National-instruments Graphical User Interface Ultiboard User Manual

NI UltiboardTMUser ManualNI Ultiboard User ManualMay 2008374488C-01

Contents© National Instruments Corporation xi NI Ultiboard User ManualPlacing a Bus ...

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-4 ni.comUsing the Parts Tab for Other FunctionsThe Parts tab of the Spreadsheet View can also b

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-5 NI Ultiboard User ManualTools to Assist Part PlacementThe following sections tell y

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-6 ni.comWorking with Force VectorsForce vectors are powerful aids that help you place parts on

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualDragging PartsTo drag a part, click and drag it to the loca

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-8 ni.comComplete the following steps to adjust the shove spacing around a part:1. Select the pa

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-9 NI Ultiboard User Manual 2. Your selections show in the preview area. 3. To manipul

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-10 ni.comUsing Ruler Bars and GuidesUse the ruler bars to place guides on the design, or to mea

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-11 NI Ultiboard User ManualOrienting Parts Parts are placed on the board in a certain

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-12 ni.comSpacing Shapes and Parts Shapes and parts can be spaced relative to each other on the

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-13 NI Ultiboard User Manual 5. Begin selecting and dragging parts. As they are placed

ContentsNI Ultiboard User Manual xii ni.comChapter 6PCB CalculatorsPCB Transmission Line Calculator...

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-14 ni.comReplicating a Group The Group Replica Place function allows you to automatically apply

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-15 NI Ultiboard User Manual 5. Drag your mouse to the desired location and click to p

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-16 ni.comNote You can sort attribute information by clicking on the column header. If you are l

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-17 NI Ultiboard User ManualViewing and Editing Part Properties Complete the followin

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-18 ni.com2. Choose the type of object to be created: • For a hole, enable the Hole option (the

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-19 NI Ultiboard User Manual3. To place a band to indicate polarization (for example,

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-20 ni.comViewing and Editing Shape/Graphics PropertiesAs with parts and traces, the properties

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-21 NI Ultiboard User ManualPlacing Mounting Holes and ConnectorsMounting holes and co

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-22 ni.comAfter creating a shape/graphic, right-click to cancel the Place command. Note Shapes a

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-23 NI Ultiboard User ManualWorking with JumpersPlacing JumpersDefault jumper pin sett

Contents© National Instruments Corporation xiii NI Ultiboard User ManualChapter 8Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyPlacing and Editing Text...

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-24 ni.comTo control the coordinates for the jumper’s starting and ending points, use the follow

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-25 NI Ultiboard User ManualViewing and Editing Test Point PropertiesComplete the foll

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-26 ni.com5. Click to indicate the end point. Ultiboard stops measuring the length, and draws an

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-27 NI Ultiboard User ManualTo control the coordinates for the dimension’s starting an

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-28 ni.com• Zoom In button—Click to zoom in on the part for more detail. You can also press the

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-29 NI Ultiboard User ManualEditing Parts and ShapesEditing a Placed Part (In-Place Ed

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-30 ni.com4. Indicate the pad type (THT or SMD) and its dimensions and spacing. Changes appear i

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-31 NI Ultiboard User Manual Complete the following steps to add a vertex to any line

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-32 ni.comTo edit a through hole pin’s attributes, use the Attributes tab. Refer to the Attribut

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-33 NI Ultiboard User ManualUse the Thermal Relief tab to choose what type of thermal

ContentsNI Ultiboard User Manual xiv ni.comSetting Mechanical CAD Colors... 10-3Cont

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-34 ni.comSearching For and Replacing PartsUltiboard allows you to search for parts in two ways:

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-35 NI Ultiboard User ManualReplacing PartsComplete the following steps to replace a p

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-36 ni.com3. Select the type of part you want to create: a net bridge, custom pad shape, PCB par

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-37 NI Ultiboard User ManualIf you chose SMT in step 1 of the wizard, the Package Type

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-38 ni.com• Diameter—The diameter of the circle around pin 1 of the part. Becomes active when Ci

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-39 NI Ultiboard User ManualClick Add to create a new pad and then change the settings

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-40 ni.com7. Make the desired pad settings and click Next to display step 6 of the wizard. The f

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-41 NI Ultiboard User ManualManaging the Database The Database Manager is where you ad

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-42 ni.com• The Parts panel, which lists the parts in the selected sub-category. The Parts panel

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-43 NI Ultiboard User Manual– Mouse Wheel—If your mouse has a center wheel, you can us

Contents© National Instruments Corporation xv NI Ultiboard User ManualEdit»Selection Filter...

