Answers Database

Foundation: Importing Viewlogic designs with multi-page macros


Record #1463

Product Family:  Software

Product Line:  Aldec

Problem Title:
Foundation: Importing Viewlogic designs with multi-page macros


Problem Description:
The Foundation Schematic Editor does not support schematic
macros which contain more than one page.

Note that Foundation does support top-level schematics that
contain more than one page.

When importing a Viewlogic design which has multi-page
macros, the Schematic Editor will merge all macro sheets onto
a single spage, creating a potentially large schematic.

If the resulting single-page macro is too large, the design
can be restructured by introducing an intermediate level of
hierarchy, so that all macros are of a reasonable size.

For example, if the original hierarchy of the Viewlogic
design was:

TOP.1 --> (MACRO.1, MACRO.2, MACRO.3)

After inserting a level of hierarchy and converting to
Foundation, it would look like this:

TOP.SCH --> MACRO.SCH
		|--> MACRO1.SCH  (originally MACRO.1)
		|--> MACRO2.SCH  (originally MACRO.2)
		|--> MACRO3.SCH  (originally MACRO.3)

The restructuring can be done in either Viewlogic (before
conversion), or in Foundation (after conversion).


Solution 1:

Using Viewlogic
---------------

1. Open each sheet (MACRO.1, MACRO.2, and MACRO.3) and then
   do a Save As MACRO1.1, MACRO2.1, MACRO3.1.

2. Create symbols MACRO1.1, MACRO2.1, and MACRO3.1.

3. Edit the original MACRO.1 schematic to contain just the
   symbols MACRO1, MACRO2, and MACRO3 with appropriate
   connections.

4. Delete the original MACRO.2 and MACRO.3 schematics.

(NOTE: This process needs to be repeated for each multi-page
macro in the design.)



Solution 2:

Using Foundation
----------------

1. Import the Viewlogic design.

2. Open MACRO.SCH.  If the page size is acceptable, do
   nothing.

3. To split the page into 3 macros, use the Cut and Paste
   commands to create new schematic macros called MACRO1.SCH,
   MACRO2.SCH, and MACRO3.SCH.

4. Use the Hierarchy -> Create Macro Symbol From Current
   Sheet command to create symbols MACRO1, MACRO2, and
   MACRO3.

5. Edit the original MACRO.SCH to contain just the symbols
   MACRO1, MACRO2, and MACRO3 with appropriate connections.
   Use File -> Page Setup to reduce the page size.



End of Record #1463