Managing Projects and Designs

This chapter describes the project directory concept, managing projects and design files, and the basics of importing and exporting designs. For information on these topics, review the following sections:

• Working in Projects
• Importing and Exporting
• Managing Design Files

Working in Projects

All design work must be done in a project directory. Working in project directories enables you to organize related files within a predetermined file structure. This predetermined file structure consists of a set of subdirectories. These subdirectories are used in the following manner:

• networks contains schematic and layout information, as well as information needed for simulating
• data is the default directory location for input and output data files used or generated by the simulator
• mom_dsn contains designs created with the Agilent EEsof planar electromagnetic simulator, Momentum
• synthesis contains designs created with DSP filter and synthesis tools
• verification contains files generated by the Design Rule Checker (DRC), used with Layout

Using the Project View

When you first open a project in ADS, you are presented with the Project View in the ADS Main window.

ADS Project View

The Project View enables you to perform many of the traditional operations that have been available from the ADS Main window; however, the new user interface is more consistent with today's industry standards.

The new project management tools are much easier to use and provide common tools that enable you to organize files within a project and make it easier to open, copy, rename, and delete these files.

The overall goal of the Project View is to improve the efficiency in which you perform these standard operations.

Within the Project View,

• The first item displayed is the primary project open in ADS. Included projects are displayed at the same indentation level as the primary project; however, they will appear below the primary project.
• If no folders have been created in the project, the files appear indented one level and below the project.
• If a new folder is created, the folder is indented and will appear below the primary project or other folder in which it was created.

  Note Some of the Main window menu and toolbar items will change as you move between Project View and File View. For example, watch the toolbar as you switch between Project View and File View.

Using Context Menus

Files, projects and folders within the Project View contain context menus. These menus can be different for different file types, projects or folders.

The table below shows the different file types (and projects and folders) and their associated context menus. To access these menus, select a file, project or folder in the Project View and right-click your mouse. For a description of available file types, refer to Changing View Options.

File Types/Folders and Associated Context Menus

Context Menus	Designs (*.dsn)	Data Display (*.dds)	Datasets (*.ds)	Projects and Folders	Ael (*.ael)	Preferences (*.prf)	Layers (*.lay)	Text (*.txt)
Open Schematic	X
Open Layout	X
Open Data Display		X
Open in Text Editor					X	X	X	X
New Folder				X
Load					X
Paste				X
Copy	X	X	X	X †	X	X	X	X
Copy Files	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Rename	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Delete	X	X	X	X † †	X	X	X	X
Filter View	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X

†  Group copy of files in folder. Invokes the copy/rename wizard.
† †  Group delete of files in folder.

Creating Folders

You can create folders in the Project View using the context menu of any existing project or folder.

To create a new folder from your Project View,

1. Right-click any project or folder and choose New Folder. The New Folder dialog box appears.
2. Enter a name for the new folder and click OK to create the folder or click Cancel to abort the operation.

Dragging and Dropping Folders and Designs

The Project View enables you to simply drag and drop a folder or design to a new location/folder.

To drag and drop a folder or design,

1. Locate the folder or design that you want to move in the Project View.
2. Click and drag folder or design to the new location/folder.
3. Release the mouse button to drop the folder or design in the new location/folder.
4. When you release the mouse button, a menu appears enabling you to Move Tree Item or Copy Files. The Move Tree Item menu enables you to drop the folder or design into the new location/folder. For information on Copy Files, refer to Copying Files.

Loading AEL Files

You can load Application Extension Language (AEL) files directly from the context menu of any Ael (*.ael) file that is in your project.

To load an AEL file from your Project View,

1. Ensure the .ael file that you want to load is displayed in your Project View. If you cannot see the .ael file in your Project View, you may need to set the Filter View option to include Ael files.
2. From your Project view, right-click the .ael file that you want to load.
3. Choose Load, the AEL file will automatically be loaded (executed).

   Note Only files in the top directory of your project will show up in the Project View. For more information on AEL files, refer to the AEL documentation.

Copy and Paste Files

The Copy context menu enables you to copy a file or files into the buffer. You can then use the Paste context menu to place a copy of the file(s). If you are pasting the file(s) into the same project a Copy Files dialog will open and allow you to specify a different name for the file(s).

