CHAPTER 1 – Schematic Capture

This chapter describes the importance of schematic capture in designing of printed circuit boards. A schematic symbol is a simplified representation of a real-world component. A schematic diagram shows such representations of real-world components and a simplified map of how they are connected together. Each symbol contains a graphic, or drawing, that represents the part or its function. The graphic is usually referred to as a component body. Each symbol needs to have a name that the schematic tool can refer to. This name is usually referred to as a component name. A component name for a symbol is similar in function to a file name for a file. The component body also has lines coming off it called pins that represent the connections to the part itself. The first step in generating a schematic is to create symbols for all the components. It is found that the exact details of the process vary with the schematic capture tool.