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Re: gEDA-user: Slot naming improvement methods.



Steven Michalske wrote:
> Hey gang,
> 
> This is a proposal that seems to have gotten lost in a debate if gEDA  
> is the right toolkit for someone.
> 
> So here is a technical discussion on how we could IMPROVE gEDA.
> 
> The proposal, please comment on lapses of functionality, and one  
> sidedness as I use gEDA in  PCB and spice 'n friends workflows
> 
> 
> When adding a slotted or multi part component it should have an  
> attribute of an unique instantiation ID (UIID) that gets matched With  
> the other symbols of that device instance.
> 	- have a ui pop up with this is a slotted/multi part device,
> 		- have options to add to existing instance, add new, or save for  
> hierarchy compilation
> 		- have options for specific slot, next, undecided, or best slot
> 
> This works into deeper capabilities,  assisted slotting and multi  
> symbol verification.
> 
> To make slotting more robust to errors like U1a and U1b both having  
> slot 1,
> To make sure that multi symbol parts have all their symbols, such as a  
> microcontroller missing one of it's three sub symbols, it would warn  
> the designer
> 
> it should match each slotted device with it's UIID
> it should verify that each UIID is complete to it's devices rules.
> 	- i.e.  	a device of type X has the symbols of: one power symbol, one  
> foo symbol, and one foo+power symbol.
> 		- There can only be upto 4 foo slots


Not sure what foo means in this context but anyhow, the max number of 
slots for a library part should be kept high. Bus drivers, HV drivers 
and such can have dozens.


> 		- there can be only one of the 4 foo slots with power.


Sometimes there can be parts where supplies are split between two or 
more dies inside a package (multi-chip like). But this is very rare.


> 		- There must be one power connection


Some parts do not have a power connection at all. For example resistor 
arrays or diode arrays.


> 		- Spare slots should have a default connection scheme.
> 			slot pin 1,2,3 should be tied to GND of the power for this UIID,  
> pin 4 to VCC, pin 5 is NoConnect
> 		- etc...
> 	- Hate to say it, but sounds like a data base :-P
> 		- ok an additional file type,  *.msym  for meta symbol.
> 
> it should renumber a UIID to the same refdes.
> it should verify that a UIID is not over spent ( i.e. 5 slots on a 4  
> slot part )
> 
> it should list an under spent UIID
> 	- This would allow for post netlisting combinations.  example in a  
> design you have 16  sub modules that use 2 of 4 slots in a part,  half  
> of each share the same power nets,  we should assist the collecting of  
> the parts with the same power ground nets.
> 	- e.g. printout, or pop up a slot editor. with the following info.  
> refdes U1, U2, U3, and U4  have spare slots and share the same power  
> and ground
> 
> This would require the schematic to physical stage to have a slotting  
> tool that understood this.
> 	- this stage could output a slotting information report that PCB or  
> other layout tools (humans) could read.
> 		- PCB could then allow for back annotating slot changes with the  
> help of the report
> 
> we should drop the refdes+letter notation going forward.
> 	- The suffix should be generated not defined as part of the refdef
> 	- I don't want U1a to point to the first slot   then in U2a points to  
> slot 3,  unless you tie them together  two locations can conflict/ 
> confuse. e.g. a technician is debugging a part,  they have worked on  
> three stages, but each part calls it stage?/U1A well unfortunately  
> each section being differently laid out had U1A being different  
> slots.  making shortcuts that are often taken they measured the wrong  
> pins, because a b and c were pins 1 2 and 3 on U1  but 3 2 and 1 on U2.
> 

Just my 2 cents, but this should be defined in the library. For example, 
pins 1,2,3 of a particular opamp is always U?A, pins 5,6,7 is U?B and so on.

-- 
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/



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