Rename Files

The Rename context menu enables you to rename a file that you have selected. Simply right-click a file that you want to rename and choose Rename. Modify the filename and press Enter to change the name. If you are renaming a design, all other designs that reference this design will be modified to use the new design name.

Copying Files

The Copy Files dialog box enables you to manage copy operations of a single file or multiple selected files. The Copy Files operation is accessible through the Context Menus and will also appear if you attempt to drag and drop a file into another project or folder enabling you to select either Move File or Copy File.

To copy a file or group of files,

1. Select the file(s) in your Project View.
2. Right-click and choose Copy Files from the context menu. The Copy Files dialog box appears.
3. Select Include hierarchy if you want to include sub-networks of the selected designs that you are going to copy.
4. Set your Destination by selecting a Project or Directory from the drop-down list, or click the Browse button to access a different project or directory.
5. Click the Choose Folder button to select a different folder.
6. You can use the Auto Rename Rule options to automatically rename your copied file(s) using specific criteria. The available options include:
   • Filename plus number incremented <filename>_v<number> - Copies the existing filename(s) and appends an _v plus a version number to the filename(s).
   • Filename plus maximum number incremented <filename>_v<number> - Copies the existing filename(s) and appends an _v and the highest version number in all current filename(s), plus one, to the new filename(s).
   • Number incremented plus filename v<number>_<filename> - Copies the existing filename(s) and pre-pends a v plus a version number and an underscore to the filename(s).
   • Maximum number incremented plus filename v<number>_<filename> - Copies the existing filename(s) and pre-pends a v and the highest version number in all current filename(s), plus one, and an underscore to the new filename(s).
   • None - Copies the file(s) using the existing filename(s).
7. After setting the Auto Rename Rule, the new name(s) can be modified manually in the New Filename field.
8. Verify that your new names are correct. The existing names (current files) will appear in the Current Filename field, while the new names (file copies) are displayed in the New Filename field.
9. Click the OK button to copy the file(s) and dismiss the dialog box or click Cancel to abort the operation.

Deleting Files

You can delete one or more files in the Project View by right-clicking the filename(s) and choosing the Delete context menu. If you are deleting designs that are referenced by other designs, you will be shown the other designs and be asked if you are sure you want to delete the designs.

To delete a file or group of files,

1. Right-click the file that you want to delete in the Project View.
2. If you want to delete more than one file, hold down the Shift key to select a group of files and/or use the Ctrl key to select multiple individual files.
3. Choose the Delete context menu. The following message appears,

   Are you SURE you want to delete these items from disk and memory?

4. Verify that you have selected the file(s) you want to delete and click Yes to delete the file(s) or No if you do not want to delete the file(s). If you click Yes, the files are deleted from disk and memory.

Changing View Options

The View Options dialog box enables you to specify the file types that you want displayed in the ADS Project View. You can also use the View Options dialog box to hide those file types that you do not want to appear in the Project View.

The available file types include:

• Ael - AEL files (*.ael) in the project's top directory.
• Data Display - Data Display files (*.dds) in the project's top directory.
• Dataset - dataset files (*.ds) in the data directory.
• Designs - design files (*.dsn) in the project's network directory and any new designs created in memory that have not yet been saved.
• Layers - layers files (*.lay) in the project's top directory.
• Preferences - preferences files (*.prf) in the project's top directory.
• Text - text files (*.txt) in the project's top directory.

To access the View Options dialog box and set View Options from the ADS Main window,

1. Select the Project View.
2. Right click inside the Project View and click the Filter View context menu. The View Options dialog box appears.
   
3. Enable (select) the file types that you want to appear in the Project View.
4. Disable (deselect) the file types that you do not want to appear in the Project View.
5. Click OK to accept the changes and dismiss the View Options dialog box or click Cancel to abort the changes and dismiss the View Options dialog box.

Creating a Project

You can create any number of project directories.
To create a project directory:

1. Choose File > New Project and a dialog box appears. By default, the path is set to your start-up directory.

   Note Spaces are not allowed in project paths or project names.

2. Type a new path directly in the Name field or use the Browser to specify the location for the new project.
3. Enter a project name in the Name field.

