home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Tech Arsenal 1
/
Tech Arsenal (Arsenal Computer).ISO
/
tek-20
/
pctrac.zip
/
PCTRACE.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1990-08-16
|
68KB
|
1,426 lines
PCTRACE
Version 3.002
Users Manual
July 29, 1990
by
Douglas E. Ehlers
Copyright (C) 1989, 1990
2
Table of Contents
Notice of Copyright.......................................3
Introduction..............................................4
Installation..............................................5
System Requirements..................................5
Software Setup.......................................5
Input/Output Menu.........................................6
Board Definition Menu.....................................7
Chip Definition......................................8
Chip Placement.......................................9
Interactive Router.......................................13
Mouse use...........................................16
Autorouter...............................................16
Board Statistics.........................................18
Printer Menu.............................................18
Exiting the program......................................18
Brief Tutorial...........................................19
Advanced PCTRACE design..................................21
RPRINT Subprogram........................................23
Keyboard control summaries...............................24
Order Form...............................................25
3
Notice of Copyright
This program is protected by a copyright held by me and
filed with the United States Government. Although this program
is being distributed as Shareware, that does not make it free.
You are granted limited use of this program to test it out and
see if it will fulfill your needs. If you find that your needs
can be satisfied by this program and you decide to use it, you
are obligated to pay the 75 dollars to register your copy. You
are allowed and encouraged to give unaltered copies to your
friends to test. This same agreement applies to them. Business
organizations and education institutions must pay for this
software if it is in use.
Note: This program was originally marketed under the name
PCROUTE but for copywrite reasons has been named
PCTRACE.
4
Introduction
PCTRACE is a computer aided design program for printed
circuit boards. It contains board layout routines that should be
quite adequate for most purposes. It also contains a full
featured autorouter that averages around a 93% completion rate.
It also supports four of the more popular printers for its
output.
This program is, to my knowledge, the first of its type to
be released as shareware. Although it lacks several of the
features of similar products that are commercially available, it
also lacks a $1000 price tag.
Key features include:
1. Autorouting
2. Graphic interactive routing
3. Board layout functions
4. Flexible pinouts for devices
5. 2X and 1X output for use in making PC boards
6. Disk functions built into the software
7. Sophisticated component and connection
entry systems
8. General statistics
9. Up to 300 components and 1800 connections
10. Mouse support in the interactive router
11. Variable pad and trace sizes
12. Single and double sided boards
13. Manual placement of traces
14. The authors continued support
5
Installation
Contents of Archive/Disk:
PCTRACE .EXE - The main program
RPRINT .EXE - The graphic printer output program
PCTRACE .DOC - The documentation for PCTRACE.EXE
TEST .CDT - Brief tutorial example
EDGE .CDT - Advanced board in second example
DIP24V6 .DEF - 24 PIN DIP chip definition-vertical .6 wide
DIP20V3 .DEF - 20 PIN DIP chip definition-vertical .3 wide
DIP40V6 .DEF - 40 PIN DIP chip definition-vertical .6 wide
DIP40H6 .DEF - 40 PIN DIP chip definition-horiz. .6 wide
PAD .DEF - Definition of a single pad
2PAD50V .DEF - 2 PADS 0.5 inches apart-vertical
works well for 1/4 watt resistors
2PAD15V .DEF - 2 PADS 0.15 inches apart-vertical
2PAD10V .DEF - 2 PADS 0.10 inches apart-vertical
PRINTDOC.BAT - Prints the documentation stored on disk
System Requirements:
To run this program requires:
1. CGA, EGA or better graphics
2. 640k of memory with about 540k free
3. 1 floppy disk drive
4. One of the following printers:
a. IBM PC or compatible printer
b. EPSON LQ-2500 or compatible printer
c. Hewlett Packard Laserjet II or compatible
d. Adobe Postsciprt Compatible printer
e. HP Deskjet or Deskjet +
5. Hard-Disk (not essential but recommended)
6. Mouse (supported but not essential)
A fast processor and math coprocessor are also beneficial.
Software Setup:
If you are going to run this program from a floppy disk
system, simply copy all the files that came in the archive or on
the distribution disk onto an empty formatted floppy disk by
using the following command:
COPY A:*.* B:
Where A: contains the original PCTRACE disk and B: contains the
empty formatted floppy disk. All the files that came on the
diskette are required to run the program except the PCTRACE.DOC
file. The PCTRACE.DOC file may be deleted from the run disk.
If you will be using a hard disk to run the program, make a
directory in which to place the program. Use the following
6
commands to accomplish this:
1. cd \
2. md pctrace
3. cd pctrace
4. copy a:*.*
Where A: holds the original PCTRACE files.
