What's Good About PCB SI Signal Integrity Application Mode? It’s in the 16.5 Release!

In release 16.0, the concept of Application Modes was introduced. These application modes are used to set up the tool for specific tasks. The existing applications are General Edit, Etch Edit, and Placement. In 16.5, the Signal Integrity (SI) application mode has been added to be used for high-speed related tasks.

An Application Mode is a “super command” telling Allegro the general function area the user will be working in, and includes the following related functionality:
•    Highlighting objects on hover
•    Context sensitive RMB menus
•    Auto-execution of default commands on double-click or drag of an object
•    A limited Find Filter

Read on for more details …

There are six different methods for accessing App Modes.

One is through the User Preferences Editor (Setup > User Preferences). This sets the App Mode to start when an Allegro editor opens:

 
The other five are all accessible from within the canvas and impact the current session:

 
 
 
The SI application mode behaves in a manner similar to other application modes, but is only available when an SI license is available while in Allegro PCB Editor. If you are currently using Allegro PCB GXL and then select the SI app mode, the tool will stay in the same editor and the SI license will be checked out only when an SI feature is used.

This feature is defined mostly in context sensitive menus in order to perform SI specific tasks but can also be seen in different datatips content by default and double click command on certain objects.

The following picture shows the Right Mouse Menu in SI application mode when invoked from the empty canvas:

 

Quick Utilities

The Quick Utilities sub-menu is shown below:

 

Context Sensitive Menus

In the SI Application mode, when you right click on an object, the content of the menu is adapted to the object and what you most likely want to do.
The following context sensitive menu are displayed on the right mouse button (RMB) menu for the listed objects:

           

Automatic execution of commands

In addition to the context right mouse button menu, the application mode sets up commands that are automatically executed on certain objects (actions are with the left mouse button):

 
The three items in bold italics under the Double-Click column are unique to the SI App mode. The rest overlap with other App Modes.

Please share your experience with this new capability.

Jerry "GenPart" Grzenia