Welcome to the Bartels Group of Companies |
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Bartels AutoEngineer® |
| 1 | General |
| 1.1 | Installation |
| 1.2 | User Interface and General Functions |
| 1.3 | Symbol and Part Libraries |
| 2 | Schematic Editor |
| 2.1 | General |
| 2.2 | Symbols, Labels |
| 2.3 | Connections |
| 2.4 | Graphics |
| 2.5 | Text, Attributes |
| 2.6 | Group Functions |
| 2.7 | Plot Output |
| 3 | Packager |
| 3.1 | Test Point Generation |
| 3.2 | Attribute Assignments |
| 3.3 | Hierarchical Design |
| 3.4 | ERC |
| 3.5 | Error Messages |
| 4 | Layout Editor |
| 4.1 | General |
| 4.2 | Display, Design Rule Check |
| 4.3 | Parts, Placement |
| 4.4 | Traces, Routing |
| 4.5 | Graphic, Copper Areas |
| 4.6 | Text, Drill |
| 4.7 | Group Functions |
| 4.8 | Automatic Copper Fill |
| 5 | Autorouter |
| 5.1 | General |
| 5.2 | Autorouter Algorithms |
| 6 | CAM Processor |
| 6.1 | General |
| 6.2 | Control Plot |
| 6.3 | Gerber Photo Plot |
| 6.4 | Insertion Data Output |
| 7 | CAM View |
| 7.1 | General |
| 7.2 | Data Import |
| 8 | Utilities |
| 8.1 | LOGLIB |
| 8.2 | EDUCONV |
| 9 | Bartels User Language |
| 9.1 | General |
| 9.2 | Index Variable Types |
| 9.3 | System Functions |
| 9.4 | BAE User Language Programs |
The
Bartels AutoEngineer® Installation Guide (file
inst_en.htm from the
baedoc directory of the BAE-CD-ROM) provides detailed
Bartels AutoEngineer installation instructions for all supported hardware and software platforms.
The Bartels AutoEngineer Windows versions are now created with an updated compiler which supports optimizations for the latest processor technologies. As a result, the performance of time-critical functions such as autorouting, connectivity generation and design rule checking is significantly improved under Windows.
The
SAVEPROMPT_STD parameter for activating a user prompt for the saving of design changes when switching between BAE modules has been added to the
bae.ini file.
Functions for moving the currently processed element by one pixel position during interactive placement with deactivated input grid have been assigned to the SHIFT/cursor keystrokes.
The option for extending the middle mouse button context menu has been added to the / function.
Arrow left and arrow right buttons for moving backward and forward through the element access history of the current session have been added to the toolbar.
On certain Windows versions, switching between BAE modules could cause the BAE window to loose focus and disappear behind other windows. This problem has been fixed.
The default element name sort order of the DDB element selection dialogs has been changed to "natural order". I.e., element names with numeric content are sorted in a way a human being would list them (e.g.,
b9 before b10). The
ESELSORT_STD entry for selecting the element name sort mode (restoring alphanumeric sort order) has been added to the
bae.ini file.
A
button area with the
,
and
buttons has been added to the element name dialogs of the Windows versions to support the display of element modification dates/times and the sorting of the element list by date/time (last modified first). The default setting is
. The
ESELMODE_STD parameter in
bae.ini can be used to activate the date/time display.
The BAE dialog boxes were originally designed for a 800x600 pixel screen resolution. The
DIALOGXMAX_STD and
DIALOGYMAX_STD parameters for specifying a different dialog box size for certain dialogs such as the five-column layout part name selection or net name selection have been added to
bae.ini. On default, these parameters are now set to support a 1024x768 screen resolution.
The size of the file name selection dialogs of the BAE
Windows versions has been significantly increased. The new
FSELMODE_STD parameter in
bae.ini can be used to activate file modification time and file size display in the file selection dialogs.
Special (invalid) characters such as blanks are now automtaically substituted with underscore characters
(_) when specifying symbol, part or macro names. Exempt from this rule are input dialogs with
button to allow for name pattern specifications with wildcard characters such as
? and
*.
The text on the text input box of the BAE Motif user interfaces is now preselected to allow for immediate editing.
The mousewheel with its scroll, zoom, rotate and layer change functions is now also supported by the BAE Motif user interfaces.
The
BAE_SCRXSCALE and
BAE_SCRYSCALE environment variables can be used to specify screen size correction factors in cases where these are setup incorrectly by the operating system. This feature can be used to correct the screen dimension ratio in order to ensure the correct screen display of circles.
The tag_pin_directcon tag symbol for assigning copper fill direct connection modes to specific pins and the att_netfillmindist, tag_net_netfillmindist, tag_netpin_netfillmindist and tag_netarea_netfillmindist symbols for specifyiing net-specific clearance distances for automatic copper fill functions have been added to the ROUTE library.
The symbols for activating simple net processing options have been updated. Such options are now assigned through logical library definitions, thus eliminating the need to apply the function.
Net attribute assignments were missing in the logical library definitions for the
tag_pin_routwidth symbol and some of the
att_ symbols from the
ROUTE library delivered with
Bartels AutoEngineer Version 6.4. The affected logical library definitions have been amended.