   Note By default, the suffix _prj is automatically added to the project name you supply. This behavior is defined by the option Add Project Extension. You can change this option through the Tools > Preferences menu in the Main window.

4. Use the Project Technology Files drop down list to select the appropriate layout and schematic unit preferences.
   
   There are three sets of ADS standard technology files:
   • Length unit - mil
   • Length unit - millimeter
   • Length unit - micron
     Each of these technology file settings copies a schematic preference file and a layout preference file into the project. This serves as a default for all designs in this project and is both:
   • The unit of measure for parameters with physical length (in both Schematic and Layout windows)
   • The design unit (grid display and cursor snapping) in the Layout window. The design unit (grid display and cursor snapping) in the Schematic window is inches.
     It is also possible to have the new project use your own preferences and layers files by using the Add Custom Technology selection. To use this, you should have a directory anywhere on your computer and place preferences and layers files into this directory. The files should have the names schematic.prf, schematic.lay, layout.prf, and layout.lay. The name of the directory will be used to name your technology files. You will see this name when creating new designs with the File > New Design menu. It will be on the dialog box under Design Technology Files. You can create these files by saving preferences or layers from either schematic or layout. You do not need each of these files:
   • schematic.prf - You should have this to establish your choice of length units.
   • schematic.lay - Normally not needed. It can be used to change color usage on a schematic.
   • layout.prf - Important to have if you are using layout. Various length and grid setting are contained in this file.
   • layout.lay - Needed if you are using different layer settings than the standard ADS defaults.
     If you have Design Kits enabled you will also see Technology File selections that are based on the name of the design kit. Choosing one of these will cause technology files to be copied from the design kit's de/defaults directory. The description of technology files in this directory is the same as for Add Custom Technology.

     Note As preferences and layers files are copied from various locations as described above, they are renamed and put into the project. Renaming is done by prefixing the standard name (schematic.prf, schematic.lay, layout.prf, layout.lay) with a technology name plus an underscore ( _ ). The technology name is the length unit (mil, mm, or um), the directory name of a custom technology, or the design kit name. Renaming the technology files enables easy use of multiple technologies in a project. The exact names that will be copied and used in your project can be seen by selecting View Details.

5. Click OK to create the specified project. When the directory structure is complete, the path and the project name appear at the bottom of the Main window and the Schematic Wizard will be launched. The Schematic Wizard guides you through a sequence of steps gathering information from you about the type of schematic you want to create. Based on your inputs, the wizard automatically creates the specified schematic components. The wizard then provides you with instructions for completing the schematic manually, and for invoking the simulator when applicable. The simulations are set up to automatically display the results after successful simulations. For more information on the Schematic Wizard, refer to Using the Schematic Wizard in the Simulation Basics section of the Using Circuit Simulators documentation.

   Hint By default, a Schematic window opens on creation of a project. This behavior is defined by the option Create Initial Schematic Window. You can turn this option off through the Tools > Preferences menu in the Main window.

Opening a Project

The directory that appears as the current directory when you start the program varies by platform:

• UNIX - the directory from which you started the program. Once you have created project directories, you can start the program from a project directory, if desired.
• PC - the path you specified as the Work (HOME) Directory during installation (by default, C:\users\default). You can set a different work directory through file Properties (Right-click a program's shortcut icon and adjust the path in the Start field.) If you want to open a specific project directory while starting the program, use that project directory's name in the Start in field.

Once the Main window appears, there are two ways to open a project directory:

• Use the File > Open Project command
• Double-click the project name in the File View of the Main window.

To open a project using the Open Project command:

1. Choose File > Open Project and a dialog box appears. All projects in the current directory are listed in the Files list box.
2. Change directories as needed to find the directory containing the project.
3. Select the project name and click OK. Once the project is open, the Project View is displayed and the path and project appear in the status panel at the bottom of the window. For more information, refer to Using the Project View.

To open a project using the File View:

1. Change directories as needed in the File Browser pane to locate the directory containing the project.
2. Choose View > Project Listing. All projects in the current directory are listed under the Project Listing pane. For information on the Project Listing preference, refer to the section on Setting Preferences for Miscellaneous Options under Program Basics.
3. Double-click to open the desired project. Once the project is open, the Project View is displayed and the path and project appear in the status panel at the bottom of the window. For more information, refer to Using the Project View.

