This mode is used to edit a breakout segment in a Footprint, either to finish off a new breakout being added, or to rework an existing breakout segment. This mode is only available in the Footprint Editor and not in the PCB Design itself.
Shortcuts
Default Keys: None
Default Menu: None
Command: Edit Segment
Mouse: Double Click on breakout segment
Locating this option
Available from: Context menu > Edit Segment option
How To Enter Edit Breakout Mode
Edit Breakout mode can be entered in a number of ways as follows:
- Use Insert Breakout to start a breakout. Pick a pad in a footprint, and you then are placed into Edit Breakout Mode.
- Select a single breakout segment and right click to use the Edit Segment command from the shortcut menu.
How To Edit A Breakout
Whilst in Edit Breakout Mode you are performing one of the following two actions, which will be referred to later:-
- Editing an existing segment - Trailing Dynamic segment(s) are drawn from the moving cursor position to the segments finish corner. i.e Back to the end of the original segment you were editing.
- Adding a new breakout - There is no finish corner, so no trailing item is drawn.
The general method of adding segments is as follows:-
- Move the cursor to position the dynamic segment attached to it. If two
segments are dynamic then concentrate on positioning the first of them, i.e
not the one attached to the cursor. The Status bar
will show details about the segments being moved.
If Online DRC is being used you will find that movement is restricted to stop the dynamic segments from getting too close to other obstacles in the design. - Left Click in space to add a corner and commit each segment in turn.
- Control Left Click to change layer whilst adding the corner. This will drop a via at the picked position.
- Right Click to use the shortcut menu to alter the breakout appearance, swap layers, alter the editing preferences, change the segment being edited, and cancel or finish the breakout.
- Press the Escape key to cancel the Edit Breakout Mode at any time.
- Left Double Click to finish the breakout at the picked position. There is an editing preference to allow any trailing dynamic segments to be completed on this action.
Edit Options
During the Edit process Right Click to use the shortcut menu:-
You may then select from a number of options:
Cancel Add Breakout
Or Cancel Edit Breakout if editing a segment. Use this to cancel the operation.
Finish Here
Use to finish the track at its current position. The dynamic segments are added to the design and if there are trailing dynamic segment(s), these too are added to the design as seen.
Change Layer
Use to change the current routing layer that the dynamic segments are on, or to change the complete breakout to a new layer. If some segments have already been added a Via will be introduced at the start of the dynamic segments, and at the end of the trailing segments (if needed). See the Change Layer help page for more details.
The default layer provided to change to will be the layer previous to the last layer change. This makes it easy to toggle between two electrical layers whilst laying down segments.
If Online DRC is being used, a warning will be given if the swapped tracks or inserted vias get too close to other items in the footprint. You will be able to choose to leave them in error or cancel the change layer to enable you to try again in a more appropriate position.
Another way to change layer is to use Control Left Click to add a corner and change layer at the same time.
A set of commands are also available to change the layer of the track directly to an electrical layer. Use Change To Layer 1 to change to the top electrical layer, Change To Layer 2 to change to the next electrical layer and so on. If you want to use these commands regularly, you can associate them with shortcut keys using customise. For example you could assign layers 1 to 10 to keys 1 to 10, and layers 11 to 20 to keys shift + 1 to shift + 10.
Change Style
Use to change the current width of the dynamic segments, or to change the complete breakout to a new width. This enables you to ‘neck’ paths to fit through small gaps and to ‘fatten’ again at the end of these gaps. See the Change Style help page for more details.
If Online DRC is being used, a warning will be given if the changed segments get too close to other items in the design. You will be able to choose to leave them in error or cancel the change style.
Mark Net
Use to highlight the whole net that you are editing in the Marked Net colour. This option is a toggle, and so using it again will remove the highlighting.
Change Default Via Style
Use this to set up the Pad Style to be used for the next Via to be automatically inserted by a layer change. It takes its initial value from the Via Defaults page.
End On
This sub-menu is available when adding new breakouts. It allows you to end the moving segment at the cursor position on a Via or Testpoint Via. This is normally used to add breakouts for stub tracks from pads on SMD devices to vias in order to take signals down to a power plane. See the End On help page for more details.
