This page of the Libraries dialog provides access to Schematic Doc Symbol libraries, allowing you to view and edit the library contents.
Schematic Doc Symbol library type available are:
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Block Port - for connecting to/from a hierarchical block.
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Block Symbol - for representing the shape of the hierarchical block when inserted as a block instance.
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Branch Point - used within the High Speed environment to indicate a point at which the net can be ‘branched’. This can then be used within the Signal Paths definition.
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Bus Reference - these are attached to a bus and provide additional information about the bus based on how you define them, such as, bus name, bus page and bus net ranges.
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Documentation Symbol - use just for documentation purposes, such as a Drawing Border or title block.
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Mounting Hole - used to define a single pin symbol used to represent a Mounting Hole in the corresponding PCB design.
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Net Label - is a single pin symbol used to represent a Net Label in the design. This will be placed on a connection to identify and highlight the Net Name.
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Page Link - for linking between pages of a schematic and as a jumper to the displayed page.
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Signal Reference - for representing a signal, such as Power and Ground, or as a reference in the design, such as a connection port/pointer or net reference.
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Star Point - used to join two or more related nets together at a single point in the design at the same time leaving them separate in the netlist.
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Testpoint - for indicating a point at which a net can/should be tested.
How to Use This Dialog
Current Library
The top part of the dialog allows you to choose which libraries to view. The drop-down list will include all the library files found in the folders you specify on the Folders page.
Any library files that are set on the Folders page as ‘Disabled’ will not appear in the drop-down list. The list
will only include ‘Enabled’ libraries, and the special entry
If the Vault is used, the drop-down list will additionally include Vault entries, Each Vault folder that contains schematics doc symbol items will be listed and the special entry [Vault Only] allows all schematics doc symbols from the Vault to be exclusively viewed.
Attributes
The Attributes button runs the attribute editor, which allows you to edit the attributes on all the symbols in a library or libraries at the same time.
Styles Tool
[Only on PCB and Schematic Symbols pages]. This launches the Manage Library Styles dialog which presents a spreadsheet style overview of the various type of styles used in the chosen symbols. These can be selected symbols in the current library or all symbols from enabled libraries. You can rename the styles (to something sensible) or merge them with other styles. You can also select a particular pin style to use for all schematic symbols and select a specific line style to use on each of a footprints’ layers. Any changes you make can then be applied to all the chosen symbols. You need to have a technology file selected for this option to be available.
New Library
To create a new library, press the New Library button. A standard File Browser dialog will be displayed. Enter the name of the new library file and press OK. If you have chosen to create your new library file in a folder which is not in the list of folders, an additional dialog is displayed which will ask you to choose whether or not this folder should be added to the folder list.
If you choose not to add a newly chosen folder to the list of folders, your new library will not appear in the list of ‘known’ libraries, and therefore any items added to that library will not be available either here in the Libraries dialog or when inserting new items into designs.
Report
The Report button opens up the Library Reports dialog from where you can produce different reports and lists of the selected symbol libraries.
Index
The Index button causes the library index to be rebuilt. The index is used for searching libraries without having to read the entire contents each time. This is done automatically for you and should only be used if you wish to update the attribute list within it; the index only stores a limited set of attributes so that it is fast for access.
Contents
The Contents area of the dialog shows the items contained in the library (or libraries) selected in Current Library, sorted into alphanumeric order by Library first and then contents within that library.
Centre Console Buttons
The buttons down the side of the Contents list provide the options needed to modify the library items. Most operations can be performed on one or more items. These buttons will be enabled or disabled depending on whether or not any of the items are selected.
| New | Create a new doc symbol. |
| Edit | Edit existing doc symbols |
| Delete | Delete a existing doc symbols |
| Rename | Rename a doc symbol |
| Copy | Copy doc symbols within or between libraries |
| Move | Move doc symbols within or between libraries (i.e. Copy, but Deleting the originals) |
| Import | Import doc symbols from libraries or designs. Simply Open the data file. Many different formats are supported. |
| Load Tech | Apply the selected technology to the selected symbols. Enables you to get a consistent set of styles. |
| To Symbol | Move a doc symbol to a normal schematic symbol. The Choose Library dialog is displayed from where you can select the symbol library to use. The name will used for th symbol will remain the same. |
| Refresh | Refreshes the list of sorted items |
Additionally, if you are using the Vault, the buttons described below will also be shown. Whether these buttons are available is dictated by the vault status of the selected item. For example, the Check Out button will only be enabled if the item is from the vault and not already checked out.
| Check In | Book a new or edited doc symbol into the vault |
| Check Out | Get an editable copy of a doc symbol from the vault |
| Copy Out | Get a read only copy of the doc symbol from the vault |
| Uncheck | Cancel that a doc symbol is checked out from the vault |
Symbol Content Filter
To help in locating the items you require, a Filter can be applied to select those items with names which match a wildcard pattern and/or a specified number of Pins.
Press the Filter Apply button to update the contents list.
Use the Clear button to clear the contents of the Filter.
Preview
The Preview section of the dialog optionally displays an image showing the item currently selected in the list. This preview will only be shown when a single item is selected in the list. The preview allows you to browse through the libraries without having to open each item to confirm its appearance.
Vault Information
If you are using the Vault and the item currently selected in the list is from the vault, its vault reference information will be shown below the preview window.
Vault Revision
The Vault Revision box will show which version of the vault item is currently displayed. By default, the
Symbol Types
Schematic Doc Symbols are used for various different purposes within a schematic design. To help you find the right symbol for each particular purpose, every doc symbol has a Type associated with it. This type is saved as part of the symbol when it is stored in the library. The types are listed at the top of the page.
Technology
When adding or editing symbols, the Technology file currently selected in this drop-down list will be used. This defines the styles that will be available.
Close Dialog On Edit
If this box is checked it will cause this dialog to close when you edit the item. If left unchecked, the dialog remains open allowing to to open other items, or to switch to other pages of the dialog to view or edit items of a different type.
Related Topics
Folders | Libraries dialog | Understanding Libraries | SCM Technology | Attribute Editor