphical modifications you need to move the origin to the
appropriate location.
Select the Origin marker and drag the marker to the lowest left pin on the new
symbol.
Your symbol should appear as shown.
Note: Use View > Symbol Outline if you don't see the outline.

Saving the Symbol
Select File > Save As and choose the Sample library partition.
Name the symbol, Symbol_YourName.1 and click Save.
In the Properties window, notice that the Symbol Name has been updated to
match the name you used.
The symbol is now complete and ready for use.
Verifying the Symbol Availability
Select File > Exit to exit the Symbol editor.

In xDX Designer select Tools > Update Libraries.
In xDX Designer click xDX DataBook icon to open xDX Databook.
In xDX Databook, select the CL View tab and the Symbol View tab.
Select the [+] symbol to expand the Sample partition and scroll down to find
your new symbol.
Notice the Symbol_YourName.1 symbol has been saved and is ready for use.
307
Creating a Symbol from a Spreadsheet
Entering all of the pins manually on large pin count devices can be tedious and error
prone.By entering all your pins into a spreadsheet, you can quickly and easily import
them into the Symbol Editor for placement on a symbol.
Start a New Symbol and Load the Pin Data

Open the Symbol Editor and start a new symbol by selecting File>New.
Right-click in the Pins window and click Import Pins.
Browse to C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\LessonFinal and select
SerialIO.csv to import all of the pins from this file.
All unplaced pins are marked with an *. You can add pins to the symbol by
selecting them from this list.
Adding Pins to the Symbol

You can select pins from the pins list and drag them into the Symbol window to
place them on the symbol body. As you place each pin the * is removed.
Select the ~RST_N pin name in the pins list.
Drag the pin into the Symbol view. Notice the pin attaches itself to the cursor so
that it can be placed in the Symbols working pane.
Release the mouse button when the pin is in the desired location on the symbol
body.
Notice there is an invert bubble on the pin and a strike over the name. This is an
indication that in the CSV file, the pin was set as inverted. The Pin Label began
with ~ which results in the strike over.
309
Adding Multiple Pins to the Symbol
You can also add multiple pins simultaneously from the Pins list. Click
on the Pin Type column in the Pins list to sort the pins by type (IN or OUT).
Left-click on the first OUT pin. Hold the Shift key and select all the OUTtype pins.
Drag the highlighted pins (blue area) to a desired destination on the right
side of the symbol body.
Experiment with adding other pins and modifying the symbol graphics.
Notice that as you place pins the * is removed so that its easy to sort
and/or visually scan for unplaced pins.
When you are done, exit Symbol Editor without saving, close xDM Library
Tools and then exit out of your schematic and close xDX Designer.

Creating Land Pattern Information
This lesson will walk you through creating a PCB Land Pattern. In Xpedition, land
patterns are called Cells. Cells can be Package cells, Mechanical cells, or Drawing
cells. You will use wizards to create both the padstack information and the physical
representation for the PCB layout.
The Padstack Editor

The Padstack Editor allows you to create many different types of padstacks: Through
Pins, SMD Pins, Fiducials, Mounting holes, Vias, and others. Once defined and
named, you can assign different pads to padstack layers, specify pad filters, define
pads to use within stacks, define holes and define any custom pads or drill symbols.
Tip: The standard method to create a new pad is to click the New icon and rename
the pad to your own naming convention. In this lesson, the method shown in the
following steps accelerates pad creation by naming the pad automatically per the
size information entered.
In Xpedition xDM Librarian, select Tools > Padstack Editor. Review the tabs
and information in each section.
Click the Pads tab and set the Filter pad list to Rectangle.
In the Properties section, set the Units to th (mils).
In Pad parameters, enter 25 for the height and 75 for the width of the pad.
Note the graphic in the Preview window adjusts to display your modifications.
Click New to create your newly defined pad.
The new pad is automatically named Rectangle 75x25.
Repeat steps 1 through 5 and create a Rectangle pad with a height of 29 and
a width of 79. You will use this pad as the Oversize pad for Solder Mask
layers.
311
The Padstack Editor

Click the Padstacks tab and set the Filter padstack list to Pin SMD.
In the Properties section, set the Pad filter to Rectangle.
Click New Padstack and name it Pad Rectangle 75x25.
From the Available pads list, select Rectangle 75x25.

