Bartels AutoEngineer® - User Manual 1.2 Operating the Bartels AutoEngineer

1.2.1 BAE Startup and BAE User Interface

BAE Startup

After successful installation with correct path setting the Bartels AutoEngineer can be started from any directory, but it is recommended to start BAE from the directory where the projects and/or the design files should be generated (this considerably simplifies job file access).

You can start the Bartels AutoEngineer from your projects directory by typing

> bae 

to the operating system prompt (for testing the software you can use the BAEJOBS directory created during the software installation).

Within Windows, the Bartels AutoEngineer can be started by selecting the bae.exe file using the Run function from the Program Manager Files menu. Windows- and X11/Motif-based operating systems also allow for application startup by clicking the icon of the corresponding program file. Startup icons also allow for the definition of the directory to be entered on default when starting the corresponding application, i.e., BAE can be configured to be started from the BAE jobs directory or from any user-specific BAE project directory. A reference of the BAE startup icon can be included with the operating system launchpad and/or Start menu to provide an even more convenient method of starting up the Bartels AutoEngineer. The default BAE setup links the .ddb file name extension to the BAE application in such a way that the Layout Editor automatically starts and loads the default project layout when double-clicking a .ddb file. Right-clicking the .ddb file activates a context menu which provides the choice of starting either the Layout Editor with the default layout or the Schematic Editor with the last modified SCM sheet. Please consult also your operating system manual for more details on how to configure applications for startup.

BAE User Interface with Pulldown Menus (Standard)

On default, the Windows and Motif versions of the Bartels AutoEngineer are configured with pull-down menus. This user interface is vertically organized and consists of the main menu bar on top, the graphic work area in the middle and an info line followed by the status and input line at the bottom. Function menus are activated in pull-down mode when selecting the corresponding main menu item. Under Windows, the Toolbar submenu from the View menu provides the Tree View Menu function for activating an Explorer-style tree view function menu which can be displayed either to the left or to the right of the graphic workarea.

After starting the BAE, the Bartels company logo and/or a copyright note is displayed in the graphic workarea and the status line displays the program version and/or the user names.

Figure 1-2: BAE Pulldown Menu User Interface

If the Please check your User Authorization! message appears, then check for correct software authorization (i.e., hardlock key and appropriate license file installation; see the Bartels AutoEngineer® Installation Guide for more details).

BAE Side Menu User Interface

The Bartels AutoEngineer can optionally be operated with a side menu user interface. The graphic display of the side menu user interface is divided into different areas as shown in the figure below. It consists of the graphic workarea, an input and/or status line below the graphic workarea and an info field and function menus on the right side.

Figure 1-3: BAE Side Menu User Interface

Under Windows and Motif, the BAE user interface can be selected and/or configured through the Setup dialog from the BAE main menu. Alternatively, the bsetup can be used to select the BAE user interface (see chapter 7.2 for more details).

If the BAE DOS version fails to load the graphic display, then check for correct BAE graphic device driver installation (see the Bartels AutoEngineer® Installation Guide for more details).

1.2.2 Function Selection

BAE Windows/Motif User Interface

The pull-down user interfaces of the BAE Windows/Motif versions provide a permanently displayed main menu bar at the top. Main menu selections usually activate a more particular pull-down function menu. A particular menu function is selected by moving the mouse to the corresponding menu item and pressing the left mouse button. The menu item strings usually contain underlined characters to denote hotkeys for fast activation of the corresponding menu and/or function. I.e., main menu items can also be activated and/or selected by pressing the denoted character together with the Alt key, and pull-down menu functions can be activated and/or selected by simply pressing the denoted hotkey. The middle mouse button provides instant access to the View menu, i.e., pressing the middle mouse button is possible at any time and from any other function and provides fast access to frequently required display functions such as zoom and pan, changing color setup, setting the input and/or display grid, etc. Pressing the middle mouse button will also cause a status line display of the current file and element name if no other menu function is currently active. The middle mouse button interaction can also be simulated by simultaneously holding down both the left and the right mouse button. I.e., it is possible to activate the online display menu even if only a two-button mouse is installed and/or configured. Any currently active menu function can be immediately aborted and/or canceled by pressing the escape key ESC (ASCII code 27; abort hotkey).

