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How to begin with a schematic design and create a PCB.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
6 min.
Transcript
00:03
In the Fusion Electronics workspace, at any time after starting a schematic design, you can create the associated circuit board, or PCB.
00:13
The PCB layout defines how components are physically placed and connected on the board,
00:18
and is created by defining the outline shape, placing components, and routing the connections.
00:26
Begin in the Fusion Electronics workspace with an open schematic design.
00:31
In this example, a previously created schematic consisting of several components, including flashing LEDs, is open.
00:40
On the toolbar, click Switch to PCB document.
00:45
This opens a PCB design with the schematic components placed next to an empty board.
00:51
The schematic and board designs are now linked.
00:55
Before creating the layout, it is best practice to set any necessary manufacturing rules or requirements.
01:03
On the Rules DRC/ERC tab of the toolbar, click DRC.
01:09
In the DRC dialog, click each tab to review or edit the Design Rules for the board,
01:15
such as clearances, distances, sizes, and supply parameters to use for pad thermals.
01:23
To run a check on the open board, click Check.
01:27
Here, click Cancel to close the dialog.
01:31
The first step is to define the basic shape of the board.
01:35
Click and drag the edges of the outline to adjust the size.
01:40
For this example, create a board slightly wider than the components and about half the height.
01:47
Then, on the Navigation bar, click Zoom to Fit.
01:52
Now, begin placing components by dragging them onto the board.
01:57
Start here by dragging the connector onto the PCB, and notice that it will not stop on the board edge.
02:04
This behavior is based on violation controls,
02:08
which define the interaction between the route you are tracing and other nearby routes and vias.
02:14
To change this setting, on the Navigation bar, click Violator controls, and select Ignore Violators.
02:23
This mode enables you to move the connector freely—notice, too, that the DRC indicates the cleared violation with hatch marks.
02:31
However, since Walkaround Violators is strongly recommended, make sure it is selected.
02:39
To place the connector, drag it to the right-side of the PCB, right-click to adjust the rotation, and then click to place it.
02:48
Now, place the timer chip next to the connector—again, after adjusting the rotation.
02:55
For better precision, on the Navigation bar, click Grid Settings.
03:01
In the Grid dialog, set the Size to the recommended industry standard, 10 mil, and then click OK.
03:09
Continue by placing the two LEDs and the passive components—the 4 resistors and 2 capacitors—for now, lining them up by hand.
03:20
Once the components are placed in their relative locations, you can align them for a cleaner look.
03:26
First, select the components you want to align—here, the 4 components on the left.
03:34
Then, on the toolbar, click Design > Modify > Align.
03:42
In the Align dialog, for this example, click the top-right icon to distribute components evenly,
03:48
and then click the bottom-left icon to align them vertically.
03:53
Click Done.
03:55
Repeat these steps to align the next row of 4 components.
03:60
If needed, you can easily switch packages.
04:04
For example, suppose that you want to switch to a 555 timer in an SOIC package, instead of the through-hole version shown here.
04:14
Select the component, then right-click and select Package.
04:19
In the Change package dialog, select from the available components, and then click OK.
04:26
The timer is replaced in the design.
04:29
Once the PCB is manufactured, you will no longer see the values of the components.
04:36
To hide these values in your design, on the Display Layers panel, click the visibility icon next to the 27 ValuesTop layer.
04:45
You may also want to reposition the part names, to make them easier to read when soldering components.
04:53
On the Document tab of the toolbar, in the Attributes group, click Reposition Attributes.
05:00
In the Reposition Attributes dialog, confirm that Reposition is set to Name and select the desired Position relative to the component.
05:09
Then, on the canvas, click each component name to reposition it.
05:15
Click Done to close the dialog.
05:18
The final step is routing, or converting the airwires into physical lines that represent the electrical connections.
05:27
Routing can be done manually or using automatic tools.
05:31
If you have straight connections to be made, such as buses, you can use QuickRoute to automatically route individual airwires.
05:40
On the Design tab of the toolbar, click the Quick Route menu and select QuickRoute Airwire.
05:47
With the QuickRoute Airwire dialog open, review or select the available options,
05:53
then click each airwire that you want to route on the board.
05:57
When you are finished, click Done to close the dialog.
06:02
On the canvas, zoom in for better visibility.
06:07
To create routes manually, on the toolbar, in the Route menu, click Route Manual.
06:13
This opens the Route Manual dialog.
06:16
To connect 2 components, select a pin on the first component, and as you drag to trace the route, click to change directions when needed.
