Orcad 16.6 Tutorial

Now you will organize components on the board and connect them with copper traces. Placing Components Click > Components Manually . Check the components listed in the dialog window.

OrCAD 16.6, part of Cadence's SPB (Silicon Package Board) release, is a robust and stable version of the industry-standard software suite for electronic design automation (EDA). While newer versions are available, OrCAD 16.6 remains incredibly popular due to its balance of power, stability, and extensive educational resources. It serves as a benchmark platform for PCB design capacity building in many universities and businesses globally.

Getting Started with OrCAD 16.6: A Complete PCB Design Guide orcad 16.6 tutorial

This covers the essential steps from schematic capture to PCB layout.

Click . Review the generated .DRC text file carefully and fix any errors reported. Annotating the Design Now you will organize components on the board

Once the board is completely routed with zero design rule check (DRC) errors, generate the fabrication data. Creating Copper/Ground Planes For multi-layer boards or solid ground returns: Click > Polygon . Set Class to Etch and Subclass to Bottom or Internal_GND . In the Options window, assign the net name to GND .

To transition smoothly from your schematic to the physical board editor, every part must have an assigned physical footprint, and the electrical data must be netlisted. Assigning PCB Footprints OrCAD 16

Move your mouse to the canvas; the footprint will appear attached to your cursor. Click to position it inside your board outline.

: Select a part from the library list, double-click it, and click on the schematic page to drop it. Press Esc to stop placing.

Click to place anchor points and change routing direction. OrCAD automatically enforces 45-degree angles by default.