The
var_docvisplc rule for activating or deactivating screen display and CAM output according to the setting of the
$noplc part placement control attribute has been added to the text and graphic elements of the part definitions from the
LAYLIB library.
The Schematic Editor command line syntax has been changed to the following:
> bae scm DDB-filename elementname [SYMBOL|LABEL|MARKER|ULC|ULC_QUIT]
This command line syntax can be used to load a named element of the specified class upon
Schematic Editor startup. Omitting the element class specification defaults to schematic sheets.
ULC and
ULC_QUIT cause the system to execute a
User Language program specified by elementname.
ULC_QUIT terminates the
Schematic Editor after executing the
User Language program. This feature can be applied by external programs to activate special functions such as symbol database import through the
symattdb User Language program.
has been changed to avoid screen redraws when restoring the last screen layout after loading elements. Additionally, the copyright message is displayed using the background color. This eliminates the "flickering" effect previously experienced when switching between BAE modules.
The mouse symbol from the toolbar can be used together with the to configure an alternative right mouse button action to be triggered if the Shift key is pressed. On default, the operation is configured for this keystroke.
The new / / submenu can be used to assign right mouse button context functions to specific elements. Context functions assigned on symbol or label level apply to all level symbols and labels of this macro type. The , , and context functions have been assigned to the planhead SCM plan header symbol from the STDSYM library.
If only one context function is assigned to a library element, then this context function is immediately activated when clicking such an element with the right mouse button. This feature can be used to, e.g., create a right arrow symbol with
functionality. Further interactions such as
:ml for picking/selecting the element at the mouse cursor can also be added.
Functions for editing element data and/or snapping to the position of the currently edited element have been assigned to the p key.
The parameter for controlling the element pick behaviour at positions with more than one element has been added to the / dialog.
The / submenu and a corresponding element in the / dialog for assigning comments to DDB file elements have been added. The element selection dialogs have been updated to display element comments together with the element names. Element name comments can be assigned to SCM sheets to allow for better guidance. The new $pltecomment system attribute can be used to display element comments. The PDF output functions have been amended to display SCM sheet comments rather than SCM sheet element names when creating tables of contents for SCM plans.
The productive configuration of the Schematic Editor has been changed to allow for the loading/processing of schematic plans which have been saved with BAE Demo.
The
s buttons of the toolbar windows with symbol attributes have been changed to differ between left and right mouse button clicks. Left mouse button clicks allow for attribute assignments to selectable symbols. Right mouse button clicks allow for attribute assignments to all group-selected symbols.
Net attribute labels sometimes caused the Packager to issue redundant double-defined part error messages. This problem has been fixed. Affected designs can be corrected by saving the schematic plan with the new software version.
The
function can now also be applied to labels, e.g. to move the
$pageref label attribute.
Features for displaying and resetting "removed" attributes have been added to the / / function. These are attributes which still exist but cannot be edited anymore because the attribute text definition had been deleted from symbol macro level. Previously, the attribute text had to be (re-)defined on symbol level to allow for the reset of such attributes.
A list with all attribute name/value combinations/counts has been added to the symbol list output of the / / function.
The submenu of the / submenu has been renamed to and moved to the menu.
The function for activating automatic SCM plan level bus connections for symbol bus pins has been added to the menu which is available through the e key.
This function has been applied to the symbol bus pins of the Bartels AutoEngineer symbol/part libraries.
The
NEWATTRL_SCM command for the specification of a list of attribute names and/or values to be automatically added to logical library definitions (newattr) with the
command has been added to the
bae.ini file.
The
button can be used to import pin assignments and pin types from a .csv (Comma Separated Variables) files (as, e.g., created with Microsoft Excel).
The
button activates a dialog with a layout pin name table for entering pin assignments for the
xlat command.
The
and
buttons activate an interactive SCM to layout pin assignment
(xlat command) editor. The pin assignment editor creates an SCM element with gates and texts for the layout pins. Pin assignments are defined by drawing graphic lines from symbol pins to layout pin texts or by moving layout pin name texts onto symbol pins. For convenient editing, the symbol logic editor assigns the
function to the layout pin name texts and the
function with automatic start point selection at the mouse position is assigned to the symbols (i.e., symbol pins). The pin assignment editor can be ended by re-activating the
function.
The
for automatically creating an SCM symbol from a
Xilinx top_pad.txt pin assignments file has been added to the
/ submenu. The symbol pins are placed to the left and right of the symbol depending on their signal type. A popup window for editing and/or confirming an automatically generated logical library definition is activated at the end.
The and functions from the / submenu eliminated tag references from and to renamed symbols. This problem has been solved.
DEFPINMAC_SCM (pin marker),
DEFJCTMAC_SCM (junction point marker),
DEFLABMAC_SCM (standard label), and
DEFTAPMAC_SCM (standard bus tap label) parameters added to the
bae.ini file to allow for the specification of alternative standard macros to be used when creating new elements.
The symbol preview area with a button for displaying the selected symbol graphics and / buttons for moving through the symbol preview list has been added to the symbol selection dialog.
