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Introduction to Schematic Capture
Multicap 9 User Guide 4-3
4.1 Introduction to Schematic Capture
Schematic capture is the first stage in developing your circuit. In this stage you choose the
components you want to use, place them on the circuit window in the desired position and
orientation, wire them together, and otherwise prepare your design. Multicap lets you modify
component properties, orient your circuit on a grid, add text and a title block, add subcircuits
and buses, and control the color of the circuit window background, components and wires.
Note For details on setting up your workspace, refer to “3.4 Setting Schematic Capture
Preferences” on page 3-18.
4.2 Working with Multiple Circuit Windows
You can open as many circuits as you want at the same time. Each circuit appears in its own
circuit window. The active circuit window is, as in other Windows applications, the window
with the highlighted title bar. You can use the Window menu to move from circuit window to
circuit window or just click on the tab at the bottom of the workspace for the circuit you want
to see.
Each window is distinct, and can have its own preferences settings, set of components and so
on. You can copy, but not move, a component from one circuit window to another.
4.3 Selecting Components from the Database
The first step in schematic capture is placing the appropriate components on your circuit
window.
You can use the following methods to locate a component in the database:
• use the
Component toolbar to browse through all the component groups, as explained in
“4.4.1 Using the place component browser” on page 4-4
• search a specific component group/family of the database, as explained in “7.2.2
Searching for Components” on page 7-4.
Note There are multiple “levels” of the component database as discussed in “7.1.1 Database
Levels” on page 7-2.
The first of these choices is normally used. Each button on the
Component toolbar
corresponds to a group of components with similar functionality. Clicking one of these
buttons opens the place component browser (i.e., the
Select a Component dialog box) with the
contents of that button’s group displayed.