Open a schematic drawn in Protel with OrCAD

protel schematic viewer

Colleagues,

I’m sure some of you have had a problem similar to mine in the past.

One more circuit designer and I are working on the same project. Unfortunately we are armed with different packages for schematic capture. He’s using Protel 99, and I’m using OrCAD Capture CIS 9.2 (I’ve used Protel 2004 in the past too). He have sent me a *.SCH file, but I can’t seem to open it with OrCAD.

Here’s what’s happening.
1. I fire up OrCAD Capture.
2. File -> Open -> Design…
3. Choose file type: SDT schematic (*.sch)
4. Provide a *.SCH file name and click Open.
5. OrCAD asks me for the name of the *.DSN file to save the translated design to.
6. Provide a *.DSN file name and click Save.
7. OrCAD outputs the following errors:


What am I doing wrong? Is the problem in the *.SCH file? Is the problem in OrCAD?

Thanks,
Nick

orcad dsn viewer

It is Orcad that is looking for the configuration file to tell it what libraries to use. Your installation of Orcad has an example SDT.CFG example in the ...\tools\capture\sample folder (or it should have). That file will have to be edited with a text editor to point to the available xxx.LIB files. Orcad needs this information to import any of the older style .SCH formats. If it can't find the symbols it needs in the .LIB files, it will show the wires but the symbol will be missing from the imported schematic.

An easier way for you to read the file would be to have someone with a new version of Protel (Altium Designer 6.7) read the Protel99 file and save it as an Orcad Capture design file (.DSN). You could then open it without having to mess with the SDT and library files.

If you want to PM the Protel99 file to me, I'd be happy to convert it to an Orcad .DSN file for you. If you decide to work with the Orcad .SCH file you have, you're on your own - I would have to do the same thing I suggested to you above.

open .sch file

Hi,
I am having the same problem converting a Protel schematic (.sch) to Orcad (.dsn). I have the Altium software and when I try to save as, it only has the option of "Orcad SDT Schematic (*.sch)" When I try to save it like this it only results in a small 1KB file.
Anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks

orcad sdt viewer

mark2000 said:

Hi,
I am having the same problem converting a P*otel schematic (.sch) to Orcad (.dsn). I have the @ltium software and when I try to save as, it only has the option of "Orcad SDT Schematic (*.sch)" When I try to save it like this it only results in a small 1KB file.
Anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks

Click to expand...

If you have Protel DXP or Altium Designer 6, you can save the schematic in DSN format from the "Projects" panel.

Your schematic has to be in a project. You then right click on the name of the project in the "Projects" panel. Select "Save Project As". There is a scroll box where it says "Save as type". One of the choices is "Export Orcad Capture Design (*.DSN)". Select that type, and the software saves a copy in .DSN format to the project folder.

If you want to PM me your schematic, I can do it for you. However, it should be very simple for you to do.

protel sch viewer

Thanks House_Cat,

Sorry I forgot to tell you that I was using Orcad 10.5. The files you converted opened fine and looked great.


Mark

orcad dsn

"It is Orcad that is looking for the configuration file to tell it what libraries to use. Your installation of Orcad has an example SDT.CFG example in the ...\tools\capture\sample folder (or it should have). That file will have to be edited with a text editor to point to the available xxx.LIB files. Orcad needs this information to import any of the older style .SCH formats. If it can't find the symbols it needs in the .LIB files, it will show the wires but the symbol will be missing from the imported schematic.

An easier way for you to read the file would be to have someone with a new version of P*otel (@ltium Designer 6.7) read the Protel99 file and save it as an Orcad Capture design file (.DSN). You could then open it without having to mess with the SDT and library files.

If you want to PM the Protel99 file to me, I'd be happy to convert it to an Orcad .DSN file for you. If you decide to work with the Orcad .SCH file you have, you're on your own - I would have to do the same thing I suggested to you above."


My name is Chuong. I'm in Vietnam. I also have a problem like the same "KENDER". So now I just want to do by Protell 99 SE, could you tell me about how to edit SDT.CFG, and then open *.sch by Orcad *.sch success!
Thanks much.

Re: orcad dsn

Hi,

I am trying to convert my altium schematic to OrCAD and have tried using save as "Export Orcad Capture Design (*.DSN)" approach as suggested by House_Cat. the thing works fine with small designs single sheets. but schematics with multiple sheet entries or with alot of components on single sheets crashes OrCAD, as I try to open them after saving as .dsn files. could anyone has faced similar issues and can help me with this?

Thanks in advance

Re: orcad dsn

Thanks, do you also know some source to concert Altium Schematic to Allegro.