The windows that open when you open a project vary based on the following options:

• If your project contains the save_project_state.ael file any design windows that were open when it was last saved are restored. This file is automatically saved when the Save Project State on Exit option is enabled.
• If the save_project_state.ael file is not in this project, but the option Create Initial Schematic window was enabled (the default), a blank Schematic window appears.
• If the save_project_state.ael file is not in this project, but the option Create Initial Layout window was enabled (the default), a blank Layout window appears.
• If none of the aforementioned options is true, you must manually open a Schematic or Layout window

  Hint For descriptions of these options, refer to Setting Preferences for Miscellaneous Options under Program Basics.

Copying a Project

The Copy Project command copies a project directory and its contents, to a new project directory with a name you specify.

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 a project:

1. Choose File > Copy Project.
2. Locate the project you want to copy.

   Hint To copy an example project, click the Example Directory button to quickly set the path to the examples directory.

3. Click Browse next to the From Project field.
4. In the dialog box that appears, change directories as needed to locate the project.
5. Select the project you want to copy and click OK.
6. Specify the destination directory for the copied project.

   Hint To copy the project to your start-up directory, click the Startup Directory button to quickly set the path to your start-up directory.

7. Click Browse next to the To Project field.
8. In the dialog box that appears, select the destination path, and click OK.
9. Supply a project name, if desired, in the To Project field (following the path).

   Hint If you want the copy to use the same name as the original project, you do not need to specify a name in the To Project field.

10. If the project you are copying is hierarchical, and you want to preserve the hierarchy, leave the Copy Project Hierarchy option enabled.

    Note When copying a hierarchical project, you are prompted for each included project to confirm whether or not you want to copy that project. If you do not copy an included project (Skip), a reference to its source location is created in the copied project hierarchy. You are also prompted to supply a path and name for each copied project in the hierarchy. Click Browse to adjust the path without typing.

11. Click OK.

Deleting a Project

The Delete command enables you to delete a project directory and all of its contents.

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

To delete a project:

1. Choose File > Delete Project and a dialog box appears.
2. Change the path as needed to locate the project directory you want to delete.

   Note You cannot delete the current project directory.

3. Select the project and click OK. You are prompted to confirm that you want to delete that project directory.
4. Click Yes to delete it; click No to keep it.

Using an Example Project

An extensive set of example projects is provided to demonstrate designing for various technologies.

To view the list of example projects:

1. In the Main window, click the View Example Directory button on the toolbar.
   
   The File Browser pane changes to display the categories of examples available.
2. Click the category of interest to view the projects in that category.
   

To open an example project:

1. Use any of these methods:
   • Double-click the project name listed in the File Browser pane on the left.
   • Double-click the project name listed in the Project Listing pane on the right (Refer to the Project Listing option described in Setting Preferences for Miscellaneous Options).
   • Choose File > Example Project. Select the appropriate category and then the desired example.
2. Example projects are saved in a particular state and one or more designs will open automatically.
   • UNIX - Notice that when the Schematic window appears, the title bar reflects that the example is READ-ONLY. To simulate or modify designs in this project, make a copy of the project.
   • PC - To preserve the example designs, make a copy of the project before modifying any of the designs in it.

Finding an Example Project or Design

Use the examples search to look for keywords, expressions, or component names in example projects and designs. This search feature looks through the design, layout, and data display files within all example projects and displays a list of projects that contain the terms you specified.

Use the following steps to access the Examples Search from the ADS Main window:

