Component Definitions

Component definitions provide mappings between schematic symbols and footprint views.

The attributes of a component definition are:

• Device type: a unique string that identifies the component definition.
• Component class: IC (Die), IO (BGA), or discrete (SMDs).
• Package: a unique string that identifies the package used by the compDef library.

The component definition also provides a list of compDefPin objects. These represent the terminals on the footprint view and are referred to as pin numbers. Each compDefPin can be mapped to one or more funcDefPin, referred to as pin names.

In Allegro, component definitions also contain properties that can be associated with either the component or specific pins on the component. These properties may be used as constraints or for downstream flows, such as simulation, verification, and so on. In addition, there are specific properties such as PARENT_PPT or PARENT_PART_TYPE that identify a generic name or the family of the component definition. All similar components belong to the same family and have the same PARENT_PPT or PARENT_PART_TYPE property.

In Virtuoso, a single component definition is created for all Allegro component definitions that share the same PARENT_PPT or PARENT_PART_TYPE property. These definitions are generic because the properties that make them unique are not stored in the definition itself. The properties are stored in the Variant Definitions in CSV Files.

The component definitions in a library can be queried in SKILL by using the VRF Package Infrastructure Functions.