Topology Template Manager

In a High Speed environment, the Topology Template Manager dialog allows you to configure topology templates, and create new ones that are based on predefined topology templates. The topology templates that you create can be assigned to the E-Nets in the design using the Assign Topology Template dialog. They are not made available in other designs. When you assign a topology template, it is checked automatically in Constraint Browser. If the topological structure of the relevant signal does not follow the assigned topology template, then the assigned value is shown in red in the Topology Template column.

Launch the Topology Template Manager dialog from the toolbar in Constraint Browser by clicking , or by selecting Edit > Topology Template Manager. Alternatively, right-click a topology template in the Assign Topology Template dialog, Topology Template table, and select Topology Template Manager on the assist menu.

 

Topology Template

Displays the topology templates that you create in the design using the Create Topology Template dialog. These are based on the predefined topology templates that are provided in eCADSTAR. Launch the Create Topology Template dialog by clicking in this section.

Value		Description
button		Launches the Create Topology Template dialog. This allows you to create a topology template that is based on a predefined one that is supplied in eCADSTAR. You can specify the number of inputs and define its name in this dialog.
Topology template table		Displays the topology templates that you create in the Create Topology Template dialog. Click an item to display it in the Tile Editor and Attributes table. In the Tile Editor, you can modify a selected topology template by deleting its components and transmission lines. The Attributes table allows you to specify attributes for each portion of the topology.

Assist menu

The following commands are displayed on the assist menu by right-clicking an item in the Topology template table.

Value	Description
Delete	Deletes the item that you right-click in the Topology template table. Alternatively, select an item in the Topology template table and press Delete on the keyboard. You cannot undo this command. You can delete multiple topology templates by selecting them using the Ctrl or Shift key, or by dragging the cursor.
Rename	Allows you to rename the item that you right-click in the Topology template table. Alternatively, select an item in the Topology template table and press F2 on the keyboard. You can also double-click an item to rename it.
Copy	Allows you to copy the item that you right-click in the Topology template table. The copied item is added to the bottom of the Topology template table. The "-copy[n]" suffix is added to it.

Toolbox

The Toolbox shows the tiles that can be added to the Tile Editor. A different selection of tiles is provided, depending on whether you add a single-ended or differential topology template.

• To place a single instance of a tile, drag it from the Toolbox to the required location in the Tile Editor.
• To place multiple instances of a tile, click the required tile and then click a cell in the Tile Editor to place it. You can continue to place the tile in multiple locations until you press the Esc key.

Single-ended topology template

The following tiles are displayed if you add a single-ended topology template using the Create Topology Template dialog. The icons are shown below for both single-ended and differential topology templates.

Value	Description
	Receiver
	Transmission Line
	Horizontal connection
	Vertical connection
	Top to Right connection
	Left to Bottom connection
	Left to Top connection
	Bottom to Right connection
	Horizontal to Top Junction
	Horizontal to Bottom Junction
	Vertical to Right Junction
	Vertical to Left Junction
	Four way Junction
	Resistor
	Capacitor
	N-port
	Resistor termination
	N-port termination

Differential topology template

The following tiles are displayed if you add a differential topology template using the Create Topology Template dialog. The icons are shown below for both single-ended and differential topology templates.

Value	Description
	Receiver
	Transmission Line
	Horizontal connection
	Vertical connection
	Top to Right connection
	Left to Bottom connection
	Left to Top connection
	Bottom to Right connection
	Horizontal to Top Junction
	Horizontal to Bottom Junction
	Vertical to Right Junction
	Vertical to Left  Junction
	Four way Junction
	Resistor
	Capacitor
	N-port
	Resistor termination
	N-port termination
	Bridge resistor
	Bridge capacitor
	Series Resistor termination
	Series Resistor Capacitor termination

Tile Editor

The Tile Editor allows you to configure a selected topology template. You can add tiles from the Toolbox, and move them using the Copy and Paste commands. You can also drag tiles to the required location using the mouse. Topology connections must flow from left to right.

