Electronic circuit diagram comparison method and non-transitory computer readable medium

Abstract

An electronic circuit diagram comparison method includes, with a processor, converting a first electronic circuit diagram file into a first text file; converting a second electronic circuit diagram file into a second text file; comparing the first text file with the second text file to obtain a difference text file containing at least one text difference between the first text file and the second text file; and generating a difference diagram file according to the difference text file, wherein at least one difference point on the difference diagram file is marked corresponding to the at least one text difference.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electronic circuit diagram comparison method, and more particularly to an electronic circuit diagram comparison method that can be executed by a processor. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, after electronic R&D engineers design and draw electronic circuit diagrams, if modifications are needed based on product validation results, they modify the previous version of the circuit diagram and save it. However, since a circuit diagram can be 60-70 pages long, there may be as many as 10-20 places that need to be modified after product validation. The previous practice was to open two files for cross-comparison to check whether the modifications were in place and completed. This approach is prone to oversights and is relatively time-consuming. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above, the present invention provides an electronic circuit diagram comparison method and a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0004] An electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes, executed by a processor, the following steps: converting a first electronic circuit diagram file into a first text file; converting a second electronic circuit diagram file into a second text file; comparing the first text file with the second text file to obtain a difference text file containing at least one text difference between the first text file and the second text file; and generating a difference image file based on the difference text file, wherein at least one difference point on the difference image file is marked corresponding to the at least one text difference.

[0005] Preferably, the first text file includes a first circuit data and a first component data, and the second text file includes a second circuit data and a second component data, such that comparing the first text file and the second text file to obtain a difference text file containing the at least one text difference between the first text file and the second text file includes: comparing the first circuit data and the second circuit data to obtain a circuit comparison result; comparing the first component data and the second component data to obtain a component comparison result; and generating the difference text file based on the at least one text difference associated with the circuit comparison result and the component comparison result.

[0006] Preferably, the execution order of comparing the first line data with the second line data is prior to the execution order of comparing the first component data with the second component data.

[0007] Preferably, the first route data includes multiple first route files, the second route data includes multiple second route files, and comparing the first route data with the second route data to obtain the route comparison result includes: obtaining multiple target route files corresponding to the multiple second route files based on the multiple file names of the multiple first route files; comparing each of the multiple target route files with each of the corresponding multiple first route files; recording the differences between the multiple target route files and the corresponding multiple first route files as the text difference points to the route comparison result; and when the multiple first route files and the multiple second route files include a remaining route file that is not matched, recording the remaining route file as the text difference point to the route comparison result.

[0008] Preferably, the first element data includes multiple first element files, the second element data includes multiple second element files, and comparing the first element data with the second element data to obtain the element comparison result includes: obtaining multiple target element files corresponding to the multiple second element files based on the multiple file names of the multiple first element files; comparing each of the multiple target element files with each of the corresponding multiple first element files; recording the differences between the multiple target element files and the corresponding multiple first element files as the text difference to the element comparison result; and when the multiple first line files and the multiple second line files include the remaining line files, recording a remaining element file corresponding to the remaining line files in the multiple first line files and the multiple second element files as the text difference to the element comparison result.

[0009] Preferably, the at least one text difference has a first color attribute, and generating the difference image file based on the difference text file includes: marking the at least one difference point with a first color according to the first color attribute on an original image file to generate the difference image file, wherein the original image file is associated with the first electronic circuit diagram file or the second electronic circuit diagram file.

[0010] Preferably, the original image file contains at least one non-textual difference with a second color attribute, and generating the difference image file from the difference text file further includes: marking a non-textual difference other than the at least one textual difference with a second color on the original image file according to the second color attribute to generate the difference image file.

[0011] Preferably, the first line data and the second line data belong to a Nets file, and the first component data and the second component data belong to a Components file.

[0012] Preferably, the first electronic circuit diagram and the second electronic circuit diagram each contain multiple drawings with more than four circuit board layers.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores a computer program, which is executed by a processor and then the processor executes the electronic circuit diagram comparison method.

[0014] Through the above architecture, the electronic circuit diagram comparison method and non-transitory computer-readable medium disclosed in this case can convert different versions of electronic circuit diagram files into their respective text files, and then compare the different text files to obtain a difference text file containing the differences between the two text files. Based on the difference text file, a difference diagram file is generated to mark and present the difference points corresponding to the above-mentioned differences, thereby reducing the complexity of modification and inspection, and thus improving the efficiency of circuit design.

