Update Package_Height_Max from Orcad Capture

Hi EA, I would recommend updating this in the library. It makes more sense to make this update once and store this information than to update every time in each design. Is this possible for you? If I understand you're question, you want to do this from the schematic Capture tool? Or do you mean the PCB Editor? 

In my position it is not possible to update all footprint files. We have a lot of momentum using this tool in this particular way and me wanting to change things wont actually change things. This of course is a company footprint library and because of footprint reuse I don't fully trust that all the footprints accurately represent the height of the components that use them.

I am looking for a way to provide a list of package height properties, preferably in capture, but in PCB editor would also be workable. I'd like a systematic way of overriding the package height max property for a given reference designator. I've tried messing around with skill, but I have limited knowledge of how to select a given part, and then from there, select the shape that contains the package_height_max property 

In my position it is not possible to update all footprint files. We have a lot of momentum using this tool in this particular way and me wanting to change things wont actually change things. This of course is a company footprint library and because of footprint reuse I don't fully trust that all the footprints accurately represent the height of the components that use them.

I am looking for a way to provide a list of package height properties, preferably in capture, but in PCB editor would also be workable. I'd like a systematic way of overriding the package height max property for a given reference designator. I've tried messing around with skill, but I have limited knowledge of how to select a given part, and then from there, select the shape that contains the package_height_max property 

Hi EA202

Just some info. In Allegro there are properties that can be assigned to objects that make up your standard DRA footprint, for example the package_height_max can be applied to a shape to indicate the height of the shape and also to display that shape height in a 3D View.

In addition to that it is also possible to add specific user properties to a symbol during the creation of that symbol. These properties would be somewhat company specific so that reports could be generated to show specific info on the symbol. For example a string could be created such as package_height_max and assign that to the symbol too.

Since you are wanting to obtain a report on the symbols from your corporate library you would need to determine if there are any symbols that have specific properties assigned to the symbol first.

To do this do an "info" on a symbol and look for "Properties attached to component definition". See if the Package_Height_Max exists there or not.

Let us know what you find.

Best Regards.

Hi, thanks for the response.

> Just some info. In Allegro there are properties that can be assigned to objects that make up your standard DRA footprint, for example the package_height_max can be applied to a shape to indicate the height of the shape and also to display that shape height in a 3D View.

I am aware of the way Allegro deals with the package_height_max property. 

> In addition to that it is also possible to add specific user properties to a symbol during the creation of that symbol. These properties would be somewhat company specific so that reports could be generated to show specific info on the symbol. For example a string could be created such as package_height_max and assign that to the symbol too.

Are you suggesting that, in capture, I create a property called "package_height_max" and then assign its correct package height? Although that information may be available in Allegro (not sure that it would actually even be there, but I'd have to look into that further) it would not be *the* package height, so it would not trigger DRCs nor would it export that correct information when I generate exports for our mechanical team to review. 

> To do this do an "info" on a symbol and look for "Properties attached to component definition". See if the Package_Height_Max exists there or not.

Yes, the package_height_max property exists on EVERY footprint in our library. 

So, the footprint library is not going to change - probably never will in my time here. And every footprint has the package_height_max property set. So What I'm looking for is a way to override the package_height_max property on the placebound_top shapes that are  all present in my layout. I can easily do this manually for a single package, by selecting the shape with the mouse and through a series of button clicks and text entry modify the package_height_max property. The problem is though, that is not going to work for more than 1 or 2 components before it gets tiresome and of course mistake prone.

what I'd like is to modify the placebound_top shape associated with any given ref des via a script. Then I can run a script that would read in all the correct values, report the previous values and update the values that need changing. I am not super familiar with the scripting environment in Allegro, but over the years I have done minimal tasks. I have found using the scriptmode +e command that selecting a part by its ref_des is not trivial

Ok so it looks to me based on what you said that within your library someone added the package_height_max property string to the symbol.

I don't recommend changing the corporate library however it is fairly easy to do a report so you can get a printout of what you have.

Here is a report to run. Just copy the text below and paste it into a text editor. Save the file out as something like Component-Height.txt

# CUSTOM COMPONENT HEIGHT REPORT
COMPONENT
REFDES
REFDES_SORT
COMP_PACKAGE
PACKAGE_HEIGHT_MAX
ALT_SYMBOLS
END

To run this report go to reports click on the browse button and navigate to where you saved the file to load it. Make sure Display Report is checked. Click report.

Here is another report that will run on the place_bound_top only. Maybe try that too.

# Package Geometry PB Top Height Report
GEOMETRY
COMP_DEVICE_TYPE
REFDES
REFDES_SORT
PACKAGE_HEIGHT_MAX
END

On that Place bound top. I would not change it in particular if it is a corporate library.

Best Regards.

This is a great idea. I can generate a report with the current package heights and manually review any discrepancies between what is generated and what my corporate database says. Now, the problem is when I generate the report using the first report template you posted, there are 4 columns: REFDES, COMP_PACKAGE, PACKAGE_HEIGHT_MAX and ALT_SYMBOLS and only the first two columns contain data. The PACKAGE_HEIGHT_MAX column is empty. 

Using the second template you posted, it takes a very long time to generate and each component has many many multiple rows with  only a few of the rows containing any package_height_max data.

After a quick google search I found this thread:  Allegro reports - Component Heights

which described this report:

GEOMETRY

CLASS = PACKAGE GEOMETRY
SUBCLASS = 'PLACE_BOUND_TOP'
SYM_TYPE = PACKAGE

        OR

CLASS = PACKAGE GEOMETRY
SUBCLASS = 'PLACE_BOUND_BOTTOM'
SYM_TYPE = PACKAGE

  SYM_NAME
  COMP_DEVICE_TYPE
  REFDES
  REFDES_SORT
  SUBCLASS
  COMP_HEIGHT
  PACKAGE_HEIGHT_MAX
  PACKAGE_HEIGHT_MIN
END

Now, this report seems to be closer to what I am looking for. The problem, as the previous author pointed out, is there are multiple (usually 4, I'm guessing because they are normally defined as rectangles) lines for each ref des. Any idea how to get a single line for each component?

Thanks for pointing me in this direction, most useful.

Hi the reports I posted work on a Placed or routed PCB.

The first report works on the "Component" & the second report works on the "Geometry of the Symbol"  Since you ran the first report and nothing showed up that means that no custom property called Package_Height_Max was added to the Symbol. This does not mean that the package_height_max does not exist somewhere else such as the place bound top shape.

The second report works on the package geometry. So if that shows nothing for the package_height_max entry it means that there is no property assigned to the place_Bound_top shape on the symbol/footprint.

The custom reports can be complex since one has many options to choose from. Ideally you would have to look at the "Info" on a symbol first so as to determine what actual properties exist. Then after that create a custom report to expose those properties.

See if you can post the info on one of your symbols that is on your board and I will take a look.

Best regards.