For PCTRACE to run reliably, you must also have a line in
your config.sys file setting files=20. If you are running any
major applications program this command probably exists, but you
should check. To execute the program type PCTRACE from the DOS
prompt.
Input/Output Menu
1. Load Data:
This function is used to retrieve from disk the
necessary information to design a printed circuit board.
Select this function from the menu and when prompted, enter
the file name. No extension is used, the program will add
the .CDT extension for you. The drive and path should not
be used on the filename itself. There is a function that
will be discussed later to set the drive and path name.
After entering the filename, press Return. The program will
ask if this is the correct name, enter Y or N to answer. If
the file is not found you will have a chance to re-enter the
file name. You can also use the ESC key to jump back to the
main menu instead of entering the file name.
2. Save Data:
This function will save a complete description of the
design layout, component list, and connection list. It does
not save the information used for deleting traces in the
interactive router which will be discussed later. When
prompted, enter the filename. Again do not specify the file
extension, drive designation, or path name. PCTRACE will
ask after entering the file name if everything is correct,
enter a Y or N. If the file exists the program will ask if
you want to overwrite the file. If you say no, it will
prompt for a new file name. ESC also works to return you to
the I/O menu instead of entering the file name.
3 Write Autocad file:
This function will write a file that can in turn be
read into and edited with Autocad. The process is one way,
you can not read an autocad file back into PCTRACE. Call
this function from the I/O menu and give a name when
prompted. Here as usual, specify no path or file extension.
7
The extension .scr will be added to the file. Once the
program is done writing the file, you may run Autocad and
use the command "SCRIPT" from the "Command:" prompt.
Autocad will ask for the script file name. Specify the same
name (with path if needed) as the one you used in PCTRACE
and Autocad will read in the file. It may take awhile so be
patient. Autocad will display three layers: solder,
component, and silkscreen. You may edit them however you
like and save them as Autocad drawing files. Doing this
greatly increases the number of printers you can output to
as Autocad supports mega-hardware.
4. Erase Data:
This routine clears the memory of the program. It
erases the boards, component list, and connection list. The
program will ask if you are sure that you want to erase the
data in memory. Answer Y or N. The program will respond
with "Erasing..." and after a few seconds drop you back to
the I/O menu.
5. Disk Directory:
This function displays a directory of the current drive
and path. Use the space bar to view twenty file names at a
time. When no more files exist, the space bar will return
you to the I/O menu.
6. Change drive/path:
This function changes the current drive and or path.
The ESC key will back you out of the function without
changing the path. The function will display the current
drive and path and then prompt for a new one. Just enter
the new one and press Return. You will be returned to the
I/O menu.
Define/Edit Board Menu
1. Component Edit/Entry:
This function is used to enter components into the system.
Once you have entered this function you will placed in the
entry/editing environment. If no components have been entered
you will see only two possible commands, if there are components
in memory you will have the option to delete, copy and perform
other functions.
New Component Entry:
Hitting an "A" will allow you to enter new components. The
program will display the component number being entered and then
prompt for the name. The name is up to 15 characters long and
serves only to remind the designer of what the device is. ESC
can be used at this point to return you to the entry/editing
environment.
8
The next question is for the designation. This is the
unique name that you will give the component and use in the
future to refer to it. Typical names include IC1, R1, IC2, and
A1. The only reserved designation is for vias. (A via is a pad
with no device attatched to it. It is just to connect a trace
from one side of the board to the other) Designations that start
with "V" and then have a number after that, are not allowed in
the system. So V1 would not be accepted by VI1 would be. ESC
may be used to back up while entering the designation name to
reenter the component name.
Third the program will prompt for the definition file name.
This is the name of a file that tells the program how the pins on
the device being entered are situated. The program first shows a
list of possible definition file names at the lower right. At
the end of the list the program will prompt for a name. Do not
enter a file extension, the program will add it for you. If the
name of the file entered exists, it will read the file for you,
and display the chip definition for you to see if it is correct.
If you answer yes that it is the correct definition you will
continue to the next question. If the file did not exist you
will be asked if you wish to create the definition. If you
answer no, the program will re-prompt for the definition name
after showing you the possible files. Otherwise it makes a new
definition. ESC may be used to back up and reenter the component
designation.
Creating New Definition Files:
The program needs to know the exact pin layout of
any component placed on the board. This function
allows you to create these definitions. Upon entry you
will see a graphic screen with some information at the
bottom and a green square in the middle of the screen.
