OrCAD Schematics TUTORIAL

Setting Foot print property



Each component has a number of properties assigned to it that can be seen by left clicking the component followed by clicking edit properties. The most important of these properties is the footprint. The footprint property name should match with the name of the footprint library in the Layout.

Left click on the connector. Click Edit Properties and browse horizontally and come to the property Name PCB Footprint. Enter HEADER2 in the blank column just below PCB FOotprint.

Repeat the similar thing with the Resistor and the Diode and add the PCB Footprint names as shown in the table below.
Component Footprint Name
R1 R0603_1
J1 HEADER2
D1 LED

DRC Checking

It is possible that some of the nets remain unconnected or are cross connected. The OrCAD will catch the basic errors. However, most errors are manual errors and you must check it repeatedly for any error in the Schematics.

Click on Tools -> Design Rules Check, keeo view output checked and hit ok to check for any Design error.

Generating Netlist


We will finally generate the netlist that can be imported in PADS or any other PCB design software. This particular method is only for PADS but it can be extended to any other other tool in a similar fashion.

Click on tools -> Create Netlist. In the window that follow click others. In Formatter, browse down and click pads2k. Keep the view ouput checked. Since the PADS accepts .ASC extension, rename the netlist file name to .ASC extension. Click ok and this will generate a netlist file as shown below. 
*PADS2000*
*PART*
D1 LED
J1 HEADER2
R1 R0603_1

*NET*
*SIGNAL* GND_POWER
J1.1 D1.2
*SIGNAL* VCC
R1.1 J1.2
*SIGNAL* N000031
D1.1 R1.2
*END*

This completes the basic OrCAD tutorials. You may like to practice it a bit more and then move on to learn few more things including New Library symbol creation, Bus connection, off page creation. You may see this tutorial material present so far in a flash for easy undestanding here ...

Here is a youtube video of the tutorial that will guilde you through the steps covered so far.




In the next page we will see how to create a new Library Symbol.