06:26
Remember that in this case, Walkaround Violators is selected to help avoid design rule violations.
06:33
Click the pin of the second component to end the route.
06:37
Here, the 2 connector pins are routed to the timer pins.
06:42
Click Done to close the dialog.
06:46
You can also route between multiple layers.
06:50
Begin a manual route, and at the point where you want to change layers,
06:54
press the Spacebar—you can do this repeatedly to cycle through more than 2.
07:00
This adds a potential via, or hole, labelled with the layers being connected.
07:06
Click to accept the via, then continue routing.
07:10
Here, the color of the wire changes to blue for the bottom side, and then back to red for the top when the process is repeated.
07:19
The QuickRoute Smooth tool looks for simpler, smoother pathways for existing traces.
07:25
On the toolbar, click the Quick Route menu and select QuickRoute Smooth.
07:31
Then, select the trace you want to smooth, such as the one shown here with unnecessary bends and segments.
07:39
The trace changes immediately to a smoother path.
07:43
If you want to automate routing entirely, you can use Autorouter to fully route all signals on a board,
07:50
based on your Design Rules—although you may want to consider routing critical signals manually beforehand.
07:57
To use Autorouter in this example, first, delete all traces.
08:03
On the toolbar, in the Unroute group, click Unroute.
08:08
In the Unroute dialog, with All selected, click Done, then click Yes to confirm.
08:15
Now, on the toolbar, in the Quick Route group, click Autorouter.
08:22
In the Autorouter Main Setup dialog, for this example, set the Effort to High.
08:28
This instructs the Autorouter to run more threads concurrently, so that there will be more variants to choose from when it finishes.
08:36
Click Continue, and in the Routing Variants dialog, click Start.
08:42
The resulting routing variants are now listed in the dialog.
08:47
Select any variant to view it on the board, and once you make a final selection, click End Job.
08:54
Your PCB layout is complete.
08:57
For a realistic 3D view of your design, on the toolbar, click Push to 3D PCB.
09:05
In the resulting dialog, adjust the settings as needed, and then click Push to open the 3D PCB design.
09:14
Now you know how to create a PCB layout using an existing schematic.
Video transcript
00:03
In the Fusion Electronics workspace, at any time after starting a schematic design, you can create the associated circuit board, or PCB.
00:13
The PCB layout defines how components are physically placed and connected on the board,
00:18
and is created by defining the outline shape, placing components, and routing the connections.
00:26
Begin in the Fusion Electronics workspace with an open schematic design.
00:31
In this example, a previously created schematic consisting of several components, including flashing LEDs, is open.
00:40
On the toolbar, click Switch to PCB document.
00:45
This opens a PCB design with the schematic components placed next to an empty board.
00:51
The schematic and board designs are now linked.
00:55
Before creating the layout, it is best practice to set any necessary manufacturing rules or requirements.
01:03
On the Rules DRC/ERC tab of the toolbar, click DRC.
01:09
In the DRC dialog, click each tab to review or edit the Design Rules for the board,
01:15
such as clearances, distances, sizes, and supply parameters to use for pad thermals.
01:23
To run a check on the open board, click Check.
01:27
Here, click Cancel to close the dialog.
01:31
The first step is to define the basic shape of the board.
01:35
Click and drag the edges of the outline to adjust the size.
01:40
For this example, create a board slightly wider than the components and about half the height.
01:47
Then, on the Navigation bar, click Zoom to Fit.
01:52
Now, begin placing components by dragging them onto the board.
01:57
Start here by dragging the connector onto the PCB, and notice that it will not stop on the board edge.
02:04
This behavior is based on violation controls,
02:08
which define the interaction between the route you are tracing and other nearby routes and vias.
02:14
To change this setting, on the Navigation bar, click Violator controls, and select Ignore Violators.
02:23
This mode enables you to move the connector freely—notice, too, that the DRC indicates the cleared violation with hatch marks.
02:31
However, since Walkaround Violators is strongly recommended, make sure it is selected.
02:39
To place the connector, drag it to the right-side of the PCB, right-click to adjust the rotation, and then click to place it.
02:48
Now, place the timer chip next to the connector—again, after adjusting the rotation.
02:55
For better precision, on the Navigation bar, click Grid Settings.
03:01
In the Grid dialog, set the Size to the recommended industry standard, 10 mil, and then click OK.
03:09
Continue by placing the two LEDs and the passive components—the 4 resistors and 2 capacitors—for now, lining them up by hand.