1. Choose Tools > Examples Search.
2. Use the Search section of the dialog box to define any combination of the following choices to define your search criteria.
   • Components - Search for a specific component.
   • Keywords - Search for a specific keyword.
   • Expressions - Search for a specific expression.
3. Use the Query field to enter the search word or a combination of the search word separated by Boolean operators. The search words are case sensitive. For example searching the word amplifier will produce different results than searching for Amplifier. This is because amplifier is treated as a keyword, while Amplifier is treated as a component name. You can use Boolean "OR" operation if you want to search for both amplifier and Amplifier.
   Use an asterisk ('' * '') at either end of the word as a wildcard when entering your search criteria. For example, use '' *ing '' to look for all words with the suffix "ing." When using wildcards, the search is limited to a maximum of one hundred words.
   If you enter two or more words separated by a space, the AND operator is implied. You can also specify AND using uppercase letters. For example, Amplifier BPF_Butterworth Attenuator returns the same results as Amplifier AND BPF_Butterworth AND Attenuator.
   An OR operator requires an explicit entry using uppercase letters. For example, Amplifier OR BPF_Butterworth OR Attenuator. Note that all multiple word search is limited to a maximum of four words.
4. Select Show Valid Search Words to display a list of valid words corresponding to the letters you type. The words appear in the list below the text entry field. You can double-click any word in the scroll-down list to add it to the Query field.
5. Click Search Now to begin the search. Click Clear to clear the search criteria. Click Help to display online documentation for the Examples Search tool.
6. Display Results

Example projects that meet the search criteria are listed in the Results section. Use the '' + '' in the Results field to expand an example project hierarchy and view the designs or data display files. A red X across an example in the Results field indicates the example is not available for viewing. You may need to install the example from your CD.

The Path field displays the full path to the currently selected example. Double-click a project, a design, or data display in the Results field to open the selected item.

The Mode radio buttons enable you to select how you would like to open the project/files that you select.

• Open Selected Project will open the selected project in a new window.
• Copy to Current Project will create a copy of the selected file within the current project that is already open (.dsn files will be copied to the network directory, .dds files will be copied to the project directory, and .ds files will be copied to the data directory).
• View Only will bring up a read only copy of the file that you selected. Read only files can not be simulated.

Click View Selected File Help to display documentation for the selected example. If documentation is not available for the selected project, this button is dimmed.

Creating a Hierarchical Project

You can create hierarchical projects using the Include/Remove Projects command. This command creates a reference, or link, to another project. Hierarchical projects offer several benefits, including:

• The ability to create hierarchical designs by referencing designs from other projects
• The ability to maintain a single source of a design referenced by other users. Other users can Include the project containing the design of interest, and benefit from updates to the original design, since they are only linking to it, not copying it.
• Reduced disk space required for shared designs.
  An example of a hierarchical project is shown next.
  

To include a project:

1. Open the project directory under which you want to include other projects.
2. Choose File > Include/Remove Projects.
3. Use the File Browser to locate and select the project you want to include.
4. Click the Include button. The project is added to the Project Hierarchy listing.
5. Repeat as needed, then click OK.

To remove an included project:

1. Open the project that includes the project to be removed.
2. Choose File > Include/Remove Projects.
3. Under Project Hierarchy, select the project you want to remove from the hierarchy and click the Remove button. The Project Hierarchy display is updated.
   If your hierarchical project includes other hierarchical projects, projects at lower levels cannot be removed unless the project in which they were originally included is the current project. For example, in the illustration shown next, you cannot remove the project amp1_prj from the hierarchy when rec_front_end_prj is the current project; you must make amplifiers_prj the current project first.
   
4. Repeat as needed, then click OK.

Working with Hierarchical Projects

Observing the following tips may simplify working with hierarchical projects:

• The title bar of the Schematic window displays the source of a project/design. This tip may help orient you when working with hierarchical designs within hierarchical projects. If you Push Into Hierarchy to view a design being referenced, the title bar displays the source of the design.
• If the project name in the title bar of the Schematic window does not match the current project name shown in the prompt panel of the Main window, simulation of that design is not allowed. This situation would occur, for example, if you place an instance of a design (as a subnetwork) from a project that is included in another project, and push into that subnetwork and attempt to simulate.

Archiving a Project

You can create a single file for a project, making it easy to transfer the project to another file system or another location on the same file system.

To archive a project:

1. In the Main window, choose File > Archive Project.
2. Use the Archive Project Browser and select the project you want to archive.
3. Use the To File Browser and select a path for the archived file.

   Hint You cannot archive directly to a floppy disk; you need more space for the process.

4. Supply a name for the archived file. The extension .zap is automatically appended to the filename you supply.
5. If the project is hierarchical and you want to preserve the hierarchy, select the Archive Project Hierarchy option.
6. Click OK.

