The Connexions version of the OrCAD tutorial is still in development. Please
click here for the original and complete tutorial. You may also browse this complete tutorial within Connexions by using the Mozilla browser and accessing the main Connexions page at
http://cnx.rice.edu. Click on the 'Contents' tab and select Rice University ELEC 424/427 under the 'Courses' tab.
OrCAD allows you to create a library of part symbols for use in schematic entry. These libraries are kept in separate files that
are included in the project workspace. This allows you to reuse libraries in other designs. We will now create symbols for all
the parts in our design.
When you place a part in a design, OrCAD creates a cached copy of the part symbol in the design file. This makes
schematic projects portable but can also introduce some problems later in the design cycle. Please resist the temptation to edit
parts directly in schematics, as this will make the design out of sync with respect to your library. Always edit symbols in the
library and then use the Replace Cache and Update Cache commands to change the part in schematics. See the OrCAD help for
more information on these commands.
First we must add a new library to our design. To do this, click File-->New-->Library. Your project window
will now look like the following figure.
Right-click the library file and select Save As... Name the file Elec424Tutorial and place
it in the lib directory that you created earlier. You are now ready to add parts to your library.