New
bae.ini parameters have been added to allow for the assignment of symbol status values for triggering user-specific warning messages such as
or
.
New
bae.ini entries have been defined to allow for symbol database entries to be sorted by selectable table fields and for automatically generating and adding a counter field (to transfer symbol sort order from input files).
A right mouse button context menu with the , and functions has been added to / . and allow for orthogonal jumps. can be used to set the connection destination point. The system displays an airline from the currently edited connection end point to the destination point. The connection definition is automatically finished when the user hits the destination point.
It is possible to create
menu functions with automated connection destination point selection through a
#400:m:mr:sl4 call sequence.
The function for searching named nets has been added to the / submenu. A operation with a to the connected symbols and labels is automatically triggered if the currently loaded plan contains the selected net. If the selected net is on a single sheet different from the currently loaded, then the sheet containing the net is automatically loaded. A menu for selecting and loading a sheet containing the net is activated if the net is on different sheets. The and operation is also triggered after loading a different sheet for locating the net.
The function for selecting and/or loading an SCM sheet containing a selected and/or selectable label has been added to the / submenu and to the label context menu.
The and functions for highlighting nets and automatically zooming to connected symbols and labels have been added to the / / function group.
BAE HighEnd automatically applies this function to any layout of the same project which is currently open in any other Layout Editor.
The Schematic Editor issues now a warning message if two nets with different names are connected.
The function has been modified to change the bus status of the selected connection instead of simply converting the connection into a bus. This allows for bus connections to be converted back to normal connections.
Cancelling the function without having the bus tap placed could cause undefined behaviour such as endless loops and program crashes in special cases. This problem has been solved.
The option of the / / function only reset the unconnected pin contact area display for direct connections between different pin macro types. This problem has been solved.
The and functions have been added to the bus tap context menus.
A graphic line and graphic area context function for the quick drawing of circles and/or arcs has been assigned to the c key. A circle at the current position is drawn if the function is called from within another function without any previous graphic input. If a single graphic point has already been set, then the function uses the current position as centre point and creates a circle through the previous graphic input point. With more than one previously set graphic point, the behaviour depends on the function mode which can selected by pressing c whilst no other function is active. The default option sets a circle center point at the current mouse position, with the circle orientation in line with the positioning of the previously drawn segment. The option automatically appends a quarter-circle with selectable radius to the previously drawn segment. The option creates a round corner with a selectable radius from the previous segment and draws a segment to the current position.
The function for importing , and bitmap data has been added to the / submenu. Imported bitmap data is converted to graphic areas and automatically group-selected to allow for subsequent repositioning and/or scaling. Please note that importing bitmaps can create huge amounts of data which might affect the system's performance.
The
DEFTEXTLST_SCM entry for populating a list of predefined texts for the create text toolbar function has been added to the
bae.ini file. On default,
DEFTEXTLST_SCM contains the names of the
AutoEngineer system attributes. Entries starting with
$ are truncated at the first blank character when being placed. This allows for comments to be added to attributes selectors.
The
$pltpname,
$pltpdatede,
$pltpdateus and
$pltptime attributes for displaying the layout element name and the date and time of the last Packager run have been added to the system.
A
$Plt system attribute for upper case text display has been added for each of the
$plt element data display attributes.
The
$pltdate2de,
$pltdate2us,
$pltsdate2de,
$pltsdate2us,
$pltpdate2de and
$pltpdate2us system attributes for displaying plot dates with two-digit years have been added.
options for inverting element group selection modes have been added to the / functions.
Plan-specific output file names for repeated calls are now saved with the project.
Texts created with the function are now automatically concatenated for outputs with PostScript fonts. Previously such texts had been vectorized using the BAE vector font to avoid gaps.
The function for controlling the generation of net-specific test points has been added to the . The default setting creates a test point for every net. The setting creates a test point for every net except for nets with only one connected pin.
The
Packager has been changed to assign values to the new
$orgname (original/internal SCM symbol/part name) and
$pagename (SCM sheet name) system attributes to provide additional information about SCM symbol to layout part assignments. Comma-separated value lists are provided for parts consisting of multiple symbols.
For symbols from hierarchical schematic sub-blocks, the name of the referring block symbol is assigned to the new
$blkrname (block reference name) system attribute value. This provides transparency over the assignment of parts to hierarchical blocks even after renaming such parts in the layout. Additionally, all block symbol attributes are transfered to the sub-block symbols to allow for the full documentation of user-defined attributes.
The
$orgname net attribute is assigned to named nets. For nets consisting of different sub-nets, a comma-separated sub-net name list is assigned. I.e., combined nets can now not only be traced by examining the
.fre file, but also through system net data queries.
The
$net pin attribute for storing the pin net name is now automatically assigned to pins. This allows for
$net text definitions on padstack level to display pin net names in the layout.
The syntax for alternative package type specification with the
$plname attribute has been changed to support package name suffixes through nested square brackets. I.e., a list of alternative package types such as, e.g.,
[dil8,dil8a,dil8b,so8,so8a,so8b] can now also be specified through
[dil8[,a,b],so8[,a,b]].
