Make sure that you have any Capture related processes closed, a reboot should get you there. Find the active Capture.ini file, usually in the installation in tools\Capture and rename it. Start Regedit.exe, find the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OrCAD\CaptureWorkspace key and delete it and the subkeys that belong to it, then close regedit and see if that fixes things. Get the latest hotfix.
We had an XP machine running 16.2 fine. Installed 16.3 into a new directory and it wouldn't load. Removed everything, 16.2 and 16.3 then reinstalled 16.3. Still has the same problem, when I launch orcad cis the first time it never loads. I can see the capture.exe process running in taskmgr, it grabs 50% of the CPU and will hold that for at least several hours without ever fully loading.
Me too. OrCAD Capture 16.3-p008 was working fine. All of a sudden, when I loaded it again, I would get the splash screen. A moment later the splash screen would go away, but the program window never came up. On Windows 7 when I mouse over OrCAD Capture on the task bar, I would get a short window with the program name in it, rather than a thumbnail of the main window -- I think this means the main window wasn't created yet, much less displayed. Task Manager showed the program, but not as "Not Responding". The program easily exited from task bar close window option on popup.
Hey guys, haven't posted in a couple of weeks, so things are obviously going a bit better(Thanks to you folks), but I have run into some issues that I'd like to ask about.
1.) Does orcad 17.2 have autoroute? I am having a nightmare of a time with a new microsd connector that has a different footprint than our last one. I made a new footprint, but i'm having trouble finding a path for my traces. Just out of curiosity I thought i'd like to try autoroute, and see if it helps even with 1 or 2 connections, but unfortunately I can't seem to find it in 17.2. Is autoroute in 17.2? has it been replaced with something else?
2.) Randomly, 'place via' is now greyed out, and I can't seem to add via's anymore unless I copy and paste one in.
3.) I'm running into all sorts of DRC errors, but some of them existed before the file was past on to me. Obviously, no drc errors would be ideal, but are they sometimes ok? Obviously, not all DRC errors are created equal, and are based on rules put in place by the previous designer, but can I leave some of them in place? Some of them seem unfixable (at the moment, with my current skill level).
The specctra autorouter is external to Orcad and Allegro. You export the other kind of DSN file from Orcad/Allegro then run the Specctra program on it. Route, then import the file (.rte) back to Allegro/Orcad.
The connector is this one. Pretty standard, but the problem is not the odd footprint of this particular connector, but the previous. Rather than one row of 8 pins, it had 2 rows of 4 on the right and left side of the connector. The board is very dense, so re-routing is pretty hard for someone this inexperienced.
I do not know the minimum via. I didn't design the board, and I'm basically a greenhorn, so I can't even answer that, but I can say, it's not that the via won't appear near the microSD card, it's that it won't appear in MOST places. It does work occasionally, and i'm sure it's something i'm doing wrong, but the problem is, it's not telling me what i'm doing wrong. I'm sorry, I sound like a hopeless case.
1) Yes. But how you need to access it depends on your license. If you are OrCAD Pro or higher, it's in the Route menu. Otherwise, I might try the suggestion to export / import. Since I have the higher license I don't use that method.
2) Makes no sense. Sounds like you have not clicked on an object first that can take a via such as: shape, cline, via, pin (set your find filter and make sure all objects are on, click on something then the via should drop down).
4) Make sure there is a non-zero setting in the tolerance field of the differential pair. Sometimes only the positive field needs a value... Without seeing your board or error message it can't be resolved on here.
5) Yes: Tools->Reports->unconnected pins, Tools->Reports->unplaced components, Tools-Reports->Dangling Lines, etc.... Summary will you give you a nutshell but won't tell you where the errors are but it should be a good starting point.
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