Virtuoso Schematic Composer User Guide

Getting Started

Use the schematic editor to add the following objects.

■Instances

■Schematic pins

■Solder dots

■Notes for documentation

purposes Schematic for Group B

Use the symbol editor to draw symbols that you place in the schematic window.

Note: You can use multisheet schematics to partition a large design among several sheets (pages), which improves readability and produces better plot output.

Using the Symbol Editor

When a schematic design requires a symbol that does not have a corresponding symbol in a Cadence library, you can create your own symbol using the symbol editor. After you create the master symbol, you can add a copy of it (known as an instance) to your design using the schematic editor.

If you later change a master symbol, the schematic editor automatically applies the changes to all the existing instances of that symbol, as well as to any new instances you might add.

The only differences visually between the schematic editor and the symbol editor are the commands.

Virtuoso Schematic Composer User Guide

Getting Started

You use the symbol editor to add the following graphics.

■The basic shape, such as a polygon, circle, or rectangle

■Symbol pins

[@instanceName]

■Symbol labels

■A selection box around your symbol

Making Designs Editable

If you opened your schematic or symbol in read-only mode, you can change the mode to make it editable.

Choose Design – Make Editable.

This command toggles with Design – Make Read Only.

Note: Some libraries might have read-only file permissions, which you cannot override with this command.

Making Designs Read Only

To make a design open in read-only mode, do the following:

Choose Design – Make Read Only.

Virtuoso Schematic Composer User Guide

Getting Started

If you have made any changes to the current cellview but have not saved them, the

Change Edit Mode dialog box appears and prompts you to either save the changes or discard them.

Change Edit Mode

Yes saves your edits.

No discards your edits.

After you click on Yes or No, the mode becomes read only.

This command toggles with Design – Make Editable.

Saving Your Edits

You can use any of the following two methods to save a design.

To save a design, do the following:

Choose Design – Save.

To save a design to a different name, do the following:

1. Choose Design – Save As.

Virtuoso Schematic Composer User Guide

Getting Started

The Save As form appears.

Save As

2.Change the form fields to a filename of your choice.

3.Click OK.

Closing Editor Windows

To close an editor window, do the following:

Choose Window – Close.

If you edited the current cellview since the last time you saved your data, the Save Changes dialog box appears and prompts you to save the changes, discard them, or cancel the Close operation.

Save Changes