Constraint Browser

Constraint Browser allows you to view and specify a range of design constraints in eCADSTAR PCB Editor and eCADSTAR Schematic Editor. This topic describes the commands that can be selected on the menu and toolbar, and provides links to the tabs that you can select in the left pane. Where some commands are not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor, this is indicated below.

If Component Browser is launched, then components are displayed in the Constraint Browser if you right-click them in the canvas and select Send on the assist menu. The relevant row is selected in Component Browser, but the focus is not switched to this application. Multiple components that you select can be sent. However, net connections are not sent.

Note

Constraint Viewer is also available in eCADSTAR. This is a restricted version of Constraint Browser which can be launched from eCADSTAR Schematic Viewer and eCADSTAR PCB Viewer. It allows you to view constraints data in read-only format, that is specified in Constraint Browser. Many of the Constraint Browser settings are either not available or have been renamed in Constraint Viewer.
If a design is accessed by multiple users and one or more sheets is opened by another user, then Constraint Browser cannot be launched.

Value		Description
File	Save Constraint Browser	Saves the changes that you make in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor. When Constraint Browser is launched from eCADSTAR PCB Editor, this command is not available as changes are saved automatically.
	Close Constraint Browser	Closes Constraint Browser. When Constraint Browser is launched from eCADSTAR Schematic Editor, you will be prompted to save any unsaved changes.
Edit	Undo	Reverses the effects of the last operation that you execute in Constraint Browser.
	Redo	Re-executes the operation that was canceled by the Undo command.
	Find	Launches the Find and replace dialog. This allows you to find a specified value in the table that is displayed in the right pane.
	Replace	Launches the Find and replace dialog. This allows you to replace a specified value in the table that is displayed in the right pane.
	Create Multiple Differential Pairs	Launches the Create Multiple Differential Pairs Dialog. This allows you to create multiple differential pairs from specified E-Nets.
	Create Skew Group	Launches the Create Skew Group dialog. This allows you to create Skew Groups by selecting them in the Signals tree.
	Create Multiple Pin Pairs	Launches the Create Multiple Pin Pairs dialog. This allows you to create pin pairs by selecting signals in the Signals tree.
	Edit Skew Group	Launches the Edit Skew Group dialog. This allows you to rename or delete existing Skew Groups, and add or remove Skew Group members.
	Bus Manager	Launches the Bus Manager dialog. In Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR PCB Editor, this dialog allows you to create, rename or delete busses. It also allows you to remove E-Nets from a selected bus. This command is not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	Net Group Manager	Launches the Net Group Manager dialog. This allows you to create, rename or delete net groups in Constraint Browser. It also allows you to add or remove E-Nets, power and ground nets from a selected net group.
	Differential Pair Class Manager	Launches the Differential Pair Class Manager dialog. This allows you to create, rename or delete differential pair classes, and add or remove differential pairs from a selected differential pair class.
	E-Net Class Manager	Launches the E-Net Class Manager dialog. This allows you to create, rename or delete E-Net classes, and add or remove E-Nets from a selected E-Net class.
	Net Class Manager	Launches the Net Class Manager dialog. This allows you to create, rename or delete net classes, and add or remove nets from a selected net class.
	Topology Template Manager	Launches the Topology Template Manager dialog. In a High Speed environment, this dialog allows you to configure topology templates, and create new ones that are based on predefined topology templates. This command is not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
View	Toggle Compact View	Toggles the display of Constraint Browser between Compact View and Standard View. In Compact View, Constraint Browser is minimized by hiding the right pane.
	Customize Table Configuration	Launches the Customize Table Configuration dialog. This allows you to customize the tables that are displayed in Constraint Browser and Constraint Viewer.
Utility	Create Pin Pair Routing Report	Launches the Pin Pair Routing Report. This displays details for the pin pair routes between components. This command is made available when you select items in the left pane that contain pin pairs. In a High Speed environment, you can display the track length or propagation delay for pin pair routing patterns. You can also display the track width and characteristic impedance. In a non High Speed environment, you can only display track length and track width. This command is not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	Create Differential Pair Coupling Report	Launches the Differential Pair Coupling Report dialog. This allows you to display details for the coupled and non-coupled parts of differential pairs, and highlight them on the canvas. This command is made available when you select differential pairs in the left pane. This command is not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	Clear Highlight on Canvas	Clears the highlighting on the canvas for differential pairs that are selected in the Differential Pair Coupling Report dialog. This command is not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	Clearance Class Manager	Launches the Clearance Class Manager dialog. This allows you to create multiple clearance classes, and specify the design rule stack that is referred to between nets in each clearance class.
	Extract Scenario	Allows you to open the routing topology for a selected signal. The topology is opened in Electrical Editor. This allows you to perform speculative analysis of the signal. This button is not displayed in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	SI Analysis	Performs SI Analysis for selected signals. The results are automatically displayed in the Analysis Result Viewer. This button is not displayed in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	TDR Analysis	TDR analysis is performed for selected signals by automatically replacing the driver and receiver with the system conditions. See: Performing TDR Analysis. The Analysis Result Viewer is then displayed. This button is not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	FD Analysis	The FD Analysis (Frequency Domain Analysis) command allows you to confirm signal path characteristics. The analysis is executed by automatically replacing drivers and receivers with system conditions. See: Executing FD Analysis. The results are automatically displayed in the Analysis Result Viewer. This button is not displayed in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	Reload Simulation Library	If the simulation library is updated while the PI/EMI Analysis module is running, then clicking Reload Simulation Library will reload it. If there are unsaved changes in the PI/EMI Analysis module, then you are prompted to save them.
	Manage Simulation Library	Launches the Simulation Library Manager. This allows you to manage Devices, Models and Packages for SI, PI and EMI Analysis in the eCADSTAR Analysis Module.
	Reconstruct E-Net	If an operation that changes the connections of nets is performed, or a net or bus label is changed, then clicking Reconstruct E-Net will reconstruct the structure of the E-Net.
	E-Net Prefix Definition	Launches the E-Net Prefix Definition dialog. This allows you to view the component prefixes that you specify in the E-Net Prefix Definition Dialog in eCADSTAR Library Editor. It also allows you synchronize them with the component prefixes that are displayed in eCADSTAR PCB Editor and eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	Options	Launches the Constraint Browser Options dialog. This allows you to modify the behavior of Constraint Browser, and specify default settings. In eCADSTAR Schematic Editor, only the Receive action settings can be specified.
Help	Help	Launches the Online Help topic for Constraint Browser.

