What's New in CADSTAR 11

Options for Real Plane and Co-planar Anaylsis

These new options configure the way in which data relating to reference planes are extracted from the Physical Editor when running the following options:

  • Creating a new scenario
  • Running Simulate Uncoupled
  • Running Simulate Coupled
  • Running Update Selected

 

Extraction Tab

A new Extraction tab has been added to the Constraint Manager Options dialog. All options that configure the way in which information is extracted from the physical data have been moved onto this tab.

Enhanced Via Modeling

Enable enhanced via extraction:

If this option is selected, vias will be modeled as a series of PI elements.

If this option is not selected, vias will be modeled as a single capacitance to ground.

Enable enhanced via back-drilling:

If this option is selected, all vias will be modeled as if they are back-drilled

If this option is not selected, all vias will be modeled as if they are not back-drilled

Coupling

Min Length

This specifies the minimum length of any single parallel or very-near-parallel run which will be considered to contribute to the total crosstalk. Any parallel length shorter than the specified value will not be considered.

Max Distance

This specifies the maximum distance between the victim track segment and the aggressor track segment which will be considered to contribute to the total crosstalk. The distance is measured as the clear distance between the segments, i.e. from the edge of the victim track segment to the nearest edge of an aggressor track. Any parallel track that is further than this distance from the victim will not be considered.

Max lines

This option is used to specify the maximum number of parallel or very-near-parallel aggressor track segments on either side of the victim track which will be considered to contribute to the total crosstalk.

Enhanced Plane Extraction

Enable enhanced plane extraction:

If selected, gaps in plane layers are considered. This means that if, for example, a route is placed such that it passes over a gap, different configurations will be created, as shown in the figure below.

If not selected, plane layers are treated as ideal, i.e. as if they are completely covered in copper. Any gaps in the planes will be ignored.

If this option is enabled, the Min Gap Length and Min Plane Gap Area options are also enabled.

  • Min Gap Length: If the size of the gap in the reference plane is shorter than the Min Gap Length, the gap will be ignored.
  • Min Plane Gap Area: If the area of a gap in the reference plane is smaller than the specified Min Plane Gap Area, the gap will be ignored, even if the length of the gap is more than the Min Gap Length./li>

Enable co-planar references

If this option is enabled, reference copper on the same layer as the target signal track will be considered. The following figures give examples of how data is extracted.

Edit,Edit Config

The Scenario Editor now has a new Edit, Edit Config menu option, and a new Edit Config icon on the toolbar. The context menu option also has a new Edit Config option. In all cases, this option is enabled when a transmission line is selected on the canvas.

Menu

Toolbar Icon:

Context Menu

Configuration Editor

Changes to the Configuration Editor:

Allow the addition of reference conductors using the Add / Remove options on the Conductors tab.

Allow the addition of half planes on the new Ref Planes tab.

It is no longer necessary to define a bottom plane in a configuration.