Use Load Technology to bring designs into line with technology file changes, or to insert additional items into a design from a partial technology file.
Shortcuts
Default Keys: None
Default Menu: Setup
Command: Load Technology
Locating this option
Available from: Setup menu > Load Technology option
How to Use The Dialog
Load Technology allows you to selectively copy a range of technology information from a technology file into another design. It could be used for example to update a working design with some changes in pad style sizes that have been made to the original “master” technology file. Or it could be used to add a set of pad styles from a partial technology file created through the Save Technology dialog.
Technology File:
Choose the technology file from which the information should be copied. The list will contain all the technology files found in the folders specified in the Folders Dialog. The list can be enlarged to show more files, see Resizing the Dialog section at the bottom of this page for details.
Apply These Technology Elements:
The tree control in the middle of the dialog displays the available technology elements from the chosen file in a structured manner. The check boxes on each section allow you to selectively copy technology information from the chosen technology file. Clicking on a check box to the left of a section header will toggle between checking and unchecking all items within the section. If you select just some items in a section the header check box will show as a partial selection.
The Check All and Uncheck All buttons are provided as an aid in setting up the choices you need. Click on the plus and minus symbols to open and close branches of the tree. The tree can be enlarged to show more elements, see the Resizing the Dialog section below.
Resizing the Dialog
This dialog can be resized by dragging any of its edges or corners. The elements tree will be resized by the amount you have resized the dialog by, and the other controls will be stretched or moved to fit around it.
If you hold the Shift key down whilst resizing, the technology files list in the top half of the dialog will be resized, and the elements tree will only be horizontally altered.
Check Boxes
Use Design Settings: This only applies to any Styles sections being loaded.
Match displays the current matching mechanism being used and changes according to the settings:
If left unchecked, the styles will be matched by their names only.
If checked, styles in the technology file will be matched to styles in the design using the option chosen in the Matching Styles section of the
Replace Style Name if Values Match: With this check box selected, Pad Styles in the Technology File that match their detail other than the name, will change the name in the design technology instead of creating new styles. In other words if the name matches, then the design inherits the loaded style details from the Technology File.
Show Report on Load: With this check box selected, when the Load Technology option is run, the automatically generated report will be suppressed from view. However, it will still be created and saved.
Show Extra Details: Selecting this check box will add more specific details about the changes that will be made when the technology file is loaded. For example, CAM/Plot settings changes.
Add if not already in design: If left unchecked, only those technology elements already in the current design will be updated from the technology file. If this button is checked, any elements not already in the design will be added to the design.
Replace all Grids with Tech File Grids: with this check box selected, it will replace all the current Grids in the design with the ones in the selected Technology File. If you already have Grids selected in the selection tree and this new switch selected, the Grid in the tree is reload first, then overridden/replaced using the new Grids from the Tech file (because of this switch setting).
Replace all rules in design with selected rules: This only applies to any Rules sections being loaded, including Sub nets and Match Pair Level Spacings. If checked, all rules in the design of the type being loaded will be removed and replaced by the chosen rules from the technology file. If left unchecked, matching rules in the design will be updated and new rules in the technology file will be added depending on the Add if not already in design switch. NOTE: new rules may need to be repositioned above or below the existing rules to take effect.
Load
Press this button to load the information from the technology file into the design according to the settings on the dialog. No report will be given at this stage, so if you want to know what technology elements will be loaded press the Report button first.
Report
Press this button to view a report of the changes that would be made if you were to press Load. The report includes details on different values found and items not yet defined in the design. An extract from a report is shown below, in which you can see that a new track code would be added, and the Bias on the Top and Bottom Copper layers would be reversed.
A basic example report looks like this:
Load Technology Report
----------------------
Report Written : Wednesday, March 02, 2024
Design Path : \Files\Projects\Alarm.pcb
Design Title :
Created : 12/08/2023 13:10:30
Last Saved : 22/11/2023 11:12:16
Editing Time : 48 min
Comparing current design/library with technology
\Files\Technology\Fineline.ptf
Report shows which items would be added or updated.
Track Styles
------------
Add : Tr6
Width: 6.0
Net Names
---------
None.
Net Classes
-----------
None.
Layers
------
Difference : Top Copper
Type: Electrical, Class: Electrical, Side: Top, Bias: X, Net: <None>
Type: Electrical, Class: Electrical, Side: Top, Bias: Y, Net: <None>
Difference : Bottom Copper
Type: Electrical, Class: Electrical, Side: Bottom, Bias: Y, Net: <None>
Type: Electrical, Class: Electrical, Side: Bottom, Bias: X, Net: <None>
[More Rules Follow]
Note: A report will always be generated when a technology is loaded that will show any changes to existing styles in the design.
Cancel
Use the Cancel button to exit this option without performing the Technology reload.
Related Topics
Design Technologies | Folders Dialog | Save Technology | Technology | Grids