Did you know? Enriched schematic content available in PDF files from DEHDL (ConceptHDL)!

For years, Concept-SCALD, and ConceptHDL (DEHDL) customers have been using various methods for generating schematic plots into the PDF format. Some have purchased tools, others have bundled together free utilities with custom scripts to accomplish the task. Most have not been able to produce the exact desired content, let alone an intelligent PDF plot.

About two years ago, the SPB R&D and Marketing teams developed not only a PDF output generator for DEHDL schematics, but a highly robust PDF output that provides increased value for design teams needing to review the schematic details. By robust, just look at these available capabilities using the free Adobe Reader (using Adobe Reader version 8.x is recommended):

• Ability to search and jump/zoom to areas (using the Adobe Reader Model Tree feature)
• Ability to descend into hierarchical blocks
• View detailed net, part properties/attributes
• Control which property forms (net/part/pin) will appear in the PDF file
• Control which objects (net/part properties, parts, nets, Cross Referencer annotations, etc.) will be plotted via a layers mechanism
• Attribute filters to individually filter out undesirable properties from the exported PDF file
• The Adobe Reader bookmarks tab allows you to quickly navigate all levels of the flat or hierarchical design (this mimics the DEHDL Hierarchy Viewer)
• The Adobe Reader pages tab provides thumbnail views for all the DEHDL schematic pages
• Plot color and/or back & white output
• Password protection of the PDF file allowing increased security

The PDF Publisher feature was introduced in the SPB15.7 release and has been enhanced through each of the releases since then through the current SPB16.01 release.

When you consider the design intelligence built into the PDF file, it's as if you're using DEHDL itself. The ability for design teams to review schematics in an efficient manner - without the need for launching DEHDL - provides a significant amount of flexibility!

You can extend the basic PDF output capabilities as well. In a recent CDNLive! 2007 Paper written by Sandeep Mathur - "Managing the Design Review, Compare, and Design Guidelines with Allegro Design Publisher PDF," the author provides details about "how using the PDF output generated using Allegro Design Publisher can be used for design reviews and how the features available with Adobe can help in tracking the review comments." You can track design differences easily using the methodology described by Sandeep.

Do you have a novel addition to PDF outputs from DEHDL? Are there any capabilities you would like to see added? I'd like to hear from you!

Jerry GenPart