Exporting a Design to OrCAD

Now reading version 17.1. For the latest, read: Exporting a Design to OrCAD for version 24
Applies to Altium Designer versions: 15.1, 16.0, 16.1, 17.0 and 17.1

Altium Designer includes a range of design file export options that allow native design files and data to be transferred to OrCAD® design software. The exported files relate to schematic based data, and apply to both older legacy (DOS) systems and more recent OrCAD programs.

The OrCAD design file exporter is accessed through Altium Designer's Export feature (File » Export), where the available range of export options is relative to the currently active design file.

Altium Designer’s OrCAD Import/Exporter platform extension needs to be enabled to activate most OrCAD export options. If the extension was not already added during Altium Designer’s initial installation, it can be enabled in the Configure Platform page in Altium Designer’s Extension & Updates view. Select DXP » Extensions and Updates, the Configure link under the view’s Installed tab and then check the OrCAD option in the Importers\Exporters section.

Export OrCAD Capture Schematic

To convert an Altium Designer Schematic document (*.SchDoc) to a binary OrCAD Capture schematic file (*.dsn), select the Export » Orcad v7 Capture Design command while a schematic design is the currently active Altium Designer document. The exported file’s target name and folder can be specified in the browser dialog that follows.

An Orcad Schematic document may also be exported as part of an Altium Designer Output Job by adding the Orcad v7 Capture Design generator to the Output Job's  Export Outputs category (Add New Export Output).

Export OrCAD Capture Schematic Library

To convert an Altium Designer Schematic Library document (*.SchLib) to an OrCAD Capture Schematic Library file (*.olb), select the Export » Orcad Capture Schematic Library command while a schematic library is the currently active Altium Designer document. The exported file’s target name and folder can be specified in the browser dialog that follows.

Export OrCAD SDT Schematic

To convert an Altium Designer Schematic document (*.SchDoc) to an OrCAD SDT file (*.sch), select the Export » Orcad SDT Schematic command while a schematic design is the currently active Altium Designer document – the exported schematic applies to legacy OrCAD products such as OrCAD SDT, PC2 and 386+. The exported file’s target name and folder can be specified in the browser dialog that follows.

An OrCAD SDT Schematic document may also be exported as part of an Altium Designer Output Job by adding the Orcad SDT Schematic generator to the Output Job's Export Outputs category (Add New Export Output).

Export OrCAD Netlist

To generate and export an OrCAD-compatible netlist (*.net) from an Altium Designer Schematic document (*.SchDoc), first select the Export » Netlist Schematic command while a schematic design is the currently active Altium Designer document.

Next, specify the exported file’s target name and folder in the following browser dialog, and then the OrCAD/PCB2 option as the NetList format option in the Export NetList dialog. Select a Scope option of Project or Document to specify netlist generation for all available project schematics or just the currently active schematic, respectively.

An OrCAD Netlist may also be exported as part of an Altium Designer Output Job by adding the OrCAD/PCB2 generator to the Output Job's Netlist Outputs category (Add New Netlist Output).

As an alternative to exporting an OrCAD compatible netlist, the file can be generated and added to the current Altium Designer project via the Design » Netlist for Project or Design » Netlist for Document commands. In the same way as outlined above, select the Netlist for Project or Netlist for Document command option to specify the scope of the schematic netlist generation, and the OrCAD/PCB2 option determine the file format.
Note

The features available depend on your level of Altium Designer Software Subscription.