To call the Layout Editor function Add Part, activate the Parts function menu by selecting the main menu item Parts, then select the Add Part function from the Parts pull-down menu. The left mouse button provides fast access to the previously processed function, i.e., pressing the left mouse button re-activates the same function as was processed with the previous operation. The function currently assigned to the left mouse button is displayed in the BAE window title bar. Right-clicking the toolbar button H provides quick access to the 16 last called menu functions.

The Windows pull-down menus as well as the menu functions are context-sensitive, i.e., they are only selectable when currently applicable, otherwise they are faded-out ("ghost" menus). Menu separator lines are used throughout the Windows pull-down menu system to separate function groups.

The Windows and Motif versions provide context menus with element-specific functions which can be activated by right-clicking elements in the graphic workarea. The p (properties) key activates a dialog for displaying and/or modifying the properties of the element at the current mouse position.

For certain functions such as file name selection, the BAE Windows/Motif user interfaces provide Windows- and/or Motif-specific dialogs or popup menus instead of BAE standard popup menus. Scrollbars are displayed with BAE Windows and Motif workarea text popups to provide unrestricted access to the contents of lengthy listings and/or protocols.

The cursor/arrow keys can be used under Windows and Motif to scroll the BAE display by half of its dimension in the key-specific direction. The Page Up and Page Down keys scroll the display up or down by its full height. In combination with the Shift key, Page Up and Page Down scroll to the left and right, respectively. Scrolling is limited by the boundaries of the currently loaded element. The Home and End keys can be used to jump immediately to the upper or lower element boundary. In combination with the Shift key, Home and End scroll to the left and right element boundary, respectively.

Under Window and Motif, the mouse wheel can be used to move the current view port upwards or downwards by half its size. In combination with the Shift key, the mouse wheel moves the view port to the left or right, respectively. With the left mouse key pressed, the mouse wheel can be used to zoom in or out.

BAE Windows and Motif sessions can be finished using the standard Close function from the application window system menu or by clicking the Windows close button of the application window. To prevent from accidentally discarding design changes, these exit procedures might require user confirmation with an option for saving the currently processed element.

When ending a BAE Windows or Motif session, the dimensions and positions of the BAE application and dialog windows are automatically saved to a configuration file with the name baewin.dat or baexwin.dat in the BAE programs directory. The next BAE session automatically loads and restores the windows dimensions and positions from the configuration file. BAE HighEnd stores window positions not only with BAE module names but also with current session window numbers, thus allowing for multiple project windows of to be restored with the next BAE session. This is very useful when using BAE HighEnd with multi-monitor systems.

BAE Side Menu User Interface

The menu area on the right side of the BAE standard user interface is divided into a main menu and a standard function menu. Selections are allowed in both of these menus. The permanently displayed main menu is used for activating the more particular function menu displayed below the main menu. Each function of the same process can be reached with only one mouse interaction and each other function can be reached with a maximum of only two mouse interactions.

Within the menu fields of the BAE standard user interface the green menu cursor can be moved with the mouse. A particular menu function is selected by moving the mouse to that function and by pressing either the left or the right mouse button. To call the Add Part function the Layout Editor, simply activate the Parts function menu by selecting the Parts main menu item, then select the Add Part function from the Parts menu. Once the Add Part function is completed, it can be re-activated by simply pressing the left or right mouse button or you can select any other function from the still active Parts menu. If you e.g., want to change to the Add Trace function, just choose the Traces main menu item and select the Add Trace function from the Traces menu.

