Altium - Problem: ECO from schematic to PCB doesn't work - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: DaJones
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2012, 01:11:04 am
content: In looking at Altium recently, I noticed that changes in the pcb editor cannot reliably be ported back to the schematic editor via ECO.I can start with a bare board, place a single resistor on it and try and get the resistor added to the schematic via an ECO, but whether Istart anew or work on an existing project, Altium doesn't seem to want to take changes made to the PCB layout and port them back tothe schematic. Not even the simple addition of a net ( connection ) or a part.It SAYS it sees the changes, but that it can't automatically generate the ECO, and I'm presented with a dialog box to decide what todo with the changes. Once I tell it what to do with each change, it tells me that though there were changes it did not execute thechanges and suggests that I look at the Project Options - which I've played around with to no good effect.Can anyone offer a suggestion on how to get the ECO to work properly?Thanks

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2012, 02:09:02 am
content: Quote from: DaJones on January 19, 2012, 01:11:04 amYou need to reconsider your notion of 'work properly'.A component placed on a PCB defines only a footprint, designator and comment. The footprint could be shared by thousands of schematic symbols, how could it know which symbol to place in the schematic?There is no concept of schematics containing nets which have not yet been drawn and no support for attempting to modify the schematic drawing to match nets which have changed.Changes from PCB to schematic are limited to modification of footprint, designator and comment. It could probably support deleting components and nets but it doesn't.It just doesn't do what you seem to think it should, but, no one else thinks it should so it isn't a problem.

author: joelby
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2012, 04:40:01 am
content: Agreed, I always make changes on the schematics and then push those to the PCB with an ECO, as this is the only way it works reliably! I wouldn't consider placing new components directly on a PCB unless I was doing a design with no schematic at all.. and I wouldn't consider doing that

author: DaJones
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2012, 01:29:14 am
content: QuoteThanks for the info, Rufus... though not totally accurate.Ultiboard allows you to push changes either way without problems, and I seem to remember that Orcad works the same way.And the fact that Altium ALLOWS you to place parts on the board ( parts, not footprints ) from the same parts list as the schematic editor kind of implies that this is a "workable" way to place a part.QuoteI don't know you...I've never spoken to you...So...What's up with the snarky attitude?Dave

author: DaJones
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2012, 07:46:00 am
content: It looks like you were right, Rufus.If I drag a "part" into the pcb ( like "2n3904" ), what I actually end up with is just a footprint with none of the "2n3904" schematic part info.That causes me to scratch my head!What in the world is the point of allowing users to place "parts" ( from the "Parts List" ) onto the pcb, when the program is just going tostrip any actual "part" information out and place a footprint instead.The other programs I've used ( Ultiboard, Orcad and Pads ) all allow placing parts on the pcb and pushing the changes to the schematic.It's really rare for me to need to do something like that, so it's not a big deal. I was just surprised that Altium couldn't do it.