You will agree if I say that the right use of color gets attention, enhances clarity, differentiates items, facilitates the identification of issues, and hence improves productivity. In PCB design, colors are particularly important for the reasons just mentioned, and colors very aptly have...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: Rev Up Your Designs Using Color Themes in Allegro 3D Canvas
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BoardSurfers: Training Insights: Creating Inter-Layer Checks Available in Constraint Manager
In standard PCB designs, various masks and surface finishes require verification of proper clearances and coverage. The rigid-flex designs not only have the same mask and surface finish requirements but also have additional geometries, such as bend a...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: Translating Allegro Database to Readable Format Using 'Extracta'
In the process of developing a PCB design, a multitude of experts are involved in the verification of the design. These experts and various other stakeholders can be from your own company or from your manufacturer and they will be interested in parti...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: Four Ways to Create Footprints in Allegro Library Creator
All components on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout will have a footprint. A footprint is where your component gets soldered on the PCB. These footprints need to be extremely accurate so that your PCB can be properly assembled at the time of manufacturing. Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator can create the most accurate and industry compliant footprints you could want.
Usually, you might need to create your own custom footprints because you cannot always rely on your design tool to provide accurate footprints. Sometimes, you may also need to create a footprint using an existing package or a vendor-provided STEP Model. Library Creator allows you to do all of this. In my previous blog posts about creating footprints, I have already discussed different methods to create footprints. Today, let us discuss all these methods in brief and refresh our memory.
Create Footprints Using Templates
The easiest and simplest method of creating a footprint is using an existing template. In this method, you just:
- Select a template from the available list.
- Create a new package after updating the parametric values.
- Apply the rules so that the footprint follows industry standards.
- Save and export the package.
Create Footprints Using Packages
This is an easy five-step process. To create a footprint using a package, you just:
- Search and load a package from the Library Creator repository.
- Apply the rules to the package so that your PCB can make it through design to manufacturing.
- Export the footprint to Allegro PCB Editor.
- Verify the footprints.
Footprint Creation Using STEP Model
This method of footprint creation using a vendor-provided STEP Model helps in easily integrating a mechanical and electrical design. This method involves the following steps:
- Import the STEP model file to Allegro Library Creator.
- Specify the contact areas.
- Assign the terminal types, height, and pin numbers.
- Apply the predefined rules to make the footprint as per industry standards.
- Save the footprint.
Create Custom Footprints
This method of creating a custom footprint is a very commonly used method and helps you when creating a new project and your client demands a new component for which you do not have a footprint. To create a custom footprint, do the following:
- Select a package from the templates list.
- Edit the parametric values and create a new instance of the package.
- Move the thermal pads to the desired location.
- Change the shape of the thermal pad shape.
- Update the thermal contacts on the 3D canvas.
- Save the package and apply the rules.
Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator allows you to create custom footprints, create component footprints if you already have a STEP Model, and also create footprints using templates and packages. Also, you would want to ensure that everything is transferred to PCB Editor correctly. For this, you can verify the footprints by loading the package in PCB Editor's 3D Canvas.
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BoardSurfers: Installation Know-How: Installing Cadence OrCAD and Allegro Products Without Administrative Rights
Often organizations do not grant administrative privileges to users on their systems. Performing administrative tasks by standard users can be of greater risk than benefit as this could lead to serious virus and malware infections and catastrophic da...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: How to Add Fanouts Using Standard Via Structures
An increase in design complexity has forced designers to take novel approaches to meet routing challenges. Long back, designers used to group objects (vias, clines, or shapes) and copy-paste them in the design to reuse routing. The obvious drawback w...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: Training Insights: Creating Inter-Layer Checks Available in Constraint Manager
In standard PCB designs, various masks and surface finishes require verification of proper clearances and coverage. The rigid-flex designs not only have the same mask and surface finish requirements but also have additional geometries, such as bend a...(read more)![]()
![]()
↧
BoardSurfers: Translating Allegro Database to Readable Format Using 'Extracta'
In the process of developing a PCB design, a multitude of experts are involved in the verification of the design. These experts and various other stakeholders can be from your own company or from your manufacturer and they will be interested in parti...(read more)![]()
![]()
↧
BoardSurfers: Four Ways to Create Footprints in Allegro Library Creator
All components on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout will have a footprint. A footprint is where your component gets soldered on the PCB. These footprints need to be extremely accurate so that your PCB can be properly assembled at the time of manufacturing. Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator can create the most accurate and industry compliant footprints you could want.
Usually, you might need to create your own custom footprints because you cannot always rely on your design tool to provide accurate footprints. Sometimes, you may also need to create a footprint using an existing package or a vendor-provided STEP Model. Library Creator allows you to do all of this. In my previous blog posts about creating footprints, I have already discussed different methods to create footprints. Today, let us discuss all these methods in brief and refresh our memory.
