Allegro X Pulse & EDM - Recent Threads

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Bring your questions. Leave with answers.

Display project pulse version in SYSCAP title block and in pcb editor.

RJ202412171240 — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 15:09:32 GMT

Hi,

I am using Allegro X 24.1; System Capture, PCB Editor and are saving both schematic project and layout in Pulse.

I want to display which pulse commit I am looking at on my schematic title block - I have been doing this in other software that has revision handling and it is very practical both during actual design work and when sharing and discussing projects to know which version are currently shown.

It seems like it should be a simple enough variable to fetch from the system with something like $PulseVersion or similar.

I have done my own workaround by creating my own custom variable called PulseVersion and then run this TCL "script":

modifyCustomVar -name "PULSEVERSION" -type "Project Defined" -value "[dict get [dict get [pulse::getVersionDetails] Attributes] displayRevision]"

It will return current pulse version like "1.0" or "4.2" or "1.33.7" depending on your current commit version.

But its a manual step that in my opinion should be automatically updated when commiting. Has anyone found a better way?

I would love to have a similar solution in pcb editor also, but have not even managed to do a manual workaround in there yet :/

Best Regards

RE: Display project pulse version in SYSCAP title block and in pcb editor.

RJ202412171240 — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:57:38 GMT

Thanks, that will put me on the right track.

I guess that I need to learn SKILL and do some script that masks out the design version and put it into a variable/property somehow if I want to be able to document the version of the board in the artwork.

RE: Display project pulse version in SYSCAP title block and in pcb editor.

CadAP — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:06:07 GMT

RJ202412171240

Please command axlPulseGetDesignStatus to get the design version status.

RE: Display project pulse version in SYSCAP title block and in pcb editor.

RJ202412171240 — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 08:58:41 GMT

In the best of worlds, I shouldn't have to generate a variable by myself.

What I really want, is an easy way to fetch and display a variable that already are in the system.

When I hoover over the project, I can see the pulse version like in the attached image.

Best would be if I could just fetch that variable somehow and add it to the schematic page.

Is this such a unusual thing to require from a built in version control system? To me it seems like a very basic function and also a core necessity for the usability of a revisioning system.

Are any other using cadence pulse, and if so, how are you using version control?

Edit:
In PCB editor this numbers can be found when clicking the pulse icon, entering "Allegro pulse status". Like the image below. This show that also this system have the variable somewhere and should therefor be readable somehow, right?

RE: Display project pulse version in SYSCAP title block and in pcb editor.

RJ202412171240 — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 08:14:38 GMT

Hello and thank you for the reply, but I don't think my question was fully understood.

System capture:

cps::registerCommand - thanks for this tip.
It doesn't solve the problem in an elegant way but might be the best workaround possible?

It will modify the design every time its opened and that isn't really what i want. But might be good enough for now.

PCB Editor:

The command axlPulseGetRevision does not retreive pulse revision for me, it tries to open the specified pulse project.
This is also how the command are specified in the product manual:

axlPulseGetRevision

 
axlPulseGetRevision(t_revisionString)
⇒ t/nil

Description

This function retrieves and opens the design with the given revision from the Pulse database.

I would like to retrieve the current pulse revision as a variable in text like "1.3"

Best regards.

RE: Display project pulse version in SYSCAP title block and in pcb editor.

JCTEYSSIER0 — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 07:23:03 GMT

To complete CadAP answer, you can display the result using "title_allegro" variable in allegro to show it in titlebar

RE: Display project pulse version in SYSCAP title block and in pcb editor.

CadAP — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 04:16:39 GMT

RJ202412171240

In Allegro System Capture, you can utilize the following TCL command to register an action, such as displaying the project version when the user opens it:

cps::registerCommand

In the PCB editor, you can use the following SKILL command to achieve this functionality:

axlPulseGetRevision

I hope this addresses your concern.