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-44 ni.com3. Select the category or sub-category where the category is to be copied. The copied

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-45 NI Ultiboard User ManualAdding Parts using the Database Manager Complete the foll

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-46 ni.comNote If you selected multiple parts, you can save them to the database as one item. Wh

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-47 NI Ultiboard User Manual6. Click Start. A dialog box displays with the following o

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-48 ni.com7. Select one of the following options:• Auto-Rename...—Imports and automatically rena

© National Instruments Corporation 5-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual5Working with Traces and CopperThe following sections describe how to work with traces

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-2 ni.comoperations on traces, be sure to select either the appropriate segment or,

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-3 NI Ultiboard User Manual6. Click the next pad in the net. Continue in t

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-4 ni.com4. Move the mouse pointer to the next pad in the net. The trace follows the

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-5 NI Ultiboard User ManualTip Use <Ctrl-Shift-W/N> to widen/narrow

ContentsNI Ultiboard User Manual xvi ni.comPlace»Jumper ...

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-6 ni.com3. Move the cursor toward the bus’s destination pins and double-click to co

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualWorking with Keep-in/Keep-out AreasA Keep-in ar

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-8 ni.com4. Optionally, click on one of the following checkboxes in the Advanced opt

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-9 NI Ultiboard User ManualEqui-Spacing TracesThis option lets you set the

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-10 ni.comTo delete a trace that you have just placed, choose Edit»Undo Place Trace

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-11 NI Ultiboard User ManualPlacing Powerplanes Powerplanes are copper are

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-12 ni.comConverting a Copper Shape to an AreaUse to convert a copper shape to a pol

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-13 NI Ultiboard User ManualAdding and Removing Teardrops A teardrop is a

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-14 ni.com3. Optionally, change the Units (of measurement). 4. In the Clearances box

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-15 NI Ultiboard User Manual2. In the Remove Islands box, set the paramete

Contents© National Instruments Corporation xvii NI Ultiboard User ManualTools»View 3D Position ...

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-16 ni.comNote Depending on your setting in the PCB Design tab of the Preferences di

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-17 NI Ultiboard User Manual3. In the Autorouter Settings box, select eith

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-18 ni.comPlacing SMD Fanouts The Fanout SMD command attaches vias to each pin of ei

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-19 NI Ultiboard User Manual5. Click Start Fanout. The Fanout Options dial

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-20 ni.comComplete the following steps to find a net in the design:1. Click the net

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-21 NI Ultiboard User ManualComplete the following steps to add new pins t

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-22 ni.com The remainder of this section uses the example shown in the figure below.

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-23 NI Ultiboard User Manual OrClick Add. The Add Pins to the Net dialog b

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-24 ni.comComplete the following steps to change a net’s topology. 1. Select Tools»N

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-25 NI Ultiboard User Manualnet, then the pin below the reference point wi

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual1User InterfaceThe following sections explain the basic components of the Ultiboard Gra

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-26 ni.comDeleting a Pin from a NetComplete the following steps to delete a pin from

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-27 NI Ultiboard User ManualSetting Miscellaneous Net Parameters Complete

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-28 ni.comSetting Via Parameters Complete the following steps to edit via informatio

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-29 NI Ultiboard User Manual5. Select the net to use for the shield in the

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-30 ni.comNet BridgesThe net bridge functionality permits connections between differ

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-31 NI Ultiboard User Manual 7. Close the Net Bridge Edit Layer, and when