In the top left of the box is your cursor. You use the
cursor keys to move the cursor around to define pin
locations. The pins are entered in the order from 1 to
up to 70. Move the cursor to the position of the first
pin and hit return to place it. Then move to the
second position and hit return to place pin 2. You may
also remove pins in the reverse order you placed them
by positioning your cursor over the last pin entered
and hitting the backspace key. This key will only
delete the last entered pin. The information at the
bottom of the screen will tell you what pin you are
entering, as well as its relative location on the
screen. When you have placed 70 pins or are finished
with the component definition, hit ESC to finish. The
program will ask if you want to reedit. Answering yes
will clear the screen and you can start over. By
answering no you will receive the prompt asking if you
want to keep the definition or not. Answering yes will
save the definition for later use, no will give you the
list of existing definitions on the previous screen.
9
All components are moved to the upper left most corner
for saving. This is for internal reasons; you can
design the chip anywhere in the square. You will need
to make definition files for all your components. I
would suggest a meaningful system for naming them.
Maybe something like DIP16V and DIP16H for 16 pin Dual
Inline Package Vertical attitude and Horizontal
attitude respectively.
***Note: Most chip dimensions are available in data
books such as RCA cross reference manuals. Radio Shack
also puts device dimensions on the back of their
packages.
The fourth prompt is for the pad size for the device. A
small window will pop up and prompt for a pad size between 0.05
inches and 0.07 inches. All pads are circular. Enter the
corresponding number to the pad size you wish.
The next question the program will ask is if everything is
correct. Answering no will restart this process with re-
prompting for the name. Answering yes will get the next prompt.
The next prompt is if you wish to keep this device.
Answering no will skip the next prompt and ask if you wish to
enter another device. Answering yes gives you the next prompt.
This prompt asks if you wish to place the device now.
Entering no will allow you to delay this until later. All
devices must be placed somewhere on the board before they can be
connected. Placing a chip goes as follows:
Placing Chips:
When this graphic screen comes up you will see a
representation of the current circuit board with all
other placed components and ground planes shown. The
chip you are entering will be shown in the upper left
corner of the board. The arrow keys will move this
chip around on the board. By using a shift-arrow
combination the chip can be moved faster. Move the
chip to where you want it and press return. You cannot
overlap chips. The chip is now placed in this
location. If you change your mind you can press ESC to
exit without placing the chip. You will be prompted if
you are sure you want to abandon chip placement or not.
Yes will go to the next prompt, no will put you right
back where you were before hitting ESC.
The last prompt is if you wish to enter another chip or not.
Answering yes will put you back up at the name prompt to enter
another chip. No will put you back in the entry/editing
environment.
Editing Component Definitions:
Selecting E from the entry/editing environment will give you
the ability to change any part of each definition. Simply select
10
the letter of the item to change. For example, to change the
name, hit A after hitting E and you will be prompted for the new
name. Either enter the new name, or you can press ESC to leave
it unchanged. When you are done editing, press the key that
corresponds to exiting the edit.
If you are editing the placement of chips, the chip
definition file must be present in the working directory for the
placechip function to work. The only time this is a problem is
if the board you are editing is not your own, such that the chip
definition files have different names from your own.
Deleting Component Definitions:
This function allows you to delete a component. The
component that will be deleted is the one currently displayed on
the screen. Press D and you will be asked if you are sure if you
want to delete this component or not. Answer accordingly. All
connections that contained the deleted function will also be
deleted.
Copying Components:
This function will let you make copies of a chip definition
to speed the entry of chips. It will copy everything from the
displayed definition to a new definition except for the
designation from which it will take the alpha part and then
increment the numerical part to the next available part. It also
does not put the chip in the same location. You will be asked if
you wish to place the chip now or later.
Searching for a Component:
Sometimes finding the component you wish to edit or delete
can take some time on a large board. This function allows you to
search for components by the designation. When prompted enter
the designation, PCTRACE will change the case to upper for you.
If it exists the program will display that device's number. If
it doesn't exist, you will continue right where you were.
Incrementing and Decrementing the displayed Component:
Using + and - will change the displayed component. +
increments and - decrements. The display is circular in nature,
therefore hitting + at the last component will put you at the
first and hitting - at the first will put you at the last.
Exiting the Entry/Editing Environment:
Use the N key to end these functions and return to the board
definition menu.
2. Connection Edit/ Entry:
This system allows for entry and editing of all the
connections that need to be made between the components in the
system. The functions are very similar to the component
functions.
11
New Connection Entry:
Typing an "A" will allow you to enter new connections. The
program will display the connection number being entered and then
prompt for the name of the source designation. The name must
exist in memory as a component. ESC can be used at this point to
return you to the entry/editing environment.
