Welcome to the Bartels Group of Companies |
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Bartels AutoEngineer® |
| 1 | General |
| 1.1 | Installation |
| 1.2 | User Interface and General Functions |
| 1.3 | Symbol and Part Libraries |
| 2 | Schematic Editor |
| 2.1 | General |
| 2.2 | Symbols, Labels |
| 2.3 | Connections |
| 2.4 | Graphics |
| 2.5 | Text, Attributes |
| 2.6 | Group Functions |
| 2.7 | Plot Output |
| 2.8 | Hierarchical Circuit Design |
| 3 | Packager |
| 3.1 | Test Point Generation |
| 4 | Layout Editor |
| 4.1 | General |
| 4.2 | Display, Design Rule Check |
| 4.3 | Parts, Placement |
| 4.4 | Traces, Routing |
| 4.5 | Graphic, Copper Areas |
| 4.6 | Text, Drill |
| 4.7 | Group Functions |
| 4.8 | Automatic Copper Fill |
| 5 | Autorouter |
| 5.1 | Autorouter Algorithms |
| 6 | CAM Processor |
| 6.1 | General |
| 6.2 | Control Plot |
| 6.3 | Gerber Photo Plot |
| 7 | CAM View |
| 7.1 | General |
| 7.2 | Data Import |
| 8 | Utilities |
| 8.1 | BSETUP |
| 8.2 | LOGLIB |
| 9 | Bartels User Language |
| 9.1 | General |
| 9.2 | User Language Interpreter |
| 9.3 | Index Variable Types |
| 9.4 | System Functions |
| 9.5 | BAE User Language Programs |
The
Bartels AutoEngineer® Installation Guide (file
inst_en.htm from the
baedoc directory of the BAE-CD-ROM) provides detailed
Bartels AutoEngineer installation instructions for all supported hardware and software platforms.
The
bae.ini file has been changed to allow for the configuration of parameter lists. Previously, this could only be done in
User Language source code files, which meant that these had to be edited and/or recompiled with every BAE update. With parameter lists configured in
bae.ini it is not necessary anymore to edit and/or recompile any such settings such as SCM plan header attributes, part list output attribute lists, fixed tool tables for drilling data output, etc.
The option has been added to the parameter in the dialog of the BAE main menu, and the option has been renamed to . activates the BAE pulldown menu interface with context menus assigned to the left mouse button and function repeat assigned to the right mouse button. activates the BAE pulldown menu interface with context menus assigned to the right mouse button and function repeat assigned to the left mouse button, a setup with which Windows users might be more familiar.
The input format of the
bsetup utility program has been extended accordingly. I.e., the
PULLDOWN_RMB_CONTEXT option has been added to the
WINMENUMODE command.
Shift/arrow key combinations can be used during interactive placement to move the placement object to the next grid position in arrow direction. The Enter key finishes the placement operation at the current position.
Pressing the Enter key whilst holding down the Shift key is equivalent to left mouse button clicks (as, e.g., applied for setting polygon corner points without exiting the polygon definition function). Pressing the Enter key whilst holding down the Ctrl key triggers a to the mouse position and moves the mouse cursor to the center of the window.
Design view window configurations with references to other than the current element are now being saved with the currently loaded element. The reference element and file names are displayed when reloading such design view windows; the referenced element needs to be loaded to update the design view window.
The function has been added to the menus of the BAE modules.
The function for adding menus and/or menu functions to the current user interface has been added to the menus of the BAE modules and a button for activating this feature has been added to the dialog which can be activated through shortcut key 5. can be used to make frequently used submenu functions more accessible and to integrate user-defined macros and User Language programs into the menu.
New buttons for saving and loading different favorite menu configurations have been added to the favorites menu definition dialog. This allows for the definition and/or activation of different favorite menus for different tasks such as library element definition, schematic capture or layout placement.
Automatic command repetition through right mouse button clicks has been deactivated for commands for which repeated calls don't have any effect or don't make sense such as or .
The Setup dialog from the BAE main menu has been changed to allow for the number of Undo steps to be set in between 20 and 100. Different Undo buffer sizes can be specified for the Schematic Editor and the layout system.
To prevent from irrecoverable loss of data due to unintentional use of file element access functions, the functions for deleting and copying elements and for saving elements and/or groups under different names have been changed to automatically create backup copies of the deleted and/or overwritten
.ddb file elements in a corresponding
.bak file.
BAE window configurations are now saved separately for each BAE module. I.e., different window positions and dimensions (possibly on different screens if using dual/multi-monitor systems) are restored when switching between and/or restarting different BAE modules such as the Schematic Editor and the Layout Editor.
The
for restricting the list of menu entries to a name pattern such as
dil* or
*16 has been added to the DDB element selection dialogs.