Toolbar

The following commands are available on the toolbar.

Value	Description
	See Save Constraint Browser in the section above.
	See Undo in the section above.
	See Redo in the section above.
	See Create Multiple Differential Pairs in the section above.
	See Create Skew Group in the section above.
	See Create Multiple Pin Pairs in the section above.
	See Edit Skew Group in the section above.
	See Bus Manager in the section above.
	See Net Group Manager in the section above.
	See Differential Pair Class Manager in the section above.
	See E-Net Class Manager in the section above.
	See Net Class Manager in the section above.
	See Topology Template Manager in the section above.
	See Create Pin Pair Routing Report in the section above.
	See Create Differential Pair Coupling Report in the section above.
	See Clear Highlight on Canvas in the section above.
	See Clearance Class Manager in the section above.
	See Reconstruct E-Net in the section above.
	See Extract Scenario in the section above.
	See SI Analysis in the section above.
	See TDR Analysis in the section above.
	See FD Analysis in the section above.
	See Toggle Compact View in the section above.
	See Help in the section above.

Note
To toggle the view of the groups of commands that are displayed, right-click the toolbar and click a group in the displayed assist menu. The following groups are displayed.

Value	Description
Edit	Contains the commands in the Edit group on the menu.
Utility	Contains the commands in the Utility group on the menu.
View	Contains the commands in the View group on the menu.
Help	Contains the commands in the Help group on the menu.

