Violations Associated with Symbols when Validating a Component in Altium Designer

Default report mode:

Summary

This violation occurs when one of the display modes for a symbol has an extra pin.

Notification

A notification is displayed in the Messages panel in the following format:

Extra Pin in display mode <DisplayMode> of the symbol <SymbolRevisionID>. Part <PartDesignator>. Pin Name "<PinName>"

where:

• DisplayMode is the specific graphical representation mode for the symbol in which the extra pin(s) has been found. A symbol has a Normal mode and can have up to 255 defined Alternate modes. Learn more about creating multiple graphical display modes of the same component symbol.
• SymbolRevisionID is the Item-Revision ID of the symbol.
• PartDesignator is the symbol part's Designator.
• PinName is the offending pin's Name.

Recommendation for Resolution

This violation typically arises when an alternate graphical mode is defined for a symbol and either:

• An extra pin has been added to a display mode that is not specified in another display mode, or
• A pin has been specified with a different Designator and/or Name to a pin specified in another display mode.

Not only must there be an identical number of pins between graphical display modes, but the pins must be also identical in both Designator and Name. Learn more about creating multiple graphical display modes of the same component symbol.

Change the Designator and/or Name of offending pin(s) so the number of pins and their Designator and Name properties are the same between the symbol's display modes or remove an extra pin from a display mode.

• In the Component Editor in its Single Component Editing mode, click the  control at the top-right of symbol's preview.
• In the Component Editor in its Batch Component Editing mode, right-click on the symbol entry in the Model Links region and choose the Edit command from the context menu.

The symbol model that is currently being used (referenced) by the component will open in the temporary Schematic Library editor. Select offending pins and change values of their Designator and/or Name property in the Pin mode of the Properties panel, or remove these pins using the Delete shortcut.

Default report mode:

Summary

This violation occurs when two or more pins in the component's symbol model have the same designator.

Notification

A notification is displayed in the Messages panel in the following format:

Duplicate Pin Designator(s) (mode <DisplayMode>): <PinDesignatorList>

where:

• DisplayMode is the specific graphical representation mode for the symbol in which the duplicated pin(s) has been found. A symbol has a Normal mode and can have up to 255 defined Alternate modes.
• PinDesignatorList is the comma-separated list of pin designators that are duplicated in the offending symbol.

Recommendation for Resolution

Change the designator of the offending pin(s) accordingly, so that each has a unique assignment.

• In the Component Editor in its Single Component Editing mode, click the  control at the top-right of symbol's preview.
• In the Component Editor in its Batch Component Editing mode, right-click on the symbol entry in the Model Links region and choose the Edit command from the context menu.

The symbol model that is currently being used (referenced) by the component will open in the temporary Schematic Library editor. Select offending pins and change values of their Designator property in the Pin mode of the Properties panel, or remove these pins using the Delete shortcut.

Default report mode:

Summary

This violation occurs when the component's symbol model has no default designator specified.

Notification

A notification is displayed in the Messages panel in the following format:

Missing Default Designator

Recommendation for Resolution

Specify a default designator for the offending symbol model.

• In the Component Editor in its Single Component Editing mode, click the  control at the top-right of symbol's preview.
• In the Component Editor in its Batch Component Editing mode, right-click on the symbol entry in the Model Links region and choose the Edit command from the context menu.

The symbol model that is currently being used (referenced) by the component will open in the temporary Schematic Library editor. Open the Symbol mode of the Properties panel (active when no object is selected in the design space) and specify the required designator prefix followed by the '?' character in the Designator field (e.g., C?). The question marks in designators of components placed on a schematic sheet will be updated with actual numbers during the Design Annotation process.

Default report mode:

Summary

This violation occurs when a pin in the component's symbol model has no designator specified.

Notification

A notification is displayed in the Messages panel in the following format:

Missing Pin Designator of the symbol <SymbolRevisionID>

where:

• SymbolRevisionID is the Item-Revision ID of the offending symbol.

Recommendation for Resolution

Specify a designator for each pin in the offending symbol model.

• In the Component Editor in its Single Component Editing mode, click the  control at the top-right of symbol's preview.
• In the Component Editor in its Batch Component Editing mode, right-click on the symbol entry in the Model Links region and choose the Edit command from the context menu.

The symbol model that is currently being used (referenced) by the component will open in the temporary Schematic Library editor. Select offending pins and specify values of their Designator property in the Pin mode of the Properties panel, or remove pins using the Delete shortcut.

Default report mode:

Summary

This violation occurs when a pin in the component's symbol model has no name specified.

Notification

A notification is displayed in the Messages panel in the following format:

Missing Pin Name of the symbol <SymbolRevisionID>. Pin Designator "<PinDesignator>".

where:

• SymbolRevisionID is the Item-Revision ID of the offending symbol.
• PinDesignator is the offending pin's Designator.

Recommendation for Resolution

Specify a name for each pin in the offending symbol model.

• In the Component Editor in its Single Component Editing mode, click the  control at the top-right of symbol's preview.
• In the Component Editor in its Batch Component Editing mode, right-click on the symbol entry in the Model Links region and choose the Edit command from the context menu.

The symbol model that is currently being used (referenced) by the component will open in the temporary Schematic Library editor. Select offending pins and specify values of their Name property in the Pin mode of the Properties panel, or remove these pins using the Delete shortcut.

Note

Only one violation instance will be listed in the Messages panel for each distinct component. A component may well have a symbol with more than one pin with no name defined.

Default report mode:

Summary

This violation occurs when missing pins have been detected in the numerical sequence of the offending symbol's pin designator values. For example, if the symbol has pins with designators 1, 2, 5, and there are no pins with designator 3 and 4.

Notification

A notification is displayed in the Messages panel in the following format:

Missing Pin Designator In Sequence : <PinDesignatorList> [<LowerPinDesignator>..<UpperPinDesignator>]

where:

• PinDesignatorList is the comma-separated list of missing pin designators in the numerical sequence detected in the offending symbol.
• LowerPinDesignator is the minimum numerical value of pin designators detected in the offending symbol.
• UpperPinDesignator is the maximum numerical value of pin designators detected in the offending symbol.

Recommendation for Resolution

In the offending symbol model, add pins with missing pin designators in the sequence or change pin designators so the pin designators form a continuous sequence of integer values.

• In the Component Editor in its Single Component Editing mode, click the  control at the top-right of symbol's preview.
• In the Component Editor in its Batch Component Editing mode, right-click on the symbol entry in the Model Links region and choose the Edit command from the context menu.

The symbol model that is currently being used (referenced) by the component will open in the temporary Schematic Library editor. Using the Place » Pin command from the main menus, add the required number of pins and specify values of their Designator property in the Pin mode of the Properties panel so the pin designators in the symbol form a continuous sequence of integer values. You can also edit the Designator property of pins already placed in the symbol.