The source file selection dialog of the
function from the
submenu of the
Schematic Editor and
Layout Editor menu has been changed to allow for the selection of any (non-DDB) file names. I.e., it is now possible to copy DDB file elements from, e.g.,
.bak files without having to leave the BAE user interface.
A dialog with Windows standard features for selecting multiple entries has been provided for the element selection. This dialog also provides a button for the selection and/or deselection of elements through element name patterns.
The
TITLEMODE_STD entry for activating a project file name display (without file name extension and directory path) in the BAE title bar has been added to the
bae.ini file. This simplifies the selection of BAE sessions through the Windows task list/bar if multiple project files are open at the same time.
The name of the currently processed project file is now displayed in the title bar of the BAE sidemenu configurations.
The tag symbols
tag_net_netfill (for assigning layout copper fill parameters to SCM signals),
tag_netarea_* (for assigning net attributes to pin nets withing a net range area),
tag_netpin_* (for assigning net attributes to pin nets),
tag_net*_routdisable (for $routdis net attribute assignments),
tag_net*_testdisable (for $notest net attribute assignments),
tag_net*_viapadstack (for $viastk net attribute assignments), and
tag_net*_routlayers (for $layers net attribute assignments in BAE HighEnd) have been added to the
ROUTE symbol library.
SCM sheet templates (A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, letter and tabloid landscape and portrait formats) and the planhead SCM plan header symbol have been added to the STDSYM library.
The entry with the and options has been added to the dialog of the menu. activates a pick and corner point display with small circles being used to indicate pick and corner points. Indicators for text pick points, connection corner points and polygon corner points are displayed in the corresponding element color. Indicators for symbol origins and polygon arc center points are displayed using the currently selected color for origins. deactivates the pick and corner point display.
The entry with the options and has been added to the dialog from the menu. The default option does not allow for any objects to be placed outside the element boundaries. The new option allows for the placement of objects outside the element boundaries, in which case the element boundaries are automatically adjusted.
The
DEFBUSDISP_SCM (bus display mode),
DEFSYMNUM_SCM (symbol numbering mode),
DEFSYMTMM_SCM (symbol position mode) and
DEFSIGROUT_SCM (signal router setup) default parameter entries for new SCM sheets have been added to the
bae.ini file.
A new feature for automatically offsetting the plan origin and loading a frame graphic has been added to the function for creating new SCM sheets. For landscape formats, the plot rotation is automatically set to 90 degrees. Defaults for the origin offset, the SCM library and the frame graphic/group for standard sheet sizes can be configured through new
bae.ini entries.
New SCM plan frame groups have been added to the
STDSYM default/standard SCM library. These frame groups are using the
planhead header symbol with attribute definitions suitable for the
function. The
header group name is assigned to the SCM plan frame elements to allow for quick selection.
The enter/return key can now be used alternatively to the left mouse button to confirm and/or enter the current mouse position. When editing connections and/or graphic lines, the current input coordinate is added to the input point list and the connection and/or line input function is terminated.
New symbols (line, dashed line, area, and T for texts) for quick access to the
,
,
and
(standard or comment text) have been added to the
Schematic Editor toolbar.
The function with the , , , , and options has been added to the function from the menu. This allows for the placement of elements to be permanently fixed ("glued"). The positioning of glued elements cannot be changed, nor can glued elements be deleted. Only the re-positioning of name and attribute texts for glued parts with rotation-independent text visibility is allowed. Texts on glued symbols with rotation-dependent text visibility are automatically glued to prevent from unintentional editing.
The function from the BAE HighEnd menu has been changed to support cross-probing (project layout net highlight synchronization) for unnamed nets. With this feature, the function from the menu became redundant and was removed.
The and options for automatically appending and deleting part name suffices have been added to the function from the submenu of the menu.
The function from the submenu of the menu has been renamed to and new buttons for automated pin row placement have been added. Automatic pin placement has been extended to support not only numeric pin numbering but also pin naming based on alphanumeric index name patterns. The function has been extended accordingly.
A new button for optionally locking attribute value assignments has been added to the
dialog of the
function from the
submenu of the
menu. The
function still displays locked attributes but doesn't allow to change them anymore. Locked attribute value assignments can be used as an alternative to fixed attribute value assignments through the logical library
newattr command. Unlike fixed attributes, locked attribute values can be included with SCM displays and/or printouts.
New procedures for locking and/or unlocking attribute value assignements have been added to the function.
The system now automatically performs a when loading a schematic sheet to ensure that the project net name selection menu for the function is always up to date.
A column for displaying symbol attribute values has been added to the symbol list output of the function from the submenu of the menu.
The
$pageref system attribute has been added for SCM labels. On SCM sheet level, the
$pageref attribute value is automatically substituted with the list of the SCM sheet names on which the net is used.
The function has been changed to prompt for the layout part macro name for a default logical library definition if applied on a symbol without logical library definition. The layout part macro can be selected from a dialog which lists the layout part macros from the project file and the default layout library. The pins of the selected layout part macro are stored to the logical library definition for easier logical library definition editing.
