CADSTAR Design Migration
The CADSTAR Migration dialog allows you to migrate an exported CADSTAR design or library to eCADSTAR. Archive files from CADSTAR 18.0 and later versions can be migrated to eCADSTAR. This dialog is launched by clicking File > Migration > CADSTAR Design. Alternatively, click Home > Migration > CADSTAR Design on the Start Page in eCADSTAR PCB Editor, eCADSTAR Schematic Editor or eCADSTAR Library Editor. If a High Speed CADSTAR design includes topology data, then this data is automatically migrated.
Complete the Input, Mapping and Output sections in the dialog to perform the migration. The results of the migration are displayed in the Results section. Click either Back or Next to display the required section. The Next button is made available when you complete each section.
- If you launch the dialog in eCADSTAR Library Editor, then you can only migrate a library archive.
- If you launch the dialog in eCADSTAR PCB Editor or eCADSTAR Schematic Editor, then you can migrate both PCB and Schematic archives.
Note
- When migrating a design, the schematic and PCB archive files should be migrated simultaneously. When migrating a library, both library archive files should be migrated simultaneously. This provides additional consistency checking.
- Before exporting designs from CADSTAR, ensure that they are forward annotated and back annotated, and that a Library reload has been done.
- Backup all existing CADSTAR libraries.
- If a part database library is being used, the database library must be exported to ASCII.
- If multiple library paths are being used, merge them to a single CADSTAR library path.
- Top and bottom electrical layers must be defined.
- Minimize the number of inner layers.
- It is recommended that layer sub-types are defined.
- Archive files must be created for symbol and footprint libraries.
- The mapping for characters is shown in the following documents.
- Individual Character Mapping.
- Default Character Mapping.
- 3D model data that is used in CADSTAR is not included in the migration process from CADSTAR to eCADSTAR.
Input
| Value | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-migration steps | Describes the prerequisites for the migration process. | |
| CADSTAR Library | Specify the folder that contains the library that will be migrated
to eCADSTAR. The
symbol library archive file and component library archive file
contained in the folder are automatically added to the CADSTAR
symbol library archive (*.csa) and CADSTAR
component library archive (*.cpa) boxes, respectively.
It is recommended that both these library archive are migrated
at the same time. This section of the dialog is only displayed
when you launch the dialog from within eCADSTAR Library Editor.
Note As exported libraries and designs both use .csa and .cpa archive files, it is recommended that separate folders are used for library and design data. This prevents an incorrect archive files being automatically added to the CADSTAR symbol library archive (*.csa) and CADSTAR component library archive (*.cpa) boxes when you specify a library folder. |
|
| CADSTAR symbol library archive (*.csa) check box |
|
|
| CADSTAR symbol library archive (*.csa) box | Displays the symbol library archive file that is migrated to eCADSTAR Library Editor. This file is added automatically to this box if it exists within the specified library folder. You can specify the name of the file by typing it or by clicking "..." and selecting it in the Select Symbol Archive dialog. After you specify a symbol library archive file, the Next button is made available. | |
button |
Displays the Select Symbol Archive dialog. Any .csa files in the library folder are displayed. Select a symbol library archive file by clicking it in the dialog. | |
| CADSTAR component library archive (*.cpa) check box |
|
|
| CADSTAR component library archive (*.cpa) box | Displays the component library archive file that is migrated
to eCADSTAR Library Editor.
This file is added automatically to this box if it exists within
the specified library folder. Specify the name of the file by
typing it or by clicking and selecting it
in the Select Component Archive
dialog. After you specify a component library archive file, the
Next button is made available. |
|
|
button |
Displays the Select Component Archive dialog. Any .cpa files in the library folder are displayed. Click a component library archive file by clicking it in the dialog. | |
| CADSTAR schematic archive (*.csa) check box | This section of the dialog is only displayed when you launch
the dialog from within eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
|
|
| CADSTAR schematic archive (*.csa) box | Displays the schematic archive file that is migrated to eCADSTAR Schematic Editor.