The next question is for the source chip pin number. Enter
the number of the pin that you want the trace to connect to. ESC
will back you up to the previous prompt.
The program will now prompt for the name of the destination
designation. The name must exist in memory as a component. ESC
can be used at this point to return to the previous prompt.
The next question if for the destination chip pin number.
Enter the number of the pin that you want the other end of the
trace to connect to. ESC will back you up to the previous
prompt.
The program will now ask if this is a priority route or not.
By answering yes, this trace will be routed before all other non-
priority routes no matter how long it may be and what other
routes it may block. This might be used for making sure a memory
access bus is all done in copper instead of using jumpers for a
vital connection.
Next, the program will want to know the desired trace width.
Traces from 0.01 to 0.07 are supported. Select the number
corresponding to the size required. The following table will
tell you what size trace will go between two pads of some size
that are spaced on 0.1 inch centers.
Pad Size (inches)
Trace width 0.05 0.06 0.07
0.01 Yes Yes No
0.02 Yes No No
0.03 Yes No No
0.04 No No No
0.05 No No No
0.06 No No No
0.07 No No No
These tolerances can be overridden using the interactive router
which will be discussed later.
The next question the program will ask is if everything is
correct. Answering no will restart this process by reprompting
for the source designation. Answering yes will bring up the next
prompt.
The next prompt is if you wish to keep this connection.
Answering no will skip the next prompt and ask if you wish to
enter another connection. Answering yes gives you the next
prompt.
The last prompt asks if you wish to enter another
connection. Answering yes, will put you back up at the source
designation prompt to enter another connection. No will places
12
you back in the entry/editing environment.
Editing Connection Definitions:
Selecting E from the entry/editing environment will give you
the ability to change any part of each connection. Simply select
the letter of the item to change. For example, to change the
source designation, hit A after hitting E and you will be
prompted for the new designation. Either enter the new
designation, or press ESC to leave it unchanged. When you are
done editing, press the key that corresponds to exiting the edit.
Deleting Connection Definitions:
This function allows you to delete a connection. The
connection that will be deleted is the one currently displayed on
the screen. Press D and you will be asked if you are sure you
want to delete this connection. Answer accordingly.
Searching for a Connection:
Sometimes finding the connection you wish to edit or delete
can take some time on a large board. This function allows you to
search for connections by the designation. When prompted enter
the designation sought. PCTRACEwill change the case to upper for
you. PCTRACE then will search from the current connection to the
end. It looks at both the source and destination designations
for a match. If it finds the search string the program will
display that connection's information. If it doesn't exist, you
continue right where you were.
Incrementing and Decrementing the displayed Connection:
Using + and - will change the displayed connection. +
increments and - decrements. The display is circular in nature,
therefore hit + at the last connection will put you at the first
and hitting - at the first will put you at the last.
Exiting the Entry/Editing Environment:
Use the N key to end these functions and return to the board
definition menu.
3. Ground Plane: This function is used to set up a ground
plane. The program will display a picture of
the board. It will prompt for the width of
the ground plane on all four sides on both
the component side and solder side of the
board. Each digit entered corresponds to .05
actual inches. You may come back and change
the ground plane sizes at any time. ESC will
also back you out of the first prompt only
(top-solder side).
*** Please note that this function erases
any work done in the interactive router
(discussed later).
13
4. Define Board Size: This function is the first function
used. It defines the dimensions of the
board. The maximum board size supported
by PCTRACE is 11" X 8". When prompted
for numbers, you must enter the numbers
as multiples of 5. Each number
represents 0.05" of actual size. So an
entry of 100 would correspond to 5".
You may change board sizes at any time
during the design process by calling the
routine. If you make the board smaller,
the chips that were outside the new
border will have to be replaced. ESC
will back up to the previous prompt, or
jump out of the routine leaving the
board size unchanged.
5. Spider Web: This function is useful for checking to see if a
chip would be more logically placed somewhere
else. By using the + and - keys, you can toggle
through the chips. As each chip is selected, it
as well as all traces connected to it are
highlighted in red. Once a chip is highlighted,
you can select M to move the chip. After pressing
M, the arrow keys become active and the chip as
well as all its connections will be rubber banded
around the board. You can hit RETURN to place the
chip at the current location, or hit ESC to not
place the chip and put it back at its original
location. The ESC or E key will exit you from
this function.
*** Please note, if you move any chips, the work
done by the interactive router is erased.
