Problem loading new components from SamacSys Search

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Werner
Posts: 7
Joined: 16 Jan 2012, 18:08

Problem loading new components from SamacSys Search

#1 Post by Werner » 19 Dec 2018, 07:12

I would love to use SamacSys to load new components into the schematic, however I've never been able to get it to work? The YouTube video makes it look so easy. Can anybody share the tricks in order to make this work?

Thanks for the help!

Werner

DerekG
Posts: 98
Joined: 18 Mar 2014, 01:06
Location: Norfolk Island

Re: Problem loading new components from SamacSys Search

#2 Post by DerekG » 21 Dec 2018, 15:49

Werner wrote: 19 Dec 2018, 07:12 I would love to use SamacSys to load new components into the schematic, however I've never been able to get it to work? The YouTube video makes it look so easy. Can anybody share the tricks in order to make this work?
Tomg explains the operation in his post here:

viewtopic.php?t=11477

Give it a try & please report back on how you go.
I also sat between Elvis & Bigfoot on the UFO.

Tomg
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Posts: 2028
Joined: 20 Jun 2015, 07:39

Re: Problem loading new components from SamacSys Search

#3 Post by Tomg » 22 Dec 2018, 16:40

I spent a day writing/testing the procedure outlined below and it seems to work for me - so far. Give it a try and let me know how things turn out.

I - SamacSys Library Loader
1) Launch the SamacSys Library Loader program, click on "Search for Parts" to bring up, for example, the Mouser website, search for the desired component and then select it to bring up its Specifications page.
2) In the Mouser component Specifications page click on the ECAD Model link and save the *.epw libraries file to your Downloads folder. It's okay to close your browser after this step if that's what you prefer.
3) In the SamacSys Library Loader program click on "Open ECAD Model" to bring up the "Open" dialog window.
4) Navigate to and select/highlight the newly-downloaded *.epw file using the "Open" dialog window and click on the [Open] button to extract all of the component's PADS library files. It's okay to close the SymacSys Library Loader program after extracting these files. (Closing the SamacSys program can be tricky. You'll probably have to use the Windows "hidden icons" control panel on the right side of the task bar to put it to rest.)

II - Importing the new pattern
1) In DipTrace go to the Main Menu of the Pattern Editor and click on "Library", choose "Import" in the drop-down menu and select "PADS ASCII (*.p, *.d,)..." in the fly-out menu to bring up the "Open" dialog window.
2) In the "Open" dialog window navigate to your "Downloads" folder, select/highlight the newly-extracted *.d file, click on the [Open] button, select/highlight the newly-extracted *.p file and click on the [Open] button once more to bring up the "Library Details" dialog window.
3) In the "Library Details" dialog window enter the library Name: "newpattern", choose the Library Group: "Other Libraries" and click on "OK" to import the new pattern library.
4) Initiate a save (Ctrl + S) to bring up the "Save As" dialog window, navigate to your "Downloads" folder, enter the library File name: "pattern" and click on the [Save] button.

III - Importing the new component
1) In DipTrace go to the Main Menu of the Component Editor and click on "Library", choose "Import" in the drop-down menu and select "PADS ASCII (*.p, *.c,)..." in the fly-out menu to bring up the "Open" dialog window.
2) In the "Open" dialog window navigate to your "Downloads" folder, select/highlight the newly-extracted *.p file, click on the [Open] button to bring up the "Component Editor - ..." confirmation window and choose "OK" to bring up the "Open - PADS Decal ASCII File" dialog window.
3) In the "Open - PADS Decal ASCII File" dialog window select/highlight the *.c file that is not named "PIN.c", click on the [Open] button to bring up an "Information" confirmation window and select "Cancel" to bring up the "Library Details" dialog window.
4) In the "Library Details" dialog window enter the library Name: "newcomponent", choose the Library Group: "Other Libraries" and click on "OK" to import the new component library.
5) Initiate a save (Ctrl + S) to bring up the "Save As" dialog window, navigate to your "Downloads" library folder, enter the library File name: "component" and click on the [Save] button.

Now that the new pattern and component have been converted to the DipTrace format, it is time to add them to existing libraries and tie them together.

IV - Adding the imported pattern to another library
1) In the Pattern Editor choose the destination library by selecting/highlighting the desired User Patterns library.
2) Click on the "Pattern Tools" panel and select "Insert Patterns from Another Library..." in the fly-out menu to bring up the "Insert Patterns" dialog window.
3) In the "Insert Patterns" dialog window choose the "Other Libraries" library group, select/highlight the library named "newpattern", select/highlight the new pattern and click on the [Insert] button. This will add the new pattern to the top of the destination library's patterns list.
4) If a 3D drawing file is available, save it to your preferred 3D library folder and then attach it to the new pattern.
5) Resave the destination library (Ctrl + S).

V - Adding the imported component to another library
1) In the Component Editor choose the destination library by selecting/highlighting the desired User Components library.
2) Click on the "Component Tools" panel and select "Insert Components from Another Library..." in the fly-out menu to bring up the "Insert Components" dialog window.
3) In the "Insert Components" dialog window choose the "Other Libraries" library group, select/highlight the library named "newcomponent", select/highlight the new component and click on the [Insert] button. This will add the new component to the top of the destination library's components list.
4) Click on the [Pattern...] button located in the "Component Properties" dialog window to bring up the "Attached Pattern" dialog window.
5) In the "Attached Pattern" dialog window choose the "User Patterns" library group, select/highlight the library containing the new pattern, click once on the name of the new pattern to attach it to the component, double-check all pin/pad connections and make any corrections if needed and, finally, click on "OK".
6) Resave the destination library (Ctrl + S).

VI - Removing the temporary libraries
1) In the Main Menu of the Component Editor click on "Library" and choose "Library Setup..." in the drop-down menu to bring up the "Library Setup" dialog window.
2) In the "Library Setup" dialog window choose the "Other Libraries" library group, select/highlight the two libraries named "newcomponent" and "newpattern", click on the [Delete Selected] button and choose "OK".
3) Delete the two library files named "component.eli" and "pattern.lib" that are located in your "Downloads" folder. If you are confident that you will no longer need the SamacSys *.epw and extracted PADS library files, delete those, too. This will reduce the possibility of choosing the wrong files when importing future patterns and components.

Now, wasn't that fun?

p.s. Let me know if you spot any errors in this procedure and I'll try to correct them as soon as I can.
Tom

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