This option allows you to add multiple parallel schematic connections at the same time representing groups of signals that need to be kept together. For example to connect a series of nets from schematic pins to a bus.
Shortcuts
Default Keys: None
Default Menu: Insert
Command: Multi Connect
Locating this option
Available from: Insert menu > Multi Connect option
Using The Multi Connect Option
This feature is most commonly used to take a collection of nets in a schematic design to and from a bus, but can be used to take a group of any nets from one area of the schematic design to another.
There are three phases to multi connect:
- Select the items (component pins, connection ends or a bus segment) you wish to start from.
- Position a line of connection ends to represent the start point for subsequent segments.
- Add segments to define the path of the multiple connections.
Once added, the multiple connections stick together, separated from each other by a constant gap which is usually defined by the minimum gap between the start items. The set of connections is gridded along its centre line, which may be the middle connection if there is an odd number of connections, or the centre of the gap in the middle if there are an even number of connections.
This section will guide you through the interactive multi connect tool.
Using Multi Connect
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From the Insert menu, select Multi Connect, or use one of the shortcuts available. This takes you into Multi Connect Mode.
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If a single connection is pre-selected, then the width is taken from the selected segment to use when adding the multiple connections in this session. Also, if a new net is created for any new connections, it will use the net class from the pre-selected connection. The pre-selected connection will remain selected until the multiple connections are added.
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Alternatively, if a set of component pins or parallel segments at the end of some connections are pre-selected these will define the set of nets to be used.
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Before you select items to start the multiple connections from, you can right click the mouse to use the shortcut menu to do the following:-
- Change Style - Use to change the width of the connection to a specified value. This value will be used even if the picked items are already on a net and have a style associated with a net class. The new style is shown on the status bar.
- Segment Mode - use this sub-menu to change the connection segment mode that will be used. This affects what direction the connections can be started, allowing a 45 degree start angle if the current segment mode is not Orthogonal.
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As soon as you enter the Multi Connect mode a modal cursor will be displayed for you to use. If you have not pre-selected a set of items to start from, select the items to start on as follows:-
- Click on a component pin or the end of a dangling connection segment. Its selection state will be toggled.
- Drag a frame to select a set of component pins or dangling connection ends. This set of items will define the set of items for Multi Connect unless the Ctrl key was held down when ending the frame, in which case you will be able to carry on selecting or deselecting items.
- Click on a bus segment. A dialog will be presented for you to choose the nets from the bus that you wish to use. If the bus is an open bus you can type the names of the required nets in range format, i.e. “A[1-4]“. Press OK to start adding multiple connections from the selected bus segment. If the segment is too short for the amount of connections you want to add it will be deselected and you can start again. The gap between the connections will be set to the value in the Connection Defaults labelled “Connections Gap”.
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If items have been selected and connections have not been started from them yet, click in space to start multi connect. You will enter a positioning phase to pick the first corner for the dynamic connections.
You can use options on the shortcut menu at this stage to alter the gaps between the connections that will be added.
- Use Default Connections Gap - Use this to make the gap between adjacent connections the value in the Connections Defaults labelled “Connections Gap”. This is useful if the pin pitch on the symbol is not the same as the usual gap used between parallel connections, or if the pins are not all next to each other. The effect will be to gather the connections together at their end points.
- Use Gaps Between Start Items - Use this to set the gaps between the connections so that they are in-line with the start items. This is the default mode.
- Use Gaps Between End Items - Use this to set the gaps between the connections so that they are in-line with the end items. This only works if connections are on a net.
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You should now have a new set of parallel connections dynamically displayed on the screen and are ready to add some segments to define the multi connect path.
If you are adding an odd number of connections you will be controlling the middle connection of the set with the cursor, and it will be added on grid just like if you were adding a single connection. If you are adding an even number of connections it is the centreline of the gap between the connections that is edited and placed on grid. The rest of the tracks will be created either side of the middle track you are adding. This is similar in operation to the Edit Connection mode except multiple connections are added together. See Editing Connections for details about adding the path.
The first segment added will be forced to use the selected start direction away from the start items. When you have left clicked once to add the first corner, free movement can be used. The segment mode used can be changed from the shortcut menu.
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Once the required path has been added, there are several ways of finishing as follows:
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Use the Finish Here option from the shortcut menu to finish the connections at the cursor position.
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Move the ends of the connections over a set of component pins. If each connection end lines up with a pin that is suitable to be connected to, weld markers will be shown and a subsequent left click will attach the connections to the pins.
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Move the ends of the connections over a bus segment. If each connection end is over the bus segment with enough room to create the bus terminal, weld markers will be shown and a subsequent left click will attempt to attach to the bus. A dialog will be displayed at this point to choose the nets required for the connections, unless either the connections are already on nets defined on a closed bus or it is an open bus that already has connections attached to it.
If the dialog is displayed and the bus is closed, i.e has a defined set of allowed net names, you can select the required net names from the Bus Nets list. Use the Reverse button if you want to apply the names in reverse order.
If the dialog is displayed and the bus is open to any nets you can choose the bus net names two ways. If you already have closed busses in the design and want to use the names from one of them, drop down the Chosen Nets list box and choose the name range that you require. Otherwise, type the net name stem in the Chosen Nets control and the net name range will be automatically completed for you. The open bus will become closed, allowing the net names you have chosen.
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Move the ends of the connections over the ends of a previously created set of connections that contains at least as many as you have in the dynamic set. This is best done by approaching the existing connections at the same angle as their last segment. When the end of each dynamic connection is over one of the connections in the existing set a weld marker dot will be shown. At this point pressing left click should join each connection in the dynamic set to its corresponding connection in the static one.After finishing the connections you will be ready to select a different set of pins to add the next multi connect from, or use the Escape key to exit the multi connect mode.
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Related Topics
Edit Connection | Grids | Online ERC | Segment Mode | Status bar | Technology