PowerPCB 3.5 and Viewlogic Link
Date: 10/04/99


TABLE OF CONTENTS

   Introduction
      I  Updated Viewlogic Executables
      II Application Notes

============
Introduction
============

   PowerPCB 3.5 supports enhanced Viewlogic/PCB
   interfacing. The module, ViewlogicLink.exe,
   is an Automation client application that automates
   forward and backward annotation between Viewlogic 
   schematics and PowerPCB PCB designs.

   I. Updated Viewlogic Executables
   --------------------------------
 
   To support these new features, Viewlogic updated 
   PCBFWD.EXE and PCBBCK.EXE to support PADS Software's 
   new ASCII version for PowerPCB 3.5. The executables also
   support forward and backward annotation of attributes.

   The \VLINK directory on the PowerPCB 3.5 CD-ROM includes
   new executables for Viewlogic/PCB interfacing and 
   other related files.

   ======================================================
   Note: Viewlogic Link only works with Workview(r) 
         Office 7.5. It does not support earlier versions
         of Workview Office. 
   ======================================================

   Back up existing files of the same name and then
   place the following files in your C:\WVOFFICE directory:

     PCBFWD.EXE    -   Forward interface executable
	 
     PCBBCK.EXE    -   Backward interface executable
	 

   Back up existing files of the same name and then
   place the following files in your c:\WVOFFICE\STANDARD
   directory:

     PADS.CFG      -   PADS PCB interface configuration file
	 
     PCB.VMB       -   PCB interface message file

     PCBUI.HLP     -   PCB help file

     PCBUI.CNT     -   Contents file for PCBUI.HLP
	

   II. Application Notes
   --------------------- 

   1. General attributes are passed from ViewDraw schematics
      to PowerPCB designs using the PCB interface modules.
      In PowerPCB, choose Tools/Viewlogic Link to start an 
      application that controls forward and backward annotation.   
	
      You can only pass attributes between ViewDraw and PowerPCB
      if they are specified in the PADS.CFG file, which is for the
      Viewlogic/PCB interface modules. See the "AttrPassList" and
      "ChkVal" sections for the default attributes passed to 
      PowerPCB. In PowerPCB, the Attribute Dictionary (Edit/Attribute
      Dictionary) to view the list of default attributes that PADS
      includes in the PADS.CFG file.
	
   2. There is a new warning for attributes that exist in ViewDraw, 
      but are not passed to PowerPCB through the AttrPassList section
      of the PADS.CFG file. This can result in a large number of 
      warnings for a typical design; therefore, these warnings are 
      suppressed in the default PADS.CFG file. You can enable the 
      warnings by commenting out the following line:
		ExcludeNums 7129

      When this line is not commemted out, only the following note 
      appears in the pcb.err file:
		pcb: Note 5670: error exclusions in effect.

   3. PowerPCB permits spaces and mixed case attributes, however, 
      ViewDraw does not. To backward annotate these attributes, you 
      must alias them correctly in the PADS.CFG file. See the 
      "BeginAlsRules" and "ChkVal" sections for alias examples.

      ViewDraw does not permit spaces in the Value field of any 
      attribute. If you try to backward annotate an attribute with 
      spaces in its value, Error 7131 is generated, and backward
      annotation is canceled. To successfully complete the backward
      annotation, either replace the space with an underscore, or 
      other appropriate character, or remove the attribute from the 
      .eco file you are trying to backward annotate.

   4. Viewlogic no longer support older versions of PADS layout tools
      (versions earlier than PowerPCB 2.0). If pre-PowerPCB 2.0 
      versions are specified in the PADS.CFG file, then Error 7128 
      (Unsupported Version) is generated.

      Set the NetFileHeader line to !PADS-POWERPCB-V3.5 or 
      !PADS-POWERPCB-V3.0 for proper operation.



END