The function automatically loads the first layout part macro from the logical library definition to the project-specific Layout Editor window if used in BAE HighEnd and if a project-specific Layout Editor window is active.
and buttons for switching to the previous or next symbol of the currently browsed library have been added to the symbol display dialog of the function from the submenu of the menu.
The
button for activating facilities for managing a repository of parts for subsequent placement has been added to the
function. The
has been changed to place a part from this symbol pool which best matches the previously placed part. Parts from the symbol pool are removed once they are placed. The symbol pool is saved with the DDB project file, i.e., it can be used throughout different
Schematic Editor sessions. The symbol pool also supports part definitions with different subsymbol types. E.g., are added to the symbol pool if two a selection of two
lm324 parts adds eight opamps and two power supply symbols to the symbol pool. With this feature, the
Schematic Editor automatically provides information about free and/or unused gates.
The for loading the documentation for the currently selected symbol database entry has been added to the lower selection level of the function.
The button for automatically loading a Layout Editor window for viewing the layout part definition for the currently selected SCM symbol has been added to the function in BAE HighEnd.
A significantly improved cost-based symbol routing algorithm for re-routing connections to moved symbols and/or groups has been implemented. The new entry from the dialog of the menu can be used to select the signal routing algorithm. is the default option for activating the more accurate (and more time-consuming) new signal routing algorithm. The option activates the less accurate, yet quicker signal routing algorithm. is intended for less powerful systems where the new signal router might cause delays when dealing with long distance symbol movements.
The system issues a warning message indicating the number of unrouted connections if it fails to re-route all connections,
The toolbar and context menu functions for copying symbols and/or attributes have been changed to include the transfer of symbol rules such text class masks or plot visibility.
The
DISPPLNAME_SCM parameter has been added to the
bae.ini configuration file for
BAE HighEnd. This parameter setting causes
BAE HighEnd to activate a layout part symbol display in a new
Layout Editor window for any
$plname attribute selection through the
button.
The function has been added to the submenu of the menu. is the default option, allowing for connections only to be created by adjoining connection end points. The option allows for connections to be created by placing pins onto each other (e.g., to connect pins in a series circuit, to place labels directly onto part pins, etc.) or by drawing connections segments over more than two pins (e.g., to connect pins in a parallel circuit). With the activation of the mode, the system issues a warning about the dangers of unintentionally connecting pins when switching display zoom factors whilst drawing connections. Changes to the setting are automatically applied to all SCM plans of the current project by loading and saving all project plans with the new connectivity.
A T-connection marker is now displayed at pins which are connected through 90-degree conection segments.
The bus tap functions for named busses have been changed to include the bus taps from all SCM sheets of the project rather than only the current sheet's bus taps in the bus tap selection menu.
Bus tap support has been added to the context function menus to be activated by left mouse button element clicks.
The group highlight, group re-routing and plot visibility control functions sometimes processed unselected bus taps. This problem has been fixed.
The option for selecting a (non-default) label macro for subsequent bus tap placements has been added to the dialog from the menu. The tag mode for bus tap labels transfers fixed attributes to the net connected to the bus tap.
The context menu available through right mouse button clicks during bus tap placement operations provides the function for changing the label macro of the currently placed bus tap.
The option for changing the label macros of all currently group-selected bus taps has been added to the function from the menu.
The and options have been added to the from the context menu available through right mouse button clicks during tag symbol pin placement operations.
can be used for net attribute assignments. Unlike , targets net symbol pins which allows for the assignment of attributes to unnamed nets.
can be used to assign net attributes to all nets with pins inside a specific net range area. Net range areas are defined by assigning a net range name to an area created with the function using the function from the submenu of the menu. Net range areas are drawn with dashed outlines and include the net range name display at the outline start point.
New tag symbols,
tag_netpin_* (tag symbols for assigning net attributes to pin nets) and
tag_netarea_* (tag symbols for assigning net attributes to pin nets withing a net range area), have been added to the
ROUTE symbol library.
A new tag symbol named tag_net_netfill for assigning copper fill parameters to SCM signals has been added to the ROUTE library. Copper fill parameters assigned through tag_net_netfill have priority over standard copper fill parameters, but are overridden by layout copper fill area parameter assignments.
The option has been added to the and context menu functions for creating and/or editing polygons and lines. activates coordinate input prompts until is selected. This allows for the keyboard input of a series of coordinate points without having to switch between mouse and keyboard.
The and functions for changing the edit direction or for switching the angle-locked segment have been added to the context menu for creating and editing areas and lines.
A redundant ) error was issued in special cases when drawing closed polygons consisting of one arc segment and a line segment at the end. This problem has been fixed.
A feature for automatically joining subsequent lines and polygons with identical end and start point coordinates has been added to the function from the submenu of the menu. Any DXF line width settings are now also converted accordingly.