RE: General stability and usability of Orcad EDM

AC202502108327 — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:22:04 GMT

OrCAD EDM improves team collaboration but has some quirks, especially with file handling. Your concern about manual changes in both the local workspace and vault is valid, as conflicts can arise. The filesystem vault is a decent choice, though SVN, while older, is stable for version control. Basic check-in/out works well, but larger projects may reveal limitations. Overall, if Capture’s file management issues don’t cause major problems for you, EDM should be a helpful addition.

General stability and usability of Orcad EDM

Cantstandya — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:15:38 GMT

Hi all,

My company just started exploring Orcad EDM. Just wondering if any of you have experience with the tool and could say something about what is working well and what is not working well? Knowing that Capture is somewhat sloppy on the file handling in general I am a bit afraid that EDM will just add a new level of confusion. My fear is that in corner cases we need to go into both the local workspace and the vaults and do manual changes and then the tool will give no benefits in total.

We are using the filesystem vault. SVN seems a bit old fashioned so a bit reluctant of introducing that.

However, my first impression is good. It seems to work fine. I have only tested basic check in/out of DSNs so far though.

RE: General stability and usability of Orcad EDM

rg13 — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 08:42:42 GMT

OrCAD EDM is tightly integrated with Capture and is a supported solution. It should work fine and if, in rare cases, you face any problem, you can always reach to Cadence @ Cadence learning and support portal at http://support.cadence.com and you will get the required help.

RE: How to lock a schematic design to a particular user in the OrCAD EDM

Cantstandya — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 12:49:05 GMT

Hi Rohit,

Did you find a solution on this? I also find it strange that one can check out a design and then another user can also check it out, do changes to it and then check in again.

How to lock a schematic design to a particular user in the OrCAD EDM

RohitRohan — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 12:27:55 GMT

Hai Community,

In the OrCAD EDM, I want to lock a schematic design to particular user until he / she checks out the design. How can we do that.

Regards,

Rohit Rohan

How to share my PCB Designs and Libraries such as schematic symbols, schematic design, PCB footprint libraries and PCB layout from one location to another location without using the workspace

RohitRohan — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:31:59 GMT

Hai Community,

Let’s say I am an engineer working in a company named ABC, with my team located at Site A. There is another team situated at Site B, approximately 1000 km away, and the two locations are not on the same network. I am exploring efficient methods to share design data between these two teams.

Specifically, we need a solution for sharing and accessing the following:

PCB Designs
Schematic Symbols
Schematic Design Files
PCB Footprint Libraries
PCB Layouts

The goal is to enable the team at Site B to access the design files and libraries seamlessly while ensuring data integrity and minimizing manual effort.

I came across the Cadence Allegro X Pulse Server in the Cadence portfolio, and I am curious if this product could address our requirements.

Could anyone please confirm if the Allegro X Pulse Server is suitable for this purpose, or suggest an alternative Cadence product that would be ideal for cross-location collaboration?

Regards,

Rohit Rohan

RE: How to share my PCB Designs and Libraries such as schematic symbols, schematic design, PCB footprint libraries and PCB layout from one location to another location without using the workspace

RohitRohan — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 12:50:53 GMT

Hai RG13,

Thanks for the reply 🙂

RE: How to share my PCB Designs and Libraries such as schematic symbols, schematic design, PCB footprint libraries and PCB layout from one location to another location without using the workspace

rg13 — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 06:23:44 GMT

Yes, Allegro X Pulse is ideal for sharing library and design data across the globe on different sites. You can check the product page for Allegro X Pulse on Cadence online support portal.

Title: Allegro X Pulse Product Page
URL: support.cadence.com/.../ArticleAttachmentPortal

RE: How to share my PCB Designs and Libraries such as schematic symbols, schematic design, PCB footprint libraries and PCB layout from one location to another location without using the workspace

JuanCR — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:48:16 GMT

Hi Rohit,

Our team is studying your query and we'll get back to you ASAP.

RE: How to lock a schematic design to a particular user in the OrCAD EDM

RohitRohan — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 05:18:21 GMT

Hai CadAP,

Is there a way such that if one user is accessing the schematic design, in that instance no other persons in the EDM group should able to access the schematic design.