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-32 ni.comPlacing a Net BridgeThis example connects two traces - one is on net “DGND

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-33 NI Ultiboard User Manual Copying a Copper RouteYou can copy the routin

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-34 ni.com3. Select Design»Copy Route. The Copy route dialog box appears. 4. Select

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-35 NI Ultiboard User Manual 3. Click on the second pin to complete the ac

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-2 ni.comButton DescriptionNew File button. Creates a new project (if none are currently open) or a

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-36 ni.comThe following design is used in this example: Complete the following step

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-37 NI Ultiboard User Manual 3. Click on the letter corresponding to the g

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and CopperNI Ultiboard User Manual 5-38 ni.comAutomatic Pin/Gate SwappingThis feature lets you swap pins and/or gates af

Chapter 5 Working with Traces and Copper© National Instruments Corporation 5-39 NI Ultiboard User Manual Real-Time Pin/Gate SwappingThis feature allow

© National Instruments Corporation 6-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual6PCB Calculators The following sections explain how to use Ultiboard’s PCB Calculators.

Chapter 6 PCB CalculatorsNI Ultiboard User Manual 6-2 ni.comThe PCB Transmission Line Calculator supports: • Microstrip Trace Calculations.• Embedded

Chapter 6 PCB Calculators© National Instruments Corporation 6-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualMicrostrip EquationsThe equations used to perform the microstr

Chapter 6 PCB CalculatorsNI Ultiboard User Manual 6-4 ni.comEmbedded Microstrip EquationsThe equations used to perform the embedded microstrip calcula

Chapter 6 PCB Calculators© National Instruments Corporation 6-5 NI Ultiboard User ManualCentered Stripline EquationsThe equations used to perform the

Chapter 6 PCB CalculatorsNI Ultiboard User Manual 6-6 ni.comAssymetric Stripline EquationsThe equations used to perform the asymmetric stripline calcu

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualView Toolbar The View toolbar contains buttons for modifying th

Chapter 6 PCB Calculators© National Instruments Corporation 6-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualDual Stripline EquationsThe equations used to perform the dual

Chapter 6 PCB CalculatorsNI Ultiboard User Manual 6-8 ni.comYou can use the PCB Differential Impedance Calculator to calculate the following parameter

Chapter 6 PCB Calculators© National Instruments Corporation 6-9 NI Ultiboard User Manual 4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the

Chapter 6 PCB CalculatorsNI Ultiboard User Manual 6-10 ni.com• Dielectric Thickness (H)—Refer to the figure below. • Trace Thickness (T)—Refer to the

Chapter 6 PCB Calculators© National Instruments Corporation 6-11 NI Ultiboard User ManualEmbedded Microstrip Differential Impedance EquationsThe equat

Chapter 6 PCB CalculatorsNI Ultiboard User Manual 6-12 ni.com 4. Click Calculate. Results of the calculation appear in the Calculation Results area. T

Chapter 6 PCB Calculators© National Instruments Corporation 6-13 NI Ultiboard User Manual3. In the Input Data area, edit the following fields as desir

Chapter 6 PCB CalculatorsNI Ultiboard User Manual 6-14 ni.comAsymmetric Stripline Differential Impedance EquationsThe equations used to perform the as

© National Instruments Corporation 7-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual7Autorouting and AutoplacementThere are a number of autorouting and autoplacement tools

Chapter 7 Autorouting and AutoplacementNI Ultiboard User Manual 7-2 ni.comNote This is only active when an unconnected pad corresponding to that net i

SupportWorldwide Technical Support and Product Informationni.comNational Instruments Corporate Headquarters11500 North Mopac Expressway Austin, Texas

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-4 ni.comMain Toolbar The Main toolbar contains buttons for common board design functions. Its butto

Chapter 7 Autorouting and Autoplacement© National Instruments Corporation 7-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualThe autoplacer places parts as clusters. These c

Chapter 7 Autorouting and AutoplacementNI Ultiboard User Manual 7-4 ni.comconnections. 10 prioritizes parts with the highest ratio of connections to t