The for loading project SCM sheets by clicking texts has been added to the submenu of the menu and to the text context menus. checks the words of the selected text for an existing project file SCM sheet name and loads the first matching SCM sheet. This allows for the definition of symbolic (hyper-)links between different SCM sheets or for the definition of a central SCM plan index sheet.
The function from the submenu of the menu has been changed to activate a submenu consisting of the existing/previous function and the new function for setting the text class mask for all currently group-selected symbols.
Assigning
$ as default attribute value for
$rpname attributes cuases the system to assign the symbol name to the
$rpname attribute when adding a symbol on the schematic sheet.
The
$pltfbname (File Base Name) and
$pltfbsname (File Base Short Name) system attributes for displaying the current element's project file name have been added.
$pltfbname displays the project file name without the
.ddb extension.
$pltfbsname displays the project file name without the
.ddb extension and without the directory path.
The and from the submenu of the menu have been added to support alternative text positioning for unmirrored and mirrored symbols.
The and , when activated through Ctrl-X and Ctrl-C keys, are now using the current mouse position as reference point for the clipboard data. This allows for parts of the schematic plan/element to be copied from one (e.g., right top) corner to another (e.g., left bottom) corner of the element without having to modify the element boundaries for this placement operation. and still use the plan origin as clipboard reference point if called from the menu.
SCM sheets are now saved without the part names of symbols which have previously been transfered to the clipboard using functions. This allows for the parts/symbols from the clipboard with their original part names to be pasted onto another sheet of the same project without causing any part name collisions.
The function for transferring name and attribute text placement modifications from a selectable symbol to all group-selected symbols with the same macro type has been added to the submenu of the menu. This function comes in handy if specific part name and attribute text positioning needs to be applied to a group of parts such as a series of block capacitors.
On SCM plan level, the and modes have been added to the option of the and functions from the submenu of the menu. allows for the selection of net groups through net name patterns for subsequent label macro replacement.
SCM sheet specific plot rotation parameter settings are now saved with each SCM sheet. This simplifies the setup of batches for plotting all and/or different landscape/portrait SCM sheets of a project.
The and options for loading either the hierarchy block symbol or the hierarchy block plan have been added to the context menu function for block plan symbols.
The function from the submenu of the menu has been replaced by the submenu with the and functions. is the existing function for loading hierarchy block plans. is a new function for automatically generating a symbol for the currently loaded hierarchical schematic block sheet. The block symbol pins are placed on the edge of the block symbol together with name texts according to the orientation of the module ports, and a block name text is placed in the center of the block symbol. Additionally, a logical library template definition for the block symbol is generated and loaded for editing.
The and functions for automatically generating net test points has been added to the menu. is used to specify the name of a logical library definition for automatically generated test points. The default setting for is an empty string which deactivates automatic test point generation. is used to specify a name prefix for automatically generated test points. The netlist "part" names for the test points are created by appending the net name (of named nets) or a dot and the part and pin name of the first net pin (for unnamed nets) to the test point name prefix. The parameters for generating test points are saved with the project, i.e., they don't have to be re-entered in subsequent Packager runs.
$notest net attribute assignments can be used to deactivate automatic test point generation for selected nets.
tag_net*_testdisable tag symbols for
$notest net attribute assignments have been added to the
ROUTE symbol library.
The entry with the options and has been added to the dialog from the menu. The default option does not allow for any objects to be placed outside the element boundaries. The new option allows for the placement of objects outside the element boundaries, in which case the element boundaries are automatically adjusted.
The function with the , , , , and options has been added to the function from the menu. This allows for the placement of elements to be permanently fixed ("glued"). The positioning of glued elements cannot be changed, nor can glued elements be deleted. Only name and attribute text re-positioning is allowed for glued parts. The Autorouter treats glued traces and vias like fixed traces and vias. This feature can be used to protect parts such as specifically placed connectors from unintentionally being moved with, e.g., group functions.
The button for selecting nets by clicking an element of the desired net has been added to the net name lists of the net name selection dialogs.
The
DEFTRCDISP_GED (trace edit display mode),
DEFVIACRNG_GED (via checking range),
DEFVIA_GED (default via padstack),
DEFBRDMODE_GED (automatic board outline generation) and
DEFBRDENL_GED (element border expansion for automatic board outline generation) default parameter entries for new layouts have been added to the
bae.ini file.
The enter/return key can now be used alternatively to the left mouse button to confirm and/or enter the current mouse position. When editing traces and/or creating documentary lines, the current input coordinate is added to the input point list and the trace and/or line input function is terminated.
The snap function assigned to the p key can now also be used if no other function is currently active, in which case the coordinates of the snapped element and/or element corner are displayed in a dialog for direct editing. This dialog also provides a rotation angle edit field for parts and texts and a text height edit field for texts.