Click in the box next to Top mount, then click the Assign Pad arrow to
move the pad into the assignment list.
Assign the Rectangle 75x25 pad to the Bottom mount and Top and
Bottom Solderpaste layers.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 to assign the Oversize Rectangle 79x29 pad to the
Top and Bottom Solder Mask layers of the padstack.
Note: When creating padstacks, you can have different pads for a Top Mounted
land pattern or Bottom Mounted land pattern.
Select File > Save to save your new pads and padstack, then Exit the
Padstack Editor.
You can view and edit the new padstacks by double-clicking them in the
Library Navigator Tree.
Creating a New Cell

Creating components for Xpedition is quick and easy. You can create them with
wizards or manually depending on the complexity of the land pattern.
The Cell Editor
In xDM Librarian, select Tools > Cell Editor.

Set the Partition to Sample.
On the Package tab click New Cell.
Enter the Cell name SO20L and enter the information as listed:
Total number of pins: 20
Layers while editing cell: 2
Package group: IC SOIC
Mount type: Surface
Click Cell Properties and set Units to th (mils).

Enter a Height value of 15, then click Close.
Click Next and the Place Pin wizard will open along with the Cell Editor
window.
Note: The Menus, Toolbars and Commands are very similar to the PCB Editor.
313
Creating a Cell with the Place Pins Wizard

The Place Pins wizard allows you to place pins by Parameters or use
pre-defined Patterns for standard industry land pattern types. You can also
add, modify, and renumber pins for your cell.
Select the Pattern Place tab and choose the Pattern type SOIC.
Enable Include Assembly outline and Include Silkscreen outline.
Enter the values shown:

Body Width: 500
Body Height: 260
Pin Pitch: 50
Pin Row Spacing: 380
In the Pins section, select Pin 1 then press and hold the Shift key.
Scroll down and select Pin 20, and while still pressing the Shift key,
select Pad Rectangle 75x25 from the Padstack Name dropdown list.
While still pressing the Shift key, choose 90 from the Rotation dropdown
list.
Click Place to create the cell pattern.
Save the cell, but do not exit Cell Editor.

Modifying Cells in the Cell Editor Window
Once you have created your pattern with the wizard, you can make any
modifications necessary to your cell to fulfill your PCB layout requirements.
All of the capabilities available to you in the PCB Editor are also available in
the Cell Editor.
Select the Ref Des placeholder for the Silkscreen layer and move it to a location
that is not beneath the component when placed in a layout.
Make a few modifications on your own
You can add pre-defined Fanouts or Routing.
Add a Ground Slug plane and stitch some vias in it.
Add a predefined Rule Area to your cell. A named Rule Area in your cell is
automatically added to your Constraint Manager Schemes if the cell is used in
your design.
If you made any modifications, Save your cell and Exit the Cell Editor.
315
Creating a New Part in the Part Editor

Now that you have created a Schematic Symbol and a Land Pattern Cell,
link them together logically with a new Part Number. The Part Editor links
the logical and physical pieces of the component together. It also creates
Pin and Gate Swapping information for the component.
In the xDM Librarian Navigator Tree, expand Symbols > Sample
and select Symbol_YourName to preview the symbol and use it for
reference while completing the next steps.
In the xDM Librarian, select Tools > Part Editor and select the IC
partition. These are all of the Parts in your current library.
Click New to create a new part.
Assign the value Part_YourName for Number, Name, and Label.
In the Component Properties section, set the Type to IC.
Enter a Description for the part.
Set the Reference des prefix to U.

Click Pin Mapping.
Importing the Symbol and Cell into Pin Mapping

Importing your symbol and cell can help automate the pin mapping process in the
Part Editor. You can also import additional alternate symbols and cells if needed.
For this exercise you will import your symbol and cell, then manually define the Pin
Mapping because your symbol has swappable gates.
In the Assign Symbol section, click Import.