Chapter 7 Autorouting and Autoplacement© National Instruments Corporation 7-5 NI Ultiboard User Manual• SMD Rotation Mode—Used to set amount by which

Chapter 7 Autorouting and AutoplacementNI Ultiboard User Manual 7-6 ni.com• Use smaller Keep-out or Keep-in areas. Often, a PCB with Keep-in areas can

Chapter 7 Autorouting and Autoplacement© National Instruments Corporation 7-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualUnderstanding the Four Fundamental Routing Funct

Chapter 7 Autorouting and AutoplacementNI Ultiboard User Manual 7-8 ni.comunless you achieve poorer routing results than you expect. When changing cos

Chapter 7 Autorouting and Autoplacement© National Instruments Corporation 7-9 NI Ultiboard User ManualTo perform a full autoroute, choose Autoroute»St

Chapter 7 Autorouting and AutoplacementNI Ultiboard User Manual 7-10 ni.comComplete the following steps to autoroute selected bus(es): 1. Select Autor

Chapter 7 Autorouting and Autoplacement© National Instruments Corporation 7-11 NI Ultiboard User Manual4. The Automatic Testpoint Placement Setup dial

Chapter 7 Autorouting and AutoplacementNI Ultiboard User Manual 7-12 ni.com• Pin Contact Mode—Select Allow Pin Corners to allow traces to connect to p

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 NI Ultiboard User ManualSelect Toolbar The Select toolbar contains the functions used

Chapter 7 Autorouting and Autoplacement© National Instruments Corporation 7-13 NI Ultiboard User ManualComplete the following steps to set up cost fac

Chapter 7 Autorouting and AutoplacementNI Ultiboard User Manual 7-14 ni.com4. Edit one or both of the following fields in the Optimization area: • Cha

Chapter 7 Autorouting and Autoplacement© National Instruments Corporation 7-15 NI Ultiboard User Manual• Distance-2 (2 Grid) Cost Factor—Controls the

Chapter 7 Autorouting and AutoplacementNI Ultiboard User Manual 7-16 ni.comRouting Options: Bus Autorouting Tab To autoroute buses, the topology for t

Chapter 7 Autorouting and Autoplacement© National Instruments Corporation 7-17 NI Ultiboard User ManualStrategies to Achieve Better Routing ResultsSpe

© National Instruments Corporation 8-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual8Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyThe following sections explain the basic functions

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyNI Ultiboard User Manual 8-2 ni.com4. Optionally, in the Next Label area:• Increment—Enable to increase

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly© National Instruments Corporation 8-3 NI Ultiboard User Manual3. Optionally, to re-size the selection f

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyNI Ultiboard User Manual 8-4 ni.com Complete the following steps to pin a comment to a part or the works

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly© National Instruments Corporation 8-5 NI Ultiboard User Manual6. In the Size area:• Auto-Resize checkbo

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-6 ni.comDraw Settings ToolbarThe Draw Settings toolbar lets you select the layer, thickness and uni

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyNI Ultiboard User Manual 8-6 ni.com4. If you only want to renumber parts you selected prior to opening t

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly© National Instruments Corporation 8-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualComplete the following steps to miter the

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyNI Ultiboard User Manual 8-8 ni.comManually Re-Running the Design Rules and Netlist CheckThe design rule

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly© National Instruments Corporation 8-9 NI Ultiboard User ManualIt is important to talk to your productio

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyNI Ultiboard User Manual 8-10 ni.comThe new setting uses the same properties as the Default setting, or

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly© National Instruments Corporation 8-11 NI Ultiboard User Manual• Oversize box—Define the parameters for

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyNI Ultiboard User Manual 8-12 ni.comComplete the following steps to change the SVG export properties:1.