The functions assigned to the p key have been changed to consider any element type restrictions configured through the toolbar mouse button.
The entry with the and options has been added to the dialog of the menu. activates a pick and corner point display with small circles being used to indicate pick and corner points. Indicators for text pick points and trace and and polygon corner points are displayed in the corresponding element color. Indicators for part origins and trace and polygon arc center points are displayed using the currently selected color for origins. deactivates the pick and corner point display.
The submenu from the menu has been renamed to and extended by the function for adjusting the origin of the currently loaded element to the internal system grid origin by moving the element inclusive of origin and element boundaries accordingly.
The function has been changed to display the documentary layer name (as defined in the BAE setup) instead of the documentary layer number when querying documentary layer elements. has been extended to allow for the querying of documentary lines and the board outline.
For parts and keepout areas, displays any maximum height definitions for the height DRC.
For part pins, displays logical part and pin names (SCM symbol and SCM symbol pin names).
The
TB_CPALROW_LAY entry for setting layout toolbar color palette buffers has been added to the
bae.ini file. The color palette buffers are named
1 through
4. The
s (Save) button can be used to save the current color palette to one of the four color palette buffers. The
d (Default) toolbar button is provided for loading the color table named
standard. The color setups are stored using the
toolbarn name patten, thus allowing for color configurations to be loaded to different BAE sessions.
TB_DLCOLn_LAY entries can be added to the
bae.ini file to add buttons for quick documentary layer selection to the toolbar of the layout system. Documentary layer selection buttons in the toolbar are complemented by symbols (line, area, "T" for text) for quick access to the
,
and
functions with automatic documentary input layer selection. The
bae.ini file shipped with the BAE software configures the first documentary layer (Insertion Plan, see entry TB_DLCOL1_LAY = DOCLAYER 1) for quick toolbar access.
A new feature for optionally specifying a part-specific distance to the PCB surface in addition to the part height has been added to the option from the function from the submenu of the menu, thus allowing for the modelling of part bodies with placement space underneath.
The option has been added to the function from the submenu of the menu. renames/renumbers all netlist parts with names matching a (non-numeric) prefix followed by a number. The new part names consist of the selected prefix and a part number with part (re-)numbering starting at 1 for each prefix.
New options for automatically generating SMD pads and.or padstacks with different mirror display dimensions and SMD/solder mask size offsets have been added to the
and
procedures of the
function from the
submenu of the
menu. The size offset and pad name extension parameters can be set through new entries in the
bae.ini file.
The , , and functions from the submenu of the menu have been moved to the new submenu which also supports a series of new features such as setting text sizes, placing insertion pick texts, assigning rules, etc.
and buttons for switching to the previous or next part of the currently browsed library have been added to the part display dialog of the function from the submenu of the menu.
The function for transferring the placement data of a selectable part to the currently placed part has been added to the context menu to be activated through the x key during part placement. This allows for the exact placement of parts onto sockets, cooling devices onto parts, etc.
The function from the submenu has been renamed to and provides new buttons for automatic pin matrix placement (e.g., for BGA footprint definitions) and for placing a parallel second pin row in reverse order (e.g., for DIL or SO footprint definitions).
The and function have been extended to support arbitrary alphanumeric pin name indexing in addition to numeric pin numbering.
sheet size has been added to the output format options of the function from the submenu of the menu. This allows for layout library documentation to be generated with BAE Light software.
The and options for optionally displaying a line from the original part attribute position to the new attribute position has been added to the context menu of the function for moving part attributes. This feature can be used for displaying part name lists/legends at the edge of the PCB with lines to the corresponding parts on the board.
The display of the function has been modified to use inverted circles for the pins of the selected swap gate. This feature ensures that the selected swap gate is highlighted even if it doesn't contain any swap pins.
During the application of the function from the menu, the implications for neighbouring trace segments are now displayed to allow for a more predictable result when using different modes.
The left mouse button operation mode has been extended to allow for trace segment movements as well as for trace corner movements.
New functions for increasing and reducing trace segment widths during manual routing have been assigned to the
b (increase width) and
B (reduce width) keys. The step value for these operations can be set through the
PATHENLARGE_GED parameter in the
bae.ini file. Using the width increase operation immediately after a width reduction, and vice versa, restores the trace's original width. A design rule check is activated for trace segment width reduction requests, and trace segment width reductions with the current step value are automatically carried out until the modification is free of DRC errors. This feature can be used together with the
mode to reduce a trace width temporarily to route through narrow pin channels ("necking").
The and options have been added to the function from the submenu of the menu. changes the trace widths for all group-selected traces. suppresses trace and/or trace segment width changes which would cause minimum distance design rule check violations. I.e., the option can be (repeatedely) used at the end of the design process to maximize trace widths.
The , and options for manipulating all group-selected traces have been added to the function from the submenu of the menu.