A
[p1], [p2] prefix is now added to the
$rpname attributes of symbols/parts from hierarchical schematic subblocks to provide full control over the packaging of symbols/parts from different hierarchical sub-block instances.
Support for indirect pin attribute value assignments through attribute names starting with
$ in logical library
newattr commands has been added to the
Packager.
The
$rlext system attribute for setting logical library part name extensions does not append an underscore letter anymore if an empty string is entered for this attributes. This allows for the
$rlext attributes to be faded out on symbols with default definition and for
$rlext entries in the symbol database to be left empty.
The way the Packager used to create automatically numbered part name prefices for hierarchy block references could cause irritating part numbering gaps when both and were used in a project. The Packager's default block reference prefix generation method is now prioritizing to avoid any such gaps in the block reference part name lists. To avoid any possible part name collisions and/or inconsistencies with existing part name lists from old layouts, the option for using the old block reference prefix numbering method has been added to the parameter from the menu.
At the end of the Packager run, warning messages are issued to list unused gates in parts consisting of multiple gates.
The error messages produced by the Packager have been improved. The indicator is now used together with SCM symbol names to avoid any confusion with layout part names (indicator ).
A new chapter with an alphabetically sorted list of all Packager messages with instructions for solving Packager problems has been added to the User Manual.
The Layout Editor command line syntax has been changed to the following:
> bae ged DDB-filename elementname [PART|PADSTACK|PAD|ULC|ULC_QUIT]
This command line syntax can be used to load a named element of the specified class upon
Layout Editor startup. Omitting the element class specification defaults to layout.
ULC and
ULC_QUIT cause the system to execute a
User Language program specified by elementname.
ULC_QUIT terminates the
Layout Editor after executing the
User Language program.
has been changed to avoid screen redraws when restoring the last screen layout after loading elements. Additionally, the copyright message is displayed using the background color. This eliminates the "flickering" effect previously experienced when switching between BAE modules.
A trace and polygon context function for the quick drawing of circles and/or arcs has been assigned to the c key. A circle at the current position is drawn if the function is called from within another function without any previous graphic input. If a single graphic point has already been set, then the function uses the current position as centre point and creates a circle through the previous graphic input point. With more than one previously set graphic point, the behaviour depends on the function mode which can selected by pressing c whilst no other function is active. The default option sets a circle center point at the current mouse position, with the circle orientation in line with the positioning of the previously drawn segment. The option automatically appends a quarter-circle with selectable radius to the previously drawn segment. The option creates a round corner with a selectable radius from the previous segment and draws a segment to the current position.
The snap function for selecting the center point between two selectable points/objects has been added to the object and corner point context menu which is available through the x key. This feature can for instance be used together with the p key pin snap function centering a trace segment between two off-grid pins.
A loop for rotating multiple selectable elements and/or the function for configuring the default rotation angle step value can now be activated when pressing the l (left rotate element) and r (right rotate element) keys while no element is currently selected/processed.
The m key context menu function for mirroring the currently selected/processed element has been extended to allow for the selection of either or mode if no element is currently selected/processed. for toggling the mirroring mode of the currently selected element is the (new) default operation. Please note that with assigned to the m key, the function assignment to the n key becomes redundant and thus available for alternative use.
The mouse symbol from the toolbar can be used together with the to configure an alternative right mouse button action to be triggered if the Shift key is pressed. On default, the operation is configured for this keystroke.
can be used to iterate through all elements with different element types at the same position instead of only iterating through all elements matching the first selected element type.
The new / / submenu can be used to assign right mouse button context functions to specific elements. Context functions assigned on part level apply to all parts placed on level.
If only one context function is assigned to a library element, then this context function is immediately activated when clicking such an element with the right mouse button. This feature can be used to, e.g., assign the
to test point macros. Further interactions such as
:ml for picking/selecting the element at the mouse cursor can also be added.
The fact that user-defined signal layer configurations from the
Setup had to be considered when configuring automated menu selection interactions through
:s (Selection) in macro and key call sequences often caused problems when transferring such features/macros between different BAE configurations and/or users. The
:o (Offset Selection) interaction type has been added to avoid such problems.
:o doesn't count user-defined signal layer menu items. This allows for frequently used key programming sequences such as angle direction change during trace corner point movements to be programmed independentely from any user-specifc signal layer
Setup.
The / submenu and a corresponding element in the / dialog for assigning comments to DDB file elements have been added. The element selection dialogs have been updated to display element comments together with the element names. Element name comments can be assigned to layouts to allow for better guidance. The new $pltecomment system attribute can be used to display element comments on the layout.
The / function for saving layouts under a different name in the same project file is now automatically creating a copy of the layout-specific Packager and DDB file elements. This allows for layouts to be easily copied and/or renamed together with all relevant pin/gate swap and part/package changes for subsequent Packager runs.
The
AUTODRC_GED parameter for activating automatic or semi-automatic (prompted)
after loading a layout has been added to the
bae.ini file. The default value for this parameter is zero (no automatic
). Activating automatic
guarantees complete DRC error display for layouts which have been (intentionally) saved with DRC errors.
