Navigating the Visibility Pane in OrCAD X Presto PCB Editor

Key Takeaways

• The Visibility Pane is the first stop for designers orienting their viewing options in OrCAD X Presto PCB Editor.
• Users can toggle layer visibility, unrouted nets, or change the board display.
• By default, the OrCAD X Presto PCB Editor pins the Visibility Pane on launch.

Before navigating the Visibility Pane, ensure it’s active in the Canvas (by default, the pane appears on launch).

A completed PCB reveals an intricate web of copper traces, pours, vias, and other board elements that connect hundreds or thousands of individual nets according to the netlisted schematic. Designers must be able to configure visibility settings rapidly and with a high degree of customization to bring only the necessary information into focus as they break down these numerous connections into bite-sized areas of the design. For new users, gaining confidence and familiarity with the visibility options available is imperative to accelerate layout turnaround times.

Visibility Pane Section Functionality

Navigating the Visibility Pane: A Breakdown

The Visibility Pane allows users to adjust view settings for optimal routing during the layout quickly. Given its importance to navigating the layout, the Visibility Pane appears by default on the left side of the canvas view; if closed, users can restore the panel under View > Panels > Visibility in the top toolbar. The Visibility Pane breaks down into three main sections:

• Layers - Users can toggle the visibility of layer views and adjust object and layer colors. The Layers section acts as the default starting point for visibility options, with the Objects and Areas subsection the most comprehensive layer selection tool for routing. By toggling object and area types with the filter tool at the top of the subsection, the object or area type appears/disappears from the matrix below. Users can then toggle visibility by object and area type or a combination of the two with a left mouse click in the corresponding box. Alternatively, users can assign colors to the box (or row/column if selecting a group of objects and areas or layer types) by right-mouse click. 
  
  Additional subsections under the Layers section support visibility/color options for various layers that are less pertinent to routing but are essential to manufacturing:
  • Geometries - Layers for routing, cutouts, rooms, dimensions, and more.
  • Components - Layers for component and related placement information.
  • Manufacturing - Layers for NC drill charts, stackups, and cross-sections.
  • Rigid Flex - Layers for rigid-flex construction and design.
  • Surface Finishes - Layers for protective surface finishes.
  • Data Layers - Layers for drawing formats.

Users can edit layer visibility and color in the Layers section.

• Nets - The Nets section gives users a tool for quickly selecting, screen fitting, and coloring nets organized by subsection type. Clicking the rats’ nest button next to each subsection, subsection listing, or individual net will toggle visibility for unrouted nets. Right-clicking on any subsection listing or individual net will allow users to override the color assigned to the net layer in the Layer section. Users can also select all the nets underneath a subsection listing or individual nets by right-clicking and choosing Select on Canvas. The Net section contains the following subsections:
  • Groups - Net groups (i.e., buses) defined in the schematic and used for data transmission protocols.
  • Diffpairs - Differential pairs defined in the schematic for length-matching signals.
  • XNets - Defined in the layout for length-matching signals with intermediate components.
  • Nets - A complete alphanumeric list of all the nets within the layout.

Users can override layer colors by highlighting with a different color in the Nets section or zooming to nets.

• Display - The Display section lists miscellaneous view options for the design independent of nets and layers, such as selection shadowing, opacity, and viewing orientations (including 3D):
  • General—Under the general tab, users can change the object types displayed in the net lab and the view orientation between the top and bottom. Switching the viewing mode to 3D gives additional options for changing the color/opacity for materials and DRC flags while supporting options for 3D cutaway planes.
  • Shadow Settings - Users can toggle the Shadow Mode to highlight selected objects and darken the background for easier viewing and locating. They can also adjust the brightness and saturation for customizable contrasts.
  • Opacity - Users can adjust the opacity globally or by object type. Reducing object opacity is especially helpful with dense, multilayer designs.

General display options, including 3D viewing, are available under the Display section.

Cadence Solutions Improve Layout Insights

Navigating the Visibility Pane is one of the first things PCB designers new to the OrCAD X platform will want to familiarize themselves with – the ability to adjust view settings in the design quickly improves the layout speed. Users can customize their OrCAD X Presto PCB Editor experience to ensure their view settings limit eye fatigue and make locating objects of interest a simple endeavor. Interested in seeing more of what Cadence has to offer? Additional PCB Design and Analysis Softwareoptions improve product performance, manufacturability, and cost-effectiveness.