   Hint If transferring projects back and forth between UNIX and PC, keep in mind that UNIX is case-sensitive and the PC is not. The PC does not always preserve case, so filenames going back and forth should be unique.

Unarchiving a Project

To unarchive a project:

1. In the Main window, choose File > Unarchive Project.
   

   Hint When you unarchive it, the project will be restored in the directory containing the archived file.

   The file listing displays all files in the current directory with the extension .zap.
   
2. Change directories as needed to locate the archived project file.
3. Select the file and click OK. If the project is hierarchical, all projects are restored with their original name(s).

   Hint The directory you use to unarchive the project cannot contain any subdirectory or filename of the same name as the archived project(s).

Importing and Exporting

The Import and Export commands enable you to import and export IFF files, as well as files in a variety of formats produced by other software. You can import files through the Main, Schematic, and Layout windows; exporting is done from Schematic and Layout.

• For details on available formats and descriptions of the options associated with each, refer to Available File Formats under About Importing and Exporting Designs in the Importing and Exporting Designs documentation.
• For details on importing and exporting SPICE or Cadence, Spectre files, refer to the Netlist Translator for SPICE and Spectre documentation.

Importing a Design

Use the following steps to import a design. Keep in mind you need to open a project before you can import a design:

1. Choose File > Import.
2. In the dialog box that appears, select the appropriate file format from the File Type drop-down list.
3. To define options for the imported file, click More Options, a dialog box appears.

   Note The program translators are controlled by translator options files. A system-wide options file exists for each translator. These files can be found in the $HPEESOF_DIR/config directory. The default system file is automatically read when you click More Options in the Import dialog box (unless a local options file already exists in the current project directory). When you make changes in the options dialog box and click OK, a local copy of the options file is written to the current project directory.

4. To specify the path and filename of the file you want to import, click Browse.
5. Double-click as needed to locate the directory containing the design. By default, all files are listed that have the file suffix appropriate for the chosen file format.
6. Select the design you want to import and click OK. You are returned to the Import dialog box and the selected filename appears in the field labeled Import File Name (Source).
7. Where applicable, type a new name for your imported design in the New Design Name (Destination) field.

   Note For certain file types, the translator uses the existing filename to determine the new design name.

8. Click OK to import the design and dismiss the Import dialog box.

Exporting a Design

To export a file:

1. Choose File > Export.
2. In the dialog box that appears, select a file format from the File Type drop-down list.
3. To set export options, click More Options and a dialog box appears.

   Note The program translators are controlled by translator options files. A system-wide options file exists for each translator. These files can be found in the $HPEESOF_DIR/config directory. The default system file is automatically read when you click More Options in the Export dialog box (unless a local options file already exists in the current project directory). When you make changes in the options dialog box and click OK, a local copy of the options file is written to the current project directory.

4. Change options as needed and click OK.
5. To specify a path for the exported file, click Browse.
6. Double-click as needed to locate the directory for the exported design. By default, all files are listed that have the file suffix appropriate for the chosen file format.
7. Click OK.
8. Type a new filename in the Export dialog box, following the path, and click OK. The file is written to the specified directory.

Managing Design Files

Before you begin your design work, you should understand the basics of file management within the design environment.

Creating a Design File

You can begin your design work in an untitled design window or supply a filename before you begin. When selecting a filename, keep in mind the guidelines described in the section on Naming Conventions under Program Basics.

To create a design file:

1. In a Schematic (or Layout) window, choose File > New Design and a dialog box appears.
   !usrguide-03-1-7.gif!
2. Enter a design name in the Name field. The program automatically adds the extension .dsn to your filename.

   Note If a project created on UNIX contains two or more designs whose names are only distinguishable from one another by differences in case, do not archive and transfer this project to a PC without renaming the designs such that they all have unique names. Likewise, projects should not have design names that are differentiated only by case from supplied component and model names. This requirement is due to the fact that the PC is case insensitive.

3. Where applicable (you selected Both in the initial or setup dialog box), select the Type of Network; Analog/RF Network or Digital Signal Processing Network. This affects the type of components available for design work.