After selecting a particular function, either another menu is displayed or the user is prompted for keyboard input via the input line or graphic input via the graphic cursor is expected in the graphic workarea. Any messages displayed in the status line are displayed as long as they are relevant. Input prompts (e.g., for coordinate and/or length/width inputs) and error messages contain the name of the processed element if available. Graphic cursor inputs are accompanied by a status line message indicating the expected type of input. The color of the menu cursor changes to red to designate that the BAE system is waiting for some user input. The middle mouse button provides instant access to the View menu, i.e., pressing the middle mouse button is possible at any time and from any other function and provides fast access to frequently required display functions such as zoom and pan, changing color setups, setting the input and/or display grid, etc. Pressing the middle mouse button will also cause a status line display of the current file and element name if no other menu function is currently active. The middle mouse button interaction can also be simulated by simultaneously holding down both the left and the right mouse button. It is possible to activate the online display menu even if only a two-button mouse is installed and/or configured. Any currently active menu function can be immediately aborted and/or canceled by pressing the escape key ESC (ASCII code 27; abort hotkey).

A series of functions are implemented with popup menus, where the object to be processed can be selected by mouse-pick. These popup menus simplify the use of basic data and file management functions such as Load Element, Delete Element, File Contents, Load Colors, etc. With each popup menu, the input line is enabled for manual element name input via keyboard and special popup menu buttons such as Abort (for canceling the current function), Next (for scrolling down the popup menu selections list) or Back (for scrolling up the popup menu selection list) are usually provided.

The dialogs and/or popup menus for net list part and net name selections support ?prefix input for scrolling the list display to the specified name prefix. A name prefix specification such as ?r4 scrolls to the first name starting with ?r4 or, if no such name exists, to the next name thereafter. Part and net list scrolling positions specified through name prefices are saved for subsequent name queries.

The menu color settings of the BAE standard user interface can be changed with the bsetup utility program. Please note that suitable menu colors might achieve considerable ergonomic advantages such as better recognition of the currently active menu and/or function. See chapter 7.2 of this manual for a description of the bsetup utility program.

Customizing the BAE User Interface

Bartels User Language provides system functions for performing key programming and defining menu assignments and/or toolbars. It is possible to define key bindings such as key r for activating User Language program rotate. New or existing menus and/or menu entries can be (re-)configured to support special User Language program calls. These features provide a most powerful tool for configuring the menus of the AutoEngineer modules. It is a good idea to utilize the User Language startup programs for performing automatic key binding and menu setup. Even dynamic changes to the AutoEngineer user interface can be supported with special User Language programs for performing online key and menu programming. Note that due to these features your currently configured AutoEngineer user interface might provide special user-specific add-on functions which are not described in this documentation. See the Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide for a detailed description of the Bartels User Language and its implicit program call features.

Facilities for cascading submenu definitions are implemented for the BAE Windows and Motif pulldown user interfaces. Submenus can be attached to menu items. The uifsetup User Language program is designed to configure cascading menus for the BAE Windows/Motif modules. This allows for easy submenu function location (and activation) without having to activate (and probably cancel) submenus. The function repeat facility provided through the right mouse button also supports cascading menus. This simplifies repeated submenu function calls significantly.

A series of Windows/Motif dialogs are implemented such as display and general parameter settings in all BAE modules, SCM plot parameters settings, Autoplacement and copper fill parameter settings, Autorouter routing batch setup and routing options, strategy and control parameter settings and CAM Processor control plot, Gerber photoplot and drilling data output parameter settings. These dialogs can be activated through the bae_callmenu User Language function. The uifsetup User Language program is designed to provide menu functions for activating the dialogs in the BAE Windows/Motif modules.