03:20
Once the components are placed in their relative locations, you can align them for a cleaner look.
03:26
First, select the components you want to align—here, the 4 components on the left.
03:34
Then, on the toolbar, click Design > Modify > Align.
03:42
In the Align dialog, for this example, click the top-right icon to distribute components evenly,
03:48
and then click the bottom-left icon to align them vertically.
03:53
Click Done.
03:55
Repeat these steps to align the next row of 4 components.
03:60
If needed, you can easily switch packages.
04:04
For example, suppose that you want to switch to a 555 timer in an SOIC package, instead of the through-hole version shown here.
04:14
Select the component, then right-click and select Package.
04:19
In the Change package dialog, select from the available components, and then click OK.
04:26
The timer is replaced in the design.
04:29
Once the PCB is manufactured, you will no longer see the values of the components.
04:36
To hide these values in your design, on the Display Layers panel, click the visibility icon next to the 27 ValuesTop layer.
04:45
You may also want to reposition the part names, to make them easier to read when soldering components.
04:53
On the Document tab of the toolbar, in the Attributes group, click Reposition Attributes.
05:00
In the Reposition Attributes dialog, confirm that Reposition is set to Name and select the desired Position relative to the component.
05:09
Then, on the canvas, click each component name to reposition it.
05:15
Click Done to close the dialog.
05:18
The final step is routing, or converting the airwires into physical lines that represent the electrical connections.
05:27
Routing can be done manually or using automatic tools.
05:31
If you have straight connections to be made, such as buses, you can use QuickRoute to automatically route individual airwires.
05:40
On the Design tab of the toolbar, click the Quick Route menu and select QuickRoute Airwire.
05:47
With the QuickRoute Airwire dialog open, review or select the available options,
05:53
then click each airwire that you want to route on the board.
05:57
When you are finished, click Done to close the dialog.
06:02
On the canvas, zoom in for better visibility.
06:07
To create routes manually, on the toolbar, in the Route menu, click Route Manual.
06:13
This opens the Route Manual dialog.
06:16
To connect 2 components, select a pin on the first component, and as you drag to trace the route, click to change directions when needed.
06:26
Remember that in this case, Walkaround Violators is selected to help avoid design rule violations.
06:33
Click the pin of the second component to end the route.
06:37
Here, the 2 connector pins are routed to the timer pins.
06:42
Click Done to close the dialog.
06:46
You can also route between multiple layers.
06:50
Begin a manual route, and at the point where you want to change layers,
06:54
press the Spacebar—you can do this repeatedly to cycle through more than 2.
07:00
This adds a potential via, or hole, labelled with the layers being connected.
07:06
Click to accept the via, then continue routing.
07:10
Here, the color of the wire changes to blue for the bottom side, and then back to red for the top when the process is repeated.
07:19
The QuickRoute Smooth tool looks for simpler, smoother pathways for existing traces.
07:25
On the toolbar, click the Quick Route menu and select QuickRoute Smooth.
07:31
Then, select the trace you want to smooth, such as the one shown here with unnecessary bends and segments.
07:39
The trace changes immediately to a smoother path.
07:43
If you want to automate routing entirely, you can use Autorouter to fully route all signals on a board,
07:50
based on your Design Rules—although you may want to consider routing critical signals manually beforehand.
07:57
To use Autorouter in this example, first, delete all traces.
08:03
On the toolbar, in the Unroute group, click Unroute.
08:08
In the Unroute dialog, with All selected, click Done, then click Yes to confirm.
08:15
Now, on the toolbar, in the Quick Route group, click Autorouter.
08:22
In the Autorouter Main Setup dialog, for this example, set the Effort to High.
08:28
This instructs the Autorouter to run more threads concurrently, so that there will be more variants to choose from when it finishes.
08:36
Click Continue, and in the Routing Variants dialog, click Start.
08:42
The resulting routing variants are now listed in the dialog.
08:47
Select any variant to view it on the board, and once you make a final selection, click End Job.
08:54
Your PCB layout is complete.
08:57
For a realistic 3D view of your design, on the toolbar, click Push to 3D PCB.
09:05
In the resulting dialog, adjust the settings as needed, and then click Push to open the 3D PCB design.
09:14
Now you know how to create a PCB layout using an existing schematic.
The printed circuit board (PCB) layout process is both an art and a science. If you give a schematic to 100 different engineers, you’ll probably get 100 different PCB layouts back, all with unique twists.
In this video, you see how to begin with a schematic design and create a PCB layout:
For more, see PCB Layout tutorial.
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