DxDatabook and simulation parameters

[Carl_at_xrite]

Afternoon all,
I have 5 years worth of databasesand componbents that were never setup for simulation as we never had it.
Now of course we do have the analog simulation portion.
I would like to be able to pass parameters such as model types to the schematic symbols using my current symbols and the same databases with a few fields added.

Does anybody know what parameters can I pass via databook and which ones need to be symbol oriented?

There is no real reference as to how to setup DxDatabook or the symbols for this type of configuration and I rewally want to have our corporate library be the standard.

Thanks in advance

[Tom Frayda]

You can annotate any database field to your schematic symbol through DxDatabook by creating a Database Configuration File (DBC) that includes the field you want. Since you're already using DxDatabook, you probably already have one.

Point at the DxDatabook window and RMB=>Configure=>Edit Configuration (or if running it from the older version off of the Tools menu, within the DxDatabook window click Configure=>Libraries). Either one should show you the annotationsion that are set up in your DBC. See attached.

Attribute name is the database field. Checking Annotate will load it into the symbol.

From there, you may need to modify the PCB Configuration File that generates the netlist if you need to pass this attribute with the netlist from the schematic.

For further reference, open DxDatabook from the DxDesigner=>Tools menu, go into DxDatabook=>Help=>DxDatabook Help Topics and search on DBC.

HTH


Tom

[Carl_at_xrite]

Tom,
Thanks for trying to answer my question , maybe I was unclear as to the question.

Apparently there are attributes used by DxAnalog which have to be incorporated purely at the symbol level and they cannot be added via DxDatabook if they are they will get ignored.

My question is more or less what attributes are allowed to be populated via databook for simulation and whihc attributes need to be symbol resident.
Thanks,

[Tom Frayda]

Ah well, took a shot. I'm still surprised that the analog attributes have to be symbol resident and can't be added through databook.

I've no experience with DxAnalog. How do you get from the schematic into the analog simulation? Does it read a netlist or go directly from the schematic? Just curious.

[Carl_at_xrite]

Tom,
This whole Dxanalog thing is relatively new to me also.
I haven't yet had the formal training is creating a non-simulation schematic and turning it into a Dxanalog compatible one.
I can tell my project it is a new analog project map in the simulation libraries and go.
Dxanalog is a proprietary format compared to spice but as with any spice simulation it is netlist driven.
You could actually just read in a spice netlist and run a simulation without a schematic in the editor.

I finally got some confirmation from Mentor in regards to this attribute question and the prognosis is this.
I have on heck of alot of symbols to modify.
Model prefix has to be symbol resident not databook driven
Model order (value model etc.) likewise
pinorder- (matches simulation pin order) same deal

those 3 attibutes x a few hundred symbols adds up to quite few hours.
Thanks anyway.

[Lameris]

I would love to see a presentation of DxAnalog (and how it fails to work with DxDatabook) at the Mentor User2User conference.

Nothing like sitting product line managers in with users to get the product corrected!

Gary Lameris


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