1. INTRODUCTION
This tutorial is designed to explain the basic steps in the use of the EDIF software tool. By the end of this tutorial, the first-time user will be able to view a Design Architect schematic in the CapFast CAE schematic capture package or vice verse. In order to view the results, it is required of the user to understand how to view schematics in Design Architect and CapFast.
A tutorial on the use of Design Architect can be found at: Design Architect
A tutorial on the use of Capfast can be found at: CapFast
2. EDIF
EDIF is short for Electronic Design Interchange Format and is used to convert schematic files into EDIF files. After conversion into an EDIF file, the file is in a standard format the can be read by Design Architect or CapFast. Design Architect and CapFast are both designed to read and write EDIF files.
2.1 Design Architect schematics to CapFast schematics
The EDIF software can be executed from Design Manager or from a command prompt. The 2-1 multiplexer circuit shown in Fig.1. will be use to demonstrate the two methods.
Method 1. Using Design Manager
1. To run Design Manager, type dmgr at a command prompt and press return. Once the window appears, you should see a menu bar across the top, a tools window on the left, a navigator window in the middle, and a design manager window on the right.
2. Click on the navigator window.
3. Click on the four directional arrows and type /home/mentor/mgc/edif_files in the box. Click on OK.
4. Click on the icon labeled mux21.
5. Select Edit on the menubar across the top and click on Copy.
6. A copy dialog box will appear in the bottom left corner. Type the path you want to copy to and click on OK.
7. Click on the tools window with the left mouse button. Using the scroll bar, scroll down until you see the esi_write icon. Double click on the esi_write icon.
8. A dialog box labeled Export MGC Schematic to EDIF will appear. See Fig.2. Click on the MGC file pathname box and type the pathname.
9. Click on the Export Option button in the Export MGC Schematic to EDIF window. A EDIF Schematic ExportOptions window will appear.
10. If you want to use a configuration file or output file, type the path in the appropriate dialog box. The Pin Spacing and Grid Resolution can be change by typing the value in the appropriate box.
11. Click OK on the EDIF Schematic Export Options box.
12. Click OK on the Export MGC Schematic to EDIF box.
13. The esi_write tool will convert the schematic into a EDIF file and save it in the current directory as mux21.edf.
14. In order to export the mux21.edf file into Capfast, use the following command at a command prompt:
and press return. Capfast has a list of options that can be use with this command.
15. Running this command will produce .sym and .dsn files in the current directory and a sheet1.sch file under the directory called mux21.
16. Note. The .sch file must be in the same directory as the .sym and .dsn files. So, copy or move the sheet1.sch file to the same directory as the .sym and .dsn files.
17. To view the schematic, type the following command at a command prompt:
2.2 CapFast schematics to Design Architect schematics
The same circuit (See Fig.1.) was created in CapFast to demonstrate how to translate CapFast schematics into Design Architect schematics.
1. Change your directory to /home/mentor/mgc/edif_files and copy the mux21.sch schematic file to your home directory. Note: it will be less confusing if you create a directory to copy the file too.
2. To convert the mux21.sch file to a EDIF, type the following command at a command prompt:
and press return. Capfast has a list of options that can be use with this command.
3. The EDIF software will create two files: mux21.edf and esiread.cnf. Note: The esiread.cnf file is a configuration file that can only be used with Mentor Graphics.
4. At a command prompt, type dmgr to start Design Manager.
5. Click on the tools window with the left mouse button. Using the scroll bar, scroll down until you see the esi_read icon. Double click on the esi_read icon.
6. A dialog box labeled Import EDIF Schematic will appear. See Fig.3. Click on the MGC file pathname box and type the pathname of the mux21.edf file.
7. Click on the Import Option button in the Import EDIF Schematic window. A EDIF Schematic Import Options window will appear.
8. To use a configuration file, type the pathname of the file in the box labeled Configuration File and click on OK.
9. Click on the Schematic Option button in the Import EDIF Schematic window. A EDIF Schematic Generation Options window will appear.
10. To change the output path, type the pathname in the box labeled Output Directory and click on OK.
11. Click on OK in the Import EDIF Schematic window.
12. The esi_read tool will create a schematic file called mux21.
13. To view the schematic, use Design Architect. Note: The schematic might not appear on the screen when Design Architect is invoked. Click on view on the top menubar and select view all. The schematic will then appear.