Problems in MS12

[dbur]

Hi,

I am having problems with broken featuresa in MS 12.

I open a part in MS and change the footprint, then use the map pins feature to get them all right.  When I close the map window, the pins I map to do not come through to the part correctly.  They are scrambled up.

I have also had the spreadsheet start to flash and redisplay over and over for very long periods when I have the components tab selected and select parts.  I have to close the spreadsheet view and re-start MS12 to make it stop.

This is what I get after closing the Maps Pins function.  The P#'s should match the footprint pin numbers.  This has something to do with sorting the Symbols pins column in the Maps Pins window.  If I do not sort that column it works.

[Tien_P]

Hi Dbur,

 The pin order under the "Symbol Pins" column came from the symbol editor.  When you go through the Component Wizard, step 3 is where you can customize the schematic symbol.  The default symbol looks like an IC where pin 1 starts at the top left corner and increment in a counter clock wise direction.  If you edit the symbol and moved or renamed the pins, the pin order will remain the same under the "symbol pins" column.  In your screen capture, P12 was pin 1, P1 was pin 2 etc...  

When you change the footprint on the schematic, Multisim doesn't remember the footprint mapping table, is simply put pin 1 on the first row under the "footprint pins" column and then increment.

To fix this issue, go to the component editor and modify the symbol.  Rename the pins  from P12 ==> P1, P1==>P2, P2==>P3 etc..  After you renamed the pins, rearrange the pins wherever you want and save the symbol.  Double check the footprint tab to make sure the mapping table is correct then save the part to your database. If you ever have to change the footprint again in the future, the pins will automatically be in the correct order. 

I am not sure what made the spreadsheet to flashed, I can't reproduce it.  Let me know if you know how to do it.

[dbur]

I think you're missing my point.  If you click the 'Map Pins' button shown on that screen , sort by pin name so it goes P1, P2, P3 ... and then place the pins, when you close the 'map pins' window it has assigned the pins as if the pin name column was not sorted.  This is clearly a bug and should not behave this way.  If this is not meant to work then you should disable the sort column function, but it would be much better if it just worked.  There would be no need to go through the ponderous pin renaming exercise you suggest below if it did.

This is was done in the component window in MS12 by double clicking the symbol (though I tried it and it behaves the same when done in edit component function).  I have just clicked on the part in the schematic and selected edit footprint just for that instance of the part.

So I think this is a new bug in the 'Map pin' function, wherever you invoke it and it does not honor the pin name sort when you fill in that table.  This did used to work in previous versions.

Tough for small parts it's not too big a deal, but with high point count parts a user can get frustrated by this real fast.

[dbur]

More info:

MS12 'Map pins' entry allows the user to type in the number in the pin column rather than just being able to enter it by clicking the pin# in the field to the right. 

MS11 only allowed pin entry by clicking on the pin number in the field on the right.

If I enter the pin numbers by typing them in, the the assignements come out incorrect.

If I enter the pin numbers by clicking on them in the field to the right, then it works.

[Tien_P]

Hi Dbur,

I see the problem now, thanks.  This is a defect and I will let the developers know about it.  For now, use the footprint table to map the pins, this seems to work.