Basic Schematics - FAQs

How do I make the text wrap, so that the carriage return can be part of the text string.

Regrettably this is a feature that is only available in SchematicsPlus.

I upgraded to MAC OS-X. Used it to make new schematics and all seems fine. However, I'm having trouble loading old schematics (made with the OS-9 version of the software). Is there a 'secret' to this?

Some of the problem may stem from how you went about migrating your files to the new machine and OS. Unfortunately, the new MacOSX system behaves more like a Unix/DOS file system than the earlier MacOS9 file system. This means that all files must carry at least a three character extension following the file name. If the file name does not have the extension then the correct file attributing does not get added to the file when it is copied to the MacOSX environment and the file may not be accessible to any McCAD application. Our newer versions are less sensitive to these OS issues so it is imperative that you run the latest versions we have available.

In the event you cannot run a newer McCAD version you can do the following:

  1. Before copying the files and libraries from the old environment be sure to add the correct extensions following the file names. (".sch" or ".slb" where appropriate)
  2. After the file names have the appropriate extensions added then copy the files to the new machine. OSX should then process these documents correctly and thus allow you to access them from the schematics application.
  3. You could also use ResEdit (Apple resource tool) to modify the FileType and Application Creator data in the file's resources. This is what OSX has somehow lost track of when the files were first copied. If you fix the file's resource's this should correct the problem you are having.

I have a selection of ferrite transformers with different PCB footprints. I've made a primitive primary and secondary and used pack edit to create the mapping of primitive to footprint. I have two pins numbered 11 in the packaged component. The actual footprint has one (1) less pin than the primitive, but I don't want to make a separate primitive for this. So I just mapped two different primitive pins to the same pin in packedit. I don't get an error when packaging, nor do I get an error when importing the component in an eco. But am I asking for some other kind of trouble by doing this (will I get DRC errors or something?).

This in not a safe thing to do. While it may work at the moment there is no guarantee it won't backfire somewhere downstream in the design process. One of the core assumptions in the McCAD environment is that no two pins can have the same pin number. We can not predict where and when you will get bitten but you will. Building the correct primitives and footprints only requires duplicating one definition and then making the minor modifications.

I can't create multi-pins in the library editor anymore. What's wrong?

Check your current library Grid setting. It has to be 6 pixels or more for this feature to operate.