BAE HighEnd Message System

A message system is integrated to BAE HighEnd to enable advanced communication between different AutoEngineer program modules. The BAE HighEnd Shell (i.e., the BAE HighEnd main menu) is used as message exchange switchboard. Hence the BAE Shell knows only about its own descendants, i.e., descendant BAE tasks must be started using appropriate BAE HighEnd functions (New Task from the BAE Shell, New SCM Window from the Utilities menus of the Schematic Editor or the Layout Editor or switch between different program modules of the current BAE session). With BAE HighEnd, several views of a project, e.g., overview and zoomed details can be displayed at the same time. The use of multitasking and pipes also enables simultaneous processing of schematics and layout. I.e., BAE HighEnd supports advanced cross-module features such as simultaneous and/or global net highlight for schematic plans and layout of the same design (project specific multi-windowing/multitasking, cross-probing).

1.2.3 Basic System Functions

Display Functions

The middle mouse button is used to call the View menu whilst performing a graphical manipulation like component placement or routing. This allows for the change of display options such as zoom scale, grids, colors, etc. without canceling the current operation. After the display choice has been made you will automatically return to the graphical manipulation that was in progress before the middle mouse button was pressed. I.e., the global placement of a part can be performed with the complete layout displayed, whilst the final placement of that still picked part can be accomplished in a more detailed zoom window.

Colors

The colors for displaying the design objects can be changed with the Change Colors function from the View menu. At overlaps of different elements the resulting mixed color is displayed. The highlight color is also mixed with the color of the element to be marked, thus resulting in a brighter display of that element. The Save Colors function from the View menu is used to saved the current color table definition to a system file (whichever appropriate for the current program module). Once a color table has been saved, it can be reloaded at any time using the Load Colors function from either the View menu. Special color tables (e.g., for library edit, for finding unroutes, etc.) can be defined and reloaded on request. The default color table to be loaded after the startup of a particular BAE program module is the one named standard.

Changing some item-specific color is accomplished by selecting the desired display item using the left mouse button and then selecting the desired color button from the Change Colors function. In the layout system, Change Colors provides a feature for fast display item fade-out/fade-in. Activating and/or deactivating some item-specific display is accomplished by selecting the desired display item entry with the right mouse button which works as a toggle between fade-out and fade-in. The system won't loose information on currently defined colors of faded-out display items; strike-through color buttons are used for notifying currently faded-out display items.

Input Grid

The floating point database used throughout Bartels AutoEngineer allows to specify arbitrary placement coordinates. Input grids and angles can be released and/or locked at any time from throigh the View menu which can be activated with the middle mouse button. Nevertheless, the choice of a suitable input grid has fundamental meaning for design processes such as Autorouting or manufacturing data generation. Placing parts in 1/10" or 1/20" grids with just exceptional deviation (e.g., for plugs) will considerably facilitate both manual routing as well as Autorouting. Trace corners at 45 degree angle steps are recommended for better manufacturing results unless deviation is indispensable.

The cursor/arrow keys can be used together with the Shift key to move the mouse/graphic cursor to the next input grid point in direction of the arrow key. Shift together with Enter selects the current input grid coordinate (as if a corner was selected with the left mouse key) and a subsequent Enter key input terminates the definition of a point list as if Done was selected through the right mouse key. This allows for on-grid traces or polygons to be created through the keyboard only.

Coordinates

BAE uses a conventional coordinate system which always references the current position of the origin. It can be useful to reposition the origin to make absolute coordinate references easier - even for one command. A special submenu can be activated with the right mouse button when manipulating objects in the graphic workarea (placing/moving elements, creating polygons, etc.). This submenu provides functions for specifying absolute or relative coordinate values. Jump Absolute accepts an absolute coordinate value referring to the origin of the currently loaded element. Jump Relative accepts a coordinate value relative to the previous input coordinate value (e.g., when drawing polygons). Floating point coordinates can be specified, where fractional parts of corresponding numeric values must follow the decimal point (.). Coordinate values are interpreted either in mm units or in inch units, depending on whichever default input units are defined with the USERUNITS setup parameter (see also chapter 7.2 of this manual for a description on how to define USERUNITS with the bsetup utility program). Non-default metric input is forced by attaching mm to the input value. Non-default imperial input is forced by attaching the double quote character " to the input value. Metric and imperial values can be mixed arbitrarily. Precision throughout the whole system is ensured with BAE's floating point database based on common internal system units. The system also support polar coordinate input through the Polar Coordinates button and subsequent radius and angle value prompts. Attaching an R to the angle value will force the system to interpret the value in Radians instead of (default) Degree units.

