Help out a beginner with altium !

[ultrathom]

Hi everyone I just got a copy of Altium 10 and I need some help getting started designing a schematic.

1.

The first issue I came across is placing a 100nf capacitor. In the libraries I searched Misc.Devices. IntLib and could not find many capacitors at all. I see only 8. Am I supposed to use this as a template and edit the value manually ? I thought that defeats the purpose since every part is so specific. So I added this

http://techdocs.altium.com/display/ADOH/Download+Libraries

But now I have a large number of footprints from various manufacturers but not sure where to look for a capacitor ?

2.

I need to place a PLCC44 socket. I have the pinout for the IC that will populate. Should I put a footprint for the PLCC socket on the schematic ? Then assign the pins ? Whats the best way to go about that ?

3.

How do I define voltage and ground lines on the schematic ?

4.

How do I create a bus of 8 signals ?

Thanks all !!

[Spikee]

1.
For smd size components this library is nice:
http://www.siliconvalleygarage.com/downloads/altium-library.html
Normally you make a footprint and add the supplier data to the component. Than it takes all the parameters from farnell/mouser/digikey ...
2.
I would make a new footprint for the socket , and just name the nets in the schematic like they are on the IC , not in the *.SCHlib.
3.
Anything positive is mostly named VCC and then your voltage "VCC6V3" Digital ground is mostly named VSS
4.
Just use "place a bus"
http://techdocs.altium.com/display/ADRR/Sch_Obj-Bus((Bus))_AD

[ultrathom]

Ok, Thanks for that lib i found a 100nf Capacitor. Where can I find the PLCC44 socket ? I think I found a footprint but I cant drag it onto the schematic like a part, and it shows a PLCC44 IC not a socket. Is that the wrong part ? Should I get a picture of a socket ?

[Spikee]

I think it is best to make your own footprint.

[ultrathom]

Not really confident in that yet, how would I go about doing it ?

Surely there is a file I can download with the specifications of the part and I can just import and place it ? For such a common socket

[ultrathom]

1. If I create a bus, and define say 8 vertices (I assume thats wires in the bus) then want to split the bus so I can attach the wires onto the IC, how can I do it ?

2. If I want to have a bus linked but not draw it on the schematic, that is terminate at a point but reappear somewhere else without linking it directly, how do I go about that ?

I have attached what I am trying to connect up to illustrate. This is repeated a number of times in the schematic so I want to make one version then copy it and change the bus numbers etc.

[ultrathom]

Also in the schematic I see a different notation at the end of wires AX0 through AY2. What is that symbol > suggesting ?

[cwalex]

Hi,

There are some pretty good tutorials on youtube. I like this guys

[ultrathom]

Making progress, that video was very helpful Thanks

I have run out of space in the schematic. How do I make the sheet bigger ?

I found a footprint for the part but the spec sheet does not specify which of the three possible footprints I should use. Those are N44.65_L (IPC high density), N44.65_M (IPC low density), N44.65_N (IPC medium density). All it says on the sheet is 44 Ld PLCC (SGS Ld Compatible).

Also I can't drag the footprint onto the schematic, do I edit it first ? Then save as a part somehow ?

[graynomad]

How do I make the sheet bigger ?

Right click on the sheet then

Options > Sheet...

I can't drag the footprint onto the schematic

Normally you would assign that footprint to a schem component first, but you can add a footprint directly to a PCB, in the PCB editor type P then C (Place component) then use the dialogue to select your footprint.


______
Rob

[ultrathom]

Ok sheet is bigger. Still cant place the footprint, place is greyed out in the options. How can I take that footprint and make it into a component I can drop into the schematic ? The first issue is I'm not sure which of the three footprints is correct. Then I want to put this IC into a socket so is it better to put the PLCC44 socket onto the schematic and link the bus to that ? These parts are actual IC's and I want sockets. Finally not sure where to find sockets, what library.

Also how can I split a bus into its component wires for connection to the IC and then terminate the bus as in the schematic ? Like you might with a ground symbol

[graynomad]

place is greyed out in the options.

So PC doesn't work either?

I have no idea why, maybe I had a similar problem at first because there was no library for the project, but that was years ago and I have forgotten. So you created a project, then created a new PCB then did PC and it didn't work? I just did that and it did so that's about the limit of my knowledge for this.

Finally not sure where to find sockets, what library.

I doubt you will find a PLCC socket in the standard libs, I find the easiest thing is to make the footprint manually then grab a 3D model (from http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/) and place that on your pads as a sanity test.

I want to put this IC into a socket so is it better to put the PLCC44 socket onto the schematic

You almost never put a socket on a schematic, you place the chip and the chip's footprint is the socket.

how can I split a bus into its component wires for connection to the IC

Place > bus entry

then terminate the bus as in the schematic ?

Not sure what this means, AFAIK you don't terminate a bus as such, you terminate all the signals in the bus I guess. What is this for, pullup resistors or something?

______
Rob

[ultrathom]

Thanks that's helpful

Place > bus entry

This draws a tiny diagonal line, I'm not sure what to do with ?

Feels like I almost know enough....

Really don't want to draw that footprint myself. One mistake in spacing and I have to refab the PCB.

[ultrathom]

  $20 pp to anyone who can make the part for me so I can just drop it to the schematic
Not sure if that's too much or insultingly low.

[graynomad]

Here's an example of using a bus and the bus entry thingies.

TBH I think it's just a visual thing and labelling the nets would do the same as far as the software is concerned. But using a bus shows you exactly where the signals go. I may be wrong about that but I can't see that it does anything else.

I'll do the component, no guarantees it will be correct though.

EDIT: SMD or through hole? Do you have a particular socket in mind?

_______
Rob