Interactive Router
This board editing system allows you to interactively design
a board. It can be very useful for finding possible routes that
the autorouter was unable to find. Upon entry to this section
the program generates the borders and places the pads of all the
chips. It will also ask you to place all the chips that have not
been placed yet. If you intend to route the entire board this
way, place your chips and then leave them. Moving them around
after placing the chip will distort your board. PCTRACE has no
way of connecting traces up to a chips new location. The screen
will show all the chips with their designations centered amid
each components pins. This system has many keys that are active
while in this environment. An explanation of each follows.
14
S - switch sides: This function changes the side of the board
displayed. When you enter S, you will be
shown the other side of the board. The
program supports only 2 sides, solder and
component.
G - grab location: The key is only active at certain time. The
F1, F2, F4, F5, F6, and F7 function all use
this key.
E or ESC - end: Pressing E or ESC will exit you from the
interactive router.
Cursor Keys: The cursor keys move the solid block around on the
board. Each time you press the arrow key, the
cursor will move 1 space. Relative coordinates
are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Using
Shift-Arrow moves the cursor 10 spaces. If you
come to the edge of the screen but not the edge of
the board, the screen will shift the board over
for you.
Function Keys:
The function keys numbered F1-F8 do the majority of the work
in PCTRACE. They allow you to place vias, run traces, delete
traces, resize traces, and delete vias.
F1 - Set Source: By pressing F1, the bottom of the screen will
say to position the cursor over the pad you
wish to designate as the source and then
press G for grab. The bottom status line
will tell you exactly what chip and pin
number you have selected.
F2 - Set Dest.: This function works exactly as the F1
function but selects the destination pin.
F3 - Run Trace: Once you have defined a source and
destination, pressing F3 will attempt to
connect the two pins with a trace 0.01 inches
wide. If it is successful, you will see the
trace appear. If it cannot complete the
route it will notify you at the bottom. At
this point you might try placing a via and
routing from the source to it on one side and
from the via to the destination on the other.
F4 - Delete Trace: This function will delete any part of any
trace that you define. Pressing F4 enters the
delete selection mode. After pressing F4 the
screen will say to use G to grab the parts to
be deleted. As you press G on valid traces
15
the pieces will be highlighted. You can
change screens by moving the cursor off the
screen without losing the already selected
traces. Once you have selected all the
pieces you wish to delete, press F4 again and
you will be prompted to make sure you wish to
delete the selected traces. Answer Y to
finish the delete operation.
F5 - Add Via: This function key will add a via at the location
of the cursor when G is pressed. It will be V and
then the next available number. Use these for
multilevel routes or just extra pads needed. You
cannot place a via adjacent to an existing pad.
You can place one diagonally from one though. You
also may not place a via in the middle of a trace.
All vias are deleted by the autorouter when it is
invoked.
F6 - Del Via: This function deletes the via at the cursor
location when G is pressed if one exists there.
F7 - Resize trace: This function will resize a trace to any
valid trace size. Select F7 and the use G to
select the traces to resize. Once you have
selected the traces to resize press F7 and
you will be asked if you really wish to
resize the traces, answer Y if you do. Next
the program will prompt for the trace size. 1
corresponds to 0.01 up to 7 which corresponds
to 0.07 inches. Be careful not to overlap
other traces or pads with this function.
F8 - Check Route: This function will check to see if a selected
pair of pads can be connected. It will
report back as to whether the route can be
completed. This is useful for doing multi-
layer routes using vias. Checking for an
available route before laying the actual
trace will save a number of deletes if later
your path is blocked.
F9 - Manual Route: This function allows you to manually route
traces. Place the cursor on the starting pad
or trace and press F9. If the cursor is not
on a valid starting point, nothing will
happen. Now use the cursor control keys to
route your trace. Every time you move, your
trace is lengthened. When you are done, you
can either stop in and open space and press
F9 or you can stop on a trace or pad and hit
F9, the correct connecting piece will be
16
added to make the connection. Please note
that if you go over an existing trace,
PCTRACE will cut that trace in favor of the
new path. This works well for putting short
jumpers on the board. This is very useful
for routing traces that would normally block
other routes if they were not placed this
way. With the interactive router you can run
any size trace anywhere you wish. It is
possible to over-ride the autorouter and run
a 0.01 inch trace between two 0.07 pads. If
your board making process is accurate to 0.01
inches you can complete many low power traces
this way. The manual router is also used in
many advanced "tricks" for making specialized
boards.
