Data Sheet

LABCENTER ELECTRONICS LTD.

Component Placement

Proteus 8 works with a live netlist so the PCB Layout module already has much of the

information we need to start the layout process. In particular, we have specified which footprints

are associated with each schematic symbol and Layout module can therefore pre-select these

for us ready for placement. This brings us to an important distinction in the software; the

difference between a component and a package.

Components and Packages

A component is an instance of a footprint that has been netlisted through from the

schematic.

A package is a physical footprint that exists in the PCB Libraries.

Selecting component mode will access footprints which have been specified as relating to parts

in Proteus and carry connectivity information whereas selecting package mode will access

‘unbound’ physical instances of a footprint. When working with a layout which is driven from a

schematic we therefore exclusively use component mode.

The Component Mode icon is second from the top directly underneath the Selection icon.

Clicking on this will display a list of items in the Object Selector which correspond directly to the

parts in Proteus that we used to create the schematic.

Component Mode

The Package Mode icon is directly underneath the Component mode icon and clicking on this

will show us the physical footprints corresponding to the components in the layout.