All numeric input fields of the BAE dialogs support simple arithmetic expressions with add, subtract, multiply and divide operators and round brackets. An equal sign at the end of the expression causes the system to calculate and display the result immediately in the input field. Otherwise, the expression is evaluated when the dialog box closes successfully. This allows for, e.g., a Jump relative to be carried out through a Jump absolute dialog with the relative coordinates added to the absolute coordinates using the + operator.

File Management

Most of the BAE functions require an element (e.g., SCM sheet, layout board, library symbol, etc.) to be loaded. A particular element is specified by element type, file name and element name. The element name is the unique name of the element in the selected design database (DDB) file. The process of loading an element is activated after specifying the element name. There are two methods for specifying file and element names. Either select the file and/or element name with popup menu and mouse-pick or perform direct keyboard input by typing in the name to the corresponding input line prompt. The file name of the currently loaded element is used if you select the Project popup menu button or if you type in an empty string (by pressing the return key ) to the file name prompt. DDB file name queries in the Schematic Editor and the layout system also accept ! input for selecting the SCM and/or the layout standard library defined through the BAE setup (see also chapter 7.2).

Please do not forget to save the currently loaded element before exiting from the program or loading or creating another element. The system activates a popup menu with options for discarding and/or saving changes to prevent from unintentionally discarding design changes in cases where an unsaved element is about to be unloaded.

When loading a BAE DDB file element, the element's modification time is retrieved. This modification time is checked against the current time when saving the element. User confirmation request is issued if the DDB file element appears to have been changed, thus providing advanced support and security for BAE network installations where different users might simultaneously modify the same DDB file element.

With the BAE standard user interface, an intelligent popup menu for optionally selecting directories is integrated to the file name query functions. This feature can be activated by selecting the Dir. button from the currently active file selection popup menu. The bsetup command PROJROOTDIR (see chapter 7.2) can be used to define the root of the directory tree to be displayed for directory name selection; on default the current directory (relative path name .) will be used. The background color for the directory selection popup menus can be defined using the POPMFILL option of the FRAMECOLOR bsetup command (see also chapter 7.2). Directories with subdirectories are displayed in hierarchically arranged graphic frames. Directories without subdirectories are displayed with their name only. Directories including files with extension .ddb (DDB files) are marked by appending a plus sign (+) to the end of the directory name. The Next button of the directory selection menus is used to scroll in the directory selection menu. The ...Zoom button can be used to switch to a more detailed display of the selected directory; the Parent button can be used to switch back to the directory survey. Selecting the Abort button will cancel the file name query. An error message such as No subdirectories found! is issued if there are no subdirectories available in the directory defined by PROJROOTDIR. After selecting a valid directory, the file name query is reactivated with the file names of the selected directory provided for selection.

With the Windows and Motif user interfaces of the BAE software, Windows- and/or Motif-specific popup menus for file name selection with directory navigation and listboxes for element name queries are automatically provided.

The file and element name queries provide default names (current project file name, selected library, current element name, etc.) if at all possible and/or appropriate. The Delete Element functions from the File menus can only be applied to DDB file elements which are not referenced by any other element from the same DDB file.

Automatic Design Data Backup

A feature for optionally performing automatic design data saving is implemented with the Schematic Editor, the Layout Editor and the Neural Router. This feature is controlled with the Autosave function from the Settings menus. The Autosave function requires a positive integer input designating the autosave time interval in minutes. On zero or dash (-) input the automatic save facility will be deactivated. With Autosave activated, the system automatically saves the currently processed element to a backup file at the specified time intervals. However, to prevent Autosave from overwriting backup files in situations where an element is only loaded for viewing/checking purposes, the backup is only performed if the currently loaded element was modified during the autosave interval. The name of the backup file is automatically derived from the current job file name and has the extension .bak. Autosaved elements can be restored using features such as the Save Element As function from the File menu or the copyddb utility program.