In the Import dialog box on the Symbols tab,
select the Sample partition and select Symbol_YourName.
Uncheck Create new gate information.

Click the Cells tab and select the Sample partition.
Select the Package group IC-SOIC and the Number of pins: 20.
Select the cell SO20L.
Click OK.
Review the Logical and Physical tabs to see that the pin information has
been loaded into Pin Mapping.
317
Assigning Gates
In Pin Mapping, click the Logical tab then click New and create
8 swappable slots with 2 pins per swappable slot. Click OK.
On the Logical pins list, select IN0 and OUT0 using the CTRL+Select method.
Click the top box of the Slot #1 column.
Click Paste Down to assign the pins to Slot #1 as shown.
Repeat steps 2 through 4 to assign the remaining
Input/Output pins into
Slots 2 through 8 as shown.
Repeat step 1 and create a new gate with 1 slot and 4 pins.
Assign the remaining pins to the new gate as shown.
Note: Any Slots within the same gate are swappable.
Assigning Gates (continued)

You will now map the physical pins to the gates.
In Pin Mapping, click the Physical tab.
From the Physical pins list, select pin numbers 9 and 11.
Select the top box in the Pin # column for Slot #1.
Click Paste Down to assign the pin numbers to Slot #1 as shown.
Repeat steps 2 through 4 to assign the remaining pin numbers
to the correct Slots as shown. Use the Symbol/Cell Preview as
a reference guide.
Select the remaining 4 pin numbers and assign them to the second gate as
shown.
Click OK.
Note: When you click OK, the Part Editor does a verification of your entire part to make
sure the symbol pins match the physical cell pins. If you cannot save the part you will
need to correct the errors first.
Select File > Save, and Exit the Part Editor.
319
Adding Component Records for Xpedition xDX Databook

Once you have completed your component, add a record to Xpedition xDX Databook
so you can query and place it in xDX Designer.
In the Xpedition xDM Librarian Navigator Tree, expand Parts, then right-click
IC and click Edit Parametric Data.
Click the Table: IC tab, then click Last Record.

Enter the record information as shown:
Part Number: Part_YourName
Part Name: Part_YourName
Part Label: Part_YourName
Cell Name: SO20L
Description: My First Part
Symbol: Symbol_YourName
The other columns can be left blank
Exit the table to Save your additions.

Adding Component Records for Xpedition xDX Databook (continued)
In Xpedition xDX Designer, select Tools > Update Libraries.
In Xpedition xDX Designer, open Xpedition xDX Databook and select the IC
Library.
Scroll to the bottom of the components listing and select Part_YourName.
Your Symbol is in the Preview Window.
Your Parametric Data is listed.

Select the Preview Window dropdown list and choose your cell to preview.
321
The Layout Template Editor

In a previous lesson you were able to integrate your schematic using a PCB Layout
Template. The layout templates are maintained in Xpedition xDM Librarian with
the Layout Template Editor. Templates can contain as much information as you
need for your designs. Data can include formats, notes, detail views, etc.
In the Xpedition xDM Librarian, select Tools > Layout Template Editor.
A list of the Templates in your library appears. Select
Template_2Layer_Formatted.
and rename the copy to

Click Copy
Template_2Layer_YourName.
Click Edit Template
editor window.
to open the template in the Xpedition
In Xpedition xPCB Layout, choose the

Loc:Min Contents display scheme from
the dropdown list on the Standard toolbar.
Modify the Title Block to contain
YourName as DRAWN.
NOTE: You may need to enable Allow CellText Edits
from the Place tab [General Options] in Editor Control.
Save the template and Close the Templates list.

YourName will always be filled in when you
integrate to this template.