Regards,

Rohit Rohan

RE: How to lock a schematic design to a particular user in the OrCAD EDM

CadAP — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 09:48:19 GMT

Hi Rohit,

Please check what role is assigned to the user, also you can create e new roles with permission you want to grant to that group.

Hope this helps

Updating Modules in Layout with Pulse Module Manager

DesignTech — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 08:59:35 GMT

The Pulse environment enables the creation and management of modules for individual blocks in a design. These managed modules can be directly consumed in the main PCB.

If a Pulse-managed module undergoes changes at the module level, the changes can be synchronized with the main PCB where this module is consumed through the Pulse Module Manager.

You can launch the Pulse Module Manager in Pulse-enabled PCB Editor using Place > Pulse Module Manager.

The Pulse Module Manager displays a list of all version-managed modules related to the active board design and the count of how many times each module is instantiated in the layout. It also displays the status of each module with respect to its schematic and Pulse version. If the module is in sync with its schematic or Pulse version, the status will appear in green.

If any change to the module has been made and committed to the server, the Update Available column shows a Y with the updated module version number.

Select the module and click on Import Latest to update the module in the board.

Read the article here to know more about Pulse Module Manager.

Team DesignTech
Cadence Design Systems

Status icons associated with Pulse-managed layouts

DesignTech — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 10:29:04 GMT

System Capture users in a multi-user Pulse environment can stay updated with the latest changes in layouts. The Pulse-managed layouts associated with a schematic are displayed in the System Capture Project Explorer, provided you have read or edit permissions for the layouts. The progress of a layout can be monitored with the help of different icons which get updated with every unique activity.

Cloud shaped icon:

A cloud icon next to a board indicates that the board file is on the Pulse server. When you create a new project from a template along with a template layout, a new design is created with its layout on Pulse. This is indicated by the cloud icon.

Green tick icon:

When you open a board, it is downloaded from the Pulse server to your local machine. This is indicated by a green tick. The green tick also indicates that the schematic and PCB are in sync.

PCB ready for schematic icon:

When a layout engineer updates a layout and commits the changes to the Pulse server, the changes are indicated by a "PCB ready for schematic" status icon. This icon lets the schematic designer know that a new version of the board is available on the Pulse server and the changes can be backannotated to the schematic.

Click here to know about more such status icons.

Team DesignTech
Cadence Design Systems

Design Search and Reuse in multi-user Pulse environment

DesignTech — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 15:17:30 GMT

Starting SPB 23.1, Unified Search provides a Design tab that lists the designs committed to the Pulse server. You can search and reuse the entire design, selective blocks, or pages in your current System Capture design.

Search the relevant keyword in the Design tab of Unified Search to look for designs to be reused. Search is performed on the System Capture designs committed to the Pulse server and results are filtered as per the entered keyword.

You have options to preview and open the design and import pages or blocks. Right-click on the design name in Unified Search and select the required option.

Click here to know more about the design search and reuse feature.

Create and Manage Layout Modules in Pulse

DesignTech — Mon, 06 May 2024 06:06:53 GMT

In the Pulse environment, System Capture users can now create and manage layouts for individual blocks in the design. Pulse-managed layouts include boards, packages, and modules, and are displayed in Project Explorer, if you have read or edit permissions for the layout files.

Export the netlist for the desired block.

Select the block-level netlist while committing the top design.

Create a module and import the block netlist from Pulse.

Place the components and commit the module.

The committed module can now be used in the main PCB layout.

Click here for details.

Unable to open the BRD file using the OrCAD EDM

RohitRohan — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 16:45:13 GMT

Hai Community,

I had uploaded the DSN file and BRD file to the EDM vault and created a project (Below image for reference), i am able to open the DSN file, but not able to open the BRD file, i am able to the BRD file when i open the DSN file and select the "Update layout option" but not directly from the EDM window.

RE: Unable to open the BRD file using the OrCAD EDM

CadAP — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:34 GMT

Hi Rohit,

I also observed the same behavior at my end.

I am trying to look into it further and will connect with you from separate channel if required.

Thanks.