Using a mouse in the interactive router:
The mouse allows you to do all the functions mentioned
previously except for the manual router. You must install the
mouse before running the PCTRACE program. When you enter the
interactive program you will see four arrows in the lower right
corner of the screen. By using the mouse, putting the cursor on
one of these arrows, and pressing the left button the screen will
be moved by half in that direction. The same thing was
accomplished by moving the cursor off the board using the arrow
keys.
Pressing the right button will pop up a menu along the
bottom of the screen. The menu corresponds to function keys F1-
F8. The exit command at the far right, exits the menu. By
placing the cursor anywhere on the command desired, you can
execute that command by pressing the right button. If the
command selected is F1, F2, F4, F5, F6, or F7, you will be using
the "Grab" method. The left button works the same as the G key
in these cases. Use it to highlight sections and locations on
the board to work with. When using the delete and resizing
functions (F4 and F7) you must press and release the left button
for each piece of trace.
Autorouting
Selecting this from the menu will enable you to connect all
or most of the connections you desire. The program will first
draw borders, place pads, and set up the ground planes. If a
component has not been placed, you will be asked to place it.
The program requires all chips to be placed before it can route.
There are four routing strategies that can be employed. You
select each strategy by hitting Y or N as the cursor moves to
each option. If you hit Y for single or double via routing you
will also be prompted for the maximum number of tries for each.
17
Just enter a number. Bigger numbers are better for bigger
boards, smaller number for small boards.
The PCTRACE system is totally re-entrant. The first
question you are asked is if you wish to clear all traces.
Answering yes clears anything currently on the board. No would
keep what was on the board such as work done by the interactive
router. You can hit ESC during any routing strategy to exit that
routine and the autorouter. The program will then show the list
of all unconnected routes still existing. If the router has not
completed one run-through and you have routed before, traces may
have been completed by the earlier route and still be reported as
unconnected. You can do a design check to see which routes in
you connection list have not been connected either by hand or by
autorouter by running the autorouter and not erasing the current
traces. Just select the double or single sided route system. It
will report any routes that are incomplete. Any route that was
completed before will be marked as complete and not reported.
The program will report whatever routes weren't done and the ones
it couldn't complete.
Single Sided Route: This function will attempt to place all the
routes on the solder side of the board. It
is the least efficient strategy but is great
for small projects where ease of making the
board itself is a priority. This function
cannot be used in conjunction with the next
three strategies.
Double Sided Route: This function will do its routing on two
sides of the board. It has a higher
completion percentage than the single sided
strategy.
Single Via Route: This function requires that the double sided
strategy be select first. This function is
used after the double sided strategy to try
to complete any uncompleted routes. It
places a via and tries to do the single route
with a trace on each side of the board. A
number such as 50 is good for maximum number
of tries.
Double Via Route: This function also requires double sided
routing be selected to work. It uses two
vias to attempt to complete the route. A
good maximum number of tries is 30 or so.
This function can take a great deal of time
so be patient.
18
Board Statistics
This function displays 5 statistics that may be of some interest.
Equivalent Integrated Circuit Count: This function is the
total number of pins
divided by 16.
Board Density: This is the amount of space total that each chip
has to occupy. It is calculated by taking the
area of the board and dividing by the Equivalent
IC count.
Total Trace Length: The function gives the total length of all
the traces on the board. The smaller the
number, the better the design.
Board size: The board dimensions in inches.
File name: This is the file name currently in memory.
Printer Menu
1. Print Component List: This function will generate a list of
all the components. It can be sorted by
name or designation.
2. Print Connections: This function will generate a list of
all the connections in memory. It can
be sorted by the source or destination
designation.
3. Print a Silkscreen Representation:
This function will generate a pseudo-silkscreen. It is
not the same scale as the actual board but it is useful for
remembering where components are to be placed. Select the
printer to be used and watch it go. The postscript driver,
however, does output a scaled silkscreen and will also
prompt for an output destination of file or printer.
Exiting the Program
Selecting 7 from the main menu will drop you from PCTRACE
back to DOS. If you have data in memory you will be asked if you
wish to save it. Answering Yes will prompt you for a file name.
Enter the file name as you would in the save data function in the
Input/Output menu. You can hit ESC to abort the save, but it
will not return you to the program. Answering N to the save
query, will drop you immediately to DOS.
19
Brief Tutorial
The following is intended as a method of getting up and
running with the program. It will give a general idea of how the
program works.
1. Begin by running PCTRACE. This information can be found
back in the section on setting up PCTRACE for your machine.
2. Once at the main menu, press 3 for define/edit board, and
then select 4 for define board dimensions. For our purposes
we will use a board size of 80 x 80, which translates into a
4 inch square board.