[0015] The foregoing description of the contents of this application and the following description of the embodiments are intended to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principles of the present invention, and to provide a further explanation of the claims of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the comparison steps of an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the comparison sub-steps of an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of another comparison sub-step of an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the marking steps of an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a first electronic circuit diagram drawn according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of a second electronic circuit diagram drawn according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a difference file drawn according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 9 The diagram shown is a functional block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Symbol explanation:

[0026] S1~S7, S51~S55, S511~S517, S531~S537, S71~S73: Steps

[0027] 11: Non-transitory computer-readable media

[0028] 13: Processor

[0029] 2: Differences Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following detailed description of the features and advantages of the present invention in the embodiments is sufficient to enable anyone skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. Based on the disclosure, claims, and drawings in this specification, anyone skilled in the art can easily understand the related objectives and advantages of the present invention. The following embodiments are further detailed in illustrating the points of view of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0031] The electronic circuit diagram comparison method proposed in several embodiments of this application can be executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, a programmable logic controller, a microcontroller, or other electronic device with data processing capabilities. The processor can receive two different versions of electronic circuit diagram files (such as a previous version and a subsequent version), and in this document, the two electronic circuit diagram files are defined as a first electronic circuit diagram file and a second electronic circuit diagram file, respectively. It is worth noting that the aforementioned first and second electronic circuit diagram files do not imply the chronological order of the versions of the electronic circuit diagram files, and the first and second electronic circuit diagram files can also be two versions of a single parent electronic circuit diagram file, or electronic circuit diagram files with version differences spanning several generations. In short, any two electronic circuit diagram files that can generate corresponding comparisons can be the first and second electronic circuit diagram files described in this application, and this part should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, for methods that simultaneously compare three or more electronic circuit diagram files, if the process is based on pairwise comparisons, then it falls within the scope of protection of this application according to the claims herein.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a flowchart illustrating an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the electronic circuit diagram comparison method includes steps S1: converting a first electronic circuit diagram file into a first text file; step S3: converting a second electronic circuit diagram file into a second text file; step S5: comparing the first text file and the second text file to obtain a difference text file containing at least one text difference between the first text file and the second text file; and step S7: generating a difference image file based on the difference text file, wherein at least one difference point on the difference image file is marked corresponding to the at least one text difference point.

[0033] Before steps S1 and S3, the processor may convert the first electronic circuit diagram file into a first text file (step S1) and the second electronic circuit diagram file into a second text file (step S3) after receiving the first and second electronic circuit diagram files. Alternatively, the processor may execute step S1 upon receiving the first electronic circuit diagram file and then execute step S3 upon receiving the second electronic circuit diagram file. As mentioned above, there is no difference in the order between the first and second electronic circuit diagram files; therefore, steps S1 and S3 can be interchanged or processed in parallel.

[0034] In step S5, the processor compares the first text file with the second text file to obtain a difference text file containing at least one textual difference. Specifically, the comparison referred to in this case can be to determine whether the two text files are equal, that is, whether they are equal in program operations, which can produce results such as Boolean values; however, other forms of comparison, such as subtracting two data to obtain a zero value (indicating sameness) or a non-zero value (indicating difference), or other types of operation methods that can produce similar effects, should fall within the scope of protection of this case because they also have the same comparison effect. On the other hand, the main difference between the text file and the image file referred to in this case lies in the different presentation methods. Therefore, the text file can contain text, numbers, pointers, or other data structures or types of the aforementioned text, numbers, and pointers with attributes, such as trees, linked lists, stacks, and arrays, rather than just simple text data types. Therefore, this part should not be a limiting condition of this case.

[0035] In step S5, the text differences can represent similar differences in other electronic circuits, such as circuit differences or component differences. On the other hand, if the two text files have no differences, a difference text file without text differences can be obtained, allowing relevant personnel to confirm whether parts of the two versions of electronic circuit diagrams have been changed. Of course, under normal circumstances, the original diagram file may contain at least one text difference. By converting the two electronic circuit diagram files into two text files, the comparison of the two text files is more meaningful for understanding the differences between the two electronic circuit diagram files. This is because simply comparing the diagram files may contain a lot of meaningless information, such as graphic differences caused by layout and pagination. This problem is more likely to occur when there are a large number of diagram files or pages.