Specify the name of the file by typing it or by clicking
and selecting it in the displayed Open
dialog. After you specify a schematic archive file, the Next button is made available. |
|
|
button |
Select a schematic archive file by selecting it in the displayed Open dialog. | |
| CADSTAR PCB archive (*.cpa) check box |
This section of the dialog is only displayed when you launch the dialog from within eCADSTAR PCB Editor.
|
|
| CADSTAR PCB archive(*.cpa) box | Displays the PCB archive file that is migrated to eCADSTAR PCB Editor.
Specify the name of the file by typing it or by clicking
and selecting it in the displayed Open
dialog. After you specify a PCB archive file, the Next
button is made available. |
|
|
button |
Select a PCB archive file by selecting it in the displayed Open dialog. |
Mapping
| Value | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Mapping file (*.map) | Allows you to specify the mapping file that is used to associate objects in the CADSTAR archive file to the library file or design file that is created in eCADSTAR. You can use the same mapping file to migrate multiple CADSTAR designs. A default mapping file is provided in eCADSTAR, and is displayed in the Mapping file box. This contains generic mapping information which aids the migration process. You can either edit this mapping file or create a new one by clicking New. After you specify a mapping file, the Next button is made available. | |
| Mapping file (*.map) box | Displays the mapping file that is used to associate objects in the CADSTAR archive file to the library file or design file that is created in eCADSTAR. A mapping file is automatically created and is displayed in this box. This contains generic mapping information which aids the migration process. If you click New to specify a mapping file, then the path to this file is displayed. | |
|
button |
Allows you to select a mapping file by clicking it in the displayed Open dialog. Any .map files can be selected. | |
| New | Allows you to create a new mapping file by clicking it in the displayed Saves As dialog. The file that you select is displayed in the Mapping file (*.map) box and the CADSTAR Migration Mapping dialog is displayed. | |
| Edit | Displays the CADSTAR Migration Mapping dialog. This allows you to edit the file that is displayed in the Mapping file (*.map) box. |
Output
| Value | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Output | Allows you to specify a folder to which the selected archive files are migrated. To avoid exceeding the limits of your operating system, it is recommended that the path to the folder is short. After you specify this folder, the Next button is made available. Click Next to migrate the CADSTAR archive files to the specified folder. Depending on their size, there may be a delay in completing the migration. The migrated CADSTAR archive files are displayed in the relevant eCADSTAR applications. | |
| Output box | Displays the location of an empty folder to which the selected
archive files are migrated to. A sub-folder is created in the
specified folder. This contains the migrated library or design
files. A log file is also created in the specified folder. Specify
the location of this folder by typing it, or by clicking
and specifying it in the displayed Select
Folder dialog. |
|
|
button |
In the displayed Select Folder dialog, select an empty folder to which the selected archive files are migrated to. The specified folder is displayed in the Output box. |
Results
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Error log box | Displays the results of the migration. If it was successful, then the message "Migration successful. There are no errors to report." is displayed. If errors or warnings are generated, then these are displayed. The CADSTAR archive files are migrated to the specified folder, regardless of whether errors or warnings are generated. |
| Debug log | Displays the Migration Debug Log dialog. This allows you to view the log file that is created by the migration process. This information is also in the panlink.log file that is created in the folder specified in the Output section. |
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Back | Allows you to return to a previous section in this dialog. |
| Next | Displays the next section in this dialog. This button is made available when you complete each section. If you click Next in the Output section, then the CADSTAR archive files are migrated to the folder that you specify. |
| Finish | This button is made available when the migration process has completed. The migrated CADSTAR archive files are displayed in the relevant eCADSTAR applications, and the CADSTAR Migration dialog is closed. The CADSTAR archive files are migrated, regardless of whether you click Finish or Cancel. |
| Cancel | The CADSTAR Migration dialog is closed without launching the relevant eCADSTAR applications. The CADSTAR archive files are migrated, regardless of whether you click Finish or Cancel. |
