Using Projects

Advanced Design System uses projects to organize and store the data generated when you create, simulate, and analyze designs to accomplish your design goals.

A project includes circuit, layout, simulation, analysis, and output information on the designs that you create, along with any links you add to other designs and projects.

Use the Main window or the Getting Started with ADS dialog, to create and open projects. Both windows are displayed when you launch Advanced Design System.

Creating Projects

Use the Main window to create a project that you can then use to organize your designs. A project includes circuit, layout, simulation, analysis, and output information on the designs that you create, along with any links you add to other designs and projects.

To create a project...

Choose File > New Project
Enter Project Name & Location

Opening Projects

Only one project can be open at a time. When you begin to open a project, you are prompted to save any changes you have made in the currently open project before it is closed automatically.

To open a project choose File > Open Project and use the dialog box to locate and open the project.

Sharing Projects

Use the Main Window to reuse and share projects without having to manually include all the individual parts that make up a project.

Including Projects

Add links to another project to create a hierarchical project. Hierarchical projects offer several benefits:

Referencing designs from other projects
Maintaining a single source of designs
Reducing disk space required by sharing designs

To include projects choose File > Include/Remove Projects and use the dialog box to locate and link to the project.

Copying Projects

Create a copy to replicate a project. Copying a project directory and its contents to a new project directory allows you to save time and effort by using an existing project as a template.

Note Copying projects should only be done through the program, as described here. Copying projects outside the program may result in invalid projects.

To copy projects choose File > Copy Project and use the dialog box to locate and copy the desired project.

Archiving Projects

Archive/Unarchive projects to transfer a compact project archive. Creating a single file for a project simplifies transferring projects to another file system or to another location on the same file system.

To archive projects choose File > Archive Project and use the dialog box to locate and archive the project.

Using Example Projects

Advanced Design System offers an extensive set of example projects that demonstrate designing for various technologies. You can view example projects, as well as copy and modify them to create new projects.

To view an example project choose File > Example Project and use the Open Example Project dialog box to select the directory and the project.

To copy an example project choose File > Copy Project , click the Example Directory button, and use the dialog box to locate and copy the project.