Follow Construction Lines
If you have added some construction lines and circles to accurately represent a critical path for the breakout, use Follow Construction Lines from the shortcut menu to add the breakout along this path.
The breakout will snap to the nearest construction line (if it can) and you will enter the Follow Construction Lines mode. A special cursor will be shown and wherever you move the cursor the breakout will follow along the construction line.
There are two ways of following construction lines and you can switch between them using the Auto Switch Construction Lines option from the context menu. With Auto Switch enabled, when you reach an intersection between two construction lines it will follow the line exiting the intersection that is closest to the moving cursor. This way you can use the construction lines to fully or partially define the breakout to be added by quickly tracing around the available construction lines with the mouse.
If there are a lot of intersecting construction lines and circles it can be hard to follow a line through them all by keeping the cursor straight and avoiding switching to other lines. In this case it is easier to disable Auto Switch and follow a single line until you left click on another line that intersects it to switch to it. the breakout will have segments added through the intersection point and up to the point you have picked on the new line.
Use the backspace key to remove the last segment added by moving the cursor back to the intersection point at the end of the previous segment.
Whilst in this mode you can change width and layer.
Use single left click on the current line being followed to stop following construction lines and allow you to move away and add corners individually to complete the breakout, or use Finish Here to finish the breakout on the construction line currently being followed.
Editing Options
Presents a sub-menu containing alternative breakout characteristics and editing preferences:
(The list below is shown as a brief overview to the functionality, a full description can be found on the relevant page):
Auto Corner - Allows you to automatically insert corners by moving the cursor perpendicular to the current breakout direction. This will then add a corner and allow you to continue routing without clicking the left mouse button.
Orthogonal Mitre - When adding corners (manually or automatically) you can set this option so that the Mitres or Fillets are always added to any 90 degree corners.
Curved Mitre - Only available when Orthogonal Mitre is enabled. Use this to choose between using angled mitres or curved fillets.
Apply Segment Mode To Tail - Only available if editing an existing segment, so that you have a trailing dynamic segment. Use so that when you do Finish Here, you do not end up with angled segments.
Remove Loops - Breakout loops may not be required in the design, this gives you the option to automatically remove loops that are accidentally introduced during edit breakout.
Change Segments
Presents a sub-menu containing alternative segment preferences:-
(The list below is shown as a brief overview to the functionality, a full description can be found on the relevant page):
Segment Mode - Use to change the Segment Mode using another shortcut menu. Choose between adding orthogonal, angled, curved or free angle segments.
Edit Segment - Use this sub-menu to change which segment you are editing.
Flip Dynamic Segments - When using a segment mode showing two dynamic segments, use this option to swap the type of the two segments over. For example, from XY mode to YX.
Delete Segment - Use to remove the segment previous to the one you are currently editing. This way you can ‘un-stitch’ the previous segments you have added in order to add them again in different positions.
Reverse Edit Direction - Only available if you are editing an existing segment. Use it to change the direction you are editing by reversing the breakout path. So the breakout start becomes the breakout end and vice-versa.
Online DRC
Switches the online design rules checking on and off. The amount of checking performed is set up in the Online DRC Options dialog. Use Continuous checking to stop the breakout from getting too close to obstacles whilst moving it, or use the On Drop mode to check the breakout out when it has been completed. See the Online DRC help page for more details.
Display Clearances
Switches the visible DRC clearances on and off. Use this to see when you are getting close to obstacles whilst adding the breakout. See the Display Clearances help page for more details.
Change Grid
This sub-menu allows you to choose which grid you wish to force the segments on whilst adding them, if any. It also allows you to change the grid step and whether the grids are visible or not. See the Change Grid help page for more details.
Other Edit Features
Here are some other features that effect adding breakout segments.
Display Options
In the Display Options you can set the current layer you are adding items on to always be on top. This way all obstacles to the breakout on the current layer will be visible.
You can also dim the other layers which makes it easier to concentrate only on those obstacles on the current breakout layer.
Related Topics
Auto Corner | Orthogonal Mitre | Breakouts Overview | Change Layer | Change Track Style | Display Clearances | End On | Grids | Insert Breakout | Online DRC | Remove Loops | Segment mode | Status bar | Technology | Properties