Setup Advisor

The Setup Advisor is used to configure different elements of the design - it's a gateway to configuring Cross-Section, DC Nets, standard Device values and SI Models. It will also perform an audit on the design.

The main function of Setup Advisor is to mainly assist in the design setup for some kind of SI work - the steps in Setup Advisor are recommended but not always needed. For example you could edit the cross section yourself without using the Setup Advisor.

The individual steps that make up the Setup Advisor are available seperately in the higher tiers of the tool (XL, GXL), so if you know what you are doing in these tiers the Setup Advisor probably won't be needed. In the lower tiers of Allegro (L, Performance) some of the commands can only be accessed via the Setup Advisor.

So, in short, if you are just doing plain PCB design then you probably wouldn't need to run the Setup Advisor - if you are planning on doing some sort of SI work, then it's a good idea to use the Setup Advisor while you find your feet.

Hello Prajakta,

The setup advisor command displays the Database Setup Advisor that lets you extract a topology into Signal Explorer:
To successfully extract a topology into Signal Explorer, certain information must be setup properly in the layout database so that the electrical circuit topology can be accurately synthesized.
The Database Setup Advisor guides you through this setup process.
If done correctly, this only needs to be done once with the layout database; then you should be able to extract any signals into Signal Explorer.
The Database Setup Advisor is automatically invoked if there is a problem found with the signal that you want to extract. It can also be invoked directly from the Topology Template dialog box in Signal Explorer. You should run the Database Setup Advisor once on each new design before extracting topology data. The Database Setup Advisor walks you through the following modules:


1.Stack-Up: Define the type and characteristics of the varied material layers in the layout.
Set the layer stackup with copper thickness,prepreg and laminate thickness.It is better to set before routing always.


2.DC Nets: Identify which nets in the layout are to be connected to a constant DC voltage.
You can identify the DC nets.it is for tool to understand that these are power signals.If you not set ,the tool assumes as a signal.
This is must when the design contains high speed signals going between processor to memory devices through terminations.

3.Devices: Provide information about the devices in the layout, such as Class and Pinuse properties.

4.SI Models: Assign electrical models to components in the layout.
You can assign SI models to components like terminations,processors etc... for the SI analysis and constraint settings.
This is must when you set length delay constrains going between processor to memory devices through terminations.It is just an example.

5.SI Audit: Audit specific nets in the layout to verify that they are set up properly for extraction and simulation.

Regards,
SATYA
AT&S ECAD Tech.

Thanks for your replies . Atleast I got the basic idea ...where and how , exactly the setup advisor can be used...

Regards,
Prajakta.

The set up advisor is very important if you are using constraint manager. Assigning DC nets and models for passive devices, resistors, caps, Rpacks, allows you to use extended nets to properly use constraints.