[0036] After obtaining the text file showing the differences, as in step S7, a difference diagram file can be generated based on the text file, with the textual differences marked on the difference diagram file. In other words, through the difference diagram file generated in this step, relevant personnel can clearly visually identify the differences between the first and second electronic circuit diagram files, whether by marking the differences with colors or other patterns, making the comparison of multi-page electronic circuit diagram files easier and more efficient.

[0037] Furthermore, the first text file may contain first circuit data and first component data, and the second text file may contain second circuit data and second component data. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the comparison steps of an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, Figure 1 The comparison step S5 may include the following steps: step S51: comparing the first line data with the second line data to obtain a line comparison result; step S53: comparing the first component data with the second component data to obtain a component comparison result; and step S55: generating a difference text file based on at least one text difference associated with the line comparison result and the component comparison result.

[0038] Specifically, the circuit data can be the connection relationship between each node and other nodes in the circuit diagram. The implementation method is prior art and will not be elaborated here. Through step S51, it can be determined whether the topological structures of the two electronic circuit diagrams are equal, and the differences are obtained and recorded. Step S53 compares the components on each node. By comparing the components, different types of component changes can be screened out, such as a resistor being replaced by a capacitor, or components of the same type but with different impedance values. It should be noted that all components must be located on nodes, but nodes do not necessarily have components (such as grounding points, equipotential points, or terminals). In step S55, whether only the circuit comparison results are different, only the component comparison results are different, or both the circuit comparison results and the component comparison results are different, a difference text file containing the differences can be generated for use in subsequent steps of the method in this case.

[0039] Furthermore, the first line data may contain multiple first line files, and the second line data may contain multiple second line files. For a detailed implementation method of comparing line data containing multiple line files, please refer to [link to implementation details]. Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the comparison sub-steps of an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, Figure 2 Step S51 may include: Step S511: Obtain multiple target line files corresponding to the multiple file names in the second line file; Step S513: Compare each of the target line files with each of the corresponding files in the first line file; Step S515: Record the differences between the target line files and the corresponding first line files as the text difference to the line difference result; and Step S517: When the first line file and the second line file contain uncorresponding remaining line files, record the remaining line files as the text difference to the line comparison result.

[0040] In this example, the multiple first circuit files in the first circuit data have multiple file names, where each file name corresponds to a circuit on the circuit board. Specifically, taking the commonly used electronic circuit design software Allegro as an example, the circuit file can be a Nets file, and the circuit file has multiple file names that correspond to each circuit. In step S511, the multiple file names of the multiple first circuit files can be used to obtain the target circuit file in the multiple second circuit files. In step S513, each of the target circuit files is compared with the corresponding circuit file in the first circuit files, that is, the two different versions of electronic circuit diagrams can be compared based on the same circuit. In step S515, the differences found in the circuit comparison are recorded as the aforementioned textual differences and stored in the circuit comparison results. At this point, the differences between the corresponding circuits in the two versions of electronic circuit diagrams have been recorded. In step S517, for the remaining line files in the first line file and the second line file that do not have a corresponding line file, they can also be recorded as the text difference in the line comparison result. That is, for the two line files, if there is no way to generate corresponding line data, such as if some lines are added or deleted in the later version, these lines that cannot generate corresponding line data are recorded as text differences.

[0041] At this point, the circuit comparison results in the difference text file of this example have covered all circuit differences between the two versions of the electronic circuit diagram, including circuits that cannot be generated, and changes in the number and position of nodes that may be included in the corresponding circuits. For detailed implementation instructions regarding the comparison of component data in step S53 of this example, please refer to [link to implementation details]. Figure 4 , Figure 4 The flowchart of another comparison sub-step of the electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes step S531: obtaining multiple target component files corresponding to the multiple file names in the second component file according to the multiple file names in the first component file; step S533: comparing each of the target component files with each of the corresponding ones in the first component file; step S535: recording the differences between the target component files and the corresponding ones in the first component files as the text difference points to the component comparison result; step S537: when the first circuit file and the second circuit file contain the remaining circuit files, recording the remaining component files corresponding to the remaining circuit files in the first circuit file and the second component file as the text difference points to the component comparison result.