3. Select function 1 to enter new components. You will see
that no data has been entered yet. Press A to enter data.
We will put three chips on the board and two resistors.
Answer each prompt below with the following data. When
asked to place each chip answer Y and place the chip with
the cursor keys. After you have entered the last item,
answer N to the "Enter another component?" prompt.
Name: 8051 uP Designation: IC1
Definition file: DIP40V6 Placement: Left side of board
Pad Size: 0.05
Name: 74ls373 Designation: IC2
Definition file: DIP20V3 Placement: Upper right
Pad Size: 0.05
Name: 2716 Designation: IC3
Definition file: DIP24V6 Placement: Lower right
Pad Size: 0.05
Name: 100k resistor Designation: R1
Definition file: 2PAD50V Placement: Upper middle
Pad Size: 0.06
Name: 10k resistor Designation: R2
Definition file: 2PAD50V Placement: Lower middle
Pad Size: 0.07
N exits you to the board definition menu.
4. Next, we want to enter some connections to be made between
the chips. Select 2 from the menu to enter the connection
entry section. Enter the following connections. All traces
should be 0.02 inches wide. Answer N to each prompt of "Is
this a priority connection?". When you have entered the
last connection answer N to the "Enter another connection
prompt?".
20
Source Device Pin Desitination Device Pin
IC1 2 IC3 2
IC1 3 IC2 16
IC3 22 IC2 6
R1 1 IC2 4
R2 1 IC1 8
R2 2 IC3 6
R1 2 IC1 31
IC2 8 IC3 17
IC1 21 IC1 15
IC2 8 IC3 8
IC2 9 IC3 9
IC2 10 IC3 10
IC1 14 IC2 9
N returns you to the menu.
5. Ok, lets autoroute the board. Go back to the main menu and
select 4 to autoroute the board. When prompted to use
single sided routing or not, answer Y. Now hit the ESC key
and watch the machine route. When it is done is will
display the list of uncompleted connections to the printer
or screen. Select whichever you wish. We will now be
dropped back to the main menu. We can take a look at what
we have done by selecting number 5 from the menu. You can
cursor around and see a representation of the board on the
screen. Hit ESC when done.
Now lets re-route the board using double sided techniques.
This time say N to single sided and Y to double sided and
then hit ESC. The machine will route double sided and again
give a list of incomplete connections if any exist. Select
printer or screen for this list. Lets take a look at the
board again. This time we may also want to use the S key to
change sides of the board that we are viewing. When you are
done hit ESC.
6. From the main menu, hit 6 for statistics. Displayed are
five statistics that tell you how good your design is. Hit
space when you are done with this.
7. Last of all we'll print this baby out. Follow instuctions
in the section on the RPRINT Subprogram to do this.
21
Advanced PCTRACE Design
By using the interactive router before running the autorouter,
and using a few tricks, different board shapes, cutout areas, and
edge connectors can be created. The following is an example of
how to do this:
The objective here is to make a four inch square board with a 10
pin edge connector on one side. There also needs to be a one
inch square hole in the center of the board.
1. Define a board size of 5x5 inches.
2. Place a via at coordinates 0.15,0.15. A via must be placed
so that the manual router has somewhere to start.
3. With the cursor still at 0.15,0.15 press F9 (manual router)
to draw the outside edge.
a. Right arrow to 4.20,0.15
b. Down arrow 5 times
c. Right arrow 5 times
d. Down arrow 22 times
e. Left arrow 5 times
f. Down arrow 44 times (4.2,4.2)
g. Left arrow to 0.15,4.2
h. Up arrow to 0.15,0.15
4. Delete Via 1 at 0.15,0.15
5. Put the cursor at 0.15,0.2, press F9, go Up 1, Right 2, and
press F9 to close the path.
6. Move to 2.0,2.0 and place a via here.
7. Start the manual router at 2.0,2.0 go right 20, down 20,
left 20 and up 20. Delete the via and close the box as
before.
8. Move to 4.45,1.0, start the manual router and go left 6.
Press F9 again. Repeat this command at 4.45,1.1 , 4.45,1.2.
The last one goes at 4.45,1.9. There will be ten traces
when you are done.
9. Use the resize function (F7) to resize each of the
previously drawn traces (#8) to 0.05 inches in width.
10. Add vias at 4.15,1.0 , 4.15,1.1 down to 4.15,1.9. There
should now be 10 vias on the board.
11. Delete the traces at 4.45,.95 4.45,1.05 down to 4.45,1.95.
This is necessary as the autorouter will get stuck on the
outside loop that we created and never complete the route.