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly© National Instruments Corporation 8-13 NI Ultiboard User ManualWorking with Parts Centroids Properties

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyNI Ultiboard User Manual 8-14 ni.comWorking with Layer Stackup PropertiesA Layer Stackup Report shows yo

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/Assembly© National Instruments Corporation 8-15 NI Ultiboard User ManualOnce you have more than one layer select

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualEdit Toolbar The Edit toolbar contains the functions used for e

Chapter 8 Preparing for Manufacturing/AssemblyNI Ultiboard User Manual 8-16 ni.com If you elect to enlarge the size of your printout in the Zoom Optio

© National Instruments Corporation 9-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual9Viewing Designs in 3DUltiboard allows you to see what the board looks like in three di

Chapter 9 Viewing Designs in 3DNI Ultiboard User Manual 9-2 ni.com To close the 3D view, right-click on the 3D view in the Projects tab and choose Clo

Chapter 9 Viewing Designs in 3D© National Instruments Corporation 9-3 NI Ultiboard User Manual3. Continue holding the button and move the pointer as f

Chapter 9 Viewing Designs in 3DNI Ultiboard User Manual 9-4 ni.comShowing an Object’s HeightWhile in the 3D view, you can show an object’s height, as

Chapter 9 Viewing Designs in 3D© National Instruments Corporation 9-5 NI Ultiboard User ManualThe figure below shows the normal 3D view of a sample PC

Chapter 9 Viewing Designs in 3DNI Ultiboard User Manual 9-6 ni.comExporting to 3D IGES3D IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) is a file form

© National Instruments Corporation 10-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual10Using Mechanical CADUltiboard’s mechanical CAD function can be used to design enclos

Chapter 10 Using Mechanical CADNI Ultiboard User Manual 10-2 ni.comCreating Mechanical CAD Design FilesTo create a new mechanical CAD design, you can

Chapter 10 Using Mechanical CAD© National Instruments Corporation 10-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualImporting a DXF FileComplete the following steps to imp

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-8 ni.comAlign Toolbar The Align toolbar contains the functions used to align and space design eleme

Chapter 10 Using Mechanical CADNI Ultiboard User Manual 10-4 ni.comControlling Workspace Elements for Mechanical CADThe General tab allows you to cont

Chapter 10 Using Mechanical CAD© National Instruments Corporation 10-5 NI Ultiboard User Manual9. In the Auto save settings box:• Enable auto save—Act

© National Instruments Corporation A-1 NI Ultiboard User ManualAMenus and CommandsThe following sections contain brief descriptions for the commands i

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-2 ni.comFile»Save As Saves the current design file with a name and location that you specify i

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualFile»Print Setup Sets up the printing paramaters required

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-4 ni.comEdit»Cut Removes the selected element(s) from the board. The element is placed on the

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-5 NI Ultiboard User Manual• Open Trace Ends—Use to delete all open trace ends in the

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-6 ni.comEdit»Selection Filter Use these commands to prevent accidentally selecting a particula

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-7 NI Ultiboard User Manual• Align Top—Aligns the top edges of the selected elements.

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-8 ni.comView MenuThe subjects in this section describe the commands found in the View menu. Vi

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-9 NI Ultiboard User ManualPlace Toolbar The Place toolbar contains the functions used to

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-9 NI Ultiboard User ManualView»Ruler Bars Use to toggle the ruler bars on and off. R

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-10 ni.com• Draw Settings—Use to toggle the Draw Settings toolbar on and off. Refer to the Draw

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-11 NI Ultiboard User ManualPlace»Follow-me Use to place a trace between two selected

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-12 ni.comPlace»Graphic»Arc Use to place an arc or a trace, depending on the active layer. Refe

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-13 NI Ultiboard User ManualPlace»Keep-in/Keep-out Area Use to define a polygon to re

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-14 ni.comPlace»Automatic Test Points Use to automatically place a test point on each net on yo

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-15 NI Ultiboard User ManualDesign»Polygon Splitter Use to split a copper area or pow

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-16 ni.comDesign»Fanout SMD Use to place a via fanout for a SMD part. Refer to the Placing SMD

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-17 NI Ultiboard User ManualTools Menu The subjects in this section describe the comm

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-18 ni.comTools»Database»Convert Database Use to update your old User and Corporate databases t

