Complete PCB Design Using OrCAD Capture and PCB Editor

To install the demo version of OrCAD Trial at your Windows 64-bit operating system, download it from:

https://www.orcad.com/free-trial opens in new tab/window

You will need to enter your name and e-mail to request the demo. Within several days you will receive the link to download and auto-install the software, with 1 month free full-featured license.

Set the computer's name and domain name using latin alphabet characters only, to allow the OrCAD Trial auto-installer to work smoothly.

Copy the "pcbdesign" folder from this archive to the root of disk C:\. Open the OPJ schematic projects in OrCAD Capture. Run Tools - Create Netlist in Capture, while you are in the Capture project manager, to transfer the design logic to OrCAD PCB Editor printed circuit board project. Open the printed circuit board project (BRD file) in PCB Editor.

The "Symbols" folder for each project is located in the same location as "Capture" folder with schematic files and "PCB Editor" folder with PCB project file. This will allow smooth Netlist export and import between Capture and PCB Editor.

So as the OrCAD "psmpath" and "padpath" variables, which set the path to the footprint library and padstack library, are set by default to: ".;./symbols;..;../symbols" it allows the tool to read the footprints and padstacks from the path "..\symbols" while you are in the "..\Capture" folder or in the "..\PCB Editor" folder.

Additional Note for using your own symbols in designs The PCB Footprints (symbols) need to be included in the search path so that when you netlist the tools can find the correct footprints. Users will typically have a library location that they will use to store footprints, padstacks and 3d step models. In PCB Editor, go to Setup>User Preferences>Paths>Library, and left-click on the ... next to psmpath entry, left-lick on the expand button to show the current paths in full. Left-click the New icon to add an entry and browse to the location of the footprints library. Once accepted, the new entry is added to the bottom of the psmpath, use the arrow keys move this entry to the top so that it is the first location searched for footprints. Repeat these steps for padpath (Padstacks) and steppath (3d Step Models).