[0042] In this example, the first component data contains multiple first component files, and the second circuit data contains multiple second component files. The first component files have multiple file names similar to the first circuit files, where each file name corresponds to a circuit on the circuit board. Specifically, using the commonly used electronic circuit design software Allegro as an example, the component file can be a "Components file," and each component file has multiple file names corresponding to different circuits. Specifically, steps S531 to S535 are similar to steps S511 to S515 described above, and therefore will not be repeated here. However, it should be noted that although step S531 obtains the target component file in the second component file based on the multiple file names of the first component file, as those skilled in the art will understand, the file names in the first component file and the file names in the first circuit file both belong to the first text file converted from the first electronic circuit diagram file. Therefore, they naturally have some identical file names, or file names with a one-to-one relationship, that is, they have the same circuits. Therefore, step S531 can also be to obtain multiple target component files corresponding to the multiple file names in the second component file based on the multiple file names in the first line file. This part is a simple variation and should not be a limiting condition in this case.

[0043] In step S537, as described above, the remaining component files in the first circuit file and the second component file corresponding to the remaining circuit files are equivalent to the remaining component files in the first circuit file and the second component file that were not corresponding to those in step S531. At this point, the processor in this example has obtained the textual differences including the circuit comparison results and the component comparison results. It should also be noted that this example uses a comparison order of circuit data prior to component data, but this does not mean that comparing component data first or comparing component and circuit data simultaneously is outside the scope of this case; it is merely an illustrative example.

[0044] This section provides a detailed implementation of the steps for generating a difference map file with marked differences. Please refer to [link to documentation]. Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the marking steps of an electronic circuit diagram comparison method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, Figure 1Step S7 may include step S71: marking at least one difference point on the original drawing file with a first color according to a first color attribute to generate a difference drawing file, wherein the original drawing file is associated with a first electronic circuit diagram file or a second electronic circuit diagram file; step S73: marking non-text differences on the original drawing file with a second color according to a second color attribute, other than at least one text difference point, to generate a difference drawing file. Specifically, the processor may convert the aforementioned difference text file back into an electronic circuit diagram file or directly use the first electronic circuit diagram file or the second electronic circuit diagram file as the original drawing file, and generate difference points marked with red on the original drawing file using the text differences marked by the first color attribute, such as red; alternatively, step S73 may selectively generate marks with a second color, such as black, on the original drawing file for non-text differences, so that the overall difference drawing file has only two distinct color contrasts, making it easy for relevant personnel to find differences at a glance. The aforementioned color attributes are among the data covered by the defined text file. This allows the definition of the proportions of the three primary colors of light (RGB) on the image file when the text file is converted to an image file, based on these color attributes, to present the desired color representation. Of course, using color markings is merely one feasible option. In other embodiments, alternative solutions that evoke associations with the present invention, such as pattern markings or font variations, can be used. Therefore, this part should not be considered a limitation of this application.

[0045] For the actual effect of the difference files produced by this invention, please refer to... Figures 6 to 8 These are schematic diagrams of a first electronic circuit diagram, a second electronic circuit diagram, and a difference diagram, respectively, drawn according to embodiments of the present invention. It can be seen that... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The densely packed circuit connections and various components make it time-consuming and laborious for relevant personnel to identify the differences between the two versions. However, the electronic circuit diagram comparison method in this case, which converts the circuit diagrams into text files for comparison, marking, and conversion into difference diagram files, allows for efficient identification of these changes. Figure 8 As shown, the difference between the two drawings can be clearly identified at point 2. It should also be noted that a circuit diagram often consists of dozens of pages. Therefore, the method described in this case can also help filter out circuit diagrams that have not undergone changes to lines or components. This allows for cross-page searching and cross-comparison, making it more convenient in practice.

[0046] This invention uses software to compare circuit diagrams from different versions, highlighting modified parts in different colors. This allows developers to easily check for differences by cross-referencing pages within the file, directly showing the variations in the different colors. This facilitates the review and verification of correct modifications. Since both the first and second electronic circuit diagrams described in this invention can contain multiple diagrams of circuit boards with more than four layers, the comparison method of this invention significantly improves the review and modification of complex circuit diagrams.

[0047] This concludes the description of the electronic circuit diagram comparison method of the present invention. The present invention also provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, which, after being executed by a processor, performs the electronic circuit diagram comparison method as described above. Furthermore, while Allegro is the electronic circuit diagram design software exemplified herein, many commercially available software programs such as Eagle, Altium, Proteus, Cad, and Protel may also utilize the electronic circuit diagram comparison method and the non-transitory computer-readable medium of the present invention.