Automatic Parameter Backup

Important design and operational parameters such as autosave time interval, name of the currently loaded color table, input and display grid, angle and grid lock, coordinate display mode, standard placement angle and mirror mode, standard text size, library access paths, plot file names, standard trace widths, Mincon function class, airline display mode, placement matrix, copper fill parameters, etc. are automatically saved with the currently processed layout board and/or SCM sheet or with the processed library hierarchy level (part, padstack, pad, SCM symbol, etc.). When loading an element, the corresponding parameter set is automatically loaded as well, thus providing a convenient way of setting up a default design environment suitable for processing the selected database and/or design element.

Element Boundary, Workspace

At the creation of a new element the system will prompt for the element boundary. The element boundary corresponds with the workspace on a paper for manual drawing, i.e., the element boundary defines the overall size of the data element and must not be confused with the board outline or any other artwork drawing. It is utilized for preventing the system from creating or placing objects somewhere outside in hidden infinite regions, i.e., nothing can be drawn or placed outside the workspace (which otherwise would be possible because of the floating point coordinates supported by the system). The element boundary can be enlarged or reduced with the Upper/Right Border and Lower/Left Border functions from the Settings menu. Note that workspaces larger than necessary are worsening performance at screen redraw, zoom, pan and certain other functions. It is a good idea to shrink each element's workspace; element workspaces can easily be enlarged at any time lateron.

Group Functions

The Bartels AutoEngineer group functions allow powerful manipulation in both the Schematic Editor and the Layout Editor. The group functions are featuring set principles. Groups can be defined either by selecting individual items or by defining the area around the items that you want to select. Choice of item types and the ability to de-select with the same technique makes it easy to define a group. Group-selected elements are marked by highlight, and these are the only objects to be affected by subsequent group functions. Groups can be moved, copied, deleted or saved and loaded. When saved they are stored as an element of the same type as that from which the group was selected and can be accessed by the appropriate editor. When saved a group origin must be defined which becomes the origin of the new element and is used as the reference point for group load commands. Group facilities can be used for a variety of tasks such as replicating circuitry and/or tracking, saving and loading standard SCM blocks or PCB templates, stealing from existing and proven designs, etc.

Undo, Redo

With the Undo and Redo functions from the Edit menu, the Bartels AutoEngineer can be used without fear of causing damage. Previously executed commands can be reversed or undone using Undo and then reprocessed with Redo. This ensures data security and provides a powerful feature for validating different design options.

On default, the system supports twenty Undo steps. The Setup dialog from the BAE main menu provides options for increasing the number of supported Undo steps for the Schematic Editor and/or the Layout Editor to up to one hundred.

1.2.4 Graphic Input

Input to the BAE graphic workarea is performed with the graphic cursor and the mouse. The most important graphical interactions are pick and place. Pick means selecting an item which is already placed in the graphic workarea. Place means placing a new item to the graphic workarea. A pick function is often followed immediately by a place function, e.g., when moving a part.

The left mouse button is used both for selecting an element (pick) for further manipulations and for selecting the current graphic cursor position for place operations such as placing a selected part or defining the next corner point of the trace or polygon to be currently created. The right mouse button is used either for canceling pick operations or for activating a submenu with special options. This options submenu provides choices appropriate for the current graphic operation. These include important functions such as setting rotation angles and mirroring during placement, specifying direct coordinate input (Jump Relative, Jump Absolute) during placement or polygon point definition, performing layer changes or setting trace widths during manual routing, generating arcs whilst drawing lines or defining areas, defining text sizes whilst moving texts, finishing a manually routed trace or a polygon definition, etc.

