Synchronization between CIS database, schematic design and layout footprints

You could try and look at OrCAD EDM (additional software purchase. This has an EDM validation process so when you check in a board it looks at the approved libraries and compares this to the ones in the board file. There is a video showing this on parsyseda youtube channel and look for OrCAD EDM Design change and validation.

Your current setup does not appear to provide an automated means of checking whether CIS parts used in schematic designs and footprints used on layouts are up-to-date in their databases or libraries, necessitating manual checks which is neither time nor resource efficient.

To address this problem, consider exploring:

Integration With PLM: Search for ways to integrate your CIS database and PLM software more closely, providing automatic synchroniziation of schematic design data within CIS databases as well as real-time updates on part revisions.

Design Rule Checks (DRC): Utilizing DRC rules within PCB Editor can assist in verifying whether footprints used in your layout match the latest versions in the footprint library, helping identify any discrepancies that need updating based on DRC checks and alerting you of them if needed. DRC checks can identify inconsistencies immediately so as to alert any necessary updates of footprints if required.

Version Control: When designing with CIS parts and footprints, consider adopting a version control system to keep track of revisions and ensure all stakeholders use the latest versions. By doing so, version control makes it easy to spot outdated parts/footprints within your design and quickly identify their presence in an instant.

Automated Notifications or Alerts in PLM Software: With automated notifications or alerts set up in your PLM software, designers will quickly be informed when there is a revision available of CIS parts or footprints and be given time to make decisions accordingly. This enables designers to be quickly alerted of updates so they can take immediate actions as required.

Explore these options to simplify synchronizing between CIS database, schematic design and footprint layout; this makes the synchronization process more efficient while decreasing chances of using outdated components or footprints.

thanks and regards

revida marcos

Hello and thank you for your answer. Never heard of that software before, it looks very interesting. I am a little surprised that something like this (at least in a basic form) doesn't come standard with the Cadence OrCAD/Allegro serie but at least it exists

I see from the parsyseda video that you can check the validity of footprints with this software. I didn't saw a demo showing this same check but between capture and the CIS database but I will look into this.

Thank you Steve !

Hello and thank you for taking the time to answer.

revida marcos said:

Integration With PLM: Search for ways to integrate your CIS database and PLM software more closely, providing automatic synchroniziation of schematic design data within CIS databases as well as real-time updates on part revisions.

Maybe I don't understand correctly but to me the problem comes from Capture, not the PLM. We would need to do the synchronization test from Capture, as the database itself is not really linked to Capture, from what I know it is just a database file. The PLM software is writing in this database, and Capture reads it.

revida marcos said:

Design Rule Checks (DRC): Utilizing DRC rules within PCB Editor can assist in verifying whether footprints used in your layout match the latest versions in the footprint library, helping identify any discrepancies that need updating based on DRC checks and alerting you of them if needed. DRC checks can identify inconsistencies immediately so as to alert any necessary updates of footprints if required.

I didn't knew DRC could do that ! I am going to dive deeper in the schematic DRC then. From what I know, engineers here don't use schematic DRC that much... They probably should though. If you have any resources explaining how to do that using DRC, I would be happy to read it !

revida marcos said:

Version Control: When designing with CIS parts and footprints, consider adopting a version control system to keep track of revisions and ensure all stakeholders use the latest versions. By doing so, version control makes it easy to spot outdated parts/footprints within your design and quickly identify their presence in an instant.

Do you have any version control software to recommend that works well with Cadence ? Steve pointed to OrCAD EDM that seems to do that.

revida marcos said:

Automated Notifications or Alerts in PLM Software: With automated notifications or alerts set up in your PLM software, designers will quickly be informed when there is a revision available of CIS parts or footprints and be given time to make decisions accordingly.

There is some kind of system like that already in place with the PLM, but there is so much engineers and so much component revisions all the time that nobody really use it. But maybe we could program something to only notify when a relevant part is being revised.

Thanks a lot for the detailed answer !

Sorry for Capture and the CIS Database, Part Manager will always check to ensure that the latest properties are shown on the parts in the design. You can also use the Part Manager option to verify parts against OLB libraries. 

EDM checks in the schematic library and can generate a promoted library location, the capture ini file will reference this location. New to OrCAD EDM is to Verify the Part Status.

So some is in CIS already, some you may need OrCAD EDM.