docs/wiki/geda-gschem_ug-components.html

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  12 <a href=.>start</a>&nbsp;=>&nbsp;<a href=geda-gschem_ug.html>gschem_ug</a></br>
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  15                 <td class="col0 leftalign"> &lt;&lt; <a href="geda-gschem_ug-moving_copying.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug-moving_copying.html">Moving and copying</a>  </td><td class="col1 centeralign">  <strong><a href="geda-gschem_ug.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug.html">gEDA gschem User Guide</a></strong>  </td><td class="col2 rightalign">  <a href="geda-gschem_ug-pins_nets_buses.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug-pins_nets_buses.html">Pins, nets and buses</a> &gt;&gt; </td>
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  18 <!-- EDIT1 TABLE [1-143] -->
  19 <h2 id="components">Components</h2>
  20 <div class="level2">
  21
  22 <p>
  23 A <em>component</em> in a schematic is an instance of a symbol from a <em>symbol library</em>.  They can represent subcircuits to be included in the design, or discrete parts or devices to be used.
  24 </p>
  25
  26 <p>
  27 To add a component to a schematic page, press <kbd>I</kbd> or select <strong>Add→Component...</strong> to bring up the &quot;Select Component...&quot; window.  The window has three main areas:
  28 </p>
  29 <ul>
  30 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> The <em>library area</em> is on the left side of the window, and allows you to choose a symbol to place on the schematic page.</div>
  31 </li>
  32 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> The <em>preview area</em> is on the right side of the window.  This shows a picture of the chosen symbol, and its <a href="geda-gschem_ug-attributes.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug-attributes.html">attributes</a>.</div>
  33 </li>
  34 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> The <em>insertion mode menu</em> at the bottom of the window controls how components are inserted.</div>
  35 </li>
  36 </ul>
  37 <div class="noteimportant">Components should only be added to schematics, and not to symbols.
  38
  39 </div>
  40 </div>
  41
  42 <h3 id="selectingacomponentyouhavealreadyused">Selecting a component you have already used</h3>
  43 <div class="level3">
  44
  45 <p>
  46 By switching to the <strong>In Use</strong> tab of the component selector, you can view a list of the symbols that have already been used in the schematic.  To select a symbol from the list, left-click on it.
  47 </p>
  48
  49 <p>
  50 If the list needs to be updated, click the <strong>Refresh</strong> button at the bottom of the &quot;In Use&quot; page.
  51 </p>
  52
  53 </div>
  54
  55 <h3 id="selectingacomponentfromasymbollibrary">Selecting a component from a symbol library</h3>
  56 <div class="level3">
  57 <div class="notetip">See <a href="geda-gschem_ug-config.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug-config.html">Configuring gschem</a> for information on controlling which symbol libraries appear in the component selector.
  58 </div>
  59 <p>
  60 To select a symbol from a symbol library, switch to the <strong>Libraries</strong> tab of the component selector.  This shows a list of available libraries.  To view the symbols in a library, double-click on the library&#039;s name, or left-click the arrow next to it.  To select a symbol from the list, left-click on it.
  61 </p>
  62
  63 <p>
  64 Alternatively, you can search all available symbols by typing into the <strong>Filter</strong> box at the bottom of the <strong>Libraries</strong> page.
  65 </p>
  66
  67 <p>
  68 The list of libraries and symbols may need to be updated (for example, if you modified a symbol library while gschem was running).  To update it, click the <strong>Refresh</strong> button at the bottom of the <strong>Libraries</strong> page.
  69 </p>
  70
  71 </div>
  72
  73 <h3 id="placingacomponent">Placing a component</h3>
  74 <div class="level3">
  75
  76 <p>
  77 When you have selected a component, left-click in the schematic view area of the <a href="geda-gschem_ug-main_window.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug-main_window.html">main window</a> to add it to the page.  You can continue to click to place copies of the same component, or right-click to finish placing.
  78 </p>
  79
  80 <p>
  81 To hide the &quot;Select Component...&quot; window while you place components, click <strong>OK</strong>.  When you right-click to finish placing components, the window will re-appear.
  82 </p>
  83
  84 </div>
  85
  86 <h3 id="symbolinsertionmodesandembedding">Symbol insertion modes and embedding</h3>
  87 <div class="level3">
  88
  89 <p>
  90 There are three ways that gschem can insert a symbol into a schematic:
  91 </p>
  92 <ol>
  93 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> As a component linked to a symbol in the symbol library (<strong>Default behavior - reference component</strong>).  This is the default method, which ensures that when you update a library symbol, all the places it was used are updated too.</div>
  94 </li>
  95 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> As a component with the symbol data copied into the schematic (<strong>Embed component in schematic</strong>).  If you <em>embed</em> the symbol, it is easier to share your schematic with other users without having to set up the same symbol libraries.</div>
  96 </li>
  97 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> As individual objects obtained by breaking the symbol apart (<strong>Include component as individual objects</strong>).</div>
  98 </li>
  99 </ol>
 100
 101 <p>
 102 You can make a linked component embedded by selecting it and using <strong>Edit→Embed Component/Picture</strong>.  To make an embedded component linked, use <strong>Edit→Unembed Component/Picture</strong>.
 103 </p>
 104 <div class="noteclassic">If an embedded component cannot be matched up with a symbol from the available symbol libraries, <strong>Edit→Unembed Component/Picture</strong> will not modify it.
 105 </div>
 106 <p>
 107 If you wish to update an embedded component after making changes to the original symbol file in the library, use <strong>Edit→Update Component</strong>.
 108 </p>
 109
 110 </div>
 111
 112 <h3 id="editingsymbols">Editing symbols</h3>
 113 <div class="level3">
 114
 115 <p>
 116 To edit a component&#039;s symbol file, select the component and use <strong>Hierarchy→Down Symbol</strong>.  gschem will open and display the symbol page for editing.  When you are finished editing, save the file and use <strong>Hierarchy→Up</strong> to return to the schematic.  You may need to use <strong>Edit→Update Component</strong> for your changes to be reflected in the schematic view.
 117 </p>
 118
 119 </div>
 120
 121 <h3 id="missingsymbols">Missing symbols</h3>
 122 <div class="level3">
 123
 124 <p>
 125 If, when <a href="geda-gschem_ug-schematic_pages.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug-schematic_pages.html">loading a schematic</a>, one of the symbols it needs cannot be found in the available symbol libraries, a warning graphic will be displayed in its place.
 126 </p>
 127
 128 </div>
 129
 130 <h3 id="viewingcomponentdocumentation">Viewing component documentation</h3>
 131 <div class="level3">
 132 <div class="notetip">When designing symbols, specify the location of component documentation using a <a href="geda-master_attributes_list.html#documentation" class="wikilink1" title="geda-master_attributes_list.html">documentation attribute</a>.  See also <a href="geda-gschem_ug-attributes.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug-attributes.html">Attributes</a>.
 133 </div>
 134 <p>
 135 A component may have a datasheet or other documentation associated with it.  To view a component&#039;s documentation, <a href="geda-gschem_ug-selecting.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gschem_ug-selecting.html">select it</a> and use <strong>Help→Component Documentation</strong>.
 136 </p>
 137
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