The
/ function included all legend layers with layer usage reports when using parts with layer legend definitions such as plan headers, even if the legend layers weren't actually used. This problem can now be avoided with the
lay_layerscan_ignore rule which can be assigned to elements and/or macros using the
/ function. Elements with this rule are excluded from the layer checking of the
function. The layer check routines of the
and the batch output functions of the
CAM Processor are also considering this rule.
The
for importing layout data in
Orcad MIN format has been added to the
submenu from the
menu. A
.par file is used for controlling layer assignments and several other conversion parameters. A well-documented example file named
orcad.par with all possible parameter definitions is provided in the
baejobs directory.
The and buttons for activating and/or deactivating airline display through , or selections have been added to the settings of the / parameter dialog.
The
toolbar menu button for color palette buffers has been changed to allow for the setting of a
different from the
toolbar setting. The
is saved with the element and restored when opening element. I.e., it is possible to use different toolbar color table sets for layouts with different layer counts.
The currently selected top layer is now indicated by an inverted right half of the signal layer number text in the layout toolbar.
The function for defining net type specific DRC blocks through a table of input fields has been added to the / submenu in BAE HighEnd. The net group and DRC rules are automatically generated. This allows for the complete definition of net group specific clearance parameters without having to edit and compile specific rule definition files.
The polygon types and/or the part names of the elements causing distance violations are now displayed by the / function.
An option for specifying solder mask and solder paste pad sizes relative to the signal layer pad size has been added to the
facilities of the
/ / function. New entries for setting default/predefined values for these options have been added to the
bae.ini file.
The option with a drill class query for specifying a via layer range has been added to the function for generating blind and buried via definitions.
The option for deactivating part renumbering during part name prefix changes has been added to the dialogs of the / / functions. With part renumbering deactivated, an empty string input to the simply causes the part names to b eprefixed with the . This is useful when merging different projects with intersecting part name list.
The
option for renumbering parts with specific prefices has been changed to support the removal of hierarchy block identifiers
([p1] etc.) from the part names. This allows for all parts, including parts from hierarchical SCM blocks, to be renamed/renumbered according to the specified
pattern.
The for selecting different part report options for listing all variants, two selectable variants or variant differences has been added to the / dialog.
The and functions for selecting parts from hierarchical schematic blocks through block instance names have been added to the / submenu. A Packager run is necessary to activate this feature for old project files.
The element data manipulation context menu function which can be activated through the p key has been extended to allow for part name changes, part macro assignments (unless prohibited by net list definitions), part mirroring, and fixing and glueing/anchoring of parts.
The
and
options of the
/ / function have been renamed to
and
to indicate that these functions are capable of generating
Excel compatible
CSV files.
The
PLPOSNR_LAY parameter for including a position counter in the first column of
CSV part list outputs has been added to the
bae.ini file. On default,
PLPOSNR_LAY is off/deactivated.
For part space estimation purposes, the board area size and the sum of the part area sizes are now displayed by the
/ / function. Part area sizes are calculated from the keepout area definitions on the
Part DRC documentary layer. For parts without such a keepout area definition, the element boundaries are used for part area calculations.
Layout part level texts with
$?s:predicate name patterns refer to part-specific rule system predicates rather than netlist attributes. The
/ / function can be used on layout level to assign values (such as the layout designer's name to a layout plan header part) to these predicates.
The , , , and function menu to be activated through keystroke and applied to the currenlty selected/highlighted net has been added to the / / functions.
The function for selecting nets to be highlighted by net attributes has been added to the / / function group.
The / / function has been renamed to and lists now all net list part pins with their states. This list is sorted by pin status and then part names to make it easier to find short-circuit and/or free pins.
At the end of this report, a list of all nets created from SCM signals with different names/labels is provided with original SCM signal names.
The group selection mode is now preserved when editing traces.
The option for selecting and/or deselecting traces with a specific trace width to be conveniently chosen from the list of trace widths used on the current layout has been added to the / / and functions.
A layer selection popup menu has been added to the
trace context menu function available through the right mouse button. This menu also allows for the activation of the
provides layer-specific options for activating the
function and a source layer indicator
(>).
Pressing the
+ or
- key and the the enter key switches to the next higher and/or next lower layer number. These inputs can be automated in key programming sequences using
:mr:ol3:'+' and/or
:mr:ol3:'-'. This allows for the definition of keys for moving upwards or downwards through the layer stack. The default
Layout Editor key bindings assign these sequences to the
( and
) keys (and thus also to mouse wheel interactions with the
Ctrl key pressed).
The element data manipulation context menu function which can be activated through the p key has been extended to allow for trace layer changes, trace width changes, fixing and/or glueing/anchoring of traces, via padstack assignments, and via fill net assignments.
The option for generation teardrops at trace necking/bending points has been added to the parameter dialog of the / / / function.
Creating teardrops as traces sometimes failed for special trace width/angle and pad size constellations. This problem has been fixed.
The option for the mode has been changed to allow for the processing of segments adjacent to arcs. Semicircles are automatically divided into quarter-circles.