The function has been added to the functions from the submenu of the menu. continues the pattern defined by two selectable traces with identical numbers of corner points by creating traces with equidistant corner points. This allows not only for the automated creation of equidistant parallel trace bunches but also for the transfer of trace bunches onto a different grid.
Blind and buried vias for layer changes during manual routing were selected according to the source and destination layer numbers. This could cause the selection of vias with redundant pads for layer setups with nonlinear signal layer arrangements. A feature for considering the number of inside signal layers with pads has been added to the via selection facility to solve this problem.
The function for loading the padstack macro of a selectable via has been added to the menu and the via context menus.
The and functions from the have been changed to display the via during placement operations.
The function from the BAE HighEnd submenu has been changed to support cross-probing (project SCM net highlight synchronization) for unnamed nets.
The BAE HighEnd function (see submenu from the menu) has been changed to allow for layer comment assignments. For power layers without existing comment, the power layer net name and power plane net names (if any) are automatically assigned.
The
Export button for exporting the current layer stackup definition with all parameter settings to a text file has been added to the
dialog.
The option has been added to the and context menu functions for creating and/or editing polygons and lines. activates coordinate input prompts until is selected. This allows for the keyboard input of a series of coordinate points without having to switch between mouse and keyboard.
The functions from the submenu have been complemented by a procedure for recognizing and considering adjoining polygon start and end points of documentary lines as polygon corner points to allow for polygon corner manipulation functions such as corner rounding to be applied to such points.
The and functions for changing the edit direction or for switching the angle-locked segment have been added to the context menu for creating and editing areas and lines.
The button has been added to the expansion value input dialog of the function. ends the expansion value input and rounds the outter corners of the expanded polygon using the specified expansion value.
The , and options for manipulating all group-selected polygons have been added to the function.
A redundant ) error was issued in special cases when drawing closed polygons consisting of one arc segment and a line segment at the end. This problem has been fixed.
The
option has been added to the
and
functions of the
submenu under
. The group name
temporary is automatically assigned to keep out areas created with with
. This feature is useful if board areas need to be temporarily blocked (e.g., for autorouting procedures) and then released again (e.g., for automatic copper fill procedures).
The
DRELOFFSET_GED for assigning an graphic and text distance measure offset relative to the used text size has been added to the
bae.ini file. This is useful for displaying polygon measurement values beside and/or below the measurement line/indicator. The
DAUTOSEL_GED entry can be set for automatically group-selecting new distance measurement elements. This allows for
operations to be carried out on distance measurement elements immediately after their creation.
areas as created with the function are now displayed with a highlighted dotted/pointed outline instead of a simple dotted outline to distinct them from areas.
A feature for automatically joining subsequent lines and polygons with identical end and start point coordinates has been added to the function from the submenu of the menu.
The option for converting filled polygons into keepout areas on selectable BAE layers has been added.
The
DXFLAYASSL_LAY entry for setting default DXF to BAE import layer assignments has been added to the
bae.ini file.
New functions for increasing and reducing the text heights during the placement of texts have been assigned to the
b (enlarge) and
B (shrink) keys. The step value for these operations can be set through the
TEXTENLARGE_GED parameter in the
bae.ini file.
The
$pltfbname (File Base Name) and
$pltfbsname (File Base Short Name) system attributes for displaying the current element's project file name have been added.
$pltfbname displays the project file name without the
.ddb extension.
$pltfbsname displays the project file name without the
.ddb extension and without the directory path.
The function for editing drill hole parameters such as drill hole position, drill diameter and drill class has been added to the .
The and , when activated through Ctrl-X and Ctrl-C keys, are now using the current mouse position as reference point for the clipboard data. This allows for parts of the layout element to be copied from one (e.g., right top) corner to another (e.g., left bottom) corner of the element without having to modify the element boundaries for this placement operation. and still use the plan origin as clipboard reference point if called from the menu.
Some group functions could not be used when working on padstack level. This restriction has been removed.
New functions for increasing and reducing the group scaling factor during the placement of groups have been assigned to the
b (enlarge) and
B (shrink) keys. The step value for these operations can be set through the
GRPENLARGE_GED parameter in the
bae.ini file.
The function for transferring name and attribute text placement modifications from a selectable symbol to all group-selected symbols with the same macro type has been added to the submenu of the menu. This function comes in handy if specific part name and attribute text positioning needs to be applied to a group of parts such as a series of memory components.
A dialog for assigning area-specific copper fill parameters has been added to the option of the function from the submenu of the . These parameter assignments have priority over standard copper fill parameter settings and net-specific fill parameter assignments.
It is also possible to derive the fill area net from the part pin connectivity. This ensures that the pin connections to unnamed nets are persistent if automatically generated internal net names for unnamed nets change for any reason.
The function for setting copper fill area processing priorities has been added to the submenu of the menu. Fill area processing priorities are considered by the function and can be used to control the copper fill sequence for nested and/or intersecting fill areas.
