The SIMPLE_TQFP File format makes it easy to enter all the pins from a DataSheet that provides the device pinout using the Layout of the TQFP or inline package pins
This report type allows the user to export the pdf pinout from a datasheet into a spreadsheet with minimal user interaction required.
Example Data Sheet:
In this data sheet from Analog Devices, the Pinout is provided as shown.
It shows the TQFP device with the pin names and pin numbers arranged in a rectangle just like the physical device
Without the SIMPLE_TQFP PIN_REPORT, the user would need to convert this manually to a more conventional SpreadSheet pin report using the SPREADSHEET PIN_REPORT_TYPES, and that
can be an error prone process
With the inexpensive Able2Extract or ABBYY FineReader PDF 15 tools, the user can easily convert the pdf to the SIMPLE_TQFP spreadsheet
PartBuilder Videos: TQFP Pdf to SpreadSheet Conversion
SpreadSheet after conversion
The spreadsheet will look like this:
Once the Data sheet has been converted to a spreadsheet, The PartBuilder Pin-Extract function can use the file to extract the pin data. It ignores all the extra graphic lines and just finds the pin Names and pin Numbers
SIMPLE_TQFP Pin Extract Algorithm
PinExtract searches the spreadsheet for cells containing known valid PinNumbers, when if finds one, it looks for a pinName in an adjacent cell to the left, right, above or below the selected cell. If it finds a non blank pinName cell, it will add tha pin record with the selected pin Number and PinName.
In order to assist Pin-Extract in this case, the user needs to enter the PCHK_DEVICE_PIN_NUMBERS and possibly the PCHK_VALID_MISSING_PINS to inform PartBuilder the valid pin number range which makes it possible to accurately extract the pinData. If they are not entered, the user will be prompted to enter them before pinExtract proceeds to read the SIMPLE_TQFP pin report.
Using the Example Spreadsheet shown, the user would enter 1-53 for the PCHK_DEVICE_PIN_NUMBERS CSET telling partBuilder to expect pins 1,2,3…53. If the center pinNumber was not a digit, but named something like TAB, the PCHK_DEVICE_PIN_NUMBERS CSET would be set to 1-52,TAB. Since there are no missing pins in this range the PCHK_VALID_MISSING_PINS would remain empty.
Detailed Pin Extract Steps for the Example
Pin Extract reads the spreadsheet lines and first sees the #4 in Cell A3…. since there are no adjacent cells with a pinName above, below or to the right of that cell, it ignores the 4, and continues searching.
When it reaches row 8, it looks at all the non-empty cells but doesn’t see any pinNumbers from the valid 1-53 range, so it continues searching
On row 9, if finds a valid pin 52 in cell C9 and it looks above it to find the BOOST0 pinName so it adds this pin.
It moves on to D9 and finds pin 51 and NC above it so it adds this pin ..
it proceeds to find valid pins 50,48,48,47,46,45,44,43,42 and 41 with valid pin names above
It then jumps to row 10 and sees valid pin number 1 in cell B10, it looks to the left and finds the SW0 pinName so it adds that pin record…
It continues scanning over to cell O10 where it finds valid pin Number 40 with the BOOST1 pin Name to the right
It proceeds to find pins 2 and 39, 3 and 38, 4 and 37, 5 and 36, 6 and 35 in rows 11..15
Row 16 is interesting… it contains pin number 7 with VIN0 pin name to the left, pin number 53 in cell H16 with pin Name GND below it and then pin Number 34 with PGOOD0 pinName to the right
It continues to find pins 9 and 32, 10 and 31, 11 and 30, 12 and 29, 13 and 28 and 14 and 27 in rows 17..23
on Row 24, it finds pin 15 in cell C24 with the SDA pin name below it.
It moves to D24 to find pin 16 with the ALERT pin name below it
it proceeds to find pin numbers 17,18,19,20.21,22,23,24,25 and finally pin 26 with teh PHAS_CFG pinName below it.
Pin Types with SIMPLE_TQFP format
When the SIMPLE_TQFP format is used, the user must help PartBuilder identify PIN_TYPES using the PinExplorer function because there are no pinTypes avialable in the Spreadsheet
The PIN_OVERRIDE_TYPE file can also be used to provide this information so that the user doesn't have to edit the spreadsheet information they may have obtained from a vendor PDF file.
More information on the PIN_OVERRIDE_TYPE file can be found at this link PIN_TYPE_OVRD File
0 Comments