The placement of glued vias on the layout prevented the manual routing functions from automatically setting required vias when changing trace layers. This problem has been fixed.
The design rule check sometimes misinterpreted net-specific clearance distances for traces on part level. This problem has been fixed.
The BAE HighEnd design rule check of the edit/display mode for manual routing has been extended to layer-specific clearance distance specifications from DRC blocks.
Normal corner points have now priority over arc center points when picking/selecting trace corner points
The / / function has been renamed to and extended with the , , and options. These functions activate trace clearance distance, destination area type and destination area layer prompts. The original trace is preserved when copyied to a new area or deleted when converted to an area. Thease functions not only allow for the transfer of traces onto power layers but also for the creation of keepout and/or shielding areas on alternative layers.
The for deleting traces from a short-circuit until all traces connected to the short-circuit are removed has been added to the / submenu. Due to the advanced short-circuit analysis facilities in BAE HighEnd this function works more selectively in BAE HighEnd than in other BAE configurations.
The has been added to the / submenu. Trace segments with one end without contact to any other trace segment, via or pin are considered to be antennas. Vias connected to only one trace and without power layer connection are also considered to be antennas. Pin checks only consider netlist pins. Trace segments ending on non-netlist pins are therefore also considered to be antennas. The antenna elements are automatically group-selected.
The and options for the definition of keepout areas to be considered only by the Autorouter or only by automatic copper fill and the Autorouter have been added to the option of the / / function.
The option for converting documentary lines and area outlines to traces has been added to the / / function. If the source element is a documentary line with a line width setting, then the width of the created trace is set to the documentary line width. Otherwise, the traces are created with the default trace width setting specified with the conversion option.
A power layer selection menu with net name display has been implemented for the option of the function for creating split power planes.
The element data manipulation context menu function which can be activated through the p key has been extended to allow for polygon/line type/layer changes, fixing and/or glueing/anchoring of areas, documentary and split power plane line pen width changes, net assignments for active copper areas, and fill via padstack assignments, and signal layer keepout area assignments for automatic copper fill and/or the Autorouter.
The function for adding a orthonogal polygon segments has been added to the context menu which is available through the x key during the creation and/or editing of documentary lines.
Normal corner points have now priority over arc center points when picking/selecting polygon corner points
A placement coordinate query for controlling the position of the distance measuring graphic has been added to the / / / function. During the placement coordinate query, a context menu with the (placement relative to start point), (placement at fixed coordinates), (placement at start point), (distance measurement graphic layer change), (diagonal distance measurement, default), (horizontal distance measurement), (vertical distance measurement) and (separate horizontal and vertical distance measurements) options is available through the right mouse button.
The function for importing , and bitmap data has been added to the / submenu. Imported bitmap data is converted to documentary areas on a selectable documentary layer, and automatically group-selected to allow for subsequent repositioning, scaling or area type modification. Please note that imported bitmaps can create huge amounts of data which might affect the system's performance and or cause problems with automatic copper fill or Gerber plot generation.
Support for keepout area output has been added to the
and
options of the
/ / function for exporting DXF data. The extension
KO (for keepout) is added to the layer names for keepout area DXF output. Any
for the
is now added as element height attribute to the keepout area polygon to allow for 3D processing in mechanic CAD systems.
The / / function has been adjusted accordingly and imports polygon heights as for the when importing keepout areas onto documentary layers.
The
$pltpname,
$pltpdatede,
$pltpdateus and
$pltptime attributes for displaying the layout element name and the date and time of the last Packager run have been added to the system.
A
$Plt system attribute for upper case text display has been added for each of the
$plt element data display attributes.
The
$pltdate2de,
$pltdate2us,
$pltsdate2de,
$pltsdate2us,
$pltpdate2de and
$pltpdate2us system attributes for displaying plot dates with two-digit years have been added.
The element data manipulation context menu function which can be activated through the
p key has been extended to allow for text changes, text layer changes, text pen width changes, text mirroring, text frame assignments, text fixing and/or glueing/anchoring, and
LOGICAL documentary layer text centering.
The option for selecting the center of the graphics from a selectable documentary layer has been added to the function of the / / .
The option for automatically displaying part height texts in the center of the part height DRC area has been added to the / / function.
A descriptive text link for saving the character font has been added to the top of the character font layout created by / / / .
The
fontconv utility program for importing font data is now automatically activated after saving the font data to the
.fon file. This allows for creating and using haracter fonts without having to leave the BAE graphic interface.
The element data manipulation context menu function which can be activated through the p key has been extended to allow for drill hole diameter changes, drill class assignments, and the fixing and/or glueing/anchoring of drill holes.
The , and are now automatically activating the drill color (white on default) to ensure that the (currently processed) drill holes are visible.
options for inverting element group selection modes have been added to the / functions.
An option for assigning a net for automatic copper fill via connections has been added to the / / function. This allows for the function to be used for placing fill area vias.
The maximum routing signal layer count specified through the from the / dialog has been increased from 12 to 16.
The
parameter for specifying a minimum clearance to the board outline (previously fixed to
1.05833 mm) has been added to
/ .