Value		Description
		Zooms in the display of the Tile Editor for all loaded topology templates. Alternatively, press the Ctrl key and scroll the mouse wheel forwards.
		Zooms out the display of the Tile Editor for all loaded topology templates. Alternatively, press the Ctrl key and scroll the mouse wheel backwards.
		Resets the Tile Editor to the default zoom setting for all loaded topology templates.
Tile Editor		Displays the topology template that you select in the Topology template table. The attributes associated with it are displayed in the Attributes table, below. If you click a cell in the Attributes table, then the relevant portion of the topology template is indicated in the Tile Editor by highlighting it intermittently. You can select tiles using the arrow keys on the keyboard, or by clicking them. You can delete a tile in the Tile Editor by selecting it and pressing Delete on the keyboard. Alternatively, select Delete on the assist menu. The Attributes table is automatically updated to show the changes in the topology template. If there is no longer a compete connection path from the driver, as a result of configuring a topology, then any effected tiles are highlighted in red. This is illustrated below. These tiles must be deleted or the connection path must be reconfigured. If a topology is incomplete, then it cannot be saved, and the Topology Template section is made unavailable. Also, no details are displayed in the Attributes table. Note In the Tile Editor, you cannot delete the component associated with the driver pin. The following labels are used for topology items. Driver: IC Receiver: IC Transmission Line: TL Terminator: N Series/Bridge Component: N Virtual Branch Point: VBP Virtual Point: VP The first numeric digit of the name assigned to each transmission line reflects its position in the relevant topology template. This is illustrated in the following image, which shows transmission lines ordered in sequence from TL1 to TL7. If two resistor items are placed within a "Stub length" of each other, then they are considered, topologically, to be the same item. This is illustrated below for the two resistors named "N2" that are between TL5 and TL6. Additionally, a pull up or pull down termination component would not be assigned a name. This is because they are considered the same item as the IC they are placed next to.

Assist menu

The following commands are displayed on the assist menu by right-clicking an item in the Tile Editor.

Value	Description
Undo	Reverses the effects of the Delete command in the Tile Editor. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Z on the keyboard.
Redo	The Delete command for which the Undo command was applied, is executed again in the Tile Editor.  Alternatively, press Ctrl+Y on the keyboard.
Create Pin Pair	Creates a pin pair in the Create Pin Pair dialog using the nodes that you select in the Tile Editor. The new pin pair is added to the Attributes table. This command is only made available if you launch the Create Pin Pair dialog by selecting it on the assist menu in the Attributes table.
Reset	Removes the values in the Create Pin Pair dialog. If you attempt to create a pin pair that already exists, then clicking Reset allows you to select different pins for it. This command is only made available if you launch the Create Pin Pair dialog by selecting it on the assist menu in the Attributes table.
Cut	Removes a selected tile from the topology and copies it to the clipboard. You can also drag a tile to the required position in the Tile Editor.  Alternatively, press Ctrl+X on the keyboard. Note You cannot cut or delete a driver tile.
Copy	Copies a selected tile to the clipboard. Alternatively, press Ctrl+C on the keyboard.
Paste	The tile that you copy to the clipboard using the Cut or Copy command is pasted to the selected position. You can paste a tile multiple times, in different positions. Alternatively, press Ctrl+V on the keyboard. Note You cannot paste an item on a driver tile.
Insert	Allows you to insert an empty row above or below a selected tile, or insert an empty column to the left or right. Select the relevant command on the submenu.
Delete	Deletes a selected item, or empty row or column. If an item is not selected or if a selected row or column is not empty, then this command is made unavailable. Select the relevant command on the submenu. Note You cannot cut or delete a driver tile.

Attributes Table

Allows you to configure the constraint values that are associated with the pin pairs in the topology. Click a cell in the Attributes table to highlight the relevant portion of the topology in the Tile Editor.