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-10 ni.comPlace Ellipse button. Places an ellipse on the design. Refer to the Placing Shapes and Gra

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-19 NI Ultiboard User ManualTools»Equi-space Traces Use to equally space selected tra

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-20 ni.comOptions Menu The subjects in this section describe the commands found in the Options

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-21 NI Ultiboard User ManualWindow»Close All Use to close all open windows.Window»Cas

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-22 ni.comHelp»About Ultiboard Use to display the version numbers of your copy of Ultiboard.Con

Appendix A Menus and Commands© National Instruments Corporation A-23 NI Ultiboard User ManualQuick Layer Toggle Use to toggle between the last copper

Appendix A Menus and CommandsNI Ultiboard User Manual A-24 ni.comRight-drag MenuWhen you select an area by dragging and releasing the right mouse butt

© National Instruments Corporation B-1 NI Ultiboard User ManualBArchiving DataNational Instruments recommends that you regularly back up the files cre

Appendix B Archiving DataNI Ultiboard User Manual B-2 ni.comThe ProgramData folder is a system folder and thus may be hidden. Complete the following s

Appendix B Archiving Data© National Instruments Corporation B-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualThe user’s configuration file is stored at:C:\Users\<user n

© National Instruments Corporation C-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual CTechnical Support and Professional ServicesVisit the following sections of the award-

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-11 NI Ultiboard User ManualPlace Text button. Places text on the design. Useful for annot

Appendix C Technical Support and Professional ServicesNI Ultiboard User Manual C-2 ni.comIf you searched ni.com and could not find the answers you nee

© National Instruments Corporation G-1 NI Ultiboard User ManualGlossarySymbol Prefix Valueppico10–12nnano10–9μ micro 10–6m milli 10–3k kilo 103Mmega10

GlossaryNI Ultiboard User Manual G-2 ni.comCChamfer Corners Corners at an increment of 45º on the trace routes.Copper Area A copper polygon.Copper Isl

Glossary© National Instruments Corporation G-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualOOutput Window Gives you useful information on the status of your design. By de

GlossaryNI Ultiboard User Manual G-4 ni.comTThermal Relief Area around a pin where no copper appears, but which is crossed by copper lines to make con

© National Instruments Corporation I-1 NI Ultiboard User ManualIndexNumerics3D viewcontrolling elements in, 9-3manipulating, 9-2using, 9-1Viewer optio

IndexNI Ultiboard User Manual I-2 ni.comcolorcontrolling, 1-15mechanical CAD design, 10-3schemes, setting up, 1-15configuration filesback-up, B-2conne

Index© National Instruments Corporation I-3 NI Ultiboard User Manualdimensionsdefault, 1-18placing, 4-25properties, 4-26type, 4-25documentationconvent

IndexNI Ultiboard User Manual I-4 ni.comguidesmoving, 4-10placing, 4-10removing, 4-10using, 4-10Hhelp, technical support, C-1highlighting in Multisim,

Index© National Instruments Corporation I-5 NI Ultiboard User Manualnetadding, 5-21deleting, 5-25deleting pad from, 5-26renaming, 5-25Net Edit dialogG

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-12 ni.comWizard Toolbar The Wizard toolbar contains the wizard functions supported by Ultiboard. Th

IndexNI Ultiboard User Manual I-6 ni.comPCB Differential Impedance Calculator, 6-7PCB PropertiesBoard Default tab, 1-25PCB Transmission Line Calculato

Index© National Instruments Corporation I-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualSelect toolbar, 1-5Selection Filter command, A-6selection filtering, 2-7Setting da

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-13 NI Ultiboard User ManualSetting Preferences This section explains general procedures f

Important InformationWarrantyThe media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming instructio

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-14 ni.com• Line width cache size—The number of recently used line widths Ultiboard keeps in memory.