Enterprise Data eXchange (EDX)
EDX is a standard format for the exchange of library, component and design
data between the design authoring systems and ANY consumer of the data. The
EDX format is a neutral format that is independent of the internal tool database
structures and ensures stability as the PCB design applications and flow continue
to evolve.
In addition, Mentor encrypts the data within the EDX extraction to provide security
for the data objects to limit unauthorized access and edit of their files; this inherently
protects the native tool data from outside edit.
To learn more about EDX, see the EDX Solutions Alliance website at
www.edx-sa.com or click the graphic to the right to watch a quick video.
Exporting Library Objects from your Library using EDX

Xpedition uses EDX to transfer library objects between your libraries from within
Xpedition xDM Librarian. The library objects can be exported from a library
individually, by Partition, or through a bulk selection. Some objects like Drawing
or Mechanical cells, or Symbols not referenced by Parts, can also be exported as
Orphans from within the bulk selection. When you export Parts from your library
using EDX, all of the part, cell, symbol, and padstack information is also included.
From the Library Navigator Tree, expand Library.lmc > Parts > IC.
Right-click the first IC listed, 500_5R5V_IC, and click Export EDX.
Click Save to generate the EDX file.
Close the EDX generation successful message window.
323
Exporting Multiple Library Objects using EDX

From Library Manager select File > Export EDX. This opens the bulk selection
dialog box.
Browse to the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library directory and enter
PartialLibrary for the Output file name.
Enable Preview items.
Disable the Library check box, and then select Resistor in the Parts section
and Drawings in the Orphans > Cells section.
In the first column, select On from the dropdown filter to show only the
items to export.
Note: All of the columns can be filtered and sorted as needed for review.
You can deselect any items by disabling the check box in the first column.
Click OK and Close the EDX generation successful message window.

Creating a New Library
You can import EDX data into any Xpedition Central Library, or you can create a
completely new Library and build a library based on information exported from
other libraries.
From Xpedition xDM Librarian, select File > New.

Browse to the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation directory and Create New Folder
named MyNewLibrary.
Double-click MyNewLibrary so that you are within that directory, then click
OK to create the new library.
Your new library will now be active in xDM Librarian.
Importing Library Objects using EDX

Select File > Import EDX.
Note: The Bulk mode option allows you to import the entire contents of the file in a
single step.
Browse to and select the EDX export file

C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library\PartialLibrary.edx.
Note the EDX file content will be imported into the open library.
Click OK and Library Services will open to allow selection of individual library
objects to import.
325
Importing Library Objects using EDX (continued)

From the Parts tab, select and import the first 5 Resistors from the Resistor
partition to the Current partition Resistor.
Click Include Selected and then click Apply to import the parts to your library.
Click the Cells tab then select and import the Drawings cell Fab_Notes to the
Current partition Drawings using the method shown in step 3.
Click Close to exit Library Services.

Note the new part, cell, symbol, and padstack information in Library
Navigator Tree of your new library.
Exit Xpedition xDM Librarian and exit Xpedition xDX Designer.
Review Questions
1 Is there a right or wrong way to create a symbol?
2 What is the purpose of the symbol origin?
3 Do I need to assign a PKG_TYPE in my Symbol?
4 What are the advantages of creating a symbol from a spreadsheet?
5 Cant I just download a symbol from the component manufacturer?
6 Where do I get the data to input into the Pin Pattern Place wizard?
Review Answers
1 There is no right or wrong way to create a symbol as long as the symbol accurately represents the signals and connectivity of the device. There are formal
design specifications for symbols (such as ANSI/IEEE Standard 91- 1984 Graphic Symbols for Logic Functions), but each company tends to formulate their own
internal standards that meet their design requirements.
2 The symbol origin represents a predictable reference point for anchoring and placing a symbol into the design environment. It is usually placed at the end of
the lowest pin on the lower left of the symbol.
3 There is no need to assign a PKG_TYPE in Xpedition. When you create your part in the Part Editor you will import the Cell that links to the Symbol. The symbol
in Xpedition xDX Designer represents the electrical connectivity of the component. In order to pass the design to Xpedition xPCB Layout for physical design,
each component symbol needs to have a corresponding physical package assignment so that the layout tool can properly represent the physical parts on the
printed circuit board.
4 As the complexity of components increases, it is not uncommon to have symbols with hundreds of pins. Entering the data for each of these pins into the
Symbol Editor can be a very time-consuming and error-prone task. Using a spreadsheet, you can copy and paste signal data from PDF data sheets into a
spreadsheet and then import it directly into the Symbol Editor. This saves time and improves accuracy.
5 Unfortunately, except for the PDF of the datasheet, very few manufacturers offer any symbols that can be directly imported into an EDA application. Due to
the multitude of different components and systems, this would be very difficult for the manufacturers to support. Most designers prefer to create (and check)
their own symbols prior to use.
6 You can create a cell in the wizard by entering the physical dimensions of the recommended land pattern from the manufacturers component data sheet. You
can also use the IPC Land Pattern Calculator to determine the appropriate decal dimensions and then enter that data directly into the wizard.
327
Conclusion
Conclusion
This Evaluation Guide has introduced you to some of the power and flexibility available in Xpedition, but that
is just a beginning. This evaluation has only scratched the surface and presented you with an abbreviated view
into the full spectrum of the design capabilities of the products. If you want to learn more about the many
features and functions of these applications, there is a wealth of knowledge to experience and discover in the
extensive resources that are available.
Additional resources Include:
Tutorials
Concepts Guides
Extensive Help files
User Manuals
The InfoHub
On-line video presentations
Click the icons below for additional resources:
328 Conclusion
Appendix
In this section:
Appendix 1: ODBC Setup
Appendix 2: Configuring Xpedition xDX Databook
Appendix 3: Configuring Xpedition Variant Manager
A-1
Appendix 1 - ODBC Setup

