Post on 18-Jul-2015
©2015 Nordcad Systems A/Swww.nordcad.dkSupport@nordcad.dk
Rev 1.00
Nordcad Flow menus
©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Purpose
• The purpose of the PCB and Footprint flow menus is to
guide the user through a number of steps normally
involved in doing PCB Design.
• The menu choices either launch internal
OrCAD©/Allegro© PCB Editor commands or skill
commands
– Example Buildin command: Status Check – ”Display→Status”
– Example skill command: PDF printing – ”ns_pdf”
• Notice:
– The items listed in this menu are not exhaustive, so there
may be more steps involved in doing PCB Design than whats
show here.
– If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let us know.
Send an email to support@nordcad.dk
– The use of skill programs is at your own risk, no responsibility
is taken.
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Agenda
• PCB Flow
– Page 04: Board Setup
– Page 05: Netlist Import
– Page 06: Outlines
– Page 07: Constraint Setup with netlist
– Page 08: Placement
– Page 09: Route and Copper shapes
– Page 10: Status check
– Page 11: Post Processing
– Page 12: - Manual procedure
– Page 13: PDF printing
• Footprint Flow
– Page 15: Unit and sheet size, color and grid setup
– Page 16: Padstack Design
– Page 17: Place Pin
– Page 18: Add package outline
– Page 19: Draw outlines
– Page 20: Add refdes
– Page 21: Set properties
– Page 22: Add 3D STEP model
• Show Nordcad PCBFlow menu help: Displays this document
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Board setup
• Unit and sheet size: Setup desired units (mm, mils etc.) and working area size
– Command: Setup→Design Parameters→Design
• Stackup design: Setup the board stackup
– Command: Setup→Cross-section (or xsection)
• Color setup: Configure visibility and color settings
– Display→Color/Visibility (or color192)
• Copper shape handling: Configure shape handling to fit your output format
– Shape→Global Dynamic Params→Void controls
• Constraint Setup without netlist: Build constraint sets and create netclasses
without any nets
• Setup grids: Floating user interface to define grid settings
– Command: grids
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Netlist import
• User interface to import netlists
– Command: File→Import→Logic (or netin)
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Outlines
• Utilities to draw or import miscellaneous outlines
– Draw board outline: (”board outline”)– User interface to create a board outline
– Import DXF: (”dxf in”)– User interface to import dxf data
– Import IDF: (”idf in”)– User interface to import idf data
– Import IDX: (”idx in”)– User interface to import idx data
– Package keepout: (”keepout package”)– Functionality to create a package (component) keepout
– Route keepout: (”keepout router”)– Functionality to create a route (cline) keepout
– Shape keepout: (”keepout shape”)– Functionality to create a shape (copper pour/area) keepout
– Via keepout: (”keepout via”)– Functionality to create a via keepout
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Constraint setup with netlist
• Create/modify constraints and netclasses in
constraint manager
– Spacing: Setup spacing between nets
– Same Net Spacing: Setup spacing inside same net
– Physical: Setup width and via rules
– Electrical: Setup matched length, diff. pairs etc.
– Design Constraint DRC Modes: Enable/disable
relevant DRC check settings.
• NOTICE: Go carefully through all the different
MODE settings so that you’re sure all relevant
DRC checks are enabled.
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Placement
• Placement utilities
– Component placement: (”place manual”)– Open the manual placement user interface
– Command: Place→Manually
– Place mountinghole:– Open the manual placement user interface with focus on
mechanical symbols
– Place titleblock:– Open the manual placement user interface with focus on
format symbols
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Route and copper shapes
• Route: Enables the etch edit application mode
– Command: Setup→Application Mode→Etch Edit (etchedit)– Single click pin,rat or via to start route a connection
– Single click a segment to slide it
• Copper shapes: Start the Add shape command
– Command: Shape→Polygon (shape add)
– Enable the Options panel to see options
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Status check
• Show the current status of the PCB Design
• Command: Display→Status
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Post processing
• Run a post processing user interface for
generating most documentation
• Command: ns_postproc
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Postprocessing – manual procedure
• Goes through some of the post processing dialogs
• Drill customization: (”ncdrill customization”)
– User interface to check that all drill sizes have drill
symbols assigned
• Drill parameters: (”ncdrill param”)
– User interface to configure drill file format
• Drill legend/drawing: (”ncdrill legend”)
– User interface to create drill legend/drawing
• NC Route: (”nsroute”)
– User interface to creates nc route file
• Gerber setup and generate: (”artwork”)
– User interface to Setup and create gerber data
• IPC356 Netlist: (”ipc356 out”)
– IPC356 netlist creation user interface
• Pick and place out: (”plctxt out”)
– User interface to create pick and place data
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
PDF Printing
• User interface to generate pdf files
• Command: ns_pdf
– Creates a pdf file
– Requires Adobe Distiller
– Each film setup inside Manufacture→Artwork is one
page inside the pdf document
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Footprint flow
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Unit and sheet size
• Unit and sheet size: Setup desired units (mm, mils etc.) and working area size
– Command: Setup→Design Parameters→Design
• Color setup: Configure visibility and color settings
– Display→Color/Visibility (or color192)
• Grid setup: Setup grids
– Command: grids
– Customized version of Uri Chaplins grid utilitie
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Padstack design
• User interface to create padstacks
– Command: ns_run_pad_designer
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Place Pin
• Makes it possible to add either an electrical or
mechanical pin to the footprint
– Command: Layout → Pins
• Electrical pin: This is a pin that has a
corresponding pin on the schematic symbol
• Mechanical pin: This is a pin that does not
have a matching pin on the schematic like a
mounting hole.
• Use the Options panel to select the correct
padstack and control settings
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Add package outline
• Draw placebound:
– Command: Shape→Polygon
– Placebound is used to describe the package size
– A placebound must exist, if not defined, it will
automatically be added as the smallest rectangle
embracing all pins
• Add package height:
– Command: Setup→Areas→Package height
– Select placebound and specify height
• Draw DFA outline:
– Command: Shape→Polygon
– DFA outline is used for component spacing settings
• Use the Options panel to control settings
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Draw outlines
• Assembly outline:
– Command: Add→Line
– Use to add assembly drawing to footprint
• Silkscreen outline:
– Command: Add→Line
– Use to add silkscreen information to footprint
• Use the Options panel to control settings like
line width
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Add refdes
• Assembly refdes:
– Command: Layout→Labels→RefDes
– Use to add assembly reference designator to
footprint
• Silkscreen refdes:
– Command: Layout→Labels→RefDes
– Use to add assembly reference designator to
footprint
• Use the Options panel to control settings like
text size
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Set properties
• Set properties:
– Open the user dialog to specify properties
• Set locked:
– Set the locked property so that footprint objects cannot
be moved individually in the PCB
• Set Nodrc_sym_same_pin
• Set Nodrc_sym_pin_pastemask
• Set Nodrc_sym_pin_soldermask
– All of the 3 above are used to suppress DRC errors
between pins of the same footprint
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©2015 Nordcad Systems A/S – PCB and Footprint Flow menus
Add 3D STEP Model
• User interface to assign a STEP model to a
footprint
– Command: Setup→Step package mapping
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