JPH07325851A - Printed board design device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the burdens of a designer by providing a means for automatically referring to an attribute file prior to input or output at the time of inputting or outputting design data. CONSTITUTION:When an operation for specifying the kind of input data is started by a pointing device 203, a CPU 204 automatically refers to the attribute file and displays a data input screen on a display device 205 and the designer selects an attribute to be inputted by the device 203. Then, a physical layer setting command is selected and the operation for specifying the physical layer of the input data is performed by the device 203. Then, the CPU 204 automatically refers to the file and displays the data input screen on the device 205. The designer selects the number of the physical layer to be inputted by the device 203 and finally, the design data are inputted by the device 203 and the prescribed design data are prepared. Thus, the designer classifies a logical layer and the attributes without depending on memory and performs design without being conscious of the matching of the logical layer and the physical layer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pattern design CAD for supporting a printed circuit board design.
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board design device such as a device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In manufacturing a printed circuit board using a CAD device, one layer of the printed circuit board is virtually divided into a plurality of logical layers such as wiring patterns, silk patterns and pin data, and the CAD device is provided for each logical layer. The design data for each logical layer designed by the above is output from the CAD device as a negative film, and layers corresponding to each logical layer are sequentially formed using these negative films.

Since it is manufactured in this way, it is preferable that the design data for each logical layer be associated with the sequence number of the stack of the logical layer. For this reason, in the conventional printed circuit board design apparatus, the logical layers are the first layer, the second layer, the third layer, and the third layer.
Layers are classified according to the stacking order number, such as,
The design data created for each logical layer was registered in the design data file in a form associated with the stacking sequence number.

A case of designing a two-layer printed circuit board using such a conventional printed circuit board designing apparatus will be described with reference to the explanatory view showing the relationship between the logical layer and the physical layer in FIG. In FIG. 1, 101 is a logical layer 1, 102 is a logical layer 2, 103 is a logical layer 3, 104 is a logical layer 4, 105 is a logical layer 5, 106 is a logical layer 6, 107 is a physical layer 1, 108.
Indicates the physical layer 2. Here, the physical layer 1 corresponds to the first layer of the printed circuit board, the physical layer 2 corresponds to the second layer of the printed circuit board, and the attributes of each logical layer are that the logical layer 1 is the wiring pattern of the first layer and the logical layer 2 is 1 The silk pattern of the first layer, the logic layer 3 is the pin data of the first layer, the logic layer 4 is the wiring pattern of the second layer, the logic layer 5 is the silk pattern of the second layer, and the logic layer 6 is the pin data of the second layer. is there. This correspondence relationship is not registered in the printed circuit board design apparatus, so that the designer himself will remember it. In this case, the design data designed for each logical layer is registered in the design data file in association with the layer numbers 1 to 6, and when calling each logical layer, the layer number is specified. Call by specifying.

Therefore, when the designer designs, the designer first memorizes with confidence what number of the logical layer has what attribute, and for example, the silk pattern of the first layer is stored. When designing, remembering that the silk pattern of the first layer is the second layer of the logical layer, designating by calling the logical layer 2 by specifying the layer number 2.
register. Then, by repeating this, each logical layer is designed. For example, when confirming the designed layer, for example, by designating layer numbers 1 to 3 at the same time, the logical layers 1 to 3 are displayed in an overlapping manner and the design data of the layer 1 (107) is confirmed. You can

[0006]

However, in the conventional printed circuit board design apparatus, the designer must always store the layer number of the logical layer and the attribute of the logical layer, which causes confusion during design. Was becoming. Also, when other designers need the design data, it is inconvenient because the designer of the data needs to inform other designers of the attributes of the logical layer of the data. It was

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to allow the designer to directly specify the attributes of the logic layer to the printed circuit board design apparatus, thereby reducing the burden on the designer.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, in a printed circuit board designing apparatus using CAD for designing a printed circuit board of the present invention, design data designed for each logical layer is added to a layer number. Then, the design data file is created by further associating the attributes.

To this end, an attribute file in which possible attributes of the designed data are stored in advance, and the attribute file is automatically referenced prior to the input or output when the design data is input or output. It is preferable to provide a means and a structure.