 

 

Item		Description
Topology template		Displays the topology template that you select in the Topology template box.
Object		For the topology template that you select in the Topology template box, the pin pairs are displayed for which you can specify attributes. Click an object to show the relevant portion of the topology in the Tile Editor.
Transmission Lines		The transmission lines are displayed that are associated with each pin pair in the Object column. For example, if the row is selected for the CMP2-T1-CMP6-T1 pin pair, then the transmission lines TL16, TL24, TL25 and TL27 are shown in this column. They are also highlighted in the Tile Editor. This is illustrated below.
Pin Pair Length		For a pin pair that you select in the Object column, this section allows you to specify minimum and maximum values for its length. If the topology template is assigned to a differential pair or E-Net, then the specified values are added to the Min. and Max. columns in the High Speed Routing tab, Pin Pair Length section, in the Constraint Browser: Signals section, Signals Tab, for the relevant pin pair. Click Apply in the Topology Template Manager dialog to update these values.
	Min.	Specify the minimum distance between the pins of the pin pair. Enter a value that is greater than 0, and less than or equal to 20000.
	Max.	Specify the maximum distance between the pins of the pin pair. Specify a value that is greater than 0, and less than or equal to 20000.
Pin Pair Delay		For a pin pair that you select in the Object column, this section allows you to specify the minimum and maximum delay that is permitted between the relevant pins. If the topology template is assigned to a differential pair or E-Net, then the specified values are added to the Min. and Max. columns in the High Speed Routing tab, Pin Pair Delay section, in the Constraint Browser: Signals section, Signals Tab, for the relevant pin pair. Click Apply in the Topology Template Manager dialog to update these values.
	Min.	Specify the minimum delay that is permitted between the pins of the selected pin pair.
	Max.	Specify the maximum delay that is permitted between the pins of the selected pin pair.
Track Width		For the pin pairs that you select in the Object column, this section allows you to specify a rule stack that you create in the rule library.
	Track Width Stack	Specify a track width stack from the rule library for the pin pair. These are created in the Tracks tab in the Rule Editor Dialog: Tracks Tab dialog. Select a value in the displayed Track Width Stack dialog.
	Differential Pair Rule Stack	Specify a differential pair rule stack from the rule library for the pin pair. These are created in the Rule Editor Dialog: Differential Pairs Tab. This column is only made available if a differential signal is selected in the Topology template box. Note The following should be considered when routing a differential pair that has a topology template assigned. In the Signals Tree, if you right-click the top level of the differential pair, and click Send Selection on the assist menu, then the entire differential pair is selected and displayed on the canvas. This allows you to start routing it using the Add Route command. However, when selecting a differential pair at this level, an incorrect Differential Pair Rule Stack may be applied to the transmission line which you start routing. This can create width and clearance errors in the routed tracks. To ensure that correct Differential Pair Rule Stacks are applied to each transmission line, follow one of these procedures. In Constraint Browser, select the pin from which to start routing, and click Send Selection to select it on the canvas. Alternatively, manually select the differential pair on the canvas. If you send a differential pair to the canvas from Constraint Browser, then select Next Topology Pin Pair on the assist menu when you start routing. Alternatively, press the N key.
Characteristic Impedance		For the pin pairs that you select in the Object column, this section allows you to specify the minimum and maximum characteristic impedance.
	Min (Ω)	Specify the minimum characteristic impedance for the pin pair.
	Max(Ω)	Specify the maximum characteristic impedance for the pin pair.
Differential Impedance		For the pin pairs that you select in the Object column, this section allows you to specify minimum and maximum values for differential impedance. This column is only made available if a differential signal is selected in the Topology template box.
	Min (Ω)	Specify the minimum differential impedance value that is permitted for the pin pair.
	Max (Ω)	Specify the maximum differential impedance value that is permitted for the pin pair.

Assist menu

The following commands are displayed on the assist menu by right-clicking a cell in the Attributes Table.

Value	Description
Create Pin Pair	Allows you to create a pin pair in the displayed Create Pin Pair dialog. In the Tile Editor, select the first and last pins of the pin pair by clicking them. Click Create in the Create Pin Pair dialog to create the pin pair. The new pin pair is added to the Attributes table.
Delete Pin Pair	Allows you to delete the pin pair that you select in the Attributes table. Select multiple pin pairs using the Ctrl or Shift key, or by dragging the cursor.

Value	Description
OK	Saves the changes that you make in the Topology Template Manager dialog, and closes the dialog. Unused cells in the Tile Editor are removed to reduce the size of topology.
Cancel	Closes the Topology Template Manager dialog without saving your changes.
Apply	Saves the changes that you make in the Topology Template Manager dialog. The dialog remains open. Unused cells in the Tile Editor are removed to reduce the size of topology.