Re: wire wrap cad software

From: DJ Delorie (dj_at_delorie.com)
Date: 10/20/04 

Date: 20 Oct 2004 18:08:26 -0400

john.sosa@seagate.com (John Sosa) writes:
> This question is to all those that prototype using wire wrapping.
> Currently, I have a large design that I want to wire wrap, and have
> done the all the CAD drawings in Orcad. (I generally do everything in
> Orcad) The problem with this is that I don't really want to wire wrap
> directly from the schematic. Also, I have heard from friends that
> there used to be some software that converted netlists to a list of
> wirewrap connections. Also, this software was intelligent enought to
> not give more than three wraps per post, etc. Apperantly the software
> gave a listing of the order and between what chips the wraps needed to
> go. I have searched on Google using different search criteria, but
> nothing.

PCB does something close - when you first import a netlist, it creates
a "rats nest" showing the minimum spanning tree for each net (doesn't
everyone do this?). Since sources for PCB are available (not everyone
does *this* ;), you could easily modify the spanning tree algorithm to
disqualify any pin with three rats to it already, then you can
highlight each net one at a time as you do the wrapping.

Of course, you still have to place all your footprints and such first,
but the advantage is that since it know where everything is, it can
minimize wire length.

        http://pcb.sourceforge.net/

Hmmm... as you do each wire, you can push that rat to a hidden copper
layer, removing it from the display. As long as you don't use the
"optimize rats" partway through a net, else the three-link-max rule
won't work.

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