Importing IFF Files into Mentor Graphics

This chapter describes the procedure for importing Intermediate File Format (IFF) files into Mentor Graphics Boardstation. This information is provided as a convenience. For detailed information on Mentor Graphics IFF imports, refer to Mentor Graphic's RF Design Tools User's and Reference Manual (rf_useref.pdf), which is provided with their RF Architect product. The Import procedure is detailed in "Chapter 7, Importing a Design".

IFF Schematic Import into Mentor Graphics

Before attempting to import an IFF file into Mentor Graphics, refer to Before Using the IFF Translators. The basic procedure for importing an IFF schematic file into Boardstation can be broken down into several simple steps:

1. Accessing the Framework Input Transfer Form
2. Specifying the File Name and Setting Import Options
3. Completing the Import

Importing an IFF Schematic File

This section describes the procedure for importing an IFF schematic file into the Mentor Graphics Boardstation using the IFF Translator's User Interface. Before importing an IFF schematic file, refer to the beginning of Importing IFF Files into Mentor Graphics.

The menu items described in this section are only if the appropriate Ample path has been set up for the RF Architect option of Design Architect. For more information, refer to Before Using the IFF Translators.

Accessing the Framework Input Transfer Form

To access the schematic import dialog, launch your import from the Boardstation Design Architect window.

1. In a terminal window, change to the appropriate directory.
2. Run Design Architect by typing the appropriate command (typically da or da_lms ). The Mentor Graphics Design Architect window appears.
   

Design Architect Window

• From the Design Architect window, choose RF > IFF Read . The IFF Read Dialog appears.

Specifying the File Name and Setting Import Options

In the IFF Read Dialog , specify the file name, the transfer directory name, and whether to use the ADS reference designators.

Name of input file

In the Name of input file field, enter the full path and file name of the IFF file generated in Advanced Design System that you want to import into Mentor Graphics. Pressing the Navigator button will bring up a browsing dialog, that will allow you to graphically search for the IFF file name.

Transfer directory name

The Transfer directory name field specifies the directory where the Mentor Graphics design files will be created. The Navigator button can be pressed to bring up a graphical directory browser.

Import EEsof Reference Designators

Setting the Import EEsof Reference Designators checkbox causes the EEsof instance names to be used as the REF property on the MGC instance. Note that ADS Instance names are unique for only a single level of hierarchy. For hierarchical designs, it is possible to have multiple instances that will get the same REF property. To prevent this problem, this option should be used with care, or, preferably, only with a non-hierarchical design. It is also possible to have duplicate instance references when a PCB board contains two or more independent RF regions.

Completing the Import

After you have filled in the fields of the IFF Read Dialog , click OK to begin the translation. You can also click Cancel to abort the import operation. The Reset to button will reset the fields to the default values ("./schematic.iff" and "./mgc_hpeesof_xfer_dir").

After the translation begins, all import log information is displayed in the terminal window that Design Architect was started from. One of the log lines will display what was created. Any warnings or error messages encountered during the translation are also displayed in the log messages. After the import is completed, the log information will be displayed in Notepad window.

While cells are created in the appropriate directory, the cell view is not automatically displayed in the Design Architect. If full hierarchy was specified for the Advanced Design System export, existing schematics common to both program environments are overwritten on import.

Setting Up a Library Search Path

This information is repeated from Mentor Graphics RF Design Tools User's and Reference Manual . The RF LAYOUT, DA and LIBRARIAN options support searching for the library symbols used in a RF design in $HPEESOF_LIBS directory, based on an entry defined in the location map in Mentor Graphics environment. This is also applicable to user-defined symbol libraries. Additionally, you can set the environmental variable $MGC_RF_LIB_SEARCH_PATH which makes all the symbols for the packaged parts available. For example,

setenv MGC_RF_LIB_SEARCH_PATH /company_lib/resistors: 
/company_lib/caps:/company_lib/relays

Note that the colon (:) is required between the libraries.
This setup is essential if you use translated LMS parts in the EEsof environment. This search path provides the symbol mapping path information for the design IFF translation process.

Importing an IFF Layout File

To access the layout import dialog, launch your import from the Boardstation RF layout window.

1. Start the RF Layout tool by typing the command layout design -rf. You may need to run the to_layout command on your schematic prior to running this command. For more information on running to_layout for an RF design, refer to Chapter 3 of Mentor Graphic's RF Design Tools User's and Reference Manual (rf_useref.pdf). Your PC Board layout must have an RF Region in it for you to import a layout IFF file. You cannot create a new RF region through the layout tool, only the to_layout tool can create an RF region.
2. In the layout window, right click to bring up the popup menu, and select the menu option RF > Import IFF into Layout . Use the Navigator button to select an IFF file through a graphical browser.
3. The board you will be importing to must have an RF Region set up. This should have been done by the to_layout command. Select the region you wish to import the IFF file into. This region should correspond to the schematic that the layout represented in ADS.

Completing the Layout Import

After you have filled in the fields of the Import IFF into LAYOUT Dialog , click OK to begin the translation. You can also click Cancel to abort the import operation. The Reset to button will reset the fields to the default values.

After the translation begins, all import log information is displayed in the terminal window that RF Layout was started from. One of the log lines will display what was created. Any warnings or error messages encountered during the translation are also displayed in the log messages. After the import finishes, the final layout will be displayed in the layout window.