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Working with Patterns

This procedure explains how to work with patterns when you place selected logic in the Floorplan window. You can use the Floorplan Capture Pattern and Floorplan Impose Pattern commands or use the Capture Pattern and Impose Pattern toolbar buttons. These commands allow you to create a reference pattern of placed logic that you can use later when you are placing similar logic. The reference pattern represents the relative placement and spacing of individual pieces of floorplanned logic.

NOTE

Except for RPMs, you must have logic placed in the Floorplan window before you can use the Capture Pattern command. RPMs have a pattern. You can pick up an RPM and capture its pattern before dropping it into the Floorplan window.

Creating a Pattern

You can select the Floorplan Capture Pattern command or use the Capture Pattern toolbar button shown in the following figure.

figures/capbut.gif

Follow these steps to create a pattern that captures the placement and spacing information of placed logic in the Floorplan window.

  1. Select some logic from the Design Hierarchy window and place it in the desired locations in the Floorplan window.

  2. Select the logic in the Floorplan window, which makes the pattern that you want to capture for future use.

  3. Select Floorplan Capture Pattern or click the Capture Pattern toolbar button.

Using a Pattern

Imposing a pattern can only be done after you have captured a pattern. You can select the Floorplan Impose Pattern command or use the Impose Pattern toolbar button shown in the following figure.

figures/impbut.gif

Follow these steps to use a reference pattern to place selected logic from the design hierarchy into the Floorplan window.

NOTE

Use the Impose Pattern command on logic that is similar to the placed logic whose placement was captured as a pattern.

  1. Select the desired logic from the design hierarchy.

  2. Select Floorplan Impose Pattern or click the Impose Pattern toolbar button.

  3. Move the selected logic into the Floorplan window.

    The Floorplanner reads the placement and spacing information from the reference pattern to place the selected logic.

NOTE

You can use the Impose Pattern command on transitory logic or selected logic that is already placed in the Floorplan window.

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