The
parameter has been added to
/ . This parameter can be used to set a gridless routing pin to via clearance which is higher than the
. The
Autorouter uses the
setting if the
value is set to
0.0 mm or to a value smaller than the
value.
The
and
parameters for specifying maximum trace lengths for power connections (previously fixed to
5.08 mm) and SMD via fanout connections (previously fixed to
2.54 mm) have been added to
/ .
Power connections are nets with connections to power layers. SMD via fanout connections are the SMD pin to via connections created by
. Please note that the
parameter is calculating physical trace segment lengths unlike the
parameter which calculates airline distances. I.e., the
value must be set to a value larger than the
parameter to allow for SMD via fanouts to be routed.
Support for the definition and recognition of trace and/or via keepout areas on signal layers through
poly_routernovias and/or
poly_routernotraces rule assignments to documentary areas has been added to
BAE HighEnd.
The amount of memory required for the routing matrix is doubled when using trace and/or via keepout areas.
The parameter for avoiding acute-angled SMD pin connections has been added to / . The setting deactivates this feature. The new default setting causes trace connection points to be shifted in quarter routing grid steps to avoid acute-angled pad connections.
An Autorouter problem which caused internal errors during BGA fanout routing on layouts with fixed traces has been fixed.
The
and
buttons for activating and/or deactivating airline display through
,
or
selections have been added to the
settings of the
/ parameter dialog. Since the
Autorouter only routes nets which are included in the airline display, this feature can be used to select net groups through
$nettype attribute selections or hierarchical blocks through
$blkname and/or
$blkrname attribute selections for autorouting.
Options for PDF layer information output have been added to the parameter dialog of the
function to support the PDF layer display modes introduced with
Acrobat Version 6.0. On default, the BAE layer names are being exported. Output batch configurations also allow for the merging of layers (e.g.,
Part Side View through the assignement of BAE layers to PDF output layers.
Texts created with the function are now automatically concatenated for outputs with PostScript fonts. Previously such texts had been vectorized using the BAE vector font to avoid gaps.
The option for creating a batch using the current output parameters/options has been added. This is useful if output layers are selected with the or options.
Special layer output support for
Workarea,
Origin and
Errors has been added. Batch outputs also support different colors for layer-specific
Errors.
The
PSVISW2B_STD entry for automatically converting white screen display color to black plot color with
outputs has been added to the
bae.ini file. On default,
PSVISW2B_STD is activated (value
ON.
Plan-specific output file names for repeated calls are now saved with the project.
The for writing multi-layer data to a DDB file element has been added. The layers created by this function are not connected anymore amongst each other, thus allowing for layer-specific design rule checks to prepare for automatic optical board inspections.
Elements from power layer 1 through 12 are transfered to signal layers 51 to 62, and texts are converted to lines. I.e., part names and power layer connections are detached from the netlist. This allows for unrestricted mixed project panelization using arbitrary rotation angles.
The has been added to the multilayer plot output options of the function.
Gerber format/precision information is now included with all plot outputs, also those created with formats and . Previously, this information was only included with and Gerber output.
The gaptutil utility with its , , , functions and the new function has been added to the submenu of the menu.
Support for importing Topcad format aperture tables has been added to the function.
The new function automatically creates an aperture table with apertures for all circular, square and rectangular pad shapes and circular apertures for the creation of finger pads of a selectable layout library. Two rectangular apertures with different orientation are created for each rectangular pad shape. Aperture tables created with may have to be supplemented with circular apertures for the drawing of different trace widths which can not be derived from the layout library data.
The ginsout insertion data output utility has been added as function to the menu.
The CAM View command line syntax has been changed to the following:
> bae gerview Dateiname [GERBER|EXCELLON]
This command line syntax can be used for automatically loading a CAM file with the specified format upon CAM View startup (Gerber data is assigned to signal layer 1). Under Windows, this feature can also be used to configure CAM View as default application for handling Gerber and Excellon files (since there is no "standard" file name extension in use for these formats, Bartels AutoEngineer does not install itself as default handler for such files).
The / / function has been changed to allow for multiple copies of the selected project file data to be loaded onto a matrix. New input fields for defining the matrix have been added to the batch name selction box.
The
startpin-endpin[:step] pin name range pattern can now be used for specifying pin lists. This allows for definitions such as
pin(a1-a4) for
pin(a1,a2,a3,a4) or
pin(c2-c10:2) for
pin(c2,c4,c6,c8,c10). It is also possible to include multiple pin name ranges such as
pin(a1-a32,b1-b32,c1-c32) within a single command. Pin name range patterns are only pin list aliases, the system still saves and displays (function
) the complete pin name lists.
The syntax of the
newattr command has been changed to allow for the
assignment of variant-specific attributes by specifying a comma-separated variant number after the attribute name quotes. This allows for the assignment of different fixed attributes to different predefined project variants such as
110 Volt and
230 Volt or
deutsch and
english.
newattr attribute values without variant number specification are assigned to the default/base variant.
The general restrictions for loading design data from project files created with different BAE configurations have been removed. The educonv utility program has thus become obsolete and is not delivered with the software anymore.
