Sch_Cmd-CreateSheetSymbolFromSheetCreateSheetSymbolFromSheet_AD

Applied Parameters: ObjectKind=SheetSymbol

Summary

This command is used to create a new sheet symbol from a chosen schematic sheet, and add sheet entries for each of the ports on that sheet. In this way, you can quickly build up the required structure for your hierarchical schematic designs, in bottom-up fashion. A hierarchical design is one where the structure - or sheet-to-sheet relationships - in the design is represented. This is done with sheet symbols, which represent lower sheets in the design hierarchy. The symbol represents the sheet below, and the sheet entries in it represent (or connect to) the ports on the sheet below. The advantage of the hierarchical design is that it shows the reader the structure of the design, and that the connectivity is completely predictable and easily traced, since it is always from the child sheet up to the sheet symbol on the parent sheet.

Access

This command is accessed from the Schematic Editor by choosing the Design » Create Sheet Symbol From Sheet or HDL command, from the main menus.

Use

First, ensure that the schematic document on which you want to place the new sheet symbol, is the active document in the main design window.

After launching the command, the Choose Document to Place dialog will appear. The dialog lists all candidate schematic documents for the project, that can validly be used as the target reference sub-sheet for the new sheet symbol. Choose the required sheet and click OK - the sheet symbol will be created floating on the cursor. Simply position the symbol and click, or press Enter, to place. The sheet symbol will have the correct filename to link it to the sub-sheet, and will have sheet entries to match each of the ports on the sub-sheet.

Tips

1. As the sheet symbol is created and placed on the active sheet, this sheet will not be listed in the Choose Document to Place dialog. This is because a sheet symbol cannot reference the same sheet on which it is itself placed.
2. The electrical I/O Types for the created sheet entries in the new parent sheet symbol, will be the same as those for the ports on the originating child sheet.

Applied Parameters: ContextSensitive=True|ObjectKind=SheetSymbol

Summary

This command is used to create a new sheet symbol from a chosen schematic sheet, and add sheet entries for each of the ports on that sheet. In this way, you can quickly build up the required structure for your hierarchical schematic designs, in bottom-up fashion. A hierarchical design is one where the structure - or sheet-to-sheet relationships - in the design is represented. This is done with sheet symbols, which represent lower sheets in the design hierarchy. The symbol represents the sheet below, and the sheet entries in it represent (or connect to) the ports on the sheet below. The advantage of the hierarchical design is that it shows the reader the structure of the design, and that the connectivity is completely predictable and easily traced, since it is always from the child sheet up to the sheet symbol on the parent sheet.

Access

This command is accessed from the Schematic Editor by right-clicking within the workspace - away from any design objects - and choosing the Sheet Actions » Create Sheet Symbol From Sheet or HDL command, from the context menu.

Use

First, ensure that the schematic document on which you want to place the new sheet symbol, is the active document in the main design window.

After launching the command, the Choose Document to Place dialog will appear. The dialog lists all candidate schematic documents for the project, that can validly be used as the target reference sub-sheet for the new sheet symbol. Choose the required sheet and click OK - the sheet symbol will be created floating on the cursor. Simply position the symbol and click, or press Enter, to place. The sheet symbol will have the correct filename to link it to the sub-sheet, and will have sheet entries to match each of the ports on the sub-sheet.

Tips

1. As the sheet symbol is created and placed on the active sheet, this sheet will not be listed in the Choose Document to Place dialog. This is because a sheet symbol cannot reference the same sheet on which it is itself placed.
2. The electrical I/O Types for the created sheet entries in the new parent sheet symbol, will be the same as those for the ports on the originating child sheet.

Applied Parameters: SymbolType=Device Sheet|InteractiveCreate=True|InteractivePlace=True

Summary

This command is used to place a Device Sheet Symbol object onto the active document. Device Sheets are building blocks developed with the intent of being re-used in different designs. They usually contain predefined circuits which are commonly used between projects. Device Sheets are stored as normal Schematic Documents in special Device Sheet Folders. They are placed and referenced in your project, similarly to a simple component. When the project is compiled, Device Sheets are included in the project hierarchy.

Access

This command can be accessed from the Schematic Editor by:

• Choosing the Place » Device Sheet Symbol command from the main menus.
• Clicking the  button on the Wiring toolbar.
• Right-clicking in the workspace and choosing the Place » Device Sheet Symbol command, from the context menu.

Use

First, ensure that the schematic document on which you want to place the device sheet symbol, is the active document in the main design window.

After launching the command, the Select Device Sheet dialog will appear. This dialog lists all device sheet folders that have been declared to the software, and all device sheets contained therein.

Select the device sheet required and click OK - the corresponding device sheet symbol for that chosen device sheet will appear floating on the cursor. Simply position the symbol as required and click, or press Enter, to effect placement. The device sheet symbol will have the correct filename to link it to the child device sheet, and will have sheet entries to match each of the ports on that sheet.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement – while the device sheet symbol is still floating on the cursor – are:

• Press the Tab key to access the Device Sheet Symbol dialog, from where properties for the device sheet symbol can be changed on-the-fly.
• Press the Alt key to constrain the direction of movement to the horizontal or vertical axis, depending on the initial direction of movement.
• Press the Spacebar to rotate the device sheet symbol anti-clockwise or Shift+Spacebar for clockwise rotation. Rotation is in steps of 90°.
• Press the X or Y keys to mirror the device sheet symbol along the X-axis or Y-axis respectively.

Tips

1. After a device sheet symbol has been placed in a schematic document, it will act in the same way as standard sheet symbol, but has different graphical properties to distinguish that it references a Device Sheet. Note that the Filename property for a Device Sheet does not use the .SchDoc file extension.
2. Be sure to compile your project. Upon compilation, all referenced device sheets will be added to your project tree in the Projects panel. You will notice in the panel that device sheet entries have a different document icon () to normal schematic documents (). This distinguishes them as being referenced sheets, rather than sheets explicitly added to your project.
3. Device sheet folders can also be managed from the Data Management - Device Sheets page of the Preferences dialog. This page also provides additional options, such as controlling whether or not editing of device sheets is allowed (typically a device sheet would be edited outside of the project it is used, and therefore kept Read-Only when brought into a project).
4. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the Schematic – Default Primitives page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.
5. A Device Sheet is not a Managed Sheet. Managed Sheets differ from Device Sheets in that they are stored in an Altium Vault, where Device Sheets are stored in a folder on a hard drive. As such, the former enjoy the benefits attributed to managed vault content, including revision and lifecycle management, and of course secured integrity. The decision to move from Device Sheets to Managed Sheets comes when there is a desire to make the transition from re-useable content to managed re-useable content – that is, when there is a desire or need to be able to control the release, revision status and lifecycle state of that design content. On the schematic sheet, a Managed Sheet is referenced through use of a Managed Sheet Instance Symbol.