The new
lay_pad_directconnect rule can be assigned to pads on padstack level to force direct copper fill connections without heat-traps for these pads, regardless of the current copper fill parameter settings.
The function for placing via patterns to unoccupied fill area positions has been added to the submenu of the menu. Vias placed with are assigned to the fill area net set with to force the system to connect these vias to the copper fill areas to be generated.
Support for net-specific via padstack definitions through
$viastk net attribute assignments has been added to the
Autorouter. This allows for the assignment of different via types to nets with different trace width specifications. The
tag_net*_viapadstack tag symbols for assigning
$viastk net attributes have been added to the
ROUTE library.
$routdis net attribute assignments can be used to permanently exclude specific nets from the autorouting process.
tag_net*_routdisable tag symbols for assigning
$routdis net attributes have been added to the
ROUTE library.
The
$layers net attribute can be used to assign net-specific routing layers (comma-separated signal layer numbers) for the autorouting process in
BAE HighEnd. The
tag_net*_routlayers tag symbols for assigning
$layers net attributes have been added to the
ROUTE library.
The column for assigning routing layers to nets with corresponding routing layer assignments has been added to the dialog. This allows for routing layers to be reserved for specific nets and/or net groups.
The and options for setting preferences for the placement of trace segments when routing around obstacles in gridless routing mode have been added to the grid selection menus. With these settings, trace segments are only placed gridless if no valid 1:2 or 1:4 grid position is available. In half-grid routing mode, the subgrid is in relation to the half-grid, i.e., the preferred subgrids are 1/4 or 1/8 of the routing grid, respectively. Shifting trace segments onto subgrids makes it easier to re-route them manually and reduces the possibility of minimum clearance violations potentially caused by rounding problems.
Due to numeric rounding problems, both the Rip-Up Router and the Optimizer sometimes became inefficient when coming close to gridlessly routed traces. The routing algorithms have been changed to avoid such problems, and gridless routing performance in the vicinity of gridlessly routed traces has been significantly increased.
Support for insertion data output, external command calls, User Language program calls, and automatic batch report output to log files has been added to the function.
The element origin can now be set as CAM origin by entering an exclamation mark to the
(!) origin symbol query. Previously, the lower left element boundary was used if no origin symbol was specified.
New entries for specifying default HPGL parameter settings have been added to the
bae.ini file.
The function has been changed to allow for CAM View input layer specifications for Gerber outputs to support fully-automated multi-layer plot procedures in CAM View.
Due to rounding errors in the procedures for Extended Gerber output with dynamically created Gerber aperture tables, some pads suited for flashed output were filled. This problem has been solved.
A dialog has been implemented for the function if called with set to . The D-Codes are listed pagewise with , and buttons for direct color assignments, the basic aperture shape and the number of flash and line drawn structures being displayed with each D-Code.
The function has been changed to support the import of drilling data files with different tool tables. Tool number conflicts in merged tool tables are resolved through automated tool number assignments. The function has been added to save merged drill tool tables in Sieb & Meier format.
A dialog for selecting valid import drill classes has been added to the function.
The
function has been changed to convert drill holes previously loaded with
into via padstacks with corresponding drill hole and all layer keepout areas definitions. These via padstack symbols are automatically named
(tool1),
(tool2), etc.
The with the and options has been added to the dialog from the menu. is the default setting for selecting and/or using the same destination layer for importing both line and flash structures of a specific Gerber input layer. allows for the selection of different layers for line and flash structures.
Support for finger-shaped
(OBLONG) apertures and simple aperture macros has been added to the Extended Gerber import functions.
The submenu with the and functions for automatically importing and/or exporting all project-specific Gerber and drilling data files previously generated with the CAM Processor function has been added to the CAM View menu. This simplifies CAM data control and CAM panelization procedures significantly.
The (default for purging all currently loaded CAM data) and (new feature for purging a single/selectable CAM data set) options have been added to the function.
The
PULLDOWN_RMB_CONTEXT option for activating Windows/Motif pulldown menus with context menu calls through the right mouse button has been added to the
WINMENUMODE command.
The
SCMMAXUNDO and
LAYMAXUNDO commands for setting the number of Undo steps in the
Schematic Editor and the layout system have been added. The number of Undo steps must be in the range 20 to 100. The default settings are
SCMMAXUNDO (20); and
LAYMAXUNDO (20);.
The new
autoclass loglib command can be used to activate a mode for automatically generating derived part definitions. The
autoclass=off; default setting causes
loglib to compile subsequent part definitions and/or assignments as they are. With
autoclass=on;,
loglib compiles not only the default part definition/assignment, but also generates footprint-specific sub-definitions for each layout part macro name contained in the
part command. Automatically generated sub-definitions are named using a
symbolname_footprintname name pattern with the symbol name automatically being used for symbol and class assignments.
