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- October 1990
-
-
- PADS-SUPERROUTER Version 3.2X and 3.3X enhancements and advisories:
-
- ADVISORIES
-
- GENERAL
- When installing/reinstalling any PADS software, always load
- PADS-SUPERROUTER Version 3.3X last on your hard drive, with
- the exception of PADS-2000 Version 2.1X.
-
- Please note, previous releases of PADS-SUPERROUTER used a
- file "SROUTE.EXE". This file is no longer used by PADS-
- SUPERROUTER, and will be deleted upon installation of PADS-
- SUPERROUTER Version 3.2. If you elect to maintain this
- file, as well as other files associated with a PADS-
- SUPERROUTER release prior to Version 3.2, load this software
- into another directory.
-
- KEYS
- We are introducing a green security key which will be used
- with PADS-2000 and/or with PADS-SUPERROUTER. This key will
- have the capability of being stacked with an existing blue
- key, and will allow the user to utilize any options
- currently programmed to that blue key. Customers who have
- both PADS-2000 and PADS-SUPERROUTER will be updated with a
- green key. Those customers who have only PADS-PCB and PADS-
- SUPERROUTER will continue to use the existing blue key.
-
- The PADS-SUPERROUTER Version 3.3X requires a green key to
- accept PADS-2000 job files. While a green key will accept
- both PADS-PCB and PADS-2000 data, a blue key will only
- accept PADS-PCB data.
-
- GRAPHICS
- PADS-SUPERROUTER will only support EGA; be advised that some
- monitors will not sync down below VGA.
-
- COPPER
- As defined above, if there are multiple isolated pieces of
- copper, containing the same net name, there is a potential
- of PWRITE/SAVE ripping up the tracks. This is because in
- some cases the SUPERROUTER will terminate to a piece of
- copper. Because PADS-PCB is a pin oriented database, it
- expects a route to terminate at a pad, not a piece of
- copper.
-
- MATRIX
- When using PADS-SUPERROUTER Version 3.3X, customers with
- matrixes defined on the solder side of their design, must
- remove those matrixes prior to feeding the job into PADS-
- SUPERROUTER. Failure to do this will result in the matrix
- data appearing in PADS-SUPERROUTER along with the other
- information associated with the customers design.
-
-
- Enhancements:
-
- 1) The functions PREAD and PWRITE have been incorporated
- into the 386 and PADS-2000 Versions of the SUPERROUTER.
- Therefore, there is no longer a selection from the PADS
- -SHELL for these two utilities in the 386 Version of the
- SUPERROUTER (there is, however, in the 286 Version).
-
- The ability to read a job file, or a route file has been
- incorporated into the PADS-SUPERROUTER and 386 Versions.
-
- 2) Pin escapes (exit or fan out vias) are automatically
- added in the Superrouter to the inner planes.
-
- 3) The algorithm has been improved such that when the PADS-
- SUPERROUTER routes to an off grid pad, it will enter the pad
- center, not off the center of the pad. In addition, the
- SUPERROUTER will now exit orthogonally from square, round,
- and oblong pads, turning at the first routing grid, as
- opposed to an immediate 45 degree angle from the pad
- center.
-
- 4) Any pad pitch may be used within the PADS-SUPERROUTER,
- however, the pad pitch must be equal to, or greater than the
- routing grid. If the pitch between component pins is less
- than the routing grid, the error "pin to pin short" will
- appear during the "READ" process of the PADS-SUPERROUTER.
-
- 5) A switch has been added to allow the user to specify
- whether or not he wishes to re-initilize the file back
- into the Pads-Superrouter upon Pwriting or to exit to
- dos imediately.
-