There are a few basic practices that can help you save time and ensure your schematic sheets are easy to read:Ĭomponents should be placed so that signal flow spans from left (input) to right (output).
With other design software, you never see a netlist file: the design software handles this synchronization automatically so that you can quickly move into your PCB layout.ĭuring schematic capture, you'll be working in a graphical interface, where component models are placed in drawings and connected with wires. Some design programs force you to manually export and re-import netlists each time you modify something in the design, which will re-synchronize your project to ensure your schematics and PCB layout show the same set of connections. The output of the schematic capture process is generally in the form of a netlist that can be imported into other software tools, such as a simulation program or PCB design package. Thus, attention to detail is vital any omissions in the circuit design captured schematically can cause headaches down the line when things don’t work as expected and potentially costly diagnosis and corrective actions. The schematic capture process needs to include everything within the circuit design necessary to work, including the electrical connections with its environment. These can be electronic components from a simple resistor to a complex integrated circuit chip or FPGA-alternatively, mechanical components such as connectors, dials, or switches. The graphical interface you see in your schematic editor software helps you stay organized as you create your design and eventually transition your designs into a PCB layout.Ī circuit diagram is fundamentally a list of parts and the links between the connections of those parts. These connections are called "nets," and schematic capture is really the task of creating a list of nets that will be reflected in the make up everything in your physical PCB layout. Circuit simulation packages like SPICE and your PCB layout tools only care about the connections you define between pins on different components. In this way, you produce a logical/electrical design that can be used in your other design tools when you're ready to run simulations or create a physical layout.īehind the scenes, your design software doesn't really care about how you arrange components into schematics. Graphically, schematic capture (also known as schematic entry) is the process of arranging components in schematic sheets and defining links between them. In simple terms, schematic capture is the process of converting a paper design into an electronic representation that software tools, such as a circuit simulation or PCB design packages, can process.