The Auto-Connect operation provides four ways of creating nets to connect selected ports that are not already connected to nets (previously connected ports are ignored by this operation—even if they have been selected). The differences between the four different net connection methods are as follows:
Selected Ports with
Matching Abbreviation
Selected Ports with Matching Abbreviation - this method creates one or more nets, each connecting all ports with matching abbreviations. The Analyst can select whether two port abbreviations must be identical to be considered a match (this is the default approach), or whether only a specified number of characters at the beginning or end of each abbreviation must be the same. Also, the Analyst can select whether or not the comparison should be case-sensitive. This method allows ports on the same object to be connected, so long as they meet the specified criteria.
Selected Ports on
Adjacent Objects
Selected Ports on Adjacent Objects - this method creates one or more nets each connecting exactly two ports on "adjacent" object sides (for example, ports on the right side of one object will only be connected to ports on the left side of an object that appears to the right of the first object). The Analyst can select the order in which the objects with selected ports are connected—starting with the object whose ports are closest to selected ports on another object (this is the default), the object with the most ports, or the upper-left-most object ("Top-to-Bottom, Left-to-Right"). The Analyst can also specify whether ports on a single object can be connected to selected ports on multiple objects (the "Allow One-to-Many" checkbox).
All Selected Ports
(Single Net)
All Selected Ports (Single Net) - this method creates a single net to which all selected ports are connected.
Create I/O Flags and
Connect to Selected Ports
Create I/O Flags and Connect to Selected Ports - this option will create a net for each selected port, connecting that port to an I/O flag that is automatically added to the design. The Analyst can select whether to group newly created I/O flags together on the right-hand side of the design, or whether (for ports on the left or right side of an object) new I/O flags should be placed beside and aligned with the ports to which they are connected. The Analyst can also select whether the orientation of the newly-created I/O flags should be based on the flow direction (input, output) of the flag and whether ports with the same name should be connected to the same I/O flag.
Options Window shown to the right:
The Base Orientation on Flow will cause all IO Flags to face the same direction
