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Why am I getting multiple sections of the symbol?
Why am I getting multiple sections of the symbol?

A guide to understanding multi-section symbols and their use.

Ron Publico avatar
Written by Ron Publico
Updated over a year ago

At SnapMagic we use multi-section symbols (also known as multi-gate and multi-slot) in order to provide you with a compact symbol that doesn't exceed the size of the sheet for the schematic diagram. A multi-section symbol is the same as other symbols, the only difference is that it has been split into two or more gates by function or bank. This will allow you to locate and connect the pins based on their functionality.

Libraries with multiple symbol sections are used in different cases, the most common ones are:

  • Integrated circuits consisting of multiple transistors, diodes, or operational amplifiers.

  • Devices with over 100 pins like microprocessors or FPGAs. The symbols are sectioned following the functionality of the pins like power, IO signals, DDR, program pins, ethernet port, bank number, and others.

To identify a multi-section part on SnapEDA, check the top right corner of the symbol. Once you see a toggle element, you can check out the symbol’s different sections.

Note: if you would like to use only one of the sections of a symbol you will need to download the file and delete the other ones directly from your CAD tool.

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