7.1. Introduction

7.1. Introduction

The automatic classification annotation tool allows you to automatically assign a designator to components in your schematic. For multi-parts components, assign a multi-part suffix to minimize the number of these packages. The automatic classification annotation tool is accessible via the icon . Here you find its main window.

Various possibilities are available:

• Annotate all the components (reset existing annotation option)
• Annotate all the components, but do not swap any previously annotated multi-unit parts.
• Annotate new components only (i.e. those whose reference finishes by? like IC? ) (keep existing annotation option).
• Annotate the whole hierarchy (use the entire schematic option).
• Annotate the current sheet only (use current page only option).

The “Reset, but do not swap any annotated multi-unit parts” option keeps all existing associations between multi-unit parts. That is, if you have U2A and U2B, they may be reannotated to U1A and U1B respectively, but they will never be reannotated to U1A and U2A, nor to U2B and U2A. This is useful if you want to ensure that pin groupings are maintained, if you have already decided by yourself which subunits are best placed where.

The annotation order choice gives the method used to set the reference number inside each sheet of the hierarchy.

Except for particular cases, an automatic annotation applies to the whole project (all sheets) and to the new components, if you don’t want to modify previous annotations.

The Annotation Choice gives the method used to calculate reference Id:

• Use first free number in schematic: components are annotated from 1 (for each reference prefix). If a previous annotation exists, not yet in use numbers will be used.
• Start to sheet number*100 and use first free number: annotation start from 101 for the sheet 1, from 201 for the sheet 2, etc. If there are more than 99 items having the same reference prefix (U, R) inside the sheet 1, the annotation tool uses the number 200 and more, and annotation for sheet 2 will start from the next free number.
• Start to sheet number*1000 and use first free number. Annotation start from 1001 for the sheet 1, from 2001 for the sheet 2.