This section describes general changes to the User Language specification. See Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Chapter 2 for a detailed description of the User Language specification.
The internal User Language version has been changed. User Language programs compiled under earlier BAE versions won't execute in the User Language Interpreter environment of the new Bartels AutoEngineer version (error message ). This means that each User Language program compiled under earlier BAE Versions must be recompiled under the new BAE version to regain compatibility.
This section lists new and changed User Language index variable types. See Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Appendix B for a detailed description of all index variable types.
The
MACRO attribute for querying the bus tap macro name has been added to the
C_BUSTAP index variable type.
This section lists new and changed User Language system functions. See Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Appendix C for a detailed description of all system functions.
The following User Language system functions have been implemented:
| IP | System Function | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| STD | bae_askname | Activate BAE name selection dialog |
| bae_crossarcarc | Determine cross point(s) of two arcs | |
| bae_crosslineline | Determine cross point of wide line segments | |
| bae_crosslinepoly | Determine cross point of wide line with polygon | |
| bae_crosssegarc | Determine cross point(s) of segment with arc | |
| bae_crosssegseg | Determine cross point of segments/lines | |
| bae_dialboxbufload | Restore BAE dialog box data from buffer | |
| bae_dialboxbufstore | Store BAE dialog box data to buffer | |
| bae_getdblpar | Get BAE double parameter | |
| bae_getintpar | Get BAE integer parameter | |
| bae_getpacktime | Get last project Packager run date/time | |
| bae_getstrpar | Get BAE Stringparameter | |
| bae_nameadd | Add BAE name selection list element | |
| bae_nameclr | Clear BAE name selection list | |
| bae_setdblpar | Set BAE double parameter | |
| bae_setintpar | Set BAE integer parameter | |
| bae_setstrpar | Set BAE Stringparameter | |
| ddbgetelemcomment | Get DDB file element comment | |
| ddbrenameelem | Rename DDB file element | |
| ddbsetelemcomment | Set DDB file element comment | |
| kbstate | Shift/control key state query | |
| CAP | cap_gettagdata | Get SCM tag symbol destination data |
| cap_getscstkcnt | Get SCM scan function stack depth | |
| SCM | scm_drawelem | Redraw SCM figure list element |
| scm_findpartplc | Layout part placement status query (BAE HighEnd) | |
| scm_getgroupdata | SCM group placement data query | |
| scm_getinputdata | SCM input data query | |
| scm_getstrpar | Get SCM Stringparameter | |
| scm_pickanyelem | Pick SCM any SCM figure list element | |
| scm_setpickelem | Set SCM default pick element | |
| scm_setstrpar | Set SCM Stringparameter | |
| scm_settagdata | Set SCM tag symbol pin destination | |
| LAY | lay_getscstkcnt | Get layout scan function stack depth |
| GED | ged_drawelem | Redraw GED figure list element |
| ged_pickanyelem | Pick any GED figure list element | |
| AR | ar_drawelem | Redraw Autorouter figure list element |
| CV | cv_aptgetcolor | Get CAM View aperture color |
| cv_aptsetcolor | Set CAM View aperture color | |
| cv_deldataset | Delete CAM View data set | |
| cv_getdblpar | Get CAM View double parameter | |
| cv_movedataset | Move CAM View data set | |
| cv_setdblpar | Set CAM View double parameter | |
| CED | ced_drawelem | Redraw CED figure list element |
Support for activating rubberband circle display drawing mode has been added to the bae_inpoint and bae_inpointmenu functions.
The strdelchar function deleted all characters beyond the specified end position. This behaviour has been changed. The substring beyond the end position is now preserved.
Support for activating comment text callback functions has been added to the synparsefile and synparsestring functions.
Support for named SCM net connection warning mode queries/settings has been added to the scm_getintpar and scm_setintpar functions.
Support for CAM View color table assignment and area display mode queries/settings has been added to the cv_getintpar and cv_setintpar functions.
BAE installs
more than 200 pre-compiled
User Language programs to the
ulcprog.vdb file of the BAE programs directory. Additionally, the
User Language source files
(more than 6 Mbytes; some 200,000 lines) are installed to a special directory
(baeulc). See
Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Chapter 4 for a complete listing and short descriptions of the BAE User Language programs.
The User Language include files have been revised and extended by a series of new definitions and functions.
The following User Language programs have been implemented:
| IP | Program Name | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| STD | arc | Draw Arc/Circle |
| bitmapin | Import Bitmap Data | |
| stepdown | Step One Layer Down | |
| stepup | Step One Layer Up | |
| SCM | scmpedit | SCM Position Pick/Element Edit |
| GED | lminin | Orcad MIN Layout Data Import |
The User Language programs already delivered with the previous BAE Version have been completely revised and extended by many new features and functions. A series of significant improvements and enhancements have already been mentioned in the previous sections of these Release Notes.
| Bartels :: Bartels AutoEngineer :: BAE Documentation :: BAE V6.6 Release Notes |
Bartels AutoEngineer® - Version 6.6 - Release Notes
© 1985-2024 Oliver Bartels F+E • Updated: 22 October 2010, 20:02 [UTC]
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