[0010]

For example, in the printed circuit board designing apparatus according to claim 1 provided with an input device and a display device, when inputting design data, the attribute file is first referred to by means for automatically referencing, for example, The attributes are displayed on the display device and the designer is informed of the types of the attributes. Then, the designer inputs the design data after confirming this attribute. For example,
After selecting the attribute displayed on the display device, design data is input. Then, when this design data is registered, the design data file is created by associating the attributes referred to by the means for automatically referring to the design data.

At the time of output, first, the attribute file is referred to by the means for automatically referencing, and the attribute is displayed on the display device, for example, and the designer is informed of the type of the attribute. Then, the designer confirms this attribute and then selects the attribute to be displayed. As a result, the necessary design data can be displayed without error.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the printed circuit board designing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the apparatus of this embodiment. 201 is a main memory, 202 is an input device for inputting data, 203 is a pointing device for directly selecting coordinates and elements, and 204. Is a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU), and 205 is a display device for displaying coordinates and elements input from the input device and the pointing device.

The main memory 201 includes a design data file in which data designed for each logical layer is associated with an attribute and stored, and an attribute file. In the attribute file, attributes that may be designed by being divided into logical layers are registered in advance, and the display contents shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are stored. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of the design data file. The layer number indicates the stacking order of the logical layers, the attribute indicates what role the corresponding logical layer plays in the actual printed circuit board, and the design data indicates the line made for the logical layer. The design information provided by the designer, which includes graphic information such as shape, is shown, and these are associated in the horizontal direction in the figure. Incidentally, conventionally, the information of the attribute portion in the figure has not been stored.

The CPU 204 has a function of automatically referring to the attribute file in the main memory 201 when inputting or displaying the design data and displaying the attribute on the display device. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 204.

The operation using this apparatus will be described below. First, the pointing device 203 selects a data type setting command to specify the type of input data (301). When you start to specify the type of input data, C
The PU 204 automatically refers to the attribute file and displays the data input screen shown in FIG. 4 on the display device (205). The number on the left side of FIG. 4 is an attribute number for the CPU 204 to recognize the attribute of the logical layer, and the character string on the right side of FIG. 4 indicates the attribute name (302). When FIG. 4 is displayed, the designer selects the attribute to be input by selecting the attribute number with the pointing device 203 (303). Next, the designer uses the pointing device 203 to select the physical layer setting command and perform the work of designating the physical layer of the input data (304). When entering the physical layer designation task, the CPU
The 204 automatically refers to the attribute file and displays the data input screen shown in FIG. 5 on the display device 205. At this time, the number displayed in FIG. 5 indicates a physical layer, that is, a specific layer of the printed circuit board (305).

When FIG. 5 is displayed, the designer selects the number of the physical layer to be input with the pointing device 203.
Finally, the designer inputs design data using the pointing device 203 (306). Then, by inputting this, design data as shown in FIG. 6 is created.

Since the design is performed by repeating the above-mentioned operation, the designer can distinguish the logical layer and its attribute without reliance on the memory, and can design without considering the matching of the logical layer and the physical layer. . Further, according to the present embodiment, since the design data file has the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to know the attribute of the designed logic layer as needed. Further, in this embodiment, the means for automatically referring to the attribute file has a function of displaying the referred attribute on the display device, which is easy to use. In addition, in this embodiment, these means are provided in the CPU 204.
Also serves.

[0019]

According to the present invention, it is not necessary to be aware of the attributes of the logical layer and the matching between the logical layer and the physical layer, and the burden on the designer can be reduced. Further, as a result, the design period can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a logical layer and a physical layer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of a CPU 204.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an attribute input screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an attribute input screen.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a data structure of a design data file.

[Explanation of symbols]

 201 main memory unit 202 input device unit 203 pointing device unit 204 central processing unit unit 205 display unit unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A CAD design apparatus for designing a printed circuit board, comprising: an attribute file in which possible attributes of designed data are stored in advance; and an input or output when design data is input or output. And a means for automatically referencing the attribute file prior to the above.