coltoff@prc.unisys.com (Joel Coltoff) (02/17/88)
WOODWARD McCOACH ANNOUNCES INTELLIGENT SCHEMATIC CAPTURE SOFTWARE
(West Chester, PA) Woodward McCoach, Inc., has announced WM/ICAP,
an intelligent schematic capture software package for the IBM PC
and compatible computers. Like other schematic capture programs,
WM/ICAP provides graphical editing of electrical schematic
diagrams, but it includes capabilities that are made possible by
on-line intelligence about schematics. These extra features
reduce both initial schematic capture time and the number of
iterations required to produce a "clean" schematic. To achieve
these reductions, WM/ICAP performs substantial on-line design
rule checking and automates many operations that are tedious and
error prone with other editors.
Typical schematic capture packages are built around simple
drafting programs. During the on-line editing process, they view
schematic objects as combinations of lines, arcs, and text with
little or no inherent meaning. They defer interpretation of
symbols as components, pins, electrical nets and annotation to a
separate batch post-processing program.
In contrast, WM/ICAP exhibits comprehensive on-line
"understanding" of the elements of a schematic. As components
and nets are added to a drawing, it continuously maintains
internal information about component usage and electrical
connectivity. Using this information, WM/ICAP prevents many
common design errors, such as multiple usage of the same
sub-element of a component. It warns the user immediately about
many other possible errors, such as multiple standard output pins
driving the same net.
WM/ICAP's intelligence allows it to perform automatically many
functions that must be done manually in other design systems. It
continuously keeps track of the usage of multi-element
components, name and type correspondence for components and names
of nets and busses that have been used. WM/ICAP automatically
creates labels on nets, including cross-sheet reference numbers
for nets that appear on more than one sheet. It can change the
name of a net or the name or type of a component in a single
operation, even if that net or component appears on more than one
sheet of a design.
WM/ICAP includes several utility programs and a comprehensive
library of TTL, CMOS and NMOS logic, memory, microprocessor and
discrete components. Among the utility programs is CAPLIB which
adds, deletes or replaces devices in a main or subsidiary
component library. CAPRPT produces design reports, including
spare logic, power/ground connections, net lists and bill of
materials. CAPCONV converts net lists into a variety of standard
formats. CAPPRINT prints selected sheets of a design on a dot
matrix printer. CAPPLOT draws schematic sheets on a plotter.
CAPFLAT reduces a hierarchical design to a single "flat" net list
and bill of materials.
WM/ICAP operates on IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible systems with a
minimum of 384K memory (512K or more recommended). Graphics
adapters that are supported by WM/ICAP include the IBM Enhanced
Graphics Adapter and Color Graphics Adapter, Hercules Graphics
Card and AT&T 6300 high resolution graphics. A Microsoft
compatible mouse is recommended but not necessary to run the
package. The retail price of WM/ICAP is $795.00 and includes
all utilities, manual and tutorial. A demonstration disk with
manual is available for $45.00 which can be credited towards a
full package purchase.
Woodward McCoach, Inc. is a four year old consulting and
contract hardware and software design firm specializing in the
designs of semicustom IC's and microprocessor based products.
For additional information, the company can be reached at:
Woodward McCoach, Inc.
1240 West Chester Pike, Suite 213
West Chester, PA 19382
(215) 436-8130
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