Intercept Technology Inc., a leading provider of PCB, RF, Hybrid, and high-speed design software, recently released a version of its Mozaix schematic design software that no longer requires top level sheets and block symbols to build hierarchy in a schematic.
In traditional hierarchical schematic design, a design must have a top level sheet with a block symbol representing it in order to incorporate that design into a higher level design. But with the growing usage of Intercept’s unique design reuse capabilities with synchronized schematic and layout block functionality, the need arose for the ability to create a layout block in a schematic without requiring the standard schematic top level sheet and representative block symbol.
The application of this functionality is especially useful for hybrid and Multi-Chip Module (MCM) designs, where circuits are divided based on their location in or around layout cavities. Another more general application is to use the virtual block object for smaller reuse circuits that are shared among related designs. As an example, in the enclosed images, a virtual block is used to create a layout reuse block for a logic circuit that is used in a series of related projects. Having the whole design present on one sheet opens options for management of the designs. Users can take a simpler approach to sharing designs by simply copying and pasting the block information among sessions, or they can manage the virtual block and layout block in a library, as can currently be done with standard design reuse.
"By removing the need for a logical block symbol in Mozaix, we are taking our block reuse technology in Pantheon to the next level,” said Abby Monaco, Product and Marketing Director for Intercept Technology Inc. “Users are already adopting the new functionality, and we expect to continue expanding its capabilities to streamline all flavors of PCB, Hybrid and RF designs.”