   Hint The choices presented here reflect the setting in the Advanced Design System Setup dialog box (Main window, Tools menu).

4. Under the Create New Design in option, select create the new design in the Current Window, a New Schematic Window, or a New Layout Window.
5. Checking the Schematic Wizard box will launch the Schematic Wizard when you click OK. For details, refer to the next section on Using a Template.
6. Select Design Technology Files to determine which preference and layer files will be used by this design. The default choice of Design Technology File is shown in the pull down before you change it. The default choice is established when the project is created. It can be changed by choosing the Set as project default box on this dialog or on the dialog box created by the main window DesignKit > Setup Project menu. For more information, refer to the section on Creating a Project.
7. Click OK. The design name is reflected in the title bar of the window.

Using a Template

Several simulation templates are provided as a convenience to help you create designs more quickly. You can turn any of your own designs into a template using the Save Design As Template command.

To start a new design with an existing template:
Choose File > New Design, select a template from the list, and click OK.

To add an existing template to an existing design:
Choose Insert > Template, select a template from the list, and click OK.

To create a new design for use as a template:

1. Create the design just as you would any other design.
2. Choose File > Save Design As Template (The program automatically adds the extension .tpl to your filename.) The design is saved to your local templates directory and will now appear in the list of available templates (File > New Design and Insert > Template) when you choose to use one.

To modify a supplied template or one you have created:

1. Choose Insert > Template, select that template from the list, and click OK.
2. Make the desired changes and choose File > Save Design As Template.

   Note To associate an AEL macro file with a template, give it the same name as the template file, add underscore tpl, and an .ael extension. Example: For a template filename of my_amp.tpl, name the AEL macro file my_amp_tpl.ael. Place this file in $HOME/hpeesof/circuit/templates (or $HOME/hpeesof/adsptolemy/templates), along with the template file, and it will be loaded when you insert the template in another design.

Saving a Design File

There are three commands related to saving files: Save Design, Save Design As, and Save Design As Template.

• The Save Design command enables you to save changes to an existing file (If you choose Save in an untitled window, the Save Design As dialog box appears.)
• The Save Design As command enables you to save an existing file with a new name. For example, to make a copy of an existing design so that you can edit it while preserving the original, use the Save Design As command to create a copy of the file with another name.
• Use the Save Design As Template command to save a design, at any stage, for use as a template (Select a template for use through File > New Design or Insert > Template.) The program automatically adds the extension .tpl to your filename.If you have made changes to a design and want to discard those changes, but continue working with the previously saved version of the design, choose File > Revert to Saved Design.

To save changes to an existing file:
Choose File > Save Design. If the file was previously saved (it resides on the disk), a dialog box appears.

• If you want to overwrite the old version with the new version, click Yes.
• If you do not want to overwrite the old version, click No and use the Save Design As command to save the design to another name.

To save an existing file with a new name, or to save a new file you have not yet named:

1. Choose File > Save Design As and a dialog box appears prompting you for a New File Name.
2. Enter a name for the design and click OK. The file is saved and automatically assigned an extension, which varies depending on the window (Schematic/Layout uses .dsn; Data Display uses .dds).

   Note The Save Design As command names or renames all files associated with the design (.dsn, .ael, etc.) and is therefore the preferred method for saving a design to a new name. Therefore, it is recommended that you use the design environment for all file management operations.

Saving All Designs in Memory

To save any designs currently in memory, including data displays, that have not been saved since changes were made:
In the Main window, choose File > Save All.

Opening an Existing Design

Note Starting with ADS2003C, you can open Analog/RF designs from subsequent versions of ADS. However, you cannot open Signal Processing designs from subsequent versions. When opening an Analog/RF design from a subsequent version of ADS: 1. If a design from the subsequent version of ADS contains any instances of components that were modified, the system displays a warning dialog box with a list of modified instances, including a list of which parameters were updated. 2. If the design from the subsequent version of ADS contains instances of components that do not exist in the current version of ADS, the system fails to find the component definitions for those components. You must delete those instances or replace them with alternative components.