The
autoclass=on; mode is useful in connection with the
$rlext attribute for controlling definition selections through footprint names. With
autoclass=on; it is not necessary to redefine part assignments with identical pin assignments.
The
autoclass mode command setting only affects subsequent definitions, thus allowing for sections with and without automatic definition derivation to be held in the same logical library definition file.
This section describes general changes to the User Language specification. See Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Chapter 2 for a detailed description of the User Language specification.
The internal User Language version has been changed. User Language programs compiled under earlier BAE versions won't execute in the User Language Interpreter environment of the new Bartels AutoEngineer version (error message ). This means that each User Language program compiled under earlier BAE Versions must be recompiled under the new BAE version to regain compatibility.
This section describes the news and changes introduced to the User Language Interpreter. See Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Chapter 3 for detailed information on how to operate the User Language Interpreter.
A new implicit program call facility for automatically activating the bae_new User Language program after creating a new DDB file element has been added to the User Language Interpreter.
A new implicit program call facility for automatically activating the scm_plc User Language program after placing a symbol has been added to the User Language Interpreter of the Schematic Editor.
This section lists the new and changed User Language index variable types. See Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Appendix B for a detailed description of all index variable types.
The
NAME attribute of the
C_FIGURE index variable type has been changed to support symbol part name pattern queries on SCM symbol level.
This section lists the new and changed User Language system functions. See Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Appendix C for a detailed description of all system functions.
The following User Language system functions have been implemented:
| IP | System Function | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| STD | bae_getmoduleid | Get BAE module id |
| bae_numstring | Create Numeric string | |
| bae_peekiact | BAE interaction queue query | |
| bae_setmoduleid | Set BAE module id | |
| convstring | Convert string | |
| syngetintpar | Get BNF/scanner integer parameter | |
| synsetintpar | Set BNF/scanner integer parameter | |
| CAP | cap_getglobnetref | Get global net name reference |
| SCM | scm_getintpar | Get SCM integer parameter |
| scm_pickbustap | Pick SCM bus tap with mouse | |
| scm_setintpar | Set SCM integer parameter | |
| LAY | lay_getsctextdest | Get scanned layout text line destination |
| GED | ged_getintpar | Get GED integer parameter |
| ged_setintpar | Set GED integer parameter | |
| CV | cv_getintpar | Get CAM View integer parameter |
| cv_setintpar | Set CAM View integer parameter |
The bae_swconfig function has been extended to allow for BAE version build number queries.
The behaviour of the perror function for displaying error messages has been slightly changed to invert the status line output for a short moment for improved error indication. In the User Language programs provided with the BAE software, perror was often used for standard status messages. This has been corrected, i.e., perror calls for standard (non-error) messaging have been replaced by bae_prtdialog calls. We recommend you review the usage of perror should you deploy your own User Language sources/programs.
The
quickinsert and
index table commands for the quick insertion of large numbers of records into a database table have been added to the
sqlcmd function. Unlike
insert,
quickinsert doesn't update any database field indices. The
index table command can be used after (multiple)
quickinsert calls to update all field indices of a database table. This is much faster than repeatedely using the
insert command which updates the table indices after each insertion. Data entered with
quickinsert is not included in any query results until a
index table takes place.
The ged_groupselect function has been extended by a mode for selecting and/or deselecting glued elements.
BAE installs
more than 200 pre-compiled
User Language programs to the
ulcprog.vdb file of the BAE programs directory. Additionally, the
User Language source files
(more than 5 Mbytes; some 175,000 lines) are installed to a special directory
(baeulc). See
Bartels User Language Programmer's Guide - Chapter 4 for a complete listing and short descriptions of the BAE User Language programs.
The User Language include files have been revised and extended by a series of new definitions and functions.
The following User Language programs have been implemented:
| IP | Program Name | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| STD | bae_new | New Element Action |
| larger | Increase Pick Element Size/Width | |
| done | Finish Input Interaction | |
| smaller | Reduce Pick Element Size/Width | |
| SCM | scm_plc | SCM Symbol Placement Action |
| snextsym | SCM Next Symbol Placement | |
| stxfin | TXF Schematic Data Input | |
| symmapdb | Create Symbol Mapping SQL Database | |
| GED | layedbat | Layout Library Batch Editor |
| ltxfin | TXF Layout Data Input | |
| CV | cvbatld | Load CAM Batch Output Files |
The User Language programs already delivered with the previous BAE Version have been completely revised and extended by many new features and functions. A series of significant improvements and enhancements have already been mentioned in the previous sections of these Release Notes.
| Bartels :: Bartels AutoEngineer :: BAE Documentation :: BAE V6.4 Release Notes |
Bartels AutoEngineer® - Version 6.4 - Release Notes
© 1985-2024 Oliver Bartels F+E • Updated: 22 October 2010, 20:02 [UTC]
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