SYNAPTICADcolon

 

Version 11.0 Features

SynaptiCAD is proud to release version 11.0 of GigaWaveViewer, Timing Diagrammer Pro, WaveFormer Pro, DataSheet Pro, BugHunter Pro, VeriLogger Pro, and TestBencher Pro. Below are some of the new features:



Universal Features (added to all timing diagram editor products):

New Parameter Features

  • New curved arrows for delays, setups and holds. In addition to the traditional "right-angle" appearance of Delays, Setups, and Holds, these parameters can also be displayed as a straight line or a curved arrow for documentation purposes.
    cerver_delay
  • Control the color background of unreferenced parameters using View > Show Unreferenced Parms in Gray menu. By default it is checked, but if unchecked the color will be the same as regular parameters.
  • Hide or Show all the parameters on a particular signal by right-clicking on the signal label and choosing either the Hide Parameters on Selected Signal(s) or the Show parameters on Selected Signal(s) menu option from the context menu.


New Signal Features

  • The Search & Rename Signals dialog now supports the insertion of prefixes and suffixes to signal names. And we have increased the speed of all the search and replace options to support very large gigawave files.

    search and rename

  • New dialog for hierarchically showing and hiding signals via mouse selection or using regular expression pattern matches.

    show hide

  • Differential signals can now display a list of their member signals in the Label window in lieu of their own name. Differential signals are a special type of Group Bus. They display a superimposed image of two signal waveforms on top of each other. Each of the original signals. formatting is displayed by the differential signal. The original signals can be hidden so that the final diagram will only display the resulting differential signal.

     differential signal bus

  • Now there is a fast method for shifting all the edges on a set of selected signals using Edit Waveform Edges menu.
  • In WaveFormer Pro, the menu option View > Show Default Simulated Signals Color toggles whether simulated signals are drawn in the usual simulated waveform color (purple) or the ordinary waveform color (black by default).
  • Improved edge properties dialog displays next and previous state values as well as edge times.

    Improved edge properties



Analog Features

  • A tutorial that covers creating and displaying analog signals.
  • Ability to export real-radix signals as true piecewise-linear voltages or to approximate stepped voltage sources by clicking Use Straight Edges in the Analog Properties dialog (both methods use SPICE PWL statements).
  • New State label equation for quickly generating an analog waveform that represents:

    • a Ramp starting at a given voltage and ending in a given voltage over a given duration

      ramp wave

    • a Capacitor charging over a given time-constant

      Capacitor charge

    • a Capacitor discharging over a given time-constant

      Capacitor discharge

    • a Sine wave waveform

      Sine wave

    • a Sine wave that starts from zero and grows in amplitude

      Start sin

    • a Sine wave that dwindles to zero

      sin end



Text Objects

  • Text objects can now be attached to a position relative to a corner of the diagram window. This is handy for making titles or logo image files stick to a particular position on the screen.
  • Text and Edge Alignment settings can now be set for either the current diagram or as defaults for all new timing diagrams.
  • Text objects can be set to display the rise/fall times and voltage thresholds of the signals to which they are attached and the edge time transition points. The signal.s analog properties determine the placement of the marking lines and the values of the properties.

    Edge thresholds



Miscellaneous Features

  • Drawing Preferences (Style Sheet) can now be used to edit either the current diagram or the default settings for new diagrams.
  • Chapter 8.7: Drawing Preferences dialog now has the New Diagram Default Style and the Active Diagram Style radio buttons.
  • Improved documentation for Section 15.7: Pattern Matching.



dsp logo

DataSheet Pro provides documentation professionals with an integrated environment for working with multiple timing diagram documents. All the new WaveFormer Pro and Timing Diagrammer Pro features are also in DataSheet Pro (with the exception of built-in software options).

  • Images and logo files can be displayed within a timing digram by linking the image file to a text object. Once DataSheet Pro saves an image to a diagram it can be viewed in any of our timing diagram products including the free WaveViewer software.

    Logo in diagram

  • Text objects can now be attached to a position relative to a corner of the diagram window. This is handy for making titles or logo images stick to a particular position on the screen.
  • Quickly scroll and zoom to a particular location on the timing diagram using the new View function.
  • Waveform Comparison display has been sped up and the differences are now displayed more visibly with a red background, rather than a red waveform.
  • Manage viewing a large number of signals using filter patterns in the new Show and Hide Signals dialog accessed through the View > Show and Hide Signals menu.
  • Create SVG images of diagrams. This format is a web-ready, XML-based, 2-dimensional graphics format that is supported by many graphics tools across many platforms. Chapter 9.2: Embedding Images into Documents.


bughunter

BugHunter Pro is an interactive graphical debugger for Verilog, VHDL and C++. VeriLogger Pro bundles BugHunter Pro with VlogCmd, our interpreted Verilog simulator.

  • Enhanced debugging tool tips show hierarchical name and type as well as current value.

     Enhanced debuging tool

  • Go to Definition allows quicker traversal of VHDL and Verilog code. Jumps from HDL instance names and procedure calls to the declaration for the module/entity/architecture, task/function/procedure, or signal/variable/net.

    goto definition

    goto def2

  • Support has been added for SynaptiCAD's new Verilogger Extreme compiled-code simulator.
  • Updated support for both the ModelSim and ActiveHDL simulators.



tbp

TestBencher Pro generates test benches from graphical timing diagrams.

  • Optional Transaction Tracker tool for analyzying waveforms with Accelera PSL 1.1 assertions. PSL assertions are created the same way that Boolean equations are, using the Signal Properties dialog. There's never been a better way to harness the power of PSL to detect errors in your designs.

     Signal properties

    sonsecutive

  • Simulation-created sticky notes allow Verilog and VHDL code to generate graphical objects that are displayed on the simulation result waveforms.
  • Simulation-created timing parameters allow Verilog and VHDL code to generate graphical delays, setups, and holds on the simulation results waveforms.



gwv

  • Ability to save waveforms to compressed BTIM format. (200x smaller than equivalent VCD files and load 500x faster)
  • PLI library that allows VHDL and Verilog simulators to directly dump to BTIM, speeding up simulation times over 3x compared to dumping to VCD.
  • New filter files allow user to selectively load sets of signals from a waveform data file and set the signal properties and the order in which the signals are displayed.
  • Improved rendering of analog waveforms.
  • A quick-start tutorial covering the new features.


New Features pages for previous versions:

List of Features in Version 10.0

List of Features in Version 9.0