There are several ways to open existing designs:

• Double-click it in the Main window (from the Design Information pane)
• Double-click it from the Design Hierarchy dialog box (View > Design Hierarchies)
• Use the File > Open Design command in the appropriate design window
• If it is one of the last four designs opened, it appears on the file list at the bottom of the File menu and you can click there to open it
• If the design is currently open (in memory), it appears on the list at the bottom of the Window menu and you can click there to open it. You can also open it using the Designs Open command (on the Window menu).

To open an existing design from the browser in the Main window:

1. In the File Browser pane, click once to expand the networks directory and a list of all designs in that directory appears.
2. Double-click to select a design name. If the design is hierarchical, the hierarchy is listed under Design Information on the right side of the window; if the design is not hierarchical, its complete path and name appear under Design Information.
3. Double-click the design name from the right pane to open it.

To open an existing design from the File menu in a design window:

1. Choose File > Open Design and a dialog box appears.
   By default, the files displayed in this dialog box are located in the current project directory and have a .dsn extension.
2. Select the design you want to open from the Files list box, and click OK. The design appears in the window.

   Important To make a complete set of files for a design in another project directory, use the File > Copy Design command in the Main window.

To view a design currently open (in memory) from the Window menu:
Choose Window (in the Schematic or Layout window) and select the design of interest from:

• The list of files at the bottom of the Window menu
  or
• The dialog box that appears when you choose Designs Open
  Note that when the number of designs in memory exceeds the number of designs displayed at the bottom of the Window menu, an additional menu choice, More, appears. Choose More to see a complete list of designs in memory.

  Hint The number of designs displayed on the Window menu (by default, nine) can be customized by setting the variable DESIGN_LIST_COUNT equal to the desired value. For details, refer to Customizing the ADS Environment in the Customization and Configuration documentation.

Copying a Design

The Copy Design command copies all files associated with the design and is therefore the preferred method for copying designs.

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

To copy a design:

1. Choose File > Copy Design and click Browse (From Design).
2. Change directories as needed to locate the directory containing the design you want to copy.
3. Select the design and click OK.
4. Click Browse (To Path) and change directories as needed to specify the path for the copied design. Click OK.
5. If the design is hierarchical, and you want to preserve the design in its entirety, select the Copy Design Hierarchy option.
6. When the From and To fields in the Copy Design dialog box reflect the appropriate paths and filenames, click OK.

Deleting a Design

To delete a design:

1. Choose File > Delete Design and a dialog box appears. By default, all .dsn files in the current project are listed.

   Note Deleting designs should only be done through the program, as described here.

2. Change directories as needed to locate the project containing the designs/files you want to delete.
3. Change the File Type as needed to locate the designs/files you want to delete. You can select a different file type from the drop-down list, or type a file extension and press Enter or click Filter.
4. Select the design/file you want to delete and click Apply (or OK if this is the only file you want to delete). You are prompted to confirm that you want to delete that file. Click Yes to delete it; click No to keep it.

   Important If you delete a design that serves as a subnetwork in other designs, remember to delete all occurrences of that subnetwork in those designs.

Clearing a Design from Memory

Every design you open is stored in memory until you explicitly clear it from memory or exit the program. There are two ways to clear designs from memory: Close Design, Delete All. This distinction enables you to clear an entire design (both schematic and layout information, which are stored in the same file) from memory, or clear only schematic information or only layout information from memory.

• Close Design - File menu-clears the entire design file from memory
  If any unsaved changes are detected, you are prompted, Design not saved, clear anyway?** If you want to clear the design without saving, click Yes.
  • If you do not want to clear the design without saving, click No, and then select Save Design from the File menu.
• Delete All - Edit menu-clears the current schematic information, if issued from the Schematic window, or the layout information, if issued from the Layout window.

  Hint As with other commands found on the Edit menu, the Undo command works on Delete All.

Clearing All Designs from Memory

To clear all designs, including data displays, currently in memory:
In the Main window, choose File > Close All.
If any files with unsaved changes exist, a dialog box appears listing one of the files and offering the following choices:

• Yes - Saves changes to the named file and prompts you individually for any additional files with unsaved changes.
• No - Discards changes to the named file and prompts you individually for any additional files with unsaved changes.
• Yes To All - Saves changes to all files without prompting you for each one.
• No To All - Discards changes to all files without prompting you for each one.
• Cancel - Stops the Close All command.