PCB Design Blogs

The HotFix 007 (QIR 1) update for OrCAD® and Allegro® is now available at Cadence Downloads. The new release includes many improved product features and enhancements, mostly resulting from user requirements and our continued focus on ease-of-use and enhancing user experience. This release is indicated as 2020 in the splash screens. 

As you work with the updated version, you will notice subtle changes in many places. While care has been taken to not disrupt experienced users, you will need to familiarize yourself with the changes and discover newer ways of doing the same tasks. In many places, use models have been revamped completely and two products for performing similar tasks are now combined to offer extended functionality.

For new and potential users, all efforts have been made to help you easily gain confidence with our products and quickly switch to the Allegro ecosystem and harness its full power.

OrCAD/Allegro 17.4 (SPB174)

For details of key issues resolved in this release, see README_CCR.txt.

Here is a representative list with brief overviews. For details of the changes and enhancements introduced in this release, see What’s New in Release 17.4-2019 HotFix 007.

Allegro PCB Editor and Allegro Package Designer Plus

• Imagine being able to detect impedance discontinuities of routed signals and excessive coupling between them without needing models. You now have access to the power of Sigrity analyses engines within PCB Editor with In-Design Analysis and Checking. Starting with this release, In-Design Analysis requires a separate Sigrity 2019 installation.

• Aren’t there times when your design requires constraints on specific sections of a routed connection rather than Physical or Spacing constraints across the entire net or XNet, or electrical constraints at the lower Pin-Pair level? Allegro Constraint Compiler now has a Topology Table that helps you achieve this level of control just by setting begin and endpoints of routing sections and assigning constraints. To make things even easier, these constraints are visible on the canvas and get dynamically snapped to the appropriate locations.

• Sometimes, you just need to focus on one part of the whole. 3D Canvas now has Dim and Vanish highlight modes along with many performance and usability enhancements.

Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator

• You can now quickly locate a template for your footprint because locating the right package has become easier with the categories organized in a tree. If still in doubt, just see the thumbnails for the templates or hover over a template to see its definition.

• You now have more control over the text and shape of your footprints. Changing text styles and editing shapes from the Properties window is now quicker and easier. That’s in addition to the drafting enhancements for polygon shape changes and the ability to subtract path-based shapes from each other.

Allegro EDM

• The Pulse platform continues to add powerful features such as greater data indexing for search, lifecycle services, data consolidation, and comprehensive data security. More than just encryption, the Pulse platform now handles complex permissions, roles, and responsibilities, and tightly integrates with your organization’s existing identity management and authorization services.

• Web-enabled user interfaces are now available that help manage administration tasks, such as tracking the number of users registered or managing a Pulse cluster of servers.

Allegro System Capture

• Are you someone who has OrCAD Capture library parts? You can now create logical designs in System Capture with OrCAD Capture libraries. And the best part? In most cases, no extra configuration is required. System Capture has inbuilt intelligent checks to locate the OrCAD Capture files and load the libraries. In case of teams using the same libraries, a simple manual task is all that’s needed and a site-level library setup is available to all designers.

• Imagine going beyond electronic part failure analysis in the early stages of design creation. Using Design Integrity, you can now run reliability analysis of schematic designs right within System Capture.

• If you are in a team, you can now concurrently work on the same design. System Capture locks the block being worked on and once it’s committed, the changes are available to all the other users who have access to the shared design.

Allegro PCB Librarian

• Symbol Editor is now the one-stop shop for you to modify symbols or manage symbol pins, and what’s more, it comes with drafting capabilities for you to quickly create an arc or a line.

OrCAD Capture CIS

• When you launch OrCAD Capture, a new, content-rich Start Page appears. From here, you can read about OrCAD Capture, get a brief overview of the available features, and access quick start guides and video walkthroughs.

Contact Us

If you have questions or feedback, send them to pcbbloggers@cadence.com.

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Allegro Release Team