I am using the same PIC MCU in multiple projects, and find that I need to sometimes generate a different symbol for the same part, to show only the pins I’m using, to move pins to different sides of the symbol to make the schematic more readable and flow better, etc.
For example, I defined a PIC18F4620-IP, and then a PIC18F4620-IP-002 with a different subset of pins showing, and with some of the pins positioned differently in the symbol. Both describe the exact same part, they just present a different view of it.
I would like the symbols to appear as separate entities in the list of symbols, so that I can choose between them add more variations, etc., but I would also like to be able to have the label that appears at the top of the symbol in the schematic display the same name across all variations. When I tried to change the label text, it changed the name of the part, and thus collapsed two symbols into one in the list. So, that approach didn’t fly.
What is the best practice for naming symbols that are variations of the same part, without cluttering up the schematics that use them with suffixes/prefixes on the symbol name?
Thanks in advance for any guidance.