OrCAD Walk-through
Get up to speed and productive quickly with these free learning resources and tutorials
New to OrCAD?
OrCAD Capture
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OrCAD Capture is one of the most powerful schematic design environments. With Capture, you can quickly, easily, and intuitively create complex schematic designs. This walk-through introduces you to OrCAD Capture 17.4. Upon completion of this tutorial, you will be able to:
* Click the video links for written, step-by-step tutorials.
- Open Capture 17.4 and create a new project
- Edit design, template, and titleblock preferences
- Add a new library file to your project
- Copy library parts and paste them into a new design library
- Rename and edit a library part
- Create a new part and add it to your design library
- Add a library to your Capture project
- Place a title block, components, ground and power on a schematic page
- Search for parts in the default Capture libraries
- Place a part from the Unified Search (New in 17.4)
- Connect components to wires
- Select and move groups of wired components
- Connect a bus to components and nets
- Place net aliases
- Add a new net alias to multiple nets and buses
- Edit component values and display information on the schematic
- Add PCB footprints to your design
- Edit reference designator text
- Automatically update schematic annotation
- Define differential pairs both manually and automatically
- Configure and run a design rule check (DRC)
- Correct violations
- Create a custom BOM
- Open the BOM in Excel
- Configure the first-time setup for a Smart PDF
- Generate a Smart PDF
- Create a new PCB layout and netlist for the design
Want a Deeper Dive? Try these OrCAD Videos
Don't Have Access to OrCAD Yet?
PCB Editor
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OrCAD PCB Editor provides engineers with a concept-to-production design environment. With OrCAD PCB Editor, you can complete your next project easily with powerful design capabilities such as differential signal definition, interactive routing, high-speed constraint management, and real-time design capabilities. This walk-through introduces you to OrCAD PCB Editor 17.4. Upon completion of this tutorial, you will be able to:
* Click the video links for written, step-by-step tutorials.
Setup and edit design parameters
Add a layer to the board stack up
Create a mounting hole
Place mechanical symbols on your PCB
Place components
Review a report that identifies unplaced components
Cross probe components between Capture and PCB Editor
Set up a differential pair
Specify electrical, physical and differential pair rules with Constraint Sets
Add ground and power planes
Draw and merge geometric shapes
Route and clean-up traces
Verify all nets are routed
Run a Design Rule Check
Identify and correct DRC errors
Add dimensions and titleblock for fabrication
Create a Drill Chart and Cross Section Chart
Setup Artwork Films
Generate IPC-2581, Gerber Artwork files and NC Drill file
Setup STEP mapping for 3D Models
Perform collision detection
Cross-probe between 2D and 3D to resolve collisions
Want a Deeper Dive? Try these OrCAD Videos
Need Help with In-design Analysis, Constraints,
and More?
PSpice
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This tutorial introduces OrCAD PSpice Designer version 17.4 (2021). OrCAD PSpice Designer allows you to perform accurate advanced mixed signal simulation with direct integration to OrCAD Capture, access to extensive model libraries, multiple simulation options, and comprehensive waveform analysis and reporting to verify your schematic design functionality.
* Click the video links for written, step-by-step tutorials.
- Open PSpice and create a new project
- Navigate through the PSpice Start page
- Access PSpice online learning and Help resources
- Place PSpice parts on your schematic
- Perform a part search and place the part
- Place wires to complete your schematic
- Rename and edit schematic parts
- Assign net names
- Perform bias point and DC sweep simulations
- Add traces to a plot
- Add voltage probes to the circuit
- Export simulation information
- Perform Transient and AC sweep simulations
- View measurements on your simulation plot
- Edit simulation profiles
- Create and use a Piecewise Linear Source (PWL) in simulation
- Create and use a non-ideal component in simulation
- Create a smart PDF
- Use the Save As functionality
- Archive a PSpice project
Want a Deeper Dive? Try these OrCAD Videos
Advanced Workshops
These advanced OrCAD workshops will help you learn specific OrCAD features, accelerate your design and evaluation process, and enable you to learn at your own pace.
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Change, Adjust, and Work Through Shapes in Real-Time
Skill level: Intermediate
Don’t lose precious design time waiting for shapes to repour each time you make an adjustment or change.
- Easily create and adjust shapes in real-time. No need to wait for shapes to repour.
- Plow through shapes and they will adjust automatically and apply any spacing rules.