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-15 NI Ultiboard User ManualColors Tab Ultiboard allows you to set up color schemes for t

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-16 ni.com3. Set the viewing options in the View area:• Show pin 1 mark—Enable to display pin 1 of a

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-17 NI Ultiboard User Manual9. In the On trace placement area: • Auto trace narrowing—Enab

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-18 ni.com 14. To apply your changes but leave the Preferences dialog box open, click Apply. To appl

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-19 NI Ultiboard User Manual• Displayed Unit—Select the unit of measure to be displayed wi

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-20 ni.comSetting PCB Properties Many characteristics of your PCB design are controlled through the

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-21 NI Ultiboard User Manual• Degree Step—This field becomes active when Polar Grid is sel

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-22 ni.com4. As you make changes to the layer settings, the Allowed Vias pane shows the acceptable l

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-23 NI Ultiboard User ManualThrough Hole Pad Annular Ring Footprints in the database have

WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS(1) NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS AND TESTING FOR A LEVEL OF RE

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-24 ni.comThe Capture Land Diameter field determines the land diameter where the microvia starts, wh

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-25 NI Ultiboard User ManualComplete the following steps to rename layers:1. Click Rename

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-26 ni.comSetting Favorite Layers You can assign shortcuts for up to ten layers using the Favorite l

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-27 NI Ultiboard User ManualDesign Toolbox The Design Toolbox, shown in the figure below,

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-28 ni.comBirds Eye View The Birds Eye View shows you the design at a glance and lets you easily nav

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-29 NI Ultiboard User ManualSpreadsheet View The Spreadsheet View allows fast advanced vie

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-30 ni.comNote You can also access the above commands from a pop-up menu by right-clicking in the Sp

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-31 NI Ultiboard User ManualWhen you right-click on an item in the DRC tab, a pop-up menu

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-32 ni.com 3. Select the error type(s) to add to the filter. You can use the Ctrl and Shift keys to

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-33 NI Ultiboard User ManualYou can also right-click an item to display a popup that conta

ConventionsThe following conventions are used in this manual: » The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options to a final act

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-34 ni.comSpreadsheet View: Part Groups TabUse the Part Groups tab to work with part groups as descr

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-35 NI Ultiboard User ManualSpreadsheet View: Nets TabUse the Nets tab to work with the ne

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-36 ni.comMin Width The minimum width to which a trace will be laid during routing. You can enter a

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-37 NI Ultiboard User ManualBus Group This is the bus group in which the net is contained.

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-38 ni.comSpreadsheet View: Nets Groups Tab Use the Net Groups tab to work with net groups.Column De

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-39 NI Ultiboard User ManualSpreadsheet View: SMT Pads Tab Use the SMT Pads tab to work wi

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-40 ni.comSpreadsheet View: THT Pads Tab Use the THT Pads tab to work with pad information for throu

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-41 NI Ultiboard User ManualInner Pad ShapeThe shape of the inner layer pad as set in the

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-42 ni.comSpreadsheet View: Vias Tab Use the Vias tab to work with via information.Column Descriptio

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-43 NI Ultiboard User ManualSpreadsheet View: Copper Areas TabUse the Copper Areas tab to

© National Instruments Corporation vii NI Ultiboard User ManualContentsChapter 1User InterfaceIntroduction to the Ultiboard Interface ...

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-44 ni.comSpreadsheet View: Keep-ins/Keep-outs TabUse the Keep-ins/Keep-outs tab to work with inform

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-45 NI Ultiboard User ManualSpreadsheet View: PCB Layers Tab Use the PCB Layers tab to wor

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-46 ni.comSpreadsheet View: Statistics TabThis tab displays the following statistics:• Total number

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-47 NI Ultiboard User ManualCommands Tab The Commands tab in the Customize dialog box is u

Chapter 1 User InterfaceNI Ultiboard User Manual 1-48 ni.com3. The buttons in this tab function as follows: • Reset All—Displays the Reset Toolbars di

Chapter 1 User Interface© National Instruments Corporation 1-49 NI Ultiboard User ManualOptions Tab Use the Options tab in the Customize dialog box to

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual2Beginning a DesignThe following sections explain how to start a design in Ultiboard.So