Create Footprints Using Templates
The easiest and simplest method of creating a footprint is using an existing template. In this method, you just:
- Select a template from the available list.
- Create a new package after updating the parametric values.
- Apply the rules so that the footprint follows industry standards.
- Save and export the package.
Create Footprints Using Packages
This is an easy five-step process. To create a footprint using a package, you just:
- Search and load a package from the Library Creator repository.
- Apply the rules to the package so that your PCB can make it through design to manufacturing.
- Export the footprint to Allegro PCB Editor.
- Verify the footprints.
Footprint Creation Using STEP Model
This method of footprint creation using a vendor-provided STEP Model helps in easily integrating a mechanical and electrical design. This method involves the following steps:
- Import the STEP model file to Allegro Library Creator.
- Specify the contact areas.
- Assign the terminal types, height, and pin numbers.
- Apply the predefined rules to make the footprint as per industry standards.
- Save the footprint.
Create Custom Footprints
This method of creating a custom footprint is a very commonly used method and helps you when creating a new project and your client demands a new component for which you do not have a footprint. To create a custom footprint, do the following:
- Select a package from the templates list.
- Edit the parametric values and create a new instance of the package.
- Move the thermal pads to the desired location.
- Change the shape of the thermal pad shape.
- Update the thermal contacts on the 3D canvas.
- Save the package and apply the rules.
Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator allows you to create custom footprints, create component footprints if you already have a STEP Model, and also create footprints using templates and packages. Also, you would want to ensure that everything is transferred to PCB Editor correctly. For this, you can verify the footprints by loading the package in PCB Editor's 3D Canvas.
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BoardSurfers: Installation Know-How: Installing Cadence OrCAD and Allegro Products Without Administrative Rights
Often organizations do not grant administrative privileges to users on their systems. Performing administrative tasks by standard users can be of greater risk than benefit as this could lead to serious virus and malware infections and catastrophic da...(read more)![]()
![]()
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BoardSurfers: Allegro In-Design Reflection Analysis: Signal Integrity Simulations on the PCB Canvas
Reflections happen on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) whenever signals encounter an impedance discontinuity, so maintaining constant impedance along all interconnects is always desirable. But it’s not always possible to achieve this. In order to ...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: Training Insights: Three Ways to Start OrbitIO System Planner
OrbitIO System Planner is a multi-fabric interconnect planning and optimization solution. It provides a single-canvas environment where you can derive and evaluate connectivity between the dies and package in the context of the complete system....(read more)![]()
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(P)SpiceItUp: PSpice A/D Modeling Applications
What if you need a model with specific parameters, generated for your schematic on the fly? What if you need a model that is created by adding few parameters from a data sheet? What if you want to see the changes in the model behavior by varying a c...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: The New 17.4-2019 Dynamic Shape 'Fast' Mode is Truly Fast!
This year, it’s the new Fast shape mode, and I feel like I need to talk about it because it is a game-changer in working with positive shapes when it comes to performance and the display quality of shapes. The more etch shapes you have or the larger the database with positive shapes, the slower...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: How to Detect and Resolve Copper Void Slivers
Markets today are being driven by miniaturization. As the size is decreasing, PCB designs are getting more and more complex. Manufacturing boards while also addressing the signal integrity issues is becoming a challenge. With continuous shrinkage in the pin ...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: Training Insights: How to Assess Electrical Performance of Packages
In this blog, you will be taking an IC package design from Allegro® Package Designer Plus (APD Plus) and export the design to Sigrity XtractIM. You will use XtractIM to extract models from the exported package and to assess the electrical pe...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: Training Insights: RF PCB Design Flow Using Allegro Editors
Allegro® RF PCB solution provides you with a unified design solution for complex mixed-signal projects. From schematic to layout and manufacturing, a total front-to-back design flow helps you streamline your entire RF design process. You lay RF ...(read more)![]()
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(P)SpiceItUp: Verifying and Optimizing Designs with PSpice A/D
PSpice® A/D is a fully featured analog and mixed-signal simulator that can be integrated with OrCAD® and Allegro® tools. With PSpice A/D you can improve design functionality and reliability, and also verify the electrical performance of d...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: Units, Accuracy, and Artwork - How to Do It Right!
It might seem simple, but database units and accuracy directly relate to the artwork generated, and it is possible to misunderstand the artwork format as it relates to the board setup. Thirty years ago, databases were set up as Mils (0.0) or Mil...(read more)![]()
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BoardSurfers: How to Install Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator Server?
In addition to reducing package creation time by 60-80%, Cadence Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator has the Library Creator repository, which provides thousands of ready-to-use packages and templates. The repository allows centralized configuration-controlled storage...(read more)![]()
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