The acronym ODBC stands for Open Database Connectivity which is an industry
database standard. Most databases developed or upgraded since the 1980s
support this standard. It is the technology that Xpedition xDX Databook uses
to connect to databases. Xpedition xDX Databook also supports a web server
connection using ODBC. In this example, you will set up an ODBC connection for
a Microsoft Access Database format.
Note: The setup steps shown here are for Microsoft Windows 7 OS, 32bit and 64bit
respectively. You may also be required to download the Microsoft Access ODBC
driver from Microsofts website. If you are using a different OS, please refer to the
instructions specific to your OS for ODBC setup.
Establishing ODBC Connectivity - Windows 7 , 32bit

Select the Start Menu and then select Control Panel.
Select System and Security > Administrative Tools, click
Administrative Tools.
Double click Data Sources (ODBC).

Under the System DSN tab click Add.
Select the Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb) item from the list.
Click Finish.
Type Sample in the field called Data Source Name.
Type Database for Xpedition Evaluation in the Description text box.

Click Select.
Browse to the access database called Sample.mdb which will be
located in the C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library\DataBookData
directory.
Select the Sample.MDB file and then click OK to accept the selection.
Click OK in the parent dialog boxes. Your setup is complete.
Establishing ODBC Connectivity - Windows 7 , 64bit

From Windows Explorer, browse to the directory
C:\Windows\SysWOW64.
Double-click odbcad32.exe.
Follow the previous steps 4 through 11 to complete the setup.
A-2
APPENDIX 1: ODBC Setup
Appendix
Appendix 2 - Configure Xpedition xDX Databook
Xpedition xDX Databook allows easy searching and selecting of components. It
ties into your companys purchasing database so that Engineering can make more
intelligent part selections based on lead time, cost, stock availability, and so on.
The Xpedition xDX Databook Configuration file (.dbc) tells Xpedition xDX Databook
which properties to show in the search window, which to load and annotate onto
your schematic when placing symbols, and which to verify when you use Xpedition
xDX Databook Verification.
NOTE: To use Xpedition xDX Databook, you must create an ODBC data source that points
to the database, then Xpedition xDX Databook must be attached to this data source. If
Configuration: None is displayed in the lower section of the Xpedition xDX Databook application window, this indicates that no database is attached.
See Appendix1: ODBC Setup for details on performing the ODBC setup if steps in this
exercise do not work.
Configuring Xpedition xDX Databook
Select File > Open > Project and select

