The Parts tab in the Library Editor panel allows you to view the parts in the library. You can edit certain properties, including the attributes that are used for SPICE simulation, and launch any hyperlinks in user defined attributes. You can also copy parts, or parts and all related information using the Copy Part or Copy Full Part commands, respectively.
- To edit the properties of a part, click in the relevant cell and type a value, or select from the values that are displayed.
- The part name and properties that are displayed can be filtered by entering a value in the <Filter> cell for the relevant column.
- Click a row to display the default footprint and symbol associated with the part. If multiple gates are assigned to the part, a different gate can be selected in the Gate box in the preview area.
If you edit a part in the Library Editor table by clicking Edit Part on the assist menu, or selecting Home> Edit Part on the ribbon, then the part is locked and cannot be edited by another user. The following icon is displayed for it in the Parts table, and the Part Editor Panel is launched.
If you edit a part directly in the Library Editor table, then the part is locked, and cannot be edited by another user. However, the lock icon is not displayed in the Parts table for the part. The lock is released when the library is saved, or closed without saving changes. In either Part Editor or the Library Editor table, if another user attempts to open the part, then an error message is shown for them. This lists the date and time it was locked, and the relevant user and machine.
Note
- If a part is locked in the Parts table or in Part Editor, the Lock icon is not displayed for other eCADSTAR users in the Parts table or in Part Editor.
- For other eCADSTAR users, the Parts table in the Library Editor, Parts tab is not automatically refreshed to show whether parts are currently locked, or have been added or deleted. Consequently, a part that you delete in this table may still be visible in another user’s version of Library Editor. However, an error message is shown for them if they attempt to edit the part. To see other users’ changes, the library must be closed and then reopened.
- Part locks are created only for parts that exist in the master library. They are not created for unsaved parts in the temporary library, which are pasted, downloaded or are newly added to the Parts table.
| Item | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Parts table | Displays the properties of the parts in the library, including their system attributes and user-defined attributes. | |
| <Filter> | Allows you to enter a value to filter the relevant column. See: Filtering Displayed Values in eCADSTAR Tables. | |
| Part Name | The name of the part. If you rename a part by typing a new name, then an error message is displayed if the part is locked by another user. | |
| Part Type | The part type for the part. | |
| Description | The description of the part. | |
| Part Class | The class of the part. | |
| Reference Designator Prefix | The prefix letter for the reference designator of the part. For example, C (for capacitors), R (for resistors). | |
| Footprint | The name of the footprint assigned to the part. | |
| Symbol | The name of the symbol assigned to the part. | |
| Number of Pins | The number of pins for the part. | |
| Part Acceptance Status | The acceptance status of the part. Specify either Approved or Unapproved. If Unapproved is selected, then the Part Acceptance Reason cell is made available. | |
| Part Acceptance Reason | Specify the reason for non-approval of the part. This is set by selecting Unapproved in the Part Acceptance Status cell. | |
| Maximum Height (mm) | The distance between the top of the part and the board. This value must be greater than the Standoff Height value. | |
| Standoff Height (mm) | The distance between the bottom of the part and the board. | |
| <System Attributes> | System attributes are displayed in each column for the relevant part. Specify a value in the relevant column, or in the Part Editor Panel: Properties tab. Specify SPICE attributes in the SPICE columns, or in the Part Editor Panel: SPICE Tab. The values specified in the SPICE columns are displayed in the Part Editor Panel: SPICE Tab, and in the eCADSTAR Schematic Editor, Properties Panel, when you add the relevant part to the canvas. | |
| <User-defined Attributes> | User-defined attributes are displayed in each column for the
relevant part. You can specify a value in the relevant column,
or in the Part
Editor Panel: Properties tab. User-defined attributes are
defined in the Attribute
Manager dialog. If you specify a hyperlink in the Type column of the Attribute
Manager dialog, then it can be launched by right-clicking it, and selecting Open Hyperlink on the assist menu. It is launched in your default browser or associated application.
If a hyperlink is not specified, then the Open Hyperlink command is made unavailable. For a list of prohibited characters for values, refer to the User-defined attribute value row in the Banned Characters.pdf document. |
|
| Footprint preview | If a footprint is assigned to the part, the default alternate is previewed in the Preview panel at the top-right, and the footprint name and alternate is displayed underneath. | |
| Gate box | If multiple gates are assigned to the selected part, a different gate can be selected in the Gate box. | |
| Symbol preview | If a symbol is assigned to the part, the default alternate is displayed in the Preview panel at the bottom-right. |
Assist Menu
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Add Row | Adds a new row to the Parts tab in the Library Editor panel. A lock is created for the new part only when it exists in the master library, after it is saved. See: Library Editor Panel: Adding and Deleting Rows. |
| Delete Row | Deletes a row in the Parts tab in the Library Editor panel. See: Library Editor Panel: Adding and Deleting Rows. If you edit a part by clicking Edit Part on the assist menu, or selecting Home> Edit Part on the ribbon, then the part is locked and the row cannot be deleted by you or another user. An error message is displayed for the relevant user. |
| Edit Part | Launches Part Editor. This allows
you to view and edit the details of the part in the Library. You must save any unsaved changes for a part in the Parts table before the Part Editor is launched. The following icon is shown in the Parts table and the relevant part is locked.
|
| Edit Footprint | Launches Footprint Editor. This allows you to view and edit the footprint associated with the part. |
| Edit Symbol | Launches Symbol Editor. This allows you to view and edit the symbol associated with the part. |
| Copy Full Part | Copies a part and all related information. This includes pads, padstacks, footprints, symbols, layers and 3D models. See: Copy Full Part. |
| Copy Part | Copies a selected part. This can be copied either within a library, or between different Libraries. See: Copy Part. |
| Copy | For a value that you select in the Parts table, the Copy command copies it to the clipboard. Values for locked parts can be copied. See: Copy |
| Paste | Inputs an object that is stored on the clipboard in eCADSTAR Library Editor. See: Paste. If you open a part in Part Editor, then you cannot paste into this row in the Parts table as it locked when Part Editor is launched. |
| Delete | Deletes the value that you select in the Parts table. If you edit a part by clicking Edit Part on the assist menu in the Parts tab, or selecting Home> Edit Part on the ribbon, then the part is locked and values cannot be deleted by you or another user. See: Delete. |