22
You must be careful not to allow the router to see a source
or destination network that is circular. It will cause the
router to hang the computer in an infinite loop.
12. Exit to the component entry screen and add a 40 pin DIP that
is horizontal (DIP40H6) to the top of the board. Make sure
that it is opposite the vias shown will placing the 40 pin
device. Also make sure that it is within the bounds of the
outside edge we drew.
13. Enter the following connections.
IC1-40 to V1-1
IC1-22 to V7-1
IC1-21 to V10-1
14. Run the autorouter but say no to clearing the traces. Use
single sided mode. When the autorouter has completed this
process, go back to the interactive router and notice that
all the traces went around the middle box. The router will
not cross that boxed area.
This system will allow you to get the general board shape
and edge connector dimensions correct. You will still have to
cut and file the edge connector to get it to fit nicely. When
doing double sided boards the same technique will work. You will
have to be careful that as you add vias, you bring the edge
connector trace out far enough to offset them so that you can get
individual pads for each side.
Instead of using edge connectors you could also define a
single pad definition and use numbers other than V1, V2, and so
forth. If you are designing a card for an IBM PC, use A1-A31 and
B1-B31. The pads would have to be placed first using the
component entry system and then go in with the interactive system
to put in the connections to the pads.
One method of marking the boundaries of the board so that
you can see where you are placing chips, relative to the board
edge and connector, might be to put a via at any corner so that
it will show up as a single pad in the placechip function. It
will also give you the general outline of the edge connector.
23
RPRINT.EXE Subprogram
Execute this program by typing RPRINT from the dos prompt.
Upon entry into this program you will be prompted for you printer
type. Enter the corresponding number. You will then be prompted
for the board name. Type the name with no extension. The main
control panel will now explode onto the screen. A math
coprocessor is particularly useful in this program.
1. File name: Selecting 1 will allow you to change the file to
be printed. Enter the filename with no extension.
2. Board side: This selects the board side to print. Selecting
this number will ask if you wish to change board
sides to print. Answer Y or N. Single sided
boards are done on the solder side.
3. Mirroring: This selection will allow you to mirror the board
left to right for whatever reason you might have.
4. Negative: This function will allow you to toggle between
printing a negative or a positive of the actual
board.
5. Actual size: Laser printers and 24 pin dot matrix printers
can output the images at actual size. If
your printer will not do this, this menu
choice will not exist. You can use this
selection to toggle between actual size and
double size printing.
6. Print Board: This selection starts the printing of the
board.
7. Exit program: This selection exit the RPRINT program back
to DOS.
Note: The postscript driver also has the ability to output to
a file. You will be prompted after pressing 6 as to
whether you wish to print to the printer or to a file.
If you select a file, the program will prompt for a
file name. Do not enter an extension. ".PST" will be
appended automatically to the filename. This allows
you to use someones (god forbid) MAC Laserwriter or a
high quality typesetter.
24
Keyboard Summaries
Chip Placement Screen:
ESC - Option to Abandon Placement
RET - Place chip at current location
Cursor Keys - Moves chip one space for each
depression
Shift Cursor Key - Moves chip 10 spaces for each
depression
Define Chip Definition:
ESC - Option to Abandon Definition
RET - Place pin at current location
Cursor Keys - Moves cursor one space for each stroke
BACKSPACE - Removes last placed pin
Spider Web System:
M* - Set system to move highlighted chip
Cursor keys - Move chip one space on board
RET - Place chip at current location
ESC - Abandon placement
+,-* - Increment and Decrement through chips
E* - Exit Web System
* - Denotes that this selection is displayed on screen.
Interactive Router:
S - Display other side of board
G - Grab a piece of trace at cursor
E,ESC - Exit interactive router
F1 - Select source pad
F2 - Select destination pad
F3 - Attempt to connect source and
destination
F4 - Delete traces
F5 - Place via at cursor location
F6 - Delete via at cursor location
F7 - Resize selected trace
F8 - See if route is possible between
source and destination pads
F9 - Enters and exits the manual router
25
Order Form
Please enclose this form when ordering.
Name: __________________________________________
Address1: __________________________________________
Address2: __________________________________________
City: _________________ State: _______ Zip:_________
Phone Number: (________) ________-______________
Serial number on opening screen of PCTRACE: _________________
Computer name: _____________________________________
Processor: 8086 8088 80186 80188 80286 80386 80386SX
Printer type: _____________________________________
Suggestions/comments/other information:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Please also enclose the $75 check or money order, (do not send
cash) made payable to:
Douglas E. Ehlers
4520 S. 58th
Lincoln, NE 68516
(402) 435-8440
