Class Generation Options for a Project in Altium Designer

Summary

This tab of the Project Options dialog enables you to configure and control class generation. Classes are a logical collection of a particular type of design object. For example, a group of related components could be grouped into their own Component Class, which could then be used as the basis for creating a targeted rule. This tab provides controls to determine which classes are automatically generated and which user-defined classes are generated when the source schematic documents are synchronized with the PCB design document.

Access

This dialog is one of multiple tabs available when configuring the options for a project and is accessed from within the Project Options dialog. To access the Project Options dialog:

• From the PCB or schematic editor, click Project » Project Options.
• Right-click on the project name on the Projects panel then click Project Options from the context menu.

Options/Controls

Automatically Generated Classes

• Generate Net Classes for Buses - check this option to automatically generate a net class for each bus in the design. The members of a class will be the individual constituent nets of the bus (from which that class was generated).

• Generate Net Classes for Components - check this option to automatically generate a net class for each component in the design. The members of a class will be the associated nets to which the pins of the component (from which that class was generated) are connected.

• Generate Separate Net Classes for Bus Sections - check this option to automatically generate a separate net class for each bus section. A bus section is created by specifying a bus which is actually a section of a larger bus, for example D[15..8], from the bus D[15..0].
• Generate Net Classes for Named Signal Harnesses - enable this option to automatically generate a net class for each named signal harness in the design. The members of a class will be the nets associated to the signals gathered by the named signal harness (from which the class was generated).

• Sheet-Level Class Generation Grid - this region allows you to control the automatic generation of component and/or net classes at the individual schematic sheet level. All source schematic sheets for the project are listed with the following information presented for each:
  • Sheet Name - the name of the schematic document.
  • Full Path - the absolute path to the folder in which the document resides.
  • Component Classes - check this option to have a component class generated for the sheet.
  • Net Classes Scope - use this field to determine whether to have a net class generated for the sheet and, if so, the scope of generation. The field's drop-down provides the following choices:
    • None - do not generate a net class for this sheet.
    • Local Nets Only - generate a net class for this sheet but only containing member nets that are local to the sheet.
    • All Nets - generate a net class for this sheet that contains all member nets associated with the sheet (local and those that go elsewhere).
  • Structure Classes Generate Structure - check this option to have a structure class generated for the sheet.

User-Defined Classes

• Generate Component Classes - check this option to generate user-defined component classes when the design is transferred to the PCB. Component classes are manually defined on the schematic by adding a ClassName parameter to targeted components and setting its value to the desired class name.
• Generate Rooms for Component Class - check this option to generate rooms based on the user-defined component classes. These components need to have the component parameter with 'ClassName' as its parameter name.
• Generate Net Classes - check this option to generate user-defined net classes when the design is transferred to the PCB. Net classes are manually defined on the schematic through use of the Net Class directive. To make a net a member of a Net Class, attach a Net Class directive to the relevant wire or bus (or a blanket) and set the value of the its ClassName parameter to the desired class name.