Chapter 2 Beginning a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 2-2 ni.comCreating a Design A design is created automatically when you create a project file. You

Chapter 2 Beginning a Design© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 NI Ultiboard User Manual(tracklength_max "-1.000000000000")(tracklength_m

Chapter 2 Beginning a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 2-4 ni.comComplete the following steps to import a netlist file: 1. Select File»Import»UB Netlist

ContentsNI Ultiboard User Manual viii ni.comSpreadsheet View: SMT Pads Tab... 1-39Sprea

Chapter 2 Beginning a Design© National Instruments Corporation 2-5 NI Ultiboard User ManualOpening an Existing File Complete the following steps to o

Chapter 2 Beginning a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 2-6 ni.comTo save all open file and designs, choose File»Save All. To close the current file and

Chapter 2 Beginning a Design© National Instruments Corporation 2-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualSelecting and Unselecting Elements You can select and unsel

Chapter 2 Beginning a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 2-8 ni.comPlace and Select Modes Ultiboard assumes that placing shapes, parts, or traces on a boa

Chapter 2 Beginning a Design© National Instruments Corporation 2-9 NI Ultiboard User Manual3. To constrain your search to only certain attributes, cho

Chapter 2 Beginning a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 2-10 ni.comWhen you display a design on the full screen, everything except the design disappears

Chapter 2 Beginning a Design© National Instruments Corporation 2-11 NI Ultiboard User ManualRefreshing the Design After adding and changing elements,

© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual3Setting Up a DesignThe following sections explain the basic functions you must perform

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-2 ni.com• The other method typically uses a layered pair as a core to which single layers of c

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualAccessing Layers The Layers tab of the Design Toolbox allo

Contents© National Instruments Corporation ix NI Ultiboard User ManualWorking with the Board Outline ...

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-4 ni.comThe Layers tab is divided into four sections: • PCB—These are the working layers of yo

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-5 NI Ultiboard User ManualTip You can show or hide individual ratsnests from the Sho

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-6 ni.comTo edit the properties of the placed board outline, select the outline and select Edit

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-7 NI Ultiboard User ManualUsing the Board Wizard Complete the following steps to use

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-8 ni.com4. If you chose Single Sided or Double Sided, or upon clicking Next after defining the

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-9 NI Ultiboard User Manual Enter coordinate dialog box Complete the following steps

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-10 ni.comDesign Rule Errors Design rule errors appear in the DRC tab of the Spreadsheet View a

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-11 NI Ultiboard User Manual• Pin “[Pin number]” from Part “[refdes]”(value) in Net “

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-12 ni.comWorking with Net Groups Complete the following steps to create a net group: 1. Select

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-13 NI Ultiboard User Manual8. Click checkboxes beside the desired nets in the Assign

ContentsNI Ultiboard User Manual x ni.comPlacing Other Elements ...

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-14 ni.com6. Click OK to return to the Part Groups tab. The newly created group appears in the

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-15 NI Ultiboard User ManualComplete the following steps to edit a part group: 1. Sel

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-16 ni.com 7. Click checkboxes beside the desired nets in the Assign Nets list and click Apply

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-17 NI Ultiboard User ManualWorking with Differential Pairs Complete the following st

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-18 ni.com8. Click two checkboxes beside the desired nets in the Assign Nets list and click App

Chapter 3 Setting Up a Design© National Instruments Corporation 3-19 NI Ultiboard User ManualNet Group Settings For net groups, the following Group Se

Chapter 3 Setting Up a DesignNI Ultiboard User Manual 3-20 ni.comFor information on any setting, select it in the Group Settings list. A description a

© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 NI Ultiboard User Manual4Working with PartsThe following sections explain how to work with parts as you create

Chapter 4 Working with PartsNI Ultiboard User Manual 4-2 ni.comComplete the following steps to drag a part from outside the board outline: 1. Click on

Chapter 4 Working with Parts© National Instruments Corporation 4-3 NI Ultiboard User ManualThe selected part (4) appears in the preview area (5). Dese