Constraint Browser Sections

Value		Description
Signals		Allows you to select the Signals tab and Classes/Groups tab.
	Signals	Displays the Signals tab. This tab provides a view of your design at signal level. Signals are displayed in the Signals tree. Specify the items that are displayed using the Signal Type buttons or Filter box. The following tabs are displayed in the pane on the right. Some tabs are only displayed when the environment is High Speed. Basic Design Rule Routing High Speed Routing Signal Class Differential Pair Routing Lengthening Analysis Tab (eCADSTAR PCB Editor) SI Measurements SPICE
	Classes/Groups	Displays the Classes/Groups tab. The Classes/Groups tab allows you to create and constrain classes and groups. These can be used to constrain multiple signals. The constraints specified for a class or group are inherited by its members only if no constraints are set for the their attributes. Classes can be created for E-Nets, Differential pairs and nets. Groups can also be created for nets. You can then add members to the classes or groups, and select all these items in the Classes/Groups tree. The following tabs are displayed in the pane on the right. Some tabs are only displayed when the environment is High Speed. Basic Design Rule Routing High Speed Routing Differential Pair Routing Lengthening Analysis Tab (eCADSTAR PCB Editor) SI Measurements
Skew Groups		Displays the Skew Groups Section. This section allows you to specify the Skew Groups and E-Nets that are displayed in the Skew Groups tree. It is only displayed in a High Speed environment. Skew Groups are created in the Create Skew Group dialog, accessed by selecting Edit > Create Skew Group in the Constraint Browser dialog. The Skew Groups that are displayed in the tree can be filtered using the Filter box. Selected items are displayed in the Routing table, and can be further filtered using the View list, and by clicking <Filter> in each column. The following tabs are displayed in the pane on the right. Routing Skew SI Measurements
Components/Parts		Allows you to select the Components tab and the Parts tab. This tab is not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
	Components	Displays the Components tab. This tab allows you to define the components that are displayed in the Components tree by displaying or hiding types of component, and then further filtering the displayed items using the Filter box. The items that you select in the tree are displayed in the Components table, and can be further filtered using the View list and by clicking <Filter> in each column. The following tabs are displayed in the pane on the right. Basic Detail Analysis
	Parts	Displays the Parts tab. This tab allows you to define the parts that are displayed in the Parts tree by filtering them using the Filter box. The items that you select in the tree are displayed in the Parts table, and can be further filtered using the View list and by clicking <Filter> in each column. The following tabs are displayed in the pane on the right. Basic Detail
Components		Displays the Components section. This section allows you to define the components that are displayed in the Components tree by displaying or hiding types of component, and then further filtering the displayed items using the Filter box. The items that you select in the tree are displayed in the Components table, and can be further filtered using the View list and by clicking <Filter> in each column. The following tabs are displayed in the pane on the right. Basic Detail Analysis SPICE This is not available in Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR PCB Editor.

Item	Description
(Always send selection)	The object you select in a Constraint Browser is selected on the Canvas in both the eCADSTAR PCB Editor and eCADSTAR Schematic Editor and in any instance of Constraint Browser.
Toggle Coupling Analysis	If toggled on, then signals that meet the criteria for being coupled are extracted when you extract a scenario in Constraint Browser. During simulation, this allows you to see the effects of them being in close proximity. Specify coupling criteria in the Extraction Options dialog.
Message	Displays messages that are relevant to the changes that you make in Constraint Browser.
Units	In Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR Schematic Editor, the predefined measurement units are displayed. In Constraint Browser for eCADSTAR PCB Editor, the measurement units and delay units are displayed that you specify. Set these in eCADSTAR PCB Editor as follows. On the Status bar, select the required measurement units in the Units box. In the Application Settings dialog, Interaction tab, select the required delay units.

Note
If you right-click a cell which has an attribute defined as a hyperlink in the Attribute Manager dialog, then you can launch the hyperlink by clicking Open Hyperlink on the assist menu. This is also possible in Constraint Viewer. If multiple cells are selected or if a hyperlink is not specified, then this command is made unavailable. The hyperlinks are launched in your default browser or associated application.

Related Topics
Constraint Browser: Signals section, Signals Tab
Constraint Browser: Signals section, Classes/Groups tab
Constraint Browser: Skew Groups Section
Constraint Browser: Component/Parts Section, Components Tab
Constraint Browser: Component/Parts Section, Part
Constraint Browser: Components Section
Constraint Viewer
Filtering Displayed Values in eCADSTAR Tables

Constraint Browser

Menu

Toolbar

Constraint Browser Sections