Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: PCB Design Tools

ID 683768
Date 4/01/2024
Public
Document Table of Contents

4.5.1. Creating Symbols

In addition to circuit simulation, circuit board schematic creation is one of the first tasks required when designing a new PCB. Schematics must understand how the PCB works, and to generate a netlist for a board layout tool for board design and routing. The Cadence Allegro PCB Librarian Part Developer tool allows you to create schematic symbols based on FPGA designs exported from the Quartus® Prime software.

You can create symbols for the Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL project with the Cadence Allegro PCB Librarian Part Developer tool, which is available in the Cadence Allegro Project Manager tool. Intel recommends using the Cadence Allegro PCB Librarian Part Developer tool to import FPGA designs into the Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL software.

You must obtain a PCB Librarian Expert license from Cadence to run the Cadence Allegro PCB Librarian Part Developer tool. The Cadence Allegro PCB Librarian Part Developer tool provides a GUI with many options for creating, editing, fracturing, and updating symbols. If you do not use the Cadence Allegro PCB Librarian Part Developer tool, you must create and edit symbols manually in the Symbol Schematic View in the Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL software.

Note: If you do not have a PCB Librarian Expert license, you can automatically create FPGA symbols using the programmable IC (PIC) design flow found in the Cadence Allegro Project Manager tool.

Before creating a symbol from an FPGA design, you must open a Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL project with the Cadence Allegro Project Manager tool. If you do not have an existing Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL project, you can create one with the Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL software. The Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL project directory with the name <project name> .cpm contains your Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL projects.

While the Cadence Allegro PCB Librarian Part Developer tool refers to symbol fractures as slots, the other tools use different names to refer to symbol fractures.

Table 8.  Symbol Fracture Naming Conventions
  Cadence Allegro PCB Librarian Part Developer Tool Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL Software Cadence Allegro Design Entry CIS Software
During symbol generation Slots Sections
During symbol schematic instantiation Versions Parts