C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\FirstLast\FirstLast.prj.
In the Navigator Pane, double-click Board1 to enable Sheet1.
Click xDX Databook to open the Xpedition xDX Databook search
window.
Right-click anywhere within the Xpedition xDX Databook and select
Configure > Open.
Click Browse... and navigate to the
C:\Xpedition_Evaluation\Library\DatabookData
directory.
Select the Sample.DBC file and click Open to activate the
Xpedition xDX Databook configuration settings.
Right-click anywhere within the Xpedition xDX Databook pane and
select Configure > Edit Configuration.
Take a moment to look over the settings in the Configure dialog
box for the Sample.dbc. Click Cancel to exit without changes and
click No if asked to save the configuration.
APPENDIX 2: Configure Xpedition xDX Databook
A-3
Appendix 3 - Configuring Xpedition xDX Variant Manager

This appendix shows some of the errors you might see if Xpedition xDX Variant
Manager is not configured properly.
Configuration
Before creating a variant, you will need to set the

Variant Match condition in your Xpedition xDX
Databook .dbc file. In Xpedition xDX Variant Manager
click the Settings icon, then select the Library Query
Setup tab and click the Define Libraries button. The
Configure dialog box opens.
Note: This VM Match column is only visible from within
Xpedition xDX Variant Manager. If you try to edit the
configuration from Xpedition xDX Databook you will not see
this column.
Be sure you have the VM Match column in each library

set as: PKG_TYPE is =.
If you fail to configure the VM Match condition
correctly, you will see multiple package types available
for replacement as shown.
A-4
APPENDIX 3: Configuring Xpedition xDX Variant Manager
Appendix
Configuration
(continued)
Add Part Number to the Query results. If you fail to do this, you
may see an error message when choosing a replacement part.
Property values are case sensitive. Check your database
configuration for property cases. For example, a configuration
might show the value PART NUMBER rather than Part Number.
If you have a case sensitivity problem then you may see an error
message when replacing a part.
APPENDIX 3: Configuring Xpedition xDX Variant Manager
A-5
Mentor Graphics Corporation

8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777.
Telephone: 503.685.7000
Toll-Free Telephone: 800.592.2210
Website: www.mentor.com

XP Edition Evaluation Guide

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

XP Edition Evaluation Guide

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Xpedition

Design Capture with Xpedition xDX Designer

Lesson 1: The Xpedition Start Pages.................................................................................. 14

PCB Design with Xpedition xPCB Layout

Completing the Design

Data Archiving and Library Management

Lesson 13: The Xpedition xPCB Layout Environment...................................................... 136

Lesson 21: HyperLynx BoardSim Simulation.................................................................... 266

Appendix 1: ODBC Setup............................................................................................A-2

Figure 1: Design Process Steps.................................................................................... 10

End of section. This page intentionally left blank.

Correct-by-construction approach to plane design, placement, and

PCB documentation and manufacturing outputs

About This Evaluation

This Evaluation Guide is intended to be used with Xpedition software which

Design Process Overview

PCB Design Layout with

Creating the top level schematic

PCB Layout and AutoActive Routing Technology

Xpedition offers unparalleled price-performance for the layout and

Signal Integrity Simulation and Analysis

Design Capture with

The Xpedition Start Pages

Lesson 1: The Xpedition Start Pages

From your Start menu, launch Xpedition by selecting All Programs

Explore the resources available to you on the Start Page:

14 Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Design Capture with Xpedition xDX Designer

Start Xpedition xDX Designer

Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Introduction to the User Interface (Main Editor Window)

16 Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Design Capture with Xpedition xDX Designer

The View Toolbar

Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

The Add Toolbar

The Grid Toolbar

The Transform Toolbar

18 Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Align Align Distribute Snap to

Design Capture with Xpedition xDX Designer

Displaying Extended Tooltips

If a previous lesson was open, click Yes to close the previous

Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Navigator Tree Pane

The Navigator Tree Pane

Note: The tree should expand to look like this example.

20 Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Design Capture with Xpedition xDX Designer

Double-click control_buffers to open the schematic sheet in the

Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Open Project Settings by selecting Setup > Settings or press the

22 Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Design Capture with Xpedition xDX Designer

Navigation (Pan and Zoom)

Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Additional Navigation Tools

24 Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Design Capture with Xpedition xDX Designer

Close or Auto-hide the Navigation view.

Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace

Click Help to access documentation, support, SupportNet and tips. Take

26 Xpedition xDX Designer Workspace