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Parent page: More about Components and Libraries
This document takes a look at the various ways in which an integrated library may be created, as well as placement from and modification to such a library.
The key benefits of compiling into an integrated library are:
An Integrated Library Package (*.LibPkg) is a type of Altium NEXUS project that is used to gather together the set of design documents required to produce an integrated library. Schematic symbols are drawn in the schematic library editor, and model references/links defined for each, along with any parametric information. These are stored across one or more schematic library files. Referenced models can include PCB 2D/3D component models, circuit simulation models, and signal integrity models.
The only document that must be added to the integrated library package is the schematic library (or libraries). The files containing PCB 2D/3D component models and simulation models/sub-circuits can be located in any valid search location within the project, within files in the Installed Libraries list, or in the search path(s) specified for the package.
The library package is then compiled into a single Integrated Library file (*.IntLib).
In summary, there are essentially four steps to creating an integrated library:
Create a new integrated library package by choosing the File » New » Library » Integrated Library command from the main menus. The new shell library package project will be added to the Projects panel and initially will not contain any documents.
Create the source schematic library (*.SchLib) containing the components required. For each component, add the required model links and parametric information. There are two ways to create a source schematic library:
With the source schematic library (or libraries) prepared, add to the library package using one of the following methods:
Source SchLib added to the library package.
Create the models - referenced by the schematic components - in their corresponding files (PCB 2D/3D component models in a PCB Library (*.PcbLib), simulation models and sub-circuits in Model (*.Mdl) and Subcircuit (*.Ckt) files). The most important model will, of course, be the PCB 2D/3D component model that, like its schematic library counterpart, can be created in two ways:
With the model files defined, they now need to be made available to the library package, so that they can easily be located when required - remember, the models are referenced by (or linked to) the schematic components. Altium NEXUS has a standard system for making models available, regardless of whether you are building an integrated library package, or working on a schematic design. There are three ways of making models available:
There are advantages to each, so choose the method that best suits your work practices. Different models also work better with different approaches too. For example, you may not want to see a large number of simulation models listed in the Projects panel when the library package is opened, but you might like to see the PCB 2D/3D component model libraries. In this case, define a search path to the folder where the simulation models are stored and add the PCB library to the library package.
Collectively, these three methods of model availability form the Available File-based Libraries (available to a project) and can all be defined in the Available File-based Libraries dialog, which is accessed by clicking the at the top-right of the Components panel then selecting File-based Libraries Preferences.
Define model availability through the Available File-based Libraries dialog.
Source PcbLib added to the library package.
Defining search paths to model files from the Search Path tab of the Available File-based Libraries dialog accesses the Search Paths tab of the Options for Integrated Library dialog (Project » Project Options). Add one or more paths as required, remembering that models are searched along these paths in order from top to bottom. Click the Refresh List button to verify that the required model files are indeed found and adjust a path if necessary.
An example of a defined search path along which to find the required PcbLib model file.
With the source libraries added to the library package and any paths to model files defined as required, the package can now be compiled to ultimately generate the integrated library. Like any other project, the compiler for an integrated library package will generate a list of warning and/or error messages, for example, warning of any models that were not found. Additionally, pin mapping errors can be checked, such as mapping instructions to pads 1 and 2 when the actual footprint contains pads A and K.
Prior to running a compilation, it is prudent to browse through and set the error reporting conditions appropriately, on the Error Reporting tab of the Options for Integrated Library dialog.
It is a good idea to set error reporting options and severity levels as required, prior to compiling the library package.
To proceed with compilation, use the Compile Integrated Library command either from the main Project menu or from the right-click menu associated to the library package's entry in the Projects panel. The source libraries and model files are compiled into an integrated library named after the source library package (<LibraryPackageName>.IntLib). The compiler will check for violations and any errors or warnings found will be listed in the Messages panel. Fix any problems in the source libraries then recompile.
Example errors flagged by the Compiler upon compilation of the integrated library package.
The integrated library is saved in the output folder nominated on the Options tab of the Options for Integrated Library dialog (by default a sub-folder of the project's location: \Project Outputs for <ProjectName>). It is automatically added to the Installed tab of the Available File-based Libraries dialog.
The compiled integrated library is added to the Installed tab of the Available File-based Libraries dialog.
An integrated library can also be made directly from constituent project documents (source schematics and PCB document). Use the Make Integrated Library command, which is available from the main Design menu in either the schematic or PCB editor.
The process essentially involves:
The IntLib is added to the project (under Libraries\Compiled Libraries in the Projects panel), added to the Installed libraries (as part of the Available File-based Libraries available to any project), and made available through the Components panel.
Streamlined creation of an integrated library, directly from the schematic and PCB documents in the active design project.
Related page: Working with Database Libraries
Altium NEXUS's Database Libraries are an ideal choice if you want your Altium NEXUS components to be tightly coupled to your company database. If the design needs to leave your company site, or if you prefer to have your designers work from secure integrated libraries, this can be readily achieved. Altium NEXUS provides the facility to compile an integrated library directly from a database library: either a standard database library (DbLib), or a version-controlled SVN database library (SVNDbLib). In this way, your CAD Librarians can still use database libraries, while your designers use regularly regenerated integrated libraries working in an 'offline' fashion as it were.
Conversion is performed using the Offline Integrated Library Maker wizard. The process is carried out on a per database table basis, with full control over which tables in the database are considered. A separate integrated library will be generated for each included table.
Convert your database libraries (DbLibs or SVNDbLibs) to 'offline' integrated libraries using the Offline Integrated Library Maker.
The process involves the following steps:
Results of the conversion process - library package projects with constituent symbol and footprint model documents and the compiled IntLibs, which are also added as installed
libraries.
Related page: Working with the Content Cart
You also have the ability to acquire components from a managed content server into an Integrated Library. When placing components from such an Integrated Library, the actual links are back to the component in that server. This gives you the ability to effectively use your company's components in an offline fashion, while ensuring the design still maintains a true connection to those components in the source. It also ensures that the supply chain information defined for those components - through the use of Part Choice Lists - continues to be used.
Set the target of the Content Cart to an IntLib file.
Accept the default target folder, or change as required.
Deliver the cart to the target folder, which will contain the required Integrated Library file.
After generation, the IntLib is added to the Installed Libraries list - part of the Available File-based Libraries for the software.
Placement of components from an integrated library is performed from the Components panel. Placement can be made from the active schematic document or the active PCB document. Placement can be performed in the following ways:
While a schematic library and an integrated library may contain the same component (with all the same model links), the placed components from each of these libraries will behave differently when their model information is retrieved. Those components placed from integrated libraries will look for the original integrated library to get their models, while those components placed from schematic libraries will have no access to models stored in integrated libraries.
Integrated libraries are used to place components and cannot be edited directly. To make changes to an integrated library, make modifications in the source libraries first and then recompile the library package to generate a fresh integrated library that includes those changes.
To modify an integrated library:
There may be occasion where the source libraries in an integrated library need to be accessed for modification, but for whatever reason, there is no access to the original source library package project by which to do so. This is where another aspect of a single, portable integrated library file, comes into play. Although integrated libraries cannot be edited directly; they can be de-compiled back into their constituent source symbol and model libraries.
To do this:
The source schematic and model libraries are extracted and saved in a new folder named after the integrated library's filename in the folder in which the original integrated library resides. A library package (<IntegratedLibraryFileName>.LibPkg) is then created and the source schematic and PCB libraries are added to the project and presented in the Projects panel. Simulation model and sub-circuit files are not automatically added to the project.
Extracting the source libraries from an integrated library - de-compiling to produce a library package project.
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