Orcad SPB 17.2 Any tried it ?

[chris_leyson]

Anyone tried the new Orcad PCB release, SPB 17.2 ?

[Neilm]

I have seen a beta demo from a salesman but not used it yet. We still have some 32 bit machines in production so they can't be upgraded as the new version is 64bit only. (and naturally, the new file is not backwards compatible)

[AndyC_772]

I've been sent a link to the update and a new licence file, but no plans to try it out just yet.

If there's a compelling reason to upgrade, in the basic 'PCB Designer Standard' version, then I'll consider it - otherwise I'm very much of the opinion that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Alex Eisenhut]

EDA is dead. Long live EDA!

[nctnico]

I'm keeping taps on this thread. Maybe I'll upgrade my Orcad package later this year but I guess I have to be careful not to end up becoming a guiny pig for a brand new version.

[SimonR]

My collegue just received the upgrade but just as Neilm says its not backwrds compatible.

I think he said that you can't install two different versions versions on that same machine, but don't quote me on that.
Its a problem either way because he has customers that will only use V16 variants. so any issue fixes or new features can't be used on previous jobs.

[PCB.Wiz]

My collegue just received the upgrade but just as Neilm says its not backwrds compatible.

?? WTF ? Really ?
Do they have no save-as, or export-as, like countless CAD packages can do today ?

What exactly has changed, and what in a OrCAD data base needs to be 64b ??
I can understand the EXE being 64b, but the design files are a whole different thing.

[rfbroadband]

I upgraded to 17.2 (OrCAD and Allegro).
- if you use a database setup in OrCAD be careful before you upgrade (you will need new 64 bit drivers for the database link). When you update the DB driver your old setup is shot and the new one may not be working yet....it was pain for me but it as all working now.
- more importantly they don't offer a migration tool for your custom settings....you will lose all your custom settings and you have to find old ini-files and manually copy section from within these files to new ini files.
Thus, when you start 17.2 it comes up without any of your custom settings that you saved over the years of using 16.x

Allegro update to 17.2 was less painful, but you also loose some of your old settings.

[bundy]

My collegue just received the upgrade but just as Neilm says its not backwrds compatible.

?? WTF ? Really ?
Do they have no save-as, or export-as, like countless CAD packages can do today ?

What exactly has changed, and what in a OrCAD data base needs to be 64b ??
I can understand the EXE being 64b, but the design files are a whole different thing.

You can run 17.2 and older versions side-by-side. 17.2 uses the same pcb_env setting as the 16.6, but some customizations can stop working in 17.2. Specially skill context files, these need to be recompiled to 64b.
You can open 16.6 designs in 17.2, but once saved to the newer version you cannot open it anymore in 16.6. There is no way back...
Further, you can use your current pre-17 library in 17.2 without any problem.

For the Capture (schematics) part I was told that a 17.2 file can be opened in a pre-17 release. Didn't tried that one yet.
The Capture CIS needs to be a 64b database driver. So the older types (32b) are not longer supported.
Also the licence manager/server needs to be running on 64b.

My impression of 17.2 Orcad/Allegro, it works, it has a lot of (good) changes, but still with bugs. Currently the hotfix level is 2, and in my company we better wait for a few more hotfixes before moving on to 17.2.

[PCB.Wiz]

My collegue just received the upgrade but just as Neilm says its not backwrds compatible.

?? WTF ? Really ?
Do they have no save-as, or export-as, like countless CAD packages can do today ?

What exactly has changed, and what in a OrCAD data base needs to be 64b ??
I can understand the EXE being 64b, but the design files are a whole different thing.

...
You can open 16.6 designs in 17.2, but once saved to the newer version you cannot open it anymore in 16.6. There is no way back...

This is the PCB side ?

Wow, that will cause serious issues at bureaus, who often have to match version with their clients.
Other packages have a simple export choice to some older version.
Amazing Cadence are too lazy to do this ?  Must be a big-company-syndrome, as Mentor has similar issues with Dx SCH.

My impression of 17.2 Orcad/Allegro, it works, it has a lot of (good) changes, but still with bugs. Currently the hotfix level is 2, and in my company we better wait for a few more hotfixes before moving on to 17.2.

This is typical, and another reason backward compatible export is a very good idea.
If you find some critical issue  that needs a bug-fix, being able to go back while they fix it, removes a lot of lost time.

[bundy]

Yes, the PCB part that can not be saved as pre-17 release. There is no down-rev option.

[vzoole]

The 17.2 Lite is available on website.
http://www.orcad.com/buy/try-orcad-for-free

[chris_leyson]

Installed 17.2 a few weeks ago alongside 16.6, the padstack editor is a big improvment, didn't look at any of the flexi-rigid design features, not enough time, and the 3D step file mapping is still, well, difficult, for lack of a better description. However I've heard that the step file mapping will be improved some time soon. Also, there doesn't appear to be a down rev option so I uninstalled 17.2 and went back to 16.6.

[chris_leyson]

Forgot to mention, the ability to simply right click and change a via isn't included, changing track widths isn't easy and as for rotating a block of components, well you can forget that, Orcad will rotate the components within a block but not the block, you have to manualy move them all, Grrr. And finally, I had to mess around with the design contraints to get zero clearence between a ground pad and ground fill shape, DRC was green but I still managed to short all the non ground vias to ground and didn't bother to check the Gerbers, Grrr. Now have 19 vias to drill out.

[Neilm]

Orcad will rotate the components within a block but not the block, you have to manualy move them all

That is a difference from 16 then. In 16 you change the rotation point from symbol to user pick then they will rotate as a block around the point you choose.

And finally, I had to mess around with the design contraints to get zero clearence between a ground pad and ground fill shape, DRC was green but I still managed to short all the non ground vias to ground and didn't bother to check the Gerbers, Grrr. Now have 19 vias to drill out.

There is an option that automatically regenerates all the shapes to stop that happening. I can't remember what it is called. I think it is something like Dynamic shapes - you set it to force update.

[PCB.Wiz]

Forgot to mention, the ability to simply right click and change a via isn't included, changing track widths isn't easy and as for rotating a block of components, well you can forget that, Orcad will rotate the components within a block but not the block, you have to manualy move them all, Grrr. And finally, I had to mess around with the design contraints to get zero clearence between a ground pad and ground fill shape, DRC was green but I still managed to short all the non ground vias to ground and didn't bother to check the Gerbers, Grrr. Now have 19 vias to drill out.

Is this comment just for 17.2, or does it apply to older versions too ?
- ie under general OrCAD shortcomings ?

[bundy]

I think these comments are not real issues, and also not related to the 17.2 release.

The via type you can change simply by hovering over a via and right mouse click-> replace padstack. (also in older versions)
To change a net of a via is not as easy as you would like it. For this a simple piece of skill code is useful.

For a block movement/rotation you need to select 'user pick' in the options window. If you keep it on 'symbol origin' then all the selected symbols/items are rotated around their own origin.

And yes, Orcad/allegro pcb has definitely shortcomings. However most of them you can 'fix' by writing simple pieces of code, or to download example codes.