Keywords: circuit design software PROTELDXP project options Circuit design software has many applications. For circuit design software, the editor has brought two series of tutorials about Protel DXP circuit design software. The explanation of circuit design software in this article is also based on Protel DXP. Through this article, you will learn how to set project options in Protel DXP circuit design software, let's understand together.

Please note that the course of this article is inherited from "Circuit Design Software Series Tutorial (2), Placement of Components in Protel DXP Circuit Design Software", if you have some doubts about the content of this article, you can read the previous article.

Project options include error checking rules, connection matrix, comparison settings, ECO startup, output path and network options and any project rules you want to specify. Protel DXP will use these settings when you edit your project.

When the project is edited, detailed design and electrical rules are applied to validate the design. When all errors have been resolved, the re-editing of the schematic design will be loaded into the target file, eg a PCB file, by the ECO that is initiated. Project comparison allows you to find differences between source and target files and update (synchronize) them with each other.

All project-related operations such as error checking, comparing files and ECO startup are set in the Options for Project dialog ( Project > Project Options ).

All project outputs such as netlists, simulators, file provisioning (printing), assembly and manufacturing outputs and reports are set up in the Outputs for Project dialog ( Project > Output Jobs ). See "Setting Project Output" for more information.

1. Select Project ? Project Options, the Options for Project dialog box appears.

All project-related options are set through this dialog.

Check the electrical parameters of the schematic

In Protel DXP a schematic is more than just a drawing - the schematic also contains connection information about the circuit. You can use the connection checker to verify your design. When you edit the project, DXP will check for errors according to the settings in the Error Reporting and Connection Matrix tabs, and if an error occurs it will be displayed in the Messages panel.

Set up bug reports

The Error Reporting tab in the Options for Project dialog is used to set up design sketch checks. Report Mode ( Report Mode ) indicates the severity of the rule violation. If you want to modify the Report Mode, click Report Mode next to the violation you want to modify, and select the severity level from the drop-down list. In this tutorial we use the default settings.

Set up the connection matrix

The Connection Matrix tab (Options for Project dialog) shows the severity of the error type, which will run the error report in the design to check the electrical connections generated, such as connections between pins, components, and drawing entries. This matrix gives a diagrammatic description of the different types of connection points in the schematic and whether they are allowed or not.

For example, find the Output Pin on the right side of the matrix plot and the Open Collector Pin column from this row. At its intersection is an orange square, and this color indicates that in principle connecting from an Output Pin to an Open Collector Pin will initiate an error condition when the item is edited.

You can set each error type with a different error level, such as not reporting fatal errors.

Modify the connection error:

1. Click the Connection Matrix tab of the Options for Project dialog.

2. Click on the square where the two types of connections intersect, such as Output Sheet Entry and Open Collector Pin.

3. Stop clicking when the square changes to the color indicated by errors in the legend, eg an orange square representing an error will indicate whether such a connection was found.

Our circuit contains more than Passive Pins (on resistors, capacitors and connectors) and Input Pins (on transistors). Let's check to see if the connection matrix detects unconnected passive pins.

1. Find Passive Pin in the row label and Unconnected in the column label. The squares where they intersect represent error conditions in principle when a Passive Pin is found to be unconnected. The default is a green square, which means no reports are given at runtime.

2. Click on the square at this intersection until it turns yellow, so that when we modify the project, unconnected passive pins are found to give a warning.

set comparator

The Comparator tab of the Options for Project dialog is used to set differences or ignores between given files when a project is modified. In this tutorial, we don't need to show the difference between some properties that only represent the level of schematic design (such as rooms). Make sure you are not ignoring components when you ignore component levels.

1. Click the Comparator tab and find Changed Room Definitions, Extra Room Definitions, and Extra Component Classes in the Difference Associated with Components section.

2. Select Ignore Differences from the drop-down list in the Mode column to the right of these options.

Now we are ready to edit the project and check for any errors.

Edit item

Editing a project is all about checking for sketches and electrical rule errors in the design document and placing you in a debugging environment. We have set the rules in the Error Checking and Connection Matrix tabs in the Options for Project dialog.

1. To edit our Multivibrator project, select Project > Compile PCB Project.

2. When the project is being edited, any errors that have been started will be displayed in the Messages panel in the lower part of the design window. The edited file is listed in the Compiled panel along with sibling files, components and nets listed, and a browseable connection model.

If your circuit is drawn correctly, the Messages panel should be blank. If the report gives an error, check your circuit and make sure all wires and connections are correct.

We now want to carefully add an error to our circuit and re-edit the project:

1. Click the Multivibrator.SchDoc tab at the top of the design window to make the schematic the current document.

2. Click on the middle of the wire connecting the bases of C1 and Q1, a small square edit hotspot will appear at the end of the wire, and a dotted line along the wire will display the selection color to indicate that the wire is selected. Press DELETE to delete the wire.

3. Re-edit the project (Project > Compile PCB Project) to check that errors are found.

The Messages panel will open with a warning sign: There is an unconnected input pin in your circuit. A floating input pin error will also run because the Error Reporting tab in the Project Options dialog has a special option to check for floating input pins.

4. Click on an error in the Messages panel. The Compile Error window will display the details of the violation. From this window, you can click on an error and jump to the violation object in the schematic to check or correct the error.

Before we finish this unit of the tutorial, let's fix the bug in the schematic.

1. Click on the schematic sheet tab to make it active.

2. Select Edit > Undo (hotkey E, U) from the menu. The wires you deleted earlier are now restored.

3. To check if the restore was successful, re-edit the project ( Project > Compile PCB Project ) to check that no errors will be found. The Messages panel should show ( no errors ).

4. Select View > Fit All Objects (hotkeys V, F) from the menu to restore the schematic view and save the error-free schematic.