Creating new PBGA footprints in Ultiboard 8

I have used Ultiboard 7 and this is how I do it. You would have used Component wizard and entered the number of pins, dimensions, pitch etc. In type of pad numbering (step 7) you can select Alpha numeric(A1, A2,...)) or Numeric Alpha(1A, 2A,..) and also choose the direction of pad numbering. If you dont find this step, i would say ask the tech support of ultiboard. they are helpful.

Multisim 8 so I can create a new circuit symbol?

Use component wizard in Multisim and you need to enter a component with the same footprint name as you have in ultiboard. and then use the symbol editor to create the symbol.

ie, Component Wizard > Select Footprint > Add > Enter the pin number, footprint, and EWB layout same as what you had entered in Ultiboard. By this way the symbol is referenced to the footprint in Ultiboard when you transfer the netlist to Ultiboard.

I have used Ultiboard 7 and this is how I do it. You would have used Component wizard and entered the number of pins, dimensions, pitch etc. In type of pad numbering (step 7) you can select Alpha numeric(A1, A2,...)) or Numeric Alpha(1A, 2A,..) and also choose the direction of pad numbering. If you dont find this step, i would say ask the tech support of ultiboard. they are helpful.

Multisim 8 so I can create a new circuit symbol?

Use component wizard in Multisim and you need to enter a component with the same footprint name as you have in ultiboard. and then use the symbol editor to create the symbol.

ie, Component Wizard > Select Footprint > Add > Enter the pin number, footprint, and EWB layout same as what you had entered in Ultiboard. By this way the symbol is referenced to the footprint in Ultiboard when you transfer the netlist to Ultiboard.

Thanks for that help.

I get the use the component wizard in Ultiboard step OK so now I have a footprint in Ultiboard.

The second step I don't get. At the 'Select Footprint'' step, the Multisim component wizard asks for a footprint from the Multisim User library. Since I don't have this in Multisim, I am stuck.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you meant?

Yeah you are right, you do not have the part in multisim and you need to enter the details of the part that is going to be referenced in Ultiboard.

Select Footprint > User Database > Click Add >

Now a window pops up (Add a footprint) asking you details about Manufacturer, Footprint, EWB layout, Pins, SMT/ TH

The part you created in Ultiboard has a name for the footprint. Ok, to be precise, you would have created the part and saved it as in the ultiboard library.

Enter the same in the Footprint and EWB layout sections. And enter the number of pins as same number as the part contains. And whether its TH or SMT. After you added it, "Select" the part you just added in the select a footprint window that had come up earlier. Now it comes back to Step 2 of 6 of the component wizard. update the number of pins. And I assume its a single section component. You can use "edit" in the next step to modify the symbol. Okay good luck on it.

TD

By this way when you transfer the netlist to ultiboard it automatically matches the footprint and displays the part correctly.

Great, I got it.

In the symbol editor, presumably I should edit the signal name on each pin as per the part datasheet. The default signal name is a numeric from 1..N.

Do I then have to map the alphanumeric pin number on the package to the signal names in the circuit somehow?

Thanks a lot.

the

I was'nt entirely sure of this, but there is a way to verify this. By default, pin 1 of symbol will correspond to pin 1 of footprint ( which may be A1) and pin 2 of symbol will correspond to pin 2 of footprint (A2).

Once you changed the name on each pin, yes I believe, you have to verify the symbol pins and the footprint pins are matching. since changing pin names changes the order its assigned to the footprint pins.

In multisim, go to Tools > Database > Database Manager > select the component you had created and click Edit > go to Footprint tab and here it shows you the symbol pins and the footprint pins. Previously it would have shown

After you edit the names, it may show something like this, Symbol - Footprint Vdd - 3 Vss - 2 CLK - 1

Edit this to make sure you get what you need....

But you could do this, leave the pin numbers on the part so that they are matched. You could add text for each pin, which is not the best way but it works....(you could make the symbol pins hidden so that its not seen, you only see the text at each pin )

You've been really helpful in getting me so far but I am still not getting the result I need.

This default mapping of pin 1 on the symbol to A1 on the footprint does not seem to be working. There doesn't seem to be any way to tell capture that a signal 'abcd' on the symbol is pin Axx on the package. I presume this relies on the default mapping but as I say this is not working right. The edit footprint function in capture numbers the package pins from 1-532, so I can't fix it there.

Transferring the circuit to layout results in the rats nest having no connections to the new package. DRC in layout gives the errors below. I only connected these 4 pins so far in capture.

Pin "531" from Component "U3"(TMS320C6416T) in Net "PWR" is missing from shape "PBGA-26X26-0.8MM" Pin "532" from Component "U3"(TMS320C6416T) in Net "PWR" is missing from shape "PBGA-26X26-0.8MM" Pin "2" from Component "U3"(TMS320C6416T) in Net "PWR" is missing from shape "PBGA-26X26-0.8MM" Pin "3" from Component "U3"(TMS320C6416T) in Net "GND" is missing from shape "PBGA-26X26-0.8MM"

So presumably the netlist is causing layout to look for pin 531 etc. but it is not there as the footprint is number A1 etc.

TIA