[0048] All or part of the steps in the electronic circuit diagram comparison method described in the above embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by a computer program, such as any combination of application programs, drivers, and operating systems. Those skilled in the art can write the methods of the above embodiments of the present invention into computer program code, which will not be described further for the sake of brevity. The computer program implementing the method according to the above embodiments of the present invention can be stored on a suitable non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a DVD, CD-ROM, USB flash drive, or hard disk, or placed on a network server accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet, or other suitable media). After the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor can execute all or part of the steps in the electronic circuit diagram comparison method described in the above embodiments. The processor is, for example, a central processing unit, a programmable logic controller, a microcontroller, or other electronic device with data processing capabilities.

[0049] Through the above architecture, the electronic circuit diagram comparison method and non-transitory computer-readable medium disclosed in this case can convert different versions of electronic circuit diagram files into their respective text files, and then compare the different text files to obtain a difference text file containing the differences between the two text files. Based on the difference text file, a difference diagram file is generated to mark and present the difference points corresponding to the above-mentioned differences, thereby reducing the complexity of modification and inspection, and thus improving the efficiency of circuit design.

[0050] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. Any modifications and refinements made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention are within the scope of patent protection of the present invention. For a description of the scope of protection defined in the present invention, please refer to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for comparing electronic circuit diagrams, characterized in that, Includes execution on a single processor: Convert a first electronic circuit diagram file into a first text file; Convert a second electronic circuit diagram file into a second text file; The first text file is compared with the second text file to obtain a difference text file containing at least one text difference between the first text file and the second text file; as well as A difference image file is generated based on the difference text file, wherein at least one difference point on the difference image file is marked at the location corresponding to the at least one text difference. The first text file contains a first circuit data and a first component data, and the second text file contains a second circuit data and a second component data, such that comparing the first text file and the second text file to obtain a difference text file containing at least one text difference between the first text file and the second text file includes: comparing the first circuit data and the second circuit data to obtain a circuit comparison result; comparing the first component data and the second component data to obtain a component comparison result; And generate the difference text file based on the at least one text difference that includes the line comparison result and the component comparison result; The first route data includes multiple first route files, the second route data includes multiple second route files, and the first route data and the second route data are compared to obtain the route comparison result, which includes: obtaining multiple target route files corresponding to the multiple second route files based on the multiple file names of the multiple first route files; Each of the plurality of target route files is compared with the corresponding one of the plurality of first route files; Record the differences between the multiple target route files and the corresponding multiple first route files as the textual differences in the route comparison results; And when the plurality of first line files and the plurality of second line files contain a remaining line file that is not matched, the remaining line file is recorded as the text difference point to the line comparison result.

2. The electronic circuit diagram comparison method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The execution order of comparing the first line data with the second line data is before the execution order of comparing the first component data with the second component data.

3. The electronic circuit diagram comparison method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first component data includes multiple first component files, and the second component data includes multiple second component files. The first component data and the second component data are compared to obtain the component comparison result, which includes: Based on the multiple file names of the multiple first component files, obtain the multiple target component files corresponding to the multiple second component files; Each of the plurality of target component files is compared with the corresponding one of the plurality of first component files; Record the differences between the plurality of target component files and the corresponding plurality of first component files as the textual differences in the component comparison results; as well as When the plurality of first line files and the plurality of second line files contain the remaining line file, a remaining element file corresponding to the remaining line file among the plurality of first line files and the plurality of second element files is recorded as the text difference to the element comparison result.

4. The electronic circuit diagram comparison method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one text difference has a first color attribute, and generating the difference image file based on the difference text file includes: The at least one difference point is marked with a first color on an original drawing file according to the first color attribute to generate the difference drawing file, wherein the original drawing file is associated with the first electronic circuit drawing file or the second electronic circuit drawing file.

5. The electronic circuit diagram comparison method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The original image file contains at least one non-textual difference with a second color attribute, and generating the difference image file from the difference text file further includes: The difference image is generated by marking a non-textual difference location other than the at least one textual difference location with a second color according to the second color attribute on the original image file.

6. The electronic circuit diagram comparison method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first line data and the second line data belong to a type of Nets file, and the first component data and the second component data belong to a type of Components file.

7. The electronic circuit diagram comparison method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first electronic circuit diagram and the second electronic circuit diagram each contain multiple drawings with more than four circuit board layers.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, characterized in that, A computer program is stored, and after being executed by a processor, the processor performs the electronic circuit diagram comparison method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images