Each area and line (or trace) in the Bartels AutoEngineer is defined as a polygon. The corresponding menus for the creation and manipulation of such items are Graphic in the Schematic Editor and Areas (or Traces) in the Layout Editor. BAE supports different polygon types such as graphic area, graphic line and dotted line in schematics or passive copper area, active copper area, keepout area, documentary area, documentary line, copper fill workarea and trace in the layout system. Each polygon can consist of an arbitrary number of polygon points and arc segments. An arc segment is created by defining the arc segment start point, then choose the requested orientation with submenu function Arc Left or Arc Right and select the arc center point, and finally define the arc segment end point. When finishing the polygon definition with the Done submenu function, the system distinguishes between area and line definitions, and the last polygon point is connected to the first point when creating an area. No area can contain intercrossing segments because otherwise basic operations like checking polygon intersection for clearances and short circuits, polygon filling features, area size changes, etc. would not be possible. The polygons created by the Bartels AutoEngineer are not just simple line drawings but intelligent arbitrary shaped polygons. The system is fully capable of applying complex operations on these polygons such as move, copy, enlarge, shrink the polygon, move, delete, insert polygon corner points and/or polygon segments, perform automatic copper fill and/or hatching, perform design rule checking, etc.

Redundant polygon points should be avoided because they might cause trouble, e.g., when generating certain CAM data. In this context, the definition of full circles in BAE is worthwhile to be mentioned here especially. A full circle is created by defining a point on the circle, then choose either Arc Left or Arc Right from the submenu and select the circle center point and finish the definition with the Done submenu function. Alternatively, the c key can be pressed to set the circle center point, and then a second point can be selected to set the circle radius.

1.2.5 Special Remarks

The preceding paragraphs explained the basic concepts of operating the BAE design system. Now you can become more familiar with the BAE system functions by working through the examples provided with this manual. You should also have a close look at the bsetup utility program and the AutoEngineer database concept before starting the design of real projects since the user-definable setup parameters and database conventions have most considerable inpact on the design process and the possibilities of manufacturing data output.

Waiting for the Completion of Complex Functions

Some of the more complex BAE functions such as loading or moving groups might require some CPU time. Within the Windows version of the BAE software the mouse cursor will change to a sand clock symbol to indicate that the system is waiting for the completion of some function. Within the BAE standard user interfaces the menu cursor changes its color (to red) to indicate that the system is currently busy. This is also true for operations where the system expects some user input in the graphic workarea or via keyboard input. After the completion of a particular function the menu bar color of the BAE standard user interface changes back (to green) to indicate that the user can activate another function. More time-consuming functions such as batch design rule check or connectivity generation will even report the percentage of completeness for better information. It is strongly recommended to wait for each BAE function to be successfully completed, because interrupting a function by e.g., resetting your computer might cause irreparable damage of design data.

Design Data Backup

Kindly note the importance of backing up your design data when working on real projects. Every now and then we are asked to restore damaged design data on faulty hard disks. A hard disk can suffer a genuine loss of data by headcrash or other hardware defects, and we are not able to help if not even a simple backup has been performed. A regular backup of your project (DDB) files is strongly recommended. You can also use the Autosave function from the Settings menu (see above) for activating the automatic design data backup feature.

Releasing Manufacturing Data

Before generating and releasing manufacturing data, you should always perform a complete design rule check using the Batch DRC function from the Utilities menu of the Layout Editor. Subsequently, the DRC result should be examined with the Report function. Never start the CAM data output if clearance violations or short circuits are indicated since otherwise you might produce useless PCBs in almost any case. Also ensure that the CAM process does not cause any troubles such as overdraw errors. Apply CAM View on generated Gerber data for visual checks. Furthermore it is recommended to perform extensive tests on prototypes before starting any mass production. You should be able to achieve good project and production results with the Bartels AutoEngineer if you follow these instructions.

Operating the Bartels AutoEngineer
© 1985-2024 Oliver Bartels F+E • Updated: 03 September 2010, 14:49 [UTC]